Portable GPS units in Australia

[Dan Tanne]

When we get there (hopefully in January) I want to go out and buy a hand held GPS unit for me and for my wife.

Garmin is still the most popular unit by far here in SA,m but I hear that Tom Tom is a more popular unit there.

Can anyone tell me what you suggest I go for. I will be in Melbourne and want a very user friendly unit that will take me wherever i want/need to go in Victoria.

[Pippa]

Dear Dan Tanne,

We recently arrived and bought a Navman. I personally get the impression that TomTom and Navman are more popular in Australia than Garman. Our Navman works perfect and it's my best friend when I am driving!

Good luck with your move!

Pippa! X

[Overtaker]

I use a Nokia N95, which does the trick for me, and its relatively easy to download the maps for anywhere in the world. its gotten me unlost a few times, even when walking...

[Tanya vW]

We have a Garmin Quest2 wich works perfectly fine here in SA, we plan to just upload the Australian map before we go.

[Strekkie]

Vicky,

Take a good look at the difference in price of maps between buying them in SA or when you land in OZ. The last time I looked the difference was around R2,000-00 more expensive in SA. I have a Quest myself and will get a new map loaded as soon as we land in about a weeks time.

Strekkie

[Tanya vW]

Strekkie,

Thanks for the advise! Never thought of that

[Dan Tanne]

I use a Nokia N95, which does the trick for me, and its relatively easy to download the maps for anywhere in the world. its gotten me unlost a few times, even when walking...

Thanks mate. I was thinking about getting that Nokia too. I can get it here on my current contract that needs renewing, get the phone, and give up the number/contract when I leave SA, but keep the phone.

[Mara]

I checked Virgin mobile in Australia, the link is below.

Nokia 95 you pay $65 per month connection fee and $28 per month for phone and you get $500 worth of phone credit per month. It also appears that from Nokia you can download your GPS maps for free.

https://www.virginmobile.com.au/shop/p-186-nokia-n95.aspx

[Swerwer]

Have a look at any Navman (www.navman.com.au). Being an Nieu Zealand Company their maps of Australia are very up to date.

[Bosluis]

Ek het die garmin 660 gekoop, ook baie goed, touchscreen, bluetooth, verduidelik jou presies waar en hoe om te ry, se vir jou die straatname soos jy ry, as jy n foon met bluetooth het, werk dit baie goed, jy praat deur die gps, klank is baie goed, niks onduidelik of krapperig nie, veral met die ausies se streng padreels is dit n goeie ding om te he as jy n oproep kry of maak, dit is totaal handfree, al wat jy doen is raak net die screen wat se answer. Die screen verander ook in die nag sodat jy beter kan sien, doen dit automaties, jy kan kies of jy n kar ry, trok ry, loop of fiets ry, die screen is ook n widescreen met baie goeie graffics.

[Aramat]

Hi all!

I'm hoping that those technology junkies out there can assist me. I'm looking at the MIO C320/C520 here in RSA & was wondering what the reputation is of the brand.

Also would like to know if it's a simple thing of downloading the Australia maps (onto the GPS or onto a mem card) or how it all works.

I'm a bit blonde when it comes to these things & could really do with some guidance.

Thanks

Aramat

[Guest nc74]

Hi Aramat, hope you don't mind but I'd also like to ask a few things about the GPS's.

Would it be better for us to wait til we get to Aus and buy a Tom Tom or Navman or can we just go ahead and get a Garmin here?

The reason I ask is cos my OH is worried the after sales service on the Garmin will be a bug bear there and I'm worried its more expensive to buy a Garmin here than a GPS there. Which option is more logical - price and after sales service wise?

Sorry about the hijack Tam.

Thanks Natalie

[Jannie]

Hi,

I bought a Garmin Nuvi 200W couple of weeks ago here in SA casue I got it for a steal through a friend. Was in Sydney week before last, went to Johnny Appleseed's GPS shop and got a SD card with all the Auz maps on, slotted it into the Garmin and off I went ... on foot that was! Worked perfectly!!!!

I can realy suggest the Appleseed guys. They are brilliant! They have a couple of branches allover Aus. Have a look at their website http://www.ja-gps.com.au/contact.htm.

Hope it helps!

J

[Duane W]

The big problem with PDA's and phones as GPS devices is that not many have touchscreens and it can a pain working the buttons when driving.

I bought the cheapest one I could find which was a AWA X200 at Big W $348, they all use the same Samsung processor and most use the same Whereis maps anyway.

So far its been navigating me around Brissy just fine it does lack some of the bells and whistles that the more expensive units have but thats the price you pay.

