gps loads quick on my phone, rooted, using google navigation and ive never had any problem. takes about a minute to lock in and then im solid.
i actually love using it because it tracks you as you drive on the screen. navigation is hard to hear when im driving so i just put headphones on and do turn by turn that way.
people saying they cant get locks, etc. not sure why.
I have an issue with the GPS because I came from a Blackberry Storm 2 that would achieve a real GPS lock instantly whenever I used Google Maps, even indoors.
On the Fascinate it's a lot like using a standalone GPS - it has to find the spaceships, then it sits there and watches them for a few minutes (perhaps downloading the ephemeris almanac) then it achieves a lock.
Using GPS Setup seems to jumpstart the process a bit.
Honestly, this is not how GPS is supposed to work on a cell phone. I think there's a very real possibility that this phone would not meet FCC regulations as they apply to E911 location accuracy and reliability. The GPS should be maintaining the ability to get a lock instantly and send it over to a 911 center when 911 is called. I wouldn't be surprised if it takes as long to get a fix and transmit the location to the PSAP in an E911 call as it does to come up with a fix when we want to use it for non-emergency location services.