It is a strange fact that many buyers of new cars are willing to pay several times the real value of a satellite navigation system in order to have it installed by the maker. It is true that the car's manufacturer usually does an excellent job of fitting the device, but then you are paying a premium for it.
If you purchased the sat nav unit separately and had it fitted by a third party, you would get it for a third or a quarter of the cost. Still, it is part of the idea of having a new car to have all the latest gadgets built in to it. Satellite navigation, commonly called sat nav, is a real boon, if you buy a system that is up-to-date and that is frequently updated.
It is not essential to have the sat nav installed in the car factory in order to have it installed well. Many third party installers are quite competent of making a good job of it too without having to have your radio/CD player taken out.
Many auto navigation systems are attached to the dashboard by means of rubber suction cups anyway. Buying a sat nav device that does not have to have holes cut for it will also keep the price to a minimum without having to sacrifice quality or safety.
An important issue to remember is that there are many types of GPS systems, each with rather specific uses. GPS for an ocean-going yacht does not have to have road maps, whereas GPS for a bicycle may not give enough advanced warning for the speed of a car.
Even if you purchase a GPS sat nav device for a road vehicle, there are different varieties. The three basic kinds are: stand-alone, such as you see fitted at the car factory; hand-held and systems that are meant to be used with a laptop computer or similar device.
The stand-alone units are the most popular, because they have various advantages: they are made for the job of getting you from A to B via C, D and E, if required; they hold a database of landmarks which will help you know that you are on the correct road; a voice will give you directions so that yo do not have to keep looking at the screen and it will memorize and integrate earlier routes.
Hand-held sat nav systems work, but require more thought and sometimes additional software to be provided by the user. The screen is usually too small to be of much use and some only create voice directions. Others only provide graphic directions. However, they are better than nothing if you are walking or cycling in unknown terrain.
Laptops and PDA's offer an excellent service, particularly if you already had the apparatus for other reasons such as office work.
So, it is not just a question of picking up a cheap sat nav system and thinking that they are all the same, you have to see it working so that you can judge whether it is going to be of any benefit to you in your circumstances.
If you purchased the sat nav unit separately and had it fitted by a third party, you would get it for a third or a quarter of the cost. Still, it is part of the idea of having a new car to have all the latest gadgets built in to it. Satellite navigation, commonly called sat nav, is a real boon, if you buy a system that is up-to-date and that is frequently updated.
It is not essential to have the sat nav installed in the car factory in order to have it installed well. Many third party installers are quite competent of making a good job of it too without having to have your radio/CD player taken out.
Many auto navigation systems are attached to the dashboard by means of rubber suction cups anyway. Buying a sat nav device that does not have to have holes cut for it will also keep the price to a minimum without having to sacrifice quality or safety.
An important issue to remember is that there are many types of GPS systems, each with rather specific uses. GPS for an ocean-going yacht does not have to have road maps, whereas GPS for a bicycle may not give enough advanced warning for the speed of a car.
Even if you purchase a GPS sat nav device for a road vehicle, there are different varieties. The three basic kinds are: stand-alone, such as you see fitted at the car factory; hand-held and systems that are meant to be used with a laptop computer or similar device.
The stand-alone units are the most popular, because they have various advantages: they are made for the job of getting you from A to B via C, D and E, if required; they hold a database of landmarks which will help you know that you are on the correct road; a voice will give you directions so that yo do not have to keep looking at the screen and it will memorize and integrate earlier routes.
Hand-held sat nav systems work, but require more thought and sometimes additional software to be provided by the user. The screen is usually too small to be of much use and some only create voice directions. Others only provide graphic directions. However, they are better than nothing if you are walking or cycling in unknown terrain.
Laptops and PDA's offer an excellent service, particularly if you already had the apparatus for other reasons such as office work.
So, it is not just a question of picking up a cheap sat nav system and thinking that they are all the same, you have to see it working so that you can judge whether it is going to be of any benefit to you in your circumstances.
About the Author:
Owen Jones, the writer of this piece writes on many topics, but is at present concerned with Hybrid Electric Engines. If you want to know more please go to our site at New Hybrid Vehicles.