[MRM]

A few years ago my wife bought me a Magellen and I really liked it, but it literally fell apart in less than a year. It was an early model and was huge and cluncky, and apparently not destined to last long. but I really liked it.

This year I bought a Tom Tom 1 series because it was cheap and offered some features. I figured they were all pretty much the same. In retrospect I wish I had not bought a Tom Tom and I wish I spent a little more. Apparently there are two competing map making companies in the world. One is better in the US, the other is better in Europe. Tom Toms uses the one that is better in Europe, and the mapping software is not as good as the competitors. It always gets me there, but it routinely takes me the long way. It's calculations of what the "fastest" way to get somewhere is often strange at best. I would stick with the companies that use the other routing software. Do a web search and you should see what I mean. Mine also takes a long time to cycle up. It's frustrating when you want to take off in an unframiliar area and you need the GPS to tell you which way to start. Or it loses contact with the satelite and you're wondering where the next turn is.

Get one that announces the street by name. It really makes a difference. Spend the extra to get the best maps available and the better software. Nothing is more frustrating than counting on your GPS and getting almost, but not quite where you want to go. If you pay more to get what you really need you'll get a better value for your money.

Check out Tigerdirect.com They usually have the best prices on the web.