SATNAV

[andrewm]

Snip: ..and being a PC

:shock: :shock:

Thats enough for me to run a mile!! (If it was a MAC it would be a different ball-game)

Get a TomTom then. They use Linux and some people are developing other applications for them. I have not tried it but believe there is a video viewer either available or in the pipline. Stick a DVD on a SD card and plug it in while waiting for SWMBO to finish her shopping

Andrew

 

[BrianD]

I have a Garmin GS60C and found it to be very good however there are pros and cons I have found.

I have found it to be very accurate with minimal false readings (over sensitivity)
I like the fact I get updates every year for the whole of Europe.
I find the PC software easy to use - pretty good

I do not like the fact it does not have a quick address lookup, i.e. enter postcode and house number (and get on with it) - you have to enter the address in a formal answer (yes with intellisense but it sucks)

The convenience of using PostCode etc. in other systems leads my wife to prefer the alternatives.

Truthfully, I wish Garmin would get its act together on this even though it is not universal.

 

[paulm]

After being totally sceptical for a long time I finally splashed on a basic Tom Tom about a year ago and am now totally converted, it's brilliant and I would buy another in an instant if I needed to.

Pays for itself in just a trip or two by the amount of stress, hassle and wasted time it avoids.

Don't overanalyse BB just get one you, won't regret it !!!

Cheers, Paul.

 

[ByronBlack]

Cheers to everyone on this thread. Seems my concerns about these devices are unfounded, so probably best I dust of the credit card and go shopping

Does anyone know a good site where you can get different voices as previously mentioned?

Instead of Ozzy, I was hoping their would be a Samual L Jackson one, or even better; A Mr T - 'Turn left at the junction sucka!!'

 

[DomValente]

You can hear it in a van, I have a TomTom and it's fine if you keep it updated.
I had a problem in reading where it sent me down a road which had been closed 2 months previously and I regularly visit Wyboston near St.Neots and it doesn't recognise any of the roads it just takes me close and tells me I have arrived :shock:
I recall my first satnav and got a bit of a fright when I realised that I was following Bettys', yes I gave her a name, instructions without due regard.
i.e." turn left" so I crossed two lanes of traffic without looking in the mirror.
Well she sounded so confident

 

[TonyW]

Does anyone know a good site where you can get different voices as previously mentioned?

Instead of Ozzy, I was hoping their would be a Samual L Jackson one, or even better; A Mr T - 'Turn left at the junction sucka!!'

Different voices as stated are available - you generally have to pay for them. Ozzy is quite funny at first "at the roundabout take the f******** motorway" but grates after a while.
Few links to get you started TomTom related
Voices
http://www.tomtomsatnav.info/voiceskins.html

Forum
http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=index

POI
http://www.tomtomfree.com/

Navigating with TomTom One
http://www.filesaveas.com/tomtomone.html

Hope you find them useful - also google is your friend

Cheers
Tony

 

[stix]

I have a garmin and find it's best use (apart from SWMBO not phoning me every 5 mins when she's lost!) is for getting round traffic jams - it saved me sitting in nearly 2 hours of traffic on the August bank holiday.

The only problem I've had with it is that occasionally it seems to like to use some rather narrow B-roads, as is sees them as the most direct route! After the first time this happened I changed the vehicle setting to 'truck' thinking that it wouldn't send a truck down a road like this. A few days later it sent me down a road where my wing mirrors were nearly touching the hedges on either side :x

There may be a way of setting it to avoid such incidents but I haven't found it yet. If I'm travelling down country roads now and the satnav tells me to turn off I try and get a look down the road before I turn and carry on driving if it looks a bit dodgy.

HTH

Steve

 

[lurker]

My Bruva loves Sat Navs!!!

He is a farm manager and sat navs keep sending cars down a dead end lane near the farm. They get stuck turning round. He can see this lane from his back door.

