GPS Anybody got one?? (1 Viewer)

[Jeff Gatie]

It cannot be downloaded, it is a feature of the individual model. Think of it this way: Lower models just play pre-recorded bits - "Turn left in 50 ft", "Take exit on left in 50 ft", etc. They can't carry a recording of every street and highway name, so they just give generic directions with no proper names. The higher models have a built in text-to-speech synthesizer which read the directions from a database of text, so they can say "Turn left onto Elm St. in 50 ft", "Take Exit 5 on left to Interstate 30", etc. Without the TTS synthesizer, you can't have TTS.

 

[David McGough]

Done DEAL. I have just bought a Garmin 760 off of Ebay.
I don't have a clue the difference between the 660 and 760.
I had to have the turn on name of street. It also has blue tooth what ever that means.. Anybody know the difference.
I do have a TOMTOM ONE XL for sale in the box never opened $230
if interrested. 731-695-5658

 

[TonyD]

blue tooth.
if you have a blue tooth cell phone, and it is pairable to your garmin, you can use the 760 for hands free calls.

 

[TonyD]

Compare Products

 

[Michael_K_Sr]

Looking for a unit that will do a good job tracking my journey whether I'm hiking, biking, driving or taking the train. I'd like to be able to save coordinates for the purposes of geotagging my photos later on (I don't have a GPS-enabled camera and I won't be getting one in the near future.) Any opinions on what my best bet is?

 

[zillion01]

I'm looking to buy one, any recommendations?

 

[DanaA]

What's your price range? I'd recommend you at least get one with the text to speech capability, but these can be had for significantly less than even a year ago (I just bought my dad a Magellan with TTS for about $150 from Target).

Size also might be a consideration as some people like to stick them in their pocket instead of leaving them in their car. The thicknesses vary quite a bit.

I have the Garmin C580 and love it. You could save money by buying the C550, which is very similar. Both are of the thick variety though, so aren't as pocketable as thinner models. I'll say my 580 hasn't failed me yet and is so cool that my wife wants to steal it for her car, even though her car has a built in unit. It just is more fun than her GPS and more versatile as well.

 

[Qui-Gon John]

I too am looking for a GPS and am confused by the wide array of products and features.

Basically I want entry level, window mount. Being able to update the maps would be nice. Customizable POI's and Text to Speech is important too.

I mostly hear about Garmin's and Tom-Tom's, but even they have many models which lend to the confusion.

Can anyone help cut through the haze?

 

[Paul_Fisher]

I received a Garmin Nuvi 650 for Christmas and I love it.

 

[Kyle McKnight]

I just placed an order for a TomTom Go 720 from WalMart for $280+tax. It's 4.3" widescreen with TTS and now features a community-driven map system (in addition to their standard updates) to keep up with local conditions. Keep an eye on the page as it has been fluctuating in price.

I don't see myself ever taking this outside of my vehicle (even though it has a 5hr battery life) so I may still be on the lookout for a handheld rugged version for outdoor activities. I'd really like to get one about the size of a cell phone for outdoor route tracking (running/biking etc) but the Garmin GPSMap 60CSx looks a bit too large.

Hopefully the Nokia 6210 Navigator will make it out over here in America soon as I wouldn't mind using that, even if it's not rugged.

 

[Kirk Gunn]

Just giving a bump as my wife is interested. Me ? I never get.... ah, nevermind.

Thanks in advance

 

[Michael_K_Sr]

I bought a TomTom One 130S earlier this year and it's great. It's odd that a review for it on CNET said that the volume wasn't loud enough, yet when I was in Los Angeles earlier this year, the volume was more than loud enough even with a convertible top down at highway speeds.

 

[Scott Strang]

These are indispensable. The suction cup mount on the glass never works well for long and ends up falling. As much as these things cost you don't want them tumbling down your dash onto the floor.

 

[Matt Stryker]

i recently got a Navigon 2100 off of woot, but you can still find them at Staples - its nav software is pretty good, but since it is just a WinCE computer you can run all sorts of other software if you don't like it - TomTom, MioMap, Destinator, iGo, OziExplorer, etc.

