Questions about GPS systems for holiday gift (please hurry)?

Question

(If at all possible, please answer if you have experience to do so)

I am supposed to be doing research for my brother this morning while he is at work. He wants to buy a gift, a GPS system, this holiday season. His choices consist of:
TomTom Xl-S AND
Garmin Nuvi 260 (OR, the 300c)

Between TomTom and Garmin which is a more preferable company to choose from? Which tends to have more complications? Moreover, which is my brother to be more satified with? Between the two Garmin devices which is the more adequate of the two? Please list any common complications with both and any additional information that may persuade me to one device over the other. Thanks.

Answer 1

i dont know about the garmin nuvi, but i currently have the tom tom one xls and i'm pretty annoyed at it. basically, you have minimal points of interest (unless you happen to like the ones sponsored by crappy stores. i guess if i ever get lost in the middle of nowhere, i can always find quiznos, baskin robins, and dunkin donuts. but if i want to find anything else like say... a grocery store... i'm outta luck). the directions aren't the best because it takes you the long way in a lot of situations. it also only does very minimal text to speech with a lot of errors. it waits until the last minute before telling you the street name. it will say "turn left at >x number of miles<" and right as you're at the turn, it will say "turn left at >whatever street<". yeah... not terribly useful in a big city when you have to make turns really fast. i'd return it, but i don't have the receipt.

Answer 2

It was a tough decision but I went with the Garmin Nuvi 350 simply because I know Garmin has been around a bit longer than Tom Tom, not saying that the TT isnt any good

Answer 3

One would technically need 4 satellites, but only 3 are used. This would give 2 places a person could possibly be, 1 on Earth, and the other somewhere up in the sky or space; the system just omits the answer up in space. This means that the satellite has some way of monitoring distance, and can therefore tell how far away from Earth it is. Then, by using signals from the other satellites in the GPS system, it can tell where it is over Earth.

Answer 4

I haven't used each model, but I have used a Tom Tom and a Garmin at different times in my life. I liked the Tom Tom much better. There seem to be more user-friendly features and as an easily frustratable technical guy, I enjoyed not yelling at it :)

Answer 5

Hello my name is austin,
I also had the same problem. I did some reasearch and found that garmin is much more high tech, but for some reason most people preffer tomtom.

Answer 6

both of theses gps's are evenly matched. if i was in tour shoes; i would get the 1 that's the better price; and is available, lol. the garmin 300c is a discontinued units so i would worry bout that 1.

Answer 7

I would suggest you go to staples if they have one in yur town and try them and ask the sales person, I didn't like the small screen so I bought a Delorme GPS 20 for $100.00 it connects to my lap top and my lap top has a 17 inch screen it allows voice commands and voice commands for you for directions, it also allows you to see your speed your direction and many other things that the other gps devices don't have the gps toys run as much as $2000.00 but my eye sight is bad and the laptop allows me to see more detail I just use a power inverter to run the laptop. it also allows me to download more detailed information if I want. I can go three d if I want. But the best is to ask a sales person he will recieve the most common complaints people have with them. Or go buy a new for with one already built in.!!

Answer 8

don't know the specifics but tom tom and garmin both rate at the top of the list of gps systems that get rated very well...I'd just go based on the money u want to spend...enjoy

Answer 9

They are both well-known and fairly expensive models. Both will work anywhere, contrary to 1 answer. What is most important to your brother - how is he going to use it ? If all else is equal go on price! More info here http://lissiearticles.com/gps-receiver-top-10-by-performance-and-price/

Answer 10

That's a very good question and PC World has tested a few GPS's so you could check them out at pcworld.com