New GPS

[Jerry Bruette]

I'm looking to update my GPS and I think I've narrowed it down to the Garmin Nuvi 68 LM or the Nuvi 66 LM. The 68 is one year model newer, has Foursquare on it, and is about $40 more.

I'm ignorant....What is Foursquare and what will it do for me?:confused:

I f anyone has either of these units could you tell me what's good or better one vs the other.

Thanks

[Ryan Mooney]

No help on the GPS.

Foursquare is a "local information service": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foursquare
No idea if it would be useful to you since it depends on use (also don't know how long they'll be around since they recently pivoted from a "social" service to an "information" service).

[Wade Lippman]

There was a cartoon in Sunday's paper about guys walking by a camera store and wondering what was sold there.
Same could be said about GPSs. Phone apps aren't quite as good as dedicated GPSs, but they are much more convenient and will probably be just as good next year.

I've never heard of Foursquare, but I bet Google has.

[Scott Shepherd]

I can't say that Foursquare means anything, but we have a 65LMT and are reasonably happy with it. I'd suggest looking at the "T" in the "LMT" which is the traffic, if you travel much. It's great for looking ahead and telling you if there are traffic problems ahead, and how long of a delay it's causing. It's not perfect, but it's certainly better than not knowing.

[Matt Day]

I'm very happy with using Google maps navigation with my iPhone. It's had a couple very good updates in the past year or two that have really improved its navigating. I have mine mounted to the dash with an imagnet mount, which uses a flat metal disc i put inside the phone case to attach to magnetic mount.

If you don't have a smartphone, maybe this is a good time for it?

[Jerry Bruette]

No help on the GPS.

Foursquare is a "local information service": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foursquare
No idea if it would be useful to you since it depends on use (also don't know how long they'll be around since they recently pivoted from a "social" service to an "information" service).

Read some of that article and still don't understand what Foursquare would do for me while I'm on the road. Maybe it takes my likes and dislikes and applies them to a different region?

[Jerry Bruette]

I can't say that Foursquare means anything, but we have a 65LMT and are reasonably happy with it. I'd suggest looking at the "T" in the "LMT" which is the traffic, if you travel much. It's great for looking ahead and telling you if there are traffic problems ahead, and how long of a delay it's causing. It's not perfect, but it's certainly better than not knowing.

Does the traffic feature depend on cellular service or bluetooth capabilities?

[Myk Rian]

Whatever one you get, make sure it has lifetime map updates. Having to purchase them separately can be downright expensive.
We still use our Nuvi. I find it more convenient than using my phone.

[Jerry Bruette]

Whatever one you get, make sure it has lifetime map updates. Having to purchase them separately can be downright expensive.
We still use our Nuvi. I find it more convenient than using my phone.

That's part of the reason for updating. LOML bought the last GPS for Christmas and didn't consider lifetime updates or Canada. So now our GPS takes us to Canada and we stumble our way through to New York and stumble our way back from NY.

[Ryan Mooney]

Read some of that article and still don't understand what Foursquare would do for me while I'm on the road. Maybe it takes my likes and dislikes and applies them to a different region?

Yeah and compares them to other people who liked and disliked the same things you did to try to find other things you might like. I haven't really looked at it for quite a while (not since before their business model changed and then only briefly...) so I have no idea how good it is.

[Scott Shepherd]

Does the traffic feature depend on cellular service or bluetooth capabilities?

No, it has it's own receiver for that, nothing else needed and no extra charges.

Myk, they "L" is "Lifetime", the "M" is Maps, and the "T" is traffic, so a LM is Lifetime Maps, and the LMT is Lifetime Maps and Traffic.

[Lee Schierer]

I'm very happy with using Google maps navigation with my iPhone. It's had a couple very good updates in the past year or two that have really improved its navigating. I have mine mounted to the dash with an imagnet mount, which uses a flat metal disc i put inside the phone case to attach to magnetic mount.

