Good gps

[luvmyfam444]

Anyone have any info? It's for mil for Christmas - she's been lost in our little town twice this week & were tired of trying to figure out where she is & how she got there

It needs to be simple to use & talk to her ( they may all do that now- idk)

I know garmin is a good brand - but I don't know the differences between models- why some are $300 & some are $100

 

[epcotprincess]

I just got a Garmin NUVI for my birthday and I love it! It talks, says street names, and is very simple to use. I especially love the feature of "arrival time"-- that way I know if I will be late or not, lol. They recently had some great specials on this particular GPS at Best Buy-- I got mine with a travel package that included a dash stabilizer.

 

[luvmyfam444]

dumB question here- do you have to pay a subscription fee? I know I've heard about some not having accurate info- so I'm curious how it works

 

[LadyZolt]

We also bought a Garmin Nuvi in August and I've used it many times since then, including a solo trip to Philadelphia. Worked like a charm and I tend to get lost everywhere I go, so I really need a GPS that's easy to operate and use when I'm driving. It is very clear where you should turn, etc. You can also set up pedestrian and bike routes with it. It does "talk" and you can select different accents, even, for it. You can also enter the coordinates if you know them, so if you are doing Geocaching, it's convenient.

You do not have to pay a subscription fee. I'm sure that every few years, they will release an update to the program or something like that. The one that came in my BMW had that -- I bought the car in 2004, and in 2009 I bought an updated CD for the navigation system.

I think some GPS systems cost more than others because of the features. Some of them, I think have voice recognition (you can talk to it and tell it what you want it to find), some have more places than North America, some just say "make a left" and others say "At Main Street, make a left onto Oak Street," etc. So look at the features and decide which ones you want. For example, I don't need to talk to it. I don't mind entering stuff with a touch screen or pushing buttons.

Hope this helps and that your MIL enjoys her new GPS!

-Dorothy

 

[golfgal]

Whatever you do, get the lifetime map updates. Is your MIL new to town? Why is she getting lost?

I have found that the GPS on my Droid X is by far the best GPS, but you have to pay for phone service too

 

[DrCavin]

Whatever you do, get the lifetime map updates. Is your MIL new to town? Why is she getting lost?

I have found that the GPS on my Droid X is by far the best GPS, but you have to pay for phone service too

Warning about the lifetime maps, it is only valid on that specific device. If you change devices the lifetime maps can not be transferred.

 

[Bren's Mom]

But, still, I agree that getting 'lifetime' maps is a good idea. Even if she only owns it 5 years, if there's any construction/new roads in your area or any place she might drive this will ensure that latest info will be on her device.

Here's a good one, with lifetime maps and the larger screen which would be great for someone older I'd think. And it speaks street names.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=10755450

Amazon has this one as well, I think it's $10 more.

We own 2 Nuvis, one base model and one with all of the bells and whistles. They're both very reliable and super easy to use.

ETA: There is no monthly subscription fee or additional fees of any kind...the only exceptions are; If you don't get Lifetime maps you will need to occasionally upgrade (they say every year, I've had mine for 2 and haven't bothered yet) OR if you get a Traffic Compatible one and don't but it with lifetime traffic service there is a monthly fee for that IF YOU WANT IT, but it's not reuired even if the unit is compatible.

 

[golfgal]

Warning about the lifetime maps, it is only valid on that specific device. If you change devices the lifetime maps can not be transferred.

Isn't it the point of lifetime maps NOT to have to change devices or pay $100 for a map update?

 

[Bren's Mom]

Isn't it the point of lifetime maps NOT to have to change devices or pay $100 for a map update?

I think it helps to read it as 'lifetime' of THE DEVICE. As long as you own the device you will have free map updates.

 

[LadyZolt]

Is your MIL new to town? Why is she getting lost?

Just have to drop in on this thread to say that some of us (like me) get lost even in a town we've lived in for a decade. LOL! For years I thought I was just incompetent, but that turns out not to be the case. Just like some people have dyslexia and see a "b" when it's really a "d", some of us have a similar brain problem with geography. It's called "Developmental Topographical Disorientation" (DTD) and it just came to be discovered a few years ago. For people like me, a GPS device is a godsend.

Now, I don't get lost with places I go to regularly, but if I only go there a couple times a year, I never remember how to get there. But there are some folks worse than me who cannot distinguish left from right. So, like many other things, there's a continuum for DTD. Personally, I do get disoriented when I go places and even indoors. If I go to a large hospital, for example, I can't always remember how to get back out once I've gone up a few floors, down several hallways, etc. I get turned around in my head an invariably go the wrong way when looking for the exit. It is frustrating, to say the least, and I know that people who don't have this condition don't really understand it. But for those of us who do have it, driving somewhere is more like a challenge than a joy and anything that can help make the process easier, like a good GPS, is truly appreciated.

-Dorothy (LadyZolt)

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

Make sure you get one with "Text to Speech" feature so that it will say, "In 1 mile, turn left on Snickerdoodle Street." You don't want MIL having to try to read the screen while she's driving.

I got mine about 2 years ago, but then one of the big drivers in price differences seemed to be whether or not it had this feature.

 

[luvmyfam444]

Ahh thanks for the info!

I dont know why she's getting lost but it is too places she's been before - not frequently though - a couple months apart. (NOT the city where she lives)

Lady Zolt - thanks for that info - didn't know there was a condtion like this. I don't have a sense of direction - it does no good to tell me NSEW cause I'd be there for years trying to figure it out!

 

[Darcy03231]

Ahh thanks for the info!

I dont know why she's getting lost but it is too places she's been before - not frequently though - a couple months apart. (NOT the city where she lives)

Lady Zolt - thanks for that info - didn't know there was a condtion like this. I don't have a sense of direction - it does no good to tell me NSEW cause I'd be there for years trying to figure it out!

I don't want to alarm you, but I would make an appointment with her doctor to make sure nothing medical is going on. This started to happen with DFIL and it turned out to be the beginning stages of Alzheimers.

 

[pilesoflaundry]

I think it helps to read it as 'lifetime' of THE DEVICE. As long as you own the device you will have free map updates.

Yes and I strongly agree with this. I bought a garmin a few years ago and paid about $150. It needs a $75 map upgrade and I'm not paying it. It's a nightmare and frustrating so soon I'm buying a new one with lifetime maps.