The Garmin Street Pilot c550 has a touch-sensitive screen and a human-like voice that tells you where to go. Click photo for larger image.

My father would have never gotten into his car without his navigation system -- my mother. She could direct him anywhere he wanted to go. But these days, we depend on technology -- navigation systems that stick to our windshields or dashboards and map out the routes for us. And they work remarkably well.

The Garmin Street Pilot c550 is one of those nice models that you just love to have in your car. With its big touch-sensitive screen, you don't have to squint your eyes to see the map. Its human-like voice tells you where to go, understandably and clearly. (I know people who have gotten so attached to the voice on their navigation system, that they have given it a name. I worry about them.)

I tested the Street Pilot for more than a month, and found that it offered solid directions in most cases, and was very quick and easy to set up. Just like some of the sophisticated systems built into cars by auto manufacturers, the Street Pilot gives you a pilot's eye view by rotating the map as you're driving to match the direction your car is facing. Yet, you can carry it from car to car, so it's always with you.

		David Radin is a freelance writer for the Post-Gazette and business consultant. You can contact him at www.megabyteminute.com.

I specifically wanted to test the feature in which the device would locate a traffic jam and change your route so you would miss it. The traffic reports were sporadic at best; but when heavy traffic showed up, it did a great job of giving me alternate routes. Plus, it was able to monitor my distance-to-go, my average trip speed and other interesting statistics about my trip.

While the Street Pilot worked well both day and night -- even changing the look of its maps for night driving to reduce the glare from the screen -- it didn't work in tunnels because it would lose track of the satellites that furnish its information. In most cases, it was not a problem, as it re-found the satellite within seconds of emerging from the tunnel; but it was a bit disorienting the first time it happened.

All-in-all, I became so used to having it with me, that I was saddened when it had to leave. I guess I'll have to turn to real humans for traveling companionship again.

The Street Pilot c550 lists for $749 at www.garmin.com.