GPS query
Oct 15th, 2007, 07:12 AM
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GPS query
I want to purchase a GPS for personal and business use in the US. I have been using Hertz Neverlost for a few years and really like it. The most important criteria for me is that the screen is large enough to see while driving (my eyes are very old!!), that there are voice prompts, and that the device is easily mountable(in a rental car) for a techno challenged person such as me...
If the GPS also had European capability that would be nice for future trips but it is not essential.
Any input would be appreciated ...thanks!
If the GPS also had European capability that would be nice for future trips but it is not essential.
Any input would be appreciated ...thanks!
Oct 15th, 2007, 07:54 AM
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check out www.gpspassion.com for reviews and comparisons of the various gps systems that are available.
With the information found there, you could make an intelligent choice.
With the information found there, you could make an intelligent choice.
Oct 15th, 2007, 08:12 AM
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I have a Garmin 2730 with all of the features you are looking for. I use the beanbag mount, meaning that I can move it from car to car or just hide it down by the gas pedal when leaving the car. You can get European coverage through Garmin if you need it. Go to www.garmin.com and click down through the automotive products.
Oct 18th, 2007, 03:38 AM
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Not specific to brand, but these devices are rapidly becoming a real target for crime - you can not just leave it mounted in your car and forget it. Nor is leaving the mounting device in sight while taking with you or locking up the device enough. Lots of news stories about these being bait for people to break into cars.
So while screen size is important to you, make sure it and its holder will fit inside the glove box of your car, your brief case/purse, etc. Make sure the mounting device is easily unmountable - like suction cup that is easy for you to reach and reattach.
And don't leave any trace of it in your car regardless of where you park (except perhaps your own garage).
Can't help with specific brands - I just bought a car with installed GPS and can't imagine living without it now.
So while screen size is important to you, make sure it and its holder will fit inside the glove box of your car, your brief case/purse, etc. Make sure the mounting device is easily unmountable - like suction cup that is easy for you to reach and reattach.
And don't leave any trace of it in your car regardless of where you park (except perhaps your own garage).
Can't help with specific brands - I just bought a car with installed GPS and can't imagine living without it now.
Oct 18th, 2007, 06:08 AM
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EmilyC: I've been driving with GPS devices for years now, and I agree that they're incredibly helpful. I wouldn't consider driving without one.
The Hertz Neverlost units are made by Magellan, which is a division of Thales Navigation. Here's their website: http://www.magellangps.com/ If you've become accustomed to the Neverlost devices and how they work, you could consider buying another Magellan box.
I used Magellan Roadmates for years, until a few years ago when I bought my first Garmin Nuvi. I would definitely recommend buying a Garmin GPS over a Magellan one. In my experience, Garmins (the Nuvi models, at least) are much better engineered in pretty much every respect, except perhaps for a few software features that I wish they'd incorporate. But overall there's really no comparison. Garmin's tech support is also much, much better. If you call Garmin, you'll get a friendly expert engineer who can help with almost anything. Magellan has outsourced their tech support to people who can't tell you anything at all except that you should try turning your device off and on again. Here's Garmin's American website: http://www.garmin.com/garmin/cms/site/us
Another major manufacturer is TomTom: http://www.tomtom.com/. I don't know much about them at all. There's also Lowrance.
You can poke around these sites to learn more about the different models and which one you might want to buy. I'd also strongly second the recommendation of going over to the gpspassion.com forums and seeing what the experts there have to say. But to get you started, here are some of the issues you'll want to think about:
1. Cost (obviously)
2. Screen size. The Magellan and Garmin units that I've used all have pretty much the same size. The 6xx series Nuvi units have a screen that's a little wider and brighter, and you may like that. There are also a number of units that have much larger screens, and are really meant for permanent installation. If you want a huge screen like that, you could take a look at them, but they're going to be more expensive, and much harder to move around with you. Besides, I suspect that the actual symbols on the screens will be no bigger than on the smaller screens - you may just be able to see farther around your car on the map.
