• Smoogs@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    Oh that’s nothing. Before then we had to commit landmarks to memory and just call back on it as you’re driving.

    • Mnem667@sh.itjust.works
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      1 month ago

      I used AAA Trip-Tik or whatever it was called, a couple of times driving cross country. Worked pretty well, actually.

  • PhobosAnomaly@feddit.uk
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    1 month ago

    I miss the days of Microsoft AutoRoute. No internet connection needed - but you were stuck with the map and routes present in the release version that was on the CD.

    Printing was optional and encouraged!

      • PhobosAnomaly@feddit.uk
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        1 month ago

        I don’t miss the tool, I miss the general vibe and feeling of the late 90s or early 2000s.

        CD’s for everything, over engineered autorun splash screens, the seeking of mechanical harddrive heads when computing a route, the sense of adventure, and the general positive outlook that consumer tech is working for us, not because of us.

        I miss those days.

  • Nougat@fedia.io
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    1 month ago

    Before MapQuest, you’d carry around a six county atlas, and a state map. If you had to go somewhere outside the metro area, you’d use the state map to get to the city, then stop at the first gas station you saw there to look at their map on the wall, or ask to look at their phone book for the map in there.

    Ew, people.

    • Dharma Curious (he/him)@slrpnk.net
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      1 month ago

      We had those big red atlases (Atli?) with the glossy covers from over half the US states, and smaller maps for all the counties in Virginia, NC, SC, and about half of TN. Huge ass stack of em in both door panels, under each seat, and several on the back seat. My brother collected them whenever he could. I think he’s still depressed he never finished his collection before giving up and finally getting a gps (only like 2 years before decent smart phone gps)

    • SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      Better yet, stop at the rest stop at the state border and pick up a free state map, which included insets of the large cities.

        • Possibly linux@lemmy.zip
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          1 month ago

          They never restock them though. Somehow they are always out. (At least for the last few years they have been)

          However, you can use OSM offline pretty easily and if you want a physical map you can print it. (For those of us who want control)

  • solsangraal@lemmy.zip
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    1 month ago

    don’t forget the stack of quarters for when you inevitably have to stop and use a payphone

  • Damage@feddit.it
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    1 month ago

    ViaMichelin!

    Then offline GPS, I had Navigon installed on a Windows Mobile PDA with a Sirfstar3 receiver. It gave terrible directions.

  • CaptDust@sh.itjust.works
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    1 month ago

    Haha yeah. MapQuest. That’s old school, you silly geezers. Let’s get ya to bed.

    Slowly folds up his road atlas hoping no one notices

    • MissJinx@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      Fun fact: Michelin stars come from the before times where Michelin would print a yearly road guide with maps and locations and would give stars to the best places. The guide was so popular that getting a Michelin star became a thing. When printed maps ended the stars remained. That’s why a tire company became synonymous with best restaurants

  • Droggelbecher@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    The short time after smartphones but before free EU roaming was the prime days of offline map apps that you specifically downloaded for each city