Recently, during a car trip in France my son stated that on the next car 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.
On Thu, 5 Nov 2009 10:40:36 -0600, "singlemalt" <jolo...@myway.com> wrote:
>Recently, during a car trip in France my son stated that on the next car >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.
A TomTom is a good one.You can reach them via www.tomtom.com Ton
> On Thu, 5 Nov 2009 10:40:36 -0600, "singlemalt" <jolo...@myway.com> > wrote:
>>Recently, during a car trip in France my son stated that on the next car >>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.
> A TomTom is a good one.You can reach them via www.tomtom.com > Ton
> On Thu, 5 Nov 2009 10:40:36 -0600, "singlemalt" <jolo...@myway.com> > wrote:
>>Recently, during a car trip in France my son stated that on the next car >>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.
> A TomTom is a good one.You can reach them via www.tomtom.com > Ton
Thanks, btw I failed to mention that I live in the US.
>>>Recently, during a car trip in France my son stated that on the next car >>>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.
>> A TomTom is a good one.You can reach them via www.tomtom.com >> Ton
>Thanks, btw I failed to mention that I live in the US.
In www.tomtom.com you can choose for the US. I use it myself and I am very content with it. Ton
> Recently, during a car trip in France my son stated that on the next car > 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.
>>>Recently, during a car trip in France my son stated that on the next car >>>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.
>> A TomTom is a good one.You can reach them via www.tomtom.com >> Ton
> Thanks, btw I failed to mention that I live in the US.
On Nov 5, 8:40 am, "singlemalt" <jolo...@myway.com> wrote:
> Recently, during a car trip in France my son stated that on the next car > 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.
PeterL wrote: > On Nov 5, 8:40 am, "singlemalt" <jolo...@myway.com> wrote: >> Recently, during a car trip in France my son stated that on the next >> car 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.
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.
>PeterL wrote: >> On Nov 5, 8:40 am, "singlemalt" <jolo...@myway.com> wrote: >>> Recently, during a car trip in France my son stated that on the next >>> car 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. >> See Cnet for reviews: >> http://www.cnet.com/1770-5_1-0.html?query=gps+review&tag=srch%3Ba >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.
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 dons...@charter.net
>>>Recently, during a car trip in France my son stated that on the next car >>>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.
>> A TomTom is a good one.You can reach them via www.tomtom.com >> Ton
> Thanks, btw I failed to mention that I live in the US.
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
>>>> Recently, during a car trip in France my son stated that on the >>>> next car 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.
>>> A TomTom is a good one.You can reach them via www.tomtom.com >>> Ton
>> Thanks, btw I failed to mention that I live in the US.
> 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
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.
> 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.
>>>>> Recently, during a car trip in France my son stated that on the >>>>> next car 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.
>>>> A TomTom is a good one.You can reach them via www.tomtom.com >>>> Ton
>>> Thanks, btw I failed to mention that I live in the US.
>> 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
> 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.
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.
> Recently, during a car trip in France my son stated that on the next car > 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.
>>>>>> Recently, during a car trip in France my son stated that on the >>>>>> next car 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.
>>>>> A TomTom is a good one.You can reach them via www.tomtom.com >>>>> Ton
>>>> Thanks, btw I failed to mention that I live in the US.
>>> 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
>> 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.
> 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. Does it let you use car radio for the spoken instrtuctions?
>> 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?
>>> 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 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.
>>>> 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.
>>>>> 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 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.
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.
>> 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 :)
>>> 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 :)
Actually, we were trying to figure out why the TomTom thought it was driving through a cornfield.
"K" <Kier...@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.
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