GPS Systems

Up until recently I didn't think I needed a GPS system. I know the Greater Vancouver area quite well and can usually find new locations quite easily.

I've always thought GPS navigation systems were just that. An electronic gadget that gives you directions to places you do not know how to find. So why would I want one other than it was a new electronic gadget for me to play with.

A co-worker showed me his new GPS gadget and what it could do and that was it, I wanted one.

What really caught my eye was the price tag for this gadget. I knew that all the well known name brand GPS systems were quite expensive. And although I love electronic gadgets, I'm not prepared to pay allot of money for them. I'm always looking for what I consider a deal.

This little gadget I think is quite amazing. The brand name is quite new although the manufacturer is CarPoint which has been around quite awhile. They actually make navigation systems that are installed by vehicle manufacturers. I believe this is the first time they have put out a product to sell directly to the consumer. Apparently it has been selling really well in other countries other than Canada and the U.S.

XRoad is the brand name of this product. It originally sold for $156.00 but for some reason you can't find anyone who has them. I bought my Xroad 4150 on Ebay for $168.00 which is still a very good price (it was new, still in the original packaging).

This electronic gadget isn't just a GPS. It's an MP3 player, has bluetooth, so you can use your cell phone hands-free, plus you can load AVI files (movie and tv files) onto the 2 Gig SD card. It's a whole entertainment system for your vehicle. It even has a couple of games you can play on it.

As far as the GPS, it has pre-loaded maps of Canada and the U.S. It can find almost anything you need to find and direct you to it. For instance, there is a service category if you are looking for a gas station it will list all the gas stations you are closest to by name and address. The entertainment section has things like casinos and will list all the casinos for that area and give you the directions and addresses. Restaurants, the same thing. It has a POI (Points of Interest) section that lists all the points of interest in that particular area.

It really is amazing. Any other system that has this kind of capability, believe me, costs as much as three times what I paid for this electronic gadget.

I have a feeling that when it does become available again the price tag is going to be much higher.