How to Decide On Which GPS Unit to Buy
Determine what your budget is and what features are important to you., Go online or find a store that sells a wide variety of units., Decide what type you need., Look over the description, price, and features of each model., Consider going...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Determine what your budget is and what features are important to you.
If you don't know anything about navigation units, determine how much you are willing to spend, and move on to step
2. -
Step 2: Go online or find a store that sells a wide variety of units.
Look in "GPS" or "GPS/Navigation" departments.
You may also want to search for "Satellite Navigation" or "sat nav".
You can also find online GPS comparison sites which provide a list of ratings and features for many models. , Choose between one for your car (Garmin Nuvi, Magellan Maestro, Magellan Roadmate, TomTom one, TomTom go), one for your motorcycle (Garmin zumo, tomtom rider) or a top of the range mobile phone (TomTom mobile, iPhone)/PDA (TomTom navigator) which will often include GPS. , A particular brand may have 3 or 4 different models with a variety of prices and features going from low-end to high-end.
Some have maps for more than one country or the capability of adding them (though this will cost extra).
To add maps you will need a GPS unit with sufficient memory space and sometimes an SD memory card slot.
Some maps are considered better or weaker in some areas than others.
Find out if the unit uses OpenStreetMap, Tele Atlas or Navtech.
Whether a unit supports speed camera warnings and live traffic information might be of interest to you. , If you buy a second hand unit, the maps may be neither updated nor able to update.
Old units may have buttons rather than a touchscreen.
Cheaper ones often have smaller screens too. , Most large stores, like BestBuy and Circuit City, don't give their employees commission to push a particular model, so you can usually depend on their suggestions and information. , Try eliminating brands you don't like, models that are too expensive, and units with features you don't want or need. -
Step 3: Decide what type you need.
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Step 4: Look over the description
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Step 5: and features of each model.
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Step 6: Consider going second-hand.
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Step 7: Talk to a customer service representative about the different models.
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Step 8: Narrow down the field.
Detailed Guide
If you don't know anything about navigation units, determine how much you are willing to spend, and move on to step
2.
Look in "GPS" or "GPS/Navigation" departments.
You may also want to search for "Satellite Navigation" or "sat nav".
You can also find online GPS comparison sites which provide a list of ratings and features for many models. , Choose between one for your car (Garmin Nuvi, Magellan Maestro, Magellan Roadmate, TomTom one, TomTom go), one for your motorcycle (Garmin zumo, tomtom rider) or a top of the range mobile phone (TomTom mobile, iPhone)/PDA (TomTom navigator) which will often include GPS. , A particular brand may have 3 or 4 different models with a variety of prices and features going from low-end to high-end.
Some have maps for more than one country or the capability of adding them (though this will cost extra).
To add maps you will need a GPS unit with sufficient memory space and sometimes an SD memory card slot.
Some maps are considered better or weaker in some areas than others.
Find out if the unit uses OpenStreetMap, Tele Atlas or Navtech.
Whether a unit supports speed camera warnings and live traffic information might be of interest to you. , If you buy a second hand unit, the maps may be neither updated nor able to update.
Old units may have buttons rather than a touchscreen.
Cheaper ones often have smaller screens too. , Most large stores, like BestBuy and Circuit City, don't give their employees commission to push a particular model, so you can usually depend on their suggestions and information. , Try eliminating brands you don't like, models that are too expensive, and units with features you don't want or need.
About the Author
Samuel Bailey
Creates helpful guides on DIY projects to inspire and educate readers.
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