When is it time for a new GPS?

 

I've been using a Garmin C330 for a number of years. I have thought about getting a newer model but why? My question to all you GPS users is this.. what was the deciding factor that made you go out and buy a new GPS

Display size?
Map up date?
Lane Assist
XM
Speaking street names
???

Just wondering are you really feeling the extra money was worth it and what are your favorite can't live without upgrades.

Thanks All

Flip

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Flip Garmin Street P.330 Garmin 255WT Garmin LM50

I have a C330, as well as a

I have a C330, as well as a 760 now. I use them equally. The 330 still does a good job, you can install map updates.

Unless you really just want to upgrade for the newer bells and whistles, or just have a couple hundred bucks absolutely burning a hole in your pocket, why upgrade?

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Frank DriveSmart55 37.322760, -79.511267

Mainly the flat screen design.

I had a c330 also but didn't like the tube shape design. Saw a nuvi750 at Sam's Club for $300.00 and liked the flat screen design. Bought a belt case if I need to carry it with me. It would be hard to do that with the 330.

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Go Dawgs!!!

Upgrade

My first gps was a c330. My parents are still using it with no problems. I upgraded to a c550, and then sold it and bought a c580. The main reason for that was the msn service and the ability to play mp3 files.

I also bought a 760 this past thanksgiving for my wife to use instead of the c330. It has been ok, but I do not think it will last as long as my c580. It went for a period of time (3 hrs) where I could not get it to power up, in the cradle, usb or by the switch. I am not the only one here that had that happen. It then decided on its own to work. There have not been any lasting effects or other problems (running 2.6) but I don't think I would take it on a long trip with out taking the c580 as well.

I think that the time to upgrade may be when you need a new map set. The maps are close to what you can buy a unit for. Look for a refurbed street pilot and you will get the new maps.

Daniel

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Garmin StreetPilot c580 & Nuvi 760 - Member 32160 - Traveling in Kansas

I'm holding out...

until the price of a fully featured unit like the Garmin 755T comes to within 3x the cost of a map update. No real logic here, just that I've decided that an annual map update of ~$70 isn't worth it (I did it once), and that the feature set of the 7x5 series is so much better than my 200W that if/when the 755T comes down to around $200, I won't be able to resist.

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NEOhioGuy - Garmin 2639, MIO Knight Rider, TomTom (in Subaru Legacy), Nuvi 55, DriveSmart 51, Apple CarPlay maps

Broke

the only reason I got a new one is because the old one broke. I have no need for bells and whistles just something that tells me where I'm going and when it speaks it doesn't sound like my wife, kids, or mother-in-law.

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GO GREEN!

Work did it

I used my 76CSx for quite a while and loved it. When my job changed and I suddenly had 24 offices to support covering the northern third of California, I decided to buy myself a new toy and bought the nüvi 760. I wanted the spoken directions, the touch screen, the mp3 and Audible player, and the bluetooth.

The 76CSx would have actually sufficed for my job but.......... I have a commute of 50 miles each way every day. It takes an hour each way. I have found that listening to books on the GPS has been a major factor in not going crazy.

When I have to travel to other offices they can be as much as 6 hours away - one way. Instead of being a horrid ordeal, I listen to books and the trip is fine. Half hour road work delays? No problem. I'm getting PAID to sit and listen to my book while I wait. wink

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GPSMAP 76CSx - nüvi 760 - nüvi 200 - GPSMAP 78S

I have a Mio C220 and

I have a Mio C220 and requested and received a Garmin 255W for Christmas, the Mio is about 2 YO.

The only reason for the upgrade was that Mio seemed to offer a great GPS and then obsoleted it very quickly and they are not offering any word when updates will be available - if ever.

I decided on Garmin as it seems to be the "name brand" leader in GPS systems and offers map/POI updates (although with this site - no need for Garmin POI updates) to the GPS for quite a while.

I used the Mio on a recent trip and it kind of got lost while going through the Washington DC area due to the new roadways being built. I pretty much decided then that a map update may be essential if traveling where new construction or changing construction happened.

The other consideration about updating is what do you really need. I wanted a GPS that did GPSing and nothing else. I like the idea of the GPS guiding you away from traffic but it sounds like it's not 100% yet, maybe not even 75% either.

For me I need a bluetooth earset to hear well in a noisy car; I have XM radio so MP3's are not a big deal and I personally would rather have music play through a car stereo vs a little speaker and viewing pictures while traveling down a highway is not something I can do. Which after reading the Mio reviews I went for that ... but after 1 1/2 years with it and nothing being said about it on Mio - I went with Garmin.

And there are some nice things with the upgrade - a wider screen and spoken street names - didn't think they mattered much when I bought the Mio but they are nice to have

Hope this helps.

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It's a good thing that there's GPS systems or I would be ... always lost!

That about covers it

spartyon wrote:

the only reason I got a new one is because the old one broke.

Got the 750 when I had to send the 350 to Garmin, and have used one for each of my two cars after repair.

But the 350 is acting up again and the 750 battery no longer holds charge. If the 350 costs anything to fix, I'll look at a 755T. Well, after the next map update.

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nüvi 750 & 760

When To Buy?

Still use c340, nuvi360 and a TomTom One(oops)will upgrade when prices drop or the units drop ... accidents do happen.

have a c330 but does not fit

have a c330 but does not fit into pocket real good thats why i got a 255w both work good just like the options on the 255w more

My reason for getting new

spider_elliott wrote:

and the 750 battery no longer holds charge.

