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Automotive News & Views Navigation GPS Systems
1753 messages, Last post on Dec 01, 2009 at 12:23 PM
You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires
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Replying to: ateixeira (Sep 02, 2008 9:26 am) It worked well getting me from Dulles to northwest Virginia. I routed myself on the back roads to avoid the interstate and I didn't miss a turn. Your comment about the "toll" road being free heading toward Dulles helped me get back to the rental car lot too.  I can see where having a bigger screen on the dash somewhere would be good. I didn't want to stick my hands through the steering wheel while driving around to type in a POI or zoom in or out.
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Replying to: steve_ (Sep 10, 2008 7:38 am) |
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Anyone have input on the Sony model? Not sure of the model number but it was wide screen, I saw it at a local costco for ~$250. Seemed like a good price for a wide screen GPS unit. I have an magellan roadmate 360 - however I don't want to pay to update the maps.
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Replying to: murphydog (Sep 16, 2008 6:39 pm) http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11294330&whse=BC&Ne=5000002+400- 0000&eCat=BC|79|4842&N=4001412%204294908475&Mo=6&No=3&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ns=P_P- rice|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C&topnav= I sampled an earlier model at the Sony store at a mall in my area, and was not impressed with the interface. It was a bit cumbersome to use, took me a while before I could it to show my address. See if you have any Sony stores in your area, if so you can sample it first. |
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I treated myself to a Mio Moov 200 for my birthday. The 3.5" screen seems to be big enough and clear enough to read, where I have it mounted on the dashboard. It comes with TTS which seems to work well, it did get tripped up on a local road name but it's certainly understandable. It referred to Lead Mine Road (pronounced LED) as LEED Mine road. My son thought it was hilarious. My wife was impressed, we had to go to downtown Raleigh to an area I hadn't been before. The GPS unit announced that our address was to the right, just as we pulled in front of the building. We'll give it our first real test this weekend as we visit the in-laws in Chincoteague VA
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Replying to: crkeehn (Oct 09, 2008 12:08 pm) Reminds me of how the Aussie lady on my Garmin says bat-TREE instead of battery. Let me know how that goes. I considered a Mio but got cold feet on the day of purchase because the demo unit at Circuit City malfunctioned. It was well priced, though.
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Replying to: ateixeira (Oct 10, 2008 10:31 am) It was easy to set up and seems to be very responsive and accurate. So far I'm very pleased with it.
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Replying to: crkeehn (Oct 11, 2008 12:01 am) I'll be near there next weekend. My work retreat is in Cambridge, MD, on the 15-17, and then I will spend that following weekend on Ocean City. Say hi to the wild ponies.
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So I got to see one of these in person today (anyone have one yet?). This is basically the Google phone, which runs Android, an open operating system that basically lets anyone develop their own applications for it. The one I played with had Google maps and knew exactly where I was, accurate to about 5 feet or so (good enough for street mapping). Google earth was pretty cool. I saw the satellite view. The T-Mobile rep told me it could do directions, but the default program did not include audio instructions. That's something I'm sure an application will solve if it hasn't already. The screen was a pretty good size, though not as big as my Nuvi 200W (about 4.4" on that one). It's also not nearly as easy to use, though the Nuvi is purpose-built and does only one thing - Navigate. I liked it, but didn't fall in love. I think I'm going to wait-and-see. To be honest I'm not getting it for different reasons (no enterprise e-mail yet, no flat-fee international data plan), but I will follow developments to see if someone writes a killer GPS app for it. The device uploaded some YouTube clips amazingly well, about as quickly as my PC does (using a wi-fi connection). Wow. The out-of-box NAV application needs work, though.
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I have a Garmin GPS that I bought a little over a year ago. My maps are now "outdated" and it wants me to pay to upgrade them. I haven't and don't see the point. I doubt enough new roads and highways were built for it to make a difference. . Plus, it doesn't even seem that "updated" figuring I'm familiar with shortcuts that it doesn't know and tries to tell me to turn around. It also has some pretty stupid directions and tries to get me off the highway to take a main route to where I need to go..or take a main route with lots of traffic and stop lights..when I can simply stay on the highway. Just makes no sense sometimes. My only options for settings are "fastest distance" or "Shorter route" and both get stupid. It also wants me to drive through neighborhoods to save seconds. Is there a GPS with better options? If so, like what? Rhode Island to West Hartford CT for instance. It wants me to take Route 6 all the way. Despite what Google and GPS say, this would take about another hour because this is a street, average speed limit 45 and traffic lights. I went this way once and I'd never do it again. It was horrible. I take Route 6 to 395 to Route 2 and I'm there in about an hour and 45 minutes/80 miles. GPS and Google claim that I would save 10 miles by taking the road..which isn't significant enough for me to care especially when I know it adds on about an hour in time. Another problem I have in bigger cities like Boston or Hartford and "downtown" like areas are that the streets are so close together that by the time it tells you which turn to take, it's too late. And the WORST and biggest problem I have when this happens is by the time it reroutes to tell you which turn to take..AGAIN you are right in front of it and passing it and it's too late. And these are areas with one ways and congested streets and don't have enough parking lots for you to easily get into and turn around to get to that right street. And then have to do it again during the next screw up. I've resorted to keeping my laptop in my car (Google Earth) and also having the directions written because sometimes I can glance and read quicker than the GPS locates a street. My Question - Is there a GPS that would be better in cities like that or is this a satelite issue and they'd all do it?
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