How to buy a GPS system for your

How to buy a GPS system for your car or truck.

GPS's are not only for the rich any more. With the constant advances in GPS technology and price drops it has become a device within reach of the average consumer. The GPS has become a necessity not a luxury. No driving blind, no more pulling into gas stations and receiving 4 different routes which are all inadvertently wrong. GPS navigation systems are being used by emergency services, delivery truck, taxis etc..

Now comes the Ten Thousand Dollar question which GPS do I buy? The answer in not as simple as the question. The GPS choices start with the simple to the sublime. Bargain portable GPS's have only maps of the 48 states (no Alaska, Hawaii or Canada included), smaller LCD screens, no voice to text instructions and no Bluetooth capabilities. As the price climbs so do the features the question is what are the features and which do I need?

Key words to look for when buying a GPS Navigation System

Maps do I need more than the 48 contiguous states. The better models come with 50 states Alaska, Hawaii and Canada included. Some have maps of Europe included on the GPS waiting to be unlocked for a fee from the manufacturer.

LCD size the higher the price the larger the LCD screen which is getting larger by leaps and bounds.

Voice to text the standard GPS will tell you to keep to the right or left in 2 miles, then keep to the right or left in .5 miles, then keep to the right or left in 200 yards, right before the turn it makes a bing bong sound and you have to make the turn if you have slow reflexes or blink at the inopportune time you missed it and you get the infamous recalculating route voice. Now here is where voice to text comes in, instead of just announcing make a turn in so and so miles yards etc. it announces for ex. make a right or left turn onto Elm Street so you can keep an eye out for Elm street.

Bluetooth® you can synch your Bluetooth® device to the GPS for instance if you have a Bluetooth® capable cell phone you you can synch with your GPS and use the integrated GPS speaker as a hands free microphone and speaker to talk hands free.

MP3 you can load your mp3 music onto the GPS and listen to it while driving (I do not advise this nor understand the concept)

So what is the easiest way do decide which to buy? First thing is borrow a GPS form your buddy, friend or neighbor (stay away from family) try as many as you can so can. Play with the GPS explore the buttons and menus get comfortable with it (while on a trip is not the time to get to know the GPS) this will give you a feel for GPS's in general and that brand in particular. Once so educated you would be able to buy a GPS for yourself.

All of the major GPS manufacturers on the market today are good namely Garmin, Magellan, TomTom to name a few. Aftermarket in dash GPS manufacturers are Pioneer, Panasonic etc. Once you decide on the brand and model you need to do some comparison shopping so good luck and happy shopping

Here are some of the popular models out there

Garmin
Garmin nüvi® 200, Garmin nüvi® 200W, Garmin nüvi® 250, Garmin nüvi® 250W, Garmin nüvi® 260, Garmin nüvi® 270, Garmin nüvi® 300, Garmin nüvi® 310, Garmin nüvi® 350, Garmin nüvi® 360, Garmin nüvi® 370, Garmin nüvi® 600, Garmin nüvi® 610, Garmin nüvi® 650, Garmin nüvi® 660, Garmin nüvi® 670, Garmin nüvi® 680, Garmin nüvi® 750, Garmin nüvi® 760, Garmin nüvi® 770

Garmin StreetPilot® c310, Garmin StreetPilot® c320, Garmin StreetPilot® c330, Garmin StreetPilot® c340, Garmin StreetPilot® c510, Garmin StreetPilot® c530, Garmin StreetPilot® c550, Garmin StreetPilot® c580

Magellan
Magellan RoadMate 2000, Magellan RoadMate 2200T, Magellan RoadMate 300, Magellan RoadMate 3050T, Magellan RoadMate 360, Magellan RoadMate 6000T, Magellan RoadMate 700, Magellan RoadMate 760, Magellan RoadMate 800, Magellan RoadMate 860T

Magellan Maestro 3100, Magellan Maestro 3140, Magellan Maestro 4000, Magellan Maestro 4040, Magellan Maestro 4050

Magellan CrossoverGPS 2500T

TomTom
TomTom Go One, TomTom Go One XL, TomTom Go 300, TomTom Go 510, TomTom Go 700, TomTom Go 910, TomTom Go 720, TomTom Go 920