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Sanyo Easy Street NVM-4370 4.3 inch Portable GPS Navigator

Average Reviews:
2.5 out of 5 stars

(More customer reviews)Buyer Beware: Know what you are getting into:
I wish it was possible to give a producet a 0 rating
Cons:
FM transmitter is terrible
Speaker is terrible
There is absolutely no support on the web for this product. You cannot download drivers, software, or manuals .
You have to exit navigation mode to do anything else, like listen to music, view pictures, or change any settings such as adjusting the brightness.
The maps are on the CD ROM, my CD ROM was defective, and kept receiving data read errors on every PC in my house when I tried to read from the CD ROM.
MUSIC: There is not playlist or auto add. You can only play the files in one folder, if you have multiple folders you cannot go to the top level folder and play all of the files in the sub folders...so using it as a music player is not really a viable option, unless you have all of your music in one single folder and almost no desktop music player (i.e. windows media player, itunes) arranges music files into a single folder

Video Player: is ok if you can figure which mp4 video files it will play, because it won't play most of them...don't bother looking in the instructions for details because you won't find them. Just like the music player you will have to have all of your videos in a single folder if you want to be able to have anything similar to a playlist. This doesn't represent as big a problem as the audio player as long as you are watching TV shows or movies because they are longer so you are trying to find a new track every 3 or 4 minutes.
Navigation Screen: The maps are little plain, pretty plain, there isn't a lot of difference between the 2D maps and the 3D maps. You won't find anything for trips like you find on the manufacture's devices like GARMIN, so there is no Odometer, Tripometer, or Speedometer. That is a pretty depressing point for me
Bluetooth connected pretty easy on my AT&T Tilt phone, but was unable to use the contacts function via bluetooth; also the SMS messages function does not work either.
Pros:
It has video
It has audio
Navigation works pretty well. It is pretty easy to use, but you need to spend some time getting to know the setup.
Voice is clear and pronounces most street names pretty well, although the speaker is so poor it is hard to hear a highway speeds.

Overall:
I would not recommend this product, it's a shame because it has a lot of features but none of them work well enough to be a selling point. Really disappointing is the fact the speaker is so poor and that the FM transmitter is pretty much worthless because that is something that should have been pretty obvious during product testing.
If Sanyo comes out with a firmware/software update, I might change my recommendation; until then I would navigate away from this GPS.
Reviewer Background:
*34 year old male
*Masters Degree
*10 + years in computer electronics industry
*Previous GPS owner
UPDATE:
After 3 days the unit suddenly stopped working. It will power on with a "SANYO" logo and that is it, did all of the resets that the manual called for. Nothing.
Tried calling customer support----unable to get through. Sanyo has a very simple phone tree that gives you two options. 1 for if you purchased walmart cameras and 2. for all other Sanyo products, when you press 2, it starts the phone tree all over again.

Update 2: Finally got in touch with the Sanyo Helpless Desk, told the them all of the troubleshooting I did and the pretty much told me to take it back where i got it.

STAY AWAY FROM THIS PRODUCT !!!!

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Product Description:
4.3" touch screen display with stylish thin bezel designPre-loaded 50 U.S. Puerto Rico and Canada mapsBluetoothenabled (built-in microphone) SMS and data transfer video input for back up camera SDcard slotText-to-specch (TTS)Built-in 4.0GB internal memory 7 million points of interest (POI) and JPEG photo viewingVoice guidance turn-by-turn navigation and Li-Ion battery that last up to 4 hoursOptional TMC antenna kit English/Spanish/FrenchWorks as a rearview camera display (camera not included)Includes AC adaptor DC car charger car mounting kit USB cable DVD storing US and Canada map and video cable

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Garmin nuvi 255W 4.3 inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator with Accessory Bundle

Average Reviews:
4.2 out of 5 stars

(More customer reviews)This is a great entry level GPS.I love the wide screen- Don't settle for a smaller one. Text-to-Speech is outstanding.All the accessories work well.Downloading map updates took a bit, but went smooth.You can download different avatars for your maps.Trip features are outstanding including gas cost.Where am I feature is fantastic.The unit finds the sattelite quickly and recalculates in a second!Touch screen is responsive.Very satisfied for a first GPS purchase.

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Product Description:
This nuvi 255W comes bundled with six Garmin accessories. Garmin's nuvi 255W improves upon its 200-series predecessors by adding top-of-the-line features such as FM traffic updates or MSN Direct content to an entry-level line. But Garmin is also introducing some significant improvements with this new series, like a predictive technology that provides faster satellite lock, a redesigned screen with more information, terrain maps, and an exciting new photo navigation feature. The 255W adds complete maps for North America and Text-to-Speech, so you get turn by turn spoken directions with the real names of streets (e.g. "turn left in 50 feet at Nebraska Way", rather than merely "turn left in 50 feet"). The 255W also offers a wide 4.3-inch (diagonal) screen that displays 70% more of the road around you.

