Inexpensive GPS Buying Options
C310x for $200 or less. The other deals that I would recommend are simply low priced Garmin C-series products.
Mio C310x – Many people went out to the stores on Black Friday and bought this for $149, but don’t worry, you can still pick this up at Comp USA for $199 now. Even at $199, this is still a great deal. It’s got some issues, but most people are happy, or even thrilled with its performance. The interface is good, not great but good, and offers a lot of nice navigation features. The Issue: Maps. There is ONLY US maps on the device, no Canadian maps as previously mentioned or discussed. The maps are also in need of updating. This sits on both Mio and TeleAtlas’ shoulders,but there should be an update to the maps in the next 6-9 months. See my post on TeleAtlas Maps and why I think that things are set to improve. These can be serious issues if they bug you, move on, if you can put up with it, enjoy the bargain. See info on the Mio C310x.
Garmin C320 + 1GB SD Card – This combination will cost around $300 and the device will be rock solid. The unit comes with North American (yes, Canada too), maps that you can download once onto the SD card and you now have a fully functional maps loaded GPS (Note: Get a 2GB card if you want both US and Canada on the device, as US will fit on 1GB card). The included NAVTEQ maps are more up to date than the TeleAtlas maps on the Mio. The interface is easier than the Mio, and I have no issues recommending this unit. Check out walmart.com and Amazon– Both are moving prices around a lot these days, so check both out.
Garmin StreetPilot C330 – If you don’t want to deal with transferring maps yourself, buy this. It's a bit over $300. It will navigate right out of the box, and has all of North America pre-loaded.
Skip the Garmin I-series – Don’t get me wrong, I think that the Garmin I-series is a good little navigator, but for a little bit more money, you can move up to the C-series and its touchscreen navigation on a 3.5 inch screen. The ability to use a touchscreen is a big difference that’s well worth the money.
For more GPS Buying information see our Holiday GPS Buying Guide
Read More in: GPS News | GPS Rebates and Sales | Garmin GPS News | Mio GPS News
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Posted by Scott Martin at November 27, 2006 9:59 AM
Fred,
Thanks for writing. Here's a link to the "Black Friday Mop Up" story. In there is the info about registering.
http://www.gpslodge.com/archives/008527.php
I can't put HTML in these comment fields, but the registration link is in the post. (The URL is la lot longer than my story link)
Source reliability... humm. Consistency is an issue with the executional details on the Mio C310x. To me it seems like the paint was peeling off the execution they were running so fast with this to get things done for the holiday sales. I know that they are trying to straighten out things with the site and the consistency of the messages they send on Canadian maps, AC adapters, etc. So, for now, all I can say is what I said above about the maps. Can't confirm with them; the tech support line is busy!
-Scott
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