3. Coverage area. You'll probably want one with maps of the whole US already built in. Some of the less expensive ones require you to load a few states at a time from your PC. I think that's becoming less common, but you should probably make sure that you don't have to do it. Some also have Europe maps built in, and that's a feature that drives the cost up. Often, you can buy the Europe maps separately. I did that for my Nuvi 680, and it was extremely easy -- I just bought an SD card and popped it into the slot on the side.
4. Text-to-speech capability. Pretty much all of the GPS boxes will give you spoken directions, e.g. "In 1 mile, turn left." The better ones will now speak the names of streets, e.g. "In 1 mile, turn left on West Hartford Drive." That helps a lot. At this stage in the development of the technology, some boxes do that, and some don't, so it's a feature that you should look for.
5. Portability and mounting hardware. As you're going to use the device in rental cars, I agree that you'll want one for which you can purchase a beanbag mount that just sits on the dashboard. You may or may not want to use that in your own car. I use a suction cup mount that I leave permanently attached to my windshield, and I leave the cable connected to my cigarette lighter, even when parked on the street or parked in a valet garage (though not in really sketchy neighborhoods). But I always take the actual GPS device out and keep it with me. Make sure that the mount seems stable, and make sure it has some sort of easy-release device so that you detach and re-attach the box without having to remove the whole mount, and without having to use a lot of force. Some systems don't do that so well. Some of the mounting systems seem like they'd wear out and loosen with repeated detaching and reattaching of the box, and that's something you don't want to worry about. You should also consider whether the box has a built-in battery, so that you can use it while walkingm or program new destinations from outside of your car. And it's nice to have one that's small enough that you can carry it around easily in a pocket or purse.
6. Traffic information. Some boxes have the capability to receive broadcasts of traffic information in the US, and will help to route you around traffic jams. Sometimes you need to pay extra for an antenna to do this. In my experience, the ClearChannel traffic info that some of the Garmin units receive is totally useless. Actually worse than useless, because it sometimes routes you around traffic jams that don't exist. My Nuvi 680 receives MSN traffic information, which is definitely a lot more useful, but still not the lifesaver that it could be if it were really up to date.
The Hertz Neverlost units are made by Magellan, which is a division of Thales Navigation. Here's their website: http://www.magellangps.com/ If you've become accustomed to the Neverlost devices and how they work, you could consider buying another Magellan box.
I used Magellan Roadmates for years, until a few years ago when I bought my first Garmin Nuvi. I would definitely recommend buying a Garmin GPS over a Magellan one. In my experience, Garmins (the Nuvi models, at least) are much better engineered in pretty much every respect, except perhaps for a few software features that I wish they'd incorporate. But overall there's really no comparison. Garmin's tech support is also much, much better. If you call Garmin, you'll get a friendly expert engineer who can help with almost anything. Magellan has outsourced their tech support to people who can't tell you anything at all except that you should try turning your device off and on again. Here's Garmin's American website: http://www.garmin.com/garmin/cms/site/us
Another major manufacturer is TomTom: http://www.tomtom.com/. I don't know much about them at all. There's also Lowrance.
You can poke around these sites to learn more about the different models and which one you might want to buy. I'd also strongly second the recommendation of going over to the gpspassion.com forums and seeing what the experts there have to say. But to get you started, here are some of the issues you'll want to think about:
1. Cost (obviously)
2. Screen size. The Magellan and Garmin units that I've used all have pretty much the same size. The 6xx series Nuvi units have a screen that's a little wider and brighter, and you may like that. There are also a number of units that have much larger screens, and are really meant for permanent installation. If you want a huge screen like that, you could take a look at them, but they're going to be more expensive, and much harder to move around with you. Besides, I suspect that the actual symbols on the screens will be no bigger than on the smaller screens - you may just be able to see farther around your car on the map.
3. Coverage area. You'll probably want one with maps of the whole US already built in. Some of the less expensive ones require you to load a few states at a time from your PC. I think that's becoming less common, but you should probably make sure that you don't have to do it. Some also have Europe maps built in, and that's a feature that drives the cost up. Often, you can buy the Europe maps separately. I did that for my Nuvi 680, and it was extremely easy -- I just bought an SD card and popped it into the slot on the side.
