Hardware Archives - Page 24 of 33

Consumer Reports rates GPS receivers

July 6, 2006 By Rich Owings 1 Comment

UPDATE: Check out my take on Consumer Reports’ October 2007 GPS ratings.

The August 2006 issue of Consumer Reports rates portable GPS navigation devices for cars. Garmin won top honors, placing number one and two, and coming in with the only best buy. Listed below are the top six, which were followed for the most part by, ahem, lesser brands (Navman, Cobra, Clarion, Lowrance, Mio and Pharos).

Unfortunately, these are all last generation units. Compare these to the Top Ten list I posted yesterday and you’ll see that only the StreetPilot 2730 and nuvi show up on both lists. There is one thing that GPS Tracklog readers and Consumer Reports agree upon – the Garmin nuvi 350 is ranked number one by each.

Technorati tags: GPS

Filed Under: Hardware

Garmin StreetPilot c550 vs. TomTom GO 910

July 4, 2006 By Rich Owings 9 Comments

Streetpilot_c550 T.D. Smyers submitted the following comparison of the Garmin StreetPilot c550 and TomTom GO 910 as a comment, but it’s just too good for that, and deserves its own post. So, with gratitude and with T.D.’s permission, here is a head-to-head face off between these two models…

"This review is provided as a public service. It represents my own opinion and experience, so take it for what it’s worth to you.

Like many of you, I looked all over for some detailed comparisons of available GPS units before I bought one. What I found on the web didn’t answer many of my questions, so I decided to share my own GPS adventure with those of you still in the market. What follows is a comparison between the TomTom GO 910 and the Garmin c550. There are other units out there, as well, but this review may help make you a more educated GPS consumer – whatever you buy. Please, take advantage of my time without losing a lot of your own!

Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF):
After several days of side-by-side testing, I’m taking my TomTom GO
910 back to Best Buy this morning, and keeping my Garmin c550. The 910 has enormous potential, but can’t yet deliver in the US; maybe in a few months or so it will. The Garmin is less flashy, but gets the job done.

Intro:
I was very excited about the TomTom GO 910 after doing some preliminary research and finding that it had enormous capability, customization and functional advantages over the competing Brand’s equivalent models. My initial excitement was reinforced when I opened the box. The 910 had the feel of quality equipment – it was solid and sleek; it had several “extras”, including an audio cable and a home computer dock; and the connecting hardware fit together firmly and securely with a sharp “click”. I continued to be impressed with the many Text To Speech (TTS) options available (I chose a very nice British female to guide me around Northern Virginia); the wide, attractive display and the MANY ways available to customize my display and navigation.

Magellan RoadMate 860T Review

July 2, 2006 By Rich Owings Leave a Comment

Roadmate860t_1

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

The Magellan RoadMate 860T GPS updates the popular RoadMate 800, adding real-time traffic capabilities (includes 15 months of traffic service), SayWhere™ text-to-speech, and added space for multi-media file storage. It does not have the new SiRFstar III chipset; you’ll have to buy the RoadMate 3000T or 3050T for that. The 860T also has a shorter battery life than the 3000 series models, which may matter if you’re going to use it as an MP3 player or photo viewer away from your car.

Compare prices on the Magellan RoadMate 860T

Here’s what others are saying about the RoadMate 860T:

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

Garmin eTrex Venture Cx review

June 22, 2006 By Rich Owings Leave a Comment

Venture_cx_1

UPDATE: This model has been discontinued. For more current recommendations, please refer to our handheld GPS buyers guide or our Garmin handheld GPS comparison chart.

The Garmin eTrex Venture Cx is more than an update of the antiquated eTrex Venture. It’s really an entry-level unit in the eTrex x-series line, and is better compared to them.

Like other x-series units, the Venture Cx sports turn-by-turn routing, a color screen, and expandable memory. What’s different about the Venture Cx is that it doesn’t come with a micro-SD card (which might make it a good deal if you’re just going to toss the 32 MB card that comes with the Legend Cx and buy a 1 GB micro-SD card anyway). A more important difference is that the Venture Cx doesn’t come with a USB cable — you may want one, but will have to buy it separately. Stepping on up the x-series line to the Vista Cx adds a barometric altimeter and electronic compass. As with all these units, detailed maps cost extra. And remember, the x-series eTrex doesn’t have the SiRFstar III chipset.

Compare prices on the Garmin eTrex Venture Cx

Filed Under: Garmin, Garmin handheld GPS, GPS Reviews, Handheld/Sport, Hardware

Why have a barometric altimeter?

June 12, 2006 By Rich Owings 20 Comments

Altimeter

NOTE: A much more current version of this post can be found here.

Quite simply, the primary reason you would want a barometric altimeter in a handheld GPS is for more accurate elevation readings. This is especially useful for bikers, hikers and atheletes in training. You can use the resulting data to track your progress and maintain an accurate record of your trips. A barometric altimeter can also help you accurately place your location on a topo map.

