GPS Systems and Reviews

Can Delphi’s NAV200 GPS System Make a Big Splash in the Market?

It has been around a year since Delphi released the moderately successful NAV200, which was meeting with lukewarm response. Now do not get me wrong it was a nice model with some very good features, but it did not do as well as the company had hoped for. Out comes the Delphi NAV300 GPS system to hopefully put this company on the map as one of the major players in the GPS market.  Now this is very similar to its predecessor the NAV200, but also has some added features that people should find very interesting. Let us look and see if the improvements have helped make Delphi a major player yet.

One of the first things that I look for and most every consumer looks for is a device that is easy to operate. The ease of operation also means the consumer is more likely to recommend the product to a friend as well. Well if that is true than the Delphi NAV300 should be a big hit. Now the NAV200 was a good product but this new addition is so much better. First, it is easy to operate and comes with many great features that will only enhance the use of it. Some of these features include Bluetooth capabilities, text-to-speech functions; both of these were not available on the NAV200 so that is a marked improvement for Delphi. Magellan and Garmin has dominated the market with higher end products but entries like this are challenging them as with a lower price and good features they are cutting into the market share these two giant GPS companies held. One of the add-ons that are offered is the Radio Data Systems-Traffic Message Channel, which lets you direct your route around congested traffic and weather which is a big deal for travelers. It costs around 100 dollars to add, but it worth considering if you travel a lot.

Design wise it really is simple and it has minimal buttons and controls on the body. With the NAV300 simple works well and they have designed it with the consumer in mind, which is a very good idea. Most all the controls are accessed by touch control screen, which is a nice feature.  Menu button is on the left side of the face and the Bluetooth button is just below that. On the sides you will find the volume and power button controls as well. Other than that, all access is done through the touch screen with either a finger or the included stylus. Size is about the same as most portable units, but this one is a bit thinner and a tad bit longer, but nothing drastic. It is portable enough that you can use it in multiple cars or even on foot if need be.

Let’s look at some of the features which make the NAV300 stand out from the NAV200. One of the first would be the Bluetooth option, but the biggest drawback is not very many phones are compatible with it. I’m sure that time goes by though more will be added. The text-to-speech function is something that I really like and this model has that. This model also has the multimedia function, which means it is capable of playing music, videos, and displaying pictures. Of course watching movies on such a small screen is tough and would advise against it. It has a preloaded game on it, which you will also be able to play and a calculator is included, which are some nice added touches from Delphi.

Looking at how it performs I was pleasantly surprised at its performance. It has an SD memory card, which holds up to 2GB. The processor was of decent speed and it performs very well under driving conditions. Battery life is around five hours, which really is about standard before needed a recharge. Ease of operation and the new features do make this a model that you will want to consider on the entry level. It has a low entry price and has many features to compete with the big players in the game. This small and compact GPS system works very well and should do well in the marketplace. It is a nice upgrade from the NAV200 that is for sure. If your entry the GPS fray for the first time you may want to consider this one has, it is easy to operate and comes with a low cost, which makes it a winner in most people’s minds.

Tags: Added Features, Capabilities, Delphi, delphi gps, Delphi Nav300, Garmin, Good Features, Gps Companies, Gps Market, gps navigation systems, gps systems, Improvements, Lot Design, Lukewarm Response, Magellan, Market Share, New Addition, Predecessor, Radio Data Systems, Text To Speech, Traffic Message Channel, Travelers, Weather

Affordable GPS Tracking Devices

There are tons of tracking devices on the market today. This is because, like with any other product that finds it’s becoming extremely popular within a short amount of time, these devices have become an incredible commodity among customers, meaning different companies are now releasing their own versions, whether they’re good or not. When this starts to happen, you have to watch for those that are cheap in price and quality versus those that are affordable, but are still reliable. In this article, we will look at what the general price ranges are for these products, as what as some affordable GPS tracking devices that are good in quality but reasonable in price.