 

[Kirk Gunn]

Thanks !

Interesting on the WinCE.... too bad it didn't have wifi I could load up Activesync and check e-mail (just shoot me now !)

 

[Bryan X]

I need some advice on a GPS system. My mom wants to get my dad one for Christmas and she has asked me to figure out the best one. I've always had factory installed Nav Systems so I don't know much about these stand-alone units.

Basically, this is what I'm looking for:

Large Screen (for aging eyes)
TTS
Touch Screen (not a deal-breaker)
Interface which is "elderly" friendly
Under $500.00

Thanks!

 

[MarkHastings]

The 760 got a top review on one of those GPS Car review sites. Amazon has it for a decent price too:
Amazon.com: Garmin nüvi 760 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Automobile Navigator: Electronics

I'm asking my family and friends to get me Amazon gift cards (for Christmas) because I'm thinking of getting this one.

Anyone have this? Ideas? Mark R., what's your impression on the 660? I don't see it on their site so the 760 might be the new model.

My other question would be; what features should I look for in a GPS? I'm a little unfamiliar on functions and while I don't want to go nuts with the purchase price (I'd like to stay under $300), I'd definitely be willing to put a little extra $$ into a better model if it meant having a feature that I'd miss with the cheaper model.

For Instance, the 880 has a few extras that the 760 doesn't, like voice recognition, removable battery, photo navigation, & slightly larger screen. I believe I could live wihtout these things in order to save some cash (especially at twice the Amazon price), but the one thing I noticed was that the 880 has a reciever for "MSN® Direct for U.S." and the 760 is only 'compatible' (which would mean I'd need to buy the reciever separately).

I read about this and it seems to be used for traffic reports, gas prices, movie times, etc. - all of these things I could live without (especially the fact that it requires a subscription fee), but what about updating map data? Do I need this service to update the maps or can it be connected to a computer for updating?

Is there anything else I should be taking into consideration?

Thanks!

 

[Jay H]

Any opinions on the cheaper $150 Car GPS units, like the Garmin Nuvi 255w or equivalent. It has text to speech and looks to be a basic GPS model. What is the differences between that one and the more expensive $250+ models??? Why would somebody pay more?

Motorola has a car GPs unit out to, any comparisons between TomTom, Garmin, Motorola or any of the other ones?

Jay

 

[Michael_K_Sr]

I have the TomTom 130S which also has TTS. It's an excellent entry level unit. I didn't need a bunch of bells and whistles I'd never use and I've never regretted buying it.

 

[MarkHastings]

Jay, check out the comparisons: https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=134
You can select multiple items to compare and it will highlight (in grey) what areas the models differ. Of course it's only for Garvin models, but it will help you see what the more expensive models offer over the cheaper ones.

Obviously, the more you pay, the more features you get. They seem to be similar to digital cameras (i.e. screen size, resolution, battery length, etc.) - The more expensive ones have Bluetooth so you can integrate your cell phone into it. The more expensive ones also have more advanced features that could be of some use. The one thing I noticed was the FM Transmitter which allows you to purchase the MSN Direct, which gives you Traffic Updates in real time. This can be useful for people (like me) who have long commutes and want to avoid traffic jams or construction.

Also, the 255w doesn't support multiple destinations, which can be a handy feature. The 255w also doesn't support "routes" - I'm not sure exactly what that is, but it sounds like it might be a feature you may regret not having.

The 760 has a headphone/line out which could be useful if you are using it "on the go" or can't hear it too well and need to plug into your stereo system.

Of course, the expensive ones also give you more "fun" features like MP3 playback, audio book playback, etc. but those are obviouslly just fun bells and whistles.

So you can see why someone would be willing to pay more for a GPS. I just did a quick compare of the 255w, 265w, and 760 and for me, the 760 seems to have a few extra features that I would consider useful.

Do what I'm doing - I'm researching all of the features because I hate buying something, then realizing there is a feature (that I don't have) that I wished I did. Again, approach it like you would a Digital Camera, DVD player, Stereo, etc.

I've used my parents built-in GPS (which has a lot of features) to know what I would miss if I didn't have it.