GPS recommendations?
 

is driving considered "travel"? i think so.

i'm looking into getting a portable gps system. i travel a ton for work and when i fly in, i usually have to drive about an hour to get to my destination. My husband feels that i should have one for several reasons:

1. I am completely directionally challenged and driving in cities like DC, LA, san fran, Houston, to name a few...have been difficult.

2. i'm in my mid-twenties, lost often, late at night

so. any reccs on a good portable gps system under $500 that is easy to use?

thanks for your help!

There was a great thread on this last month that convinced me to purchase a tomtom 910, which I highly recommend. It's probably just over your price range, but they have some other models that are in your range. If their rebate offer is back (it was $100) then it's in your range.

I was a dedicated Garmin fan until I got this unit,

Here are a couple of the past threads


http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...ghlight=tomtom
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...ghlight=tomtom


Ignore the highlighting, I searched for tomtom to find the threads (as you can't search for gps, three letters and all that)

I own the Tomtom 910 and would suggest it to anyone. Works great!

thanks!

our company has been giving them away at our conferences for the give-away...guess it was a good choice!

I am using the Pharos GPS Phone 600 - I believe it will be released in the next couple of weeks.

Price might be slightly out of your range, but it is also a windows Mobile 5 device, the phone is very good and the GPS software works like a champ. The overall footprint is pretty small, with a nice large screen. And since it is also your phone, you will always have it with you.

If you can wait ( I have heard of a Feb 2007 release date) you should consider this device.

My wife gave me a TomTom One for my birthday last year and I have to say it is fantastic. I own other Garmin GPS units, one for aviation and one for walking, and have used the Garmin in car GPS units and for me the One has a far superior user interface.

I've not found that I need the additional functions that the higher end TomTom units have, YMMV of course!

I have a Garmin GPSMap 60CSx. It's a great handheld GPS with a microSD chip that can hold maps for the entire US . It's a decent car navigator, very accurate but no voice prompts, it beeps at turns and gives on-screen turn directions. I like it because it's also a great GPS for hiking. If you're looking for a multi-use GPS, check this one out.

One thing about Garmin is in my experience they have great tech support. I have a GPSMap 176c that I use on the boat. A couple buttons got broken off during a race one weekend. The unit is well out of warranty, but one call and they offered to fix it for free. I sent it out and had it back about a week later all fixed, software upgraded, and even a new front panel. I was very pleased.

I also have the TomTom One and so far I love it. They were in the weekly sale flyer ending Feb 17 at Toy-R-Us for $299.

The one gripe that I have is not with the unit, but with the new map update that came out right after I bought it (order online for only shipping charge). The new map file doesn't recognize the address where I work. The old file did.

I just bought the Garmin c550, which was $520 on the internet. Apparently it's come down to $499 today:

http://www.abesofmaine.com/viewproduct~id~gmspc550.htm

I really like it. Since it's bluetooth, I paired my cell phone to it and downloaded the phone contacts. It came with a 6 month subscription to Clearchannel's traffic notifications.

And it was very easy to set up.

Another vote for TomTom GPS! I have an iPAQ hw6915 with TomTom software included for "free" - and I must say that I'm very happy with the GPS functionality (and the phone ;)).

Up until yesterday, I would have completely recommended the Garmin Nuvi 660 even though it is slightly out of the price range given. In another thread, I pointed out that I had some reception issues which is continuing today to a lessor extent.

Another vote for Tom Tom...I have the 700 and it may be the best tech toy I've ever bought (and I buy almost all of them)

Well, this sounds good. Not to distract from the OT but my Garmin etrex VistaCx screen cracked today for no apparrent reason. Mine is still in warranty. I'll call on Monday to see what will happen.

I will add that I've liked the unit quite well. The Vista Cx is a bit smaller than the 60CSx but has some similar features like the microSD card, color screen and auto routing, with the appropriate maps.

I second the Garmin Nuvi 660- got one about a week ago and have been loving it so far. While its a bit out of your pricerange, the 360 has most of the same features with a smaller screen, and there is a slightly cheaper version that lacks bluetooth and maybe the FM receiver.

It's easy to use, works fantastically in the car, and easy to transfer to other cars. I used it in Phoenix to get me across town to an event, and it worked flawlessly, also took it to San Diego to get from the airport to a hotel a good 30 min away. Check out epinions reviews...

I bought a Garmin C330 recently for my wife as we just moved to a new city. She loves it as she has no problems going anywhere. It was $299 at Costco.com.

tomtom 910
 

this one is now on sale at amazon for 459$ shipped free, no tax in most states, NOT a refurb and sold by amazon.

Got an e-mail from them, they dropped $100 off the price of their One, 510, and 910, and $200 off the rider if anybody is looking.

Even though I already had a TomTom, we picked up a ONE this weekend for travel, at $249 it's the cheapest high end unit I've ever seen.

