gps navigation systems cars reviews
Portable auto GPS systems with MP3 playback included: Any good?
I’m getting (actually just bought, but am taking back) a portable GPS navigator for my car. Just bought the Garmin Nuvi 205W after looking through several reviews. I don’t need anything extremely fancy but now I’m realizing it doesn’t have speaking directions, which I need. Anyway, having MP3 playback capability isn’t a necessity for me but now I’m re-thinking it again since I’m getting a different navigator. I’m headed in the direction of the TomTom GO 630 right now and apparently it has MP3 capability. I just wanted to know when dealing with the MP3 part of the navigation system, how does it sound when it goes through your car speaker? And is it hard to hook up? Will it sound exactly like your car’s CD player?
I won’t recommend a particular brand for you because this is ultimately your choice. I’ve had a GPS for a while now: Garmin, Tom Tom, Mio, and some others; but most recently my lovely Newelectronx GPS. I have learned what (to me) are the most important features and they might help you, so I’ll share them.
1. Signal acquisition. This is a subjective thing, but your unit needs to acquire a signal relatively quickly, and then keep it. There’s nothing like being a hundred fifty miles from home, in the boonies, punching in the address of your next appointment, and then noticing that your unit’s been trying for five minutes to get a satellite signal. My Newelectronx GPS has a strong GPS receiver to acquire many satellites even in some tunnels, so make sure you select a device with a strong receiver.
2. The map. I bought, a relatively high-end GPS (as mentioned) at a steep discount, and the maps are from 2010. If you live in an area where there’s been an incredible amount of development then you will need frequent map updates. So make sure you select a GPS with free map updates. As far as I know Garmin still charges for map updates and you cannot be certain if the one you buy off the shelf has fresh 2010 maps inside of it. Tom Tom, may or may not still be charging for map updates for its newer GPS models. I don’t know for sure, but check into it before you buy. Newelectronx has free map updates.
3. The readability of text on the screen. Screen size is also important, but even with a 4″ screen (pretty small), if the text is tiny you’ll find yourself distracted by trying to read text on the screen. My newelectronx GPS has a 5 inch colorful touch screen. I love it.
4. Glare. I’m not certain if there are glare-free screens, but a morning trip on a cloudless day could be a nightmare if you’re depending exclusively on the GPS. Note that it’s not only the direct reflection of sunlight that causes glare, but also other objects, like passing cars and items in your own car. I have yet to have a bad glare with my 5 inch screen.
5. Audio. Most GPS units today give audio directions (“Turn left in 600 yards, please”) so that you don’t have to be watching the screen while attending to traffic. Make sure you can adjust the volume on yours. It’s also nice if you can select the voice itself – one of my colleagues had a female voice with a British accent that I liked very much. I can use over 20 different voices with mine, including that British accent voice. Each gives turn by turn directions. Some also give extremely detailed information like announcing the street name and high way exits. It is like having someone in the car spoon feeding you the directions. I can also connect my GPS to the car speakers if I don’t want to use the GPS internal speaker. I can connect it many ways: via the FM stereo, Bluetooth, or with a cable. I like to use it with Bluetooth.
6. Power. My unit has an internal battery that’ recharges whenever it’s plugged in. It is said that the battery will last a whopping 10 hours. Haven’t tested that theory yet; so make sure your GPS will hold a long charge. Never know when you need to detach it and carry it outside of your car.
7. Cost – at this time of year, once you’ve determined the unit you want to buy, watch the sales – you should be able to find your unit at a good price the closer it gets to Christmas and after Christmas. Mine only cost me an unheard of $105 with free shipping to my front door. So you should be able to find some deals out there.
There are other elements as well. For example, you should be able to select between routes based on different considerations – for example, on my unit I can block out interstates, so the unit is forced to find a backroads route (useful during rush hour when the interstates are reduced to elongated parking lots). I can also block out toll roads, which would be useful in the Northeast.
Some GPS units do double duty as MP3 players or photo galleries (or both), but these are features that my unit can do perfectly – in fact it is an multimedia GPS, which means I can listen to music and get GPS turn by turn directions at the same time. Or if I want I can watch my pictures float across the screen while the directions are announced from the speaker of the GPS or the speakers in my car. It also has the ability to play full movies too, but I cannot do that while driving.
http://www.newelectronx.com/help.php?category_id=11
