GPS Device Advice

[Fatter than Joey]

Hey dudes --

 

I am looking to buy a GPS device so I quit getting lost --using the force doesn't work as I would have hoped....

 

I see they range from about $100-$300...

 

Any features I "need" to have -- anything I don't "need"? Brands, model suggestions?

 

Thanks in advance....

[endaround]

Bigger screens tend to be better. You have to decide if speaking the name of the road is important to you

[wallus]

I just got a Garmin 205W from tigerdirect and think highly of it. It was about $120 I believe.

[beno78]

My GPS is one of the best purchases I have made in a long time. And in my experience one of the biggest features you should make sure you have is "common sense". No matter what features it comes with, there is still an element of common sense that is required for use. I think have a Garmin Nuvi 150 (?) and have had it for over a year. I take it everywhere not just for directions but for suggestions/look up of what to do/eat/see, the Garmin is very easy to use. I think paying extra for the "text to speak" is overrated since the display is pretty good on the ones I have seen.

[bball123h]

I've had both a Garmin and a TomTom. I miss garmin.

[I Heart Brewers]

Great timing FTJ, I just purchased a GARMIN NUVI 200 from newegg.com. After doing some research on Cnet and seeing what friends had I settled on Garmin as a brand. This one used to be fairly expensive (I believe $400), now you can get a recertified one on newegg.com for $89.99.

 

I get lost constantly when driving or walking around so this thing should help. Screen is bright and it gives voice commands but not in street names but feet (i.e. turn right in 500ft). I have seen others and it really didn't seem to be a big feature as you're using the screen most of the time anyway.

 

$89.99 seems like a small investment for an entry level piece of equipment that will get me places on time or early from now on. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[mothershipconnection]

I've always heard from those that've owned multiple brands that Garmin is where it's at. I have a tomtom and really don't use it much, because it sucks. Really. I only use it when I deviate from google maps and get lost or am out somewhere without a computer and need to find something. Even then, it'll get me there, but in about 25% more time than the google maps route.

[stoops17]

I'm on the Garmin bandwagon as well. I have the nuvi 260 i believe and love it. Non-widescreen but I am young enough and have it mounted close enough that it's no problem for me. It's been great for short trips and worked well on a long trip to Kentucky.

[lodiness]

Garmin is where it's at. I have a Nuvi 750. Got it for Xmas, but I think that they are like 250 at the stores. Many options like punching in the address, intersection, name of businesses, almost everything that you'll need.Another nice option is the pedestrian feature on mine(even though I don't use it) gives you walkind directions, bike paths and such. At my dad's business they have one of the cheaper garmin's and they seem to work very well too. We took that one on one of our ball trips one year and went from Madison to Kansas City to St. Louis to Nashville, and back to Madison, and never got lost. If you're not going to use it a ton, I'd get one of the cheaper ones, if you are on the road a lot, I'd splurge and get the nicer one. It's also nice when you're in a traffic jam and you just hit the detour button, and get a new route.

[Oldcity]

I got one as a gift and it's great. I think the brand is Magellan, but unfortunately I'm not sure of the cost. I suggest getting one that says the name of the road, in other words "Turn left up ahead on Main Street" instead of "Turn left up ahead."

[nate82]

I got one as a gift and it's great. I think the brand is Magellan, but unfortunately I'm not sure of the cost. I suggest getting one that says the name of the road, in other words "Turn left up ahead on Main Street" instead of "Turn left up ahead."

I like the Garmin one I have the Nuvi 200 and it tells me to turn in x amount of miles and then feet. I don't get lost anymore with that thing now.

[sgtcluels]

VZNavigate.. only because works pays for it. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[TheCrew07]

I've actually gone to using google maps with my blackberry pearl... my location usually isn't exact, but I know what street I'm on and can see where I need to get to. It's come in handy the last couple of months as my territory expanded to areas of the state I'm not familiar with.

 

edit. and like sgtcluels stated, work pays for the BB so it's a free GPS solution for me.

[Brian the Automator]

I unlocked the GPS functionality of my US Cellular HTC 6800 (before that, I had used an external bluetooth GPS receiver which cost about $40). I use Tomtom 7, I believe, and it's great. I like not having to carry around another device, or having to worry about another device getting stolen.

[sgtcluels]

I've actually gone to using google maps with my blackberry pearl... my location usually isn't exact, but I know what street I'm on and can see where I need to get to. It's come in handy the last couple of months as my territory expanded to areas of the state I'm not familiar with.

 

edit. and like sgtcluels stated, work pays for the BB so it's a free GPS solution for me.

They are starting to support internal GPS. Not sure if you have a new BB, but the ones with GPS the new version (2.0.1 I think) support it. It's pretty rad on the storm. And Google Latitude is rather neat as well.

[Fatter than Joey]

Thanks for the help!

[berniebrewer4life]

I sell alot of GPS systems so i have a bit of knowledge about em.

 

The price difference is mostly dependant on how many POIs are in the machine. If you plan on doing alot of travel, then i would go with the higher POIs(as knowing exactly where the next gas station is while in montana is pretty important, as there might not be one for another 100 miles). If it is just to find the closest route, or trying not to get lost, settling for the models with 1-2 million POIs is perfectly fine. Text to voice(saying street names and "turn right in X feet") is pretty much standard issue now, so don't worry about not getting that if you go for the cheaper priced models.

 

As far as name brands, Garmin, Megellian(sp?) and tom tom are the best. However nextar isn't a bad brand either.

[Brian the Automator]

Is there an open platform for POIs? That's the one thing that bugs me. I've used both Tomtom and iGo, and I really don't prefer one over the other, functionality-wise... but you're always stuck with whatever set of POIs they feel like giving you.

 

Wouldn't it just make sense for there to be an open format for this type of thing? If I had a business, I'd make sure that my entry in the "master POI open database" was there and correct. It seems like it wouldn't be too terribly difficult to synchronize that database with whatever GPS device I'm using.

[Fatter than Joey]

Just an update -- I ended up getting a Garmin Nuvi -- and we love it. I bought the one with the smaller screen, and I don't see the need for the larger screen. I would agree that the text-speech feature is very nice and almost necessary.

[BMuch]

Congrats FTJ.

I am looking to buy a GPS as well, but would also like to use the GPS in the boat to help me navigate. Which GPS devices would display your actual position (ie. in the middle of the lake) versus showing you on the nearest road? Also, can you add customized points of interest?

Thanks

[Fatter than Joey]

I know my dad has one that allows him to mark fishing holes. He has a Magellan.

[nohopspanther]

Congrats FTJ.

 

I am looking to buy a GPS as well, but would also like to use the GPS in the boat to help me navigate. Which GPS devices would display your actual position (ie. in the middle of the lake) versus showing you on the nearest road? Also, can you add customized points of interest?

 

Thanks

 

 

 

 

Marine GPS are offered by Garmin. I just replaced my Tom-Tom with a Garmin Nuvi 285 from Best Buy since it was on sale for $220 which is a great deal. You can use the where am I button anywhere and it will give you your latitude and longitude reading along with Elevation. From that standpoint it would show you where you are on a lake, but the marine ones actually include lake details such as depth, breakwater, and other amazing features. You can also add POI's that you create with a simple add-on you download from Garmin. Good luck with your search but I would start by looking at Garmin.com and then search out the reviews of 3-4 that you feel would best serve your needs.