Suggestion Dakota 20 or Oregon 450

[+bpcooper14]

GPSCity has the 450 on sale right now for $240 and Cablea's has the Dakota 20 Bundle on sale for $230 (includes Topo). Since the price is basically the same for both, any suggestions which way I should go? Any help would be great!!!!

[+geojibby]

The cardinal difference is size/resolution and then a few lesser capabilities that the Oregon can do over the Dakota.

 

The topo map thing isn't a selling point (for me anyways) because of gpsfiledepot and other available free topo maps to favor the Dakota.

 

I did buy the Dakota 20 over the Oregon, but my black friday price differences were $179.99 vs. $229.

 

If I was you and cash was no object, I'd get the Oregon.

 

 

GPSCity has the 450 on sale right now for $240 and Cablea's has the Dakota 20 Bundle on sale for $230 (includes Topo). Since the price is basically the same for both, any suggestions which way I should go? Any help would be great!!!!

[+bpcooper14]

Thanks jibby. I have been looking for a while and that was about the same conclusion that I had started to come to. Just looking for other opinions to help point me in the right direction. I tend to sit on the fence sometimes and hate to pull the trigger but with a decent deal like this, it's hard to pass up.

[+Chrysalides]

The Oregon has a larger screen, and twice the resolution. However, it is more "dense" (more pixels in the same area - the pixels are smaller) and may be harder to read (dimmer) according to some people.

 

The Oregon can store 5000 geocaches, compared to the Dakota's 2000.

 

The Oregon can play Wherigo cartridges. The Dakota cannot.

 

The Oregon is physically larger. Some people prefer the size of the Dakota.

 

I'd get the Oregon over the Dakota at those prices - I'm not crazy about the topo package either, with good free maps available for my area.

[+The Creightons]

After the same consideration I bought the 450, but I wish I had the garmin topo now. The gpsfiledepot maps are not routable. IMO the two are pretty much equal for gc w/o routable maps to get you to the cache site in your car.

 

on the other hand, the dakota I looked at did not have an sd slot which I think would be a necessity.

[+jeepdelfuego]

After the same consideration I bought the 450, but I wish I had the garmin topo now. The gpsfiledepot maps are not routable. IMO the two are pretty much equal for gc w/o routable maps to get you to the cache site in your car.

 

on the other hand, the dakota I looked at did not have an sd slot which I think would be a necessity.

 

I think that you bought the better of the two devices. The screen is much better on the Oregon 450. The Dakota you must have been looking at was the Dakota 10 which does not have an SD slot because the Dakota 20 does.

 

You can get a free routable map from the Openstreetmap project at: http://www.openstreetmap.org/

 

The maps you get from this site are good and totally free. But, the best routable map for a Garmin is City Navigator which usually goes for about 69.99 online.

 

Enjoy your new toy!

Edited December 18, 2010 by jeepdelfuego

[+G & C]

After the same consideration I bought the 450, but I wish I had the garmin topo now. The gpsfiledepot maps are not routable. IMO the two are pretty much equal for gc w/o routable maps to get you to the cache site in your car.

 

on the other hand, the dakota I looked at did not have an sd slot which I think would be a necessity.

 

A Dakota without a SD slot? Which unit was that?

[+Chrysalides]

A Dakota without a SD slot? Which unit was that?

Dakota 10