GPS navigation: Navigator 4000

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The holiday season is approaching fast and so is my birthday. After having a couple of incidents of not finding my way driving the car recently, I decided it might be ok to get one of these GPS tiny toys. As I am not PDA kind of person I was thinking on a device that contains all what you need.

Some other people might want to get a Bluetooth-based GPS antenna to be (wirelessly) connected to their PDA that, equipped with the right software, will do the work of a stand-alone navigator.

As usual, there are just too many choices to make and many different brands and prices. To make things worse you learn that the unit could also include a Bluetooth hands-free adaptor or a TMC receiver. But wait, what's TMC? I'd never heard of that before. Then you learn that the business is somehow selling you extra maps too (or new versions of the ones you already have). After all, a GPS navigator is as good as the maps it is based on.

Can your GPS navigator play MP3 files or movies? Damn, this is going crazy.

What screen size do you want? Can you select many different voices for the directions? Can the unit react to avoid the traffic jams? Does your area has a TMC signal? Is it free? Is there a GPRS-based traffic information service? How much does it cost monthly?

I think you know what I mean: It seems to be much more complicated than to buy a PC. I guess this is because it is still a geek-oriented device (and market).

I've just settle with a cheap unit that looks like an OEM version I bought at a Lidl supermaket. The funny thing is that after searching carefully through the shop aisles I had to ask to one of the shop attendants: These units were not on display!

I'm not so sure I will keep the unit, but for the moment it seems ok (as far as you do not remove the SD flash card while the navigation software is loaded).

Comments

Anonymous said…
i got the same sat nav any idea how to download different voices?
1:02 pm
misan said…
As far as I know only one voice is offered for Spanish language in the software that comes with this unit.

Sound files appear as ogg. files and they can be changed to even your own voice if you take the time to do the recordings, but I am afraid what you are looking for are just other voices available.

I guess that searching a bit on some forums you can learn of some forums where users exchange information like this search.

Just be careful because you may render your GPS device into an expensive door stop (some of the proposed techniques will void your warranty).
2:21 pm
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