gps type devices

[island guy]

Thinking about getting one for my daughter for xmas. I know nothing about how they work. Any suggestions or advice? I don't want to spend a ton.

[pureinsanity]

How old is your daughter? Are you looking for a hand held GPS or one for navigation on the road?

in my opinion you cannot go wrong with a Garmin. I have a Garmin GPS and love it. However since I got my Android phone I no longer use the GPS as I have navigation right on my phone.

Couple options.

See if she has a smart phone first, if its android based she already has an awesome GPS system in her hands.

If you are looking for a GPS Road navigation I would stay with garmin. Everyone I know has no problems with them.

I have one of the most basic ones with a large screen and I picked it up last year for 80 bucks at best buy. Watch the adds.

Don't be fooled about the ones that update you with traffic. The ones that do have that are never right. And besides if shes driving on some major highways she probably already knows where the traffic will be so she can detour around it.

[delcecchi]

Get one that speaks the street names. You don't want her to have to be watching some screen while driving.

[island guy]

Looking for navigation for the road. No, her phone won't do it. She's 26 and I'm just looking for something that helps her when she travels to unfamiliar territory.

[CAMAN]

I highly recommend the Garmin Nuvi series GPS's for turn by turn navigation. Very powerful yet simple to use. Best Buy carries them. I will never go back to a TomTom after owning a Nuvi.

[delcecchi]

I have a nuvi that i got at sams club and i really like it.

The download to update it is included but it is pretty big.

[pureinsanity]

I agree with all these guys, any of the nuvi's should be fine. They speak turn by turn and they are pretty accurate.

When comparing these the only real difference is:

1.) the 205 has Puerto Rico/US Map loaded, were the 255 has the US/Canada Map Loaded.

2.) The 205 has an internal battery, where according to the HSOforum which could be wrong the 255 does not. Might not be a big deal but sometimes I like to take my gps out of my car and use it

3.) You can talk to the 255 and tell it where you want to go. the 205 you can't do this. if anyone has this option on their GPS does it work well?

The one thing I like about garmins is how easy they are to use. I can plug something in pretty quickly even while driving (which you should not do)

If I were you id get the 205 for her. simple basic and I personally know it works well. Watch best buys HSOforum, right now its 89$ but last year my buddy bought the same one for his girlfriend and he payed 90 and a week later it went on sale for 80 which is when I bought mine.

[delcecchi]

Don't some of them say "turn right" and others say "turn right on Elm Street" so you are sure you have the correct street?

It is sort of tricky figuring out what features each unit has.

[CAMAN]

The TomTom's do this I know but I've used three different Nuvi's and all of them said street names, don't know if any of the super cheap ones just say turn right/left though.