Printed street directories are not gps.

I've been using my brother's Garmin Streetpilot C510 everytime I decide to go on a drive lately to get to places alot easier, however I have used it enough to not find $650 value in it, and was wondering if anyone has used and can recommend cheapie GPS's for both normal & inner city use (the garmin sometimes tells you to turn where there isnt anywhere to turn for ages, it sucks in the city - and it zooms out instead of in, so even if you want to visually verify where you are you need to take your focus off the road)..

Im probably looking at spending upto $600 on one, harvey norman have a 'MIO' brand one for $399, and according to http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives/2006/07/mio_c310_gps_review.html it seems pretty good, but maybe someone here can comment differently?

My concern with going with a non-major brand (brands that arent navman/garmin/tomtom) is that the lack of software updates me occur and become a difficult task (while reading forums on the MIO C510 it seems that it has quite a few bugs, and there is no way to fix them because the MIO site do not offer any updates)..

Sooo.. any experience and advice on what to choose available?

Doesnt need bluetooth or traffic reports, or anything like that - just standard gps + voice navigation, and software updates available for bugs,etc oh and a 3.5" or bigger screen.

The mio C310 is looking most attractive to me at the moment (besides the software worries).

Hmm, just looked at the WOW catalogue, they have one that does mp3/videos called the NaviMate for $400 too, might see what info is out about it.

thanks

Tom-Tom are generally concidered the best.
That means expencive too though.

Ive been using a Tom-Tom lately, its really good except sometimes when you get in the car and set your destination it doesnt get the GPS signal for about 5 - 10 minutes into your journey. So i'd really recommend getting the add-on aerial for it which helps it get its signal straight away.

Plus its got a 20 gig hard drive in it to store mp3s on it and play it through bluetooth on your car stereo if it supports bluetooth (or its own speakers if you dont).

I found this thing called the UBD for $20 - works great. Failing that, TomTom is the cheese.

PDAs have some added advantages that TomToms don't.

They sync to outlook so your Outlook Address book can be loaded by GPS software. (Maybe TomToms do that now ?)

You can get programs like OzExplorer (lets you use pretty much any map with GPS) great for offroad.

They are semi useful if you don't know where you are going. But honestly I know my way around Brisbane well enough that they are nothing more then a toy (read a quick look in the UBD is quicker). And most of the time if you are going somewhere else in the state, there are enough signs to get you there.

Yeh I am really keen to get a GPS and am thinking a PDA is the right way to go - but do PDAs come with the software/maps? If not, how do you get them?

pick up an Imate Jam or O2 XDA2 mini from Ebay cheap and buy a bluetooth GPS, and a cradle/charger. You can buy the Software from either Destinator and/or TomTom. I think there's some free ones you can download around the place, if you do some torrent searches you'll find some groovy stuff, just don't pirate stuff!

here's a good site for some POI collections: http://members.optusnet.com.au/~oztt/Downlads.htm

Trog I have an "old" PDA .. Acer n35 (built in GPS)
I run it with CoPilot live 6 ( http://www.travroute.com.au ), it wasn't exactly cheap. Tried some of the other nav software (NavMan and another one) and I actually preferred CoPilot. Yes it has maps etc etc. TomTom make a PDA program but for some unknown reason do not release Australian maps for TomTom PDA (that's enough of a reason for me to never buy a TomTom product).

I got CoPilot Live 6 for Australia and you can buy packs for America and Europe etc etc

Why'd I like it ?

Very quick to find a new route if you left the old route (ie. 5 seconds) while some of them spend 30 seconds trying to get you to do a u-turn to go back on the old route, even tho you left it on purpose (ie. traffic jam). Much more complete then some of them (some had like 1980s spec maps).

Also the POI feature. You could tell it to show any POIs within 2km. And if you were low on gas, to warn you if a petrol station was with in 2km (ie. make a noise and popup) if you clicked yes with in 15seconds it added it as the next stop on your route (handy for finding food or petrol on a trip).

I really liked that I could pull an address out of the outlook address book (which I can sync with my phone and my yahoo etc etc ie. one contact list to rule the world). It also lets you search by POI (Points of interest), intersections, street names, intersections.

That said it actually didn't show some roads up around Stanthorpe (ie. a backroad from Stanthorpe to Ballandean that goes via a dam was missing a few k's in the middle it was a 1 lane gravel road). But it showed the rest pretty much.

And yes the Acer n35 is an old pov spec PDA but it handled that and OzExplorer just fine.

Worth noting GPS's work best on clear days. Doesn't work at all in tunnels. And on a road with heavy forest on either side and over hang on a cloudy day you might not get a decent lock. In car ones > and portable solution but then they are 10 to 20 times the price.

Oh and it gives voice navigation etc etc and if you head unit supports it you can set it up so when it speaks it mutes your music and plays it over the normal radio.

The HP smartphones I believe use a Sensis service. (think whitepages and whereis in your mobile which is a pda and gps...) But it only works where you have a mobile signal.

But honestly imo GPS is a gimmick. Unless you travel lots or are just hopeless with directions, or are one of those crazy geocachers.

i have got a mio 296+ and i got the software update along with the new maps for free just a few days ago.

But honestly imo GPS is a gimmick. Unless you travel lots or are just hopeless with directions, or are one of those crazy geocachers.

I am just f***ing lazy

I'm considering getting a Garman 350 for when I'm out mountain biking. Thing I like about it is that it also measures heartrate and plots upcoming expected altitude, neat things like that. Of course, a trip computer that costs almost half what my bike does is a little worrying.

But Garman's software looks neat for plotting trips.

