Best In-Car GPS Navigation Choice

[Pikachu]

Guess it's too much to expect a $2,200 Powerbook with OS X be able to run a program like Streets & Trips w/ GPS. :roll:

Guess I'll have to cough up even more money for a stand alone product, but which one? I wouldn't hesitate to spend $125.00 for Streets & Trips, but these Navigation Systems are serious investments. Which is the best bang for the buck?

 

[Linux23]

a new Macbook/Pro where you can dualboot Windows?

 

[iamwiz82]

I use a Macbook plus Boot Camp and Street and Trips. Works great for me.

 

[Pikachu]

That would require a Macbook Pro, and this is a mere G4.

 

[ultimatebob]

I'd recommend getting a Garmin StreetPilot 330 for about $380 online, and skip the laptop idea. You really don't want to be playing with a computer while you're driving, do you?

 

[smack Down]

I would recommend buying a real computer.

 

[kami333]

There are a couple of solutions, nothing ready made like Streets and Trips though. Basically running a standalong GPS and interfacing that with a program. Check out mp3car.com

 

[Pikachu]

Honestly, this is just one more reason to hate Macs, and I wouldn't own the damn thing if I didn't have to.

Do I really want to mess with a laptop in the car? No, but I hate spending an extra $275.00 even more!

That STREETPILOT C330 looks as good as any, and priced about right. I see it costs a fortune to bump up the features, but I have no idea if a comparable unit could be had for significantly less. How did you whittle it down to that unit?

 

[axelfox]

Garmin Nuvi 350 or 360. Or Street Pilot 2600 series or 2700 series.

 

[kalster]

treo 650 + tomtom works fantastic

 

[new2AMD]

I have a free app on my G4 that works with my usb receiver. Ill look up the software name later.

 

[GeneValgene]

i use my dell axim x50v...works great. cheap too.

 

[mrchan]

Originally posted by: Pikachu
Honestly, this is just one more reason to hate Macs, and I wouldn't own the damn thing if I didn't have to.

Do I really want to mess with a laptop in the car? No, but I hate spending an extra $275.00 even more!

That STREETPILOT C330 looks as good as any, and priced about right. I see it costs a fortune to bump up the features, but I have no idea if a comparable unit could be had for significantly less. How did you whittle it down to that unit?

c320 is about $100 less. Same unit except it comes with an 128MB SD card that you load maps to instead of all the maps on the HD. 128MB holds pretty much the entire west coast for me.

 

[Pikachu]

Thanks for the suggestions. After drooling over the TomTom 910 for a bit, I came back to reality. The C320 would be fine. Any reason why you couldn't have a larger SD card, or have a few cards with different routes plugged in?

 

[Maximus96]

Originally posted by: axelfox
Garmin Nuvi 350 or 360. Or Street Pilot 2600 series or 2700 series.

i just bought a nuvi 350 from amazon last week, received it on friday and played with it over the weekend. the this is sweet. its small and lightweight. i bought a magellan roadmate 800 few weeks ago from costco but returned it after i bought the nuvi.

 

[sygyzy]

Lame topic. Why even bother posting? You want Mac OS X in a in car nav? Hook up your Mac Mini.

 

[Pikachu]

Lame reply. Don't have a Mac Mini. Have a G4. For $125.00, PC laptop users can have a full 15" screen, Voice Prompted navigator. As it is, I'll have to cough up $300.00 for a low end stand alone with a 3.5" screen.

 

[teddyv]

Love my Garmin GPS-V, had the GPSII and GPSIII+ as well. Small, waterproof, 24-hour battery life. Only downside is serial connection (you'd think they could get a USB connection for it...)

 

[mrrman]

I have the Navman 650...it as $400 at ubid.com great price

 

[Linux23]

Originally posted by: Pikachu
Lame reply. Don't have a Mac Mini. Have a G4. For $125.00, PC laptop users can have a full 15" screen, Voice Prompted navigator. As it is, I'll have to cough up $300.00 for a low end stand alone with a 3.5" screen.

then sell the fscking Mac and use the money to buy a crappy Dell.

 

[arod]

Ive always wondered why the portable music player market didnt go after the car audio market as well. I really think a media center setup would be ideal for such a device (and added in gps nav but media center would already handle the multimedia side of playback all it would really need is a gps system)

edit: nm it looks like there are already plans in the works.
http://gps.engadget.com/2006/03/07/micr...-vw-to-show-gps-media-center-at-cebit/

 

[Pikachu]

If a Dell was acceptable, the school would have required that instead. Actually, I'll be damned if I can figure out why they insisted on a fvcking Mac anyway! :disgust:

The day will come when your PIM will handle all your communications including voice with live image, along with GPS, email, Internet access, and of course MP3 duty.

 

[thomsbrain]

you don't want anything in your car that you can't stash in the glove compartment. seriously, you're going to walk away from your car with a laptop open in plain view? not to mention the PITA bootup times, etc.

i have a garmin legend C handheld that i use for hiking, biking, car nav etc. it is loaded with detailed streetmaps and can calculate routes on the fly just like the car-oriented models, and unlike the car models, it can survive a fall, water, etc. the lack of touch screen makes input slower, and it doesn't talk, but i don't mind either problem. it has a convenient weighted stand that i can move from car to car, and it can output on-the-fly GPS data to a laptop if i ever wanted the bigger screen and larger map area that a laptop can afford. it's one of those "how did i live without it?" gadgets.

 

[Pikachu]

While the laptop can be easily carried as usual, I'm wondering what the C320 would be carted around in? Probably stashed in the glovebox or trunk.

The voice instructions are a must have, and I like the flash based map storage. Once you buy their hardware, you're entitled to software/map updates for free, right?

 

[ultimatebob]

If you get the C320, you'll eventually end up upgrading the SD card in it so you can add more maps. I'd get the C330 instead, so you have the whole country pre-loaded.

Those map updates aren't free, either. You need to buy a new map DVD every year if you want to keep it updated.