Gilsson Direct Wire Cable for Garmin Nuvi 205 255 265 550 660 755 760 765 775 885 Magellan 1412 4210 TomTom Go 720 OneXL Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I ordered two of these, one for myself and the other for my father. I also installed both of them an our bikes and they work perfectly.

As far as installation goes, I would recommend using a fuse tap (such as an add-a-circuit) from and auto parts store so that the converter box in the line doesn't drain the battery if you don't ride for a while.You may find, however that your fuse circuit is still hot because you may have relays on your fuse box, in that case, I would recommend installing a switch with the hot wire running into the fuse tap so that all you need to do is flip the switch off and the converter box will not use up your battery.

I don't think the converter box uses up that much power, but if it is directly connected to your battery (or you have the fuse tap in a hot circuit ((by hot circuit, I mean that it is getting power even with the ignition off))), the converter box IS using power constantly, so that is why i recommend using a switch or a fuse tap to a switched circuit (meaning a circuit that is not receiving power when the ignition is off).

make sure you ground everything you install, or it won't work, and make sure every new line has a fuse (why i recommend the fuse tap).

If you install a switch, you will have to ground the switch as well as the converter box, or the setup will not work.

If you have any question for motorcycle install, feel free to ask... I know how difficult it can be to find answers to these questions, but fortunately i found a setup that worked for me and my dad.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Gilsson Direct Wire Cable for Garmin Nuvi 205 255 265 550 660 755 760 765 775 885 Magellan 1412 4210 TomTom Go 720 OneXL

Product Description:
Gilsson Direct Wire 12-30V DC Hardwire Cable for Garmin Nuvi GPS 200 200W 250 250W 260 350 360 370 650 660 670 680 750 760 770 780, Mio C220 C230 C520 H610 C720T, Magellan 3200 3250 4250, TomTom One OneXL, Go 720 920T, Motorola Razr and Blackberry-Powers and Charges GPS or Phone

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Sony NVU73T 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)So I am in the market to get a GPS unit for my car, so after reading some mixed reviews about the Sony NV-U73 I decided to try it out for myself.Now I am a Sony fanboy so I was hoping that this product would do very well for me, especially since it was on sale at the local Radio Shack.

Let me start with the good:

1. Beautiful display, bright with lots of contrast.
2. POI's come up on the GPS as their logo...ie If I was driving past a Citgo, the Citgo logo was displayed on the GPS...very cool.
3. The unit will tell you which lane to be in for complicated exits/turns on the highway.When you approach an exit, it goes split screen and shows you which lane you should be in to take the exit.
4. Fairly accurate to tell you when turns are approaching.
5. Displays your speed.
6. Mount is very stick and can move in 360 degrees.

Now the cons:
1. SLOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW...slow to pick up a signal, super slow to re-calculate a route, and tooth-numbing slow to calculate an initial route.
2. It can't handle hypens, ie if a house number is 28-44, your out of luck cause it can't find that.
3. Minor gripe, but the RDS antenna is not built in.
4. Takes forever to search POI's by name.
5. Mapping alogrithem is good, but not the best out there.

So, if this unit wasn't so slow it would be great.But it was taking about 3-4 minutes to acquire the GPS satellites, and another 2-3 minutes to calculate routes.Not helpful if you're in an unfamiliar location.

There are better units out there for the same price.Get one of those.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sony NVU73T 4.3 Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator

Product Description:
Travel with confidence. The widescreen 4.3" touch-panel display of the nav-u portable navigation system provides turn-by-turn directions to where you want to. Traveling to your favorite destinations has never been this easy. The nav-u portable satellite navigation system has a sleek, 4.3" touch-panel widescreen display and can be easily mounted in almost any vehicle. The brilliant, high-contrast full-color graphical interface is also intuitive and fun to use. Whether it's a trip across town or cross-country road trip, the nav-u satellite navigation system makes the perfect travel companion. The NV-U73T comes pre-loaded with Map Content covering the entire United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Enjoy powerful, portable navigation out of the box! With a touch-screen comes control via simple, on-screen finger movements. Commonly used commands such as 'take me home' may be accessed by gesturing an inverted 'V' on the screen versus paging through numerous menu screens. Step away from standard GPS mapping and towards a more complete navigation solution. Real Time Traffic Information radio reception allows the NV-U73T to constantly monitor relevant traffic conditions and automatically re-route you around trouble spots! Dual View capability displays dynamic route information, in addition to the conventional map view, to provide an even clearer view of what's around the bend or in a highway merge scenario, which Junction to take. TTS (Text to Speech) also eliminates second-guessing when making a turn; the device utilizes spoken commands ensuring you are able to follow the directions by street names.

