GPS Units

Getting a bit ... uh ... lost in Maine reminded me that I should probably invest in a GPS unit for my car.

My friend boskene tells me that the StreetPilot c330 is pretty easy to use. Ryan points out that software will be available in December for the Nokia N810. This could be the excuse I need to buy a N810. Plus, I can use it for more than just navigation.

Any of you out there using a GPS unit that you totally love and can recommend?

EDIT: For clarification

Comments

[Brad Johnson]

I thought very hard about such a unit. I ultimately invested in a smart-phone that was capable of utilizing the signal from a bluetooth GPS receiver. This gives me lots of options for maps and directions as well as the ability to utilize it while on foot or in any car. Some phones have a GPS receiver built-in (such as the iPhone).

[Paul Cartwright]

I have the Garmin C340 and LOVE IT! I took it to New Orleans a few weeks ago and never got lost. It took us from Athens, GA to New orleans, took us all over the city, even the zoo, and took us back a different way when I asked to go by way of Macon, to avoid Atlanta traffic on Friday evening. I'm just sorry I waited so long to get it.

[claydoh]

Wow, we only have about 16 (paved) roads here in Maine :)
But seriously, a gps unit is a very nice thing to have up here due to the general lack of road markers/steet signs on those 16 roads.

[nixternal]

TomTom One XL. Thank you Holiday Inn points! :) It is fairly inexpensive, but it does everything I want out of a GPS unit. We just had the extension to one of our main highways in Chicago open up, and before it was even open, TomTom knew about it, but would still bypass it in the directions. The day it opened, TomTom took me down it. Really impressed with it.

[Chuck]

I'm not a fan of Garmins in general. Every time that I've had them in a rental car it's been less than a favorable experience. I've had multiple times where the Garmins have taken me entirely in the wrong direction, unable to find the location of places that have existed for decades, and recalculation has lagged causing me to miss the next best or second best routes if I miss the first turn indicated.

I wound up purchasing a TomTom One XL a few months ago and overall am very happy with it. I get very good directions and it recalculates the routes quickly. Like any of them though, if you know the area you'll find the device gives you a bit of a run around.

I had one issue when doing a firmware upgrade that lost all the preinstalled POIs in the device. However they support people worked with me on several solution paths and ultimately RMAed it for me. I sent it the device in and had the replacement within about a week and a half.

[Mark Wyatt]

I have two: A TomTom One and GPS software and a TomTom add-on for my Nokia 6630 mobile 'phone (a symbian OS phone). I'm happy with both; the TomTom interface is pretty good (although they do hide too much under preferences) and the stand-alone One is a Linux box, albeit a small one. The minor issue that I have are: - cold start time (time to get a fix from satellites, having no worthwhile previous position) is a bit slow, partic in urban canyon situations. The external GPS unit is worse than the One, but both could be quicker. - for the One, its a bit heavy to carry around, with all the rest of my junk, for use when walking having left the car (and, if you are parking somewhere unfamiliar, the idea of marking the location of your car so you can find it again is a good one). Hence the 6630 (well, that and a local dealer was selling old kits cheaply) - For the 6630, the screen is a bit small for in car use (but, that doesn't affect the spoken instructions) - For the 6630 (but not the external GPS unit), battery life is really rather short with the TomTom software running. Not an issue in the car where you can use a cigar-lighter charger, but is an issue for walking. You have to keep switching the TomTom software on and off. Not an issue if you remember. Additionally, there is no obvious indication of whether the TomTom software is on or not. - for the One, the screen mount sometimes falls off the screen. Distracting if you are going round a corner at the time. - standard One software has no speed camera alerts (but the 6630 does). Important here (UK)! - Neither has traffic congestion redirection. Here many of the redirection systems don't work particularly well, so I was a bit nervous about spending significant money on that, but it would be nice to have a redirection system that worked. In the end, I just got bored with going to 'new' places and getting to the general area on time, or even early, but losing it in the last mile or two. Frustrating and stressing and I can live without the stress.

[Shane]

I'm also looking for a decent GPS unit, but have not heard a popular opinion on which brand makes the best products or even just a no-risk option that may exist. I'll keep checking for any new comments on this post!

[Markus Majer]

I can recommend the Keomo Solar MTK Bluetooth GPS device.

It has a very long battery life and its battery life will go near endless if you have much sun and good weather because it has a solar panel.

Additional, it has a Logger, so you dont need a PC - you can also let the device log your route and later download it on your PC.

Also it uses a MTK chipset which can catch up to 32 channels and is very fast in reconnecting if you drive trough a tunnel etc.

I tested very much of these devices and stuck with this one.

Maybe its called otherwise in your country but it has a very unique look so you should find the right equivalent.

And it works very good at Ubuntu :)

[Shane]

I went ahead and got the tomtom one xl s. It seems many people think this is a solid product and it looked good to me! Newegg's got a good deal on it with a $100 rebate.