On Wednesday, July 1, 2015 at 8:29:49 PM UTC-4, wrote:
On Wed, 01 Jul 2015 16:33:02 -0400, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 7/1/2015 1:02 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 01 Jul 2015 12:36:39 -0400, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Wed, 1 Jul 2015 07:09:30 -0700 (PDT), Tim
wrote:

I don't get out of the county much but I am going to take off for a few days and be going through heavy traffic places. Normally I'd use the wife's but she's splitting too.

So I decided to break down and get a new Garmin.

I don't been anything really expensive, but something comprehensive for road travel. I have one that's about 7 years old and probably worthless by now unless I but the updates and I'm sure the internal battery is shot too.

Basically I'm asking what model is the best bang for the buck? Or should I just go to Walmart and get one?

===

Do you already have an Android or Apple smart phone? If so you may
find that mapping app to be as good as a Garmin. My Android phone
even has pretty good speech recognition for destination searching. I
think the key is to use a phone with a large, brightly lit screen.
Mine came from Amazon at a very reasonable price and with a very nice
screen:

http://www.amazon.com/Studio-5-5S-Quad-Unlocked-White/dp/B00IWCCYY8


I find it strange that everyone seems to think talking on a cell phone
is a huge danger but screwing with a GPS or any of that other dash
mounted computer hardware is just fine.




Thing is, you can set your destination on a dash mounted GPS before you
start driving and after that it's pretty much hands free. Cell phones
are a whole different story.


What different story. If you are talking to a frustrating Nav
computer, it is easily as distracting as carrying on a phone
conversation. You will also be tempted to look at the display and not
blindly turn when it says you should.

Personally I hate nav systems. I would rather look a hard copy map for
a few minutes and just drive there. It is actually pretty seldom that
I even need a map and I drove all over for work (50k miles a year in
DC).

Talking to a nav system? It talks to me. I glance at it, just like I do my mirrors, gauges, etc. No issue here.

Greg I think they're handy especially when traveling through metro areas in parts unknown.

A country boy from Illinois and had to go to inner Chicago last year. The wife's Garmin came in really handy then. Otherwise I really don't have a need for one. But since traveling alone next week and my navigator wife isn't going withe. I'll listen to the "robot lady" a lot!

Tim wrote:
Greg I think they're handy especially when traveling through metro areas in parts unknown.

A country boy from Illinois and had to go to inner Chicago last year. The wife's Garmin came in really handy then. Otherwise I really don't have a need for one. But since traveling alone next week and my navigator wife isn't going withe. I'll listen to the "robot lady" a lot!


Change her voice to the British woman. The pronunciations are entertaining!

On 7/2/2015 10:08 PM, Alex wrote:
Tim wrote:
Greg I think they're handy especially when traveling through metro
areas in parts unknown.

A country boy from Illinois and had to go to inner Chicago last
year. The wife's Garmin came in really handy then. Otherwise I really
don't have a need for one. But since traveling alone next week and my
navigator wife isn't going withe. I'll listen to the "robot lady" a lot!


Change her voice to the British woman. The pronunciations are
entertaining!



Sometimes I change mine to the female Italian voice. Makes a trip more
of a challenge.

Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 7/2/2015 10:08 PM, Alex wrote:
Tim wrote:
Greg I think they're handy especially when traveling through metro
areas in parts unknown.

A country boy from Illinois and had to go to inner Chicago last
year. The wife's Garmin came in really handy then. Otherwise I really
don't have a need for one. But since traveling alone next week and my
navigator wife isn't going withe. I'll listen to the "robot lady" a
lot!


Change her voice to the British woman. The pronunciations are
entertaining!



Sometimes I change mine to the female Italian voice. Makes a trip more
of a challenge.


In that case, there's German for Mr. Schnautz.

On Thursday, July 2, 2015 at 11:44:21 AM UTC-4, wrote:
On Thu, 2 Jul 2015 04:30:21 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

On Wednesday, July 1, 2015 at 8:29:49 PM UTC-4, wrote:


What different story. If you are talking to a frustrating Nav
computer, it is easily as distracting as carrying on a phone
conversation. You will also be tempted to look at the display and not
blindly turn when it says you should.

Personally I hate nav systems. I would rather look a hard copy map for
a few minutes and just drive there. It is actually pretty seldom that
I even need a map and I drove all over for work (50k miles a year in
DC).

Talking to a nav system? It talks to me. I glance at it, just like I do my mirrors, gauges, etc. No issue here.

Hey, if you need it, get one. I am just saying they are distracting
and I don't need one.

It makes me wonder how we got around all those years before we had
them. I guess some people just have better awareness of how street
systems are laid out and which way north is. Perhaps better short term
memory.

The Audi has one, and it's actually pretty user friendly. I rarely use it, but it did come in handy a few weeks ago coming back from Hilton Head. I95 was backed up for miles, so we got off and took back roads across the state to get home. I could have found my way without it, but the nav showed the best, shortest way. Another good use is to just turn it on without setting a destination. Then it's just a digital, auto-centering map. The Audi even has a sim card with cellular data, and can display google earth and street views. Also becomes a WiFi hotspot. Tres cool.

30 years ago I drove a U-Haul loaded with our company's equipment from SC to Toronto to the Royal York hotel for a trade show. No map of Toronto, and nothing but a street address for the hotel. I stopped along the way at welcome centers to get state maps, crossed the border into CA, and followed the signs to Toronto. Got off an exit into the city, and drove around until I found it. Technology has gotten so embedded into our lives that I wouldn't dream of doing the same now.

I don't need some strange woman telling me how to drive, I have a wife
;-)

Heh. I know exactly what you mean!

wrote:
On Thu, 2 Jul 2015 04:30:21 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

On Wednesday, July 1, 2015 at 8:29:49 PM UTC-4, wrote:


What different story. If you are talking to a frustrating Nav
computer, it is easily as distracting as carrying on a phone
conversation. You will also be tempted to look at the display and not
blindly turn when it says you should.

Personally I hate nav systems. I would rather look a hard copy map for
a few minutes and just drive there. It is actually pretty seldom that
I even need a map and I drove all over for work (50k miles a year in
DC).

Talking to a nav system? It talks to me. I glance at it, just like I
do my mirrors, gauges, etc. No issue here.

Hey, if you need it, get one. I am just saying they are distracting
and I don't need one.

It makes me wonder how we got around all those years before we had
them. I guess some people just have better awareness of how street
systems are laid out and which way north is. Perhaps better short term
memory.

I don't need some strange woman telling me how to drive, I have a wife
;-)

I find it handy while traveling. Restaurant, gas, lodging in the area.
And here on Vancouver Island, how far to someplace. They are sign
challenged.