In this article, Im going to give you an overview of GPS products,
what they do and about how much they run. Ill also compare several of
the top models. With that information, youll be able to more easily pick
the right product for you.
Just so you know, Garmin is not the
only GPS manufacturer out there. The two other industry leaders are
Magellan and Tom Tom. There are many other manufacturers of GPS systems
besides these three. They make good products, but I guess Im a little
biased toward industry leaders when it comes to electronic gadgets.
If
you want to know more about Tom Toms and Magellans products, stay
tuned. I write a lot about GPS devices, and Im sure Ill have overviews
of their lines coming soon.
Back to Garmin.
Before we launch
into a discussion of Garmin products, lets talk about what GPS
receivers do, what basic features you can expect from any manufacturer,
and what are the upgrades.
Basic features of any after-market, GPS system:
* Touch screen map with 2d and 3d views
* Auto-calculation of routes, fastest or shortest
* Database of Point of Interest (POIs)
* Pre-loaded with maps
Usually,
you get a few more standard bells and whistles, such as digital picture
viewer capability, and audiobook capability. Its all according to the
manufacturer.
Main Upgrades are:
* 4.3-inch, widescreen
* Saying street names
* More maps
* Much larger database of POIs
* Bluetooth integration
* Real-time traffic and weather
* Multiple route calculation
GPS Comparison
Garmins
GPS systems are priced competitively with Magellans and Tom Toms. All
three of these manufacturers have base models that start around $150.
With Garmin, their introductory model is the Nuvi 200, which has all the
basic features I mentioned above. In comparison, the Nuvi 200 does
about the same thing as the Magellan Maestro 3100 and the Tom Tom One.
If
you want more bells and whistles, you can upgrade to the Garmin Nuvi
350. With the 350 you get more maps, more POIs, and real-time traffic
capability. Currently the Nuvi 350 runs around $200. This would be
approximately comparable to the Magellan Maestro 3250, which does
essentially the same for essentially the same price.
Garmin has
two popular series of automotive, after-market GPS systems, the Nuvi and
the older StreetPilot. The Nuvis are sleeker than the StreetPilots. The
StreetPilots, however, offer a few features that the Nuvis do not.
Garmins
top of the line Nuvi is the 770, which comes with everything--maps of
the United States, Canada, and Europe, real-time traffic, Bluetooth, and
more. Currently the Nuvi 770 runs around $600. If you want to switch to
their StreetPilot line, you can get what might be considered the most
fully featured automotive GPS device on the market, the StreetPilot
7500. This baby does it all--and its going to set you back a cool
$1,000. (But for the size of the screen and the features, its worth it!)
Conclusion
Im not saying you have to buy a Garmin. Magellan and Tom Tom make great GPS devices. But Garmin is the industry leader, by far!
To learn more about GPS devices, what they do and how much they cost, you need an informative website.
In
this article, Im going to give you an overview of GPS products, what
they do and about how much they run. Ill also compare several of the top
models. With that information, youll be able to more easily pick the
right product for you.
Just so you know, Garmin is not the only
GPS manufacturer out there. The two other industriousness leaders are
Magellan and Tom Tom. There are many other manufacturers of GPS systems
as well these three. They make good products, but I guess Im a little
slanted toward industry leaders when it comes to electronic gadgets.
If
you want to know more about Tom Toms and Magellans products, stay
tuned. I write a lot about GPS devices, and Im sure Ill have overviews
of their lines climax soon.
Back to Garmin.
Before we found
into a treatment of Garmin products, lets talk about what GPS receivers
do, what basic features you can ask from any manufacturer, and what are
the upgrades.
Basic features of any after-market, GPS system:
* Touch screen map with 2d and 3d views
* Auto-calculation of routes, fastest or shortest
* Database of Point of Interest (POIs)
* Pre-loaded with maps
Usually,
you get a few more standard bells and whistles, such as digital
painting viewer capability, and audiobook capability. Its all according
to the manufacturer.
Main Upgrades are:
* 4.3-inch, widescreen
* Saying street names
* More maps
* Much larger database of POIs
* Bluetooth integration
* Real-time traffic and weather
* Multiple route calculation
GPS Comparison
Garmins
GPS systems are priced competitively with Magellans and Tom Toms. All
three of these manufacturers have base models that start around $150.
With Garmin, their introductory model is the Nuvi 200, which has all the
basic features I mentioned above. In comparison, the Nuvi 200 does
about the same thing as the Magellan Maestro 3100 and the Tom Tom One.
If
you want more bells and whistles, you can upgrade to the Garmin Nuvi
350. With the 350 you get more maps, more POIs, and real-time traffic
capability. Currently the Nuvi 350 runs around $200. This would be
approximately comparable to the Magellan Maestro 3250, which does
essentially the same for essentially the same price.
Garmin has
two pop serial publication of automotive, after-market GPS systems, the
Nuvi and the older StreetPilot. The Nuvis are sleeker than the
StreetPilots. The StreetPilots, however, offer a few features that the
Nuvis do not.
Garmins top of the line Nuvi is the 770, which comes
with everything--maps of the United States, Canada, and Europe,
real-time traffic, Bluetooth, and more. Currently the Nuvi 770 runs
about $600. If you want to switch to their StreetPilot line, you can get
what might be considered the most fully featured automotive GPS device
on the market, the StreetPilot 7500. This baby does it all--and its
going to set you back a cool $1,000. (But for the size of the projection
screen and the features, its worth it!)
Conclusion
Im not
saying you have to buy a Garmin. Fernao Magalhaes and Tom Tom make great
GPS devices. But Garmin is the industry leader, by far!
To learn more about GPS devices, what they do and how much they cost, you need an informative website.
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