GPS Systems and Reviews

Travel Safely with Car Gps Navigation Systems

Whether you’re traveling to a friend’s house in the next town, or driving across the country, it is always a good idea to have as many travel resources handy as possible, that includes maps, water, extra blankets, flashlights, and a little food. It may seem to be an excessive thing to do, but you never know what situation you could end up in – caught in a storm or broken down on the side of the road. The more safety precautions you can take the better. The good news is, in addition to the normal precautions you can take advantage of, technology has taken the liberty of creating one more – car GPS navigation systems. Let’s learn more about them.

What Are They?

You may have heard of GPS systems either from an advertisement on television or from a friend who has gone out and bought one. In recent years, they have become very popular among everyday citizens because of the many advantages that provide. Where once they were pretty much only used by military officials, now they have been tailored to be of great benefit to civilians.

For example, if you getting ready to visit a restaurant on the other side of your town and you’re now sure exactly where it could be, instead of getting on the computer and visiting Google Maps, having to look up the addresses, then printing the map and directions, your in-car system will map the information for you and give you turn-by-turn directions similar to the Internet maps. The bonus, however is that you do it from the convenience of your car and don’t have to worry about your map blowing out of the window.

One thing you should know about these systems though is that car GPS navigation systems and the standard system I just described are slightly different. A navigation system, like the standard system, work from a satellite feed to provide real-time directions to its users. However, the standard version provides you a static map, whereas the navigation version actually gives you turn-by-turn directions as you head toward the location. It can also let you know when you’ve made a wrong turn. It is more interactive – and essentially a better purchase for someone who frequently gets lost when driving.  

Car GPS navigation systems are usually a part of the standard system, yet come with additional software that allow you to take advantage of the additional features. So when you invest in one of these devices, be sure that you’re prepared to spend a little bit more for the extra features.

What Brands are the Best?

As with any technological advancement, when it becomes popular, there will be the good, the bad, and the ugly versions placed onto the market – and it will be up to you to decide which ones are truly the best for your needs, and which are selling you a lot of features you don’t need. While I’m no supreme expert on car GPS navigation systems, I have done some research to guide you in the direction of the brands that have the best names in the industry, as well as what features they have that might suit your needs.

Garmin Nuvi 660 – Garmin is perhaps the most popular brand in car GPS navigation systems. They have been in business for almost 20 years creating electronic technology geared in this direction, so it is no surprise that they are able to create a system that stands out above the rest. In particular, their Nuvi 660 is high-performance and versatile with navigation basics (pictures of roads with turn-by-turn instructions), as well as tools for a person who travels the world, and Bluetooth options. It comes very highly recommended by experts and customers alike, but the only drawback for some would be the price, which falls into the $550-$700 range. Before you hash out that type of money, be sure you need all of the features advertised – you never know, you might find one that suits your needs for a lot less.
    
HP iPaq rx5900 Travel Companion – This device is a part of the Hewlett Packard collection of devices ranging from printers to computers. Their Travel Companion was created as an all-in-one solution that not only works to navigate you through your streets and neighborhoods with ease, but also keeps up with your schedule, working as a PDA. Many reviewers rave about its capabilities, also noting how compact and stylish it is compared to other devices on the market today.

Magellan Maestro 4250 – This is one of the mid-level car GPS navigation systems on the market (it doesn’t have top capabilities, but it certainly gets the job done). As with the Garmin, it gives you turn-by-turn navigation, which is great. But one of the other features that people love with this device is its voice command features. In addition, it is extremely accurate and performs well overall, making it a top pick among reviewers.

TomTom GO 720 – This is another one of the recommended car GPS navigation systems available. Like the HP Travel Companion, it is sleek and stylish, which works great if you want one that matches your stylish car. In addition, it has a Map Share community tool that provides you with constant map updates in real time. Also, it has a safety option included that allows you to seek help from your car in the event you have an emergency and are without a cell phone.

Mio C520 Navigation Receiver – Another sleek and stylish model, this device has advanced navigation features and a larger screen than most. It actually has more bang for the buck, offering these additional features at around $250-$350. However, in overall capabilities, some of the competition is more reliable and smooth.

