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Nine things to do with that new auto GPS

December 26, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Gift small
Cool! You got a new GPS for your car. Now what? Here are some handy tips to help you get more from it.

  1. Register it – Do this right away and you might receive a free map update. This is especially important if you did not get the latest model, increasing the chances that it came with an out of date map set. Garmin gives you 60 days after first use, TomTom and Magellan 30. After that you have to pay for any map updates.

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Filed Under: Auto, Hardware

NAVIGON 2200T review

December 16, 2008 By 1 Comment
Navigon 2200T review

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 2200T is Navigon’s current entry-level model with lifetime traffic. This 3.5″ touch screen unit features text-to-speech, so you’ll hear “in one mile, turn right onto Maple Street” instead of just “in one mile, turn right.” Other features include Reality ViewTM Pro, Lane Assist Pro, speed limit display, multi-destination trip planning and DirectHelpSM. It includes maps of the 48 contiguous United States. PC Magazine has reported a fairly small number of POIs – 2 million, though I have not been able to verify that; Navigon documentation simply states that the device has “millions of POIs.”

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

Bluetooth that works!

December 9, 2008 By 5 Comments
Nuvi 7x5T A2DP Bluetooth

A couple of months ago, I wrote a post asking does Bluetooth suck? That's pretty much been my experience, at least when I'm the person on the receiving end of the call from a GPS. But my opinion of Bluetooth has changed some since I wrote that.

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

Garmin nuvi 775T review

December 9, 2008 By 62 Comments

Hands on with the Garmin nuvi 775T

UPDATE: The Garmin nuvi 1370T is a newer model transatlantic navigator

UPDATE 2: This model has been discontinued. For current recommendations, please refer to our auto GPS buyers guide.

UPDATE 3: The latest trans-Atlantic navigators to be introduced are the Garmin nuvi 2475LT and nuvi 2370LT.

The Garmin nüvi 775Tis one of Garmin’s newest trans-Atlantic navigator, and their top of the line one as well. Pre-loaded with maps of the U.S., Canada and Europe, the 775T also offers lane assist, lifetime traffic and 3-D buildings.

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

6 GPS features worth paying extra for

December 3, 2008 By 103 Comments

UPDATE: Since several years have passed, I decided it was high time for an updated version of this post!

Yesterday I looked at five GPS features you don't need. Today we'll check out the flip-side; what are the best and most useful upgrades when choosing a navigator? I'll start with ones available on relatively low end units and then move on to features found on more expensive models.

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Filed Under: Hardware

5 GPS features you don’t need

December 2, 2008 By 12 Comments

Throwing money away sm

UPDATE: Since several years have passed, I decided it was time for an updated version of this post!

GPS receivers are becoming more feature-rich every year. But what works and what doesn't? Here are five features that you just don't need.

  1. Traffic – I recently saw that 50% of people with live traffic on their GPS don't use it. Great idea, but it ain't ready for primetime yet. You'll get plenty of erroneous reports, and you'll also come across lots of bottlenecks that go unreported.
  2. FM transmitter – Useless in urban areas where the FM band is crowded, but of possible interest to the 0.1% of the population living in rural, mountainous areas.
  3. MP3 player – As much as I like seeing the track and artist name on my GPS screen, the tinny speakers aren't made for listening to music. If your GPS has an audio out jack, and your receiver an audio in, you could connect them, but then you'd have cables strung everywhere. TomTom has an iPod control cable for their GO units, but there's that cable thing again. A car stereo with Bluetooth and a nuvi 7x5T unit might give you a better option, but lacking the former I haven't tried it.
  4. Bluetooth – When it does work, it generally sounds horrible for the person on the other end of the call. Exceptions — my experience with the TomTom GO 730 was better than most, but what I'm really impressed by is the nuvi 7x5T I've been testing. It won't do everything I wanted it to, but the sound quality in early use has been great. Stay tuned for a full report. UPDATE: Bluetooth that works.
  5. 3D buildings – Useless eye candy.

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Filed Under: Hardware

Should I buy a refurbished or older GPS?

November 25, 2008 By 6 Comments

I'm seeing more refurbished GPS receivers advertised for sale these days. In many consumer electronics categories, such devices can be a good deal. But buying a refurbished GPS carries a special risk. Occasionally, some of these units come with outdated maps. Since there is no way to tell until you fire up the unit and look at the map version, I suggest you check the store's restocking / return policy if you go this route.

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Filed Under: Garmin, GPS rebates and deals, Hardware, Magellan, The business of GPS, TomTom

Ranking Auto GPS Brands

November 24, 2008 By 5 Comments

At the risk of upsetting the nice PR folks who provide me with review units, I've decided to share my thoughts on what brand of GPS is best. Clearly this is subjective — its my opinion and mine alone. And things do change. However, based on models I've tested over the past year, this is how I see things shaking out.

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Filed Under: Hardware

Navigon 7200T review

November 21, 2008 By Leave a Comment
Navigon 7200T review

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 7200T updates the Navigon 7100, adding 3-D buildings and a new interface. The 4.3″ wide screen navigator comes loaded with maps of the U.S. and Canada, and has text-to-speech, so you’ll hear “in one mile, turn right onto Maple Street” instead of just “in one mile, turn right.” Other features include Bluetooth for hands-free cell phone use, lifetime traffic, voice destination entry, Reality View Pro, Lane Assist Pro, Zagat® ratings and reviews, Exit Guide and DirectHelp. Whew; this thing is loaded! But the question is, how well does it do all that? I’ll dig into those features in more detail shortly. First, let’s look at how it compares to other units in the Navigon family.

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

First looks at DeLorme PN-40

November 10, 2008 By 7 Comments

DeLorme PN-40 L

UPDATE: Check out my hands-on DeLorme PN-40 review

I'm fortunate to have a DeLorme Earthmate PN-40 in for testing, and I thought I'd share some initial impressions since this unit is due to become available in the next week or two.

Like the PN-20, this new model lets you view your position on aerial imagery. But a number of upgrades promise to make this an even more popular handheld than the original:

  • A dual-core processor makes map redraws and menu navigation very fast, and I can already attest to this; even at 60 MPH, map redraws were nearly instantaneous — I saw only brief flashes of blank areas on the screen
  • Tri-axial compass (meaning there is no need to hold it dead level)
  • Barometric altimeter
  • SDHC high-capacity SD card support
  • A more detailed base map

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Filed Under: Aerial imagery, DeLorme, DeLorme handheld GPS, Handheld/Sport, Hardware
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