GPS Reviews : A Quick Guide to GPS Navigation Systems
I’ve written hundreds of GPS reviews. One of the big questions I get from people is that the market place is so complex, it’s hard for them to figure out what they want to buy. I always try to make my reviews non-jargony (if that’s a word). I guess non-technical would be better. So, in this review, I want to give you some sense of what GPS systems do, what they’re basic features are and what you have to pay more for.
All GPS systems show you where you are on a set of electronic map, and they tell you how to get to where you want to go via some sort of voice instructions. All of the newer systems have a pre-programmed database of popular destinations—called Points of Interest, or POI’s. The cheaper systems have a million or so POI’s. The more expensive ones have over six million.
You can get just this for much less than $200. The Garmin nuvi 200 can do all of this and more for about $150. The Tom Tom One XL, which not only does this but also have Bluetooth for hands-free calling, will only set you back about $180. Magellan also has a few offerings in the under $200 range. You can get a Magellan Maestro 3100 for just over $100!
All three of these companies make great products, and all of the models I just mentioned are excellent. But for the prices these things are selling for, you surely might be able to afford more! No article focusing on GPS reviews would be complete without telling you about the whole market.
So, let’s look at what you can buy in the middle price ranges. Say, under $350.
For less than $350, you can get a Garmin 660 with Bluetooth and the wide, 4.3-inch screen. Or you can get the Tom Tom GO 720. Or the Magellan Maestro 4220. All three of these are roughly compatible.
GPS reviews can only do so much. What you need now is to get on an informative online retailer’s site and check out these products for yourself. My link to Amazon, here, will take you to their GPS page. From there you can explore all you want.
