 | Garmin nüvi 760 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Automobile Navigator
Battery Died, Slow Processor -- 2009-01-05
Battery died (discharges from full to empty in seconds) and processor continues to slow (while driving, the vehicle sometimes takes seconds to update, causing missed turns and erroneous details). Updated software to no avail. Sent Garmin tech suppt three emails; no response. On hold w/ tech support for more than 40min before quitting. Threw unit away.
Great tool that works as advertised -- 2009-01-05
This was a holiday gift for my husband and he is very picky about electronics. He loves it! Large bright easy to read screen. Satellite pick up is satisfactory. Easy to understand voice with great detail. This thing blows my built-in Toyota navigation system away. Great price too
|
 | TomTom ONE 125 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
Glitch City -- 2009-01-05
I recently received 3 different units of this model and all 3 had the same unexplainable problem. I made at least 5 phone calls to Tom Tom and exchanged 10 emails with them, but nothing could be resolved or explained. They had me format the piece of tin and reinstall different applications as well as different map versions and no matter what we did the glitch kept happening. The device would not recognize ONE duplicated address that I would occasionally be using... 120 Broadway in Manhattan, NY. It would not be recognized no matter how many ways I planned my route. The piece of tin kept routing me to 120 Broadway in BROOKLYN!!! When I tried routing 120 Broadway (Manh) to 120 Broadway (Bklyn) I got a CANNOT COMPUTE error message! Different maps, different applications, same results. I wonder what will happen when I'm hundreds of miles away from home and 50 Main St takes me to a Main St in a different town! Think about this before buying it.
Great entry level GPS -- 2009-01-04
Last Saturday I bought the TomTom One 125 Portable GPS. In the week since I've used it extensively, setting it up in the car whenever I've gone somewhere even if I already knew how to get there. It's one of the most useful devices I've ever bought and I've been enjoying it immensely.
I never really thought I had much of a need for a GPS. I rarely go anywhere that I don't know how to get to already and when I do using Google Maps and printing out directions has always worked fine. If it ain't broke don't fix it right? In the last few months though my fiancé and I have gone several places at night and in the rain where trying to see street signs was almost impossible. In one case we missed a turn and wound up going far out of our way and as a consequence almost missed our dinner reservation. Between seeing advertisements for the 125's low price and getting some money for Christmas I decided to use the latter towards buying it.
The 125 is a simple device. It lacks a lot of the features found on more expensive models like an SD card slot and Bluetooth connectivity among others. I really just wanted a device to help me get from Point A to Point B after doing some research I realized I didn't really need those extra features.
The plastic packaging it comes in is a royal pain to open and the type that could easily break the skin and cause you to bleed if you're not careful. There's actually not much in the box; the GPS itself, the car mount, a USB car charger, USB cable for connecting to your computer, and two small booklets with instructions and such. The documentation is limited but you don't really need it. The 125 is easy enough to figure out without it. Within minutes of opening the box it was up and running with the address of our destination that night for a family get together already inputted.
The car mount is in my opinion is poorly designed. It consists of two pieces. The first part is a round piece that is slick on one side and sticky on the other for attaching to the windshield. (Or in my case the dashboard.) The second part is a bendable piece that has a suction cup for attaching to the first piece and a round part that attaches to the back of the GPS itself. The suction piece isn't very strong and I've found it doesn't take much pressure to knock it off the rest of the mount. Eventually I'll get a vent mount for it.
As I mentioned, the unit is easy enough to use without reading the instructions first. I prefer learning something new by using it and only referring to the instruction manual only when I get stuck and can't figure something out. I never had a need for doing this with the 125. I spent maybe a half an hour flipping through the different menus and seeing what the various options were and it's all pretty straight forward. One minor annoyance I did find however was after changing a setting it kicks you back to the home screen requiring you to go through the whole preferences menu again if you want to change multiple settings.
From using it for the past week I can say for certain the maps and the routes the device calculates are accurate. Occasionally the directions it provides can be a bit confusing and you need to watch the display for the actual road name to make sure you're understanding it correctly. The device doesn't speak actual road names, only directions but the speaker is loud and clear and provides multiple warnings in ample time before each turn. While it won't tell you if you've missed a turn it's very quick in recalculating the route and getting you back on track.
A few other things I like about the 125: the touch screen is easy to use and type on. When entering a destination you rarely have to enter the entire street name. As you type in letters it gives you a list of streets and tries to predict where you're going.
