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Garmin nuvi 215
by LauraHannan
==Garmin Nuvi 215==
===Features===
The display provides a number of useful features, such a estimated time of arrival (which I always found to be accurate give or take a minute both when walking and driving), written as well as visual and voice instructions about what to do next, plus your speed. It also beeps ... constantly if you are accidentally over the speed limit in a car, which could be either a plus or a con, depending on the driver.
Since it's a budget GPS it only comes with UK maps and though further maps are available they are a bit expensive to buy. However Garmin updates the maps you already have for free and at regular intervals.
===Ease of Use===
In general it was easy to use and got me where I wanted to go. The screen is clear, visible and easy to read. The touch screen is responsive and entering text is no problem. Voice guidance is clear and easy to follow. It is highly portable and fits nicely into even tight jean pockets. The battery power while on is a few hours, meaning it is equally good for pedestrians as it is for drivers.
The ability to search for nearby restaurants and other locations in order of distance from your current location was also really useful, though its categorisation was sometimes a touch confusing (good luck finding a MacDonalds without having to type it out).
However it took forever to find satellite coverage, sometimes up to ten minutes, even when standing in the middle of the streets of London, so it became frustratingly useless whenever I was in a hurry. It also seemed incapable of dealing with one way systems, especially where there are a lot of them in rapid succession such as Cambridge city centre.
==Conclusion==
Overall I would only recommend this if your budget doesn't allow for anything else; I suspect there are better quality GPSs on the market. The slowness of the start-up was a bit of a deal-breaker for me personally.
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TomTom Go 820 Live Europe
by jonnybos
Ive had TomTom devices in the past and this is the newest model. There was nothing wrong with my old model however the maps were out dated and new maps for all of europe would cost close to a new device. This is very much the same for the new device. Many of the tom tom services require a subscription or you are chared a heafty fee for ... these services. This is not clearly advertised in the box and many consumers i imagine will be caught out by this. When you first buy the unit you will have free access to most of the tomtom services for a year. These include map updates (the most important feature of a gps), Live speed camera information, traffic information and so on. Please bare in mind that depeding on your tomtom model you may not have access to all these features.
Services and subscritions asside, even after your first year of free updates, this tomtom unit will get you to your destination care free. There are verbal instructions to accompany the on screen map and this voice feature seems to have been revised as previous models would sometimes say "2nd left" when actually ot was the third. I have not seen the unit many any such errors as of yet.
It has an auto brightness and shade feature wich i find great. The screen will change to dark colours that are not distracting automatically at night. This may sound like a minor feature and infact most gps units now will do sonething similar but i assure you it is an invaluable feature.
The unit can be powered via cigerrette lighter which means you can plug it in while on the move.
A great unit but tomtom will attack your pocket even after the initial purchase.
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TomTom Go 820 Live Europe
by simoncardwell
This is the Sat Nav I'm currently using & I haven't had any problems with it so far. Previously I've used various Garmin & TomTom units & had varying degrees of success. My main issue in the past has been the unit losing reception or lagging during journeys (often at key moments) & not being able to provide you with the ... directions you need until it's too late. I've not had any such issues with this device so far, let's hope it stays that way.
One complaint I've heard in the past is that GPS units can have issues in central London, particularly navigating the one way systems & finding the best routes through the heavily congested areas. I have not yet tested this in those conditions, so we'll see how it goes, looks promising so far though.
The interface is user friendly & easy to navigate your way around (as ever with TomTom), it's a touch screen system & works a treat. You can search by postcode, town, landmarks or by address. Most addresses are featured, although as with anything some newer addresses (new build houses or apartments) are not all in the database.
You have the option to calculate alternative routes if you wish to avoid certain roads or areas, this is worth checking as the unit doesn't necessarily possess local knowledge or a human way of thinking. So it may take you through a busy town centre when a motorway would be more miles but far quicker. So you have to know when to override it in certain situations, but for the most part it will guide you the quickest & most effective route.
It will also warn you of road closures, speed cameras, toll roads or congestion charging. The screen is very clear & easy to see, even while driving. So far this is has been the best GPS unit I've used.
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