Yeah, you still need a GPS receiver for your laptop to triangulate from GPS satellites - your Rocket Stick won't do it.
Google Earth can use most outboard GPS receivers to show your actual position... MS Streets and Trips can too, and doesn't require an internet connection (in some areas, roaming is moot; even HAVING wireless signals is more of a problem).
There are lots of others that will show you the GPS data without maps - check
www.visualgps.com, for example.