Suggestions for GPS unit with European and US maps?
Jun 2, 2014, 2:16 pm
#31
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Northern Italian Lakes
Programs: BA, *A, Hertz Goldstar, Mucci wannabee, Waitrose, safari Oleg
Posts: 1,545
~I'm still a fan of Garmin nuvi. I would select first on screen size and unit clunkiness index, then maps needed. Many models have all-Europe maps options. Lifetime updates can be purchased separately on auction sites.
I've flirted with Googlemaps but have found that these are not as detailed, and not as up to date, and the turn by turn directions are painful compared to the Garmin. Additionally I have found the POI's on Garmin immensely useful if going along a motorway, for example, and wanting to know where and how far away all the options for things like fuel and various types of restaurants are. My Garmin gives me a ranked list of whatever type of POI I am interested in with one click that updates continually as you are traveling. Googlemaps also recently changed and it is no longer so easy to keep cached your chosen maps you tried to store for use offline to avoid the GPS data consumption problem using googlemaps on a phone.
I recently broke my Garmin accidentally. I had planned to just switch to Googlemaps but missing the POI's and some other features of the Garmin so much I am going to go out and buy another Garmin.
I've flirted with Googlemaps but have found that these are not as detailed, and not as up to date, and the turn by turn directions are painful compared to the Garmin. Additionally I have found the POI's on Garmin immensely useful if going along a motorway, for example, and wanting to know where and how far away all the options for things like fuel and various types of restaurants are. My Garmin gives me a ranked list of whatever type of POI I am interested in with one click that updates continually as you are traveling. Googlemaps also recently changed and it is no longer so easy to keep cached your chosen maps you tried to store for use offline to avoid the GPS data consumption problem using googlemaps on a phone.
I recently broke my Garmin accidentally. I had planned to just switch to Googlemaps but missing the POI's and some other features of the Garmin so much I am going to go out and buy another Garmin.
Last edited by h15t0r1an; Jun 2, 2014 at 2:24 pm
Jun 4, 2014, 1:53 am
#32
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
I have an older Garmin so maybe this is not true of the more high-end units but browsing POIs near you, as you're driving, is a sluggish and clumsy experience, going in and back out of screens with forward and back navigation.
Hard to beat Google search, though obviously Google isn't going to have data on some foreign countries or the more remote locations.
I know Garmin has a multitouch model but that's like $400 and still not as good as a recent smart phone.
You may be right about things like lane guidance and details about turn by turn. But Google is constantly improving. Garmin, can they continue to develop hardware and refine their maps, as more and more people opt for "good enough" smart phone navigation, when it saves them the expense and the hassle of buying and packing another device?
Hard to beat Google search, though obviously Google isn't going to have data on some foreign countries or the more remote locations.
I know Garmin has a multitouch model but that's like $400 and still not as good as a recent smart phone.
You may be right about things like lane guidance and details about turn by turn. But Google is constantly improving. Garmin, can they continue to develop hardware and refine their maps, as more and more people opt for "good enough" smart phone navigation, when it saves them the expense and the hassle of buying and packing another device?