Spider_Elliott, how long did you have the 750 before the battery wouldn't hold a charge. Can they be replaced?

Reason to get a new one for me was the wide screen and color.

first gps was a

first gps was a nuvi 200w and love it.loved the wide screen and all the bells and stuff.if i was not given a nuvi 5000 i would still have the 200w with no problems at all i still have the 200w its in my wifes car now and the 5000 is in my car

nuvi 5000 & nuvi 200w
( life time maps )

Features I can't live without

Hi FLIP,

I’ve had a handheld Garmin 76CSx for a couple of years. Love it! It has a number of features not available in the automotive models like the ability to remember off-road tracks and upload them to the computer. But it doesn’t talk to me. I found myself staring at that itty-bitty screen trying to see the next turn while whizzing along the expressway at 90 MPH. Kind of dangerous. surprised

I bought a refurb Garmin C510 at a low, low price because it was CHEAP and it DID talk to me. Loved IT too but it was stolen. See my moronic escapade under the discussion about “Leave GPS in car or take inside?” http://www.poi-factory.com/node/20027?page=2. Also, the C510 was kind of FAT. I thought there might be a microwave oven back there because it stuck out in the back so much. I lurked on this site (which is a GREAT SITE, BTW), and also a number of other GPS related sites that are, frankly, pretty BORING!!!. I finally decided to plunge back in and buy another Garmin. I had compiled a nearly endless list of features by brand and model. No HDTV feature yet but I’m sure that’s coming soon.

The main features that I looked for this time were 1.) - a unit that was FLAT enough to carry easily so I wouldn’t be tempted to leave it in the car (AGAIN!!!!!) and 2.) - a unit that would talk to me and say the street names. I settled on a Garmin 750. I didn’t want to hear just “Turn Right In 0.1 Mile”. I wanted to hear “Turn Right On McMillan Avenue Next To The Dunkin’ Donuts Where You Proposed To Your Lovely Wife Of 25 Years!!” Well, I’m exaggerating just a little bit but you get the idea. This feature now lets me zip down the highway at 150MPH while getting directions from British Emily without ever taking my eyes off the road. Way Cool! wink

Come to think of it, the HDTV might be a little dangerous, don’t you think?

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Garmin 2595LMT, Garmin 750, Garmin 780, Garmin 76Csx, GPS Bluetooth receiver for laptop

When? All of the above

And, when you have enough money to buy a new one. I like the bells and whistles in the newer models but this present one I have still takes me to where I want to go. When I have enough bucks itching my body, I should get another one immediately, hoping it would not be out of date a few weeks after I buy it.

c330 vs 750

I was going on a couple-hundred mile trip with a friend of mine, and he has a c330. I decided to bring my 750 along and we ran them both at the same time. Their performance was nearly identical, in spite of the 750 having newer maps. The 750 usually spoke first by about 2 seconds, and it read street names, but that's about it. Same routes, same distances, nearly the same warning time for a turn, and they can use the same maps. He was pretty pleased with his c330 after that trip. smile

Bells and Whistles

I have a Nuvi 200 and have been thinking about upgrading to something better but hate to pay for all of the features that they also pack in. I would love something that allows multiple destinations, trip planning and "breadcrumbs" but don't need an MP3 player or Bluetooth as my car already has those features. I wish someone would make a feature packed GPS unit that is just a GPS unit and doesn't try to be anything else.

FLIP wrote: Display

FLIP wrote:

Display size?
Map up date?
Lane Assist
XM
Speaking street names

I was using a Magellan RM 700 for about 2.5 years. It cost about $700 so I wanted to get max utility from it.

But with the introduction of the nuvi lines, I began to monitor prices and features. I bought the 680 for $300 due to it's slim size, TTS esp street names and current map. The bluetooth was a bust and MSN traffic was nice but frequently erroneous.

I do miss the RM feature of plotting destinations restricted to only freeways.

--
“It’s their world. We’re just living in it.”

It's time when...

Electronic gadgets -- we know they're obsolete when we buy them, right? Always something spiffier just about to be announced.

(Two ways to ride Moore's law -- either go the constant price increasing performance curve, which is what the vast majority of the computer biz has done, or go the constant performance decreasing price curve, which is being tried by the ever-popular netbooks.)

For me, the time to replace is usually when something stops working.

As an example, I recently decided to replace my cell phone. Something to do with finding it in the driveway with tire tracks on it (and not making cell phone line noises anymore when I pressed the keys)...

Have fun--

bob

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Nuvi 2460, 680, DATUM Tymserve 2100, Trimble Thunderbolt, Ham radio, Macintosh, Linux, Windows

Time to replace

For me, the time to replace is usually when something stops working.

As an example, I recently decided to replace my cell phone. Something to do with finding it in the driveway with tire tracks on it (and not making cell phone line noises anymore when I pressed the keys)...

Have fun--

bob
[/quote]

I would say that was the best time for the new cell phone. ha ha

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Charlie. Nuvi 265 WT and Nuvi 2597 LMT. MapFactor Navigator - Offline Maps & GPS.

.

For me, the time to buy a replacement is usually when the original breaks or when the new one will do something new that I want. But with my GPS, I'm going to replace it when I would normally update the maps, maybe every three years. The map prices are high and the 200 series GPS's are cheap. Plus I get a new battery and any technlogical improvements.

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nuvi 200 | lifetime maps