are they any good ?
 

[SIZE="3"]i am talking about sat navs,are they worth the money ? i was in a car with a friend and he ignored every promp the voice was giving him which i thought was ludicrous,also are they not a temptation for some yob to come and stove your window in to steal it.any users out there, what type would you recommend that dosent cost an arm and a leg[any advice will be appreciated./SIZE]

Re: are they any good ?
 

A lot of users on here recommend the various Tom Tom satnavs. Admittedly, I don't have one (I use Nokia Maps which is built in to my N95, and while I don't drive, it's still handy if I am walking around somewhere I don't know).

However,Satnavs are only any use if the maps are fairly up to date (I believe Tom Tom allows you to download new maps on to your PC, then install them on the Sat Nav), and if you follow it's directions!

As for the nicking thing, I don't know if you meant some thug stoving in your window while you are in there, but the portable satnavs are easy to remove, and usually fit in your pocket (if not, you can put it in a bag), so the standard advice applies: Take it with you if you leave the car.

Re: are they any good ?
 

N95 sat nav for driving is shocking - I use a Tom Tom sometimes too, cant complian very easy to use.

Re: are they any good ?
 

I use TomTom on my SPVM5000. I've used Garmin too.
TomTom is the better of the two in my opinion.
Keep your eye on Halfords, they're always having weekend deals on satnav's.
My Sister has a TomTom go but it's useless in my car as I have a heat reflecting windscreen - GPS signal can't get through.
Worth noting if you have one of these windscreens you'll need an external/auxiliary antenna.

Re: are they any good ?
 

Check this out on Ebuyer...they have been down to £60, but at £70 very good value. They also run TomTom very well cos they have a 400Mhz processor.


http://www.ebuyer.com/product/131342

Re: are they any good ?
 

I use a tt one, absolutely fantastic! On the odd rare occasion though it directs me onto a different road.

Re: are they any good ?
 

My father-in-law has a tomtom (dont know what model it is and I would ask, but ATM he's driving to Mercia) He uses it for UK & Europe (drives extensivly in Europe) and AFAIK is extremely pleased with it. Its around 3+yr old but is up to date with maps\firmware\software.

Re: are they any good ?
 

thank you guys/gals for all your advice its appreciated,i will have to do a bit more head scratching before i make a move on them.

Re: are they any good ?
 

I have a Tom Tom One GB, which cost me £199.99 18 months ago, they can now be got for about £120 if you look around and are a very good buy indeed :)

Re: are they any good ?
 

thanks zeph.

Re: are they any good ?
 

I use tom tom on my nokia n73 in walking mode to get me pretty close to where I'm going, it is the single thing that has given me my indipendanve back.

Re: are they any good ?
 

Sat Navs are brilliant ,especially if ytou actually have a use for therm . People such as mobile workers,usefull for holidays in UK and other countries.

You do see some people who just have them on to take a trip to somewhere they already know anyway!

All the media hype about people driving into rivers etc is because they are brainless individuals and/or bad drivers.

I stopped a driver in an artic recently who weas about to drive up a residential street which i knew had a width restriction. I think he was sat navving. On the main road he had turned from,there was a huge sign saying,no left turn for large vehicles,width restriction!

I use a Tomtom one at work and also have used it in Europe and the US.

Nothing is perfect but one thing is for sure, you WILL get to where you are going. If you have a vague idea of the route you are travelling,best to have a quick flick in the A-Z /maps.

By the way,its not only drivers who make fatal mistakes with GPS. Many sailors do. i.e they set the GPS for a destination/waypoint,sail that course and sometimes conveniently forget about tides,sandbanks and rocks along the way which may not allow them to pass over at the time they wish to sail ! As with any navigation,always check your route before you set out and periodically along the way.

Re: are they any good ?
 

good advice. i always check the route and roads on an A-Z first, then user the sat nav as a backup. good job too, as on a couple of occasions, I've been no more than half a mile down the road (one road) from my destination, and the sat nav tried to get me to go 14 miles up the motorway!!!! Don't put ALL your trust in them. remember, computers are actually stupid, they're just very quick at doing it!!!

Re: are they any good ?
 

youve made my mind up for me bender thanks, sod them ! i wont bother,by the way out of plain curiosity what is an a-z ? as i havent a clue.

Re: are they any good ?
 

They are really great we have a Tom Tom

Re: are they any good ?
 

Ive used tomtom 5 and 6 on my PDA, used it in Europe, USA and Caada and found it very useful. I usually know where im going but they're very handy for finding places in a city, for getting out of a city and giving you an estimated time of arrival. Prior to using TomTom i always found myself rushing to get to a place and arriving early, now i dont drive so fast and generally arrive on time.