A few things I dislike about the 125: Initial satellite acquisition is slow and even with a clear sky can take upwards of 60-90 seconds. This only seems to be an issue with the device has been off for a few hours. Otherwise it picks up the signal almost immediately. I also don't like that the USB port is recessed into the casing. The included USB cable with an angled plug seems to be the only one that will fit into it. I haven't had a need to connect it to my computer much but it's still one additional cable to keep around instead of just having one USB cable that will fit multiple devices.
Having never used a GPS before I don't really have anything to compare it to but overall I really like the TomTom One 125. While it lacks a lot of the features found on more advanced and expensive units (such as spoken directions, bluetooth connectivity, etc) it meets my needs perfectly. It's a simple device designed to help you get from place to place and in that respect it excels. If you're looking for an entry level portable GPS the TomTom One 125 is the way to go.
|
 | Garmin nüvi 350 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
An Incredible Product! -- 2009-01-06
This is one of the most useful electronic products I have ever owned! It is much easier to use and program than any of the GPS systems installed in my cars - and does so much more! Need a restaurant, gas station, or store? Just hit a button. The graphics are easy-to-follow and the voice is soothing. It is small and easy to carry. Highly recommended!
Sleek and great -- 2009-01-05
I was surprised to see that the Garmin nuvi 350 could fit in my palm. I like the speed at which the satellite signal is acquired, the accuracy and touch screen controls. The MP3 player is a great feature that I use a lot. I wish there was more memory space or an option to attach SD card to copy more MP3 files. I could use the suction cup that was provided with the package only on the windshield. I wish I could use it on the dashboard. Other than that, it's a great product and I did recommend it to a friend.
|
 | Garmin nüvi 360 3.5-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Text-To-Speech
Great little GPS with bluetooth and superior arm mount -- 2009-01-02
I currently own units from TomTom and Magellan but prefer this unit to them both. The touch screen is very easy and responsive. The bluetooth speakerphone is a must have feature. I think the best feature of this GPS unit is arm mount. The arm mount has a spring loaded pushbutton release that is far superior to the others I've seen with the TomTom and Magellan. I also really like that the power adapter plugs into the arm mount as well as the unit itself. The combination of these features makes it very easy to single handedly release the unit from its mount to enter data or store the unit.
The only negative I've found is that the spoken directions could use to be a bit louder. I need to have the volume on max to be able to hear them while on a highway with moderate radio.
Decent GPS -- 2008-12-31
I bought this about six months ago and it has a lot of features, but the lag on the map when driving stinks. I have had Garmin and Tomtom and I will stay with Tomtom for my next GPS.
|
 | Garmin nüvi 270 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
Great for Europe -- 2009-01-05
Served us well on a trip to Spain, Malaga and Cordoba areas, even Gibraltar. Not only showed us the roads and gave directions, even warned of location of "speed cameras."
great in usa..not so great in Italy -- 2009-01-05
I love the Garmen 270 in the usa. It is easy to read and I use it frequently. However it did not help in Venice, Italy or Florence, Italy. I could not get oriented in either city.
|
 | Garmin nüvi 255W 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator
garmin nuvi 255w -- 2009-01-05
I bought this item for my trip to oahu, HI, and am I glad I did. what an incredible piece of hardware. The street names in oahu are almost impossible to remember,spell,recall without getting confused. No worries with this unit. There were a few minor errors but common sense should prevail because it will get you close enough to see your destination. My wife will testify as to the "vacation saving" value of this unit (I tend to get a little edgy when we have navigational problems) We stayed in downtown honolulu so getting a satellite fix was tough from our balcony but once in the car it was quick. Awesome sums it up for me.
First time with GPS, VERY IMPRESSED -- 2009-01-03
I bought this for my wife for Christmas and so far I am very impressed. It was super easy to install/set up, and it works great. I love the way it readjusts if you make a wrong turn or decide to 'chance' a short cut. My only criticism is that it is way too interesting to look at, and probably dangerous to look at while driving. The screen is plenty big, and touch screen is very easy to use. Very impressed with this device, and happy that I settled on this one. Oh and she loves it too. :)
|
 | Garmin nüvi 265WT 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator
So far it is excellent -- 2009-01-02
I have used it a few times and it was very easy to wet up on my macbook pro. It worked well taking me where I wanted to go. Time will tell, but the first month has been a very good.
Map database leaves something to be desired. -- 2009-01-01
I got this unit for Christmas, 2008. The unit I bought had the 2009 maps, and the firmware was fairly recent. Firmware, etc has since been updated to most recent version(s).
