1. What do online resources say?
2. I have a slightly older/cheaper Garmin Nuvi and it rocks
3. I have tried a slightly older/cheaper TomTom and it was okay, but not quite as intuitive as the Garmin
4. This thread belongs in a different board...not in the GC-specific discussion board.

 

Garmin > TomTom

I have a Garmin and love it. It however sucks when you have to pay for the yearly updates, which is why I like my Droid for navigation now. Its always up to date and has a million other uses.

I still have my Garmin in my car and the Droid is always with me.

If I had to pick between 2 actual GPS units Garmin would get my vote hands down. My girlfriend has a TomTom and that thing is a pile.

 

-Hmmm, I can get a new phone next year, and I wonder how good phone navigations are compare to the car gps navigations.

New smart phone = ~ $100, plus ~$30 for data plan with millions of other uses.
New car GPS = ~$200, only one use (in the car, but maybe you can carry it around if you have batteries?), but much better than phone gps?

 

I have a garmin 780t and that thing is wonderful. The MSN direct and the updates work very well. Quick connection, thing has never let me down.

 

I have never seen one review that ever showed TomTom was better.

 

Droid X. It comes out July 15th and has a 4.3" screen. My original Droid is probably the best portable navigation I have ever used.

 

Droid GPS Navigation

Droid X. It comes out July 15th and has a 4.3" screen. My original Droid is probably the best portable navigation I have ever used.

Exactly my recommendation. My Droid and Google Maps have taken me far into the desert and mountain realms around Central AZ where my Track's Nav map just showed blank white space.

The Droid X just makes it that much better (plus you get great Verizon service).

 

I've done a lot of research on aftermarket GPS over the years. If you want a unit, narrow it down to Garmin or Magellen as both companies make fantastic devices. My wife and I have Magellens, but you can't go wrong with Garmin either. Stay away from TomTom, as I find their interface not nearly as good to use.

 

I must say that Google's voice search is awesome for navigation. Imagine touching your phone once and then speaking to it (with the command "navigate to"). Right now, I have to type on my Garmin's annoying keyboard and that eats up a lot of time and it's difficult to work with while driving.

I can't wait to have a smartphone. If it weren't for the rudimentary appearance of the fixed LCD display, I would opt out of getting a GC with built-in navi.

 

save your money. buy a tomtom one. they all do the same thing.

 

^But some make you cry first.

 

Iphone NAVGON ftw

 

That's what replaced my tomtom

 

Whatever you do, don't buy a Magellan. I have a top end Magellan Maestro 4370; the features and performance are absolutely amazing on it, but Magellan apparently decided that since not enough people bought it, they're punishing those of us that did and refusing to allow updated maps to be used on it. Not that it matters, since the program required to transfer updates to the GPS is completely unfinished and apparently only works with a certain subset of the model of GPS, based on serial number, from what I've been able to see; it will refuse to connect to most of them, mine included.

Their customer service response, of course, has been "We have no records of any issues with this product. Keep watching our web site, if we release maps, the will be listed there."

Never again.

Sad, too, considering how good the actual GPS unit is.

 

Garmin Nuvi 1390 is really good if you're in a city. If not, the 765t is great, too. I also recommend the top of the line Magellan Maestro 4700, which costs a lot less than the top of the line Garmin GPS.

 

^I thought most smart phones come with a GPS chip so they don't have to use cellular triangulation so long as the phone gets GPS reception.

Overall, I'd say going with Google Navigation is a great option. I don't own an Android phone, but I've used them and its voice technology is quite good. I like the idea of being able to search via voice while driving.

 

I have a garmin and a tomtom and prefer the tom-tom. The tom-tom asked if I wanted to avoid toll booths while the garmin didn't. I also liked the map layout better on the tom-tom and it has lifetime map updates while the garmin doesn't. They were both like $150. The high end might be different, but tom-tom is better on the low end.

 

^I actually feel like most smartphone consumers aren't really taking advantage of that extra $30/month data plan. I know a couple of friends who have Droids and they're too lazy to use their mobile internet to help look stuff up when going out and running around the city. They really just use the Droid for texts and maybe a game or two. They hardly use the GPS, they download apps and use them once, they don't check email on the go, etc. I wouldn't be surprised if the majority of smartphone users don't have a real need for one...or they just don't understand the potential (kinda like how plenty of people still don't know how/why to use PCs & broadband internet for more than email).

So my point is that while every one will have a cell phone, the added cost of getting a smartphone is not necessarily a moot point because not everyone needs a smart phone. If the OP is happy with a flip phone and needs a navi unit, pointing him to a navi-enabled smartphone might be the worst (most expensive) idea.

 

I've been researching, trying to find a product I want.

There is actually something of some interest to me. Grab a GPS device with WiFi or the ability to use BT to obtain an internet connection.

Mio started using Android for their OS therefore Google Maps, but the thing is I have been reading, anything that uses the internet for maps can get you in hot water if it refreshes your positioning and you are delayed because the map hasn't updated ala Google maps. You NEED the maps on local memory.

Android Moving Into Mio MiBuddy Navigation Device - PCWorld

Google maps is great but the maps are always downloaded, they need to work with better caching methods, or start moving maps offline, and the other 'Lab' tools online for use with internet connections.

Still leaning towards uNavi which yes is expensive, but I want something integrated. The only thing I would like more is making it all feel like a single unit which is my problem. It feels like your running two different systems in your car.

 

Rudy, what is this uNavi thing?

Also, not too sure if a GPS is worth it. I always research before I go to an unknown destination, and I have never gotten lost before. One feature I like about GPS now is finding the cheapest gas station other cool programs.

 

1. uNavi is a GPS unit that gets installed/integrated into GenCoupes that didn't come equipped with navi. Do a search on the forums and you'll find at least 2 huge threads about it (with pics!).

2. I like GPS for on-the-fly usage. It's nice for getting directions to places you've never been before, but it's also nice if you live in a place of one-way roads and general confusion. Also, if there's traffic, I'll sometimes use my GPS to get around it. Best of all, when you're in an unknown area (I'm still relatively new to the area I live/work in), then it's easy to find food and whatnot when you happen to get hungry while running errands or something. I love being able to just use my GPS when a friend asks "where can we get something to eat?"

...of course if I had a smartphone, things would be even better.

 

I don't remember the name of the gps, but you can get it from radio shack it costs about $50 more then competition. However, you get free maps and free live traffic updates.

Tom Tom is good
Garmin is better.

Most cell phones have gps ability; unfortunatly most require a separate fee, and the majority are more sales gimics then real gps. Good examples are the blackjack 2, most blackberries, iPhone 3GS, ect.

The few that I know of with great GPS technology is: iPhone 4, EVO, incredible