What's Nüvi in the World of GPS?

While I was on vacation in Japan this past year, I was blown away by the widespread use of in-car GPS systems; and after seeing those multi-featured toys in action, I immediately wanted one of my own. So I'm pleased as punch to hear the big buzz around CES that 2006 will finally be the year that GPS busts out into the mainstream in the U.S.

One of the absolute coolest units I've seen so far is Garmin's adorable Nüvi 350. Not only does it help keep you from getting lost in its role as a portable GPS navigator, it also keeps you entertained on the road with a built-in MP3/audiobook player, holds your photos, and comes equipped with helpful travel tools like a world clock and currency converter. For a little extra, you can add on a GTM 10 or GTM 11 traffic receiver to your Nüvi to stay on top of traffic or weather delays, and you can even add a Garmin Language Guide, which helps you talk the talk with five bilingual dictionaries and phrase banks.

I played around with this little guy at the show, and I'm definitely in lust. It's so super tiny that it could even be a pocket gadget in one of my smaller pockets. And it's sleek and pretty enough that I'd probably bring it out as a conversation piece. Plus, it has its very own blog here at CES –- so cute! But with all those features on board and good looks to boot, Nüvi doesn't come cheap, ringing in at $899. And at that price, it makes me wonder if GPS is all that affordable for the average user. What do you think? Add your thoughts below.