GPS Systems and Reviews

GPS Systems Information

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reviews of handheld gps systems

Understanding and using reviews of handheld gps systems

reviews of handheld gps systems

Reviews of handheld gps systems are a great way to learn about them.  By reading them you can learn the good points and the bad points of some models.  You can also learn what to watch for when it comes time to shop for your own.  Yet, understanding reviews can be a little confusing.

Where should you begin?

You should begin by identifying whether the review is an actual review or a sales pitch for a product.  How can you tell the difference?

Your first clue may be the fact that the only things told about the handheld gps system is good points.  There is no discussion at all about the negative points.  Lets face it, even the best devices will have one negative aspect or two about it.

Your second clue may be the web address of the review itself.  If the web address link ends up looking like a sales site chances are it is.

Of course, if the site gives you the option to buy the product in question it is a sales site.

Yet, some sales sites will give real customers a chance to voice their opinions of a product. These opinions and comments are usually located at the bottom of the pages. The top of course is devoted to praises and sales pitches of the product.  One site that is built like this is amazon.com.

Are you having trouble finding real review sites?  Try searching at consumerreports.com.  This site is built to give honest opinions and facts about the products they cover.  The people who are writing the opinions and the facts are experts on the products.  They are not sales people.  They do not receive money if you buy or don’t buy a product. 

Now that you have found a good review or two to read about the handheld gps system that interests you the most, what should you look for first in the review?

You may want to begin with the rating the system got.  Most sites will break down the reviews by a rating system.  Sometimes this system will be based on stars.  The higher the number of stars a product gets the better ratings it received. 

Now begin reading the comments one by one.

Do they cover the items that matter to you most?

Be sure to pay close attention to how the gps system works.  How easy it is to use.  How accurate is it?  Does it give exact addresses? 

What about performance?  Is it quick at finding those exact addresses?  Does it have a long battery life?  

Does the functions perform accurately and easily?  Do maps load as they should?  Can you easily download more maps onto your computer or can you change a route of a course easily? 

What about the display feature?  Does it work in many forms of lighting?  Does it work at night?  Does it have easy to locate buttons and are they made for most people (even those with bigger fingers)?  Does it work by a touch screen?

How are addresses given?  Do the turn by turn directions actually take you to the exact address you wanted?  Are the speak to text directions easy to understand?

Of course, you should also look at what other’s are saying about the price of the system.

Do most people seem to think it is worth the money they paid?  Do they say it is a deal or that they could have known better if they would have waited and purchased else where?

Are most people saying positive or negative things about the handheld gps system in question? Do their comments and responses sound reliable?  Do they use the correct terms in describing the gps system?  Do they seem to be using the gps system in the same ways as you would be using one? 

Can you believe each comment?  It probably would be wise not to believe every one.  Yet, if there are ten comments stating that the gps system failed to load or that it couldn’t find most addresses requested (and these were addresses that should be easy to find).  Then something inside of your brain will tell you to be weary of that system.  It may pay to listen to that something and those comments.

Reviews can give you a better since of which handheld gps system would suit your needs and wants the best.  They also can pinpoint when a possible good deal isn’t a good deal. 

For these reasons and more, if you have the time before purchasing, consider checking some reviews of handheld gps system. 

 

 

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Did You Know that Truckers Save Fuel with GPS Units?

It is a known fact that gas prices are soaring higher and higher all the time. As a result, we’ve seen various factions of the automotive industry – as well as the airline industry – shut down, resulting in thousands of people losing their jobs. As a person involved in the trucking industry, gas prices have been no less harmful as you rely largely on it to help you transport goods from one location to another. Unfortunately however, gas prices may not be decreasing anytime soon. So how can you lowering the cost when the prices are not lowering at the pump? Many companies and individuals are finding that truckers save fuel with GPS units. Sounds impossible? Well, before you reject the idea, read on to learn more. 

Features That Can Help You Save

So when was the last time that you had an all-knowing companion sitting right by your side who could guide you turn by turn to any location in the country, whether you were in the largest city, or the smallest farm town? Who do you know that could predetermine which routes to take to avoid truck restrictions? And who could help you find any public point of interest in the United States, no matter what city you were in? If you knew this person, you would be definitely reducing the cost of gas for yourself, but since this person doesn’t exist (that we know of, at least), you can at least benefit from a navigation system to be able to confirm from your own experiences that truckers save fuel with GPS units. Let’s look more closely at these gas-reducing features.

Turn-by-Turn Voice Navigation – While this is a feature that is offered with many navigation units, it is still a great price saving in regards to gas. Imagine traveling to multiple locations for deliveries with either a paper map or printed directions to each one. Of course, this is the way many people handle their travel, but sometimes street signs can be hidden behind a tree or exits or not very obvious, still leaving you with tons of work to do in determining exactly how to get to your destination. However, with a navigation system with turn-by-turn instruction, the system itself determines when you’re close to the street then tells you exactly when to turn, eliminating a large portion of the work. Of course, with perfect guidance to your location, you never get lost. And with not getting lost, you never have to burn extra gas. In short, you can see that turn-by-turn voice navigation is a major reason that truckers save fuel with GPS units. 

Truck Restriction Routing – Another cost saver for the trucking industry is a navigation system with truck restriction routing. This feature was specifically created for large vehicles as it takes into consideration routes that cannot be taken due to height or weight limitations. In order take advantage of this feature, you would simply type the truck’s dimensions into the system to have it calculate the perfect route that will help you avoid clearances, bridge heights, one-way road designations, allowances, load limits, tolls and much more.

POI Databases – A third reason that truckers save fuel with GPS units is that many systems offer point of interest (POI) databases with listings of millions of ATMs, restaurants, fuel stops and much more right at your fingertips. So instead of having to pull over to call a location for directions, burning gas while you wait – or even worse, getting lost looking for a place on your own – you can use the database to find the type of POI you want in the city you’re in then have the navigation system guide you to that location. This feature for many is very time and cost friendly.

Units You May Like

A couple of units that can help truckers save fuel with GPS units are the Teletype Worldnav 710060 Truck Navigation and CoPilot Truck Laptop systems. Teletype Worldnav 710060 Truck Navigation is a very popular award-winning unit with a large 7-inch screen, truck restriction routing, turn-by-turn voice navigation instruction, over 12 million POIs, as well as an MP3/video player for entertainment. Or if you don’t want to buy a whole new unit, you can purchase the CoPilot Truck Laptop system which offers full-featured navigation features, digital street maps, a multiple stop itinerary and a trip optimizer.

After reading this article, I’m sure you can see how truckers save fuel with GPS units. So maybe you would like to learn for yourself how cost saving one of this devices can be. If you purchase one, you’ll be able to tell others why truckers save fuel with GPS units.

 

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