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12-23-2009, 04:38 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Pennsylvania
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Portable GPS: Tom Tom or Magellan?
Want to pick one up this holiday season. Both are about the same price ($100). Anyone have experience with either one?
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12-23-2009, 04:46 PM
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I have a Garmin, but suppose they're pretty much alike. Never leave home without it, even if I think I know the way.
Used it extensively in Maine, Florida and western NC recently. Helps find points of interest, restaurants, sporting goods stores ,fillin' stations and just about anything you may need.
Where they "get you" is the "yearly updates", when they offer to upgrade the software for a "fee". I don't do that every year as I figure not much could change, but do it like every 3 years.
Before making a trip we load up the GPS with evry place we may visit. Better to do it beforehand, imho, than when you get on the road. You can always delete whatever you don't need.
Hope this helps somewhat.
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GOA/SAF
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12-23-2009, 04:48 PM
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Location: Near Chi-town
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I bought a Tom Tom for my car. Didn't like it. Was told TOM TOM is an English company and their North American software has issues. Ended up with a Garmin and am pleased.
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12-23-2009, 04:52 PM
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I have a Garmin, which I like.......have no experence with others. They can be had in the same price range.
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Regards,
Windjammer
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12-23-2009, 05:57 PM
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Magellan
The nice lady in my Magellan really enjoys arguing and uses the term "Make a legal U Turn" quite often.
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Sam
S&WHF 333 S&WCA 2198
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12-23-2009, 06:05 PM
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Location: East Texas
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Another vote for Garmin. Mine gets used extensively making customer service calls for a Propane Company in rural East Texas. Even most small dirt private roads are in the system.
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12-23-2009, 06:08 PM
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I like my Garmin the best.
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U.S. Army Viet Nam Vet '68-69'
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12-23-2009, 06:13 PM
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I personally like Garmin, tried the others and they don't work as well.
Log into garmin.com and you can check out all the models and comapre features
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12-23-2009, 06:14 PM
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Member
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Garmin! Love mine.
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Lost in Penn's Woods
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12-23-2009, 06:15 PM
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Location: Pennsylvania
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My wife loves her Garmin. It's very good from what I've seen.
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12-23-2009, 06:20 PM
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Magellan - We have 3 of them. Works great. I depend on them all the time.
I got the 4.3 inch screens, Roadmate.
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12-23-2009, 06:22 PM
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I have a lower end Garmin. I like it except for one thing. It doesn't seem to have an option to stay on a main highway. We were driving from St. Louis to Detroit and it kept wanting to take state roads versus staying on the expressway. Generally though, I'd rather have any cheap one with all its flaws than none at all.
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12-23-2009, 06:37 PM
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Jerry, do you have it set for fastest time or shortest distance? Using shortest distance could be why it's taking you off the Interstate.
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12-23-2009, 06:55 PM
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We have two Garmins, both are 4.3" screens for ease of visibility at a quick glance. They have been trouble free for a few years now. Some friends bought Toms and Magellans and have had issues, and their experiences drove me to buy Garmins.
Both have the street name feature. This is VERY useful, because the device says, "In 500 yards turn left onto 1st Avenue," instead of "Turn left in 500 yds." That's fine, but how many people can judge distances away from the target range? Not many.
The larger-screen device with the street name annunciator feature is well worth the extra $$$, IMO. With these things, like many electronics gadgets, you definitely get what you pay for. Spend the extra $$$ for the user-friendly features.
JMO,
Noah
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Nicht mehr als 30 Zeichen
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12-23-2009, 07:02 PM
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Garmin,the best.
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12-23-2009, 07:12 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2005
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I have a Magellan - works great. My only complaint is that firmware updates from Magellan's web site require a Windows PC. I am a Mac user, so always have to scrounge to borrow a friends PC when I need to update the firmware.
