Feed: Portable GPS Navigators - AggScore: 52.5

Magellan RoadMate 1470

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I was just looking at some of the new portable GPS navigators and saw the Magellan RoadMate 1470. This model builds on some of the best features available for GPS Navigators. Here are some of the features available:

• 14.7 Color touch screen - Large wide-format touchscreen
• 6 million points of interest - Gas stations, hospitals, restaurants and more
• Expanded Map Pack - United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico pre-loaded
• Text to Speech - Hear the street names, now exactly when to turn without taking your eyes off the road
• Intuitive user interface - makes it easy to use your Magellan Roadmate 1470 without reading the instructions
• Ultra thin design - makes it easy to pocket and take with or transfer between vehicles
• SmartDetour - The Magellan RoadMate 1470 will prompt you to bypass slow or stopped traffic. It will automatically find the shortest route, no fee or subscription required
• Auto-Night View - Self adjusts contrast and brightness to make night use easy
• Multi-Destination Routing - Got a bunch of stops to make? Plot them all and get the quickest route

Magellan also offers a service called Traffic link. Traffic link will alert you to current traffic conditions for the area you are currently traveling in. The service is free however, it requires a plug in device in order to access the information. The device, called Magellan Traffic link for subscription costs $79.99 (though it is Free with the purchase of a Magellan Roadmate 1470 through April 30th, 2009). Be aware that the service is free because you will be receiving special offers from premium vendors on your roadmate 1470. Think of them as like commercials on the radio. Thats what it really amounts to.

Bottom Line: The Magellan Roadmate 1470 is a sleek, feature packed, high quality GPS device.

Average customer review from Amazon.com

Magellan Maestro 3100 Review

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Essential Tips for Road Trips with Kids

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Taking a road trip with children can prove to be extra challenging and downright exhausting. For the past 6 years, we've been taking 1-2 road trips each summer with our kids. Over this period, we've learned some valuable lessons on our journeys and have come up with some great road trip tips for families! These tips are sure to make your trip a pleasant one.

Tip #1: GPS navigators find entertainment. Recently, we've purchased a Garmin GPS navigator. It has added further relaxation and enjoyment to our road trips. In any city, you can find a restaurant or gas station of your choice without aimlessly driving around. If you or the kids need to stretch your legs, the Garmin will find local parks, museums, or other attractions. It truly gives an advantage when you need it the most.

Tip #2: Kids need alone time. Being cooped up in the car all day can make for some unpleasant sibling opposition. Personal devices such an Mp3 player or video game gadgets will give your children the alone time they need.

Tip #3: Movies provide quiet time. A portable DVD player will provide your kids with hours of movie entertainment. Don't forget the headphones and the popcorn! During this quiet time you can make your long trip shorter by listening to an audio book downloaded to your Garmin.

Cobra NAV One 5000 5-inch Portable Mobile Navigation System with Bluetooth

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Product Description

The next generation of portable GPS navigators is the Cobra NAV 5000 5-inch Portable Mobile Navigator. The latest in Cobra's line of mobile navigation devices, the NAV ONE 5000 combines effortless technology and features, all in a compact, portable design. The device most striking feature is the award winning, user friendly screen design with the exclusive "My Favorite Brands" feature, which provides more than 600 brands accessible at the touch of a button. In addition, Cobra's patent-pending Compare Routes feature allows the driver to choose from two on-screen routing options to navigate around the traffic. The new, slim design features an easy to read 5" display with a state-of-the-art graphical user interface.

Technical Details

What are people saying about the Cobra NAV one 5000's performance?

"... Cobra 5000 has worked magnificently all summer. If you buy one, make sure you UPDATE the software/firmware. Go to at least the V2.0 release. No freezing, it just works!..."
tick tr, from Ottawa, Canada on Amazon.com Read the complete review.

"My first unit was returned same day since it locked up on me right out of the box. My second unit has not been much better since it has locked up twice already. If you insist on this unit carry a back up paper map since when it locks up the only way to reset it is by allowing the battery to run out and then power up again..." - Anthony J. Baldini, NY on Amazon.com Read the complete review.

Garmin nuvi 750

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Where's my Car???!
Ever wonder out of the mall after a hard days shopping and wonder "were the heck did I park"? The Garmin nuvi 700 series of portable GPS navigators are your new best friend.

Made to answer two burning questions that every traveler will ask sooner or later:

1. Were am I?
2. Were is my car?

How?

Obviously, being a GPS it knows your location and will display a highly detailed map to orient you and will display an icon of the place you last unplugged it from it's dock (your car) which it saves automatically. Also, with the touch of the screen it will display the nearest hospitals, police stations and gas stations.

This new series of personal GPS is very portable. It weighs in at only 6.2 oz and dimensions of 4.8" wide x .8" thick x 3"high or about the size of a small stack of 3x5 cards. So, it slips easily into a jacket pocket or a compartment in your purse. Its rechargeable lithium ion batteries will give you up to 5 hours of walk around time before it needs to be docked for recharging.

It has an expansion port that will accept an SD memory card from which the 750 can play your favorite songs in mp3 format if you get board while shopping or show your favorite pictures in JPEG format to that long lost friend you always seem to run into in the least likely of places.

The nuvi 750 portable GPS comes preloaded with maps of the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. The map database includes information on more than 6 million hotels, restaurants, gas stations and ATMs.

In my opinion this is one sweet gadget.