GPS Devices
singlemalt
trip he was going to take a portable GPS device. I was thinking about
getting him one for Christmas but am a complete dunce about this sort of
thing. I would be interested in any information, experiences, etc regarding
such you may have to offer. Not only which product but what about the
software, ease of use, etc. Any help appreciated. TIA, J.
ti...@nepinvalid.nl
wrote:
A TomTom is a good one.You can reach them via www.tomtom.com
Ton
singlemalt
singlemalt
Thanks, btw I failed to mention that I live in the US.
ti...@nepinvalid.nl
wrote:
In www.tomtom.com you can choose for the US.
I use it myself and I am very content with it.
Ton
Runge17
TIA
"singlemalt" <jol...@myway.com> a �crit dans le message de
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Runge17
"singlemalt" <jol...@myway.com> a �crit dans le message de
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PeterL
See Cnet for reviews: http://www.cnet.com/1770-5_1-0.html?query=gps+review&tag=srch%3Ba
K
There are portables and there are hand-helds, and they are different beasts
in th GPS world. If you son will have a car, then a portable will be fine.
If he'll be hiking or bicycling, a hand-held will be more useful.
Whatever type and brand you choose, you may have to buy the software to
allow it to work in a different part of the world, and the level of detail
is sure to vary between regions.
Don Kirkman
<hcvgpi$98b$1...@adenine.netfront.net>:
And if a high level of detail is not important, there are GPS
applications for smart phones these days, since many phones have GPS
built in. My golf app says it's accurate to less than five yards, but
it doesn't do Google maps with street information--but the built-in
navigation application shows my one-block street about 2.0 cm (around
an inch) with surrounding streets. It also gives voice directions.
Two drawbacks I've noticed: not enough volume in noisy circumstances,
and some phones have poor battery life between recharges.
--
Don Kirkman
don...@charter.net
Keith Willshaw
"singlemalt" <jol...@myway.com> wrote in message
news:Q5WdnV8K2rkgh27X...@earthlink.com...
There are US and Canadian maps available for TomTom
I have used mine in both countries.
The TomTom has in my opinion a better user interface than Garmin
and its map sets were much cheaper when I bought mine
Keith
K
The OP needs to learn more about his son's particular needs, and the
features available to him in his vehicle. For instance, some units have a
bluetooth feature, but that will only work if the vehicle has a bluetooth
unit. Others use FM to go thru the car speaker system, and still others
have tinny little speakers built in. My son chose Garmin units for his
delivery business, because he can program the unit to only use routes that
are legal for trucks, and they also announce clearances for upcoming
overpasses. I believe most units come with a map of the US at least, some
with the US and Canada, and others include Mexico as well. Foreign maps are
optional, and availability is iffy in South America, Africa, the Middle East
and Central Asia.
One thing is a given, and that is the fact that built-in NAV systems in new
cars are outrageously priced A mid-price $150 portable will probably do
twice what the built-in unit will do, unless you subscribe to all the
options, which invoke hefty monthly fees. And if you can't use your own
car, you can still take the portable unit with you.
pltrgyst
>> A TomTom is a good one.You can reach them via www.tomtom.com
>
>Thanks, btw I failed to mention that I live in the US.
TomTom sells a couple of models that include maps of both North America and
Europe. I've used my GO 730 to travel all over western Europe.
-- Larry
Jochen Kriegerowski
> One thing is a given, and that is the fact that built-in NAV systems
> in new cars are outrageously priced
That will soon be a thing of the past, with Google's navigation
feature in their Android OS around the corner, for free.
I wouldn't invest in a GPS system at the moment, because I'm
not sure if those companies will even stay on the market at all,
to supply map updates in the future.
Jochen
Keith Willshaw
"K" <Kie...@here.there> wrote in message
news:hcvu2v$138i$1...@adenine.netfront.net...
Incorrect. My GPS has bluetooth which I use to connect to my
bluetooth enabled phone to retrieve traffic information and it acts
as a hands free unit.
