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Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: Woodfull on 19 January 2009, 18:31:09

Title: TomTom, Garmin or Navman????
Post by: Woodfull on 19 January 2009, 18:31:09
Hi all,

A question for for those of us not fortunate enough to have integral  sat nav . :'( :'(

Anybody got a preference and why ? :y :y :y
Title: Re: TomTom, Garmin or Navman????
Post by: Mr Skrunts on 19 January 2009, 18:34:21
Tomtom, easy to use and update.  Good price.
Title: Re: TomTom, Garmin or Navman????
Post by: Omega man 2 on 19 January 2009, 18:35:25
The only time I used a sat nav, I borrowed the old mans garmin to drive to bristol. And acording to it. my sisters road didn't exist :o.

I've heard some good things about tom toms :y
Title: Re: TomTom, Garmin or Navman????
Post by: V6 Gix on 19 January 2009, 18:39:33
Easy choice....Tomtom. As long as it's got the latest maps installed, you can't go wrong.

I've had a Tomtom GO700 for years now and it's never let me down once.
Title: Re: TomTom, Garmin or Navman????
Post by: jjleonard on 19 January 2009, 18:39:43
TomTom. Gets the big thumbs up from me.

Needs the Speed Camera update (£20 ish per year) and new maps (£40 ish) every year if you travel a lot, or it freaks out and can't find roads.

Title: Re: TomTom, Garmin or Navman????
Post by: Kevin Wood on 19 January 2009, 18:44:51
They all have their strengths and weaknesses. Tom Tom is great if you just want to get to a postcode and don't care how. Try and convice it to go a particular route or express any preference as to the type of road you want to travel on and you've had it.

Don't have enough recent experience of the other options but I have previously found other options to be much better for route planning but totally unstable once on the road.

Kevin
Title: Re: TomTom, Garmin or Navman????
Post by: jayhallam on 19 January 2009, 18:52:13
I own a small courier company so have a fair amount of experience with most makes.
Myself and most of the drivers I have use Garmin. I find them easy to use and very accurate. I feel the price of them is is fair. I think that its the same with most things in that you get what you pay for. Tom Toms are fine too but I think they just do a better job of advertising. Garmins are generaly used throughout the shipping world also.
It all really boils down to what you feel suits you best.
Title: Re: TomTom, Garmin or Navman????
Post by: albitz on 19 January 2009, 18:53:08
Navman for me,because it was free. ;)
no experience of the others,so cant compare.
Title: Re: TomTom, Garmin or Navman????
Post by: Sad on 19 January 2009, 18:56:25
I've used a TomTom for over 3 years, all over the country as a C+E driver, they're the only ones worth spending the money on.  So so much easier to use than the others, but it's best to read the owners manual to learn how to use it properly.  It's always best to check the route it brings up for you and always put it into night colour mode when driving in the dark...
Title: Re: TomTom, Garmin or Navman????
Post by: jjleonard on 19 January 2009, 19:07:27
Quote
I've used a TomTom for over 3 years, all over the country as a C+E driver, they're the only ones worth spending the money on.  So so much easier to use than the others, but it's best to read the owners manual to learn how to use it properly.  It's always best to check the route it brings up for you and always put it into night colour mode when driving in the dark...

 ;D You wouldn't believe the number of drivers I pass at night with tomtoms still on day mode. Damn thing lights their whole car up - i don't know how they can see out.
Title: Re: TomTom, Garmin or Navman????
Post by: Woodfull on 19 January 2009, 19:08:22
I've already got a Tom Tom 520 but it keeps misbehaving, bottom right hand corner keeps self pressing, makes it go mental and is unusable.>:(

There's no crud under the lip of the screen and it does't appear to be deformed.

oh.....and the warranty has just run out :'( :'(
Title: Re: TomTom, Garmin or Navman????
Post by: boxer boy on 19 January 2009, 19:34:43
i have a navman and it has never let me down.
Title: Re: TomTom, Garmin or Navman????
Post by: TheBoy on 19 January 2009, 20:11:46
for personal occasional use, I'd go with one of the £80 TomToms.
Title: Re: TomTom, Garmin or Navman????
Post by: Del Boy on 19 January 2009, 22:26:32
Used lots of TomToms all of them have been cr@p got a Navman S100 now and it's brill.
Title: Re: TomTom, Garmin or Navman????
Post by: Lazydocker on 19 January 2009, 22:30:24
TomTom for me :y :y :y

Best bet is to get yourself into somewhere like Halfrauds and have a play with them all
Title: Re: TomTom, Garmin or Navman????
Post by: Elite Pete on 19 January 2009, 22:34:14
Ive only ever used the Tom Tom and I wouldn't be without it ;)
Title: Re: TomTom, Garmin or Navman????
Post by: PaulW on 19 January 2009, 22:53:15
Use TomTom on my Xperia, altho I had to just patch the Postcodes file from the Go series to work on it, as the western and central europe only does 3-digit UK post code search...
Title: Re: TomTom, Garmin or Navman????
Post by: omegaman2 on 20 January 2009, 07:50:45
tom tom for me
the misses uses every day for work and swears by it
quick and easy
and the sat navs no bad either
Title: Re: TomTom, Garmin or Navman????
Post by: The Barge Captain on 20 January 2009, 10:50:51
Navman S50 - got it for the same money as a tom tom £100, bigger screen, auto night mode, easy to use. :y
Title: Re: TomTom, Garmin or Navman????
Post by: Lioned on 20 January 2009, 18:59:54
I've got a Garmin and 'the woman' has started to talk back to me !! Other than that its always got me to where i want to go,though it did want to take a short cut up mount snowdon when i went to Wales last year.
Title: Re: TomTom, Garmin or Navman????
Post by: TheBoy on 20 January 2009, 19:04:10
Quote
Used lots of TomToms all of them have been cr@p got a Navman S100 now and it's brill.
Oddly, I've found the navman ones to be unreliable, as in hardware failures.
Title: Re: TomTom, Garmin or Navman????
Post by: gwa on 20 January 2009, 21:14:40
I have a Garmin Nuvo 710 and its brilliant. But in answer to your questions; I think for the UK you need to get Tom Tom, if you are going abroad and in particular outside of Europe then get a Garmin. :y
Title: Re: TomTom, Garmin or Navman????
Post by: Del Boy on 20 January 2009, 21:30:53
Quote
Quote
Used lots of TomToms all of them have been cr@p got a Navman S100 now and it's brill.
Oddly, I've found the navman ones to be unreliable, as in hardware failures.
Thats what I found with the TomToms  ;D All 4 of them I had, had hardware issue's.
Title: Re: TomTom, Garmin or Navman????
Post by: theowletman on 20 January 2009, 22:07:11
Quote
Hi all,