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Magellan Maestro 3210 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Unit is small which is something I needed when fitting it in my bag.The USB car charger that comes with the unit will also charge your blackberry but you can't use any other USB charger to charge your GPS.(i tried my moto USB charger and my BB USB charger.A standard USB cable to connect to your PC might.

Unit works great in NYC and Philly.Which is known for poor GPS reception.I lost signals a few times in NYC but not for long.

The biggest problem is that the route color is green and often the map color is green.So...its hard to read sometimes.(don't judge colors in the pictures)You can't change map color options like you can in other models, (or i just can't figure it out).Also I have the 3200 model which is the same I think just lacking the AAA stuff.

The GPS is fast.Its not instant like some other reviews have said.It still takes 10 sec or more to find route or reroute.But the signal holds in major cities and the GPS has not randomly thrown me 500 ft in some direction when I am not.

Nice upgrade from older models.
Nice purchase if you are looking for something small.
Nice purchase if you love the Magellan UI compared to other GPS systems.
Nice purchase if you want a budget unit.

Bad purchase if you want all the latest features.
Bad purchase if you want to customise to your prefernces (like map color)
Bad purchase if you have a fuctional GPS and think this is a huge upgrade.
Bad purchase if you have a wind shield far away (tiny screen)

Click Here to see more reviews about: Magellan Maestro 3210 3.5 Inch Portable GPS Navigator

Product Description:
The Magellan Maestro 3210 delivers a feature-rich navigationexperience at a highly affordable price. Its new industrial designis ultra thin and elegant, while its intuitive user interface guidesdrivers to their destination via voice and on-screen prompts.Essential features include 6 million searchable points of interest,pre-loaded maps of North America and Puerto Rico, multiplelook-up options, and more.

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Magellan Maestro 3140 3.5-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have the pleasure of testing both this unit and the Garmin 370 (basically the Garmin 370 is a bluetooth 360, just with European maps included....and $150 more for me than the 3140).

Comparing both, here are MY experience/conclusions:

1.)3140 has the brighter/saturated screen (about 2 notches better on a sliding scale--at the expense of battery life, of course) AND *louder/crisper/clearer* (less rattly) speaker (it can be a *BIG* factor if you're hard of hearing or have a noisy car).............However, this brightness/saturation is rather moot as strong direct sunlight will do a good job of markedly washing out the screens of both units (still useable though).At night, both screens do the job just fine as they switch to BLACK in "night mode", so brightness doesn't factor as much.

2.)3140 is made of sturdier plastic.Definitely more bulletproof, but at the expense of being a little thicker and heavier.Also, antenna is built-in vs. the garmin's flip antenna which could be foreseen breaking off at some point.

3.)TTS is less robotic sounding on the 3140.It has only a female voice option, but it's very natural! Thusly, the pronounciations also are clearer and MORE pleasing (less grating) than the 370.

4.)Touchscreen inputs are easier on the 370 b/c the electronic keyboard is bigger--less input mistakes (note, however, that I'm 6'4" with large hands).Also, the 370 allows you to scroll around the map with your finger (sort of what like Google maps allows you to do) -- *AWESOME* for getting a lay of the land!!The Magellan anchors your map and only allows the typical zoom in/out feature found on most GPS units.

