Hello everyone. I am a total newbie to GPS systems and have a few questions about them. I am pretty sure the portable systems are cheaper than indash ones. But, I am planning on switching out my old headunit in my 2003 Chevy Impala also. My budget is no more than $400 so would it be better to get portable or indash? Reccomendations of different types of GPS systems would be helpful. Thank you
With only $400 to spend I guess the more wise decision would be to go portable. Can anyone give me recommendations on good portable GPS systems? All I am looking for is the U.S. version that is upgradeable. Thanks
I have the pioneer n2 in my hummer, and I never turn it on thanks to owning a garmin hand held. it is so much better plus being able to take it the old ladys car with me and on trips is great.
if you like switching your head unit out each time new technology is released then i would say stick with head units. but you must consider how hard it is to upgrade maps on head units and generally they are not support very much by dealers or the ppl who sell them. most of them are there today and gone tomorrow, if you know what i mean. anyways, that is a concern that you might want to deal with. you might also want to consider the cost. head units are always so expensive... i generally find portable units more feasible to purchase in the market today. they come with all the special features of the head unit and plus they can be taken outside the car or truck too. i got a real good one worth about $400 bucks from newelectronx. i compared it to a high end garmin unit and considering what it has on it, i got a deal. but thats my general take on it. hope it helps
It's far easier to use portable navigation systems and cheaper to update their maps. Plus you might want to use it change it between cars (not every car you possess will have a GPS, typically (though that is bound to change in the future). And it's nice to have to take on a trip where your friend might be driving a car without GPS etc.
Yes someday (probably sooner than later) all cars will be GPS equipped. Totally hands free too with voice recognition. My cheapo Magellan does its' job with little annoyances but what do you expect for $100? Like computers there's a fine line in spending top $$ on the latest gear when it will be old news in a year anyway. Unless you have tons of $$ and just want the bragging rights to me it doesn't make sense in today's world to pay so much for anything.
I remember when car phones came out. Not a cell phone in a car but an actual phone that used a transceiver in the trunk. They were the rage for about 3 years lol. It also set you back $2000 to be the cool dude holding one at stop lights. Like $5/minute air time too. You pay dearly to be one of the first. Ahhh the 80's.
Haha, it's funny how that 'car phone' icon persists even into today's cars where it's like a mark of pure luxury, even though chances are your cell phone you got for $10 at Verizon is far better.