A question for for those of us not fortunate enough to have integral  sat nav . :'( :'(

Anybody got a preference and why ? :y :y :y
After 3 months in my new job I can give you some real everyday advice. We have 40 delivery teams operating from our depot, delivering hire cars far and wide, all drivers are issued with a PDA which has Co Pilot on it, no body uses it. We all have our own Sat Navs, all makes and models. My own is a Navman S70 and once set up to your own preferences it works very well, has only been stumped once, an incorrect postcode, but by entering the street and town it got me there. All devices do basically the same job, some have very useful features, mine tells me the name of the road you are going to turn at, so if there are two together you know the right one, Navman also has Navdesk for your PC which logs all your trips and keeps a record of all the miles driven, it also has a pin lock so if it gets nicked you know it will shut down and be inoperative. The Tom Toms are the market leader and have the feature of displaying the speed limit of the road you are on, very useful. They are also easier and cheaper to update which is vital, new roads, junction alterations etc happen faster than you think, so being able to update is vital. Speed camera warnings are also cheaper to apply to Tom Toms. When my Navman breaks I will get a Tom Tom for all of the reasons given.
The only unit which I have seen which I would not want is the Garmin Nuvi, if it does not recognise the postcode or street / town entered, thats it, game over, the Navman allows the option of going to the centre of the postcode, ideal if it is a new housing estate which is not yet on the database, get one which allows you to set your own preferences for type of route, shortest or quickest, motorways or A roads, don't buy a basic or bottom of the range model, get one which will not be out of date in a year or so.
Good luck.
Title: Re: TomTom, Garmin or Navman????
Post by: gavbriggs on 20 January 2009, 22:15:07
if anyone has a nokia n95/96 you can use mcguider which will use the internal gps reciever and is similar to tom tom in operation. good for those days when yr sat nav is at home or in the car and yr on foot.

you can get speed camera databases from quite a few sources, pocket gps world is one and they do various file formats cheaper than propriety sources and legitimate.

if you use a phone for sat nav be warned that the battery will not last your journey unless yr only going next door for a cupps so get an in car charger!
Title: Re: TomTom, Garmin or Navman????
Post by: Jimbo B on 20 January 2009, 22:23:40
Tom Tom used my 710 all around Europe make sure you up date maps though, easy to use. :y :y :y
Title: Re: TomTom, Garmin or Navman????
Post by: Entwood on 20 January 2009, 22:36:39
I have an ancient (like me) tomtom 700, that has never been serviced or suffered any mechanical or electronic problems. It is used every time the car is started as I never take it out other than to update. I find the auto-on and auto-off extremely usefull, as well as the auto-connect, by bluetooth, to my mobile.. the TT is my handsfree kit.

This unit has been used on the continent with no problems at all.

I will not say how, as it breaches site rules to discuss illegal software, but running the latest "truck" OS and Maps even allows me to put in details of the vehicle driven ... I often tell it I'm a long truck when I have the 'van on the back as it then avoids lanes and tight turns  :)

The ability to put in your own "Points of Interest" (POI's) allows you to either make your own, or to download from t'internet ... I have speed cameras and LPG data on mine .. updated monthly.

The PC software allows you to plan itineraries ahead of a trip in a simple way, and to then save them to the unit

Yup .. Tom tom for me every time .. :)
Title: Re: TomTom, Garmin or Navman????
Post by: willyboy on 20 January 2009, 22:57:08
Both son in  laws used Tom Toms after borrowing one of them it seemed to work well bought one myself then a 510 none of as had any probs with ours & i have really messed about with mine ::) :y
Title: Re: TomTom, Garmin or Navman????
Post by: Taxi_Driver on 20 January 2009, 23:11:54
Do not buy a Tom Tom at the moment....my 510 has been rather useless for the last 3 weeks since it downloaded TT's latest firmware....V8 firmware seems....according to websites.....have broken nearly every tomtom...and it seems tomtom have withdrawn v8 and replaced it V7.9......this has still broken my tomtom....it constantly locks up and reboots.....i have been shouting at TT to sort it out.....i have just got a response to reinstall it all again.....not that i think thats gonna help......but will follow instructions again.....will let u know... >:(
Title: Re: TomTom, Garmin or Navman????
Post by: Entwood on 20 January 2009, 23:25:29
[Off Topic warning = ON]

TD if you continue to have problems contact me... I'm sure I can sort it for you in and evening... :)

or you can try these guys ... ther's no current major whinge about V8 that I can see ...

http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewforum&f=93

[Off topic warning = OFF]