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Product Details
Series: Rand McNally Road Atlas, U.S., Canada and Mexico
For my road trips, I almost exclusively use GPS. However during my recent inter state trip, for a few instances, I felt that GPS had chosen the wrong way which eventually wasted my time. Therefore, I purchased this road atlas, to be able to check the big picture, when in doubt. Besides, I don't want to get lost in the middle of nowhere if the GPS breaks down unexpectedly. So, for most of the time, it will be laying in my trunk just like the reserve tire. For this purpose this item is really good. You get a decent product without spending a lot.
However; there are some points which could have been better. Firstly, Why the hell is it not spiral bound? Is it really a big cost to stick a coil through the pages. It is very difficult to keep a specific page open or bend it back without coil . I can not imagine using this as a primary source.
Secondly, The map scales vary a lot which is both annoying and impractical. The idea is that every state covers one page (with a few exceptions) so if the state is large, then the scale goes down and things get tinier. There are up to 4 times difference between one state to another (as far as I noticed from the accompanying scales for each map) It could have been much more uniform and easier to use if it offered a continous map instead of a state by state map.
Finally, the city maps that are offered for a few hand picked cities for each state are really waste of space. I can not imagine anyone finding an address by looking at a 2 inch by 3 inch map of central Philedelphia or Portland.
My conclusion is that you can benefit from it as a reserve source in addition to your GPS and it is reasonably good plus affordable for the purpose, but if you need something as a primary source this is not what you should end up buying.
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My kids call me an old fuddy-duddy. And they say this atlas proves it. I have one in my car, and another in my kitchen drawer (hey, you never know when you will want to know where something is). I bought this one for my 18 year old son to put in his car, since he will be leaving for college in a month. I'm a firm believer that if you're stuck in a traffic jam on I-80, it's good to have a real map to tell you how to get around it, instead of trying to rely on a GPS (not that helpful) or calling a brother, sister or parent for help. And if you're one of those who think the Zombie Apocalypse might be coming, then you know GPS won't work any more, and you'd better have an atlas to help you find your way down those zombie infested roads. ;-)
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I bought it to supplement my GPS.... The GPS will have a tendency to pick a route that may not be the fastest and having the map allowed me to check what the GPS picked...
The other reason is that nothing beats a paper map... If your GPS goes out, you can still find your way with the map...
The maps are OK, but don't expect the city details they show to get you to a specific destination in a city...
I feel that this map is a good buy to have as a backup just in case.... Being able to see the entire state you are traveling in is another good feature....
The last road atlas I had was from the 1980's and I thought it would be a good idea to buy an updated version....
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In today's world of navigation and electronics, an atlas is obsolete. But I always keep one in each vehicle.... just in case. Plus, when traveling, the kids enjoy using this "relic' of days past.
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It was time to update our 2001 Atlas. Maybe it's just me, but I've noticed that not all of the "exits" are numbered off the interstates, like my old Atlas (thus the reason for the 4 stars). Why were a ton of exit numbers missing? This is disheartening to me, as I like to know each exit number and I hope it gets corrected. Don't get me wrong, we also own a GPS, but for long trips, it's best to also have an Atlas, because the GPS takes strange routes, sometimes, and just knowing a quicker (shorter/direct) route by using an Atlas, is much better. It's a good back-up.
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I have been using a Rand McNally Atlas since I started driving and that was quite a while ago. I still prefer them to any GPS. This edition is just as good as those in the past.
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My boyfriend was so excited to get this new atlas. He hadn't had a new one since 2001. If somebody likes maps, they will be thrilled to see up to date ones. GPS only does so much.
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