4. Text-to-speech capability. Pretty much all of the GPS boxes will give you spoken directions, e.g. "In 1 mile, turn left." The better ones will now speak the names of streets, e.g. "In 1 mile, turn left on West Hartford Drive." That helps a lot. At this stage in the development of the technology, some boxes do that, and some don't, so it's a feature that you should look for.
5. Portability and mounting hardware. As you're going to use the device in rental cars, I agree that you'll want one for which you can purchase a beanbag mount that just sits on the dashboard. You may or may not want to use that in your own car. I use a suction cup mount that I leave permanently attached to my windshield, and I leave the cable connected to my cigarette lighter, even when parked on the street or parked in a valet garage (though not in really sketchy neighborhoods). But I always take the actual GPS device out and keep it with me. Make sure that the mount seems stable, and make sure it has some sort of easy-release device so that you detach and re-attach the box without having to remove the whole mount, and without having to use a lot of force. Some systems don't do that so well. Some of the mounting systems seem like they'd wear out and loosen with repeated detaching and reattaching of the box, and that's something you don't want to worry about. You should also consider whether the box has a built-in battery, so that you can use it while walkingm or program new destinations from outside of your car. And it's nice to have one that's small enough that you can carry it around easily in a pocket or purse.
6. Traffic information. Some boxes have the capability to receive broadcasts of traffic information in the US, and will help to route you around traffic jams. Sometimes you need to pay extra for an antenna to do this. In my experience, the ClearChannel traffic info that some of the Garmin units receive is totally useless. Actually worse than useless, because it sometimes routes you around traffic jams that don't exist. My Nuvi 680 receives MSN traffic information, which is definitely a lot more useful, but still not the lifesaver that it could be if it were really up to date.
Oct 18th, 2007, 06:23 AM
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My verizon cell phone has GPS. I'm sure it isn't as detailed, or wonderful as the larger GPS units, but for driving directions and other stuff, it fits the bill.
That plus, text messaging google will get you lots of info.
That plus, text messaging google will get you lots of info.
Oct 18th, 2007, 10:11 AM
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Thanks Hawksbill for the very comprehensive response. Ironically, I was just in Radio Shack this morning and looked at the Magellan units there. One of their larger screened devices looked great to me - unfortunately, I didn't think to write down the model number. That unit was $599 and will be on sale after Thanksgiving.
Your points about service are important and I will look at Garmin -have used their products on our boats for years.
Your points about service are important and I will look at Garmin -have used their products on our boats for years.
Oct 18th, 2007, 10:24 AM
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Hi EmilyC:
I too have a Garmin (350)and I think it's great specially for traveling, what I like about this unit (forgive me if other do it I am only comparing to prior quest I had) is the fact that it not only tells you turn right 300 feet it gives you the name of the street which is helpful. You could also buy the cd for Europe, I purchased mine on line and usually prices are alot better than any local store, amazon and bizrate are great sites to do some seach I've also heard costco sometimes has good prices, if your not in a hurry and as you mentioned it may be worth you waiting till not Thanksgiving buy after christmas to get it. Hope this helps.
Gina
I too have a Garmin (350)and I think it's great specially for traveling, what I like about this unit (forgive me if other do it I am only comparing to prior quest I had) is the fact that it not only tells you turn right 300 feet it gives you the name of the street which is helpful. You could also buy the cd for Europe, I purchased mine on line and usually prices are alot better than any local store, amazon and bizrate are great sites to do some seach I've also heard costco sometimes has good prices, if your not in a hurry and as you mentioned it may be worth you waiting till not Thanksgiving buy after christmas to get it. Hope this helps.
Gina
Oct 18th, 2007, 12:34 PM
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Just another vote for Garmin Nuvi. Recently DH bought it as an anni gift for me and I can tell you if we'd had this 10 yrs ago, day and roadtrips would have been a lot more enjoyable...LOL!
I'm a newbie to this but one feature that I thought was great is the "pedestrian" mode that can be set. While I usually use it in the car, if I wanted to find something while walking, I can change the setting, o/w if I was on a one-way street the GPS would send me all around the block rather than just telling me to walk in the opposite direction.
