Monday, March 15, 2010

Garmin 255w: Traveling with a Gps navigation System - The Way of the Future

By Tim Caroll

Being a technology nerd, a lot of you are completely informed of GPS devices as well as their particular positive aspects. It had been merely not too far back that a car would drive by having a GPS mount on their dash only to be seen and admired by individuals. At this time, a Gps navigation in a car, is very normal. This is also true, granted the large cost savings we have noticed in this technology in the last 3 years or so. The only real problem for you to deal with will be identifying which model is effective for you, based on your budget and also exactly what features are most important to you personally.

With seemingly brand new GPS brands popping up everyday, it might be a tough task to make the best selection when choosing a model for yourself or even as a present. The price range for many consumer models belong to the $69 to $399 range, with a lot more costly models out there. Among my favorite features would be the lane-change advisor, which tells you which lane to be in on a the road when getting near the turn off as well as exit. This really is useful while traveling on unfamiliar multi-lane freeways, when you've got no idea which lane to get in to be able to exit onto another freeway, and so forth. Extra characteristics consist of, bluetooth ability, mp3 as well as live traffic reporting. Everything simply just depends on what is important to you. The greater you shell out, the more complex the device gets, however usability has also turn out to be drastically increased.

As with any industry, you'll find the very few so-called "big players" on the market. Presently, I would need to say that Garmin, Magellan as well as Tom Tom are leading the way in the consumer market. They all make great units. Sticking to one of these manufacturers will almost assure that they will be around to support you and your system in the forthcoming years, in the event you experience any kind of issues.

Of these three, I would have to say that Garmin is the king. Their particular wide range of devices (for auto, marine, and also handhelds), along with exceptional technology as well as quality make them the leading brand name. Tom Tom, nowadays, has become a major player in the consumer market. You've most likely seen their clever TV advertisements also. They offer similar quality to Garmin, but offer less of a range of products at more competitive prices. Generally, almost any unit that you purchase from these corporations will include the following: a touch screen interface, voice guidance, a huge database of "POI" (point of interests), plus the capability to auto-calculate range as well as time, and automatic re-routing functions if you actually make a wrong turn, and so on. These capabilities can be had for around $100, if you look very carefully. Nevertheless, you will surely get a lot for that extra cash. At this particular stage, you'll experience all of the functions previously mentioned, and also such niceties as bluetooth technology for making as well as receiving telephone calls in a hands-free manner, traffic updates in real-time, and also up-to-date weather conditions. An even bigger database of POI's is normally incorporated as well.

In the end, the choice is yours and your own budget. The technology has become affordable enough for many people, and the ease-of-use is finally at a satisfactory level. For that reason, get rid of your roadmaps and get a GPS and never be lost again. Happy travels!

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