Zoomable GPS
May 19, 2010 7:58 AM Subscribe
Zoomable GPS: my last car had built in nav that I never used for finding locations, but found real useful for exploring & driving in unfamiliar areas - I'd just turn it on and use it as a live moving map. Now I have a new car with no nav so I'm shopping for a system, but the ones I've seen in Target appear to be more oriented to route finding and don't have a very good perspective/ too high a zoom level for assessing the surroundings on the move. Is there one available that I can use for exploring in this way?
Every GPS I've ever seen has plenty of zoom levels and different perspectives you could choose from. Are you saying the ones you saw couldn't zoom out?
posted by kmz at 8:03 AM on May 19, 2010
posted by kmz at 8:03 AM on May 19, 2010
Are you saying the ones you saw couldn't zoom out?
A lot of GPS units designed for hiking, camping, etc have limited displays to save on battery life, this might be what the poster is familiar with. But pretty much all automotive units today will have the ability to zoom, and most let you adjust the map orientation from overhead to viewing at an angle (which a lot of people find easier to navigate by).
I use a cheap Mio I picked up on sale a Radio Shack, and I've been pretty happy with it. The zoom level is very granular, so you can be in quite close or pull out to an absurdly high level view.
posted by quin at 8:19 AM on May 19, 2010
A lot of GPS units designed for hiking, camping, etc have limited displays to save on battery life, this might be what the poster is familiar with. But pretty much all automotive units today will have the ability to zoom, and most let you adjust the map orientation from overhead to viewing at an angle (which a lot of people find easier to navigate by).
I use a cheap Mio I picked up on sale a Radio Shack, and I've been pretty happy with it. The zoom level is very granular, so you can be in quite close or pull out to an absurdly high level view.
posted by quin at 8:19 AM on May 19, 2010
Many GPSs will even adjust the zoom based on how fast you are traveling.
Look for a model with a 3D view that optionally shows you buildings as they appear from the street. This is very useful for navigating in downtowns, as the buildings are helpful landmarks.
posted by kindall at 8:23 AM on May 19, 2010
Look for a model with a 3D view that optionally shows you buildings as they appear from the street. This is very useful for navigating in downtowns, as the buildings are helpful landmarks.
posted by kindall at 8:23 AM on May 19, 2010
What phone do you have? if you have a smartphone, a separate GPS unit might not be worth it. Between Navigation with Google Maps and Waze on my Android, along with all the various Augmented Reality apps (Google Goggles, Wikitude, Layar) the ability to "assess surroundings" blows a stand alone GPS out of the water.
I hear the garmin nuvi models are nice...
posted by jrishel at 8:26 AM on May 19, 2010
I hear the garmin nuvi models are nice...
posted by jrishel at 8:26 AM on May 19, 2010
Response by poster: The perspective I saw on the ones in Target (Garmin) were real close to the ground, so you could only see the immediate surrounding streets, from an angle of approx 30 degrees from the ground - ie real useful for navigation, not so much for orientation. I'd like to look more from above, at say the 5th or 6th highest zoom level on Google maps. I wasn't able to immediately find zooms or different views at the ones in Target - do they all do this/ do I just need a manual?.
posted by forallmankind at 8:38 AM on May 19, 2010
posted by forallmankind at 8:38 AM on May 19, 2010
Yeah, they all do what you want. Garmin especially. It is the plan vs 3rd person view issue I thought you had.
On the menu will be the settings to change the view mode as well as (my preference) 'North up' rather than direction of travel. Once you are in the plan view mode, you will be able to zoom in and out as you describe.
posted by Brockles at 8:54 AM on May 19, 2010
On the menu will be the settings to change the view mode as well as (my preference) 'North up' rather than direction of travel. Once you are in the plan view mode, you will be able to zoom in and out as you describe.
posted by Brockles at 8:54 AM on May 19, 2010
And seconding the Garmin Nuvi recommendation. That's what I have, use as you describe you want, and it is small with no annoying features and very good battery life.
posted by Brockles at 8:55 AM on May 19, 2010
posted by Brockles at 8:55 AM on May 19, 2010
Pretty much all current ones have a standard map view that is zoomable -- just don't put them in navigation mode and you are all set. Get a Garmin or TomTom with 4.3" screen or bigger. Like this or this. The standard ones with 3.5" screens are not great for what you want to do.
posted by thewildgreen at 9:27 AM on May 19, 2010
posted by thewildgreen at 9:27 AM on May 19, 2010
Best answer: I have a Garmin Nuvi in my hand right now. It has 3 perspective settings. Go to tools > settings > map > map view. You can choose "track up" which is an overhead view where your car is traveling upward toward the top of the screen; "north up" which is an overhead view oriented with north always at the top of the screen (a highlighted route and arrows show which way you're moving); and "3D" which is the 'on the ground' perspective you saw in Target. I prefer to have mine set at "north up" so I can always tell which compass direction I'm pointing.
posted by cuddles.mcsnuggy at 12:37 PM on May 19, 2010
posted by cuddles.mcsnuggy at 12:37 PM on May 19, 2010
btw: I have the Garmin Nuvi 285wt, 4.3 inch screen. Love it. Got it from Amazon 2 weeks ago (very good price). Since I've just moved to a new city, it has already saved my butt on countless navigation occasions.
posted by cuddles.mcsnuggy at 12:42 PM on May 19, 2010
posted by cuddles.mcsnuggy at 12:42 PM on May 19, 2010
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Is this why you don't like them!
posted by Brockles at 8:01 AM on May 19, 2010