GPS Devices Life

I had purchased a ROAD ANGEL 6000 here in Australia (because of it’s supposedly great red light camera database) - which crashed or froze no fewer than 5 times over 3 days!

After looking around at products such as the Garmin Nuvi, I found myself won over by the Mio C310. Why? Well, because not only does the C310 have accurate turns (the RoadAngel 6000 was usually 100 - 150 metres off for turns in residential areas, and around 350 metres off a freeway!), but it has several “themes” for the look of the maps - both day & night mode - and you can have the backlight automatically dim for night mode, as well as have night mode switch on at a certain time that is calculated by the navigator itself!

The Mio C310 is a compact portable GPS car navigation system. Mio is the brand name of Taiwanese company Mitac, which has become quite well known as a supplier of GPS nav systems worldwide in the last few years. There are several different versions of the C310, depending on the software generation and the amount of memory installed. My version is a Mio C310SX, which comes with MioMap 3.2 software and 512 Mbytes of flash memory for maps. A 1 Gbyte C310X version with enough space to hold all the U.S. maps at once is also widely available. Memory capacity can be extended by adding an SD card.

I’ve been using this device for about 10 months and have been repeatedly frustrated by it. It seems to lack even basic points of interest. Yesterday, my son and I were headed to a state park about 75 miles away. I assumed it would have this POI no problem. It would not find it by name, zip code, or even street address. I had to go back inside and print a map from Google. This happens frequently, so now I am faced with very little confidence in the device. And that is the point of having a GPS. If I have to print a map “just in case” then why do I need this device??

Updated 12/25/06 Merry Christmas. I apologize for any confusion, but when I searched for a Nuvi 660 the day I tried my unit out, there were zero reviews written. I wrote the first one, but there was an error in how it was indexed, so now it shows up as a Nuvi 360. Just to reiterate, this review is for a Garmin Nuvi 660! Thank you.

Blah blah blah, Jerome’s obsessive history with GPS

(Go down to the asterisks if you want to read about the Garmin!)

Product
0100050601

Key Features
DesignationMarine
Form FactorFixed
Map capabilitiesInternal
User interfaceKeypad

Display
Display Size3 in. x 4 in.
Display Type256 Color LCD TFT Display
Resolutions234 X 320

Technical Features
Marine FeaturesChart Plotter
Special FeaturesWaypoint Icons
Audible FeaturesProximity Alarm, Anchor Alarm, Arrival Alarm, Off-Course Alarm, Clock Alarm, Low Battary/Voltage Alarm
Trip calculatorTrack Log
Included Software/MapsMarine Cartography

Other Features
PC InterfaceNMEA-0183
Environmental ProtectionIPX7 Waterproof Standard
AntennaQuadrifilar Helix, External Antenna Hookup

GPS System
Number of routes50
Waypoints3000

Warranty
1 Year

Dimensions
Width6.3 in.
Depth3.3 in.
Height6.3 in.

Miscellaneous
29202905

Details

I bought a Garmin GPS III Plus about 2 years ago and since have logged about 50,000 miles on it. I have found it to be one of the best companions you could ask for while traveling. I won’t go so far as to say that I never make a wrong turn but in times of indecision it usually is the tiebreaker. I like being able to glance at it and know exactly how many miles I have to go and how long it will take me to get there. Since the military has declassified the GPS constellation I have found myself desiring a more accurate base map. What I mean by this is that sometimes while driving down a road it will show you driving parallel to it. I also wish that Garmin would release some free computer software to link the GPS III Plus to a PC so that it would be easier to manage waypoints. I would recommend the GPS III Plus to anyone looking for a first-rate handheld GPS unit.

Have had this GPS for 3 years, still one of the best available. The on-board capabilties and detailed maps are great. Great for long trips and lake navigation, I’ve logged over 6000 hours on this one and its still running strong. Tends to eat batteries, withonly about 30 hours per set, so I went with some NiMH and they seem to work okay, with about 20 hours per charge, but the 12v is the way to go if you want to use it in the car or boat. Pretty easy to use out of the box without reading the manual. Very good for synchronizing speedo’s (in boats or whatever) and has a lot of trip computing capabilities. I had a Magellan before this one, no mapping capabilities, took forever to sync up with 4 sats. This one is much faster.

I have always used some method to try to track my performance while working out. Almost all of my workouts are performed outside and it is not always easy to determine how far or fast I have covered the territory. I have used numerous pedometers, but they always seem to freeze up or the batteries die on me. I was surprised when I discovered the Forerunner 201 GPS Receiver and discovered that it actually worked.

Product
RM6000T

Key Features
DesignationAutomobile
Form FactorHandheld
Map capabilitiesInternal
User interfaceTouch Screen

Display
Display Size3.5 in.

Technical Features
Special FeaturesWaypoint Icons, Address Book, MP3 Player
Audible FeaturesVoice Navigation Instructions
Trip calculatorShortest time, Shortest distance, Least use of freeways, Most use of freeways, Route Recalculation
Included Software/MapsNorth America Maps

Other Features
PC InterfaceBluetooth Wireless Technology

Miscellaneous
32079279

Details

Product
WP205

Key Features
DesignationAutomobile
Form FactorHandheld
Map capabilitiesInternal, Map cartridges / Data cards
Enhanced accuracyWAAS enabled
User interfaceTouch Screen

Display
Display Size3.5 in.
Display TypeLCD TFT Display
Resolutions320 X 240

Technical Features
Special FeaturesAddress Book
Audible FeaturesVoice Navigation Instructions
Trip calculatorRoute Recalculation
GridsLat/Lon

Other Features
PC InterfaceUSB, Serial RS-232, Bluetooth Wireless Technology
Expansion Slot TypeSD (Secure Digital) Card Slot, MultiMediaCard (MMC) slot, CompactFlash (CF) Type II
AntennaExternal Antenna Hookup

GPS System
Accuisition time - cold48 sec
Accuisition time - warm38 sec
Accuisition time - Hot8 sec
Update rate1 per second, continuous
Max. Horizontal accuracy< 49 feet
Enhanced position accuracy< 16 feet

PDA Features
Compatible PDA OSPocket PC
Compatible DevicesPocket PC Based PDA