Garmin GPS 60...Non-mapping ?

[+geoSpartan]

My friend has a $200 gift card to Homedepot and she wants to buy a GPSr.

 

"Garmin GPS 60 Handheld/Portable System with Worldwide City, POI Database"link

 

The Garmin GPS 60 is non-mapping, but I'm confused on what exactly that means.

 

I believe it means that you can not load CN or any others, but it comes with Worldwide City POI, so what does that mean?

Gas Stations or just landmarks?

Does it show streets or just the basic map (that my GPSMAP 60Csx came with before I installed CN)?

Does it navigate or just point?

 

Thanks for any help.

[+Miragee]

For just a bit more than $200, your friend can get a Garmin Vista HCx, which is color, new technology, and has auto-routing, with the maps installed.

 

I would recommend the Venture HC which is color and has the new High Sensitivity receiver.

 

However, I don't know what the price for that unit is at other vendors. It might be a lot less at Offroute.com or even Amazon.com.

[+THE_Chris]

The non mapping on the GPS 60 is why I upgraded mine to a GPSMap60csx about a month after getting it

 

Its a good entry level unit for Geocaching only, really.

 

Doesnt have maps at all. The POI database on my unit seemed to only give (badly spelt) town names and their location. No streetmaps, no maps, no display of where water is, just the names of the towns and a dot where they are.

 

Edit: and no you cant load any maps onto it. City Navigator doesnt work with it, nothing does. Its as-is

Edited December 3, 2007 by THE_Chris

[sanramonhunter]

Non-mapping means it has no maps and won't accept any maps. I don't even think you can put Topo on these, I'm sure somebody will know and correct me if I'm wrong.

 

This is from the Garmin website: GPS 60 has one megabyte (MB) of internal memory for storing points of interest, and it comes factory preloaded with a worldwide city point database. Just find the place you want to go to, and the GPS 60 creates a straight-line route to your destination.

 

So basically you tell it where you want to go and it tells you which direction and how far, but not which streets to use to get there. If she absolutely wants to use the card for a GPSr I'd point her twords the Venure HC they have there. It can hold maps, but won't do autorouting. I would do is sell the card to somebody for $180 bucks and go elsewhere. The prices they have are pretty steep. The etrex legend they have for 159.95 can be had at costco.com right now for 99.99.