Gps

[Howard Agency]

I have a Costco gift cert burning a hole in my pocket and want to get a GPS. Will be for the car and road trips. Need big screen for my old eyes, and ease of use is a big plus. Advice?
GPS

[RickM]

I'm a Garmin StreetPilot fan. Lots of features to consider. Also, the ease in updating maps. The 7200 has a nice big screen and a slot for an SD card.
If you don't need real time traffic or directions then you'll save money...both in up-front cost and monthly fees. The 2720 has these capabilities but the 2720 and 2620 do not. Unfortunately Costco doesn't carry.

[Jims5543]

avoid the Magellan 300 series they are not good. The 700 series is a lot like the Hertz Neverlost line.

I have the 700 and it is awesome. I have heard good things about the Garmin too.

[Joeaksa]

Another Garmin fan. Looked at them all then bought the Street Pilot 111 4 years ago. Love it still and never drive any trip without it. Now they have a newer version and they are even better.

Garmin's customer support is excellent. Magellan's is not very good. I have a smaller Mag hand held GPS and the GPS forum's that I am on tell a "night and day" story.

If Costco does not carry the Garmins now, use the gift card on something else and get a Garmin. You will be happy you did.

[Don Plumley]

Have a Garmin C330 and am a big fan. When I buy another one I'll get the new Nuvi - very portable and sleek on top of great software and a smooth UI:

[fastpat]

Originally posted by Howard Agency
I have a Costco gift cert burning a hole in my pocket and want to get a GPS. Will be for the car and road trips. Need big screen for my old eyes, and ease of use is a big plus. Advice?
GPS

We have a Garmin 2610 for just the use you are thinking about. In fact, my wife likes it so much, it stays in her car all the time. It's first class, uses Compactflash memory cards which are readily available and cheap. You connect it to your computer, only PC so far, and load your map sets, routes if you want, and you're set. 1gb's will hold about 80% of the land area of the USA, more memory space is required for densely populated areas such as LA or NYC, but larger map sets slow it down some, that applies to any GPS mapping unit though. The touch screen redraws very rapidly, we've used ours for two years now without significant issues. I have a connectors hard wired into my pickup truck which is a very clean installation, using a Garmin wiring harness for motocycle installations.


You can find them on eBay, or at http://www.gps4fun.com .

[Howard Agency]

Thanks, all. I ordered the Nuvi. Built in translator, MP3 etc. Good tip Don, should have expected same from another FSM guy.
User report to follow.

[911boost]

I like the Garmin also. I have an Etrex Legend C for use when camping and riding the dirtbike. I have doewn a good job at getting myself lost without it.

Bill

[RickM]

Originally posted by Howard Agency
Thanks, all. I ordered the Nuvi. Built in translator, MP3 etc. Good tip Don, should have expected same from another FSM guy.
User report to follow.

Hmm, I thought a big screen was important to you. I pretty much like a big screen as well. Will be interesting to see how you like the Nuvi.

[red-beard]

While I love my Magellan 700 (1 big Harddisk with all of the US, Canada and Europe, no need for cards), the drawback is that Magellan does not sell maps of Mexico for it. Garmin, you can get maps of Mexico.

[Emission]

I've got a Garmin iQue 3600 - a great Palm/GPS unit (but not for weak eyes).

For the holidays, I got my mom a new Garmin Streetpilot - it rocks, even to her "uncomputerliterate" self... it is the bomb!

Meet me for coffee, and I can show it to you!

[Howard Agency]

Pretty much decided against the 7" screen when I couldn't figure out where to put it.