Garmin's nuvi 1450 GPS makes small, quiet blip on retail map
By Ross Miller 
posted Oct 17th 2009 8:26AM
posted Oct 17th 2009 8:26AM
[Via Slashgear]
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they're too busy promoting their phone which also has GPS features, or should i say their GPS which also has some phoning features.
Garmin seems to have simply stopped advancing their hardware. Look at that pitiful screen resolution. For $400? Give us a break.
did you give a day off to spam filters?
Can someone explain to me the value proposition of spending $450 on a Nav unit. when you can get the same core functions from a $99 Tom Tom?
I was thinking the same thing.
Ya, this one looks nice and all, but for about $150 (for the bigger screen) you can get one that does almost all the actually useful functions.
I can't see it lasting very long. (The idea of paying that much for just a GPS - not this specific device)
We just need to see more integration with other devices; better phone GPS's etc.
The Apple tablet (iTablet, iPad - call it what you will) with a really great 3D GPS would be killer.
lane assist feature is usually in more pricy models only, screen big like this is not usual in $99 neither .... the price is pretty high, but not that crazy for features it has
Fordy, even if there will be Apple Netbook/Tablet whatever it should be, from what I read the idea is a device with 10'' screen (maybe I am wrong), how the heck can you mount that in the car?
For the few hundred extra, buy the Garmin, you might actually reach your destination. TomTom app = useless.
iPhone hardware does not have a powerful enough GPS receiver to produce the same quality product as a dedicated Garmin PND at this point. I'm not saying it won't happen down the road but right now, save your money.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHFtUhDh71s
He said a TomTom, not the TomTom app for the iPhone.
Garmin also sells GPSs for under $100. $450 is ridiculous, regardless of whatever crapware and bogus services come with it. Traffic subscriptions and other unreliable and temporary features are not worth hundreds of dollars.
The Garmin might actually help me reach my destination, but since it instructs me to exit the freeway seven miles before I reach the offramp closest to where I'm going, I don't quite trust it.
Seven miles? Ever used one? It tells you to turn in advance, and that's good because I use common sense. But, it will tell you a few hundred feet in advance, not miles. If it told you any later you'd be complaining that it told you too late and you missed your turn.
Garmins are usually a bit more expensive. TomToms have comparably priced units as well. You can find both in the $100 range, but if you want the features, they cost a bit more. If you think way back, oh maybe 3 or 4 years ago, GPS units cost quite a bit more. A couple years before that, units below $500 was almost unheard of.
If you want to take potshots at Garmin, take potshots at how they don't seem to test their software prior to release. And how they add a new feature and you have to buy a whole new unit to take advantage of that feature. Paid software updates are not out of the question, Garmin. Of course, you'd have people whining about that, too. Though, I'd rather pay $50-100 to update a feature on my GPS than $500 for a new unit that's basically the same but a few new features (ex. nuvi 760 - nuvi 765). Free updates don't hurt either (ex. zumo 550 a few months after it first came out).
I think the idea behind this unit is to help you find not only normal routes, but routes where you can take advantage of public transportation. That's what CityXplorer is for. This unit is slimmer that Garmin's last generation of Nuvi's, making it more easily pocketable.
Also, ecoRoute is pretty cool. When you use the unit for the first time, you put in the details of your vehicle. After that, every time you calculate a route, the unit will tell you how much it costs to drive that route. It also can generate a different route for the best gas mileage.
Finally, this device is available online for under $400. No one ever charges Garmin's MSRP.
Get the 1490T instead. Its a 1450 + Bluetooth and lifetime FM traffic antenna. At staples.com, they are selling it for $350 bucks right now. Hurry
Here is the direct link:
http://www.staples.com/Garmin-AC-to-12V-Power-Adapter/product_733984?cmArea=Promos
The bluetooth and lifetime traffic feature is a must have for a GPS. The bluetooth makes things easier and safer; while the traffic feature helps save me countless minutes during rush hour traffic. I highly recommend it.
Go with the 780 and save yourself a ton of money! I have this unit and highly recommend it, after using my fathers garmin nuvi I was sold..
http://www.imp3.org/Portable-493964-B0011UEUNG-Garmin_nuevi_780_43_Inch_Widescreen_Bluetooth_Portable_GPS_Navigator_with_MSN_Direct_Service.html
sams had it for under 300 not a bad price