Can Mobile Apps Replace Guide Books?

Last week I was at South by Southwest, the popular music, film, and interactive festival in Austin, Texas. It was my first time in Austin.

Taking a short walk from a late-night Austin hotspot back to my room at the Hilton, I stopped to pause at a curious building. This tiny house, set between two larger, much more modern buildings, was inexplicably out of place. Then I noted the historic marker- Yes, I had definitely seen this landmark before, but where? I pulled out my iPhone, an orange covered extention of my own skin, and searched Foursquare’s expert GPS to figure out exactly where I was and if any historic buildings were in frame of reference: nothing. Just for kicks I tried Gowalla, another GPS iPhone game I hadn’t developed an attachment to yet, but still kept around on my phone. Like magic, the first location that popped up was a graphic icon of the little home set before me: The O. Henry House.

After checking in, I saw that the O. Henry House was mentioned on not one, but two Austin and South by Southwest-relates walking tours featured on Gowalla. As an Austin-based company, they seemed to make it a necessity to show the masses what they were missing just outside of Conference Center Walls.

If you haven’t downloaded Gowalla yet, here’s what you’re missing: much like Foursquare, this location based app calculates your exact point on the globe and presents you with a list of check-ins. These virtual check-ins amount to points, badges, and Gowalla goods… at the current time good for nothing but whuffie, Internet bragging points.

But tech-set and nerd herd games aside, why would I, an established traveler, an explorer of the world, want to spend my time staring at this app instead of the city around me? Because it shared the city in ways I honestly just wouldn’t have known without it.

Taking a look at Chevy Walking Trip, one of Gowalla’s Austin tours, we start out at the Conference Center, and pass by Johnny Mellows, a rest stop that became a popular “South by” hangout for Downtown explorers after word got out about their laid back Texas atmosphere and cheapie sips. And finally, if you follow the tour, you’ll end up at sunset at the Congress Bridge, watching thousands of bats fly from their refuge into the night- a sight little to no Austin tourists during this month even know about.

Without Gowalla, sure I would have noticed the Texas State Capital Building (beautiful) and the amazing Driskill Hotel, and yes, margarita’s at the Iron Cactus would have found their way into my belly, but bats, bikes, and O. Henry would never have been a part of my vocabulary, even as someone who spent her first 24 hours in Austin with a water bottle and camera, hunting for culture.

Gowalla’s walking tours include Central Park Highlights, Harvard Yard, and Frank Lloyd Wright. Also, users can sign on and create their own walking tours, lists of their favorite must-see’s in their cities, as a service to fellow travelers.

Along with guide apps by Not For Tourists and Disney, and other popular geo locators like Foursquare, will apps replace your bulky book?