GPS

I've been thinking of getting a portable GPS for my car ever since I bought one for my perpetually lost son who LOVES his. I suppose I could just buy a Garmin Streetpilot i5 like he has, but I thought I'd ask around and see what others think. Touch screen? Bluetooth? Multiple route thru points? These features worth having? Brands? Garmin, Magellan, Tom Tom (God I hate that stupid name), other? Etc., etc.

What do you guys have? Do you like it? What would you do differently if you were buying another today?

Thanks boys and girls. I'd appreciate any advise you care to share.

 

My friends all have Garmin GPS that work superbly. Small yet clear and reliable. I’ll personally buy a Sony because they are more beautiful.

 

A bit on the pricey side for me.

 

A couple of years back I bought six of 'em, that's right, six. I took back the next day or sold on eBay those I didn't like. I tried a Magellan, a Mio/Navman, a Tom Tom, two Garmins and a Lowrance. I also tried an add on GPS gizmo for my Treo phone. The one I kept is a Lowrance. I liked its maps and voice directions better and it was the easiest of all to see in sunlight. The Garmin StreetPilot 7200 was a tie for best. There are three different map sources for GPS units but 90% use either Navteq or TeleAtlas. See the difference: Navteq TeleAtlas

This site is a bit dated but shows differences in screen displays. Screen Compare

I'm quite happy with the one I chose although I don't use it as much as I did the first few months I had it. I live in a rural area and seldom go anywhere unfamiliar.

BTW, I belong to a group that gets copies of the Black Friday ads early. This year at least three major chains will have a nice GPS unit for $99.

Hope this helps,

Richard

 

Thanks for the info, Richard. Which device? For that matter, which chains?

 

My parents bought one of the Tomtoms. They love it, and as an added bonus apparently you can download John Cleese's voice to direct you. :rofl

 

http://bfads.net/

 

Thanks, bud! Just tried to take a look at the OfficeMax ad from that site. Got a message that said, "Sorry, this ad has been removed due to a legal complaint"! Gotta love it! Actually, I have a hard time believing they aren't ALL like that!

Edit: Just went back and looked again...more than half of them have been removed. Oh well.

 

Very informative post... a good read

 

I couldn't just have one GPS. (same thought when it comes to shaving brushes) I have a TOM TOM XLS and a MIO digiwalker H610. I use the MIO more because it is portable meaning that I can put it in my shirt pocket easily. I bought a leather blackberry case for it where it fits very nicely. I like it because the battery charge lasts longer, it scans the map image easier and faster. It is also easier to find POI's (points of interest) than the TOM TOM. I use it more to find hotels and restaurants when I travel than as a navigator. What I don't like about it is that It is difficult for me to read the small lettering without reading glasses. My TOM TOM is sitting in my closet at home and the MIO is here with me in my briefcase.

 

Garmin have just released the 700 series, gotta say that is what I would be going for.

Cheers
John

 

What is the subscription prices for GPSs?

 

No subscription is necessary. The GPS unit contains maps and it calculates its location by triangulating signals from government satellites overhead, the same satellites used by commercial airliners. Your tax dollars have already paid for the system. Perhaps the worst thing about these is that the maps get outdated quickly. I've been in new suburbs in St. Louis that are shown as empty fields on the map and my map I think is October 2004. With some models you can buy maps on CD to update but these maps often cost as much as the unit did originally. These units need line of sight to at least three satellites so sometimes they don't work at all in downtown areas with large buildings or in heavy forests.

Richard

 

I bought a Nuvi 350 back in February and must say I am very very happy with it. Of course it's frustrating using it when you already know where you are going...because obviously no navigator is as good as local knowledge of an area as far as finding the best routes/back roads, etc. But if you don't know how to get somewhere, it will definitely get you there.

If you do go for a Garmin, make sure you sign up for www.mygarmin.com and register your unit online so you will be eligible for a free map update when they come out annually in August (map updates normally cost 70 bucks).

 

Thanks! I was actually considering a Nuvi 350. Then I saw the Best Buy ad on http://bfads.net/ (Thanks Richard and Duder!!). This Fri/Sat a Nuvi 660 for $399. Everywhere else, it's $7-800!! And the 350 is about $450. Still, Richard's $99 reference sounds MUCH better! We'll see........

 

So that's how they get you in the cost of the maps. I knew there was a catch somwhere.

 

Soooooooo why did you rely on me to get you to Dave and Busters? :rofl

 

I should have warned you.

After a few beers I couldn't find a Pothole in Pennsylvania. :rofl