Garmin nuvi 550 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)So, finally I got my nuvi.It was a tough choice: many GPS carriers are available, and each has many models that come in vast variety of flavors.I've narrowed it down to Nuvi 550 for the following reasons:

1.Text to speech to me is really annoying.I want my GPS to tell me when and where to make a turn, and not worry about spending extra time looking off the road to confirm street signs. Although with latest update, TTS capabilities are now available for this model (use Garmin's WebUpdater).

2.I wanted my GPS to help me out more than just driving directions.I hike, I camp, I travel all over, and not just North America.I wanted the versatility of being able to navigate and pin point my location on the highway, in the mountains, offroad, and not just be able to locate nearest gas station. Before Nuvi 500/550 I would have had to purchase 2 GPS units: one for the car, one hand-held (e.g. Colorado series).

3.I needed it to be durable, and reliable.8 hour battery life + waterproof function to me are the two features I'm very very happy with.To date, my little nuvi took 2 falls (one on the rocks, and another one flying off down some stairs -- don't ask), and I'm happy to report gadget is functioning flawlessly.I'm not advocating it's indestructible, but it does have durable construction indeed.

4.Satellite communication is superior for the product.Leafs, heavy cloud cover, even indoors, I get fair reception.It does have its quarks rarely, but overall, it pin-points me within 10' radius.Gotta love it.With the latest firmware update location has been even more precise, so it's worth doing it asap.The update also adds a variety of language options and scooter mode, which is really neat.

Here's something to be aware of...This model unlike 500 does not come with topo maps or marine maps.It felt like a fair trade because it gave me Canada, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and all of US maps (includes Alaska and Hawaii) vs. 48 lower states+topo in the other model only.But here's a catch.No mapSource software.There are so many free topo maps (and for that matter many others -- e.g. Israel maps, which garmin does not market) available, but there's no way to load them.Because of the proprietary interface, mapSource is the easiest way to take advantage of all these resources.There is third party software available, but it's not the easiest thing to use.Another annoyance is that unit does not come with any case.There are not hard to find, but still.

So, besides lacking the software, this is a great unit worth every penny.I found LCD display to have good visibility in a daylight, volume was great - I could hear it just fine with stereo on, and overall display was smart and simple.It's small and light, so it's easy to carry it around, and suction cup for the windshield is great, no need to get any extras.I also like the fact that it has swappable batteries. On long trips with no access to electricity, just bring a few extras, and you won't get stuck. Really no learning curve to using it, and performance is fantastic.Great investment, no regrets here.

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Product Description:
Perfect for crossing over the threshold from city to backcountry, the Garmin nuvi 550 provides a high-sensitivity GPS receiver with turn-by-turn navigation in a ruggedized, waterproof exterior that you can use while hiking, biking, or boating. With its high-sensitivity, WAAS-enabled GPS receiver and HotFix satellite prediction, nuvi 550 locates your position quickly and precisely and maintains its GPS location even in heavy cover and deep canyons--whether in the city or out in the wilds. And it easily switches modes (driving, walking, biking and boating) to navigate through your active lifestyle depending on your activity. Other features include a 3.5-inch touchscreen, microSD memory expansion, geocaching GPX file capabilities for complete cache descriptions and hints, and Garmin Connect Photos--enabling you to associate your favorite images with saved locations.


The waterproof nuvi 550 guides you while you drive, hike, bike or boat. The nuvi 550 offers detailed City Navigator NT street maps for the United States and features digital elevation maps that show you shaded terrain contours at higher zoom levels. The map data, provided by NAVTEQ, features over six million points of interest, including hotels, restaurants, gas stations, ATMs and attractions.




The DEM basemap (above) provides shaded contours, and the nuvi also includes a digital compass. Weighing 7.6 ounces and measuring less than an inch thin, the nuvi 550 fits easily in a purse, backpack, or jacket pocket. The 3.5-inch color touchscreen display (with 320 x 240-pixel resolution) is easy to read even in direct sunlight, and the nuvi's easy-to-use interface means you'll spend more time enjoying the outdoors and less time searching for information. Simple controls and sub-screens make it easy to enter or search for destinations and get data about your trip. Simply touch the color screen to enter a destination, and nuvi takes you there with turn-by-turn voice directions, 2-D or 3-D maps and smooth map updates as you navigate. Its digital elevation model (DEM) mapping shows you shaded contours at higher zoom levels, giving you a big picture of the surrounding terrain. In addition, the nuvi accepts custom points of interest (POIs), such as school zones and safety cameras and lets you set proximity alerts to warn you of upcoming POIs.


Garmin's HotFix capability automatically calculates and stores satellite locations, greatly reducing satellite acquisition time so that you can turn the unit on and get going. With HotFix, your nuvi 550 remembers the position of all satellites it is tracking when you turn it off, and calculates their movements in order to predict where they should be the next time you turn it on. HotFix can predict satellite positions for up to 3 days after the device was last turned off.


Conveniently plug in optional preloaded microSD memory cards for all your outdoor activities on land or water. Just insert an optional Garmin MapSource card with detailed street maps (such as for locales outside the United States), and the nuvi 550 provides turn-by-turn directions to your destination. And with optional BlueChart g2 Vision maps, you'll get everything you need for a great day on the water including depth contours, navaids and harbors.


A user-replaceable lithium-ion battery will give you up to eight hours of battery life (depending on use). In addition to an AC charger, the unit also ships with a 12-volt power adapter for vehicle charging, as well as a windshield suction cup mount.


Specifications

User modes: Driving, Boating, Bicycling and Walking
Expansion: microSD card slot for optional mapping and data storage
Wherigo player
Geocahing: Supports Geocahing.com GPX files for complete cache descriptions and hints
Dimensions: 4.21 x 3.35 x 0.9 inches (WxHxD)
Display size: 3.5-inch QVGA color antiglare TFT screen (320 x 240-pixel resolution) with white backlight touchscreen
Weight: 7.6 ounces
Battery type: user replaceable lithium-ion
Battery life: up to 8 hours depending on use
Waterproof standard: IEC 60529 IPX7

Navigate by Photo with Garmin Connect Photos

Using Garmin's Connect Photos Web site, you can choose from millions of geo-located photos provided by Google's Panoramio photo sharing community and download them to the nuvi for a richer navigation experience using pictures as a guide.

Choose from Panoramio's collection of photos from around the world.
Easy to use interface displays photos on Google Maps.
Search for photos by location name or map area boundary.
Transfer photos directly from Garmin Connect to device with the Garmin Communicator.
View photos in Google Earth.
Supports Internet Explorer 6+, Firefox 2+, Safari 3+ on Windows and Mac.

Play Wherigo Wherever You Go
This nuvi GPS device is compatible with Wherigo, the latest GPS-based activity from geocaching pioneers Groundspeak. Wherigo (pronounced "where I go") is a toolset for creating and playing location-based multimedia experiences in the real world. Using the Wherigo platform, Wherigo authors can build exciting adventure games, historical tours or other innovative activities.


3D Terrain Maps
If you add topographic maps to your device, then you can view them as shaded relief terrain so you know when to expect hills, mountains, forests and other natural features. Topographic terrain maps are viewable when using the 2D "birds-eye" view.










What's in the Box
Garmin nuvi 550, preloaded City Navigator North America NT1, lithium-ion battery, vehicle suction cup mount, vehicle power cable, dashboard disc, quick start manual

Which nuvi is Best for You?

Note: All nuvis come with detailed NAVTEQ maps containing more than 6 million pre-loaded point of interest locations.
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