5.)While both use Navteq maps (what Google Maps uses), the 370 has a SLIGHTLY better sense of "intelligently" routing you.This is, of course, on a case-by-case basis of your area (your results will be different than my specific areas)!For instance, going to work in my area of San Jose, the 370 takes you off the highway at the correct exit.The 3140, on the other hand, takes me off the highway an exit early and routes me through the final portion of the expressway to my destination--a good route nonetheless, but it ISN'T "FASTER" than the Garmin's suggestion (i.e the route I choose all the time) due to the insane streetlight clog-ups during the morning commute (i.e.highway is generally always better than expressway in my area).Regardless, both units will get you to your place in one way or the other...

6.)The 3140 gives you *MORE* flexible access/choices for routing (faster, shorter, more hwy, less hwy, avoid toll roads).Also, the "Detours" function is more customizable as to *WHEN* to route you back onto the freeway (3mi, 5mi, 10mi, 12 mi, custom).The 3140 screen also SPLITS telling you when to get off the freeway--better to have this for sure, but not necessarily better as the Garmin picture routing is simplistically very effective.......BTW, Re-routing calculations are CRISP/Fast on both units.

7.)The 3140 map is more detailed and not as simplified the 370.I like this! But again, not instrumental in getting the job done (Garmin's philosophy is: less is more).However, more street detail allows you to use your brain on how to guide yourself when the computer will inevitably put you on a ridiculous route or stumble you onto a clogged streetway (which is bound to eventually happen on any GPS!)

8.)Satellite lock is FAAAST (~10-40sec) on 3140.....markedly faster by minutes (~1-3 minutes) than the 370.This difference can make a BIG difference when coming out of a car park in a strange hustle/bustle city.The antenna sensitivity is also *BETTER* on the 3140 by a GOOD margin--surprising, since it's built-in!In the middle of a huge warehouse store, the 3140 (and other Magellans) had several satellite locks (6-7 sats), while no other unit from any maker aside of the Tomtom (1 sat weak signal) could get a signal.Inside my home, the same is true.The 3140 gets 7-8 satellite locks, the 370 gets about 3 locks.In the car, the Magellan gets more satellite locks as well.

8a.)Satellite *accuracy* is also higher on the 3140.For instance, in my house that's at the "U" of a dead end street, the 3140 will pick up my location from my house.The 370, on the other hand, thinks I'm at the house on the other side of the "U" of the dead end street and plots a route from that location.Of course, the 370 corrects itself when you get in the car and go on your way.....But still, in one case, when getting on the hwy at a critical multifacted juncture, the 370 mistook a parallel road next to the hwy and guided me on that road giving me confusing misdirections (I used my brain to 2nd-guess the computer's advice)--it took over a ~3 minutes driving on the hwy for the 370 to correct itself (my wife found that error unforgiveable due to the separation distance of the parallel road to the hwy.)--this type of error hasn't happened on the 3140 b/c it's proven to me time and again to be more *PINPOINT*!Another great thing of the 3140.....if you're stuck in the middle of nowhere, it's nice to be able to call AAA (for which the Magellan has a handy "all in one" icon with AAA phone #/plot-point data on the screen) and give them EXACT longitude/latitude and not more effy plot points the Garmin gives me.

9.)POIs: I get more hits with the 370 in MY AREA (your results may vary).Not surpisingly, it could be b/c the Garmin has a 6m+ POIs vs. the Magellan's 4.5m POIs (which is huge regardless & very competitive in the marketplace).HOWEVER, the 3140 does have the AAA Guidebooks which is *FANTASTIC* for roadies!!!!BUT!...The AAA POIs do need to be *INTEGRATED* into the 3140 POI database!Both are accessible only by pressing time wasting *separate* buttons/screens--hopefully, in the future Magellan will address this issue with future software upgrade??!! Magellan are you listening??......So again, it depends on what YOU value most from each of these units.One way or the other, it's all about tradeoffs folks!If Magellan brings up the POIs to 6m+ in an update and integrates the AAA databse then that would be fantastic!

10.)Bluetooth is gimmicky on both units.Quality of call from both ends ain't that great--but doable.Battery life takes a good hit when bluetooth is on.

11.)Accessories is better on the 370.The 3140 lacks an AC charger or pleather case, albeit with that $150 price difference you could purchase these things in auction....and then some!BTW, the $30 Garmin dashboard beanbag (portable friction mount) for the Nuvi units is awesome(!)--especially for us Californians who aren't allowed to suction cup things to the windshield--lest we get a ticket!

