Once you purchase a GPS, you have service forever --- no monthly fee--- the maps are preloaded but not necessarily up to date. You may have to pay for a map update which can be updated by your home computer online although most now allow one update within a specific time of purchase (it has to be registered online when you buy it). Unfortunately for me, it does not work with Linux, but it does with a Mac for those who want to steer away from Microsoft as this may be risky to use (no sense in screwing up your GPS with one of the daily malwares Microsoft always gets).
They are easy to use, and there's youtube videos on how to use them (check out Garmin videos). Usually there's a main menu. The idea is to enter your destination, then tell it to navigate. It will then audibly guide you where to turn while showing you a map or road display. If you want it to stop, you can tell it to stop navigating but if you want just hit a map function and it will show you at all times where you are without giving instructions. Sometimes I print out instructions and just use the GPS as a guide when I'm coming up to my exits. Also in the main menu there's a "settings" option to customize your GPS. If it behaves weird, that's where to look in case you have a young kid around who played around with it. You can also password protect it but I tend to steer away from that since I'm forgetful. Also, if you are on the road and need to find, say a gas station, it will list nearby ones, and by making your selection, it will guide you there. Then you can resume your trip easily.
I am no expert on GPS's although we went thru about 4 of them in our time so far. Wife likes Tom-Tom, I like Garmin. My biggest gripe is that depending on the price you want to go, not all have route avoidance. By that I am not talking about "avoiding all toll roads". I mean a
specific route. Here in the east, they all take one route 95 which I hate. I often use an alternate route and then it forces itself to recalculate.
The Tom-Tom we have can avoid a certain route, but it's a pain and one has to read the route itinerary and one has to be aware of alternate names (and exits) that route is associated with. If you miss one thing, it'll try to aim you back to that same route you are trying to avoid.
My older Garmin just told me to turn whereas the newer ones also name the street or exit. However, on the older Garmin I could choose a woman's voice with a British accent, and I absolutely loved "her".
Like I always joke, unlike the wife, she actually knew where she was going, when she spoke she had something valuable to say, and when she was done she shut up and stayed quiet! :D One other thing --- she never got upset if I made a wrong turn.
