What is gps?

Glenda, GPS is a Global Positioning System; a navigation system in other words.

barb, I got my husband one for Christmas a few years back. It was a Magellan and was one of the higher end models. He had alot of problems with it (mostly freezing up, not locating him or losing him on a route) so he eventually switched to a Garmin and likes it much better.

I know the prices vary greatly and honestly, I dont know how a less expensive model would work but from what I've heard they have some problems and less features, but I wouldn't know that first hand.

I'd probably suggest going onto a review website like epinions or something like that (Amazon even does reviews) and reading reviews on the various models. I personally would stick with the more name brand models though, and you want one that has the ability to update locations either through the internet or by a CD through a computer, and also, verify the coverage area, some are just local, others nationwide; some of them have coverage hardcoded into the unit for the whole US, others require you to download areas.

Garmin Tom Tom.
That's what we have, and like it. Very good reputation.

A friend of mine is getting her daughter a Garmin for birthday/Christmas but it was pretty pricey. They carry them in varous prices at Wal-Mart, but I guess I do need to research the features and figure out what's what.

I have a Garmin C330 and I absolutely love it. I have no sense of direction, so it really comes in handy, especially since my Mom moved to a new city last year. I have to take her to a lot of appointments, and the GPS makes it so easy. Also, I find my portable GPS more user friendly than the one that's built into my DH's car. Neither one of us can figure it out.

Do you have to pay a subscription?

We have GPS in our farm equipment, but you have to have a yearly subscription (but that is for VERY precise measuring, if you want the "sorta close" - that is free)

Hopefully Nita will chime in with her opinion/referral . . . she has one in her car and it guided her to me this summer, and I'm up in No-Man's Land, LOL!

I got a Garmin Nuvi 250 for 179.00 at Sam's a two months ago. They had one higher priced model that had a MP3 player and FM tuner built in for 299.00. I thought, I will be using it in the car so the extra bells and whistles wouldn't be used. I have taken it on 4 trips to Dallas already and it has been great. It has only taken me on two wild goose chases looking for chain restaurants. I think it is a programming error of the coordinates not the actual unit itself. I am really pleased with it. I have heard of some units being able to alert you to when the speed limit changes on highways. That would be handy as I saw some major highways change from 70 to 60 and it would really help in an area you are unfamiliar with not to get a ticket.

Check out Costcos I have seen TomTom and Garmin at around 149-200 but not sure what models. (You have two yrs to return if you don't like it.) We have been thinking about getting one too. I usually just print out directions from the internet. We drove from the Midwest to California last year. No problems at all. But the GPS would be handy if you traveled a lot. I'm anxious to read which ones work the best.

We have a Nuvi650--I think the same as Nita. I get the biggest kick out of her voice when you don't do what she tells you to! They don't have every address or place loaded into it, but it does a good enough job. Good for long trips. It gives you plenty of warning that you will be turning. It also tells you to turn left/right on "X" street 500 feet away. I like them giving the street name as I have no idea how far 500 feet is.

We have a Magellan, I bought it for DH for Christmas last year. It was around $200. "Maggie" does a pretty good job. We just went for a 4 day get-away and we had all the addies put into Maggie before we left. It is also nice if you like to just drive and look around...you can then figure out how to get back to where you want.

I have NO sense of direction, so I have used it alot when I need to drive some where I have no idea of. I really like ours.

If you miss your turn...hard to do with 'Maggie' telling you a mile before, 1/2 mile before and a 'ding' when you are at your turn...she will recalculate your directions to your distination.

My daughter has one...either on her Ipod or her cell phone...It is so nice...It talks to her and tells her she should turn at the next corner...if she misses the turn it will tell her she just missed it and give her an alternate route. One time when she was going around a curve it warned her to watch out for a motorcycle that was coming toward her on the other side of the curve.
I could call her and ask her what it is, brand name and all that if anyone is interested.

We have a gps...but we've had it for a few years and it was mostly bought for my husband when he used to go on elk hunting trips...to keep him from getting lost in the wilderness areas. They have changed so much since then...

