Using a Garmin GPS device
Article by Fitzgerald Trevis Scott
I recently went on a trip to Atlanta, Georgia and rented a car. A Garmin GPS (Global Positioning System) device was an option so I took it to test it out. It turned out it was one of the best things I could have done.
Don't get me wrong though the system wasn't perfect
It didn't know where everything was all of the timeOn at least one occasion it told us the closest Wal-Mart was more than 100 miles away when we knew it was a matter of a few miles. It figured it out later after we drove around a bit.
Some places it didn't know anything about at allMainly mom and pop stores, even if they had been around for as much as a decade. Also places that were outside the Atlanta metropolitan area proper, such as the place we were staying, were hard for the GPS to find. Once we there though it knew exactly where it was. To get there we just put in places that we knew were close by like streets etc. We even had to do this for the Atlanta Aquarium which is about a year old in downtown Atlanta.
Sometimes it didn't know about new construction or road workWe gave up on one location, a thrift store, because apparently it had been demolished and something else was being built in its place.Another thrift store we couldn't even find but we found one by a different name less than a block away. Maybe they changed names.
It gave less than optimal directions on a couple of occasionsOn a highway one day faced with something like three or four different options and a choice to be made in seconds the instructions the device gave were completely useless. Even when we missed the correct exit and came back and tried again we still couldn't understand it. Without a map we would have been lost.If you miss a turn, more often than not, rather than telling you to make a u-turn or a three point turn the system will direct you to make a much bigger loop, sometimes encompassing several blocks or more.It gives distances to possible destinations as the crow flies, i.e. in a straight-line from source to destination, rather than via the real route that it gives you.
It's sometimes hard to follow the directionsOptimally one has to listen to the voice instructions and watch the map and read the text on the screen to get the best results, especially if the system tells you to take a left and there are more than one lefts you could take for example. By reading the screen you can see the name of the road you need to take and cross reference that against the signs you see and/or watch the map so you can see the exact kind of turn you have to make.Deciding when you need to turn is sometimes difficult too. For example the system might say turn in 0.2 miles. I have no idea what that distance is and a lot of times I would turn too soon, before I started reading the screen and checking the map.Without traffic the projected arrival times were pretty accurate.By and large though I'd rather have a GPS system than not. A map is g reat but you can only use it when you already have an idea of where you're going.
When we wanted to get to the closest Wal-mart, or Best Buy it was there, when we needed to find the closest gas station or fast-food place it was there. If we needed to get the phone numbers for all the libraries in the area in order to check their schedule it was there.
When we first arrived in Atlanta for example, the vehicle we were driving didn't have a GPS system and the person who was giving us directions to their place didn't know much more than how to get to the places they needed to go to like their job and the grocery. They had to get their neighbour to try and describe the route to us which didn't work well because the neighbour still didn't know enough about the area to help completely. Most of the other people we asked said that they couldn't read a map. We finally got someone whose information and direction combined with the neighbour's made sense and arrived at the place we were staying.
Once we got the GPS system though for the entire week we may have asked maybe four people for directions and even when we took these directions we never had to ask someone else along the way. It was like having someone who knew where almost everything things was riding along with us.
If I'm ever abroad again I'm making sure I buy one of these devices. I priced it at Best Buy at about $ 400.00 US and the other popular device Tom Tom was $ 300 with no additional fees. Considering that we paid about $ 77 US renting it in a car for a week buying one is a no brainer. It wouldn't work in Trinidad or Tobago I know, hopefully we can do something about that.
Using a Garmin GPS device
Article by Steven Lancey
Garmin is the world's biggest manufacturer of consumer GPS and the name has almost become synonymous with the product. The company has a long and envious history of producing quality and versatile GPS. Garmin has produced many kinds of GPS - some for automobiles, hikers, etc. Within each category there are different models to suit every activity.
For example the Garmin StreetPilot c340 has a text to speech functionality. So you have the added advantage of hands free operation and then the ability to concentrate on the road whilst driving and not looking at the GPS display to see what is written there. This mode of operation can take complex commands such as "Turn Right at Next Intersection". This feature is a big plus for people who need to keep looking ahead on the road while driving.
This device can also be fitted with a traffic receiver so you can get real time traffic information. With this feature, you can avoid traffic jams, road, diversions etc so you can reach your destination quicker.
Garmin also has the Nuvi 200 which is quite basic compared to others by the same manufacturer. But they come with some interesting fittings such as the unit converter. For those who want enhanced functionality, you can subscribe to travel information services.
This low cost range has some good features too such as the SD card slot to allow for the installation of add-ons like extra maps.
The favorite in the 300 series of GPS is the Garmin. 396. This product is an improvement over the 200 series as it displays information on satellite weather, has colorful maps and displays terrain warnings. Perhaps the biggest feature is the ability of the 396 to warn the user of any disturbances in the area of approach. For example if there is war or a conflict, you are informed accurately. The 396 also deserves some commendation for its crystal clear images which are visible in even poor light.
For great GPS products and prices visit: http://www.gpssupersite.com in the UK visit:http://www.gpssupersite.co.uk
Choosing A Garmin GPS Product
This is the latest addition to my GPS toolset. Read my review of the Garmin Colorado 300. >>> Garmin Colorado 300
Article by Lee Cole
The answer lies in how much you want to pay for your device.
Garmin's newer line is called the "nuvi". Their other car GPS line is called StreetPilot. Nuvis are the ones with European maps. There are four possible models, the nuvi 270, nuvi 370, nuvi 670, and the nuvi 770. Let's look at each of these.
Garmin nuvi 270
Garmin's nuvi 200s are sleek, quality basic navigation devices. The 270 comes preloaded with maps of the United States, Canada, and Europe. It has what's called "text-to-speech", which means it actually tells you when to turn. It comes with a huge Points of Interest database (locations of Starbucks, hospitals, and gas stations, for instance) and doubles as a digital picture viewer. It has a 3.5-inch (on the diagonal) touch screen. The nuvi 270 will set you back a little over $ 300.
Garmin nuvi 370
The Garmin nuvi 370 does all the 270 does and adds actually saying the names of street names (as opposed to only saying, "turn right here"), real-time traffic capability, mp3 player, and Bluetooth technology for hands-free use. It currently sells for about $ 450 at Amazon.
Garmin nuvi 670
If you want a wide screen, 4.3-inches on the diagonal, you'll have to bump up to the Garmin nuvi 670. It does all the 370 does, but with the larger screen. The 670 will set you back about $ 600. That's a fair amount of money, but then you're buying a quality system.
Garmin nuvi 770
The 770 is Garmin's top of the line. It does everything the 670 does, but adds multiple routing. That means you can put several destinations in and it will route you to all of them on one trip. Now, that's really cool! Of course, it costs a cool $ 700.
Garmin nuvis are truly portable, especially the ones with the 3.5-inch screens. Just think, you'll never have to ask directions in Paris again!
Which Garmin GPS device should I take to Europe?
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