automotive portable GPS... any recommendations

[jcampbell (Jeffrey Campbell, CMI)]

I think the text to speach is the big difference between the c330 and c340

[mcyr (Marcel Cyr, CMI)]

Yeah, Jeff, You just get yelled at more when you mess up. ha. ha.

Marcel

[lkage (Larry Kage, CMI)]

@jfunderburk

If you don’t have vision problems, the screen size isn’t important. As a matter of fact, a large screen can be a safety issue because it is enticing to watch the screen, when you should be watching the road. I have a Garmin Street Pilot with text-to-speach. I don’t have to do anything but listen to that Austrailian girl guide me home. I like the small screen of my system, because it doesn’t comsume too much windshield space.

Yes, ours talks to us too and I like to touch forward a few turns sometimes to see what’s coming up.

I never had anything but perfect vision, Joe, then my arms don’t seem long enough the last 6 months or so.

[whandley (Will Handley)]

@jcampbell

trying not to brake the bank for something i get by without right now… it will make life easier but trying to keep it 200-300 range… Tom Tom, Garmin, Magellan all have versions for that rate…

what is speach to text?

Magellan 1200 series. I bought each of the kids and myself one for Christmas, $139.00 at Circuit City.

[dvalley (David Valley, License #566 - CMI)]

TOM TOMis the best on the market. Take it out of the box, press “ON” and you’re ready to go.

It does everything except _ _ _ _ _ _.

[jcampbell (Jeffrey Campbell, CMI)]

wtf… is that in Euros? wtf… does TomTom convert Euros to US Dollars?

I really looked at tom toms as well dave… the text to speach upgrade really drove up the price on the toms…

[dvalley (David Valley, License #566 - CMI)]

@jcampbell

wtf… is that in Euros? wtf… does TomTom convert Euros to US Dollars?

I really looked at tom toms as well dave… the text to speach upgrade really drove up the price on the toms…

Jeff,

You don’t need the cream of the crop on the TOM TOM.

Purchase the basic and that’s all you need. You don’t need text conversions. It talks to you while you’re driving. I picked some female voice that sounded pretty good. It gets me everywhere. I love it.

[jcampbell (Jeffrey Campbell, CMI)]

i was just joking dave… the website prices were all in Euros or something… not sure…

yep… looking for basic, but i was leaning towards the text to speech so it would actually say “turn left on ELM Street”… the lower end Tom Toms dont do this… am i correct?

[Adam_Veitenheimer]

i just picked up the microsoft streets and trips 2008 it runs about 150.00 new and comes with gps, you would just have to have ur laptop in the car, the only difference with this to other programs is there is more options as far as planning your whole day, it tells you at ur imprinted lunch time whats in the area to get someothing to eat, things like that, really cool, look up a review on it…

[dvalley (David Valley, License #566 - CMI)]

@jcampbell

i was just joking dave… the website prices were all in Euros or something… not sure…

yep… looking for basic, but i was leaning towards the text to speech so it would actually say “turn left on ELM Street”… the lower end Tom Toms dont do this… am i correct?

As far as I’m concerned, all the TOM TOM’s have the voice prompt.

[ldapkus (Linas Dapkus, CMI)]

@Adam Veitenheimer

i just picked up the microsoft streets and trips 2008 it runs about 150.00 new and comes with gps, you would just have to have ur laptop in the car, the only difference with this to other programs is there is more options as far as planning your whole day, it tells you at ur imprinted lunch time whats in the area to get someothing to eat, things like that, really cool, look up a review on it…

What about annual updates? Does it have Bluetooth capabilities to say link to your sked on you PDA?? Make a handsfree call??

[jcampbell (Jeffrey Campbell, CMI)]

@dvalley

As far as I’m concerned, all the TOM TOM’s have the voice prompt.

i think they do dave except they do not recognize street names and state them… the more expensive models have text to speech, but the lower end do not…

I really like the Tom Toms… and Garmins…

[jcampbell (Jeffrey Campbell, CMI)]

this is the model garmin i was looking at… nice video at tigerdirect also…

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3521328&body=MAIN

this is the model Tom Tom (Similar price)

http://www.staples.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StaplesProductDisplay?&langId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10051&productId=195197&cmArea=SC3:CG59:CL140774#desclink

[jcampbell (Jeffrey Campbell, CMI)]

ok… so here goes… i do a lot of business with staples… so when they had a sale on for the Navigon 2100… i was hmmmm let me look… sale down to 119.99… then they offered me a 20.00 coupon for 100.00+ purhases… hmmm… so i figured why not try it! I bought the 2100, online, delivered to my door the next day… no shipping charges…

http://www.staples.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StaplesProductDisplay?&langId=-1&storeId=10001&noredir=true&catalogId=10051&productId=196105&cmArea=SC3:CG59:CL140774

I have to say it is not too bad… I figured i would give it a couple weeks and see how it works… I am still working out the bugs but i think i have gotten it… seems very accurate… if i don’t like, i can send back… but for half the price of the Garmin and a third of the TomTom… i figure i could not lose… funny thing… if i wanted the 2 year extended policy, 49.99!!! :shock: wtf… it only cost me 99.99 for the unit!!! :roll: