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Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 9:38 am Post subject: Upgrade advice?
Hi everyone!!
Firstly thanks for a great and helpful site!
After browsing your site for a few weeks i decided the Garmin I3 was an ideal budget 1st time GPS for me.And having brought one for £159 from Maplins,im well impressed with it!!!Even if it really only gets used as a Camera detector and a GPS unit proberly of weekends!
The problem is my Dads took a shine to it and wants to give me the money to buy another so he can keep mine.
So im after sum advice?Would yous advise getting another I3 (Have found it reliable and easy to use)Or save and put some extra cash up and upgrade to a later version or different make?
Sorry for the long winded question but as a budget GPS newbie,any help would be great
Thanks Tel
Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 10:26 am Post subject: Re: Upgrade advice?
boydonegood wrote:
Hi everyone!!
Firstly thanks for a great and helpful site!
After browsing your site for a few weeks i decided the Garmin I3 was an ideal budget 1st time GPS for me.And having brought one for £159 from Maplins,im well impressed with it!!!Even if it really only gets used as a Camera detector and a GPS unit proberly of weekends!
The problem is my Dads took a shine to it and wants to give me the money to buy another so he can keep mine.
So im after sum advice?Would yous advise getting another I3 (Have found it reliable and easy to use)Or save and put some extra cash up and upgrade to a later version or different make?
Sorry for the long winded question but as a budget GPS newbie,any help would be great
Thanks Tel
A difficult question, really - but one that will mainly come down to what you want out of a sat nav, and how well the i3 meets your needs.
Personally, if I had to buy another sat nav (which may happen in the reasonably near future) - would I buy another i3 (I've owned one since last October, and bought another for a Christmas present)?
If I could get one for a really good price - £100, then quite possibly. If I was spending any more - given the plethora of other budget sat navs that are around, now - I'd quite possibly look elsewhere.
My thinking is this - in general, I think the i3 is a good budget model. The small screen isn't too much of a handicap, given how well it's used, and you tend to listen to the audible instructions, more. Personally, I'm not that bothered about a touch screen.
Not being able to charge batteries isn't much of an issue to me, either.
The safety camera features have been impressive from the outset of me using it.
The price is good - even at the price I paid (£199).
The v8 map upgrade by Garmin was great customer service.
I (and others) have noted qualms about the routing calculations and algorithms.
Were I to spend that money again, unless I could get an i3 at bottom book, I'd easily consider spending a little more, for a bigger screen (not particularly because I want a touch screen - merely that the landscape orientated PDA type sat navs seem to have a very pleasing map view), and another twist on the routing. Having more options for routing would certainly be something that would appeal to me, now. As would feeling more confident in the routes provided by the sat nav I choose to use.
In short - if you're happy with an i3, and the money suits, then why not? If after having one, you're reasonably impressed, but it's opened your eyes a bit, then maybe it's worth consideration of other models. If nothing else - you are in a good position - you can evaluate an i3, and make sure you're happy. The downside to buying another model, could mean that you spend more, and are not as happy as you were with an i3 for less money.
Thanks for taking so much time,and sharing your advice!
Definately makes sence! I am very happy with the I3,and as i say would be happy to pay the £159 again (although i think Halfords have them for £129?). The I3 has done me proud and have had no problems with the mapping.Is this sometimes an issue,as im now worrying if im putting too much faith in my device? Especially as im useless if lost!!
Barrining the mapping (which i know is a major factor on a GPS unit ha ha) Is the only advantage of different models,touch screen and larger screen? As screen size on the I3 seems more than good enougth!
Am so sorry for the proberly basic questions,but have found the people on this site very helpful,and as a newbie,dont feel silly to ask on here
Many thanks in advance Tel
P.s I do appreciate i am only buying a basic budget priced unit,so in no way do i expect the world from such an item.
Thanks for taking so much time,and sharing your advice!
Definately makes sence! I am very happy with the I3,and as i say would be happy to pay the £159 again (although i think Halfords have them for £129?). The I3 has done me proud and have had no problems with the mapping.
Then maybe you have your answer, then?
boydonegood wrote:
Is this sometimes an issue,as im now worrying if im putting too much faith in my device? Especially as im useless if lost!!
I think the i3, and probably all other sat navs will get you to where you want to go.
That said, there has been numerous tales of being routed across farm tracks and narrow roads.
Myself and others, have been concerned with some of the routes provided - ie the 'how' in the journey. I've no doubt that I'd always get directed to my destination, though.
