Navigation GPS Systems

Replying to: nortsr1 (May 28, 2009 6:29 am)

Replies to this message:
• tmart (May 31, 2009 8:22 pm)
  • bodble2 (May 31, 2009 8:29 pm)
• ateixeira (Jun 02, 2009 10:45 am)

Have been tempted by all the Best Buy ads to upgrade to a newer and better Nuvi (even though I don't really need one! ). Can anyone comment on the usefulness of the following features:
 
4.3" vs. 3.5" screen (a friend of mine says the bigger screen makes no difference since you're perpetually only interested in limited scope of view anyway. ie. the road and intersection coming up, and the bigger screen is not going to give you more pertinent details);
 
Bluetooth;
Lane Assist;
3-D view;
FM (don't most cars have FM already?!;
Traffic (the consensus seems to be this is not useful)
 
Any advice would be much appreciated.

Replies to this message:
• ateixeira (Jun 02, 2009 10:58 am)
  • bodble2 (Jun 02, 2009 2:16 pm)
    • ateixeira (Jun 03, 2009 11:10 am) and 5 more...
  • robr2 (Jun 03, 2009 9:51 am)

Replying to: bodble2 (May 31, 2009 5:19 pm)

Replies to this message:
• bodble2 (May 31, 2009 8:29 pm)

Replying to: tmart (May 31, 2009 8:22 pm)

Replying to: bodble2 (May 31, 2009 5:19 pm)

Replying to: bodble2 (May 31, 2009 5:26 pm)

I'll comment on some of those features:
 
4.3" vs. 3.5": I like the big screens. It's not so much for the map display (I use Direction up, so that only adds map data so the sides), it's for the bigger keyboard when you enter street names. My 260w even has a QWERTY keyboard, which is a lot nicer than the ABCD type.
 
Bluetooth: I don't get why this would be that helpful, please enlighten me, oh BlueTooth Fairy.
 
Why would you want to shout at your windshield when you can just use your speakerphone, which is much closer? The Nuvi's speakers are not particularly high quality, worse than the old StreetPilot c340 I have. Maybe to link the POI database to your phone, to call ahead to make a restaurant reservation? I have wanted that feature exactly zero times. If you do use your phone to call POI entries from your GPS, then it could come in handy.
 
Lane Assist: haven't sampled it but this has potential. I simply look at the maps to see which way the exit goes, left, right, sharp or gradual, so I don't think I've ever missed a lane with my GPS. I have missed a lane *without* my GPS, ironically the last time that happened was when I drove to Costco to buy my 3rd unit.
 
I think it would be handy if you live in an area with complicated intersections, like Pentagon City in Arlington, VA, or the mixing bowl, or the NYC area.
 
FM probably is to let the sound be broadcast to your car stereo at a certain frequency (e.g. 88.1 FM). The speakers are better, but you'll get static, and as you drive stations may interfere, so I'd pass. We have a DVD player that uses FM and I got a cable so we don't need to hear all that interference.
 
Traffic - while reviews I've seen were so-so, due to outdated information, this does have a lot of potential. Garbage in, garbage out, but if the service improves I'd want this feature.
 
I was close, very close, to choosing a 265wt model, but I settled for the 260w instead for about $80 less. I didn't think I'd use anything but the traffic, and I'm yet to be convinced it's accurate and timely enough to be truly useful.
 
Good luck.

Replies to this message:
• bodble2 (Jun 02, 2009 2:16 pm)
  • ateixeira (Jun 03, 2009 11:10 am)
    • fezo (Jun 03, 2009 12:07 pm) and 4 more...
• robr2 (Jun 03, 2009 9:51 am)

Replying to: ateixeira (Jun 02, 2009 10:58 am)

Thanks for your insightful comments. Really appreciate it.
 
Re: the lane assist, I haven't seen a unit with it in action, but I'm thinking if it displays the multiple-lane off ramps, then that would help me decide ahead of time if I would need to risk life and limp crossing 4 lanes of traffic to make the next exit ramp!

Replies to this message:
• ateixeira (Jun 03, 2009 11:10 am)
  • fezo (Jun 03, 2009 12:07 pm)
    • robr2 (Jun 04, 2009 7:22 am) and 3 more...