You'll get a lot more from your GPS, and travel more safely if you spend a little time on setup and feature previews before you hit the road.
Garmin introduced a new golf GPS model, the Approach G5 (suggested retail, $499), at the recent Consumer Electronics Show. The Approach G5 is to be on the market by the second quarter of 2009. I had some hands-on time with the Approach G5, and was impressed with how Garmin has made use of the unit's large color touchscreen. For example, you can find the distance-to-the-green from any point on the hole by simply touching the touchscreen. When you slide your finger on the screen, the yardage changes instantly. Of course the unit also gives you a distance-to-the-green from your current position readout at all times. You may also manually move the pin position for accurate to-the-pin distances. Also setting the G5 apart is the fact that Garmin will not be charging for golf course maps or map updates. This should shake up the golf GPS market, in which most manufacturers charge significant fees for initial course map databases and for ongoing map updates. The Approach G5 will also feature course preview, a digital scorecard, and more. The Approach G5 is based on much of the same hardware as the Garmin Oregon model. Image © Garmin
Las Vegas - TomTom just keeps making improvements to its already excellent navigation and connectivity features, and the new-for-2009 GO 740 LIVE carries that theme. This time around, TomTom has added always-on Internet connectivity via built-in GSM cellular technology. The 740 LIVE doesn't have a Web browser, but it does have a nicely integrated Google Local Search feature that dramatically expands its points-of-interest (POI) database and POI depth and utility. TomTom's Tom Murray walked me through the 740 LIVE's features at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The 740 LIVE is to sell for $499 (suggested retail) and is to be available by May, 2009. Internet connectivity is to be free for the first 12 months, and $9.95 per month thereafter. There's lots more in this first look.
Image © TomTom
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