GPS owners: is it worth it?

[TechnoPro]

I'm looking to buy a GPS since frankly I am terrible with directions and esily get lost. My line of work has me going to new client sites all the time, and my current method of printing out maps from Streets & Trips 2006 is hardly infallible.

Has a GPS made a difference for you?

 

[brtspears2]

When I first started traveling around for my job in my car, I needed the GPS. After a few months, no need, you will learn all the roads. I used the cheap GPS included with Streets & Trips 2006, works decently. Of course, your laptop is a bit bulky to use as a navigation system.

 

[kalster]

a lot, specially when you go to a diff city, or want to find places in the vicinity of an area, or where you at, etc, very very useful

 

[The Stigenator]

yes, a big difference.. i have an alpine blackbird.. but frankly i dont even need that stupid mp3 playback.

If i were you buy the garmin C340.. its got talk back on naviagation and its better thatn the c330 and its 50 buck price diffrence. Otherwise you can get teh C550. If the tomtom go 300 is available you can do so too, but that navigation software is not that accurate.


yeah.. go for it.. and i suggest the garmin c340

 

[lokiju]

I'd just get the Software with USB GPS receiver if I were to get anything at all.

But I'm pretty good with directions so don't feel the need to have anything at this point.

 

[TuxDave]

I just bought one and I'm hoping it'll make my life a little easier since I'm so damn tired of always printing out directions anytime I want to try to go somewhere new. I don't expect to use it daily.

 

[TechnoPro]

Originally posted by: TheGoodGuy
yes, a big difference.. i have an alpine blackbird.. but frankly i dont even need that stupid mp3 playback.

If i were you buy the garmin C340.. its got talk back on naviagation and its better thatn the c330 and its 50 buck price diffrence. Otherwise you can get teh C550. If the tomtom go 300 is available you can do so too, but that navigation software is not that accurate.


yeah.. go for it.. and i suggest the garmin c340

I actually put in an order for the Garmin C530. It's the same as the C550, only no MP3 playback or bluetooth integration, neither of which I need. That was 7 weeks ago. The online store has yet to deliver so I cancelled my order, and am now questioning the expense. But yeah, I'll probably buy it.

 

[TechnoPro]

Originally posted by: brtspears2
When I first started traveling around for my job in my car, I needed the GPS. After a few months, no need, you will learn all the roads. I used the cheap GPS included with Streets & Trips 2006, works decently. Of course, your laptop is a bit bulky to use as a navigation system.

Learn all the roads? I wish... My territory is Eastern Massachusetts and I get new clients regularly. I can get to the various towns with relative ease, but its the intricate navigation within unfamiliar cities that throws me.

 

[iamwiz82]

No system has been as good as Streets and Trips, USB GPS, and our laptop. All of the handheld/in-car ones suck for usability. Do you ever need more than one waypoint? May as well throw out every single option out there under $700. Typing in an address is loads of fun with a scroll wheel.

 

[Zenmervolt]

I have a Lowrance iWay 350c and it's been great. I've had experience with Lowrance's marine navigation products, and that's what pushed me towards the iWay. I really like it and it has worked very well for me. The only issue I've had is that in some places where I'm really out of the way and in mountains where it can only get a 2D satellite fix it places my position as about 10 meters off from where I am and tells me that I'm driving beside the road but not on it. That issue has never affected navigation though.

Overall I am very happy with the unit.

ZV

 

[TechnoPro]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
No system has been as good as Streets and Trips, USB GPS, and our laptop. All of the handheld/in-car ones suck for usability. Do you ever need more than one waypoint? May as well throw out every single option out there under $700. Typing in an address is loads of fun with a scroll wheel.

I would love a bullt-in Car PC with Streets & Trips doing the work for me, but that won't happen. And the laptop option just won't cut it for me either.

As far as multiple waypoints, I can't really say that feature would be useful for me. I had just envisioned leaving 1 work site, and typing in the address of my next stop, as opposed to programming the day's enture itinerary first thing in the AM.

As far as the scroll wheel, I agree, that is cumbersome. The model I want is a touchscreen.

 

[Koing]

It works great for me. New town and I get to the exact house I want. You can always make it to the dam town but if you miss a street your f0cked!

Koing

 

[TechnoPro]

Originally posted by: Koing
It works great for me. New town and I get to the exact house I want. You can always make it to the dam town but if you miss a street your f0cked!

Koing

So very true...