12.)Maps can always be upgraded with Garmin and customer service is second-to-none among GPS mfgrs.The Magellan?Where are your European maps?How about upgradeability and more readily **accessible**/knowledgeable customer service? The 3140 does have an SD card slot so I'm sure product is coming out for its use, but as of this writing, I'm not aware of any 2008 Europe maps.

Which leads me as to why I'm choosing the Garmin 370 for MY NEEDS.I travel to Europe on a constant basis and the 370 has the Europe maps included, so my choice, BY DEFAULT, is obvious........FWIW, to add Garmin Euro maps to your non-370 unit, it costs $300(!!) from Garmin! So if you ever think of roadtripping Europe more than once, it's *MUCH* better paying the price premium on the 370 over the cheaper 360 (you'll save money in the long run).........If Magellan had Euro maps, then it'd be a different story--also, hopefully much cheaper(!!) than Garmin's ridiculous eye-gouging pricing of its maps (indeed, for $300, it's better then to get a latest technology Europe-specific GPS)!!

If you don't need Europe maps, then it's a TOTAL no-brainer to take the cheaper 3140 over a Garmin 350/360.Aside from Garmin's ~1-2% more sensible routing in certain parts of my area (though LESS satellite accurate leading to errors, as explained above), the basic performance or price premium difference isn't warranted in the least....and even if they were at the same price, then it would become a matter of which gimmicky side-features you value more....To me, a MARKED advantage to the Magellan--if only for those AAA guides! (who here nowadays doesn't already have a much better sounding/more functional MP3 player than the Garmin anyway??!)

I have faith Magellan will come out with Europe maps/updates in the Fall.But until then, if you frazzle easily with electronics or need your Europe fix *NOW* (like me) then Garmin will hold your hand much better as a customer....at least for the time being.It all depends on your specific needs and comfort level with these GPS devices.

All in all, the 3140 is an extremely solid, simple to use unit and isn't shamed in the least by the famed more expensive "Mercedesesque rep" of the Garmin Nuvis.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Magellan Maestro 3140 3.5 Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator

Product Description:
The Magellan Maestro 3140 is the only portable auto GPS system with a compact, 3.5-inch touch screen, and built-in AAA TourBook® travel information and member roadside assistance details. Compact, powerful, and re-engineered for easy use, this device combines advanced features and a simple design to make driving more pleasurable and less stressful. A few simple touches are all the Maestro 3140 needs to audibly guide you with turn-by-turn street name directions to virtually any destination in the United States and Canada. You can even customize your navigation method or route to get there quickly and stress-free.


With fresh graphics and a compact touch screen, the Magellan Maestro 3140 is the ultimate travel companion. View larger.



Access built-in AAA information from your GPS touch screen. View larger.

This device is loaded with 4.5 million preprogrammed POIs. View larger. AAA-enabled
With built-in AAA travel information, the Maestro 3140 gives you instant access to the most trusted source for trip planning, searchable AAA TourBook® listings, Show Your Card & Save® locations for member discounts, approved auto repair facilities, attractions, events, and more. The Maestro 3140 also provides AAA members roadside assistance details, with exact location and a toll-free number. Plus, the Maestro is Bluetooth-enabled so you can connect your Bluetooth cell phone directly to AAA for immediate help when you need it most.
Note: AAA member roadside assistance requires AAA membership.
Easy-to-Use Navigation
Enter virtually any address on the freshly designed graphical touch screen, or select from 4.5 million preprogrammed points of interest and get turn-by-turn voice guidance to anywhere in the entire United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, right out of the box. Just turn it on and go. SiRFstarIII™ gives you the fastest GPS position accuracy in the industry, while SayWhere™ text-to-speech tells you the street name for each maneuver so you can focus on driving. Smart buttons and Magellan's unique QuickSpell™ function enable error-free spelling to minimize steps and give you a customized route to your destination with just a few screen touches.
Bluetooth, Traffic Updates, and More
The Maestro 3140's Bluetooth wireless technology lets you make hands-free phone calls with your Bluetooth-enabled phone. You can also store or sync numbers and contact information through the Maestro 3140's touch screen. Add the optional Magellan TrafficKit™ to this device and you'll be equipped with live traffic incident reports, so you'll never get stuck on the freeway.