Price Ranges

There are some tracking systems on the market that are pretty much going to be expensive no matter what, but they put out an excellent product. For example, the Garmin company releases the most reliable and fabulously attractive systems available, but most of them are going to fall into a higher price range (they do offer a handful that are affordable though). My point is; being the Bentley or Rolex of tracking systems, you have to make a decision that Garmin is either charging too much for their products, or they are worth the price because of the quality you’re going to get for that price. If you’re not looking for the cream of the crop, however, then there are some slightly more affordable GPS tracking systems that will give you the basics – and a little more – for not-so-high price tag. 

So what are the basic price ranges for these systems? What is considered reasonable usually falls between $200 and $600. Anything above $600 is definitely seen as pricey (however, you still may be getting a great product for that price without being cheated), and anything below $200 is probably not going to be accurate, or attractive, and simply not worth purchasing unless it is from a reputable company and on clearance.

Who Offers Affordable GPS Tracking?

Now that we have an idea of what is too expensive (and too cheap), let’s look at a few brands and models on the market that offer reliable systems at a decent price.

TomTom

This company has been on the market for several years and is known for putting out a reliable product. In addition, most of their products easily fall into the affordable GPS tracking category. One of these devices is the TomTom GO 720. Aside from the fact that it has an attractive interface that is easy to read and operate, it offers an SD card slot, USB/power port, a port that connects to a traffic receiver, and a headphone jack. In addition, there is a reset button on the device that is useful, but hopefully not necessary.

On this device, you can also set up and auto day or night mode and there are tons of options for navigation audio and music. For example, if you want listen to your music through an internal speaker, via line-out, through an FM transmitter that routes to your car stereo, or through Bluetooth hi-fi, you can do it all. But probably the best perk of this device is Map Share that allows you to connect to a community of TomTom owners. Through this community, you can edit map information that shows up on everyone else’s maps in the event the device is inaccurate. Not bad for a $450 price tag.

The GO 720 is not the only affordable gps tracking device offered by TomTom, however. They also offer TomTom One, which sits at about $200 cheaper than the GO 720 – but also offers fewer features for the price. Luckily, the features don’t fall away completely. This product offers an SD slot, 3.5-inch touch screen, great pixel resolution, the option of 2D or 3D map views, night mode, driving directions in text or as images, and voice-guided turn-by-turn directions, all in a sleek design. You have to admit, for the price you get a lot of great options. It is for this reason that there are no surprises when reviewers label this device the best budget device on the market.  

Garmin

I know I just finished stating that Garmin doesn’t really offer affordable GPS tracking systems, but I also noted that there are a handful of devices that can be considered reasonable for their features. One of those devices is the StreetPilot c550. Falling into the price range of about $410, it doesn’t have all of the bells and whistles you can expect from its more advanced siblings, but it does have some great features.

For example, the c550 offers preloaded maps of the entire continent North America. In addition, you get specific street text-to-speech functionality, an MP3 player, and a free 3-month subscription to TMS Traffic. It has a moderate screen size of 3.5 inches like the TomTom products, but does offer an antiglare coating, which is perfect for sunny days. Overall, it doesn’t offer what some of its bigger counterparts have, like the Nuvi 660, but it gets the job done – so if that’s all you need, you may have found your new best friend.

Magellan

Magellan is a company, like the above two, that has a good name in the industry for being reliable and accurate. It is also known for putting out affordable GPS tracking systems that give you a good amount of features for the price. For example, the Magallan RoadMate 2000 comes at a $200-$250 price tag, and offers similar features to the TomTom One. Some of those features include an easy to read mapping screen, great reroutes and accurate instructions. The only disadvantage of this device is that it’s not as attractive as the others, but for the price it offers the features that you need and is reliable.

Finding affordable GPS tracking systems is not difficult with so many companies putting out new products everyday. What is difficult, however, is weeding out the crappy products and getting your hands on those that are reasonable in price and quality. The list above gives you some devices that fall into a decent price range and still provide good quality mapping and navigation. However, there are other affordable GPS tracking systems out there, so don’t stop your research here. Keep looking until you find the perfect device for you!

Tags: Ads, Affordable Gps, Amount Of Time, Bentley, Commodity, Cream Of The Crop, Different Companies, Garmin, Gps Devices, gps navigation systems, gps systems, Gps Tracking Devices, Handful, Price Ranges, Price Tag, Reputable Company, Rolex