finding answers

  I recently purchased a radio/gps/multi-media player for my car. I have used Google maps on my phone for navigation and thought it would be nice to have in the dashboard. Some things never change I guess, I still like to add upgrades. This was nothing more than replacing a radio. Oh, it came with a back up camera as well. So anyway I ordered it from Amazon . It arrived on time and in good shape. I had to purchase a special tool, surprise, surprise, to remove the factory installed one. Six bucks for two little pieces of metal. Yes, I could have done it another way, I You Tubed it, but using the tool was easiest. So now I have that tool should someone else need it, I've got a lot of tools like that, just in case. Prior to that tool I bought a wrench to remove the thermostat housing on an Oldsmobile Alero, still have the tool, not the car. But whatever, I did get that system installed. It only took a few hours to do. 

 Okay, so I got the system installed and it's time to try it out. It did come with an instruction manual, in three languages. Once you locate the English section you discover there just isn't that many pages. Now some functions are pretty simple , like turning on the radio. It is a touch screen and I have some experience with that. Radio works fine. The backup camera system works great too, shift to reverse on on it comes. Can't get much simpler than that. Now for the navigation system. I have the thing in the dash, the gps antenna is mounted just as they suggested. I turn that on and discover at that point I need a wi-fi connection or some method of connecting to the internet. Well, who knew? The advertising for the product said it would work offline. It does, if you go online first and download a map. Hmm, well I didn't know that, figured that is what the antenna was for. The internet had informed me that satellite navigation was free, the satellites provided by Uncle Sam, using my tax money. Yes it is, but you have to have the map first from what I can determine. I'm still working on the offline maps thing. The book isn't much help, assuming you already know what it is they are talking about. 

 I have done quite a bit of reading since about sat/nav and all that. What I have discovered is that it is difficult to get a straight answer to anything. Getting past the advertisements is the first obstacle. Once that hurdle has been breached , finding the simple answer is next. The problem I feel is that there are too many assumptions being made. What is required is a primer for us "old" folks. Drag the screen from the top and swipe. Do what? Allowing things to run in the background? How do I know what is running in the background? Install the update? Allow this to make changes to your system? I don't know, should I? I just want to know some simple answers. On the other side of that, patience is also required. I have found that often it is my impatience that causes issues. I'm fine when there is a message saying this doing that and wait. I'm good when there is that little green bar where you can follow the progress. But without any of that, I'm pushing the button or touching that screen! What's happening? Then I have three or four processes trying to go at once and the whole thing gets as confused as I am. 

 Yes I know it's a joke about old people and technology. It has always been so and I expect will continue that way. But I think that happens when things aren't explained clearly and concisely. The basic information is being assumed instead of taught. I admit that I do not know exactly how the satellite navigation system works and what interface is required to access that. I wasn't aware that an internet connection was required for that system to operate. I was told to use the mirror function. Yup, that works but what advantage did I get from doing so? Just that the screen in the car was larger, I was still using data on the phone, hearing the same directions. I shouldn't be looking at the screen while I'm driving in the first place, so what's the point? As I said , I can download a map of the area, but I've yet to figure out how large is the area? I can enter an address and get driving directions. That'll work as long as I have a connection to the internet. But, will it work offline? I mean, if I download a map of the area, the area where I want to go, how will I know if that area is within the area I downloaded? That is to say, when I leave my driveway will the offline map that I downloaded of the area where I'm going be in the area of my home? It's all very confusing. Then the book says I can put those maps on an SD card and use them but you have to update the map every thirty days. Well that's if you store them in the internal memory, what happens if you store them on a card? Will they work after thirty days? I need to take a class.  And no, there isn't a you tube video that shows me how to use the unit I purchased. Can find plenty for others but not this particular unit. 

 Well, anyway I have satellite navigation, am/fm  radio, multi-media player and a back up camera system in my car. Won't use half of what it is capable of but I have it. I can play videos, listen to Spotify ( with an internet connection) go on Facebook, all sorts of things that you shouldn't do while driving. It's pretty cool. What I'm trying to figure out is exactly what it will or will not do. I'm always hesitant to do anything when I don't know the answer. When a computer or any electronic device asks that question, do you want to allow, I hesitant, do I? I don't know, maybe.