Archives for 2008

Knight Rider GPS by Mio review

October 6, 2008 By Rich Owings 4 Comments

Mio_knight_rider_review

UPDATE: This model has been discontinued. For current recommendations, please refer to our auto GPS buyers guide or check out our other Mio GPS reviews.

The Mio Knight Rider has gotten a lot of coverage for its hip factor, though I assume its appeal is limited to fans of the 80’s TV show Knight Rider. Mio may also attract a new generation of fans with this device, thanks to the new NBC series remake of the same name. But hey, we’re not here to discuss TV, David Hasselhoff or muscle cars. So let’s get straight to the GPS review…

Filed Under: Auto, GPS Reviews, Hardware, Mio, Mio auto GPS

Magellan Maestro 4210 review

October 3, 2008 By Rich Owings Leave a Comment

Magellan_maestro_4210

The is Magellan Maestro 4210 a wide-screen version of the Maestro 3210. Other than bumping the screen to 4.3", it offers the same feature set including pre-loaded maps of the U.S. and Canada, six million points of interest (POIs), and AAA TourBook, which rates restaurants, lodging and more.

Filed Under: Auto, GPS Reviews, Hardware, Magellan, Magellan auto GPS

UK to get raster maps for Garmin Oregon

October 3, 2008 By Rich Owings 3 Comments

Oregon_raster_imagery

UPDATE: Garmin UK has a page up on the product, dubbed called Garmin GB Active^TM.

Garmin Oregon owners in the UK will soon be able to view Ordnance Survey raster maps on their units. Raster aerial imagery has been available on marine units since the release of the Garmin Colorado and Oregon 400c/i models, yet we landlubbers have had to make do with vector maps.

The OS maps, due to be released early next month, will reportedly overlay vector data on top of raster imagery, allowing for turn-by-turn navigation.

Filed Under: Best of the boards, Garmin, Garmin handheld GPS, Handheld/Sport, Maps Tagged With: Oregon

Navigon 5100 review

October 2, 2008 By Rich Owings Leave a Comment

NOTE: Navigon has pulled out of the U.S. market and we are no longer recommending their receivers. Check out our auto GPS buyers guide for our current recommendations.

The Navigon 5100 is Navigon’s first generation mid-range GPS device. It features lifetime traffic, Zagat ratings and the reality view / lane assist feature for major highway interchanges, as shown above. It also has a 3.5" touch screen, maps of the lower 48 United States, and text-to-speech, so you’ll get "turn left on Oak Street" rather than just "turn left."

Filed Under: Auto, GPS Reviews, Hardware, Navigon, Navigon auto GPS

GPS traffic coverage maps

October 1, 2008 By Rich Owings 7 Comments

Msn_traffic_detail

With NAVTEQ traffic coming to the Garmin nuvi 2x5T and 7×5 series, it’s a good time to look at the coverage of the five major traffic providers in the U.S. Live traffic information is far from perfect, though it can save your bacon occasionally. But first you have to be in an area with reception. So let’s look at their coverage maps, and then I’ll turn it over to you, our readers, to hear about how accurate these maps are (or not!).

Filed Under: Location based services

Garmin nuvi 500 review

September 24, 2008 By Rich Owings 36 Comments

Hands on with the Garmin nuvi 500

The Garmin nuvi 500 represents Garmin’s foray into the “crossover” GPS market, aiming for a device that functions well whether used for driving, hiking, cycling or boating. This review will take a hard look at how well Garmin pulls that off, but first let’s get some basics out of the way.

UPDATE: Here’s a post I did about dual-use GPS, and how well they work for both road and trail. read more

Filed Under: Auto, Garmin, Garmin auto GPS, Garmin handheld GPS, GPS Reviews, Handheld/Sport, Hardware Tagged With: Garmin nuvi 500

Garmin nuvi 255 review

September 24, 2008 By Rich Owings 12 Comments

Garmin_nuvi_255_review

UPDATE: The nuvi 2×5 series has been officially discontinued. For current recommendations, see our auto GPS buyers guide.

The Garmin nuvi 255 is one of Garmin’s entry level navigators and, like the rest of the nuvi 2×5 series, it is loaded with features previously unavailable in the nuvi line or found only in high-end models. Before we get into those though, let’s look at the basics.

Filed Under: Auto, Garmin, Garmin auto GPS, GPS Reviews, Hardware Tagged With: Garmin nuvi 255

Navigon 2000S

September 15, 2008 By Rich Owings 3 Comments

Navigon_2000s

NOTE: Navigon has pulled out of the U.S. market and we are no longer recommending their receivers. Check out our auto GPS buyers guide for our current recommendations.

Navigon is clearly making a big push for the holidays again this year, with their third introduction in as many weeks. The Navigon 2000S is a new 3.5″ entry level device that offers a number of high-end features:

Text-to-speech
Reality View Pro
Lane Assist Pro
DirectHelp
Speed limit display

The 2000S lists for $199.99, slightly less than the recently announced Navigon 2200T, which features lifetime traffic in addition to the features listed above. The other new model is the Navigon 7200T, which adds 3-D landmarks and voice commands.
read more

Filed Under: Hardware, Navigon

Garmin pink nuvi 250 review

September 13, 2008 By Rich Owings Leave a Comment

Pink_nuvi_250

UPDATE: This model has been discontinued. For current recommendations, please refer to our auto GPS buyers guide.

The Garmin pink nuvi 250 is a special edition version of a popular entry-level nuvi GPS. It sports a 3.5 inch color touch-screen display, has preloaded maps of the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, and 6 million points of interest.

Filed Under: Auto, Garmin, Garmin auto GPS, GPS Reviews, Hardware

Magellan RoadMate 1412 review

September 8, 2008 By Rich Owings 3 Comments

Magellan_roadmate_1412_2

The Magellan RoadMate 1412 is one of Magellan’s most popular GPS navigators.The 1412 has a 4.3″ color touch screen, pre-loaded maps of the entire U.S. and Canada, and 6 million points of interest (POIs). It also features text-to-speech, so you’ll hear “approaching right turn, Maple Street” instead of just “approaching right turn.”