| dfrance |
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Crazed Collector
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Reged: 09/22/03
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Posts: 638
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Loc: The Black
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Garmin or TomTom...
#248281 - 03/08/11 01:27 AM
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or _____. Want something easy to use, accurate...and maybe something I can update using a torrent site....oops, I mean update through legitimate means....
....or did I? 
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Re: Garmin or TomTom...
[Re: dfrance]
#248285 - 03/08/11 02:19 AM
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I doubt many people have owned both brands. I'm happy with my TomTom other than the fact that it sometimes takes a few minutes to sync which is a hassle. It has Star Wars, Snoop Dogg etc. voices you can have it do. Mine is currently set to Darth. Don't know about updates, roads don't change much where I live. It lets you update it for free when you first get it. After that I really wouldn't bother other than every 2-3 years max unless you live in some high growth suburbs.
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| dfrance |
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Crazed Collector
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Reged: 09/22/03
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Posts: 638
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Loc: The Black
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+1 Traffic Cred - ;-)
[Re: Smitdogg]
#248286 - 03/08/11 02:23 AM
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> I doubt many people have owned both brands. I'm happy with my TomTom other than the
> fact that it sometimes takes a few minutes to sync which is a hassle. It has Star
> Wars, Snoop Dogg etc. voices you can have it do. Mine is currently set to Darth.
> Don't know about updates, roads don't change much where I live. It lets you update it
> for free when you first get it. After that I really wouldn't bother other than every
> 2-3 years max unless you live in some high growth suburbs.
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| PokeMAME |
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Gotta catch 'em all!
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Reged: 09/20/03
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Posts: 1405
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Loc: San Antonio, TX
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Re: Garmin or TomTom...
[Re: Smitdogg]
#248303 - 03/08/11 06:03 AM
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> I'm happy with my TomTom other than the
> fact that it sometimes takes a few minutes to sync which is a hassle.
Which model?
I've got a 130S and a 350TM. (the TM stands for lifetime Traffic and Maps)
The 130S was $129.00 two years ago and I got the 350TM for $129.00 last year. (I've never seen it that cheap since then.)
The 340TM might actually be better that the 350TM since it costs slightly more.
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Re: Garmin or TomTom...
[Re: PokeMAME]
#248305 - 03/08/11 06:09 AM
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Not sure. It's in my car and I don't have the manual handy. I bought it last year. It's one of the midgrade models. It was the one right under the first one with traffic info.
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| Jdurgi |
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Regular
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Reged: 09/21/03
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Posts: 1009
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Loc: NEW England, CT
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Re: Garmin or TomTom...
[Re: Smitdogg]
#248309 - 03/08/11 07:01 AM
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> I doubt many people have owned both brands. I'm happy with my TomTom other than the
> fact that it sometimes takes a few minutes to sync which is a hassle. It has Star
> Wars, Snoop Dogg etc. voices you can have it do. Mine is currently set to Darth.
> Don't know about updates, roads don't change much where I live. It lets you update it
> for free when you first get it. After that I really wouldn't bother other than every
> 2-3 years max unless you live in some high growth suburbs.
It's funny, because I've never owned one. I just always print out a map, get the key roads memorized, and drive. The only times I've gotten lost, in retrospect I shouldn't have been driving. But I've driven in foreign countries and just used the directions I was given by someone.
Though England was the most difficult. Not used to the other side of the road, or the other side of the car. After driving from Heathrow to Canterbury, I decided to make use of the car service while I was out there. 
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I am just a worthless liar.
I am just an imbecile.
I will only complicate you.
Trust in me and fall as well.
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Re: Garmin or TomTom...
[Re: Jdurgi]
#248315 - 03/08/11 07:33 AM
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I used to use Mapquest but when I moved to a new city last year that was built prior to pioneers figuring out a grid system for streets and I saw the Star Wars voice options I caved in. It's probably not worth the investment unless you just moved somewhere new or do a lot of traveling or delivering or are just plain bad with directions. I've driven across the country a few times with a lot less but it has come in quite handy.
