GPS units

[Ben H]

Thinking about buying my wife a GPS for Christmas this year. I thought being you boys and girls are all over the place you may have some insight on a few units. I'd like to keep it under 200.00, free map upgrades, and NO ads. I'll chuck it out the window the first time an ad blocks my map!

What do you guys use?

[Tim Maxwell]

TomTom One. 2 years ago I got it for $125. It can be had for under a hundred now. I am not a bells and whistles guy though.

Some of the better ones will tell you all sorts of things that can come in handy around town or on a road trip.

I really like my TT and not just because it was cheap.

[Marc]

I just mount my laptop on my computer stand and use MS Streets & Trips 2009 with the included GPS sensor. I never cared for them lil' bitty screens.

Marc

[mgbinspect]

Best Buy has Garmin Nuvi 250s at the front of their stores for $99.00. That's a very good unit with a ton of cool features at a ridiculously low price. They warn you in advance of traffic jams, can find practically anything you're looking for, from site seeing to shopping, and will even coach you on driving for the best fuel economy, if you ask it to. As soon as you miss a turn it's working to get you back on track.

I can't promise you that map upgrades will be free forever, but I did just download new software and maps free for both of my Garmins within the last 48 hours.

I've owned Magellans, and TomToms before and found each to be lacking in some way. I'm impressed with and spoiled by my Garmins. Ninety-nine buck is more than half of what I paid for my last one two years ago, and the GPS I ever bought a few years back was darn near $900.00!

[kurt]

I've got a Nuvi; it's fine. I've also used Tom Tom's, which were also fine.

No ads on Garmin. Not sure on TT's.

One thing I've found; GPS can send you in weird directions and roundabout paths to get some places.

I don't use mine all that much; I'm still a Google Maps guy, but that's because Chicago is relatively easy to get around in. But, GPS is very nice to have.

[Steven Hockstein]

I have a Garmin 205 wide screen that I have been using for almost two years. Easy to use. It does give some weird directions.

Just bought my son a Garmin 265 wide screen at Staples for $99 with a $20 rebate. It has traffic reports and says the street names (mine just says to turn left or right and does not say the street names). It can also be used as a blue tooth.

I figure that in the next couple of years it will be standard equipment in cars and we will all throw away our portable GPS units when we get our next car. At this point in time I am not going to spend over a grand for something that costs a hundred bucks.

[charlieb]

Like Marc I use MS streets and Maps. The laptop sits in a Jotto desk in the car. Other that the BIG screen, I load a large number of map points on the map via an excel file.

[randynavarro]

Garmin.

That $99 Nuvi at Best Buy is a smokin' deal. I'd go for that in a heartbeat 'cept I don't need another GPS.

[Ben H]

Thanks guys. Being a retired truck monkey (12v tech) I've got a high end Pioneer navi system in my truck, but I can't drop that kind of dough right now. My fear is I'll be comparing this small portable unit to my 7" widescreen head unit that cost me nearly 2k.

I'm gonna swing by BB this morning and finger a few units. Speed is another concern of mine. I'm not a patient man when it comes to electronics. When I press a button I expect it to respond instantly.

[davidlord]

Garmin Nuvi. I've got a 1490 (i think) wide screen with the lane assist feature and its a great unit. I think any of the Nuvi's will be adequate. My iPhone 4 will also get me there.

[Scottpat]

I'm lost without my Garmin, I think it is a Nuvi in the 600 numbers. It has the traffic help, which does help if the interstate is backed up. I paid around $200 from Costco a couple of years ago. I use it daily and it is also how I keep track of mileage for the tax man. It stores in memory the last 100 address so that is also handy.

[Chad Fabry]

I'm lost without my Garmin,

HA!

[davidmcg]

MS Streets on my laptop with a GPS receiver. I had a Garmin once, my laptop 15" screen sure beats eye strain from a 3.5" screen. Those little screens make you look at them more, taking your eyes off the road. The laptop screen you can see with your peripheral vision. On top of that, if I am going someplace I rarely if ever go I study the maps. A working knowledge of what is where and where you need to be goes a long way. Also, MS Streets has every gas station, places to gt food, including grocery stores, and more that any GPS ever thought of.

[Ben H]

Heads up gents. Went to Worst Buy today, looked around and saw a Garmin 1450LMT that seemed nice. Except for the 300.00 price tag. A quick scan with my iPhone with the Red Laser App showed my local Sears, a stones throw from BB had it on sale for 199.00. I asked the guy at BB if they would match it, he said that has to be a online only sale, so I walked, went to Sears and picked it up for 199.00

[Mark P]

Heads up gents. Went to Worst Buy today, looked around and saw a Garmin 1450LMT that seemed nice. Except for the 300.00 price tag. A quick scan with my iPhone with the Red Laser App showed my local Sears, a stones throw from BB had it on sale for 199.00. I asked the guy at BB if they would match it, he said that has to be a online only sale, so I walked, went to Sears and picked it up for 199.00

Very Cool. I have the same app on my i-phone, but never think to use it. Good Going.

