http://www.maximumpc.com|NOV 08 |MAMAMAXIMXIMXIMXIMUUUUMMPPPCC| 17
And the Winner Is...
I
t’s a close call, but a stand-alone GPS unit—as epitomized by
TomTom’s GO 930 T—is simply a better prospect overall than
a cellphone-based option. That’s not to say there isn’t a place
for phone-based GPS services or that software like Verizon’s VZ
Navigator is somehow deficient. Were we to never use an auto-
mobile in our travels, we’d definitely see a compelling reason to
pick up the software.
However, we’re sold on the feature-packed functionality of
a stand-alone GPS device. The superior detail and quick-loadingmaps are just the foundation. Stand-alone device interfaces are
easier to navigate and quicker to access—or speak at —than
those of the average cellphone GPS service. Plus the routing in-
structions a stand-alone device provides are larger, and there-
fore more legible, and quicker to update, and the devices offer
a degree of customization that phone services simply don’t
have. While you might need to upgrade your jeans to cargo
pants, you won’t go wrong packing something like TomTom’sGO 930 T alongside your cellphone. (^)
ROUND 3
USABILITY
When it comes to road-tripping, we’d
much prefer to use a stand-alone GPS
than a cellular-based service. Typing
in our route (or inputting it verbally) is
far easier to do using a large touchpad
keyboard than it is using a cellphone’s
archaic T9 input, or even a full-fl edged
keyboard. And if you make a wrong turn
midroute, a stand-alone GPS system will
adjust the directions based on your snafu
far faster than a phone-based service.
The stand-alone GPS updates so fast it
looks like a videogame HUD—complete
with lane information and a big, visible
display of streets. A cellphone screen just
can’t provide as much detail.
WINNER: STAND-ALONE GPS
ROUND 4
ADD-ONS
At their core, cellular GPS services like
VZ Navigator are just that—services. The
only bonus functionality VZ Navigator of-
fers, for example, is movie-time listings
and the ability to message waypoints to
your friends. By contrast, TomTom’s GO
930 T offers a full bundle of features. The
device can play music and audiobooks
through your Bluetooth device or radio
via an internal FM transmitter. You can
also connect it to your cellphone and
use its data plan to update the TomTom
GO 930 T with traffi c information, or
just route your calls using the device’s
hands-free speaker option.
WINNER: STAND-ALONE GPS
CELLPHONE-BASED GPS
Verizon VZ Navigator
Free download, $10 monthly
http://www.verizonwireless.com
ROUND 5
CUSTOMIZATION
VZ Navigator updates the points of inter-
est in its database on a quarterly basis.
Stand-alone units like TomTom’s GO 930
T update, well, never—they rely on the
maps contained within them. That said,
the TomTom GO offers far more options
for route and location customization than a
typical cellular-based GPS. You can set up
itineraries featuring multiple stops based
on any points of interest you want, and you
can both add to and download other users’
saved locations using TomTom’s included
Home software. Best yet, you can also
supply corrections to the included maps
if the device tells you something different
than what you’re looking at.
WINNER: STAND-ALONE GPS