Portable GPS

[Jerseyboy]

Anyone have any recommendations?

I have a factory-installed GPS in one vehicle and am looking for a portable for another.

Thanks in advance.

[Teresa_Rae]

I love my Garmin but I wish I had the upgraded Nuvi model...they supposedly acquire satellites much quicker, which is great when you're in a hurry.

[mbw1024]

we have a tom tom. my husband likes it personally i'm not crazy about it but I just think I'm anti-GPS and it's not really anything against the particular device.

[Bug]

Just bought my huband a Nuvi and it's great. You can hook it through a car set and then take it out and use it walking around too. I took it to NYC and it was great.

XOXO
Bug

[Jerseyboy]

Just bought my huband a Nuvi and it's great. You can hook it through a car set and then take it out and use it walking around too. I took it to NYC and it was great.
XOXO
Bug

Ladies, thank you for your replies. I thought I'd get more responses from the male gadget geeks.

Bug - Did you use the GPS while walking around NYC or just for driving? Actually not a bad idea to use one walking instead of opening up those big maps like I see everyone do around lower Manhattan.

[Bug]

QUOTE - "Bug - Did you use the GPS while walking around NYC or just for driving? Actually not a bad idea to use one walking instead of opening up those big maps like I see everyone do around lower Manhattan"

We actually used it both ways. Once we got parked, I carried it around NYC and it took me everywhere I wanted to go. It was so funny when I started walking the wrong direction it started screaming at me "recalculating, recalculating". The main reason I bought this one for my hubby is that he drives truck and it als has a feature to input that you are driving a big truck so it won't take you under small unpasses and roads a trucks won't fit. He loves the thing!! Don't tell, but my 17 year old daughter who is directionally challenged will be getting one from Santa this year too!

XOXO
Bug

[jayseadee]

Which model Garmin Nuvi do you have?

I've been looking at the Nuvi's and the Magellan Crossover for Don for Christmas.

[toes in the sand]

I have a garmin e-trex. It is almost the bottom of the line of handheld GPS's. No onboard maps. You have to mark your waypoints manually or program them in via the key pad. I got software and cables to be able to link to my computer. Still can't load maps but I can load waypoints via the computer. With it being so low cost (<$90) I am not fearful of losing or damaging it. (kinda hoping I do break it so I can upgrade!) I use it for hiking and canoeing a lot. It's greatest use is for hiking and finding my way back to where I started. I used it to steer me through France, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Italy a couple years back. I love it. My recomendation is to purchase one with onboard maps though.

[Jerseyboy]

Toes, thanks for the info about your e-trex.

Bug, thanks for the follow-up.

[MrB]

Being all about integration, I would check out the smartphone options. Motorola's Moto Q and the Blackberry 8820 seem to have GPS. This would wrap up Phone/MP3/Video/Internet/GPS, plus all the other PDA components...in one device!! Plam has GPS too, but i think the GPS 'brain' is a seperate device.

I like the specs of the Moto Q. On top of all the above, it operates on the HSDPA data connection...so 800kbps connection in major metro areas...great for streaming your Slingbox video to your phone, and Sirius CD quality streams.

How's that for male gadget geek!

[Jerseyboy]

Being all about integration, I would check out the smartphone options. Motorola's Moto Q and the Blackberry 8820 seem to have GPS. This would wrap up Phone/MP3/Video/Internet/GPS, plus all the other PDA components...in one device!! Plam has GPS too, but i think the GPS 'brain' is a seperate device.

I like the specs of the Moto Q. On top of all the above, it operates on the HSDPA data connection...so 800kbps connection in major metro areas...great for streaming your Slingbox video to your phone, and Sirius CD quality streams.

How's that for male gadget geek!

mrb, thanks for the geeky advice! That sounds more like a good option for me but the portable GPS is a gift for my wife. Although she's not gadget-challenged (she's actually an EE), I have to apply the KISS principle with this device. Many times I can't reach her on her cell phone because she forgets to turn it back off "vibrate" mode and never hears my call. Also, I'm looking for a device with a large LCD. Appreciate the reply.

[Maryanne]

My husband just got the Garmin Street Pilot C550 for his truck. It works so much better than the expensive, factory-installed GPS in his car. Tells you which street to turn on, etc., vs the Infinit's "right turn ahead...

[Bob & Anita]

We have a Garmin Quest that we got about 3 years ago. We use it all the time in our own cars as well as rentals (business and vacation trips). We've used it on rental boats on two different occasions; once in the Keys and once in the Virgin Islands. We got the blue chart for the Virgin Island.

If we were buying today we go with one of the Garmin NUVI models.

A great place to buy is: http://www.gpsdiscount.com/

[Jerseyboy]

We have a Garmin Quest that we got about 3 years ago. We use it all the time in our own cars as well as rentals (business and vacation trips). We've used it on rental boats on two different occasions; once in the Keys and once in the Virgin Islands. We got the blue chart for the Virgin Island.

If we were buying today we go with one of the Garmin NUVI models.

A great place to buy is: http://www.gpsdiscount.com/

Bob and Anita,

Thank you for the information. I am leaning towards the Garmin Nuvi 750 and the site you mention does indeed have a great price. Thanks for the link.

[Ron_L]

My Blackberry 8703e has GPS built in. I use the Telenav software and it works great. It's $9.95 / month for the Telenav app and service.

I am looking at the new Intellinav 3. It has some new traffic monitoring capabilities and also have a pedestrian mode. A lot of GPS units only do routing for driving, which means that it will observe one way streets, etc. which don't matter if you are walking.