Bonnie Cha,
Senior Associate Editor
April 6, 2009
One of the benefits of portable navigation systems is voice-guided directions, and if you've got an in-car GPS that has text-to-speech functionality (meaning the system will speak actual street names), even better. Having these audible prompts is not only helpful but also a nice safety feature, since it allows you to spend more time looking at the road instead of down at a paper map or screen. Continuing along those lines, there's a new technology that's just starting to show up in devices now: voice commands. With this capability, you can perform certain tasks with the sound of your voice. For example, you can dictate addresses, find points of interest, and navigate home. This is an emerging trend, so there's just a handful of units with this feature. Here are the latest systems we've tested; read on to see if one is right for you.
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| Price | $179.99 to $211.85 | $736.98 | $269.95 to $549.99 | $179.99 to $295.15 |
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| Review date | November 26, 2008 | June 30, 2008 | May 28, 2008 | December 16, 2007 |
| The Bottom Line | Though the Navigon 7200T doesn't have cleanest user interface, the portable GPS offers plenty of advanced navigation features and accurate directions. | As we've come to expect from the Nuvi line, the Garmin Nuvi 880 offers an impressive feature list and solid performance, but it's the accurate speech recognition that really pushes the Nuvi 880 over the edge and makes it one of the best GPS we've tested to date. | If you're looking for a high-end in-car GPS with the latest features, the TomTom GO 930 delivers with accurate directions and new navigation tools like advanced lane guidance and voice address entry. | Despite some minor shortcomings, the Magellan Maestro 4250 is a solid and accurate mid-level portable navigation system with a helpful voice-command feature. |
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| Features | ||||
| Included GPS accessories | Car holder Dashboard disc Car power adapter | USB cable Vehicle mount Remote control Car power adapter | Remote control Docking station Mounting bracket Car power adapter | USB cable Carrying case Car power adapter Automotive windshield mount |
| Audible assistance | Navigation instructions Street name announcement Voice command recognition | Navigation instructions Street name announcement | Navigation instructions Voice command recognition | Navigation instructions Voice command recognition |
| Services features | Speed Assistant Reality View Pro Lane Assistant Pro | ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) Distance Speed | ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) Distance Speed | Distance ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) |
| GPS PC connection | USB | USB | Bluetooth | Hi-Speed USB |
| Antenna | Built-in | Built-in | Built-in | Built-in |
| Weight | 6.5 oz | 6.2 oz | 7.8 oz | 6.9 oz |
| System features | Automatic routing Calculator Calendar Clock Compass Touchscreen | Clock Calculator Custom POIs Garmin Lock Built-in speaker Automatic routing JPEG photo playback Built-in FM modulator 2D / 3D map perspective Hands-free calling via Bluetooth | Built-in speaker Built-in microphone IQ Routes technology 2D / 3D map perspective Built-in FM transmitter TomTom Map Share technology Hands-free calling via Bluetooth TMC (Traffic Message Channel) ready | Preinstalled POIs 2D / 3D map perspective Built-in AAA Travel Information Hands-free calling via Bluetooth |
| Destination | Automotive | Automotive | Automotive | Automotive |
| Design features | Touchscreen Day mode Night mode | Touchscreen Calculator Calendar Clock Music player Photo viewer | Calculator Calendar Clock Photo viewer Built-in speaker Touchscreen | Info unavailable |
| Included GPS software | SiRF GRF3i+ | MapSource City Navigator North America NT | TomTom HOME | NAVTEQ ON BOARD |
| Data memory type | microSD | microSD | SD Memory Card | SD Memory Card |
| Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications |
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