GPS Reviews

Car GPS navigation systems are probably one of the hottest electronic gadgets to come to market in the past few years! It’s no wonder why! These compact devices can do everything from tell you how to drive cross-country to let you know how to detour a traffic jam on the freeway.

Prices have dropped considerably in the past 18 months. Now, you can get a basic GPS system for around $150! If you want a more fully featured model, you can get that for $250 to $350, according to the model and the exact features.

That’s not a bad price for never having to be lost again!

The problem with buying a car GPS navigation system is there are so many manufacturers, and so many models to choose from. Unless you’re a GPS aficionado like me, you’re might be put off by all of the new technologies these things bring together and all of the buzz words you need to know to even understand what you’re buying.

Not to worry!

This little article is going to straighten you out!

Although there are tons of manufacturers of these things, there are only three major players, Garmin, Tom Tom, and Magellan. Gamin sells 70% of the car GPS systems sold; Tom Tom has a really great product at great prices; and Magellan is one of the main pioneers of the whole industry.

All three companies make excellent products at very competitive prices. You can certainly buy a GPS system from anyone you choose. I just like to stay with the big companies. It’s a personal decision. I want to make sure my device will be supported in the future.

To make things really much simpler, it’s good to know that all GPS navigation systems do essentially the same things. As a matter of fact, they all do the following:

* Tell you where you are

* Tell you how to get to where you want to go with spoken directions

* Let you enter information and make choices via a touch screen interface

* Have a large database of destinations already programmed into the device (called Points of Interest, or POI’s)

* Come pre-loaded with maps (older models you have to download the maps)

* auto-calculate the shortest or fastest route

You can get all of this for around $150. The Garmin nuvi 200, the Tom Tom One, or the Magellan Maestro 3100 can do all of this and more for about that price.

You would be pleasantly surprised, however, at how much more you can get for another $100 to $200!

That will buy you a car GPS navigation system that:

* Comes with maps of Canada, Europe, and/or Mexico

* Let’s you use it in conjunction with your cell phone using Bluetooth technology

* Tells you traffic and weather in real time

* Plays music, and serves as an audio book reader

* And, let’s you hear everything through your car’s own stereo system

That’s a lot of features for the money!

We’re not done, however! There’s plenty more these nifty devices can do.

As you go up in price you get things like bigger screens and multiple routing capability. At higher price points each manufacturer starts to really distinguish themselves with proprietary features–like Tom Tom’s POI database where users can actually make changes to reflect current road conditions. (Tom Tom makes those changes available for everyone to see!)

What you need to do next is to start browsing around an informative website where you can read about specific models and check their prices.

If you’ve been comparing car GPS units, you may have already noticed just how complicated it can be to find one that’s right for you, no matter how tech-savvy you might be. Hopefully, after reading this article, you’ll be a bit more well informed about what you need to know to find the perfect unit for you and your budget.

If you haven’t already been shopping around, you may not know that all car GPS units essentially do the same thing: they show you where you are and tell you how to get to where you’re going. They also all come with a variety of pre-programmed destinations, called POIs (or, Points of Interest) to make getting where you need to be even easier. All you need is a finger, because all car GPS units utilize touch screen technology.

What makes finding the perfect one for you so complicated is all the extra features manufacturers are including in their products to meet market competition. Before you get too overwhelmed, let’s talk about these manufacturers and compare the products they’re making.

Although several companies produce car GPS units, I’d suggest sticking with the top three: Magellan, Garmin, and Tom Tom. Sure, there are other companies, like Lowrance, Mio, and Pharos. But all these other companies are competing for only 10% of the U.S. market. It may be a personal thing, but I’ve always liked to go with industry winners. Certainly other companies are making quality products, but I like to know that my purchase will be supported year to year.

Magellan was one of the original companies to start manufacturing GPS devices. With a great company name and a wide selection of products, Magellan is a good choice. I really like their Maestro series, which ranges in price from $150 to $350. You can get a Maestro 3100 for less than $150. That’s not their best buy, though. If you just want an entry level GPS, then Garmin’s nuvi 200 is probably a better bet. Magellan’s best buy is their Maestro 4250, which can do everything Garmin’s competing product can, but for $50 less.

Magellan also has a great deal for AAA members that makes the AAA Tour Book available right inside the device. Of course, you must be a member, but if you’re a frequent traveler, it’s an excellent deal.

With almost 50% of the total market, Garmin is the industry leader. A basic Garmin, the nuvi 200, costs only $150. However, if you’re looking to spend a lot more, you can purchase the 880 model, which includes a lot of extra features, for around $1,000. There are no real competitors at the high end of the market place, that is for automotive GPS systems.

Catching up to Garmin is Tom Tom, a company that offers a great selection of products at very competitive prices. For example, what you’d pay for Garmin’s basic nuvi 200 could also get you Tom Tom’s One 3rd Edition, which has a lot of extra cool features. Tom Tom’s GO series has more features and is a direct competitor with Garmin. Tom Tom is currently taking market share from Garmin by offering more features at a smaller price. Tom Tom is no slouch as a company, either. They totally dominate the European market!