The nuvi 2x5 models all sport the slim design that Garmin introduced with the 200-series last year, so they all fit comfortably in your pocket or purse, and a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that makes them convenient for navigation by car or foot.All of the models include useful travel tools like a JPEG picture viewer, world travel clock with time zones, currency converter, measurement converter, calculator and more.
Important Product Information: This device features a "screen lock" feature. This is a standard feature on all nuvi 2x5 and 7x5 Garmin units. If you slide the "Power" key to the right, it will lock the screen and prevent any accidental touches. Once the screen lock feature is engaged, the screen will go black/gray after about 15 seconds to save power on the device. To unlock the screen, just slide the "Power" key to the center position. This feature is really targeted for "Pedestrian" mode so that a user can put the device in his or her pocket/purse and quickly unlock the screen instead of powering on/off continuously. For more information, see page 5 of the product manual.

Key Features/Benefits for all 2x5 Series Navigators

What's in the Box
nuvi 255W, Preloaded City Navigator NT for North America (full coverage), Vehicle suction cup mount, Vehicle power cable, Dashboard disc, Quick start manual.

Bundle Includes
nuvi 255W (all items listed in "What's in the box"), USB cable, built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery, portable friction mount, suction cup mount, 2 vehicle power cables, DC adapter, and a 4.3-inch carrying case
Which nuvi is Best for You?:
Click here to see a quick, simple comparison of features for all Garmin nuvi GPS navigators

Learn More

Improved Interface

One of Garmin's key product philosophies is to make extremely complex technology easy to use for anyone right out of the box, and perhaps nowhere is that better exemplified than in the user interface for Garmin's portable navigation devices.

Garmin's interface is a key to their success part of what makes their devices such a pleasure to use. 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.

This year, Garmin has redesigned its interface to include much more useful information.

Old Interface

New Interface

HotFix™ – aka: Satellite Ephemeris Data Prediction

Your GPS device locks onto transmissions from a dedicated network of Satellites in order to determine its position. Until the device gets a "lock" on three satellites, it can't effectively navigate, so decreasing the time it takes for your device to get "satellite lock" is always a goal of GPS manufacturers. With Garmin's new HotFix technology, your Garmin GPS 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. This gives the device an idea of where it should look for satellites, and dramatically decreases the time it takes for your Garmin to get its position and start navigating. HotFix can predict satellite positions for up to 3 days after the device was last turned off.

Using Garmin's unique Web site - Garmin Connect Photos - users 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.

Navigate by Photo

Using Garmin's unique Web site - Garmin Connect Photos - users 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.

3D Terrain Maps

Shaded relief terrain maps show you when to expect hills, mountains, forests and other natural features. Topographic terrain maps are viewable when using the 2D "birds-eye" view.

Send Addresses Directly from Google Maps or Mapquest

tching to try out a new restaurant, or setting off on a road trip to locate the best toffee apples on the east coast? Now, it's easy to search for locations on Google Maps or Mapquest, then transfer the addresses directly to your Garmin GPS navigator.

Send

The address will instantly transfer to your Garmin device, The point will be saved as one of your favorites, and you can navigate to it or view it on a map just like with any other favorite.
The process does require a small plugin, which you can get at Garmin's website at http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=3739. You can send business addresses to your Garmin device from these countries: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States.

Search for the location you want.

Pick "Send to GPS".

Go!

Traffic-Capable for Either FM Traffic or Enhanced MSN Direct Content

MSN Direct Enhanced Traffic and Content

With an optional receiver, you can access enhanced dynamic content from the MSN Direct service. Check the weather, avoid traffic backups, compare local gas prices, get enhanced movie listings, stock information, news and local events when you travel with your unit. Even plan trips from the convenience of your computer, via Windows Live Local, and wirelessly send custom to your nuvi.

Check out a full description of MSN Direct content features, or a coverage map for MSN Direct services.

A 3-month subscription to MSN Direct is included with the receiver. After that, subscription fees are $49.95 per year, or $129.95 for a lifetime subscription.
FM Traffic

With an optional receiver, you can get alerts from TMC Clear Channel about traffic tie-ups and road construction that might lie ahead on your route. All you have to do is simply touch the screen to view traffic details and you'll be ready to detour around any problem area. And if you end up missing a turn, or you're forced into a detour that is not relayed through the traffic receiver, the nuvi's sophisticated automatic routing will get you back on track in no time.

In most areas, TMC Clear Channel traffic broadcasts are continuous - there's no waiting for scheduled traffic news updates or random alerts. Because traffic broadcasts are received via a "silent" FM data channel, you can still listen to music or news programming on your car radio without interference from incoming FM traffic data transmissions.
A 3-month subscription to TMC Clear Channel's Total Traffic Network is included with the receiver. For more information on subscription fees, coverage in individual cities, and traffic data networks in the United Kingdom and Europe, check the Garmin website.

Widescreen -- See More of What's Around

The super-bright, 4.3-inch (diagonal) touchscreen display gives is anti-glare for ease of viewing during the day and automatically changes its color profile for easy viewing at night or in dim light. It offers 2d or 3D perspective views.

The widescreen format gives you 70% more actual screen area than a 3.5-inch screen. Primarily this translates into a better view of the area through which you are driving. This is especially useful in showing you what parks, restaurants, ATM, gas stations, etc. are nearby, or in letting you know whether a detour is a good idea. Also, the device itself is larger, meaning controls on the screen are more widely spaced and somewhat easier to push. Wider screen lets you see more of what's around. Compare these actual size views of a 3-inch (diagonal) screen

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Portable Car Battery Charger

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5/26/2011

Sanyo Easy Street NVM-4370 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigator Review

3/17/2011

Garmin nuvi 255W 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator with Accessory Bundle Review