If you don't have a smartphone, maybe this is a good time for it?

However, if you lose cell coverage, you will not be able to navigate even with a GPS chip.

[roger wiegand]

In town I use Google maps on the iPhone exclusively. The traffic information for the Boston commute is stunningly accurate, with actual times almost always +/- 2 min of the time Google predicts. At least two nights a week it routes me in an unexpected way to save 5-10 min on the drive. Google stops working when you run out of cell coverage though, and can quickly become very expensive if you're accessing the data network by roaming in other countries. For that I just added a Garmin 2559LMT that gives me both North America and Europe maps with lifetime updates. It's about my sixth garmin unit and I've been pretty happy with them, though their routing is occasionally squirrely. I just wish either system had a better database in terms of routing a commercial truck through NY and NJ without using the parkways.

[Judson Green]

However, if you lose cell coverage, you will not be able to navigate even with a GPS chip.


If one downloaded the map area of were there likely to be ahead of time cell coverage wouldn't be necessary.

307921

[Wade Lippman]

If one downloaded the map area of were there likely to be ahead of time cell coverage wouldn't be necessary.

I have a spare phone (Nokia 520, $20) and it works fine as a GPS with no cell service. You just download maps on WIFI.

[Curt Harms]

For anyone GPS shopping, I'd recommend looking on ebay for 'factory refurbs'. I bought a Garmin 2595LMT for about 35% less than what I could find on Amazon etc. The only way I could tell it was a factory refurb was the plain brown box. All accessories advertized were there, one year factory warranty. I wondered about the 'lifetime maps' claim. As I understand it, I can get updated maps as long as the current maps will fit on my device. If they grow beyond the available memory, my device has reached the end of its useful life as far as Garmin is concerned.

[Scott Shepherd]

As I understand it, I can get updated maps as long as the current maps will fit on my device. If they grow beyond the available memory, my device has reached the end of its useful life as far as Garmin is concerned.

All the ones I have seen have a micro SD slot, so you can just pop in a micro SD card and you're all set. In fact, a family member had a stock unit, went to update the maps (1st time) and it said it couldn't update the maps because there wasn't enough room. It wouldn't even take the 1st map update without the SD card. Popped one in and they were all set. I don't think you could outgrow what's available on an SD card so that shouldn't be a concern (unless they have stopped putting the card slot on them).

[Jerry Bruette]

I wondered about the 'lifetime maps' claim. As I understand it, I can get updated maps as long as the current maps will fit on my device. If they grow beyond the available memory, my device has reached the end of its useful life as far as Garmin is concerned.

Garmin's policy states you'll get lifetime maps as long as they can get them from a third party supplier.

[Larry Frank]

I bought a Garmin Nuvi 55LMT couple of months ago and am very happy with it. I like the voice talking to me as it is difficult at times to glance at when in a busy area.

[Judson Green]

Google has voice navigation and she's nicer sounding. I found the garmin girl to be kind of curt.

She's a made me jump once though - I was sitting in traffic (Chicago area) and out of no were she piped up and informed me that a faster route was available, would I like to take it? Really polite though.

It be nice if you could change the navigater- Marilyn Monroe, James Earl Jones... that computer voice from space Odyssey.

[Myk Rian]

All the ones I have seen have a micro SD slot, so you can just pop in a micro SD card and you're all set..
Which is exactly what I'm doing with mine as I type this. I needed a 4gb MicroSD card to do it. Put my 32gb card in, and it's updating now. My wife has been after me to do this for a month.

[Larry Browning]

When I bought my Nexus 7 tablet, one of the main things I wanted to do with it was use it as a GPS. I purchased the Copilot app and started using it. It has all the bells and whistles. However, it is no match for my Garmin. If you want good trouble free GPS a smart phone/tablet just can't compete with a single purpose GPS. Not even close.

[Jerry Bruette]

It's looking more and more like the Nuvi 68LM. Has all the latest bells and whistles, and it should get me through Canada without a hitch.