[OSM-talk] open satnav hardware

[Alex S.]

Robin Paulson wrote:
> there is currently no method (that i know of, please correct me if i
> am wrong), that allows an average person, with little to no technical
> expertise, to obtain a gps navigation device with 'free' map data on
> it.
> 
> i assume that one of the the aims of OSM is to get as many people as
> possible using it. following on from the recent
> dell-with-ubuntu-installed exercise; this aim will be furthered by the
> presence of satnav systems with OSM pre-loaded and easy to update.
> 
> if we do not make this data accessible to the general public, by
> definition it will forever live in the shadows, used only by geeks and
> hardcore mappers

So, do something about it.  :)

You could start by making a distribution 'for the masses'.  There's 
already a Linux+OSM distro available somewhere, and several nav apps 
that support, to some degree, OSM data.

Or, you could port one of those nav apps to Maemo Chinook - the N810 has 
a GPS on board, but as far as I can tell, you are not required to buy 
the map subscription with the tablet.
(see http://boids.name/empty/articles/2007/11/12/n810-and-geo-mapping 
for a similar project)