He charges the £25 to tow them out. Some tell him to "go away" so he does.
The price goes up to £100 on the second offer. :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

Incidentally, its not a total co incidence that this lane now seems to be wet all year round just something that started happening after the first few "clients" it has been suggested it might be due to a ditch he diverted.

 

[wizer]

Bryron

if you go with TomTom then I can hook you up with the following

data58.chk - Vicki Archer 898FM - English (UK)
data59.chk - Smart Road - English
data60.chk - Sarah Michelle Gellar - English
data61.chk - Marilyn Monroe - English
data62.chk - Dr. Evil - English
data63.chk - Michael Caine - English (UK)
data64.chk - Kim Cattrall - English
data65.chk - Tony Blair - English (UK)
data66.chk - Knight Rider's KITT - English (UK)
data67.chk - The Queen - English (UK)
data68.chk - George Dubya Bush - English
data69.chk - C-3PO - English (UK)
data70.chk - Arnold Swarzenegger - English
data71.chk - Austin Powers - English (UK)
data72.chk - Clint Eastwood - English
data73.chk - Darth Vader- English
data74.chk - Homer Simpson - English
data75.chk - Joanna Lumley - English (UK)
data76.chk - The Lady Newsreader - English
data77.chk - Ozzy (Censored) - English (UK)
data78.chk - Ozzy (Uncensored) - English (UK)
data79.chk - Patrick Stewart - English (UK)
data80.chk - Sean Connery - English (UK)
data81.chk - Sharon Osbourne - English (UK)
data82.chk - Yoda - English
data83.chk - Andy Siddell - English (UK)
data84.chk - Justin Moorhouse - English (UK)
data85.chk - Liz Whitaker - English (UK)
data86.chk - Robot - English (UK)
data87.chk - Stephen Hawking - English (UK)
data88.chk - John Cleese - English (UK)
data89.chk - Al Pachino - English
data90.chk - Alien Legacy - English
data91.chk - Bush & Troy - English
data92.chk - Steve Dangerous - English (AU)
data93.chk - Bad Santa - English
data94.chk - Robert DeNiro - English
data95.chk - The Daleks - English (UK)
data96.chk - Mr. T - English
data97.chk - Jack Nicholson - English
data98.chk - Sven Goran Ericsson - English (UK)
data99.chk - Joe Pesci - English
data100.chk - Silent
data101.chk - Sheila - Australian
data102.chk - Mick Jagger - English (UK)
data103.chk - Big John - English (UK)
data104.chk - Movie Voiceover Man - English (GB)
data105.chk - Hispanic - English
data106.chk - NASA Mission Control - English
data107.chk - Bonnie - Scottish
data108.chk - Canadian, Eh!! - English
data109.chk - Chad "Monster" - English
data110.chk - Ronnie's Lover - English
data111.chk - Chavette - English (GB)
data112.chk - Clare
data113.chk - Colonel - English (UK)
data114.chk - Bubba - English
data115.chk - Doc Brown (Back To The Future)
data116.chk - Eddie Izzard - English (UK)
data117.chk - Elvis Presley - English
data118.chk - Emo Phillips - English (UK)
data119.chk - Farmer Tom - English
data120.chk - Gray
data121.chk - London Taxi Driver - English (UK)
data122.chk - Loud Eddie Izzard - English (UK)
data123.chk - Mad Midget - English (GB)
data124.chk - Manuel (Faulty Towers) - English (GB)
data125.chk - Naughty Natalie - English (UK)
data126.chk - Randy Rob - English (GB)
data127.chk - Viz (Roger Mellie) - English (GB)
data128.chk - Roger Tourettes - English
data129.chk - Scammy-Nav
data130.chk - Selina - English (UK)
data131.chk - Shane Warne - English (AU)
data132.chk - Soul Man - English (GB)
data133.chk - Bodie Stone - English
data134.chk - Victoria Beckham - English (UK)
data135.chk - The Voice Of God - English
data136.chk - White Van Man - English

IMHO they are all terrible, but each to their own I guess.