Furthermore, you can use the altimeter to forecast weather trends. A falling barometer can indicate worsening weather. See the barometer section of this review for some really cool things you can do with your GPS!

GPS-based altitude error is generally worse than latitude/longitude error. A good explanation of why barometric altimeters are better than GPS-based elevation data comes from GPSInformation.net. Here is another good resource — an electronic compass and barometric altimeter FAQ from Garmin.

Finally, a barometric altimeter is often paired with an electronic compass in higher end handheld GPS receivers.

Filed Under: FAQs, Hardware

Lowrance iWay 350C review

June 7, 2006 By Rich Owings Leave a Comment

Iway350c
UPDATE: This model has been discontinued. For current recommendations, please refer to our auto GPS buyers guide.

The Lowrance iWay 350C is a touch-screen GPS with pre-loaded maps of the U.S. and Canada. It includes an MP3 player and photo viewer, along with an FM modulator to stream music and voice-prompted directions to your stereo.

The smaller sibling of the iWay 500C, iWay 350C has a smaller screen (3.5″ vs. 5″) and hard drive (4 GB vs. 20 GB).

Compare prices on the Lowrance iWay 350C

Here’s what others are saying about the iWay 350C:

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

Magellan RoadMate 3000T review

May 31, 2006 By Rich Owings 4 Comments

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

The Magellan RoadMate 3000T features built-in maps of the U.S. and Canada, a digital music player (MP3 and WMA compatible), a photo viewer and the SiRFstar III chipset. A built in li-ion rechargeable battery makes it easier to use these features away from your car. Stepping up to the Magellan
3050T adds Magellan TrafficKit™ (available as an add-on to the 3000T), which provides live traffic incident reports. A subscription is required, of course.

Compare prices on the Magellan RoadMate 3000T

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

GPS in the competitive marketplace

May 30, 2006 By Rich Owings Leave a Comment

Strategy Analytics has released a report entitled "Portable Navigation: Vendors Face Consolidation and Automotive Fightback." Electronic News has an article on this report about the GPS marketplace that says:

"The firm concludes that investment and competitive pressures are also expected to drive consolidation among portable navigation vendors in the next 12 months."

All Points Blog’s read on the report is that cell phones are going to eat into market share for portable/personal navigation device (PND) manufacturers.

Filed Under: Hardware, Location based services, The business of GPS

About GPS firmware updates

May 22, 2006 By Rich Owings 7 Comments

Firmware is software that is embedded in hardware. You can update your firmware in most GPS receivers. Firmware updates are frequently issued by the manufacturer to fix bugs and add new capabilities to your unit. For example, here is the change history for the Garmin 60CSx.

I recommend that you always install the most recent non-beta firmware upgrade. Garmin has made the whole process a little easier recently with their WebUpdater feature.

Here are lists of current firmware versions for Garmin and Magellan GPS receivers.

Technorati tags: GPS

Filed Under: Hardware, Software

Handheld GPS buyers guide

May 21, 2006 By Rich Owings 102 Comments

Last updated November 23, 2009

In my last post, we looked at automotive GPS receivers. This posts looks at several categories of handhelds, from entry-level models to the cadillacs of the backcountry. I'll make a recommendation in each category, based upon value, feature set and user reviews.

A few caveats first…

I'll admit a bias towards Garmin. They manufacturer quality units with intuitive interfaces.
Except where otherwise indicated, the product links go to handheld GPS reviews here at GPS Tracklog, where you’ll find several places to track down the current low price from trusted vendors.
The prices listed below are current as of the last update of this post. Keep an eye on our companion GPS Deals site for some great values.
Unlike most car units, these handhelds don't come with detailed maps. Fortunately for Garmin owners, there are many free maps available, including 1:24,000 scale topo maps or most states.
Many of the receivers listed below do double duty. That is, they can be used in the field as a handheld, but they can also slip into a dashboard mount to become an auto navigation device. You'll need to buy City Select or City Navigator software for that though. I'll point these units out below.
You may also be interested in one of our specialty GPS guides — GPS for hikers, GPS for bikers, GPS for geocachers, GPS for runners and GPS for golfers.
Finally, all the units below have a high-sensitivity chipset for superior reception under canopy and in natural or urban canyons.

Budget handheld GPS receivers

Our choice: Garmin eTrex Venture HC

Sunlight-readable color screen
Can accept detailed topo maps (sold separately)
Comes with a USB cable for transferring waypoints, tracks and routes to and from your computer
The retail price is $200, but I often see the Venture HC for sale anywhere from $115 to $130

Other budget units

The Garmin eTrex H has a monochrome screen and you lose the cable and the ability to load maps. The eTrex H is available for under $100 at the time of this update. I highly recommend getting the Venture HC instead.

Filed Under: Garmin, Hardware