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Automotive GPS

gmcunni

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my 7 year old TomTom doesn't work so well any more and i'm thinking about getting a new one.

While i've had great luck with the "brains" of 2 tomtoms (wife has one also) i have found that both models we own have crappy windshield mounting apparatus. my son has a Magellan but i've never really liked the way it operates. And while i don't begrudge a company's need to make a profit the idea of buying updated maps every couple of years rubs me the wrong way.

What Automotive GPS do you have and would you recommend it?

is a smartphone with a data plan an adequate replacement for a traditional GPS for driving?
 

o3jeff

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I've had a Magellen for a couple years and last Christmas updated to a Garmin. I like the Garmin better for the fact that it is a lot quicker recalculating the route. Makes a big difference especially if you travel a lot in NYC, Boston or bigger cities. The Magellen would take a minute to realize you missed the turn and then recalculate but be a few blocks behind.
 

Cheese

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Google Maps and Navigator (Verizon) works pretty well for traditional GPS driving. You get free traffic and Google pushes free updates. The drawbacks I can think of are that you can't set driving preferences (fastest time, shortest route, etc.) and there is no stored map so you will always need a data connection to receive the current map of your route/location.

I have an older Garmin NUVI that I rarely use. It requires map updates and a traffic subscription which I never purchased. It does offer the advantage of being able to add 1 via point in case you don't want to go directly to your end point.

If I didn't have a smartphone and a data plan already, Garmin would be my standalone choice.
 

hammer

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my 7 year old TomTom doesn't work so well any more and i'm thinking about getting a new one.

While i've had great luck with the "brains" of 2 tomtoms (wife has one also) i have found that both models we own have crappy windshield mounting apparatus. my son has a Magellan but i've never really liked the way it operates. And while i don't begrudge a company's need to make a profit the idea of buying updated maps every couple of years rubs me the wrong way.

What Automotive GPS do you have and would you recommend it?

is a smartphone with a data plan an adequate replacement for a traditional GPS for driving?
I am on my second Garmin...first one was decent but got worn and slow. The second one has a crappy touch screen and the voice is worse. Not impressed.

For mounting, I have large enough dashboards to use the friction base. Works much better than the suction cup mount.
 

Nick

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Yeah, I use my Android navigation all the time, completely blows away any standalone GPS unit in my opinion. just make sure you have a car charger as it's hell on power usage.
 

gmcunni

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Google Maps and Navigator (Verizon) works pretty well for traditional GPS driving. You get free traffic and Google pushes free updates. The drawbacks I can think of are that you can't set driving preferences (fastest time, shortest route, etc.) and there is no stored map so you will always need a data connection to receive the current map of your route/location.

I have an older Garmin NUVI that I rarely use. It requires map updates and a traffic subscription which I never purchased. It does offer the advantage of being able to add 1 via point in case you don't want to go directly to your end point.

If I didn't have a smartphone and a data plan already, Garmin would be my standalone choice.

that's another feature i wish i had, the ability to map something out in google maps then download to my device. i've seen it as an option from the google side but none of my devices support it.
 

bvibert

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that's another feature i wish i had, the ability to map something out in google maps then download to my device. i've seen it as an option from the google side but none of my devices support it.

I can do that with my android phone, but I've found it doesn't always work smoothly. I haven't tried it in a while though, so it may have been fixed in an update.
 

57stevey

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We have 2 of the Garmin NUVI's and they have been flawless.
 

o3jeff

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what app do you use for GPS on the iphone? (i don't have an iphone so perhaps this is a stupid question)

I was more just busting Bviberts stones. I just got it and was just playing around with Siri and told it to give me directions somewhere and it opened up the pre-loaded "Maps" app with them. Maybe wa-loaf or someone will chime in something more useful.

I usually use a dedicated gps unit(Garmin).
 

bvibert

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I was more just busting Bviberts stones. I just got it and was just playing around with Siri and told it to give me directions somewhere and it opened up the pre-loaded "Maps" app with them. Maybe wa-loaf or someone will chime in something more useful.

I usually use a dedicated gps unit(Garmin).

That's not what he asked for. I can do that, without having to talk to my phone.

What he asked for was setting up a custom route on a computer and then transferring it to a GPS.

I can do it on my phone, but in one particular instance the phone map software didn't seem to recognize one of the waypoints, or streets, or something (I can't remember exactly), so it couldn't display the custom route.
 

wa-loaf

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I was more just busting Bviberts stones. I just got it and was just playing around with Siri and told it to give me directions somewhere and it opened up the pre-loaded "Maps" app with them. Maybe wa-loaf or someone will chime in something more useful.

I usually use a dedicated gps unit(Garmin).

I've been using the free Mapquest app on the iPhone lately. It gives you audio directions while you are driving which is nice. I think once you have a route mapped out it will keep the correct directions, but if you are away from data access it won't be able to adjust or change route for you.
 

gmcunni

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heard a blurp on the news Sunday while driving.

Garmin crushed wall street estimates on earning and had a good outlook. beating their traditional compeditors, TOMTOM and Magellan. Recognize the threat from phones but confident about their future. next challenge is to make inroads in the GPS watch world. i guess they are doing it but aren't considered leader at this time.
 

wa-loaf

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heard a blurp on the news Sunday while driving.

Garmin crushed wall street estimates on earning and had a good outlook. beating their traditional compeditors, TOMTOM and Magellan. Recognize the threat from phones but confident about their future. next challenge is to make inroads in the GPS watch world. i guess they are doing it but aren't considered leader at this time.

Do you have a smart phone of any kind? You can buy the apps for TomTom and the like for it cheaper than a stand alone device and then find whatever kind of mount you like for your phone.
 

gmcunni

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Do you have a smart phone of any kind? You can buy the apps for TomTom and the like for it cheaper than a stand alone device and then find whatever kind of mount you like for your phone.

i have a blackberry right now. i tried the sprint nav app but it was not very good. there is a slim possibility i'll have an iphone after this season.
 

wa-loaf

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i have a blackberry right now. i tried the sprint nav app but it was not very good. there is a slim possibility i'll have an iphone after this season.

I think the best option would be to get the iPhone and buy a GPS App that includes downloaded maps.
 

andyzee

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I have two Garmin NUVIs love em, My friend got a Magellan, was not at all impressed. The navigtor on my Smartphone is great, updates are free, voice commands, but there is one major problem, not as sensitive as a standalone when it comes to getting coordinates. Cloudy days could be an issue.
 
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