Mobile navigation devices - recommendations

[Chevy454]

My wife/kids got me a Garmin "Quest" pocket GPS navigator for Father's Day...sounded like a cool piece, until I got to setting it up, and now I'm not so pleased...it seems you have to upload any map you're wanting to use from the computer, and it has to be under 150mb...come to find out, 150mb gets me just into Illinois, and then it's done, and I'll have to grab the laptop and upload the maps for the next trip...handy.

So, anyone have one of these things and know what I'm wanting to do? We live in the MiddleOfNowhere, so it's gonna take 150mb just to get us to civilization where most people's trips start...it has a GPS built in, and I was thinking it would download the info as I drove...guess I was wrong!

[Seattle Sam]

I like the one that came with my TrailBlazer SS, it's got a CD with all the US maps on it. Can you load yours off a CD instead of through your computer? How about plugging in a thumb drive to the Garmin, can you do that? Does the Garmin have a USB port?
-Sam

[Schonyenko2]

Maybe you could mount it on that dozer if you get it from Georgia, so pappy don't get lost out in them backwoods of mizery.

[Chevy454]

Yeah, it came with a CD with the maps on it, but that means plugging in the laptop and manually loading any *city* that I think I might need help in...and it had better not be very many cities, 'cause it only holds 150mb, which doesn't get you too far in the map world apparently, 'cause when I attempted to upload my route to Martin, MI next week it made it from my house to about southern Illinois before it was out of memory. It has all the road stuff on it all the time, but all of the *extra* stuff (like ANY street info, or gas/restaraunt/attraction info) has to be manually loaded for *each* city...this may very well be how all the nav systems work, I honestly don't know, but it's just not what I had in mind...

Schony: don't encourage the old man! I've seen him in action with a small tractor and a loader...a dozer will be scary! LOL!! But I'm not too worried about him getting lost, though, as I'm thinking the path of destruction will be easy to track!!

[ANDY M]

AAA will give you all the maps you want for free.

Membership is $30/yr, and if your battery dies, they will come to you and give you a jump or sell you a new one on the spot.
Cheaper than GPS gizmo, and even my wife learned how to read a map, (after a few weeks of intense instruction).
Brings the memories of my childhood vacations back when Dad pilied us into the old Plymouth station wagon for 2 weeks of seeing the USA.

[NWYENKO]

We had a Garmin Street Pilot III that died after 5 years while we were on a trip to Texas. We stopped by Best Buy and bought the new Garmin C330($450) which has everything loaded and is totally touch screen. It is unbelievable. We went to the parking lot and plugged it into the rental car and off we went. Once you have used a good GPS you will be lost without it(no pun intended)! We have had factory systems in our last 2 Acuras and would not buy a car without one. The GM system will not work unless the car is is park which makes no sense! Jim

[NEW]

I use GPS units when travelling in the states, i have tried rental cars with them installed, and my own units, Garmin, and lately Magellan.

I would choose a magellan roadmate 760, it is very very easy to use, automatically calculates, and suggests a detour, if your stuck in traffic. It is the easiest unit i have tried, when it comes to what kind of roads / routes you want to go, it is a simple 3 choice thing, with highway, little use of highway, and no use. plus you can choose very simple between one of those, if you want fastest time, shortest route etc..

I would opt for a Magellan, thats the units they install in the Hertz rental cars, and developed togheter with them,

NEW

[Charley Lillard]

I have a Magellan also and we took it on Power Tour with us. Instead of bitching at my wife when I took a wrong turn I had to bitch at the Magellan. Actually it worked great.

[Mr70]

..because it doesn't talk back.. LOL

[Canuck]

I have used Laptop GPS by Delorme and Microsofrt Streets and Maps. I have found laptop systems too awkward whaile driving.Also had three Magellans,with the current one being the Roadmate 760. Used it in Italy last year and it was great. Its mapping coverage and detail is fantastic. My wife hate listening to the voice commands,as it is the only female voice i will listen to for driving instructions.
I have a factory Nav system in my new Mercedes and the info is not nearly as complete as Magellan and the POI's are outdated (shows two gas stations near my house that have been closed for 5 and 10 years respectively). Most mapping software is written by Navteq,they are constantly developing expanded routes and new detail. I would recommend Maggellan every time.