Another happy TomTom user here. Got TTN6 on and O2 XDA IIs and it works very well even though it is 'not supported' on the XDA.

New software has maps of Western Europe included now, so we were able to just bring along the little GPS unit and didn't need to pay Avis for GPS! It also meant we could use Avis for the first time (they have crap GPS system vs Hertz) and got double BA Miles :D

I recently bought the Nuvi600 after doing about 2 weeks worth of testing and research (too expensive to just go out and drop the cash without a bit of testing). I actually bought the TomTom 910 first, and tried it out on several work trips over several days. I wasn't impressed with the battery life and the POI database seems very outdated and inaccurate (I updated it immediatly after unpacking it). I returned that unit and went to the Nuvi660. It's significantly more expensive, but I feel it's worth it. The screen is slightly bigger and seems to be brighter and have better color. Battery life is insane...much better than the Tom. I also updated the software and had no problems with weird directions or missing POIs.

One edge that I will give the Tom is its 20GB internal hard drive. Obviously that gives you the ability to store lots of data (mp3s, etc.) in there. The only thing that concerns me about that is that hard drives eventually die. The Garmin has a 700MB internal flash memory and the ability to accept up to 4GB SD cards for additional data.

I have been looking at the Tomtom 910, One, and Garmin Nuvi 350.

For some reason, the Tomtom western europ maps seem to omit Ireland - http://www.tomtom.com/products/secti...tegory=0&Lid=4.

A little weird - and a PITA since one of the reasons for buying a GPS is our driving vacation in Ireland in July. The Garmin maps include Ireland.

Am I also correct in assuming the ONE and Nuvi 350 are thinner than the 910 and can fit into a shirt pocket (or the like) while the 910 is deeper and not a pocket device?

Recieved the Garmin 660 fro X-mas and love it. It directed me down some little obscure dirt back roads in SC to get me to my destination faster. Love it!^ ^

I used the Garmin nuvi 360 while on a trip in Vegas. Worked very well! I'm used to the Acura & Honda navi products but had no problems adapting to the Garmin. The only thing that was bothersome was having to learn where they put certain things: "Banks" is under "Community" top level rather than being its own top level category.

GPS Magazine has some extensive reviews here. If you can, wait a few months as there are a whole slew of new navis coming to market from Garmin, Magellan and TomTom.

Also take a look at gpsinformation.net. The GPS magazine people have always struck me as missing the point a bit (spend too much time on the looks of a GPSR and whether or not it will hold a suitable number of mp3s).......

I've used the TomTom One and I was very happy with it.

Good to know! How many months? I need it for July.

I personally have extensive experience with Magellan and Garmin.

I prefer the Garmin BY FAR.

The Garmin C320 was on sale recently for $199, a STEAL.

The Garmin nuvi 350 was on sale at CostCo for $350, a great great deal also.

The strengths of the Garmin units are great maps (NavTeq which are the most accurate and reliable). TomTom units use TeleAtlas, which are not as accurate in the US as NavTeq and that to me is a big negative.

TeleAtlas is more accurate in Europe, so if you use the GPS in Europe go with TomTom. But in the US I recommend Garmin.

The Garmin units are also VERY user friendly and intuitive. You won't need the user manual at all.

I would buy a Garmin FTW!!

I'm curious to know what PDA users think about available GPS software options. I have a Pharos GPS bluetooth receiver and currently have the Pharos Ostia software installed on my Dell Axim, but I'm far less than thrilled with it. I am not at all eager to buy a separate piece of GPS hardware, I just want to know what would be a better software choice for me. From reading this thread so far, it sounds like something from TomTom would be good. Can anyone give me a more specific recommendation?

I have the Garmin Moble 10 package I use with my Treo 700p. If I had to use this daily, I would definitely get a standalone unit. My wife's cheap Garmin i5 easily outperforms this. Now, for my occasional out-of-town usem it's fine. But performance leaves much to be desired.

Windows Mobile may be better performing than Palm OS (this package is also WM compatible), and the TomTom may be a little better than the Garmin, but the old adage of the compromises that you accept to combine multiple functions in one device holds true here.

Thanks for the tip! Some good information. I dind't realize that custom POI file sites were widely available--for those time that I need to know the nearest freeway truckstop in Iowa :D geez there are a few sites that provide locations of the 2000+ red light enforcement cameras in the USA & Canada! :D ^

I am really, really loving my Mio 310CX GPS that AlanW put me onto and ScottC helped me get.

Obviously not for non-USA users, but for the price (particularly with a coupon from Staples that can be had from FatWallet) an excellent choice, imo.

http://techbargains.pricegrabber.com...terid=27232883

Good choice cblaisd! ^ Got that one myself for $140 out the door @ Staples with a price match from a CompUSA promo and $25 coupon.

