GPS Question

[Maritime Q-Scout]

I'm going to be getting my parents a GPS for Christmas. I currently have the Garmin Nuvi 260 on layaway. One of the main reasons I wanted the Nuvi 260 was the Text-to-Speach feature, which I think will be a great help for the elders of the family (don't tell mom I called her an elder ;))

Looking around I see that the MIO C230S is considerably cheaper than the Nuvi 260. Features wise they both work for me.

Anyone have any experience with either? I like the on screen guide better on the Nuvi, but the menu better on the MIO. I guess I'm asking if anyone's had any problems with either, if you're framiliar. Both are on sale right now, I don't want to get one then exchange it for the other after Christmas when the other's price goes back up.

Garmin's are more popular from what I see, but I don't want to be paying solely for Garmin's market share either.

[Titan]

I was thinking of the same for the inlaws and have not started any research. Why did you pick the ones you did? Did you look at the tomtom? Why or why not? Thanks.

[Incinerator]

I got a TomTom One 3rd edition and it's been working well for me...

[photon]

Yeah I just ordered a TomTom for $130 last night for my wife. I didn't do a whole lot of research but it seemed to be a fairly straight forward device and I didn't think we'd need all the fancy features (though text to speech seems to be something worth while if you can get it, but I couldn't find a good price for anything like that).

[Wookie]

I need to buy one for my brother. It has to do Europe too!

Any recommendations? I was debating starting a thread like this for a week. But kept forgetting, hoping to not derail thread, more to add additional opinions. Pay attention to MQS first ;)

[GrrlGoalie33]

I need to buy one for my brother. It has to do Europe too!



Don't have any specific suggestions, but if you want one that does NA and Europe too, you'll have to get one with expandable memory through either SD or Micro SD.

[lifer]

Yeah I just ordered a TomTom for $130 last night for my wife. I didn't do a whole lot of research but it seemed to be a fairly straight forward device and I didn't think we'd need all the fancy features (though text to speech seems to be something worth while if you can get it, but I couldn't find a good price for anything like that).
I am considering getting one for my girlfriend but I haven't had time to do much research. I was looking at a few in that price range but I wasn't sure how the updates work. Is this unit one that you can download updates from the internet with or do you have to purchase updates?

[Maritime Q-Scout]

I actually do know quite a bit about GPS, not an insane amount, but features, how to use them etc. I'm currently working in an electronics store that sells them. The thing is I'd like to get some people who've used them and know their ups and downs. I've got some reviews, as well as playing with them inside the store (which doesn't let me see how they work when receiving satellite signal).

Few things:

1 - Garmin are really easy to use, I like their on screen guide, and the name is one of the top, if not the top in the business. I've been told Air Canada Jazz uses them in their planes.

2 - The only MIO I've used had problems with it. While using the system was easy enough, there was a problem with the unit itself, which makes me leery, even though it's the only problem I've seen with any GPS unit.


3 - The TomTom suction, well sucked. Not in a good way. It wouldn't stay stuck to the casing, which threw me off of them. I haven't seen them in ages (sold out for weeks) I don't think it had Text-to-Speach, a feature I was looking for. Maybe it was Bluetooth, something I was originally looking for, but then opted against due to a much higher cost for Bluetooth & Text-to-Speech in the same unit. When I made that decision the TomTom's were gone.

The only real reason I posted is that I want to hear good experiences about the MIO.

[photon]

I am considering getting one for my girlfriend but I haven't had time to do much research. I was looking at a few in that price range but I wasn't sure how the updates work. Is this unit one that you can download updates from the internet with or do you have to purchase updates?

Not sure actually, good question.

[Barnes]

Does TomTom have a subscription fee?

[lifer]

...

The only real reason I posted is that I want to hear good experiences about the MIO.
Yeah, sorry about turning your thread into a "GPS questions" thread. I've been waiting for a GPS thread to pop up for weeks so I could ask my questions. I guess I wasn't the only one. Sorry I can't help you.

[Wookie]

Yeah, sorry about turning your thread into a "GPS questions" thread. I've been waiting for a GPS thread to pop up for weeks so I could ask my questions. I guess I wasn't the only one. Sorry I can't help you.

Hmmm, any more suggestions for a World one that would work?

[Ironhorse]

Hmmm, any more suggestions for a World one that would work?The Garmin Nuvi 370 has both NA as well as European maps built in.

[Ro]

I have heard, through word of mouth, that updates to Garmin's models are free through their website, whereas TomTom's are not.

Can anyone confirm that?

[McG]

i bought an hp pda 5500 series which is windows mobile 5 and comes with tomtom gps on it. its great. everywhere i go i take it.

i also have gps on my two blackberries (please not to ask hehheh) and the text to speech is hugely helpful.

i bought my wife a nuvi 660 and it has an fm transmitter in it. when combined with the sdram slot, it makes the nuvi a gps mp3 player. it also has text to speech, but it actually reads the street name. so where the hp says "turn right", the nuvi says "turn right on glenmore trail" which really helps for driving. you basically put it on, listen to music, and it will pause the music, give you the directions, and then keep playing. its sweet.

the nuvi 660 is on sale at costco.ca right now. its not cheap but my wife loves it.

[photon]

Well there are updates free from TomTom for the One I just got, but there seems to be other maps available for purchase as well, I don't know if those are better maps, updated maps, or what.

My home street isn't on the map either way, but it's not on Google maps either so I assume TeleAtlas doesn't have it yet.

[greerb]

If the nuvi can perform as well as my old GPSV and 60CSX handhelds, I would not pass it up. Oh one other thing alot of the newer developments may not be on the maps yet, but IIRC that all of the GPS systems have this problem. For inner-city and develpoments that have been around for 5+ years they work great, all of the companies are a little behind on the maping due to growth.