what should i know before buying a portable GPS unit? i need december 2011 answers!

[LONO100]

hey all, i am one of those old school 2D navigation system buys, and by that i mean that i use maps. i dont like GPS systems because they always send you on crazy routes, and i dont like the idea of becoming dependent on a computer telling you what direction you are going in. but after much whining, i am finally breaking down and getting a gps system for the mrs. and i need to know what are the latest and greatest features i should be looking for when buying a gps. i was thinking of going with garmin because i know they have a great rep, and when i used to work on the air base, all the GI's swore by them, but are there other great brands? im sure there have been threads on this before, but i need the most up to date info and newest features so i know what im looking for. anyone with info, advice or opinions would be really appreciated. thanks guys.

 

[LONO100]

i need a bump!

 

[scdix50]

I have a GARMAN, Gets me where I need to be. I always have a map for backup. Great for when you have to do a detour. You should not use it blindly. Run a map update every year.

 

[sport97]

I've been misled by garmin, magellen and tomtom in the past. With that being said it WILL happen no matter which brand. Get a big screen. It makes everything easier.

My girlfriends mom has a really expensive magellan, its so sluggish in the menus (i think it runs windows mobile) it has too many features and it bogs down. So maybe go with something basic

A few months ago I bought my girlfriend a refurbished magellan with a 4.7 inch screen for 55 bucks on walmarts site. Works great, easy to see, type and use the menu. I want to get one for myself. But with that being said you always have that risk buying a refurbished item, but the price was to good to pass up.

Free map updates are always a plus as well, especially if you live near or in new developments or near new highway systems. I've encountered that issue around here with a new highway.

 

[guilateen]

Go with Garmin. Very user friendly and well thought out. Im in the transportation field and I found it to be the best among the major brands. My bro works in Boston and is not from the area, and he also swears by Garmin. He told me many others have left him lost and taken him on crazy routes around town.

Or you can just get her a decent smartphone. I use my evo 4g.
As for features to look out for new ones will give you gas prices, hotels, dunkin donuts in route, pedestrian nav, and a bunch more cool useless stuff. What does she have for a phone.

 

[crairdin]

Here's the secret wisdom from someone who has spent more on GPS devices in the last ten years then most of the rest of you put together: Get her an iPhone or an Android phone and put Navigon on it for $90 from the app store. Then you don't have yet another device to keep track of and Navigon has all the features of an expensive dedicated GPS but for a fraction of the cost.

 

[IZwack]

Get her an iPhone or an Android phone and put Navigon on it for $90 from the app store

Navigation on Android is free. Plus, if your vehicle has Bluetooth, directions go through your car's speakers making them easier to hear and understand.

 

[LONO100]

ive thought about the smartphone route. my phone has a decent gps, but she has an old phone and the gps on it sucks just like everything else on her phone. i wanted to upgrade her to an iphone, but she isnt due for an upgrade until next may. i wanted to try to break her contract with sprint in return they let her sign a new one and re-up and then we could get her an iphone, but so far the sprint people arent letting us do it. its weird because ive been able to do this before.

that being said, if she is going to be staring at a screen while driving, i want it to be as big and clear a screen as reasonably possible. i say this because she wears glasses or contacts and her eyesight isnt the greatest, so instead of her staring into a little phone, she would have a bigger screen to look at. would a 5" screen be a decent enough size without being too big? i wish i could ask her if that would work for her, but since im trying to suprise her, im asking my fellow forum members. thansk guys.

 

[sport97]

5" would be nice. Like I said I bought my girlfriend a 4.7", and its so much nicer to use than smaller models. I don't think you will won't regret it, especially if her eyesight is not that good. The big screen also means bigger buttons for typing and navigating the menu.

 

[joecrna]

The bigger the screen the better. I really like the Garmin, useful features, realiable and by far the most extensive points of interest list. Makes finding stores, food and the like while on the road very easy. The logic it uses makes it very user friendly. I actually prefer it to any of the ones any manufacturer puts in their new cars (I currently have 5 of those and take the Garmin along too if Im going out of town). Make sure you get something with free life time map updates, especially if you plan to keep it very long and not replace it very couple years like most people do a computer. Real time traffic is useful here in CA but it is a little bit erratic. Some days it works, others it doesn't. Still more consistent and accurate than a BMW idrive. Im sure this is all personal preference but the logic Garmin uses just seems much more intuitive to me and makes operating the thing much easier.

The thing about the biggest screen possible and map updates is important no matter what brand.

 

[LONO100]

thanks for all the info fellas, friday is payday and i think im going to go with a garmin. ive been looking at them online and i have an idea of which one im going for. thanks again guys.

 

[RickAKATed10]

I recently picked up a Garmin Nuvi 50LM from Walmart for $100. I love it!

 

[sport97]

I was just at walmart and saw they had a 5" garmin with free lifetime maps for 99.99.

 

[LONO100]

i hate our wal-mart, it never has the ONE item i walk in there for but im there on friday looking for it! do you know off hand what model number you guys have? thanks.

 

[sport97]

i hate our wal-mart, it never has the ONE item i walk in there for but im there on friday looking for it! do you know off hand what model number you guys have? thanks.

My walmart is the same, they are bad at stocking whatever I need. I didn't catch that model. I just looked online and the cheapest 5" garmin with lifetime updates was 130. So maybe it was just a random special, I'm not sure. If you don't get one with the free map updates they cost as much as the unit itself, so i'd look for something with that. Its possible a new GPS can be running outdated maps.

 

[RickAKATed10]

i hate our wal-mart, it never has the ONE item i walk in there for but im there on friday looking for it! do you know off hand what model number you guys have? thanks.

Read my post.

 

[sport97]

Read my post.

 

[LONO100]

thanks fellas, im going there tomorrow to check it out.

 

[LONO100]

hey fellas, i just wanted to say thank you so much for all the info on the gps systems. because of all of your info, i was able to pick up the garmin lm50 with unli9mited maps for 100 bucks! my mrs. is going to love this. thanks again to all you guys on the forum and have a merry xmas.

 

[sport97]

hey fellas, i just wanted to say thank you so much for all the info on the gps systems. because of all of your info, i was able to pick up the garmin lm50 with unli9mited maps for 100 bucks! my mrs. is going to love this. thanks again to all you guys on the forum and have a merry xmas.

Glad you got it. She should love it. Seems like a great unit and with the updates you got a great price. Wish I had the spare cash to grab one for myself. I hope you guys have a merry Christmas as well.