Kew Gardens has launched a new hi-tech tour guide which helps visitors find their way around with the aid of interactive footage. But at £4.95 a go, is it worth it? The Informer's Patsy Duffy put it to the test

IT wasn't a good start for me and the hand-held interactive 'node', as it is called.

When I arrived to try out the device on Monday morning an assistant explained many were out of use as the GPS tracking system wasn't working properly.

But after a quick five-minute lesson in the art of button pressing, I was off - left to my own devices with a gadget that I hoped wouldn't defeat me.

Nearby an eight-year-old visitor was so ensconced in his node that he nearly bumped into a tree. That was possibly the closest to the flora and fauna he would get, as all his attention was on his computer screen and not on the sights and information before him.

"Have we really come to this?" I thought miserably while trying to get to grips with my buttons and hoping my sat nav wouldn't lead me down the wrong path.

So what exactly is a node? Well, in short it is a hand-held computer console which tells people about the trees and plants they are walking past.

The in-built GPS tracking system pinpoints where you are at any given moment and triggers any relevant information depending on your location on the screen. Information is displayed via text, audio commentary and short films.

These include behind-thescenes footage, and a list of top attractions for first-time visitors.

There is also an interactive quiz for children aged five and games including one where they must correctly identify leaf shapes.

Mike Saunders, director of digital media at the Royal Botanic Gardens, told the Informer: "For those wanting to be able to see our behind-thescenes work, it will open up a whole new window onto the world of Kew.

"It will also help people plan their visit and guide them around the bits that are looking especially great at this time of year. And it has something for all the family, with a great quiz for children."

It's all very good in theory, but 10 minutes after struggling with the buttons and becoming bored tracking my own path by sat nav, I was back asking an assistant for another demonstration.

Some of the behind-thescenes footage was interesting, including one about composting, but that's where my love affair with my node ended.

The planes overhead also drowned out some of the commentary, forcing me to turn the volume right up.

Those of the PlayStation generation will undoubtedly love it, and I'm sure it has its merits.

In my opinion, I find it a travesty that a hand-held console could be considered more interesting and inspiring than viewing a World Heritage site with your own eyes, and maybe the use of a map. But I'll let you make your own mind up.