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12-23-2009, 07:39 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Grand Rapids Michigan
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I use the Magellan. I like it. I drive a semi so it really allows me to focus on traffic rather than small road signs and building numbers. I use it every day and would not want to go back to maps.
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12-23-2009, 08:08 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Texas
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Gary and Min's product is the only way to go.
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12-23-2009, 08:16 PM
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I own 4 Tom Toms and they've all been great. They're easy to update, and they're the only GPS I've found that has reservation roads loaded in. Also, I've got Homer Simpson's voice in mine telling me where to go. D'oh!!
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What you got, aint new.
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12-23-2009, 09:36 PM
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Have a Tom Tom and a Garmin. Both great units.
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12-23-2009, 09:41 PM
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Garmin. The 205W is a pretty good model and they're on sale all over for just under a C note. Two family members have them and they work great.
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12-23-2009, 09:49 PM
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i just download yahoo maps ...works for me
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12-23-2009, 09:56 PM
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Garmin for us. The wife & I drove a rented car from Los Angeles to W-Springfield Mass. It provided us with more information then I expected. Places to see,places to lodge at places to eat etc.
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12-23-2009, 10:11 PM
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I'm a sailor and have had GPSs since they came out. My first was a Magellan and a tricky program maybe now corrected.
It died and went with Garmin since. I even have one for my bird dog that gives his position, direction, distance and whether he's running or pointing. It's called Astro if interested in checking them out.
I think Garmin a good company and has it figured out on a user friendly basis.
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12-23-2009, 10:46 PM
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I have a Garmin, wouldn't buy any of the others. Most of the guys I work with have Garmins. A few previously had Tom-Toms but they were not as good, they have since gotten Garmins.
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12-23-2009, 10:49 PM
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I don't have any experience with Magellan or Tom Tom but I have a Garmin and am very satisfied with it.
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12-24-2009, 12:58 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ladder13
I have a Garmin.........Where they "get you" is the "yearly updates", when they offer to upgrade the software for a "fee". I don't do that every year as I figure not much could change, but do it like every 3 years.
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I don't recall the exact amount but I think Garmin charges around 70 bucks if you just purchase a single update. For a few dollars more you can purchase a lifetime access that will let you do up to four updates per year. At least that applies to my Streetpilot C340, so I assume Garmin offers the same update options for all models.
I've encountered very few places where the Garmin was out of date. The glitches I've found are usually around some cities where orange barrels are a year round decoration and bypasses have been added or rerouted and/or exits have been changed. Cross country routes don't seem to change that much and the GPS is usually correct. That said, mine has given me some strange routing on a couple of occasions. It's always correct and gets me to the right place, but not always by the best route.
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12-24-2009, 02:37 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2008
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I have a Garmin GPSMAP76CSx. I never have to transfer maps from the PC to the GPS as I bought the Mapsource road maps memory card. The memory card runs about $80.00 and contains maps of all the US & territories and most of Canada. I've used it driving from west Tennessee to Alaska and back, it never missed a beat. It has LOTS of useful software features, an altimeter, compass, is waterproof and it floats. I did have an issue with my first GPSMAP76CSx after it was out of warranty, USB power port died. Called Garmin and explained the problem to them. One year warranty was expired by six days. They replaced it at no cost, just had to pay shipping to and from. It's been going strong now for three years on the replacement unit. Garmin gets my vote.
Class III
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12-24-2009, 03:13 AM
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I've had a Magellan 1400 for about 3 years and it is flawless. Never failed me once and I like the female voice alot since it's not as annoying as some of the other brands I have tried. IMHO that is the one to get so good luck to you!
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12-24-2009, 03:39 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Noah Zark
Both have the street name feature. This is VERY useful, because the device says, "In 500 yards turn left onto 1st Avenue," instead of "Turn left in 500 yds." That's fine, but how many people can judge distances away from the target range? Not many.
JMO,
Noah
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The lack of street names really drives me nuts when using our Tom Tom. Not calling out the actual street you are supposed to turn on in addition to the '500 yards' is very counter intuitive and requires far more effort on the part of the driver then it should for simple navigation tasks.