As to the mapping itself, you'll either get v8 maps, or you should be able to upgrade to v8 maps for free. That's about as up-to-date as it gets at the moment.
boydonegood wrote:
Barrining the mapping (which i know is a major factor on a GPS unit ha ha) Is the only advantage of different models,touch screen and larger screen? As screen size on the I3 seems more than good enougth!
Well they won't be the only advantages - you'll likely get more configuration pertaining to routes, navigation and other features, possibly TMC input.
boydonegood wrote:
Am so sorry for the proberly basic questions,but have found the people on this site very helpful,and as a newbie,dont feel silly to ask on here
Many thanks in advance Tel
Everybody was a newbie once.
At the end of the day, it's more about what you are happy with, rather than what other people are happy with - if the basics that the i3 provides are good enough for you, and you're happy with how it goes about it, then that's the most important thing.
That said, there's no harm in healthy research, and consideration of what else your money could get you.
Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2006 2:13 pm Post subject: Re: Upgrade advice?
boydonegood wrote:
Even if it really only gets used as a Camera detector and a GPS unit proberly of weekends!
Based on your above assesment on the use of your I3 do you need a unit that does anything more? You sound in a similar position to me. I'm not really a road warrior and only tend to tread a different path on weekend outings and the odd occasional excursion.
I'd wanted a GPS unit for ages from a techy geek point of view as it's a cool gadget, but couldn't really justify it to myself due to the cost and unncessary features. The i3 seemed to fit my profile fine as it was cheap and did everything I needed.
Having used the i3 for months now I don't regret the decision and would be highly likely to buy another should I ever need to. The extra bells and whistles of the other units would be nice but I just don't think I'd really use them all that much.
Years down the line (I hope) it'll probably be time to upgrade the i3 and I might go for a more exciting model, but by then some of the flashier features will have probably found their way down to budget models and there'll be something else to aim for!
I think if you feel happy with the i3 there's no reason to change, but it's a personal choice and only you really know how you use or intend to use your GPS.
The following isn't an extensive list, but if you feel you may need some of the following then it might be worthwhile considering a different GPS:
* Larger screen
* Maps of other areas (e.g. full European mapping)
* Touch screen
* Route Planning
* Refined route calculation
* Bluetooth
* TMC
* Text to Speech
Hope this gives you some ideas to help think about.
Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2006 2:46 pm Post subject: Re: Upgrade advice?
BERT_UK wrote:
boydonegood wrote:
Even if it really only gets used as a Camera detector and a GPS unit proberly of weekends!
Based on your above assesment on the use of your I3 do you need a unit that does anything more? You sound in a similar position to me. I'm not really a road warrior and only tend to tread a different path on weekend outings and the odd occasional excursion.
I'd wanted a GPS unit for ages from a techy geek point of view as it's a cool gadget, but couldn't really justify it to myself due to the cost and unncessary features. The i3 seemed to fit my profile fine as it was cheap and did everything I needed.
That's the situation I was in, really.
Didn't have a firm need, just was tired of messing around with maps, instructions that didn't match road signs, and fraid tempers and stress levels when trying to get to somewhere out of the norm.
At the time, wouldn't have justified what was then the encumbent (TTG), but when the i3 came out, it was hard to refuse at that price. More so, now that they are cheaper.
The thing is, though that once you regularly use one, it's rather more easy to justify it to yourself, once you've experienced the advantages.
BERT_UK wrote:
Having used the i3 for months now I don't regret the decision and would be highly likely to buy another should I ever need to. The extra bells and whistles of the other units would be nice but I just don't think I'd really use them all that much.
I think I'm somewhere in the middle - there are some features I could probably see a benefit in, and there's some shortcomings in the i3 - at present - that would make me keep an open mind about other units, if I had to buy another.
Thanks guys!
I really appreciate yous taking the time to explain your situations and how they would reflect on me.
What you say is so true,i had no need for it but the gadget lover in me cried out and i got one,now seems i cant live without it() And Dad seems to have taken a big big shine to it so its gone..
The Speed camera warnings are a major plus,screen size is ideal...As for the bluetooth,touch screen and TCMI(sorry if thats wrong but i truely have no clue!) I suppose if youve never had them you dont miss them.
I think you've made my mind up for me guys and will proberly stick to and go for another I3..The price is ideal and im really limited to a budget of around £200 max
Thank you so much for your time and advice ,its very much appreciated.......Another I3 it is....
.............Unless anyone out there can persaude me different!!! Lol
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) And Dad seems to have taken a big big shine to it so its gone..
