OT:- Which Sat Nav System

(my site) - they screw their hardware owning customers to subsidise more difficult markets (like PDA owners) Have you got a laptop by any chance ?

AFAIK they don`t do either.

Yes I do have a laptop. Is their a solution I have missed

"Big Brian" wrote in news:5CQFe.40819$ snipped-for-privacy@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk:

I think you have to get a CD with the latest map to update them. Don't about weather but I believe that the best models have the ability to divert your journey around snarl-ups, so there must be some kind of traffic information feature built in.

Possibly - check out the GPS18 with nRoute here - =A3129.48 + delivery

(watch the wrap)

I ended up buying the GPS18 because it was the cheapest (only ?) way to=20 get the maps for my fricken` =A3700+ unit (a 2620) - doing it this way=20 worked out =A350 cheaper than buying the maps alone !

Delivery wasn`t the "next day" in my case - expect 3 days under normal=20 circumstances, but in my case the "not" next day delivery caused=20 problems with the courier and I ended up having to redirect to a=20 different address - took me about a week in the end to get it :-}

Mine came with City Select v6, but I got a free upgrade to v7 as that=20 had already been released when I registered it.

I might even be open to offers, as I have no sodding use for it - I only=20 needed the second "free" unlock so I could get UK maps on my unit !

If you`re anywhere near Liverpool you`re welcome to have a look at it to=20 see how it works in real life.

Just as an added bonus, there`s a free "transparent" speed camera map=20 that can be overlaid :-p

For those of you with a Garmin unit, the speed camera maps are here:

If you have a stand-alone mapping unit, when you transfer maps for the=20 area you want covered, simply add the speed camera map to the list of=20 maps to be transferred - it`ll show up automatically as you drive.

I think there may be a traffic information system built in to some of the kit sponsored by the AA or RAC, but afaik that`s about it.

sci.geo.satellite-nav might be a better place to ask techical details

THe Tomtom5 software om my PDA does both, about £330 from the likes of totalpda.co.uk. The data charges come to about £3 a month, the traffic informations about as the DOT.

In car ones can do it from the radio, PDA based ones need a GPRS connection, AFAIK both charge you for map updates.

Sounds good, thanks for clarifying.

As I (already) say on my site, a PDA is probably the most versatile way=20 of doing things :-)

Hi! The devices, especially teh TomTom GO 500 are quite good at what they do, they get you to your destination by a reasonable route. And are very useful in navigating in an area you are not familiar with.

However you have to be aware of their limitations, this newsgroup and other forums are full of people who belived all the hype and are disappointed.

Firstly is the mapping, I think it can best be described as 99%, i.e. for the majority of the time you will be fine, but maybe one time out of a hundred there will be a new road which isn't yet on the map, a street name it doesn't recognise or a junction which has changed layout.

Map updates are infrequent, maybe once a year, and they are not free. As a guide maps are currently running about 3 years behind the reality on the ground, major roads get updated faster than that.

Travel issues, you can be notified of major incidents along your planned route, (you need a GPRS and bluetooth enabled phone), however it won't take into account things like taking you on the best route through rush hour traffic. e.g. You may know that a particular roundabout is always congested at 5pm, but it won't know that.

As for weather, TomTom does have a weather service however it's limited to temperature and rain and a few other things, not terribly useful.

You should also be aware of other ways to get SatNav, you can get the same TomTom software for PocketPC's and also for Smartphones.

They do have their limitations but as long as you are aware of these I promise you won't be disappointed!

TomTom updates are downloads which you can apply to a removable SD Card.