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12-24-2009, 04:02 AM
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I have the TomTom 340 XL and love it. It also calls out the name of the street when you are about to turn. Articles I have read say that the TomTom devices have better function per dollar than the Garmin on the lower price models and the Garmin has better function per dollar at the high end. So it depends on which model you want and how much you want to spend.
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Vote ALL incumbents out.
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12-24-2009, 10:22 AM
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This is a article from MSN Money about company's that may not be around in 2020.
6. Magellan
Once a novelty, GPS -- the technology that plots your location via satellite -- is now ubiquitous. Besides dashboard GPS devices in cars, consumers can now get GPS access in smart phones and even cameras.
This is all part of a natural progression in technology in which software comes along to do the same thing you previously needed stand-alone devices for, Stevens says.
And it means that soon enough, consumers won't see any reason to buy GPS devices like those sold by Magellan, a private company but a well-known name, because software on their phone does the same thing.
To get a sense of the extent to which GPS is now a commodity, just consider the intense price competition in the space. On Black Friday, vendors such as Magellan were offering generic GPS devices as low as $69 -- $21 below the cost of materials in the devices -- just to try to keep shelf space, Deutsche Bank analyst Jonathan Goldberg says.
You know a business appears doomed when companies have to sell below costs, even temporarily, just to stay in the game.
Troubled companies, Kodak, Blockbuster, Sears, Palm - MSN Money
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12-24-2009, 10:28 AM
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Member
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LESMITH
I have the TomTom 340 XL and love it. It also calls out the name of the street when you are about to turn.
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I just bought the TT 340 XL, and even where I live in the Boondocks, it calls out street names perfectly. Another great feature is being able to connect it to my computer for daily map updates, planning routes or adding way points.
I wasn't too fond with the holder that came with it, so I bought one from ProClip. They have holders for all makes of GPS and Cell Phones...a bit pricey, but it was a perfect fit and easy to install.
ProClip Mounting System - Device Holders and Dashboard Vehicle Mounts
TomTom ProClip Mounting System - Home - TomTom
I do have a handheld Garmin that I take ATVing and hunting. It also works great....I have had it for about 3 years.
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12-24-2009, 10:33 AM
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Member
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Westminster SC, 29693
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We have 2 Magellan GPS units.
Mine works great, even while I was working in Canada.
Jim
__________________
Big bullets leave big holes
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12-24-2009, 03:30 PM
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Just bought my first after having friends tell me I needed one for years... Sams had a tom tom on sale for about 55.oo black friday and I grabbed one... Used it hunting season this year and a couple trips. Shoulda got one years ago I think...
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12-24-2009, 03:51 PM
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Member
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We also have a Garmin 255Nuvi - it's great. It's about 99% accurate - we had one humorous incident when the "lady inside" continued to direct us to the opposite side of the lake of the hotel we were looking for. We could see the hotel but couldn't find the way to it - the lady simply told us to drive "off road" across the lake.
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Lou
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12-24-2009, 04:06 PM
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Magellan 1470
I have had a Magellan 1470 since the 1st of May, it went bad a few weeks ago ( locked up ), called the company and after over one hour on the phone, they decided to have it sent back to them for repair or replacement, on my dime I might add. After holding it hostage for a week they sent me #2.
#2 didn't work correctly ( would not save entered addresses or previous addresses or home address) called the company and spent another half hour on the phone, they decided that it needed to be returned for repair or replacement, this time i insisted that they send me a prepaid fed ex label and sent it off. they held #2 hostage for a week then sent me #3.
I received # 3 yesterday, took it for a drive #3 didn't work correctly ( would not save entered addresses or previous addresses or home address) called the company and spent another 1/4 hour on the phone with a tech, at which time I insisted on speaking to one of their managers in Nevada who I talked with for over a half hour.
