Personal Navigation Devices (PNDs) were very popular in 2008 and last Christmas we saw a number of manufacturers vying for the consumer dollars. I see quite a few people with these mounted in their cars and am not sure the market is as hot for PNDs as it once was. The iPhone brought attention to the fact that it, along with many other smartphones, can serve as more than capable GPS navigation devices. We also recently heard the news that Google is rolling out a free GPS navigation solution on the Google Android platform. That said, if you really need to get somewhere and don’t have a paper map it is more comforting to rely on a dedicated GPS navigation solution than a phone whose battery might die in the middle of your trip or a device where a cell phone carrier signal is required to get your maps.
Looking through the latest reviews on ZDNet, it looks like Garmin and TomTom are the two main players left standing in the PND market. There is some limited connectivity with some of these solutions that is provided via the FM radio frequency via the MSN Direct service, but please be aware that Microsoft has announced that MSN Direct service is ending on 1 January 2012. I am not sure what Garmin and TomTom will do with devices that support MSN Direct, but the devices we will look at here are good to go for another couple of years. Let’s take a look at the entry level and high end of the spectrum from both of these manufacturers in this GPS Holiday Guide.
Garmin Entry Level
The Garmin Nuvi 205W has a 4.3 inch widescreen 480×272 pixel resolution display so you won’t miss out on that next turn. Maps are preloaded on the device with an optional SD card for storing more data. It is a fairly sleek and slim device (4.8″W x 2.9″H x .8″D and 6.1 ounces) so it is easy to take with you in your pocket or purse to keep it safe from thieves.
The device is a bit limiting as far as PNDs go with no spoken street names, no lane assist, no real-time data, and Garmin Locate functionality.
Price: $189.99 MSRP with online price around $140