[villichi]

Hi Aramat, hope you don't mind but I'd also like to ask a few things about the GPS's.

Would it be better for us to wait til we get to Aus and buy a Tom Tom or Navman or can we just go ahead and get a Garmin here?

The reason I ask is cos my OH is worried the after sales service on the Garmin will be a bug bear there and I'm worried its more expensive to buy a Garmin here than a GPS there. Which option is more logical - price and after sales service wise?

Sorry about the hijack Tam.

Thanks Natalie

I bought a TOM TOM 1 in Aus - paid 450 dollars for it which is a bit cheaper than what you would pay in south africa. when you buy it here of course, it comes with the australian maps. in south africa it would come with the south african maps and it is very expensive to buy the australian (or any other country) maps.

my advice is that unless you need a unit to use in south africa before you leave, buy on ein oz when you arrive

i'm very happy with the tom tom although the battery life is quite a bit shorter than some of the garmins (which are a bit more expensive). battery life is not much of an issue if you plan to use it mainly in the car as it charges through the cigarette lighter.

[Nilo]

Hervey Norman has a Navman at the moment for $198!

[Gandalf]

I bought a TomTom one XL and then I bought the Australia maps...

I have been using it here and it is great I love it...

I used a Garmin before but the big touch screen on the TomTom is awsome...

Cheers

G

[Guest nc74]

We don't need a GPS here. PMB is so small we know everywhere

But we are definitely going to need one in Aus!! We have done a bit of research and found that its cheaper to buy the GPS in Aus anyway!!!!

So thats what we're going to do. We will have to see when we get there which we would prefer.

Happy hunting for us.......

[Mikec]

I got the Tom Tom 1

I see they are selling for around $379.00 here.

This is an amazing little helper.

At first i bought maps and stuff, but that was quicly shelved...

Getting anywhere from Sydney to Canberra to Central coast is really easy.

Driving here with one of these is a must.

[Shelleyw]

Hi There

We're in Sydney and my wife has the Garmin C320 and I have the Tom Tom One. I find the Garmin more user friendly, but the Tom Tom has more bells and whistles. We give the Garmin to guests when they are over here because its easy to use and gives clear instructions. The Tom Tom has cool features like downloading diffent voices and "safety" camera locations.

Hope this helps

Regards

Kevin

[SA Aussie]

Hi Daar,

Ek het die Garmin Nuvi 200.

Ek gaan begin Feb 2008 Perth toe en wil graag die kaart vir Australie kry.

Is dit die geval in Perth ook dat jy dit net by die Garmin winkel kan kry?

(Jannie het 'n Garmin kaart van Aus gekry by Johnny Appleseeds in Sydney , maar ek sien hulle het nie 'm Perth tak nie)

As dit wel so is , waar is die Garmin winkel in Perth?

Wat kos dieGarmin SD kaart daar? Is dit goedkoper as hier?

Groetnis

Wimpie

[LeeInOz]

Hi Daar,

Ek het die Garmin Nuvi 200.

Ek gaan begin Feb 2008 Perth toe en wil graag die kaart vir Australie kry.

Is dit die geval in Perth ook dat jy dit net by die Garmin winkel kan kry?

(Jannie het 'n Garmin kaart van Aus gekry by Johnny Appleseeds in Sydney , maar ek sien hulle het nie 'm Perth tak nie)

As dit wel so is , waar is die Garmin winkel in Perth?

Wat kos dieGarmin SD kaart daar? Is dit goedkoper as hier?

Groetnis

Wimpie

I bought a Garmin Street Pilot 2610 from Johnny Appleseed. Great unit and has a remote control. Obsolete already.

The official agent in Australia for Garmin is GME http://www.gme.net.au/

Sometimes there are cheap ones on eBay.

You can order a map, they send you a CD then you pay online at Garmin to get a code to unlock.

The downside of all these units is the mapping is actually several years behind the actual street maps. On tehGarmin website you can view the maps of any area, and I have upgraded once, and am disapointed. So when they release an upgrade I check. The last one still has no new roads or changes that have been here for more than 10 years. Where is produce for almost all the GPS units here.

Eg turn offs that dont exist are shown, intersections where there are roundabouts. Roads in the country sometimes a few 100m away from where the map shows. (you can see there was a road there long ago)

Also sometimes when I do a find and choose shortest distance, it finds a longer route. When you go the shorter route it complains by wanting me to turn, until it suddenly reroutes and accepts the shorter way

It still helps when we go places we have not been even with the few glitches