In this article “Price Comparison GPS, Garmin, Magellan, and Tom Tom,” I’m going to talk about what you can get from these three manufacturers and approximately how much it’s going to cost you.
I’m also focusing exclusively on after-market, automotive GPS receivers-not the kind you take hiking, but the kind you see mounted on people’s dashboards. To get started, let’s talk about GPS systems in general first, so you understand what they do, what their basic features are, and what additional features you can upgrade to.
What GPS Systems Do
GPS systems (or receivers) are electronic devices that show you where you are on an electronic map and tell you how to get where you want to go via some sort of voice instructions.
All GPS receivers also have a database of Points of Interest (POIs). These are pre-programmed locations of gas stations, restaurants, state parks, hospitals, well-known buildings, etc. Basically these are public destinations.
GPS receivers also all come with the following:
A touch screen interface A choice of “views”-either 2d, which looks just like a map, or 3d, which looks a little more realistic All of these devices auto-calculate your route to your destination. Usually you can choose between shortest or fastest route Come pre-loaded with maps. Even most of the base price units have maps of the lower 48 states
Upgrades
Popular upgrades are:
A wider screen, 4.3 inches diagonally as opposed to 3.5 inches Saying the names of the streets, instead of just saying “turn here.” More maps Bluetooth integration for hands-free calling Real-time traffic and weather Millions of POIs, instead of a few hundred thousand Multiple route calculation
Price Comparison GPS
GPS systems range in price from around $150 for base units to $1,000 for Garmin’s top of the line Street Pilot 7000. You can get a lot of bells and whistles for $200 to $300.
Magellan’s Maestro line currently runs anywhere from about $150 for the Maestro 3100, which has a 3.5 inch screen, maps of the lower 48 states, and about 750,000 POIs. The top of the line Maestro, the 4250, currently runs slightly more than $250. With the 4250, you get a 4.3-inch screen, maps of the U. S. and Canada, 6 million POIs, real-time traffic capability and Bluetooth.
Garmin’s GPS receivers are comparatively priced. Their introductory model, the Nuvi 200 does about the same thing as the Maestro 3100, and runs about the same amount of money. Their top of the line Nuvi 770 currently costs slightly less than $600, but it has every feature imaginable-4.3-inch screen, more maps, huge POI database, says street names, real-time traffic and weather, Bluetooth, and much, much more.
The other main manufacturer, Tom Tom, has fewer models to choose from, but they make a great product and their prices are in line with Magellan’s and Garmin’s. Their base model, the Tom Tom One, runs slightly more than $150. Their top of the line model, the GO 920 has a 4.3-inch screen and all of the other features.
To learn more, your next step needs to be finding an informative website where you can actually browse, look at pictures, and compare models.
By: Lee Cole
Posts Tagged ‘Hundred Thousand’
Price Comparison GPS, Garmin, Magellan, and Tom Tom
November 18th, 20094 Factors to Consider When Choosing an Auto GPS
October 24th, 2009
There are many factors in choosing an GPS for your auto. Most depend on personal likes, dislikes and wants. Some factors do boil down to hard points.
They are:
· The receiver.
· The number of points of interest.
· Quality of the routes.
· Price
The receiver you want is the SiRF’s high performance. SiRF Star III chipset is a must have. This receiver enables you to get reception in areas you have not in the past, like behind tall buildings and in canyons. Reviewers have praised the SiRFstarIII chipset for its superior sensitivity and tracking capabilities. GPS receivers based on this chipset have routinely performed better than receivers based on other chipsets. All the models form the top manufactures utilize this receiver. However you co need to be careful. There are GPS units from top manufactures without this chipset still in the market place. Also some units with this receiver have been discontinued. Check out my blog to see a list of GPS units to avoid.
The next feature is the number of points of interest the unit comes with. This varies from a few hundred thousand to several million. These points of interest are important when you need to find a gas station fast. A general rule is the more expensive the GPS the more points of interest it will have. Points of Interests can also be added. The process varies by GPS. I know with some TomTom units you can add your own from your computer.
The quality of the routes is the heart of the GPS. The routes are why we buy and use GPS’s. Even with the same receiver and maps the routes will vary between units because of the algorisms used the route will vary. Garmin is ranked by most as the best. Magellan is ranked a close seconded. TomTom is ranked third among the top the manufactures.
Price is a factor because it affects the features you will be able to get. There are many excellent base units the do the basic GPS job. The base models are hundreds of dollars less than the top end models. For example, if you are willing to give up a FM transmitter and MSN for live traffic and you could save as much as $400.00.
The process of choosing a GPS for your auto should look like this:
· Set a maximum price to spend.
· Make sure you are getting the SiRF Star III chipset.
· Review the customer ratings. Every manufacture is capable of producing a poor model.
· Look at the number of points of interest included. Also research the cost of adding more points of interest to the unit.
Do these things and you should be able to find the best auto GPS for you.
By: Alton Morris
