Community weekly poll: Are you planning to buy a portable GPS during the holidays?
- 12/7/07 1:55 PM
I might!
by DanaGO - 12/8/07 2:43 PM In reply to: Are you planning to buy a portable GPS during the holidays? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I really am the kind of person who needs this device, but am sort of behind in technology right now. I did read many of the posts for the question of the week re GPS devices and what's the difference. Thanks! Now I might have enough info to actually go out and buy one.
Get a GPS with a large screen..!
by aardvark43 - 12/8/07 4:45 PM In reply to: Are you planning to buy a portable GPS during the holidays? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I already own two GPSs - one is a Lowrance iWay 500C and the other a small Magellan hand-held. I've owned the Lowrance iWay 500C for over a year now and love it. I looked high and low for one with a GPS screen that was large enough to be seen while mounted on the windshield or dash - most were just too small. The iWay 500C has a 5" screen. The iWay 500C has since been replaced with the iWay 600C with a 5" screen, 640H x 480V resolution, and a 30 GB hard drive. It has everything I could need in a GPS and is built like a tank. It is also reasonably priced at $549. RAM Mounts makes a very good on-dash mounting, better than a suction cup on the windshield mounting.
The Magellan pocket portable is battery powered and ideal for use when hiking.
GPS`
by MindMatters - 12/8/07 5:04 PM In reply to: Are you planning to buy a portable GPS during the holidays? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I purchased a Garman 650, or was it 660 for about $440 on the net. It has all the features I need, including a large screen and faster processor.
Nope, not getting a gps.
by SarahRain22 - 12/8/07 5:58 PM In reply to: Are you planning to buy a portable GPS during the holidays? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
They're much too expensive when I can just access mapquest on my cellphone. Don't need it yet.
GPS
by jimpimms - 12/8/07 8:23 PM In reply to: Are you planning to buy a portable GPS during the holidays? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I initially poo-pooed the necessity of having a GPS device, until about a year ago, that is, when I bought a viaMichelin X930. It's a pretty rudimentary device, and some of its features are clumsily implemented, but it does a good job nonetheless. I find it really comes in handy when driving on roads I've been on before but with which I'm not really that familiar, especially at night, without visual landmarks. The display shows every curve and side street, and, of course, alerts me to the turns I need to make. My wife, who heretofore was deathly afraid of traveling to unknown areas by herself, now uses it more than I do. It's given both of us a new sense of freedom, since she can visit her friends who live out of the area, and I don't have to drive her there.
Got one- waiting for live traffic improvements.
by Jimbo1 - 12/8/07 9:04 PM In reply to: Are you planning to buy a portable GPS during the holidays? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have a several year old Magellan Roadmate 700, upgraded to 1 760. It works well for me, and takes a lot of stress out of driving to new locations, particularly of the urban variety.
I'm guessing in the next two years we will see a real improvement in the delivery of traffic information. That's when I'll spring for a new unit.
I already own one. (Which one, and how is it working out for
by deltoncbaker - 12/8/07 10:58 PM In reply to: Are you planning to buy a portable GPS during the holidays? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I Microsoft's "Streets and Trips".
I like it better than the other systems I have used.
It has Microsoft's Windows normal Drop down menus and user friendly threads all through the program. For instance if I need make a change to my trip to include a small detour all is high light the route by clicking on the line, then drag and drop the line to include the new route a the annoying "OFF ROUTE!" messages go away. Like any software there are few weird quirks in "Streets and Trips", if you ignore the "OFF ROUTE!" messages for too long the computer becomes sluggish and may even lock up all together. Being that "Streets and Trips" is on my laptop the maps are much easier to read, they are all there with me, and if there was something along your route of interest you might actually notice it on the map before you drive past it. Easy to use means a great deal I am trying verbally tell my co-pilot how to use the software. Best of all it is not expensive. The starter set (software and receiver) is about $125, and annual software upgrades are only $40 to $50 dollars. Chrysler charges 10 times that for their software upgrade CD's.
Garmin Quest
by malette - 12/9/07 8:11 AM In reply to: Are you planning to buy a portable GPS during the holidays? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have had one for about three years now. As I travel a bit for work, I use it primarily to have an idea of time and distance more than directions. I find the directions sometimes confusing, as it always wants to send me down either the most direct route (which often will involve 20 mph downtown areas of really small towns) or it will send me out of my way on "major arteries".
If I am using interstates, it gives me a good exit, more often than not and major intersections. But for exact directions, it has no idea what lies in the way.
