So you finally made up your mind to buy a GPS navigator for yourself? But in the market you find so many options and you get a little confused. Which one to buy? TomTom or Garmin? What model should I go in for?
Whether you want to go in for a Garmin or a TomTom GPS, consider the following tips to help you shortlist and select the GPS device of your choice and needs.
Navigation is the basic functionality provided by all GPS devices. But there are some features you can look for when deciding to buy a GPS. GPS units are of basically two types, in car dedicated GPS and hand held ones. The dedicated car GPS devices have bigger easier to read touch screens with many models having voice guidance. On the other hand held ones have small screen and no voice guidance feature.
Among the models, TomTom GO Classic, 300, 500, 700 and the 900 series, all models of Garmin StreetPilot and Nuvi provide voice prompts for navigating and guidance while driving. Voice guidance is a feature worth having. Not only will your driving be distraction free, but you will also feel more relaxed while driving. Another advantage of having the voice guidance feature is that, you can change the default voices that come with your GPS unit with funny and alternative ones for a refreshingly different experience.
POI maps are another feature worth having in a GPS unit. They will alert you of incoming turns and also point out the nearest emergency services, gas stations, restaurants nearest to your location. Customizing and marking your own waypoints can be a good extension to this feature.
Consider GPS models that are easy to mount and stable when you drive. This will make it easy for you to un-mount a portable in car GPS device and take it along in case you leave your car in a public place or a parking lot to secure against theft. For other features you could look up are bluetooth capability, external amplified antenna if you often drive through an area with less sky view, memory expansion capability to add more maps.
Now you can go back to the market with a much shorter list of GPS models you want to buy. Before finalizing a GPS, road test different GPS units. Go for the GPS device that has an easy to use and read interface, provides a good balance between functionality and features, and the ability to quickly generate routes and provide guidance on your way.
Hand held GPS devices are not recommended for in car use. It can be less safe in using them as they can cause distraction and you won't find them easy to operate while driving.
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