Whats the BEST GPS?

I compare them for a living. In some places they are the same, in some they are different. The biggest differences take place in the "last mile" routing when you got off the freeway in a large city (Chicago, Detroit, NYC, Altlanta, etc.) Many of them have identical routing that are using only the identical NavTeq / HERE routing engine with no overlay of their own data. Rand and PC Miler/Co-Pilot use proprietary overlays in their routing engine and will show the biggest "off-freeway" differences.

 

I've used the 5 inch rand McNally for almost two years now. Hasn't betrayed me yet, however you need to be careful when driving in high population urban cities as it tends to want to take the long way through particular sections of the city. For example, if you're riding through a main street type of road on your way to catch a major highway from it, the GPS will want you to turn off and zig zag through streets, only to bring you back onto main street. A less experienced driver will blindly follow when it is infinitely easier to keep straight on main and never turn off. Other than this little quirk the rand is an excellent GPS IMO.

 

Hurst. The pcmiler stand alone dont exist anymore. It was discontinued 2 years ago or more. I've never had a problem with mine except for when it croaked. I have a refurbish unit on standby. Waiting for a emergency.

I use the copilot app. Right now. It's being used on a old disconnected cell phone. Single core with 8 megs. Absolutely no issues. I also have a single core tablet that is no longer being used at the moment.

Copilot just works. For me anyways. And I'll just use it on whatever device I'm no longer using anymore. As in when I upgrade my phones.

 

Shortly after dropping the $150 on CoPilot Truck a couple weeks ago, I found that ALK Technologies, the company that makes CoPilot, is a subsidiary of Trimble. I had a wave of dread wash over me, since at my last job, we used the Trimble equivalent to our Qualcomm, and the routing on that was absolutely horrible.

Then I found out that Trimble acquired ALK since then, probably because Trimble's routing algorithm sucked so badly, and I felt a LOT better.

Now I'm looking for a cheap 7" tablet with GPS chip to dedicate to CoPilot. (I have two that don't.)

 

I own the Garmin 760 dezl and thus far like it. I've used Garmin products in the past and have found them accurate and reliable. However, one must make sure that common sense prevails. My favorite routing software was Microsoft Streets and Trips running on my ThinkPad linked to an older Garmin GPSIV. Since Microsoft discontinued that software it's become hard to find and expensive when you do.
In addition to the Garmin 760 I recently picked up a Samsung tablet at Walmart, on sale. They had 4 Samsung tablets all which contain GPS chips. I downloaded 4 different apps that all provide offline maps (maps stored on the device).
Maybe it's a little excessive or redundant, but I like having a back up and alternative routing options. Also different software tends to offer different POI's (points of interest ). This is one area where Streets and Trips excelled.
Before I get mobbed, yes I can read a map, road as well as topo. And plot a course on both. But when time is money you spend you time wisely as its a non renewable resource.

 

I dont compare.. but I have purchased and tried all of the name brands at one point. I prefer the Garmin primarily for its interface and calculation speed. No other reason. I dont use a GPS for my primary navigation... I mainly use it to look for 'local' routes.. though I may not follow it excluviely if I see a better way when looking at google satellite view.. Garmin doesnt seem to calculate traffic lights into its route.

Also.. as far comparing them and making the blanket statement I did... I did use the word 'Typically'... Not 'Exactly'. They all route similar. Garmin seems to have what I can only best describe as a learning mode. As Often I will leave the option for Tolls on.. yet take a different route I know to avoid certain tolls.. later Garmin will use the same route once I avoid the first exit to the toll road. RM, Cobra and PCM would not do this when I had them.

For me its just a matter of personal preference.

Hurst

 

I still see PC miller on the shelf for sale here and there.. I've often wondered why a GPS cannot learn however, sometimes entering a waypoint, cancelling route and starting the route over helps, but not near enough to rely on. Intersections, if label's can be had help out. I don't believe any brand takes one to the front or back door.

 

you see a pcmiler on the shelf, buy it for me please. cuz my refurbished unit doesn't have the greatest quality control. not that it gets used anyways. but it was bought from amazon almost 2 years ago. cuz the shelf no longer carried it.

 

Good info. Thanks!

 

Ok snowy, I'll let you know next time I see it.. Magellan was sitting next to it as usual

I'm trying to remember where it was last.. I think it was a TA/Petro 4 to 6 weeks ago

I've been looking on shelves from time to time at each stop just to see what they carry

One thing I didn't notice is if they were refurbished or not