OT--advice needed on Nav. systems

[natickdave]

Looking for some OT advice. I would like to buy the wife a portable nav system for her vehicle and I wanted to find out if any of you have any experience with them. I only have seen one in action (other than some huge units in rental cars).

I don't need it to be wilderness-adventure compatable or any of that. I am most interested in user-friendliness of the interface, good turn-by-turn directions and downloadable updates.

TIA,
Dave

 

[KLF]

Hey Dave:

I have what I think is the best navigation system out there. It is remarkably inexpensive, always works in every vehicle I've ever used it in, the batteries never wear out, you can always read the screen, and in fact you can even make your own notes right on the screen in this really cool stylus that looks just like a pencil.

Here's what mine looks like:

 

[Sporin]

I know Joe Mylie Loves his TOMTOM (last I checked anyway)

 

[peepers]

I have an older TomTom... love it. my friend just got the newer TomTom... loves it.

Tom Tom all the way.

 

[fogblanket]

Dave check with your neighbor he has some good insight as to Nav systems.
but I kind of agree with Ken. i have a Garmin V GPS and I rarely use it. while I have a map book for all the new england states plus michigan and NY. I even bought a second set of RI/Conn and Mass for my wifes car.

Jason

 

[landtank]

I've been using a Garmin C330 and have the usual problems associated with out dated maps and POIs other than that it works well. They were on sale for 125.00. They allow an addition SD card for downloading more maps that can be gotten from Garmin.

 

[natickdave]

I love my wife, you all know I do, but I have to say that she is--um--"two-dimensionally challenged." Reading maps is not her strong suit, and, while I am happy to have the Delormes as my nav system (the wagon has four NE states in it all times), she would really like an electronic system. We wisely did not pay the $3500 for the nav/dvd package when we bought the van, but I would like to make it up to her now.

I have heard good things about the TomTom One and the Garmin c330 as basic nav systems, so they are on the top of my list.

ND

 

[rapovt]

I have the garmin nuvi, the one going for $300 now. It works awesome. I went to Kentucky this summer with my trailer. It tells you which lanes to be in which really helps out. We were going along and wanted to eat at a cracker barrel, so we punched it in and found one in about 10 miles and it brought us right to it. Really simple touch screen opeation.

 

[hwi1s0n]

Additional vote for low end tomtom. Got the GF a refurb at a big box for around $100.00

HW

 

[40Flipper]

I just got a Blackberry Curve phone from AT+T for $100 and it has a GPS system in it. I'm sure she has a cell phone anyway so get her both in one unit. For the number of times the average person uses a GPS it would be a bargain as opposed to a $400-500 system.

 

[JJS]

I have a Garmin iQue. It's great but it was about $500. I used to work on the road, and would travel all over. It helped me out a lot, especially in places like New Jersey.

 

[Cattledog]

Have the garmin c330. For $125 it was a steal. Used it in Boston last week, way easier than a paper map.

 

[Sporin]

According to a report from Reuters today, portable navigation company TomTom has made a deal with Google to make its devices more useful to owners. Points of interest--hotels or restaurants for instance--can be found on the internet via Google Maps, then uploaded to the navigation unit with one mouse click. This comes following research that shows consumers would rather map out a trip on a home computer than sitting in their cars. TomTom says the next step is to establish a system allowing Google's realtime traffic information to be uploaded right to active TomTom devices.

http://www.reuters.com/article/tech...pe=RSS&feedName=technologyNews&rpc=22&sp=true

 

[landtank]

just as a data point, I have the factory NAV system in the 2003 4Runner and bring along the Garmin when we travel someplace.

One of the best features is the detour button. I was traveling from LI to NJ and had to cross the GWB. Traffic was backed up for miles as usual. I kept hitting the detour button and it would take me off the bridge route onto side streets and then bring me back up to the original route down the road. I did this 3 times and cut about 5 miles of stop and go from my drive.

I'm sure they all have this feature and are similar in features and use. I'm not sure I would use the tom tom google feature at all. Locally I already know how to get 90% there on my own and long distance drives are more free flowing for me and I would hate the rigid format. But to each there own.

 

[peepers]

you can update tom tom on the web... interface, points of interest, maps, UI, etc...

also, one can argue that nav system with voice prompt is safer, you dont have to take the eyes off the road. of course you can pull over to look at your map but that is not very handy on a highway so much and very dangerous.

they are advanced enough now that they work really well and are safe to use.

 

[Mad Jack]

My wife has the Garmin Nuvi 200, she is a visiting nurse and uses it daily. She too is "2 dementionally challenged" and she uses this without issue! Yes the newer ones are a touch more expensive but needed something up to date map wise. We also opted for it over the tomtom just because people she worked with liked the Garmin a bit better. No one really said why other than they were more familiar with it. Both look great though!

 

[nat88toy]

Hey Dave:

I have what I think is the best navigation system out there. It is remarkably inexpensive, always works in every vehicle I've ever used it in, the batteries never wear out, you can always read the screen, and in fact you can even make your own notes right on the screen in this really cool stylus that looks just like a pencil.

Here's what mine looks like:

cool 2D navigation

 

[jmylie]

Dave,

My wife, shall I say, also has an aversion to things mechanical or electrical.

She came with me on a business trip to CA last year. We brought the TomTom and she used it to get around LA after dropping me off at work.

The touch screen is very easy to use. Directions are generally very good. She managed to go shopping, visit the local Curves, eat lunch and sightsee all week without needing any help from me. She even managed to pick me up at work.

I use it all the time now. Even had many of the class VI roads during the Fall Gathering. Made getting from one trail to another very easy. And I didn't have to worry about directions back to the campground either.

 

[zebrabeefj40]

...and I coulda swore a few years ago you were pimpin a laptop with some sort of GPS software and "I" was the dude waving the mapbook! ;p

Sorry Dave, nuttin' to add to the nav system discussion. Mapbooks and dead reckoning seem to work fine fer me.

Nick

Hey Dave:

I have what I think is the best navigation system out there. It is remarkably inexpensive, always works in every vehicle I've ever used it in, the batteries never wear out, you can always read the screen, and in fact you can even make your own notes right on the screen in this really cool stylus that looks just like a pencil.

Here's what mine looks like:

 

[NeverFinis]

Just jumping in...I hope you don't mind.

I use a Lowrance iWay 600C. It has topographical maps for point to point navigation (off-road) as well as turn-by-turn navigation. It also has space for mp3s that can be transmitted to your fm stereo (favorite feature for my wife). It has voice prompts, but it doesn't do a detour option. Garmin software is better than Lowrance software, but there are more features in the Lowrance.

I haven't used a TomTom, but I believe it is Linux-based like the Lowrance. I think it uses the maps from a European company for the US and they aren't considered as good as the maps that Garmin and Lowrance use for the USA, but that is hearsay since I actually haven't used a TomTom.

Garmin and TomTom are in a big battle for the US market, and Lowrance is a bit player in the automotive market (bigger in the marine market).

GPS are cool and they do add some things that a 2D map can't give you, like time to arrival, phone numbers of businesses, and where is the next fast food place. Which is important when you got kids screaming that they are hungry