MSN Direct Coverage / GPS

[TPK]

Hello...

Sorta off-topic I know, but I need to ask this in a Milwaukee forum...

I was on a business trip lately and we got a Garmin GPS navigator for the rental car, and I liked it so much I promised myself I would get one when I got home...  I think I sorta need one because I'm one of those people that gets lost all the time...

As I was looking at Garmin models, I found that some of them connect to MSN Direct service which (supposedly) gives you traffic updates and even routes you around traffic jams....  If that works, I would find that very useful...

Anyhow, I was looking at the garmin StreetPilot C580:

http://reviews.cnet.com/car-gps-navigation/garmin-streetpilot-c580-gps/4505-3430_7-32309199.html?tag=vid.3&autoplay=true

Its a lot like the unit I had in the rental car, except this one is a newer model and has MSN Direct connectivity..

So my questions are:

1) Does this look like a good GPS receiver for the price (it costs $470 at tiger direct)...  Is there another one that you would reccommend?

2) Does anyone here use MSN direct service???  Does it cover Milwaukee, and if so how accurate are the traffic updates??   Does it really know if there is a traffic jam or is that just a bunch of bull???

I appreciate your advice and your experiences...

Thank you...

[Bebop]

1) Does this look like a good GPS receiver for the price (it costs $470 at tiger direct)... Is there another one that you would reccommend?

It's a good GPS. Same as your 580 minus the MSN http://www.gpsmagazine.com/2006/07/garmin_streetpilot_c550_review.php

The only way to find out if the traffic update is any good is to try it. I tried Garmin's other traffic update (TMC-Traffic.com) for my 350. And I don't like it. It's not accurate. From What I have read, MSN uses the same date from TMC. http://www.gpslodge.com/archives/009506.php

TomTom has  new models out. The one I like is the 720. It allows you to edit many things including the map. If map accuracy is important to you. With the Marquette Interchange repair the map probably will not get updated for years.

How long has the 27th street ramps been fixed?


The aerial photo is newer than the road map. Garmin uses the same source as Google.
http://www.yournav.com/content/review/356/GO_720_TomToms_new_do-it-all.html
http://www.tomtom.com/products/product.php?ID=383&Category=0&Lid=4

[oz]

The TomTom ONE is $200 from Toys 'R' Us (if you use a 20% coupon) and it can do real-time traffic and weather with a compatible Bluetooth phone.

I use Google Maps and Yahoo! Maps on my BlackBerry with GPS support. Both have the real-time traffic and they seem to pretty much follow the travel times listed on the Wisconsin DOT website and the traffic drive times listed on the signs above the freeway around Milwaukee.

Also, I'm not a big fan of TigerDirect. You can get it for less at Amazon.com and they're a more reliable retailer.