Finally! After years of patience and dozens of reviews and feedbacks, I got my 1st GPS device at an entry-level price of RM800! Woohoo!! 
Been digging through numerous gps forums for the best model dedicated for a newbie like me, and I gotta admit it’s great! What’s even greater, the Malaysian maps are impressively updated, and free too! Checkout these local sites..
- MalSingMaps (Malaysia & Singapore Maps)
- MalFreeMaps (Malaysia Free Maps)
Bought it online through LowYat.net forum from a seller nicknamed PDAGears, who happens to sell not just the 200 model, but also 200W (“W” represents Widescreen version), 205, 205W, and many others. He was having a promotion which attracted my attention and it seems (at that time) the best bargain than other sellers could offer. Those who are interested can checkout his Lelong.com.my or LowYat.net store site.
Ok, I’m a noob. What should I do?
It’s really simple to use. If you can operate a PC, you can definitely handle this little gadget. All it takes is just a 5-10mins of basic knowledge, and you’re all set! Seriously, with the pre-installed maps already in place, all I had to do was turn it on, let it lock on to my position for awhile (for 1st time use, it is recommended to be outside underneath a clear sky for the satellite to lock onto your gps device), then I set my destination, and that’s it! The designated route will be highlighted and I’m ready to navigate with my car! I didn’t even need to read the manual.. 
Do I REALLY need it? Is it just for the sake of navigation?
Yes and no. I need it because quite frankly, I’m not familiar with my whereabouts outside of where I live.. like duhh.. and no, not just for navigation. I could plan my routes ahead before my travel, selecting various points/locations I would like to detour to avoid traffic jams or tolls, etc. For this matter, I need to download the free MapSource software provided my Garmin into my PC.
MapSource: Viewing the map.. (click for bigger picture)
Once installed, I ran it and from here onwards, the gps excitement begins. For example, I can preview the routes I’ve always taken to/from work.. and to my surprise, all these while I took the longest route! There are a few shortcuts I never knew about! Let’s say the shortcut saves me 1km each day, big deal right? But what if it’s a month? That’s 30kms! By using the newly found shortcuts, I’m able to save my monthly car petrol worth of 30kms!
Now, who says that gps devices are just your personal navigators? They are your travel advisers! 
October 12, 2008 at 7:52 am |
Love my Garmin nuvi. It’s reliable and fun and reasonably priced. I didn’t want all the bells and whistles and didn’t want to have to pay for them. With my Garmin nuvi, I didn’t have to.