Keith
MLD
alt.satellite.gps
alt.satellite.gps.garmin
And for as much information as you can handle:
http://home.comcast.net/~ghayman3/garmin.gps/index.html
MLD
K
If you have your phone with you, then in effect your car is partially
bluetooth enabled. Does it let you use car radio for the spoken
instrtuctions?
Keith Willshaw
"K" <Kie...@here.there> wrote in message
>>
>> Incorrect. My GPS has bluetooth which I use to connect to my
>> bluetooth enabled phone to retrieve traffic information and it acts
>> as a hands free unit.
>>
>> Keith
>
> If you have your phone with you, then in effect your car is partially
> bluetooth enabled.
My car has no bluetooth devices. You could use the GPS/Phone
combo in ANY vehicle including a horse and buggy
> Does it let you use car radio for the spoken instrtuctions?
No it has its own speaker
Keith
K
My point was this: If you have your bluetooth phone in a canoe or
golf-cart, then your canoe or golf cart are effectively bluetooth enabled
while your phone is in them. The interface in a bluetooth-equipped car is
different because you can actually hear the gps instructions through the
radio, and it's the car that gets all the optional updates. You can also
use your phone legally, because it becomes hands-free in a bluetooth
equipped car.
Keith Willshaw
"K" <Kie...@here.there> wrote in message
>
>
> Keith Willshaw wrote:
>> "K" <Kie...@here.there> wrote in message
>> news:hd1rte$1l9d$1...@adenine.netfront.net...
>>
>>>>
>>>> Incorrect. My GPS has bluetooth which I use to connect to my
>>>> bluetooth enabled phone to retrieve traffic information and it acts
>>>> as a hands free unit.
>>>>
>>>> Keith
>>>
>>> If you have your phone with you, then in effect your car is partially
>>> bluetooth enabled.
>>
>> My car has no bluetooth devices. You could use the GPS/Phone
>> combo in ANY vehicle including a horse and buggy
>>
>>> Does it let you use car radio for the spoken instrtuctions?
>>
>> No it has its own speaker
>>
>> Keith
>
> My point was this: If you have your bluetooth phone in a canoe or
> golf-cart, then your canoe or golf cart are effectively bluetooth enabled
> while your phone is in them.
The OP's statement was that you needed a blue tooth equipped car.
< The interface in a bluetooth-equipped car is
> different because you can actually hear the gps instructions through the
> radio, and it's the car that gets all the optional updates. You can also
> use your phone legally, because it becomes hands-free in a bluetooth
> equipped car.
My TomTom acts as a hands free unit for the phone
Keith
singlemalt
"Keith Willshaw" <ke...@nospam.kwillshaw.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:ofcJm.29366$tF5....@newsfe25.ams2...
Robin Stober
> The TomTom has in my opinion a better user interface than Garmin
> and its map sets were much cheaper when I bought mine
I found myself in a vehicle with both an active TomTom and Garmin GPS.
The Garmin worked much better, to the point that we ended up using the
TomTom as a map light. And in my opinion, the Garmin had a better user
interface. This is, of course, one data point and one person's opinion.
I would not buy a GPS for another person unless I had a very good idea
of that person's preferences and how they planned to use the GPS.
Keith Willshaw
"Robin Stober" <stikie...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:hd7u3t$ptg$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
> Keith Willshaw wrote:
>
>> The TomTom has in my opinion a better user interface than Garmin
>> and its map sets were much cheaper when I bought mine
>
> I found myself in a vehicle with both an active TomTom and Garmin GPS. The
> Garmin worked much better, to the point that we ended up using the TomTom
> as a map light. And in my opinion, the Garmin had a better user
> interface. This is, of course, one data point and one person's opinion.
>
So the Garmin worked so well you needed a map light :)
Keith
Robin Stober
Actually, we were trying to figure out why the TomTom thought it was
driving through a cornfield.
who
"K" <Kie...@here.there> wrote:
> If you have your phone with you, then in effect your car is partially
> bluetooth enabled. Does it let you use car radio for the spoken
> instrtuctions?
Careful. Increasingly using phones and GPS units is not allowed while
driving. You will need a navigator.
I use maps from Google Maps.