 

[teddyv]

Cannot count how many times a GPS has come in handy for me - I have had them on boats, motorcycles and on just about every business trip I've taken in the last ten years. Drop me in any city in North America with a map-capable GPS and I'll never be lost. Right now I have a Garmin GPS-V, which replaced a GPS-III+, which replaced a GPS-III, which of course replaced the GPS-II. The V is, as its predecessors, incredibly rugged, has long battery life, great screen, P2P guidance and CL2 waterproof. Downsides are a serial connection so uploading maps takes a LONG time, and somewhat limited memory for additions to the basemap from CD-Rom.

 

[bigrash]

Originally posted by: TechnoPro

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
No system has been as good as Streets and Trips, USB GPS, and our laptop. All of the handheld/in-car ones suck for usability. Do you ever need more than one waypoint? May as well throw out every single option out there under $700. Typing in an address is loads of fun with a scroll wheel.

I would love a bullt-in Car PC with Streets & Trips doing the work for me, but that won't happen. And the laptop option just won't cut it for me either.

As far as multiple waypoints, I can't really say that feature would be useful for me. I had just envisioned leaving 1 work site, and typing in the address of my next stop, as opposed to programming the day's enture itinerary first thing in the AM.

As far as the scroll wheel, I agree, that is cumbersome. The model I want is a touchscreen.

little different but I have a bluetooth gps set up with my cingular 8125 and iguidance 3. beats the crap out of any <500 gps out there.

edit: it's touch screen also

 

[TechnoPro]

Originally posted by: bigrash

Originally posted by: TechnoPro

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
No system has been as good as Streets and Trips, USB GPS, and our laptop. All of the handheld/in-car ones suck for usability. Do you ever need more than one waypoint? May as well throw out every single option out there under $700. Typing in an address is loads of fun with a scroll wheel.

I would love a bullt-in Car PC with Streets & Trips doing the work for me, but that won't happen. And the laptop option just won't cut it for me either.

As far as multiple waypoints, I can't really say that feature would be useful for me. I had just envisioned leaving 1 work site, and typing in the address of my next stop, as opposed to programming the day's enture itinerary first thing in the AM.

As far as the scroll wheel, I agree, that is cumbersome. The model I want is a touchscreen.

little different but I have a bluetooth gps set up with my cingular 8125 and iguidance 3. beats the crap out of any <500 gps out there.

edit: it's touch screen also

In what ways is your setup superior to some GPS models out there? Besides the fact that it's all on one device, which is very cool.

 

[Miramonti]

I got the garmin c320 from outpost a while ago. It makes an absolute huge difference getting to getting around new/unknown areas and addresses. A mapping gps like this will go into my list for 'must have gizmo's of the decade' (if I had such a list ). Its not only good for planned destinations, but looking up unplanned stops and trips as well since it has a 'yellowpages' type directory included in the software.

 

[dethman]

i love my GPS don't know what i'd do without it.

 

[Krazy4Real]

i use iguidance 3.0 with a pocketpc and bluetooth gps receiver. I've never been lost since.

GPS FTW

/thread

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

I really know how to read a map and have always had a good sense of direction, but even I will admit that a GPS is incredibly, incredibly useful.

1. Want to go someplace on a whim? Just hop in the car, input the general destination ( ie. Rocky Mountain National Park ) and GO!
2. On a road trip and need to find a local library for internet access? Punch it into the GPS. No need to get a phone book, find the address, find a map, etc.
3. Car running out of gas? Tell your GPS to find the closest gas station.
4. Emergency? The GPS can show you to the nearest hospital.
5. Groceries or shopping or restaurants? GPS can do that too.
6. Heavy Fog? GPS is your eye in the sky, and can show you how the road will curve ahead, IMO a very nice feature that has helped me more than a couple of times.

Overall, it's great because it speeds up your trips and makes life a LOT easier, and saves you time that you can spend elsewere, like relaxing.

 

[thomsbrain]

my handheld GPS with auto nav is like a cell phone for me - i don't know how i lived without it.

 

[giantpinkbunnyhead]

Is a GPS worth it? Just need to get lost in the woods once to answer that one!

 

[Mark R]

GPS systems are well cool.

But I've not yet found one that works properly in heavily built up areas (e.g. large cities). Something to do with the fact that the building block the signals, or reflect them so that the machine thinks it's in a totally different place.

 

[wasssup]

I have a $35 GPS for my laptop -- only used it a few times, it's really handy but carrying a laptop with you is a pain.

I'm definitely buying a double-din gps unit for my next car...

 

[DaWhim]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
No system has been as good as Streets and Trips, USB GPS, and our laptop. All of the handheld/in-car ones suck for usability. Do you ever need more than one waypoint? May as well throw out every single option out there under $700. Typing in an address is loads of fun with a scroll wheel.

I don't really like the interface of S&T for navigate. I just got iguidance and waiting to try it next time when I got a long road trip.