i'm trying to buy a portable gps system,
and found out about these 2 products.

http://www.thegpsstore.com/Detail-Magellan...tion-system.asp

http://www.thegpsstore.com/Detail-Garmin-S...tion-System.asp
the thing is that, after reading all the reviews on various internet web sites,
i got confused even more to decide which one to get.

anyone with experience with these portable gps stuff?
help me out.

 

Seung buddy,

I am currently using the Megellan one for my Passat. Excellent nav, no need to download maps from CDs. I am not quite sure about Garmin..., I think Legal Bill bought one and returned it soon after.

Buy yourself an optional dash mount, you will love it.

The standard vent mount is just weak.

Other than that it is a good system. Of course it is not as good as the Alpine GPS in my S

Oh, go get a Pioneer Nav. The price is almost the same as the Megellan but it looks way cooler though. I am not sure if it fits our S though.

 

HEY, THANX!

people who has magellan, just bash on garmin,
then gamin users just rip magellan apart.
so i dunno what to do!

i could go for alpine or pioneer or whatever stereo/dvd/navi. route,
but i use two cars plus occasional trip with my gf in her car,
i want to juggle gps system around.

 

I have a Garmin iQue 3600, and I love it. Large screen, portable, and doubles as a PDA. The dashboard mount is nice, but doesn't stay in place too well on very bumpy roads or during hard maneuvering. The speaker on the power cord is sufficiently loud enough for the verbal directions to be heard over the engine and the radio if necessary. The whole system is very portable and could easily be swapped from car to car. The whole package, including dash mount and 1 GB memory card can be had for around $600. I've never used or seen a Magellan system, so I can't comment on it.

 

For me, it is important that one memory card is gonna hold all maps(50 states plus part of Canada). I wasn't bashing Garmin by any means, I was telling you Bill's experience with the Garmin. The setup process is more complicated than the Megellan's. There is no setup procedure for Megellan, you plug it in, wait for a while till the GPS locate itself via Satellite for the first time and then you can start using it. No cds, no download required.

 

I've messed briefly with both units, a bit more so on the Garmin. I was rather impressed with the Garmin only after having experienced their previous generation handheld products which work but generally suck for in-car use.

I doubt you'd go wrong with either of these, though I am a bit confused about the Magellan because I've seen a few units in that form factor come and go over the past year or so. There are two versions of the Garmin as well, one of them comes with a speedo cable to help it track when the satellite coverage drops out under bridges and such.

The best I can think of is to go to a local Fry's or other store and play with the two for a short while. Personal preference may be the deciding factor. Such as the Garmin looking more like a "factory" option sitting on the dash whereas the Magellan certainly does not.

 

I have the garmin ique 3600. as mentioned above, it doubles as a pda - which means you have your phone numbers and addresses with you. The gps is full functioning, and i have been using mine on trips in the s2 for two years now. it works on the armrest or passenger seat as well as dash, and works with the top up too. i highly recommend it

 

I love my Garmin Ique 3600 I just got about a month ago but it rocks, I got a 1 gig memory filled it with MP3's and maps for way more than I could possibly drive.

I plug it directly into the AUX in on my deck and I get voice prompts and music from it. I love it.

 

I have Nav systems on all my cars , among them the magellan 750 and the garmin street pilot deluxe others are OEM . They are all basically the same, a faster processor will redraw quicker when you piss it off and go off course. The mapping for most is provided by navman, I think. Best thing about GPS it holds highest top speed so nobody can BS about how fast they drove.

 

I have the Garmin 2620. I love it. It hasn't let me down yet, and I've looked for some very obscure locations. In the beginning, I was reluctant to trust it, but now I put my full confidence in it. I would buy it again, in a heartbeat.

I have no experience with the Megellan. When I was looking I also posted a thread. More or less everyone said both were satisfactory, but many seemed to favor the Garmin.

Feel free to pm me if you have any questions about the Garmin.