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| DMala |
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Sleep is overrated
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Reged: 05/09/05
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Posts: 3989
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Loc: Waltham, MA
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Re: Garmin or TomTom...
[Re: Jdurgi]
#248323 - 03/08/11 09:22 AM
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> It's funny, because I've never owned one. I just always print out a map, get the key
> roads memorized, and drive. The only times I've gotten lost, in retrospect I
> shouldn't have been driving. But I've driven in foreign countries and just used the
> directions I was given by someone.
I got a Garmin nuvi 1350 a few months ago, it was an anniversary gift and a marriage saver. I used to print out maps, which worked fine when I knew where I was going ahead of time. There were lots of times, though, where I would be out with my wife and we would decide to go somewhere on the fly. We used to try to navigate with her iPhone, which tended to be difficult because it would update too slowly and my wife is not great with maps to begin with. One day, after an entire day of wrong turns and driving in circles, I lost my temper and we had a rip-roaring argument that may have involved some screeching tires and high-g maneuvers. 
She got me the Garmin not too long after, and things go much smoother now.  It's pretty sweet, just plug in the address and it tells you where to go. You can also search for businesses or landmarks, if you don't have an address. Mine has "lane assist", which is nice. It shows you what sort of turn is coming up and what lane to be in to make it. It also (attempts to) pronounce street names, which is pretty handy.
The one feature I'm not crazy about is the live traffic updates. It picks up traffic updates with an antenna and attempts to route you around any heavy traffic, but it can end up sending you some screwy ways. Coming down 95 through NYC, it decided to route us through the heart of the Bronx to get around about 5 minutes of stop-and-go traffic, which was quite the adventure.  I guess it's OK as long as you use your judgment and don't just follow it blindly, but in retrospect, it's not a feature I would pay extra for again.
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Re: Garmin or TomTom...
[Re: dfrance]
#248325 - 03/08/11 11:56 AM
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well, I've never used tom tom but I have a really low end garmin that isn't *too* difficult to ahem... update
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Just broke my personal record for number of consecutive days without dying!
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Re: Garmin or TomTom...
[Re: dfrance]
#248346 - 03/08/11 07:22 PM
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> or _____. Want something easy to use, accurate...and maybe something I can update
> using a torrent site....oops, I mean update through legitimate means....
>
>
> ....or did I?
Garmin has the more strange UI. TomTom is easier to access. I dunno if TT still has both TeleAtlas and Navteq maps for different regions / years, most guys preferred the Navteq releases.
Big plus for Garmin: use the Mapsource versions of mapsets, and create your own regions/paths/partial mapsets with this. Saves memory.
Fav handling is a difference too...
MAP handling for TT is easier, for Garmin you cannot have more than two addon map images on card.
Garmin POI handling IIIRC was better (several files instead of just one possible?).
My experiences are Garmin nüvi 650, Garmin Mobile XT on several Symbian phones, older TT release also on a Symbian phone and a TT standalone for that i forgot the particular model.
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Re: Garmin or TomTom...
[Re: dfrance]
#248363 - 03/08/11 10:16 PM
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If you got an iPod Touch you could use this. www.gpscradle.dualav.com
Disclaimer: I am not an Apple fanboi. The iPod Touch is the first and only Apple product I have ever owned.
Kevin Eshbach
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Index 
Threaded 
Garmin or TomTom...
Reply
[Re: 
It's pretty sweet, just plug in the address and it tells you where to go. You can also search for businesses or landmarks, if you don't have an address. Mine has "lane assist", which is nice. It shows you what sort of turn is coming up and what lane to be in to make it. It also (attempts to) pronounce street names, which is pretty handy. 
I guess it's OK as long as you use your judgment and don't just follow it blindly, but in retrospect, it's not a feature I would pay extra for again.