No idea when you're after directions though.

trog, honestly a GPS is not a lazy option (I'd know I am lazy and I don't use mine much). Its usually quicker to look it up in a UBD, by the time you put it in its mount (and possibly attach an audio or antenna lead), load the software and put in a destination....

vs

30seconds in a UBD

GPS is awesome, helps me find the quickest way to anywhere im going pluss i take it with me when i go interstate for work, guides me all the way to wher i want to go never misses, id be lost with out it.

last edited by TufNuT at 22:05:14 17/Jan/07

i have got a mio 296+ and i got the software update along with the new maps for free just a few days ago.

hmm.. do they have software with it to get the updates or how do you update it? i was under the impression that it wasn't updateable because of stuff i read in a forum where people couldnt update theirs

how is the mio for you?

they do have updates on the site, it is a poorly designed site and it hard to find them but they do put them up, from what i understand maps are updated once a year, the first year you get the updated maps + software for free, all you have to do is print out a form send it or email it along with proof of purchase to them and they courier the software to you. get updates here>

i like the mio although i have to admit the new software is a big change from the old one better in some aspects but not in others like the new menus options are ares and i havent really been able to figure out how to use it properly yet due to the fact that i havent read the new manual, the old version of the software was really easy to use no need for a manual. but other than that i really like it.


it might be of use to you to go into hardly normal and take a look at what they have (the one a Graden city has a good range) and they have them on display so you can try each one and see which one suits you more. i chose themio because at the time all the Tom Tom ones weren't portable like the mio, which is what i need cause i take it with me interstate and need some thing thats easy to pack.

last edited by TufNuT at 22:39:06 17/Jan/07

GPS does make you lazy, when you start to reply on it, you get lazy.

The HP smartphones I believe use a Sensis service. (think whitepages and whereis in your mobile which is a pda and gps...) But it only works where you have a mobile signal.

I use Tom Tom on my HP smartphone. The gay Navigator trial you get with it only works when you have GPRS to calculate the route - so so gay. Tom Tom ftmfw.

No PDA version for Australia .. they have maps for Aus ... they have a pda program ... sounds to me like TomTom want to bend over Aussies .. say no to TomTom

gps is so not a gimmick, it's completely and utterly useful. lazy? maybe, but still totally useful

*shrug* I own one and have never "needed" it.
ie. a refedex or map would do the job.

And I own one.

Personally, I'd most definitely class it as a want/gimmick for 95% of people, and that's being generous in saying 5% of people need it. Taxi drivers, couriers, delivery dudes, people who are at a different place for their job every day sure is useful for them. Directionally challenged, yeah fair enough.
Bushwalkers, campers etc yeah handy, but if you are relyign on the GPS, thats dangerous (always should have map and compass if its that remote... or at the very least a watch and know what general direction to walk for help).

For a geek who lives in walking distance of his work and goes driving maybe once or twice a week and never beyond the safety of the inner north west suburbs (at least not without his posse of bandanna wearing phreaks)... gimmick.

Hell its cool, its geeky.

Programs like OzExplorer and the 3d add on for it are definitely cool.

GPS is cool tech. GPS cameras are an awesome idea (never have to remember where you took that photo again). GPS locators for kids in phones so if they go missing (or the phone) you can find them.

want/need doesn't have anything to do with it though, all I was doing was saying it's not a gimmick - it's totally useful, whether it's needed or not.

and I've seen your idea of 'driving around brisbane' - you definitely need one :D

If Trog buys it because of its perceived usefulness only to find out he uses it purely to satisfy his hidden nerd. I would argue its a Gimmick. He bought something he didn't need and probably will use less then a handful of times (heck would it even make his life more lazy?) because of a perceived usefulness.

"You should get GPS its useful!" I'd argue for 95% of people an up to date UBD would be more useful at a fraction of the price. With the extra minimum $400 you just saved you could go get a heap of other stuff (that's equally as useless but probably more satisfying)!

I have done a bit over 50,000km in 20months... Have I got $700 worth of value out of my GPS ? ... honestly ? nup. In fact I haven't actually ever "needed" it in all that time. Tho it with OzExplorer and maps its kind of cool. And it did let me work out how much my speedo is out by.

ps. Last time I ever drive you to a lan and back from the other side of town!

I don't do nerd gadgets any more - I don't have the time or interest level to dick with them. I just want something to work because I f***ing hate driving and want it to be as painless as possible!

edit: obes, maybe I should buy your GPS :P

$50 for obes' gps. You have 24 hours to accept my offer otherwise no deal.

I use it as a PDA ... the GPS software was around $550. And its licenced to my PDAs serial number : /

PDA DRM! WTF!

OMGWTFBBQLASERSPEWPEWPEW!!!!!!11111oneoneoneeleven

While we're on the Topic of GPS'
Anyone have/know of good 'outback' Australia Maps?
I only have Aus-Mapper and Garmin Mapsource(CityNav and Metro).

Planning on doing a trip accross the Simpson desert late April, have the Desert Parks maps, which is great and all. Has all the tracks and what-not. But I was wondering if anyone had any good digital versions.

you won't need maps scott, just follow the patrol :D
(and be ready to quickly scoot around me and snatch me out again)

Yeah, just have the Compass pointing East, and Drive untill we find something...

Works for me. I'll just steal... errr... borrow all that extra Fuel/parts From Shazzy :p

heh
I'm actually kind of talking her out of bringing the jeep, or at least helping her decide not to. she got pretty smashed from just driving the jeep to fraser and back, let alone thousands of k's through the hot guts of the country

But come on Jim, her only other option is to be your passenger for 1000s of kms. I'd rather try and walk it with no water reserves... be safer.

haha also true