Cheap Gps Units - They Are Every Where

[ThaiLife]

Ive never had a GPS unit and know really nothing about them , but now every where I look there seem's to be GPS unit on '' Sale Price '' be it in the large shopping malls or on a market stall , this one I saw for sale at Carrefour ..

Ive heard the comment made that once you buy one , there's no extra subscriptions to pay and no problems

So has any one actually bought a '' cheap '' GPS unit , and how did it work out ?

The one above looks too good to be true

What don't I know about cheap GPS units

TL :jap:

[Digitalbanana]

>there's no extra subscriptions to pay and no problems

They'll always tell you there's no problems:-)

No subscriptions, but sometimes you might have to pay for a new map update if you cannot purge one off the net somewhere.

[Phil Conners]

Probably the cheap GPS have crap software and/or crap maps.

[sarahsbloke]

Often the are running WinCE and you can load any software you can get your hands on.

I've found them to work very well.

[Semper]

What's wrong with an old-fashioned map?

[lopburi3]

A map does not know where you are?

Believe anyone using Google Maps to plot a thousand km trip in milliseconds will have issues returning to the gas station maps. And GPS gives you the play by play. Had a taxi here in Bangkok turn off the video music and use the other day and it had local mooban sois and provided him good directions.

[asiawatcher]

You always get what you pay for - GPS is no exception - I have dumped the cheaper ones and have a Mio - great!

[Semper]

A map does not know where you are?

Believe anyone using Google Maps to plot a thousand km trip in milliseconds will have issues returning to the gas station maps. And GPS gives you the play by play. Had a taxi here in Bangkok turn off the video music and use the other day and it had local mooban sois and provided him good directions.

Well I guess you are right. Maybe a tour guide would do the trick

[astral]

My concern would be about the availability of the maps

and their quality.

Get the model make and number from the shop, the Google for map sw availability.

[undercover]

Just read the above comments, sounds confusing ? whats the bottom line ? if as is said here once you buy the unit there is no further monthly or yearly payments how do the map people make their money ? is it they spend millions developing the maps then give it to you free ? I very much doubt it

[lopburi3]

Google is free to the world.

[undercover]

Google is free to the world.

Free but is it any good ? is Garmin the best ? also I hear there is a Thai one ?

[Digitalbanana]

Google is free to the world.

But one pays for the data connect time and needs to be in phone cell range.

[ThaiLife]

Thanks Guy's for the comments , I still wonder what would happen after you have bought your '' Bargain'' GPS unit a few Months down the Line

TL :jap:

[PhiPhi]

Thanks Guy's for the comments , I still wonder what would happen after you have bought your '' Bargain'' GPS unit a few Months down the Line

TL :jap:

I purchased one of these and for the money it does the job and more, a nice feature is that you can upload you Points of Interest (POI, Favourites) or even your tracks (where you have been) to Google Earth on your PC, the only down side I have found is that the battery life for the portable units is terrible < 20 mins!! I had to design and fit a USB charger to my scooter to compensate for this deficiency. As to the software, like any it has its quirks but on the whole very usable if not always intuitive and if I want to update maps I can just buy a new one as it would still be cheaper than a Garmin with subscription to updates. If I had the budget I'd get the waterproof Garmin at 40K but for the same money I can buy a new VANHE or whatever cheap brand every year for the next 10 years. Mine still works and takes me where I want to go but having said that I prefer my Nokia N97 with Ovi maps and free updates, Ovi maps is very impressive for Bangkok, even small out the way places are searchable and easy to find.

Let us know what you choose and and how you get on.

All the best

Phi Phi