Of course, there are more car GPS navigation systems on the market than these, but the ones listed have the best overall reputation and can provide a more reliable experience. But before you run out to buy one do additional research. There may be some car GPS navigation systems that look great, and even work great, but don’t suit your specific needs. And the last thing you need is to spend a few hundred dollars on something you really can’t use.

Tags: Advantage Of Technology, Blankets, Car Gps Navigation, Car Gps Navigation Systems, Car System, Civilians, Driving Across The Country, Everyday Citizens, Flashlights, Google, Google Maps, gps navigation systems, gps systems, Internet Maps, Little Food, Map And Directions, Military Officials, Navigation System, Safety Precautions, Satellite Feed, Travel Resources

Which are the Best Built-In Car GPS Devices?

Are you wondering whether you should spend your money on a car GPS system that is built right into the dashboard of your car instead of a portable device that sticks to you dashboard? Well you’re in the right place to determine not only what the benefits are of purchasing a built-in unit, but also which ones are most popular on the market today.

Built-In vs. Portable

The question many people have when they consider purchasing a car GPS system is whether they should go with built-in or portable. The answer differs depending on the consumer’s needs, so let’s go over some pros and cons that you might want to consider when thinking about purchasing either one.

Portable is … Portable – Many consumers love the idea that they can take their portable units out of their cars and move them to another car if necessary. This is one major selling point for the portable unit. You simply attach it to your dashboard when you’re using it, and remove it when you’re done. The second bonus of a device being portable is that if you want to upload mapping or navigation software, you can do it easily via its USB port.

Portable Units Don’t Offer Large HD Space – One bonus you will find with built-in units that you won’t see in most portable devices is the large hard drive. Some built-in units come with as much hard drive space as a PC, which means you can store a lot of information on your system. If this is important to you then you will want to look past the portable units.

Built-In Units Offer More Extras – One reason that customers enjoy built-in car GPS systems is their features – the main one being a bigger screen. While most portable units have smaller 3.5-inch screens, some built-in units can have screens as large as 7.5 inches allowing you to get a better view of the maps and text directions. In addition, many systems come with a DVD player or other entertainment features that you cannot get with the smaller portable unit.

Built-Ins Make Cars More Vulnerable – In an age where breaking into cars is as easy as breaking into your own bedroom, many consumers are leery about placing permanent systems into their vehicles because burglars can look right in and see what they want. The one plus of the system being built in is that it will be hard for them to take it out without effort, but this means you won’t be able to remove it to secure your device and vehicle if necessary – a luxury you get with the portable device.

The Best Devices

There are a handful of car GPS devices that top the list as those you would want to have placed in your vehicle. Let’s look at them more closely:

Pioneer AVIC-Z2 – This is a system that reviewers love because it is considered to be the ultimate in HDD navigation. It has a huge hard drive – 30 GB – which can easily rival many PCs on the market. But many more features follow this one great asset. For example, its processing speed is astounding, being able to deliver mapping and navigation information to you rapidly. Also, it offers a huge Tele Atlas that has over 12 million points of interest (POI) so that you can find a business or other public location without having to know the address. Some other features of this car GPS system include a huge music library, a large 7-inch screen, DVD playback, 3D landmark icons, point addressing, traffic flow lanes, iPod controls, Bluetooth compatibility, text-to-speech technology, and turn-by-turn voice instruction.

Panasonic Strada CN-NVD905U – Similar to the Pioneer device mentioned above, this one also offers a 7-inch screen and DVD player. In addition, it has an easy-to-understand LCD display as well as touchscreen control with audio. You can enjoy a picture as sharp as your television set so that you can not only see great map images, but also enjoy your movies, making this device one that makes being in your car as comfortable as being in your home.

When you’re ready to get out and buy your built-in car GPS it is important to consider a few more things. One is that many systems are available with the purchase of a new car, so before you spend money buying a new system for your car, consider whether you could save by having one come with a new car you are thinking of purchasing. These car GPS systems are a little bit pricier than most portable units, so you have to make sure that you will get the most out of your purchase.

Tags: Bonus, Car Gps System, Car Gps Systems, Consumers, Dashboard, Drive Space, Dvd Player, Entertainment Features, gps navigation systems, gps systems, Hard Drive, Hd Space, Inch Screens, Love, Many People, Maps, Money System, Navigation Software, Pros And Cons, Purchasing A Car, Space One, Text Directions