By: Arthur Cooper
Submitted: 2011-01-06 13:16:44 | Word Count: 664
Well, if you’ve been sitting on the fence about buying a GPS navigational system, with competition driving the prices way down, now is the time to buy. These days, you can get one for under $50, and unless you’re planning to for your prop airplane as well as your car, it shouldn’t be more than about $400. The basic things to consider are screen size, on-board maps, and POI’s (or points of interest). Basically, the smaller a screen you opt for, the lower the price. That’s maybe not a good compromise if you have trouble reading small text though. On the flipside, the larger your screen, the more windshield space it takes from you.
Just about every system you buy these days will have a pre-loaded map of the USA on it, often with Puerto Rico, Canada and Mexico too, but if you want any other map, you’ll have to purchase it directly from the manufacturer of the unit. POI’s allow you to find a place without really knowing the exact address, like if you suddenly want to eat sushi for lunch. But not all POI databases are created equal. Some are extensive and their results make sense, but many others are limited and will leave you hungry as you drive in circles. The devices that have the best POI database are those that are “connected”. Map updates, traffic updates and device updates can be directly sent to connected devices, leaving all other devices in the dust. They are simply more up to date. But there’s the cost of getting updates to your device, which could be sizeable if you live in areas of the country that have seen huge growth in community development in recent years.
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Other than that, there are various features such as voice commands or media players that may be the deal-maker for you. The main benefit of voice control of course, is that it’s safer. There will be no need to take your hands off the steering wheel. The media features on the other hand, might not seem that safe to some. Having your GPS support common audio formats doesn’t sound that bad because you need tunes to lighten up the commute. Having the capability for interface with your phone keeps your hands on the wheel and certainly keeps you safer as well. But a navigational system that supports video and photo formats could go either way in terms of safety, because that depends on the how it’s used. Those may not be the best devices to buy for an inexperienced teenaged driver. Some regard the basic navigational screen to be an unsafe distraction. Regardless, these extra features only come on the more expensive models, and sometimes could be of no use to the owner as the cell phone interface feature is not compatible with all phone models.
Basically, the best GPS navigational system for car depends on your needs. For more information on the right GPS navigational System for you, visit www.Tech-Chic.com.