I explained to the manager of the situation and requested my money back, that I had already lost a month of my warranty and that I was not happy, he would not return my money, instead he would send me a new higher level model, and a prepaid fed ex label to send #3 back to them.
#4 is scheduled to arrive 12/28 once I have it in hand I'll send #3 back to them.
I really liked the features of the 1470 but if I were to do it again I would not buy a Magellan.
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12-24-2009, 04:09 PM
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Member
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I have a Garmin Model 205 W in the car and it rocks for the price. I also have Garmin Vista HCx hand held for when I hunt with topo maps loaded in and it's fantstic.
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12-24-2009, 04:30 PM
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GARMIN
I've got three, low-end (cheap) Garmins that I've got in company vehicles. I use the one in my company vehicle virtually every day,
and have something like 150-175,000 miles of use of it.
The wider screen is great, if you have a choice. The other two have standard screen. All work as advertised. Have only used them in four states. Wouldn't be w/o one. WalMart is selling them for about
$100 now; I'm thinking about getting another wide-screen.
It seems all the different mfr.s make good quality units.
Let us know which one you get, Merry CHRISTmas!! TACC1
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12-24-2009, 05:03 PM
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Based on 10 years of experience, I'd say there's Garmin and then there are the wannabees.
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Rick, W0FG
CTR2 68-72
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12-24-2009, 11:00 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ladder13
Jerry, do you have it set for fastest time or shortest distance? Using shortest distance could be why it's taking you off the Interstate.
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I have it set for shortest time. I've noticed that when I stayed on the expressway, the time was a little longer (like a few minutes).
There were also comments about the GPS units that use the street names. I would second that as a good feature. It's nice to hear your directions and not have to look at your screen. There's also a little humor from time to time in the way the unit pronounces the street names.
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12-25-2009, 05:48 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2003
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My wife loves her Garmin NuVi.
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You are what you learn.
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12-25-2009, 07:19 PM
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I have the Garmin nuvi 255 WT would have rather gotten the 255 W that is on sale at sears for $ 119. I have the Traffic feature disabled because it is never right and will put ads on your screen. If I hit the highway for a long trip I may turn it back on. Most people say that the traffic feature is more ads than help and I agree.
I use a GPS for dummys in a delivery truck. Small screen but works turn for turn with my garmin. for $ 79 at CVS. Had to return one because of a bad LCD. And have had to reset it new one once. But for 79 dollars you cant expect much. Speaks street names and all. The Garmin is easier to use.
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SC Army National Guard
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12-25-2009, 11:34 PM
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Member
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I'd go with the Portuguese named brand. Best known for their navigational feats.
__________________
Memory of Randy Freas-Rimfired
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12-26-2009, 12:01 AM
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Get the Garmin. I have a buddy who has had all three, and he didn't like the TomTom or the Magellan. Be sure to get the one that verbalizes street names. I.E. In 200 feet, turn left on MapleAvenue..."
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12-26-2009, 11:40 AM
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Tom Tom works well, but updating new roads is an issue.
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12-28-2009, 02:56 AM
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Garmin works very well for us....
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12-28-2009, 07:25 AM
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Banned
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Join Date: Jun 2009
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GPSMAP® 60CSx with a couple of map packs. Not $100 but a great unit! I wouldn't even consider another brand.
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12-28-2009, 11:04 AM
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Member
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Got my wife an astrolabe-sometimes old IS better
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Forum consigliere
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12-28-2009, 03:35 PM
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I've had a Garmin nuvi 660 for about a year now, and it constantly amazes me in picking out better routes I didn't know existed, or if I did, that they would result in faster times. The 4.3" screen is nice, and the street name feature is worthwhile. It amuses me when I get off course, and it says "Recalculating" in a disappointed and condescending tone! A bean-bag mounting system is a must - nothing sticking to your windshield, and easy to stick in your trunk when you're away from the car so it doesn't get ripped off.
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