Whether you want to spend a lot or a little, comparing car GPS units can be tricky. Continue checking out informative websites so you can find the system that’s right for you and won’t break your budget.

What It Is and How It Works - For the uninitiated, GPS stands for Global Positioning System. It’s a method of finding a receiver anywhere on earth or in orbit, and it’s probably one of the most important inventions of the 20th century. GPS can be used in so many varied ways that new technologies are constantly being developed and improved in order to take advantage of it. Now why is GPS so important and useful? First, we have to understand how it works.

In order to work, a satellite network orbiting the earth is used. These satellites each broadcast a specific signal, which is received by inexpensive aerials and passed on to GPS devices where it is then decoded and used by dedicated software. The information garnered from these signals allows the GPS software to identify the satellite, its specific location, and even calculate the exact time it took for the signal to travel from the satellite to the receiver. Using different signals from different satellites, the GPS software can now analyze the position of the receiver, in terms of latitude and longitude.

Mapping It Out - Even getting the information about the receiver’s location will be useless without something to compare it with. This is where the mapping comes in handy; thru this, GPS can analyze our location and maps out possible routes. Actually, the mapping data is what makes a GPS device expensive. This should be updated regularly and frequently in order to be accurate.

Several kinds of maps are created for different users. Road users need maps containing accurate data about the road systems in their particular region, but they won’t need data about the lay of the land. Hikers, however, might require a more detailed map about the local terrain, water spots, and tracks or trails, but they won’t need extensive information about the road systems. On the other hand, sailors will need specific data about the sea bed, navigable channels, and other related information that will allow them to navigate safely.

And what about fishermen? They also use marine GPS to keep track of the movements of fish in real time and to predict where they’ll be the next day. In fact, cooperative fishing has become much easier with GPS, allowing boats to relay locations to each other while looking for the best fishing spots. There are also GPS devices called “fish finders”, which combines GPS and sonar functions to track and store detailed fishing and maritime information.

Get Started with GPS - Consumers can avail of several GPS devices that are specifically designed for a variety of uses and functions. In-car systems have advanced features like voice guidance, dynamic route calculations, and even upgrading your maps from a CD-ROM. Rugged handheld GPS devices, like those from Garmin and Magellan, have a map inside and are usually used for outdoor activities. They do not have detailed road information and the user has to find his own way from point A to point B without any route calculations.

Recently, PDAs and even a few sophisticated mobile phones have incorporated GPS technology into their own systems. A GPS receiver can be easily attached to these devices, which makes them possibly the cheapest and easiest GPS receivers to use in the market today. Bluetooth technology has also started to make use of GPS, using a single PDA device wirelessly connected to several receivers.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you certainly have heard of the Global Positioning System or GPS. There is a GPS for almost everyone: for hikers, drivers, bikers etc. You also find GPS modules on some advanced mobile telephones like the Nokia 6110 Navigator.

What is it?

In very simple terms, the Global Positioning System (GPS) uses radio signals from 4 satellites to locate the exact position of anything on Earth.

What does it cost?

Apart from the cost of buying one, using a GPS is free of charge. In fact some of the most basic GPS do just what they are about: guiding the driver from A to B via a graphic interface.

The most recent models come with a range of functions (MP3 player, slideshow, video player, blue tooth kit, and even digital tv!).

Some GPS have pre-installed POI (points of interest) such as garages, restaurants, parking etc. GPS makers have also added new value-added services such as live traffic update or a weather services like Tomtom Weather on the GO 530/730/930).

You will need a subscription to most of those services however. Typically an annual subscription costs around $50, with unlimited updates.

Other options are free for a limited period only (for instance when a new map becomes available within 30 days of buying a new GPS, Tomtom will let you download the map free).

What to look for?

• Ease of Use. If you are not too comfortable with gadgets, you might prefer going for a simple model. One that simply guides you from A to B without all the extras.
• Traffic Info. Some GPS offer real time info on traffic jams or road works. The GPS then recalculates your route – and offers an alternative one. These services are often charged so you’d better check before buying!
• Speed Cameras. Most GPS’s come with a pre-installed list of speed cameras. And again here, you will need some form of subscription to update that list with new cameras.
• Maps. Some GPS only cover a limited geographic area. Others have more extensive maps like the Tomtom Go 730. This type will be particularly useful for your holidays abroad. New maps can also be purchased as CD roms or on pre-loaded memory cards.

You can also download off the website of most GPS makers. After download, you then transfer the maps onto the GPS using either a memory card, a usb cable or a bluetooth kit (if your GPS has bluetooth).

• Screen Size. This usually varies between 3.6 and 4.3 inches. AS rule, especially for car GPS, information on the screen should not be too hard to read. But this should not be a problem considering that most new GPS’s come with voice navigation.

Need to know more about GPS devices, check out the GPS reviewer.