Travelling to new places is so relaxing now. While in Toronto recently, I wanted to go to a supermarket after dropping off a friend. I just selected it from the "Shopping" choices and it showed me all the closest ones. I chose one with a big chain name, and just drove a bit to get there. Not being familiar with that part of town, I wouldn't have even known a supermarket was so close by! I can't imagine going anywhere without it now.
Enjoy-la!
I'm a newbie to this but one feature that I thought was great is the "pedestrian" mode that can be set. While I usually use it in the car, if I wanted to find something while walking, I can change the setting, o/w if I was on a one-way street the GPS would send me all around the block rather than just telling me to walk in the opposite direction.
Travelling to new places is so relaxing now. While in Toronto recently, I wanted to go to a supermarket after dropping off a friend. I just selected it from the "Shopping" choices and it showed me all the closest ones. I chose one with a big chain name, and just drove a bit to get there. Not being familiar with that part of town, I wouldn't have even known a supermarket was so close by! I can't imagine going anywhere without it now.
Enjoy-la!
Oct 18th, 2007, 02:01 PM
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Another thing to look for - make sure it can be used on regular house electricity (obviously it will run on car adaptor). It is useful to be at home or in a hotel room and be able to see/plot the route you will be taking (We bought our son a Magellan that did not work on house current - only car current and missed this feature).
Oct 18th, 2007, 03:07 PM
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Gail: good point. The Magellan RoadMates that I used for years would only work when plugged into a car. My Garmin Nuvi, however, is fully functional on its battery for a few hours. And after that, I can plug it into the USB port of a computer if I need to recharge it. I suppose there's probably an option to buy an AC adapter, but I've never needed it.
I too have enjoyed the "pedestrian" option that klam_chowder mentions. I think the value of these things while walking is greatly understated. I've used mine while walking around little streets in old European towns, finding monuments I was looking for while walking in Washington, DC... it's helpful even just to save your current location as you're getting out of your car. That way, you'll never forget where you parked, or how to get back there.
EmilyC: I'm not sure which Magellan models Radio Shack has now, and I'm probably not up to date on all of the current models anyway, but I would note that the retailer you buy the thing from can make a big difference. Back when I still had my Magellan, I was skeptical about switching to the Nuvi. So I bought a new Nuvi AND an up-to-date Magellan at Costco, which has a great return policy, and I just tried both for a while. I returned the one I didn't want when I had figured it out.
I too have enjoyed the "pedestrian" option that klam_chowder mentions. I think the value of these things while walking is greatly understated. I've used mine while walking around little streets in old European towns, finding monuments I was looking for while walking in Washington, DC... it's helpful even just to save your current location as you're getting out of your car. That way, you'll never forget where you parked, or how to get back there.
EmilyC: I'm not sure which Magellan models Radio Shack has now, and I'm probably not up to date on all of the current models anyway, but I would note that the retailer you buy the thing from can make a big difference. Back when I still had my Magellan, I was skeptical about switching to the Nuvi. So I bought a new Nuvi AND an up-to-date Magellan at Costco, which has a great return policy, and I just tried both for a while. I returned the one I didn't want when I had figured it out.
Oct 18th, 2007, 03:16 PM
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dmlove, all of the new car installed units are either dvd based or cdrom based. Typically, the only way to get updated information (new roads, subdivisions, changes to cloverleafs, one way roads, etc.) is to buy the updates from the auto manufacturer. This can be very expensive, or, in some cases, not available at all. There are a lot of ten year old Porsches with builtin nav systems that cannot be updated.
If for nothing else, this is why I recommend portable gps systems to all of my friends. There are many more reasons, but this is a showstopper.
If for nothing else, this is why I recommend portable gps systems to all of my friends. There are many more reasons, but this is a showstopper.
Oct 18th, 2007, 04:10 PM
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gb944: I've never really considered the built-in GPS, but just out of curiosity... are they usually just not capable of upgrading? Or is it that you have to do some tedious removal process to get the thing out of your car and plug it into your computer?
The portable ones I've used are pretty simple to update. For the Nuvi, for example, you just plug it into the USB socket on your PC, go to Garmin's website, and click a button.
The portable ones I've used are pretty simple to update. For the Nuvi, for example, you just plug it into the USB socket on your PC, go to Garmin's website, and click a button.
