Advice on Which to Bring GPS? Reg. road maps/atlas?

As much as I love computers and the latest technology, I would never leave the house without a hard copy of a road atlas, local, regional, or national.

That being said, I love my portable Garmin c550 because it warns you of upcoming traffic and tells you exactly what time you'll arrive at your destination, with constant adjustments relative to your driving conditions. And like everyone else has pointed out, finding food, hotels, stores, etc makes it a cinch.

Oh, and I gave the digital voice an English accent. Best. Thing. Ever.

However, I have had my share of satellite blackouts and Wal-mart locations that didn't exist, so it's definitely not 100% reliable.

But I think everyone else has already stated the obvious. Paper maps are your lowest common denominator. Don't leave home without one.

My wonderful husband, knowing my lack of sense of direction, bought me a Garmin last Christmas. We took it out Christmas afternoon for a test run. We found it quick and easy to use, regardless of whether we put in a specific address or whether we just asked for a general location (grocery store, drug store).

I was VERY UPSET, however, when the #$%#$%$ thing stopped working after only a few uses! He's in charge of sending it back, and if we don't get a replacement I'll be EVEN MORE UPSET.

Regardless of my bad luck, I would suggest taking BOTH a navigation system AND at least an atlas. The nav-system is good at telling you what turn's coming up next; it doesn't give you an overview of where you're going today. A map lets you see what cities are coming up, and it lets you see how far along your route you are.

Also, a side note, I've heard that these crook-magnets are an oft-stolen item these days. Leaving one out on your dash (or even leaving your "arm" attached to your windshield) is, sadly, an invitation to have your car broken into. I heard a TV journalist say it's akin to leaving a $200 or $300 bill on your dashboard.

And a question since we're probably trading in our current one: How do these stack up against the cell phones that contain navigation systems? Is there a monthly fee for that service?