On Wed, 03 Feb 2016 17:57:56 +0000, wrote:

On Wed, 03 Feb 2016 11:21:46 +0000, John Rumm
wrote:


Can't say I am that partisan... I have an old Tomtom (GO 700) that works
well - nice clear voice, works as a handfree for a phone as well.

Handy. My Nuvi can do that but now my phone has hands free I don't
normally bother.

Plus
it has maps for all of western europe built in - so no dependence on a
data connection.

Yup. Even my early Garmin had a base 'World Map' built in but it only
really covered the major roads.

On the downside its not got any real time updates on
traffic, like the current models.

Id say I'm in two minds about that. My Nuvi has it and on any real
journey I'll turn it on for the S&G. It can also autoroute you around
any delays or obstructions but I think I have that turned off,
preferring to make my own decisions at the time.

Not used a Garmin in the car (although
have used their eTrex for walking etc).

Again, Garmin seem to have (or had?) the market for the hand-held
trekking units.

My 700 did die , I replaced it with a 710 and used it daily when I was
working,

They are a boon, that's for sure.

one feature I liked was if somebody sent a text you could get
it to read it aloud which was useful as sometimes the text was
important enough to merit a change in destination.

And that's where we differ from the 6_week_ahead flat-world paper map
planners in that we might have to change course at any point. ;-)

On the go it isn't
really wise to attempt to read a text but pulling off a motorway and
finding the message was about something non urgent was a right PIA,
but then so was driving for miles and then finding you were needed
back along the way you came.

Quite. ;-)

Still adequate on the odd occasion we use it though occasionally we
end up appearing to drive in fields.

;-)

Doesn't really matter as only
really used it as a last mile tool most of the time.

Again, that is a big plus isn't it. We have previously (prior to
getting the GPS's) wasted *loads* of time at the end of an otherwise
fast and uneventfully journey, just trying to find the house, factory,
shop or campsite etc.

Never got on with a Garmin that came free with a car but it was a
fairly basic model.

Some of the early ones didn't have postcode search but my mate (a
private pilot) still prefers his old Garmin Streetpilot to most of the
systems built into cars (possibly partly 'the devil you know' etc).
;-)

Somewhere in a drawer I have a Garmin emap which still works though
compared to modern offerings it is a bit basic, must have had it about
15 years now.

Still good bit of kit. ;-)

Got a discount on it when I took it back to the Maplin branch I had
purchased it from and mentioned it had been used possibly as a
demonstration model.
"No Sir it is brand new". " Oh well I better see who lives at the end
of the breadcrumb trail" which was in a town about 15 miles away.
"oh" said the now red faced manager " I was trying it out".

Ooops. ;-)

Cheers, T i m