So my daughter has asked for a GPS for Christmas. Not sure what to look for and what features are a must have etc. We have one now but it is kinda old and not very good. It is not updatable and is wrong more than it is right. While I would like her to have hands free speakerphone options and I know they are on some models, I hear that they don't work that well. True? Also, I guess the budget is $150-200. She will be taking it to college in the fall, so it may be one of those things she misplaces from time to time:mad2: Any thoughts?
Your daughter needs to be able to read a map as everyone does. A GPS is not a replacement for that skill. OA Guide to Map and Compass - Part 1 I have an older Garmin NUVI that works well when I chose to use it. Mostly I use it in map mode. It is like having a map displayed & the driver makes the choices.
true. My wife can barely even read a simple road map; it can make road trips a little frustrating. BY the time she figures out which way to turn, the intersection is long past and I have to pull over and read it myself:lol: I bought a gps to alleviate this problem. I just got the cheapest one I could find - a tomtom ONE130, about $100. I stick it right on the central speedo - works great. Only issue is you can't program you own route like the more expensive ones - you can only set your destination, but it guides you there or back home pretty well. After using it a few times I wish I had gotten a higher model though. THat being said, the new smartphones kind of make having a separate gps redundant. I'm going to be replacing both my tomtom and old flip-phone with a smartphone as soon as one of them breaks. I accidentally drop my phone a lot - damn those motorollas are rugged.:wink:
Love my Garmin Nuvi1450 with lifetime maps. Have never had a problem with it being lost, even with some of the construction going on around here.
I thought bout the smartphone. She has one, but I just used mine the other night for the same reason while out of town and with my "older" eyes it wasn't worth crap, kept going to sleep, and doesn't speak to me with directions. I know there are add on apps for the phone, but it doesn't seem to be what I would consider as a good option.
Jeff - I think Garmin is one of the best, just an old farts meaningless opinion. :crazy: I bought my son one. He isn't much for using maps either. :lol:
I guess it depends on where you live, how much you travel and what your likes are. I have the Garmin 2460 (second Garmin) and love the features. I also have the HD kit, so I now have gauges. Jim
If you ever want to borrow the GPS for trips, I recommend a Garmin with the capability of storing routes in advance. I have several Dragon drives programmed into my Garmins and it's really handy to lay the route out in the comfort of your living room (and not at the last minute before the drive). I've got 3 versions of the Garmin Nuvi in my family. I think you have to get above the 600 model to get route storage/saving. I never spend the money for endless map updates, etc. By the time the maps in my GPS units become so obsolete that they will cause me any problems, they will probably die from some other cause related to battery failure, screen cracking from mishandling, etc. I also don't spend the $ for traffic features in Dallas, but if I still lived in the NY/CT/NJ area, I'd probably live by that feature.
The speedo went out in my truck 4 years ago. I bought a cheep garmin to tell speed and it has yet to fail.
I've used several Garmin products over the past 10 years and they have always paid off , even when they used to be $ 900 plus. For $ 200 you can get more features than that first $ 900 one I had. I usually go thru The GPS Store for very competitive prices and great service . I would give them a call. They carry all brands and can answer all of your questions . Randy The GPS Store, Inc. GPS Systems, Marine Electronics
Amazon .com has a bunch of Garmins If you decide on a Garmin you can put a Mini on it from members of this forum. PDF files are available. If you go to Amazon.com you can view a lot of different Garmin units and see thir features as well as customer reviews. I still use my very old Garmin 350 but I do have the 2011 Maps on it. I also have a Mini Splash screen and a red mini with a checkered top as my car.
I have an older model TomTom GO 720. It has been very reliable and easy to use. TomTom allows a large database of users to upload map corrections which are then available for distribution to other TomTom users. It's a very nice system and minimizes the need for actual map updates.