I'm interested in a GPS to use for both cycling and driving. I want small size, I want voice prompts for turns. I want to be able to program in routes using my computer, (Macintosh). Also, it should be able to navigate me to a given address without a pre-programmed route.
It would be nice if you could tell it not to put you on limited access highways.
Does anyone know of a unit that meets these requirements?
I use a Garmin Quest for both cycling and driving. It's a very small and light unit with a bright color screen and excellent battery life so all day rides are not a problem. It has PC-based software called MapSource, but you should be able to run it on Mac under Virtual PC without any major problems. It also has full on-board maps so can do standalone navigation without pre-programmed routes, including automatic re-routes if you miss or take a wrong turn.
When it's in its cradle in the car, full audio prompts are provided, but when it's used standalone it only provides visual prompts - this is therefore the only downside. There are handlebar mounts available (standard are easy to find; oversized are harder to find).
I've been searching for a third party headset for the unit for a while, but to no avail. Having the unit in my jersey pocket with an earpiece in one ear giving me turn by turn directions would be ideal, but I'm personally unaware of any device just yet that matches all the criteria.
Regards,
Jamie
I've seen a unit for motorcycles that has an earpiece, but I don't know if that's supposed to get plugged into the bikes electrical system or if it will run off its battery.
...you'll get tons of responses.
don
I like the garmin also. They make good handhelds that will store all of your data and have topo and elevation data.
