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Happy New Year everyone! 2007 was a big year for GPS, and there's little doubt 2008 will be even better. GPSmagazine will be there every step of the way, figuring out what's good, and what's not. Thanks to all our loyal readers for making GPSmagazine possible. Have a safe and happy New Year!
There some great GPS products released in 2007, and some stinkers, too. We take a look at the best and worst GPS products of 2007.
GPSmagazine's mission is to provide honest, unbiased, in-depth GPS reviews. In the past 12 months GPSmagazine has become the Internet's most trusted source for all things GPS, and has appeared on the pages of PC World, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and CBS News among others.
Thanks to all our loyal visitors for making GPSmagazine a success, and proving that people want to read more than a marketing-fueled blurb before buying a GPS. Next year we'll be reviewing even more in-car GPS units, handhelds, cell phones, tracking devices, and more.
The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is just one week away and GPSmagazine will be there, covering all the latest GPS gadgets. We already know Dash will be showing their highly anticipated internet connected automotive GPS, and there'll be plenty of other exciting new products to see. Rumor has it Magellan will be showing a new CrossoverGPS, and there's talk of 5-inch displays, dynamic POI content, and much much more.
Be sure to Check GPSmagazine.com every day next week for all the CES coverage.
Whether you like TomTom's products or not, there's no denying the company had a fantastic year. The Dutch-based GPS company almost single handedly drove down the average price of GPS this year, and at the same time delivered great looking products with innovative and exciting features.
TomTom stumbled slightly in the execution of its products, rushing GPS units to market before the kinks were ironed out, and focusing too much on new features rather than making stability enhancements and basic routing improvements to its existing platform, but overall 2007 was a great year for TomTom.
While Magellan and TomTom spent most of '07 fighting for the low-end market, Garmin continued to position itself as a premium brand, offering best-of-breed navigation, ease of use, and top-notch customer support. Those willing to pay Garmin's higher-than-average prices got great products that are reliable, well executed, and access to Garmin's excellent customer support.
It wasn't all A's for Garmin, however. Customers still hope Garmin will bring a few more features to the Nuvi, pricing was confusing, and the 2008 Map Update left some customers out in the cold.
Somewhere between 1999 and 2007 Magellan slipped from the top name in GPS navigation to the underdog it is today. Magellan had a bumpy year, churning out lots of different products hoping to strike a chord with consumers.
In the end, the resilient Magellan managed to eke out a B- thanks to some innovative products that are good looking and easy to use. Why the B- and not an A? Horrible, atrocious customer support, and inconsistent firmware and map updates.
Are you getting the most out of your GPS? Take a look at the 10 best GPS tips & hacks of 2007 and find out how to maximize your GPS.
Magellan continues to refine its popular Maestro series with the release of the 4250. Magellan's top-of-the-line navigator, the 4250 offers a 4.5-inch display, voice recognition, Bluetooth, traffic, AAA TourBook guides, 6 million POIs, and more.
The Maestro 4250 offers solid navigation and some unique features in a package that's easy to use and reasonably priced.
Dash Navigation has finally opened up the doors for pre-orders of its highly anticipated Dash Express.
For those not familiar, the Dash Express is an Internet-connected in-car GPS unit. The feature that has caused a lot of interest is its ability to communication with other units to share information such as traffic conditions. The Dash Express uploads data from one unit to the Dash Driver Network and other units can use that information. In turn, this information can be used to recognizing upcoming traffic jams and provide up to three different routes around the jam.
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Azita on Garmin nüvi 265WT Review: Hi Jim, Since you're not a fan of the Nuvi's, can I ask for ...