Popular GPS Brands
Seems everyone has their favorite brand of GPS unit and all for different reasons. Most popular brands are Garmin, Magellan, Mio, Navigon and Tom Tom. Each has their strengths.
Garmin is the largest manufacturer of consumer GPS and enjoys great brand recognition and loyalty. Garmin, begun in 1989, is headquartered in Wichita, Kansas. The company has a history of producing cutting-edge GPS products. The company is the leader in wrist worn gps units popular with amateur and professional runners, day hikers, off-road mountain bikers, and sailboat racers. They have sold millions of GPS receivers.
Tom Tom is a Dutch manufacturer of auto GPS, software for personal digital assistants, and mobile telephones. It is the leading manufacturer of navigation systems in Europe and the second largest seller of auto GPS in the USA. In 2008, TomTom acquired Tele Atlas, a digital map maker. TomTom produces units which generally have more advanced routing features than those of competitor’s devices. Itineraries with multiple stops can be created and saved. An advanced routing function like this is a feature you would want if you frequently take long trips, or take trips with multiple destinations.
Mio Technology is among the world’s top three personal navigation device vendors. Mio Technology currently has operations in Taiwan, mainland China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, US and Europe. Mio produces pocket pc’s, pda’s, smartphones, and personal gps units. It sells products under the “Navman” and “Mio DigiWalker” brands.
Nivigon, founded in 1991, is a German-based manufacturer of GPS devices and GPS navigation software. Currently the company has offices in Asia, Europe, and North America (Chicago). In 2002, Navigon became the first manufacturer to offer traffic avoidance on a consumer GPS unit. Some recent models feature computer-generated images of complex interstate highway interchanges.
Magellan Navigation, founded in1986, has its headquarters in Santa Clara, California.
The company produces consumer and professional grade gps units. It hasEuropean sales and engineering centers in Nantes, France and Moscow, Russia. Magellan Navigation manufactured the first portable auto gps unit with voice commands. Magellan GPS units include a variety of different viewing options, including a 3D bird’s-eye view, a night view, and pop-up visuals of upcoming turns.
You will never convince me to buy anything but a Garmin. There technology is just the best out there. Do you know what Garmin stands for, by the way?
Comment by Stuart —
Hello Stuart,
Thanks for dropping by my site. The name Garmin is formed by taking the first three letters of the first names of the two guys who founded the company in 1989 (Gary Burrell and Min Kao).
I also favor Garmin myself, but if I ever do find a comparable competitor model in the same price range, I will not hesitate to recommend it to others.
Comment by Brian C —