Best sat nav?

[ItalianTuneUp]

Great, thanks for all the useful advice!

 

[ItalianTuneUp]

With the advent of cheap tablets, it'll be interesting to see how long the likes of Tom Tom and Garmin can survive.

Now if they sold their Sat nav software to run on android, that would be an interesting proposition, if they fixed the grey screen / re routing issues, as Garmin user interface looks very clear and nice.

 

[V12]

I used to have garmin/tomtom sat nav software on my windows mobile a few years ago, actually had the tomtom software before their hardware devices were available!
There is someone who uses a suction mount but instead of fixing it to the windscreen, they fix it to the screen of the comand! Not something I would do but it is solid.
I've also heard that lots of the suction mounts stick onto the dashboard very well.

 

[Spinal]

I would be looking at a nexus with TT or Google maps installed. Cheap, and doubles as a media player when needed...

 

[ItalianTuneUp]

Yes, fixing to dash would be an idea, as long as nav screen below windscreen line of sight. Think I've seen some with a bendy arm that you might be able to position just below dash, where power from cigarette lighter socket is also on hand.

 

[ItalianTuneUp]

I would be looking at a nexus with TT or Google maps installed. Cheap, and doubles as a media player when needed...

I think something like the nexus makes sense.

Not seen TT yet, will take a look.

Edit: not found TT on android app store

 

[Spinal]

TT= Tom Tom
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tomtom.weurope&hl=en

 

[ItalianTuneUp]

TT= Tom Tom
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tomtom.weurope&hl=en

Ah silly me ;-)

 

[st13phil]

There's much discussion on all sorts of technology sites around whether standalone automotive GPSR's can compete with smartphones.

For someone who already has a smartphone, the answer might be stacked against the dedicated GPSR depending upon precise end user needs, but for someone who doesn't own a smartphone there's still a clear cost advantage to the dedicated GPSR - at the moment anyway.

What's interesting is to consider the evolution of automotive GPSR's over their relatively short lifetime. Garmin devices tended to be quite expensive "enthusiast" devices with a great, rich, feature set but sometimes arcane user interface. Then Tom Tom came along with cheaper, but far less functional devices with a great user interface. Tom Tom hasn't really deviated from that model ever since, but Garmin's response has been to ape (and perhaps overtake) Tom Tom's simple intuitive user interface while "dumbing down" the functionality on offer. This "dumbing down" means that the fairly rudimentary functionality that a smartphone-base solution offers is now super competitive, if you already own a smartphone.

If you want or need some of the higher functionality features, such as complex off-device route planning, multi-stop least cost routing, etc. or you need a waterproof unit to use on a motorcycle, then a dedicated Garmin device is probably still the best bet. However, if your navigation needs are along the lines of "get me to an address by the quickest / shortest route", then there's probably little to choose between Tom Tom, Garmin and a smartphone-based solution, assuming you already have a smartphone.

 

[Spinal]

Phil - agree with everything, bar the waterproof bit... SWMBO has a lennovo smartphone, which is waterproof; she uses it on her bike on a mount I see more rugged smartphones coming out in the near future to remove that "gap".

That said, I still have an old garmin for when I need to drive in Africa... or on green lanes in the UK

M.

 

[ringway]

To ringway and Jane: in the user reviews on Amazon for the Garmin 3598 device, many people said they've moved from Tom Tom to Garmin, don't know if this is a trend or not though.

I'm not sure about it being a trend. I'm afraid I don't pay that much attention to sat navs at the moment because my TomTom (2yo) is working well.

There has to be value in the idea of using a smart phone, something which I've done occasionally without any problems.
I have a Galaxy note 3 and the huge screen on that might well be used to navigate when the TomTom gives up the ghost.

 

[ItalianTuneUp]

I think the main thing for a usable Sat nav is that the screen is large enough to be viewed easily.

This may mean that a smartphone is not the optimum device for Sat nav.

Personally, I find the screen on a Samsung galaxy s2 a little small for Sat nav, but I'm not sure I'd like to use a galaxy note as a phone, as the size is bordering on difficult to use...from the couple times I've handled one.

Thus, there may be a case for using something other than a smartphone for Sat nav.

Ymmv though, and just my thoughts.

 

[Cerbera]

I have the Pioneer Appradio installed and connect to my Iphone and I'm able to use a choice of sat Nav apps as well as bluetooth handsfree, reversing camera etc.