Which GPS does Alan recommend? Garmin StreetPilot c550

Let me start by saying that I am not a GPS expert (though I have owned quite a few of them). I have not done an exhaustive study of all the consumer-grade Global Positioning Systems currently available this holiday season.

In fact, I have a greater understanding of the radio and math behind GPS than I do of the state-of-the-art specs of modern-day automobile guidance systems.

With that said, an incredible number of people – coworkers, friends, casual acquaintances – ask me, “Which GPS should I buy for myself / spouse / child”? Perhaps it’s because I was an early GPS adopter. Perhaps it’s because I’m friendly. Perhaps it’s because I’m a geek. I’m used to it! At least they’re not asking me to fix their computer.

The answer is: The model I have, and recommend (because I’m happy with it) is the Garmin StreetPilot c550. I like it because:

• It has a nice big, bright, 3.5-inch screen
• The maps and directions cover the entire U.S. and Canada
• It gives good, clear voice directions
• It has a great database of restaurants, hotels, attractions, etc.
• It get real-time traffic data, and routes you intelligently around delays
• It has a Bluetooth speakerphone that works with my BlackBerry
• You can update the firmware and database from both Windows and Mac PCs

The “suggested retail price” for the c550 is $482.13, but you can get it a lot cheaper. Currently, it’s $346 from Amazon.com.

I know there are many cheaper GPSes out there – not only from Garmin, but from Magellan, TomTom and others. Is this model better? I don’t know. However, the c550 has all the features that I want, it works very well, and I’m very pleased with it.

Now, when people ask me to recommend a GPS, I can refer them to this blog posting, and save myself a lot of e-mail typing.