I need one to find my way around...I swear....I could get lost going to garage sales and I've lived here all my life..."S"

patti

We have the Garmin Nuvi 750, it was $299 at Sam's Club. WE call her Mrs. G.
WE LOVE it!!
JoanMN

My daughter bought my son a TomTom for Christmas last year. I've used it, and it's great. Kinda like having a passenger along to navigate, although she doesn't seem to get my jokes. My DS wants to get me one for Christmas this year. I told him not to spend too much money, and he said the prices have come down. I think it's about $150, but that's a rough guess.

Love mine (built in the car). Just hit the 'take me home' button today after garage saling. Its great on vacation too after a day of sightseeing, you can easily find restaurants or your rental place, plus you can find altenate routes if there's alot of traffic.

I have a Garmin nuvi 350. I got it 2 years ago while in Phoenix for the winter. I was tired of getting lost and driving in circles. I think it was $400.00 then but they've come down some since then.
Leslie

We have a TomTom, it is $60 a year for updates and I paid around $13.00 to change the voice to Dennis Hopper..We paid around $150 for it on sale. Kathy

We got our son a Tom Tom last year for Christmas and he likes it so much that we got our other 2 sons one this year. I got them on QVC for about 170.00 each.

I love our Magellan. DH bought one for me for my birthday 3 years ago. It is really a wonderful tecnology I found, ONCE YOU RELAX and let it do its job! I tend at first to be a little uptight, thinking "this just cant be right", but once I relaxed and just simply did everything it told me to do, it has taken me lots of places, lots of times on lots of trips as we travel a lot. Only got messed up once in Nova Scotia and ended up in a freight yard instead of the highway exit we needed!. But it got us right out of there in a second. It always knows where you are.

A girlfriend of mine has one and we used it last weekend. By the end of the trip I was calling it the B#@ch! I was driving and she kept telling me where to go LOL>!!

I have been wanting one for years, because I tend to get lost when I have to run errands over the hill in Silicon Valley. I want one with the biggest screen out there because don't have the vision I use to and one that also speaks the directions so I don't have to take my eyes off of the traffic. You don't have to pay a yearly fee unless you want updates.
Clare

Some of you may know I'm a hospice social worker and am constantly trying to find addresses for new patients or trying to find the best way from one address to another. I'm the only social worker for a 12 county area. I got tired of being lost and bought a TomTom. I found it only had about half the addresses in it that I needed to find. I took it back to Walmart but they have a policy there that you have to bring it back withing 14 days! Sheesh! Now I'm stuck with it and it doesn't even help me! I called TomTom and spent 3 1/2 hours downloading new maps, but it still didn't have about half the addresses I needed. TomTom would only replace the unit, which was no help at all. I did not know this about WalMart, either or certainly would have been more diligent about getting it back! Oh well, hindsight is 20/20, right?

My son has a Magellen so he loaned it to me to try and it was only a little better, still didn't have all the addresses.

A nurse that I work with has a Garmin (not the same as a TomTom). She said that it always has all the addresses she has to find.

I found that the device is only as good as the maps it has access to. I'm going to try to sell my TomTom and buy a Garmin.

I love my Garmin Nuvi. It worked well right out of the box. It has saved me from so much stress - especially when traveling.
Hands down, it is my very favorite gadget.
TG compared my unit to a Magellan, side by side while helping a firend move cross country. He much preferred the Garmin.

We have Edith. She is manufactured by Magellan. :)

But, she could not get me home. Not here, and not in Tulsa. She takes me next door. We had to program our address in, while in our drive ways.

Two of my friends were now sent to different houses, when they first came to see me here. One is also a Magellan, but I am not sure, what the other unit is.

They are not always accurate.

Moni

One of the things I love about my cell phone is that it has a built-in GPS receiver. Along with Google Maps or Live Search, that gives me free GPS. (Well, it's free only because I spent a small fortune on the phone, but I *do* use every feature!)