Decision Paralysis

Posted by: Fraser Hadden on 14 November 2008

I am currently prospecting GPS devices. The Amazon customer review base inclines me towards Garmin as the preferred provider, mainly as Tom Tom customer service appears dire.

The Garmin website offers 24 models for in-car use alone. Why so many? How can the maintenance of 24 production lines be the most profitable business model? Why not just have an entry model, an all-inclusive model and one that splits the difference?

I am frozen in indecision. The purchase is not critical so the likelihood is that I will remain so. Anyone else find this a recurrent problem in the modern world?

Can any business-person explain why provision of so many, almost undifferentiated, models by a single company represents a good business model in any area - cars; kettles; lawn mowers; electric razors - whatever?

Fraser
Posted on: 14 November 2008 by David Dever
In the case of Garmin, multiple manufacturing sources, as well as different embedded software cores.
Posted on: 14 November 2008 by tonym
Coincidentally the latest copy of "Which" magazine that dropped through my letterbox this morning has a large group test of Sat. Navs.

Top is the Tom Tom Go 930, next the Garmin nuvi 205W, third Tom Tom 530.

The problem with Sat Navs is it's very difficult to work out how best suited to you personally they are without using them for a bit.

A couple of years ago we gave all our drivers who didn't have a Sat. Nav. built into their vehicles Tom Toms & they were excellent - certainty no problem with the support from Tom Tom.

I suspect if you stick with either Tom Tom or Garmin you won't go wrong. Keep away from Blauplunkt, Magellan, Binatone & Sony; they all get lousy points from Which.
Posted on: 14 November 2008 by Exiled Highlander
I have a Tom Tom 920T which has US and European maps as well as real time traffic info.....it has worked a treat in the UK, US and Canada so far.

At the end of the day it's only a bloody sat nav so go buy the one you fancy without wondering about Garmin's business model. Smile

Cheers

Jim
Posted on: 14 November 2008 by Fraser Hadden
The 'wider context' aspect of my query was regarding the business model and its apparent application to pretty much all lines of goods. Presumably not all the lines on offer (of anything) make a profit, so any item one buys is over-priced to compensate for the failed lines. For a SatNav, the mark-up may not be ridiculous but it would be for a car.

Regarding the smaller matter of the SatNav: The main reason for getting this purchase 'right' is that is probably a longterm purchase - there is no natural upgrade path and it would be very galling to buy a device lacking a function that others have found critically useful. I am more inclined to 'over-buy' then 'over-buy' to reduce the risk of this - I just don't need 24 options!

Fraser
Posted on: 14 November 2008 by Tarquin Maynard - Portly
Decide on a budget and buy accordingly. In two years you'll have a museum piece, so why worry?
Posted on: 14 November 2008 by Tonepub
Or just get the OnStar girl to be your girlfriend....
Posted on: 15 November 2008 by northpole
Don't base purchase decisions on long term aspirations. As Mike says, the technology is changing so rapidly that there's alot of sense in making sure the model you look at has the latest maps - Tom Tom used to be reknowned for selling their units and not providing free map upgrades - others may be no different! If you have current maps, they should suffice for a couple of years after which it will probably make more financial sense to pay for a new unit rather than fork out on the map upgrades.

Peter