GPS Question and options

[dannyro]

I normally have the GPS on my Droid X setting turned off. That said, when I open Google Maps or such, it seems to know my location (pretty close) and it also displays traffic info and such. My first question is, if those setting are off, how can it do that? And what do I really lose by having GPS off all the time? I do know that having it off saves battery (according to forums and the phone setting itself).

I have also noticed a setting on the phone right next to "use GPS satellites" in the location & security settings called "enable assisted GPS." What exactly does this setting do? I have it checked, but with the GPS setting not checked, I wonder if it actually does anything for me (i.e. does GPS need to be checked for this to really do anything for me).

Thanks for the help!

Dan

 

[wdprice3]

if it works like non-gps devices, it just uses your cell network to trilaterate your position. i believe the assisted gps just allows apps to use the gps to trilaterate your position, instead of basing it off of the cell network.

 

[hookbill]

Assisted GPS - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Assisted GPS, generally abbreviated as A-GPS, is a system which can improve the startup performance of a GPS satellite-based positioning system. It is used extensively with GPS-capable cellular phones as its development was accelerated by the U.S. FCC's 911 mandate making the location of a cell phone available to emergency call dispatchers.

I copied pasted that. Nothing that intelligent ever comes out of my mouth.