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Apple to steal Garmin and TomTom’s milk money

Remember those things our grandparent’s use to use that when unfolded like a paper puzzle, revealed microscopic lines, designated points of interest, and could estimate our travel length and time within +/- 100 miles? What were they called again?…Oh yes, Maps! Well, since the invention and subsequent “perfection” of GPS navigators from companies like Garmin and TomTom, where even a two year old can make their way from point A to point B with a push of a button, maps have become a thing of the past. And now, with the slated inclusion of GPS in everything from Sony’s PSP and Apple’s 3G iPhone, stand alone GPS systems might become extinct like their travel friendly predecessors.

Therefore it only makes sense that in the most recent issue of Popular Mechanics the president of an unnamed GPS navigator maker said he felt “scared shitless” by the prospect of an iPhone with GPS because it would be good enough for most users to never even glance at a seperate GPS unit, let alone compare and contrast models with the iPhone. With a decent and comperable sized touchscreen and Google Maps in place, simply purchase a carmount and hit the road. Additionally, if you stop and think about how advanced Apple’s User Interfaces are, you’ll realize that Garmin and Tom Tom especially cannot compete. If Apple feels so inclined as to spread the power of OS X into a GPS enabled iPhone, then the mapping and navigation appliation, as well as the User Interface is going to be mind-blowing! That’s right….MIND BLOWING!

There are only a few rare pieces of software that Apple could not improve upon in the “User Interface” space, with Gmail being one of them. Basecamp being another. However, the time for Apple to infuse it’s interface magic into GPS’s and GPS navigation has more than arrived.

Keep in mind….We are talking about ONE new feature that we may see in the upcoming 3G iPhone. GPS makers ONLY have one feature in their devices. Do the math.