N810 owners alert:stand alone gps $50 shipped AR
 

You bet, I am a N810 owner :o
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16858194072, you have to use my link, search wont get it, still available now.

Pros: stand alone, get 9/11 satellites in seconds!
and very nice PC interacting software, and it is a TomTom, good POIs and many niceties on the GPS. And update 2009 maps for $20.

cons: maps is 2 quarters (?) old,
no blue tooth,
no SD

Total is $70 - $20 rebates.

Regarding map is NOT the current one, it is better than my Nextar 3xi which comes with "lifetime gurantee maps" but Nextar never upload, what a liar! So i am still using the 2006 maps.

Of course, it comes with mounts, USB cables, etc, but no AC adapter!

This is a refurbished unit. Or get the new (?) one for $120 +S/H, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16858194057, may come with current map, may.


bun

Re: N810 owners alert:stand alone gps $50 shipped AR
 

http://www.amazon.com/TomTom-ONE-3-5...3968919&sr=1-3

same as above, but $2.02 cheaper.

bun

Re: N810 owners alert:stand alone gps $50 shipped AR
 

This is my 1st TomTom. They are a lot better than my previous non TomTom gps,

1) They have a forum/community to upgrade or correct maps.
2) A lot of niceties in the TomTom software, you can change voice, get route more than pointA to pointB, ie., point A to PointB then point C and point D etc,
3) a large POI, even added by users.
4) Their suction cup use a slightly differnt setup and suck to the windshield very good, not even once fall down.
5) Loudest speaker I have ever heard
6) very easy to snap it on and very easy to take it off.
Overall, TomTom is better for a reason and I recommend it.

Edit: I got a Nextar 3i 2 years back. It guarantees lifetime map download.......except they never upload their maps. Today, 2009, I am still using the original 2006 map. What a )(*(^&^( joke about lifetime map download.

bun

Re: N810 owners alert:stand alone gps $50 shipped AR
 

I'm really enjoying using my NIT as a GPS. But in time I might consider getting a regular TomTom for more of my traveling. Any idea if they have maps of Japan and Taiwan? If they do, I'd love to take it with me when I go overseas later this year or early next. :)

Re: N810 owners alert:stand alone gps $50 shipped AR
 

They do but it is NOT free. I think it is $19.99 per map, I have to look it up. I have not tried their paid maps. I only bought the device which comes with USA+Canada. Another quirk: some refurb units come with latest map guarantee coupon, some comes with 2009 maps, some comes with 2-3 years old maps and no coupon. The TomTom forum talks about it. I got it from Newegg 1 month ago and it comes with 2009 map and NO coupon.

bun

Re: N810 owners alert:stand alone gps $50 shipped AR
 

lol. Given how little roads change, save for the areas under heavy development, you're better to just go with the community contributed corrections than bother with whole new maps. Heck, I've gone through areas using maps that were 10-15 years old and never really had a problem. And whatever problems I did run into were pretty easy to sort out. If you just have a good head on your shoulders and a knack for solving problems, older maps aren't an issue.

Re: N810 owners alert:stand alone gps $50 shipped AR
 

IMHO the best user-contributed "corrections" are OpenStreetMaps. Area of city where I live has been mapped by hobbyists to degrees commercial vendors can only dream. And it's much more up to date than any commercial maps available.

Re: N810 owners alert:stand alone gps $50 shipped AR
 

Meh, TomTom has the same kinda community, so I expect them to do just as good as OpenStreet.

Re: N810 owners alert:stand alone gps $50 shipped AR
 

Not in the same vein as the OP but as has anyone used (and had good results) with "external" GPS units in conjunction with the NITs? Specifically in lock times. I usually get horrible lock times (yes even with AGPS) so I was wondering if anyone has tested a bluetooth battery-powered GPS antenna with a NIT? Yes I know they exist and yes Nokia makes one but I'm asking for results. Recommendations. Preferably in the $30-50 range (or less).

Re: N810 owners alert:stand alone gps $50 shipped AR
 

Well, here's an interesting little tidbit I discovered while doing some long run testing with my NIT. Apparently, the more local EM traffic you have, be it from the electrical grid, cell towers, etc, the longer it takes to get a lock. The less you have, the faster it locks. So this GPS chip apparently suffers from background noise problems a lot.

Re: N810 owners alert:stand alone gps $50 shipped AR
 

Absolutely YES.

I have very good experience with any SiRF Star III units. Lock in 5 - 10 seconds, ALL THE TIME, never a surprise and it NEVER FAIL. GPT-801 Bluetooth GPS Receiver, got it from Neweggs.com 3 years back for a cream $, now should be in the league of $20-30.

Iogear GBGPS201 Bluetooth GPS Navigation System, comes with the whole nine yard, all the accessories, including maps, to work with winCE 4-5 years ago. I use it with the NIT and it works fine. Lock in 1-2 min, but again, it NEVER fail.

And the Nokia Navigation system, ~119$ ebay, lock in 5-10 sec, and it NEVER FAIL.

I have no idea what is wrong with the N810. 1) it takes forever to lock, 2) it may NOT even lock at all. I just got another brand new N810, same kind of $hitty GPS, no difference. I guess I never learn :( . If Nokia is serious about the tablet, they should have some kind of program to exchange/fix/upgrade this N810GPS as they are the main ingredient of N810 vs N800. It is obviously a hardware problem. It takes forever to lock is already a problem. It failed to lock when you need it the most, in a strange place, is the biggest problem, NOT RELIABLE. Other than that, the N810 is my 2nd best companion at all time. Who is 1st? The N800 of course!

Get back to your question. I have good experience with SiRF Star III units, I would stick with it if I have to get another BT GPS

bun

Re: N810 owners alert:stand alone gps $50 shipped AR
 

Well, thought I would come back here and add a few cents to this wonderful discussion. I did some research into a stand along GPS for myself and my mom, and I found out something interesting about the TomTom's.

1. They have poor reliability. Their devices have a bad habit of going bad pretty quickly.
2. They're about 3 years beyond everyone else technology wise.
3. They nickel and dime you to death.
4. Their warranty and RMA system is a complete nightmare.
5. Their GPS chip sucks.
6. They're one of the lowest rated, and worst reviewed GPS devices out there.

Need I add more? They in general just suck. Just thought I'd share this so nobody else gets burned.

EDIT: Opps, I wrote Garmin, but I meant TomTom. ^_^;; My bad. Garmin's are actually extremely good.

Re: N810 owners alert:stand alone gps $50 shipped AR
 

Thought I'd bump this to let everyone know about the minor correction to my previous post. In it I was panning the Garmins when I really meant to pan the TomTom. I've got a Garmin Nuvi 780 and it makes all the TomTom's I've looked at and played with look like complete junk. Of course, they are, so that's kind of a given. ;)

If you're gonna get a stand alone GPS, get a Garmin. They're light years beyond everyone and well worth the price. I just wish they'd switch to Linux like they claimed they would. :(

Re: N810 owners alert:stand alone gps $50 shipped AR
 

What a relief! I own a Garmin 680 and have been telling everyone to buy Garmin.