 

[newt]

Steve I have the Nuvi Garman and I tried the truck trick but it did no good. It is the only issue I have and like you I take a look first, She soon recalculates anyway. If you ever find a solution let me know.

 

[stix]

If you ever find a solution let me know

I will do. I have emailed Garmin a couple of times regarding this but I have yet to recieve a reply.

 

[RogerM]

Does anyone know a good site where you can get different voices as previously mentioned?

Instead of Ozzy, I was hoping their would be a Samual L Jackson one, or even better; A Mr T - 'Turn left at the junction sucka!!'

I would go anywhere Joanna Lumley told me to!

 

[woodbloke]

I was very cynical about them but now frequently borrow my daughter's Tom Tom. Fabulous - and that woman's voice 8) 8) I've fallen in love with her :lol:

Cheers :wink:

Paul

Janie will be taking me all the way to Switzerland soon.....she can take me anywhere else for that matter :wink: - Rob

 

[Con Owen]

Hi Byron
Just seen your post, have not read all through it. But I purchased a Tom Tom 300 factory refurbished, when delivered it looked new to me, (came in a plain box as opposed to the Tom Tom Box) with up-to-date UK maps. I wanted it relatively cheap and choose this model as it was a good price. The price I paid was 104.52 inclusive of VAT and delivery, delighted with its performance. The supplier is totalpda.co.uk. It has since increased in price by 10.00.
Cheers Con

 

[Jake]

My only experience with them is in minicabs in London where they drive me nuts - the routes are idiotic in their insistence on staying on A-roads wherever possible - take big road west for 3 miles to next roundabout, turn onto next big road heading north-east for a mile, turn east again onto next big road, turn north. By the time you've finished, the miles from A-B have doubled, and the time has more than doubled. No substitute for a map and a brain, that's for sure.

 

[cumbrian]

I bought a TomTom One a few months ago, after discussions with various friends for advice. I'm partially deaf, but can hear it fine, although I might have a problem with Ozzie's flat vahls.....

I've been used to the system built in to a BMW for quite a while, bought the TomTom for another car as I can no longer contemplate being without Satnav (sad I know ). In some ways the TomTom (and this is the cheap one) is better than the BMW satnav - for a start finding a place by postcode is not a feature on the BMW system (although it might be by now), the TomTom can give you an accurate GPS display of speed, allows you to enter waypoints, and you can download sites for speed cameras, both fixed and frequent mobile (look at a site called Pocketgpsworld). The BMW system scores on screen size, although the TomTom is fine, easier to use (personal preference only), and is obviously built in so it's not stuck on the windscreen and can't be nicked without taking the car as well. Actually it probably can, but at least it's less vulnerable to the opportunist yoof and more difficult to sell down at the Scumbag's Arms.

In summary, when I got the TomTom One I was far more impressed with it than I'd expected. HTH

 

[Vormulac]

I have TomTom on my ipaq and it's brilliant. Very easy to use, the only caveat I can think of is to use it only as a guide, you are still the one behind the wheel, don't follow the instructions blindly as I know some people have in the past.
Oh, and avoid the John Cleese voice add-on, my mate had it briefly and apparently it's rubbish.

 

[tombo]

hey byron,

i have a tomtom 510 and it is great, i got fedup of driving to places on my own trying to read a map. Watchout though it was a bugger to get connected to my mac, in the end it turned out that it did not like usb 2.0, so i used an old usb hub and it sprang into life. Funny now it works on usb 2.0 as well.

Tom

 

[Taffy Turner]

I have the Tom Tom 700, and it is a really useful bit of kit. I have upgraded to the Traffic option, so the the Tom Tom uses my mobile phone to check the planned route for delays and navigates me around them - it has saved me hours!!!! To be honest, it makes me wonder how I ever used to manage without it!

Regards

Gary

 

[ByronBlack]

Seems the Tom Tom is taking the lead over the garmin, thanks to everyone for their feedback, It looks like i'll be going for a refurb tom-tom.

Thanks again to all the feedback.