My choice came down to the nuvi 265WT, 765T or 760. The 760 was a premium unit for a bargain price, while the 765T had the features I wanted but was pricey. In the end I opted for 265WT since it had new features that the 760 didn't have and was at the price that I was willing to spend. I did not really consider other brands, though my impression is that other brands offer more "bang for the buck" but suffer in the areas of ease of use and reliability.
The unit has worked fine, no problems to speak of, though my actual time spend driving with it has been limited so far (spent lots of time just "playing" with it, though).
My biggest complaint has to do with the POI database. For example, I searched for local cinema's... it did not have the 20 screen cineplex that is closest to me. When I searched for local Staples Office Supply locations the closest it found was 50 miles away, even though there are at least 4 within 15 miles. I didn't show a nearby Britannia Arms. A large regional shopping center is still called by a name that was dropped 5 years ago. etc...
The POI management software (such as it is) could use more flexibility. For example, when searching for Staples, the unit was "busy" quite some time searching. There appears to be no way to put a limit the search distance.
I think the map update policy is in need of revising. A two month "grace period" is not really fair to the buyers. Most of these are sold in Nov & Dec, and the maps are typically updated in the Spring, beyond the 60 day cutoff. Garmin should be guaranteeing map updates for at least 6 months, if not a year. Or, one free update within 2 years or something similar. Another gripe is the Garmin request for an "account" to register the unit. Yet another user name and password to forget.
|
 | Garmin nuvi 260 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
Nice unit that needs intelligent improvements -- 2009-01-05
This review was submitted to Garmin on December 22, 2008. No response has been received as of the posting date.
*******************
Amazon's shipping was excellent. The unit arrived in perfect condition and worked well.
However, there are several points prospective purchasers should know that are not covered well in other reviews.
First, the two calls to technical support were answered quickly and the persons I talked with were knowledgeable, spoke native English and seemed interested in answering my questions. They made absolutely no inquiry about who I was, where I had purchased my nuvi 260, the unit's serial number or my mother's maiden name. They just seemed to want to help. Their support rivals that of Canon which I consider to be the benchmark.
Second, some of the software lacks sufficient user consideration.
For example:
1. There are two ways of saving destinations, "Favorites" and "Recently Found". Individual "Favorites" can be easily deleted. "Recently Found" can't. To make selective deletions the entries in "Recently Found" must be moved to Favorites and then deleted. This is a somewhat thoughtless bit of non-programming.
2. The "World Clock" is not. With children in Berlin, Sydney and Detroit, only Detroit can be shown in the "World Clock". Amazingly, neither Tokyo nor London, both preprogrammed into the unit, can be recalled once deleted. However, Rio de Janeiro can be found! Is there a job opening for QC in the software department of Garmin?
3. The keyboard (A-Z and a-z) begs the question: Why upper and lower case? Shifting from upper to lower case requires a small mental exercise along with a visually smaller character set. Why not make the character set a user option?
4. The driving simulator works in real time which makes it virtually useless. The programmers should code a way to allow rapid simulation. Perhaps 10X with 100X on long stretches or increment with a +/- as is done with the maps.
5. It would be helpful if the device were able to compute both the fastest route and shortest route automatically and display the differences in time and distance facilitating an informed decision.
6. Most aggravating is someone's unthinking decision to hide the 4 digit security PIN number. When using this device the chance of someone trying to steal your PIN is about equal to zero. Garmin, please think! Some of us are old, our eyes are not excellent and our fingers are getting stiff. Is helpful feedback that hard to do?
On the software of the nuvi 260:
The unit should be updated from Garmin's web site upon receipt. They use specialized software (WebUpdater) that makes the task easier. However, again, seemingly thoughtlessly, they do not provide any explanation of the individual update files to enable the user to understand their function and decide intelligently which should be downloaded. For example, "Localization Data, XML file" or "Text, nuvi 2 series, All languages" are obscure identifiers to me.
The web site contains many FAQ's. I could not detect any organization to the FAQ's. When browsing the FAQ site it failed at random times, perhaps reflecting user load. Again, QC in the software department is lacking.
Other Comments:
Garmin does not tell the customer that the unit's battery can be charged with some cell phone A/C chargers. If the cell phone has a mini-usb connector and the output voltage of the charger is 5v DC, the cell phone charger will work.
The supplied manual is very limited. The downloaded pdf manual is 50 pages and not formatted for economical printing. The download manual, like most manuals, is not written with the "How do I do ....?" approach. Were Garmin to carefully watch new users learn to use the nuvi, they would be able to create appreciably better instruction manuals. The manuals are clearly written by people who are very familiar with the device but do not understand the educational process.