[mgbinspect]

What a shame. I was in our Best Buy, here in Richmond, and just before the checkout counter was one of those cardboard displays with probably thirty-five Garmin Nuvis @ $99.00. If I needed one, I'd have snagged it.

[Ben H]

Heads up gents. Went to Worst Buy today, looked around and saw a Garmin 1450LMT that seemed nice. Except for the 300.00 price tag. A quick scan with my iPhone with the Red Laser App showed my local Sears, a stones throw from BB had it on sale for 199.00. I asked the guy at BB if they would match it, he said that has to be a online only sale, so I walked, went to Sears and picked it up for 199.00

Very Cool. I have the same app on my i-phone, but never think to use it. Good Going.

Yeah RL is good stuff. I always love seeing the look on a salesman face when I pull out my phone. I get asked "You taking a picture?". "Yeah, something like that" I say. [:-bonc01]

[esch]

Garmin is the easiest simplest in my opinion. I named mine after my wife.

[Bill Kibbel]

Garmin is the easiest simplest in my opinion. I named mine after my wife.

You might wanna reword that - unless you meant it the way I read it.

[Tom Raymond]

I have had my gps send me to some pretty far out places, and the more rural the destination the farther out there the routes: a U turn in a farmer's drive way, seasonal highways, dirt roads, roads that turn into tractor paths after driving several miles into the middle of nowhere, and my personal favorite, roads that don't exist. The last of these my Garmin sent me to was so over grown I doubt I could have managed it on foot, it was only a seasonal road when it was last open in the fifties. It closed because the locals prefered to drive around it, rather than on it.

[John Dirks Jr]

Do real time traffic reports require a monthly subscription? Do they offer alternative routes?

I have a TomTom One and love it but it doesn't have the traffic reports. It can calculate alternatives but has no idea if that route will be any better as far as traffic jams are concerned.

[Steven Hockstein]

Do real time traffic reports require a monthly subscription? Do they offer alternative routes?

I have a TomTom One and love it but it doesn't have the traffic reports. It can calculate alternatives but has no idea if that route will be any better as far as traffic jams are concerned.

The Garmin I just bought my son ($99 with @20 rebate at Staples) does not require a subscription fee for traffic.

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=13430

Never used the traffic or blue tooth on it.

[Scottpat]

Do real time traffic reports require a monthly subscription? Do they offer alternative routes?

I have a TomTom One and love it but it doesn't have the traffic reports. It can calculate alternatives but has no idea if that route will be any better as far as traffic jams are concerned.

The traffic on my Garmin is a free service. You just have a small ad every know and then from Walgreen's or a hotel chain that pops up on the side corner and then goes away on its own or you can touch it and it goes away.

[hausdok]

I have a cheap Navman. Bought it for about $90 several years ago. It seems to be able to get me to about 99% of the places I need to go without too much difficulty, so I'm not unhappy that I didn't get the bells and whistles. It gets me there on time and when I'm not going to be there on time, 'cuz I didn't allow myself enough lead time, I can call ahead and let the client know that I'm X miles away and my gizmo says I'll be there in X minutes. Folks seem to get it. I like it because whatever program it has speaks up loudly and clearly and tells me where to turn. In fact, the voice of the American speaking lady sounds suspeciously like Peggy Bundy and you almost can't ignore her when she says, "In 300 yards bear left," "In 150 yards bear left", In 90 yards bear left", "Bear left!". When I've used my wife's in her car, it tells me there's a turn up front but then I have to listen for the stupid chime tone to know where to turn. Screw that, I'd rather get nagged by Peggy Bundy than have to rely on my spotty hearing to hear a stupid doorbell chime sound.

I bought my wife a Magellan. It's got a lot of bells and whistles but she only has it so that she can find her way home from the job after I lead us there. I did teach her how to plug in an address, but all she really needed to know was how to push the go home icon so she won't get lost - which used to happen a couple of times a year and would net me a panicked phone call when she couldn't figure out where she was.

All of that other stuff, neither one of us have any idea how to use it. It works for us and it's better than a Thomas' guide most of the time.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Tom Raymond]

It gets me there on time and when I'm not going to be there on time, 'cuz I didn't allow myself enough lead time, I can call ahead and let the client know that I'm X miles away and my gizmo says I'll be there in X minutes.

You don't need more lead time, you need a heavier foot[:-dev3]