In Car GPS Unit – Do You Need One?
An in car GPS unit is GPS navigation system that is installed into the dash of your vehicle. This unit cannot be removed and carried around like with a portable GPS unit, but the in car GPS unit has much more functionality and a much bigger and easier to read screen. Some people are leaning toward the portable GPS units these days because of the convenience of walking around with one, but an in car GPS unit is certainly the thing to have if you want to use the navigation system while driving.
Most all GPS units, whether a portable or an in car GPS unit, have a mapping program pre-installed. A portable unit, however, will need additional programs installed if you want the convenience of turn by turn directions, and few of them will actually speak your directions for you as you drive. It is difficult to watch a map on a tiny screen while you drive. With the in car GPS unit you don’t have to look at the screen at all unless you want to view the map because it will tell you when you have an upcoming turn.
Another advantage of the in car GPS unit is that you have the option to subscribe to a live person to be available to help you out when you have an accident, get lost, or are in need otherwise. The live person will talk with you by hands free speaker through the in car GPS unit by a two way conversation to make sure that you get the service that you need from them. This option is not available with a portable unit, not even the kind that you can plug into your vehicle’s cigarette lighter.
An in car GPS unit can be pricey, however. You can expect to pay up to $3,000 for the best in car GPS units, or you can pick up one without all of the options for well under $1,000. The in car GPS unit that you choose will most likely depend on how often you plan to use it. If you do a lot of traveling by car then you may want to choose one with more options and features on it such as the ability to plug your Bluetooth headset into or with the ability to download more programs onto it as you need them. If you don’t travel often, then you might not need as many features