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GPS. I know this is getting old but... I think I'm gonna bite the bullet

lokiju

lokiju

Lifer
I've looked at a retarded amount of different units and for $50 more than I was planning on spending I can get the Nuvi 350 with every feature I'd ever want and then some plus the ratings are great on it. It looks to be pretty easy to use and accurate as well.

No the big thing will be getting the wife to OK the amount of money since I was initially looking at $200-300max and am now at $350. 😱

:beer:
 
I had the 310x and it was nice, but I traded it for a Zune. There is a huge online community for it, it can be unlocked and modded failry easy.
 
My dad has the TomTom software/receiver for his Treo- it's fantastic. Quick refresh rate, clear directions, intuitive- I'd highly recommend the TomTom.
 
I own a C310x and I love it! I'm a consultant so I'm always traveling somewhere. The signal locks within seconds and hasn't steered me wrong yet!

I've done a few of the hacks for it and loaded the TomTom software up. I ended up taking it off because it made the device slower.

I think circuit city still has the units for $200, BUT you have to order it online and pick it up in the store/have it shipped. If you go into the B&M, it's $300.
 
Originally posted by: sniperruff
garmin C320 is $200 from frys every now and then. $250 on amazon.
Click to expand...

Do you have it yourself? Is it any good?

I just want something that works as well as possible and as accurate as possible.

The Mio worries me on the accurate part based off of the reviews I read.

The TomTom One looks like a pretty slick all around unit and don't really see many negatives other than the competition can be had for less if you happen to catch a sale right.

As for the Garmin C320 I know nothing about it but that it seems to be a two year old model which makes me wonder how it compares to the TomTom One?


Anyone have anymore insight?

 
The price on the Garmin GPSMAP 76s is down to ~$200. It's designed more for hiking/outdoors than driving. Waterproof, 24 megs memory, accepts Garmin topos, talks to other software. Very clear monochrome screen, rugged.
 
My personal opinion:

The Garmin Nuvi line is basically the luxury GPS line. 350 is the low-end model - great accuracy, fast-loading, text-to-speech, etc. The 360 (the model I have) is essentially the same thing but with built-in Bluetooth and (possibly) more storage space. I really enjoy being able to keep my cell phone in my pocket and be able to answer/make calls through the GPS. Otherwise, the 350 is fine.

The higher end Nuvi models - 660, 670, etc - are widescreen, have a built in FM transmitter, get traffic updates (for a year, then a subscription is required - it's also pretty sketchy depending on your area), and are a bit more pricey.

The Garmin c3xx line is their lower-end product. Functionally, they're basically the same. They're a bit slower, and some have no text-to-speech (it will say turn in 300 feet, instead of turn at South Avenue). As was said before, Garmin GPSs use NavTeq maps, which are the same as Google Maps, which, in my opinion, are superior to anything else out there. There is an occasional issue with new road construction, detours, and not sending you the absolute best route. But this is the same with any GPS out there.

The C310x is good if you're more into a decent all-around device that is fairly versatile. It is insanely hackable, allowing it to play movies, mp3s, and other software. It is decent at doing all of these things, but it is not the best at any of it. But for around $200, you can't really complain.

The Magellan and TomTom systems are more of the same, minus a lot of the bells and whistles. They are not as accurate as their Garmin counterparts and generally priced the same.

So, if you want the best GPS - get a Garmin. Decide what features are important to you - price, text-to-speech, Bluetooth, traffic, mp3 playback, etc - and choose the model accordingly. If you want a nice little device that does everything well, but nothing great, go with the C310x.

:beer:
 
Originally posted by: ducci
My personal opinion:

The Garmin Nuvi line is basically the luxury GPS line. 350 is the low-end model - great accuracy, fast-loading, text-to-speech, etc. The 360 (the model I have) is essentially the same thing but with built-in Bluetooth and (possibly) more storage space. I really enjoy being able to keep my cell phone in my pocket and be able to answer/make calls through the GPS. Otherwise, the 350 is fine.

The higher end Nuvi models - 660, 670, etc - are widescreen, have a built in FM transmitter, get traffic updates (for a year, then a subscription is required - it's also pretty sketchy depending on your area), and are a bit more pricey.

The Garmin c3xx line is their lower-end product. Functionally, they're basically the same. They're a bit slower, and some have no text-to-speech (it will say turn in 300 feet, instead of turn at South Avenue). As was said before, Garmin GPSs use NavTeq maps, which are the same as Google Maps, which, in my opinion, are superior to anything else out there. There is an occasional issue with new road construction, detours, and not sending you the absolute best route. But this is the same with any GPS out there.

The C310x is good if you're more into a decent all-around device that is fairly versatile. It is insanely hackable, allowing it to play movies, mp3s, and other software. It is decent at doing all of these things, but it is not the best at any of it. But for around $200, you can't really complain.

The Magellan and TomTom systems are more of the same, minus a lot of the bells and whistles. They are not as accurate as their Garmin counterparts and generally priced the same.

So, if you want the best GPS - get a Garmin. Decide what features are important to you - price, text-to-speech, Bluetooth, traffic, mp3 playback, etc - and choose the model accordingly. If you want a nice little device that does everything well, but nothing great, go with the C310x.

:beer:
Click to expand...

Thanks for the great reply!

I'm going to look more into the Garmin's now and see what I can find.

I really don't care about bluetooth, traffic updates or MP3 playback.

I just want it to be easy to use and as accurate as possible all while keeping around the $300 or less mark.
 
I have the MIO C310x... it works well. The ONLY downside is that it does not have text to speech... also it's not the easiest GPS i've used, but once you've gotten used to it', it's no problem.
 
I bought my wife the garmin c340 a few months ago and don't have any complaints about it. Although now it looks like you can get the nuvi 350 for about the same price. The c340 was the cheapest garmin that had text-to-speech at the time we bought it. I'd highly recommend a garmin. There is only 1 button (power button) and a volume knob on the side, everything else is done with the touch screen. It's very intuitive, my wife was able to figure out everything without reading the manual.
 
Fry's has the Mio on sale for $189 shipped. You can pricematch to Staples and use a $30 off coupon (YMMV) to get it to around $160 delivered. Just FYI.
 
Do you have a Verizon cell phone that supports GPS signaling? I have been using this on my cell phone for about 6 months now. I get turn by turn voice instructions. I can interrupt and use my cell phone as a phone if needed, and drop right back into navigation. I've used it to find the closest ATM or the nearest Italian restaurant.

Do you really need another device to carry around?

Do you really want to spend $300 up front (when you can pay per use: $3/day or $10/month)? I can get 2.5 years of utility at the monthly rate for that $300, not to mention the time value of money saving on the initial cash outlay.

If you travel for business and can write off the expense, I'll concede the argument.

*edit* To recap, I'm using my "flimsy" Motorola V3m as a cell phone, PDA, 2 Gb MP3 player (micro SD card), and a personal navigation system. 😛
 
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