It has been valuable, however, to help me keep a schedule. I am in sales and service, so if I am going to be late, I know it and can call ahead to warn clients. They appreciate the heads up, rather than wondering where I might be.
GPS Report
by abietsch - 12/9/07 8:29 AM In reply to: Are you planning to buy a portable GPS during the holidays? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I purchased a Lawrance i500WAYc in February '07. It came with 1.7 firmware, which was out of date. I down loaded 1.8 version and installed from their website. The 600iWay was on the market, but I was not aware of this as I would have bought that system instead. I have used this device to find addresses in my own hometown that I could not find otherwise. It is great for giving road twists and turns not otherwise obvious to a driver. It tells you what your next turn is going to be long before you have to execute (chance to get in the proper lane). Always tells you the distance and time to go (based on your current speed). My wife absolutely loves this unit as it gives her reassurance that she is on the right course. This unit has many features not appreciated by me (MP3 player). Our car has XM radio and a Bose sound system, CD player, DVD player and all the basic radio features. This added feature has no valaue to us.
In the long run, I consider this unit to be a valuable tool. I selected this unit because of it's screen size.
Art Bietsch
Best Investment I ever made
by russtuttle - 12/9/07 8:30 AM In reply to: Are you planning to buy a portable GPS during the holidays? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I purchased a Magellen Roadmate 2000T and had trouble from the GPS, but most especially from Magellen Customer/Technical Support, which is neither.
I now have a Garmin Nuvi 350 and love it. I travel 40,000 miles per year and this little thing has found many shortcuts that I never knew about. Just last week it detour routed me around an accident and saved me 30 to 40 minutes of gridlock.
Yes, I can read a map, but many roads either aren't shown on a map, or don't give you mileage. I have used Google Maps, Map Quest, Maps on Us and MSN maps. Most give you a slightly different route, or a completely different route with drives times all over the place. Why spend hours figuring which is the best route when all you have to do is punch in the address and go. And, when you are in a city with an accident grid lock, how many maps have city streets in enough detail to find your way out.
I'lk take my GPS any day over a paper map that tears right where you need to go. And how many of you are unfolding and reading a map or figuring which way is north on your Google sheet while driving?
NO!
by MrMe003 - 12/9/07 9:49 AM In reply to: Are you planning to buy a portable GPS during the holidays? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Because i don't have money....
Microsoft Streets and Trips 2007 W/ GPS
by Getovait2005 - 12/9/07 1:02 PM In reply to: Are you planning to buy a portable GPS during the holidays? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Have MS-Streets and Trips 2007 W/GPS for my laptop. love it! It is very accurate, and also has alot of features.
who needs it?
by Gillette - 12/9/07 6:22 PM In reply to: Are you planning to buy a portable GPS during the holidays? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Besides mapquest or paper maps, you can use vznavigator at $3 per day on those occasions you really need a gps.
Are you planning to buy a portable GPS during the holidays?
by CALSGR8 - 12/10/07 11:16 AM In reply to: Are you planning to buy a portable GPS during the holidays? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
No, my next car hopefully will have one in it. However, I AM thinking about getting a Verizon cellphone with navigator service on it until then.
Better GPS
by dminott - 12/10/07 11:04 PM In reply to: Are you planning to buy a portable GPS during the holidays? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
After using a Sony Nav-U GPS for the last year, I decided to upgrade.
After much research, I settled on the Navigon 2100, which I picked up on eBay for inder $200 including the lifetime traffic alerts (which was a big factor). It probably will take you a week to get acclimatized, as there are many features. I find that it is very fast in detecting route changes (i.e.) I want to go my way, instead of its way. The text to speech is excellent except that the voice quality could be a bit better. I find that it takes 5-6 minutes for the traffic info to lock in (be aware that it uses the DC power cable as an FM antenna.) I didn't really need an MP3 player, or bluetooth as I was mainly interested in its navigational quality.
Having it announce the exact street names is wonderful. I found that with the Sony GPS I would sometimes make a wrong turn if their were two intersections close together. I won't go into the minor details like its logging capability, POIs, ease of favorites entry, but its Reality View feature, where you see actual (virtual) overhead signage on parkways is a great help in keeping you on the right path.
The unit is unbelievably thin and lightweight, and about the only negatives I've found so far are the USB socket on the bottom forces you to mount the unit higher on the windshield... they should either relocate it to the side, or do like Sony did and make the mounting bracket a "docking station." The other minor annoyance (aside from the voice characteristics) is the only LED does not light in standby.
They should use a tr-color LED to show On-Standby-Charge.
Updates are done using the side-mounted SD card.
Dave
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