The 260 seems to be unable to find addresses on rural gravel roads. Apparently, there is problem with the naming of north and south portions of roads. (This seems a problem with Google Maps and MapQuest also.)
When I set my home location the nuvi supplied address associated with the location was in error giving a house number of 2598 rather than 2692. Inexplicably, there is no way to change the address to match the actual number. Thus the user is forced to use an erroneous house number or an erroneous location.
The Points of Interest failed to show my City Hall (pop. 50,000+) although it showed city halls in very small neighboring communities. It also failed to show the volunteer fire department that protects my home while showing other volunteer departments much further away. The city fire department location shown is on the east side of town while the west side is not shown.
The list of commercial places for my town is strange. There are many omissions and inclusion of obscure and closed stores. Of the 4 stores listed on first screen of "All Shopping", 2 are NOT listed in the most current telephone book. The nuvi 260 found three of seven Subway stores and one of three McDonalds stores in town.
Given the above list of shortcomings there is considerable reason to wonder if the reliability and extent of the knowledge base of the nuvi 260 will be sufficient to make it useful when traveling to unknown places. Is there a system on the back of a napkin outlining how gps owners will be able to download updated and complete information for planned trips and not try to store the entire northern hemisphere in less than 2Gb? Garmin, Google...are you listening?
Exactly what you want for the average guy/girl -- 2009-01-04
There is no need to type an essay about pros and cons. It does what it is supposed to do. It doesn't cost $8000, so it's not going to cook you breakfast for you. Great product, I've had it a few days and have no complaints. I see people up here complaining about things that aren't included...they tell you exactly what's in the box. There should be no surprises. BOTTOM LINE: GREAT GPS!
|
 | TomTom ONE XL 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Maps of the U.S. and Canada
Tom Tom - Dumb Dumb? -- 2009-01-04
I got this GPS after reading the good reviews on Amazon. However, so far the unit has proven to be a big disappointment. For me, the biggest problem with this GPS is that it doesn't give the best directions for getting to destinations. I've tested it on a few places that I knew how to get to, and about 50% of the time it told me to take routes that are simply out of the way (some are so obviously wrong, leaving me wonder how in the world they came up with the direction). Sometimes it would announce that I've arrived at the destination when I haven't yet reached the building. I live in a well populated area that has been developed for quite some time, so there is no excuse for the incorrect information. Because of the wrong directions I've got so far on places that I'm familiar with, I don't feel like I can trust this GPS to take me to a place that I haven't been to before. Before I leave for a new destination, I still have to get the directions from Yahoo or Mapquest to use in conjunction with the GPS, so I can make sure that this little gadget doesn't take me on a wrong or longer route.
Other things that annoy me are the voice prompt (it says to "keep left" on the freeways and streets when it simply means not to be in the right lane, and the repeating prompts sound "nagging" after a while) and the lack of the text to speech feature. The trip planning feature also isn't very user friendly. Overall, I'm not satisfied with this GPS.
Unit Severely Short On Memory -- 2009-01-03
This GPS unit is out of memory out of the box! I won't dispute any of what was said above, but be aware that all the voice options, all the help, all the frills that come loaded on your XL when you pull it out of the package take up so much memory that you can't update you maps with them on the unit. They must be sacrificed in order to download and install any up-to-date maps. This was a great big deal breaker for me... my unit TomTom XL 330s went straight back to the store. The pity is that TomTom knows this and refuses to acknowledge their design flaw. Don't buy this unit.
|
 | Garmin nüvi 260W 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator
I have no problems with it -- 2009-01-05
I like the Garmin 260W. The screen is very large so its easier to use without taking your attention off the road too much. It has all the features I would ever really need (it doesn't have traffic or bluetooth capabilities) such as speaking the street names, etc. You can even download new cars to use as your navigator. Sometimes it does take a little longer than I would like to find the satellite, but sometimes it is quick. That would be my only complaint. Its a good all around GPS system, basic & easy to use.
Very pleased with my Garmin 260W -- 2009-01-04
This is my first GPS, I did my homework before I bought it. CR rated it a "best buy" in their "basic navigator" tests a few weeks ago. It works well for me. The 260w's "text to speech" feature is nearly flawless and helps me stay focused on driving, instead of upcoming turns.
This Garmin 260W is a very good: "beginner's GPS".
|
|
|
|
|