Hacked it so now it has a different layout and pondering putting European map on there (we won't discuss how we got that, nor the TomTom software that can be loaded on there too) :p

Best money I've spent; already made itself useful on several occassions (though the readings are a bit off).

I actually bought the Mio C310x on Black Friday also, and returned it a month later.

The user interface was terrible, and when I tried to update the maps via the included DVD, it wiped out the maps on the unit and made it unusable.

You can hack it, but you will need to either a) buy additional better maps, or b) download illegal / free software off the web. Even if you download newer maps, they are still tele-atlas and not as good as the NavTeq maps used by Garmin / Magellan.

Bottom line is you definitely get what you pay for, but I'd advise people who are looking for an easy to use and accurate unit to look to Garmin.

Sorry to hear that.

I find the user interface to be very easy to use.

I'm not sure why you would have wanted to use the DVD to put the maps on, since they are simply a copy of what's in the unit.

For me, the price-point allowed me to get a GPS at all :)

I just got a Nuvi 660 (the 680 seemed overkill--I don't need gas prices and movie times for an additional $200).

This thing absolutely rocks. With all due respect for my friend and forum mod ScottC, it completely wastes anything in TomTom's present lineup--although I say that as someone who already owns NavTeq maps for North America and Europe, so the additional maps that come with the TomTom units are of no utility to me, and I only ever need about 4 GB of music (the TomTom 910 can hold 12 gigs above it's maps I believe).

Stick a 4gb memory card in this thing and you have your MP3 player, Nav, and bluetooth for any car--since you get the integrated FM transmitter. I personally bypass this in my own automobile and hardware, but for the size and portability of the package it's fantastic for rentals. And the sensitivity of the SirfIII chipset is insane--it will lock in the inside hallway of a 14 story hotel on the 12th floor. I have yet to confirm if it'll read a HCSD card, but if so, the 4gb limit is probably in theory only..... The widescreen is readable in all lighting conditions even by people like me who use 19" monitors and a huge font. It will lay off the directions when you are on the phone, and (if desired) pause the music to read the next navigational direction when needed.

The cons: the MP3 player requires .m3u playlists to be dropped on the card from a PC (which is a major PITA for normal people who are not geekified and/or Itunes experts). It won't play any other format (ogg, aac, etc). It, like all of the "navigator" products from Garmin does not have a lot of the cooler "pure GPS" features that some of the earlier units that would do autorouting have (tracklogs, NEMA outputs, the ability to preload routes, etc). The traffic receiver is in the power plug and not the unit itself. It's insanely expensive relative to the competition. The FM transmitter does not offer the best sound quality (none of them unless they are hardwired into the antenna mount really do, tho, so this is not unique to the unit).

But it's worth the bucks. If you want to converge your road-warrior portfolio to a single device, this is it. Never worry about having music, nav, or handfree in any car ever again.

I've owned (in no particular order): an old garmin etrex, lowrance gm100, Garmin GPS-V, Garmin GPS-60c, Garmin c320, and now the Nuvi (plus owning and renting a few Garmin aviation GPSRs, but that's a whole other breed of beast). The Nuvi 660, strictly in an automotive context, can't be beat (absent a really swift factory nav and a radio with either killer IPOD interface capability or some other facility to play MP3s). The sole sticking point is the price premium. If you don't need the FM transmitter built in and/or don't mind the garbage TeleAtlas north american maps, the TomTom 910 is probably more bang for your buck. In terms of the overall package, however, the Nuvi is superior.

I've been looing for a few months.

Tempted by the TomTom910 but didn't like the form factor (prefer the tablet ones) and heard about the weak POI data, although I'm primarily interested in this for Europe.

Also bad reports about the windshield dock, about it not docking correctly. Plus it apparently doesn't recharge in the car?

Monitoring Nuvi670 and 370, which includes Euro maps. They're really high in price so interested to see if they come down in price.

Bigger issue is that here in CA, you're not allowed to mount on windshield and the TomTom doesn't have another solution? Not sure what options Nuvi has.

Do these units have aux or headphone outputs as well as FM transmitters? My car stereo has front panel aux in.

I wasn't aware of the CA regulation - is it only with respect to windshield mounting? If so, there are vent mounts, eg:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Car-Vent-Mount-f...QQcmdZViewItem

I get my mounts from www.proclipusa.com

They are not terribly cheap (around $45 for the vehicle and device mount) but work perfectly, fit exactly and make for a much better install of the GPS unit. Even outside CA I'd get those if I were you.

Those vent mounts are terrible, you lose the use of one (or more) of your vents. In the summer it's ok to blow cold air on the GPS unit, but in winter the last thing you want to do is blow hot air into the back of it.

The Garmin comes with an adhesive round plate, you can stick that to your dash or trim and then use the suction cup mount. It isn't perfect, but it's not bad either.