GPS Review for Garmin, Magellan, and Tomtom

Garmin is the top of the line for a GPS however Tom Tom is not a bad choice either.It all depends on what you are looking for in a GPS and what your budget is.Tom Tom now has two models to choose from one is low end the other a little more high end (i.e.) One has more memory and more options all depends on what you need.

yes! they are all NMEA 2.0 AND Garmin. The serial port is not always going to be a DB9, they are usually going to be a round 4 pin connector. You can buy a premade cable from Garmin or a connector from www.purplecomputing.com.
Depending on the model, you may not be able to use it on 12V, but will need to provide it 5V.
I do know that the GPS2+, GPS3+ series will run on 12V but the older GPS18, GPS10 require 5V. But all are Garmin and NMEA2.0
You need to go into setup, scroll down and select NMEA.

‘Better’ is a very subjective word and depending on what you’re using it for, it may not be better–possibly worse.
The Colorado is a great handheld device and has some really interesting features that other devices don’t:
Built in world base map, built in topo or waterway maps for the 400 series
Easy one handed operation with their ‘rock n roller’ wheel
Wireless sharing between other Colorado users
More sensitive than many receivers
Paperless geocaching & ‘Where I Go’ options
Shaded relief and 3-D imaging
Compatible with a garmin Heart Rate Monitor
Those are some of the major features, not all of them. It’s got a larger, higher resolution screen than its counterparts, and can also view pictures that you’ve uploaded.
However, it’s still a very new product and (like most) has some bugs that will need to be worked out. Some of the options are difficult to find, and is missing some of the features that I enjoyed in the GPSmap 60 csx. (See the info below for more info)
That said, most (if not all) of the problems that I’ve seen aren’t deal-breakers for most people, and Garmin has a strong reputation of updating and supporting their devices.
If you’re looking for a device for driving, I’d recommend checking out the Nuvi series or another ‘voice prompted’ device. But if you’re planning on using it for hiking, camping, geocaching, etc. it’s a great device with some amazing features.