Additional Product Features

Sophisticated and simple: Streamlined touch-screen buttons minimize steps to locate a destination
Sleek design: Integrated GPS antenna provides excellent satellite reception in a slim and compact design
Graphical interactive maps: Maps and destinations for the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico are built-in, so you can travel all over the US and Canada and always know where you are and where you're going
Traffic-enabled: Add the Magellan TrafficKit™ to your Maestro 3140 to get live traffic incident reports; activation and subscription fees apply
Bird's-eye 3D view: Clearly see your surroundings in 2D or 3D; also choose between Map View, TrueView™ 3D split screen, and Maneuver List
Rechargeable battery: Navigate even when you don't have access to power
Multi-destination routing: Select up to 20 destinations and choose the order that best fits your needs
SmartDetour™: Automatically prompts you to route around suddenly slow freeway traffic
Auto re-route: Never miss a turn and quickly get back on track whenever you make a detour
Auto night view: Adjusts color and contrast for easy night viewing
QuickSpell™: Easily enter addresses with unique auto-complete feature that even corrects spelling
Complete mobility: Transfer to any vehicle with no installation
4.5 million points of interest (POIs): Optimized database to easily find gas stations, restaurants, ATMs, and more. And with smart location you can search by name, category, and region. There's even a Coffee category so you can quickly find caffeine whenever you need it.
Interactive POI icons: Touch an onscreen icon for a nearby destination, see name and address, and get an instant route
Customizable route method: Fastest time, shortest distance, least or most use of freeways, avoid toll roads
Route exclusion: Select streets and freeways to avoid so you can get there your way
Address book: Create and store personal points of interest for easy reoccurring trips
Instant locate: One touch shows your location; quickly advise roadside assistance or emergency services

What's in the Box
Magellan Maestro 3140 Portable Auto GPS System, flexible windshield mount, dash mounting adhesive disk, cigarette lighter power adapter (12-24 watts), quick reference guide, reference manual CD, and USB cable.

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Gilsson 110V-240V AC Charger Adapter for GPS Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)We own a Garmin Nuvi 350, Garmin Nuvi 750 and a Magellan Maestro 3200 GPS receivers.We have been looking for an AC Adapter to charger our units.We were surprised to find this Gilsson AC Adapter capable of charging all three GPS units.I love this AC Adapter, because it uses a nice and compact right angle miniUSB connector, smaller than those available from Garmin and Magellan.This Gilsson AC Adapter appears to be very high quality with UL certified parts, unlike other generic AC Adapters.I have referred several friends and colleagues to Gilsson for this AC Adapter and they are all very happy with their purchase.I first learned of this Gilsson AC Adapter, because Magellan Technical Support recommended that I call Gilsson to order this compatible AC Adapter, as it has been tested to work with Garmin, Magellan and TomTom GPS Receivers !It is very rare for a name brand GPS maker (Magellan) to recommend another brand name (Gilsson), but apparently Magellan has enough confidence in endorsing Gilsson products for their GPS users.Why pay more for OEM parts, when you can buy a high quality replacement at a lower price ?Happy Navigating !

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Product Description:
Garmin compatible Nuvi GPS 200 200W 250 250W 260 350 360 370 650 660 670 680 750 760 770 780, Mio C220 C230 C520 H610 C720T, Magellan 3200 3250 4250, TomTom One OneXL, Go 720 920T 100-240V AC Wall Charger-Comparable Garmin 010-10723-00 010-10635-00 101-10618-00

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Garmin nuvi 650 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigator Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have have a been a long time Garmin GPS customer including three generations of the Streetpilot.I am very pleased with the Nuvi 650 echoing some of the praises you've read here in the reviews.

However for those of who are on the fence about getting the 650 versus the 660 for the extra Bluetooth, FM transmitter and traffic receiver, I want to offer you some more reasons to consider the 660.The Nuvi 650 does not include the leather carrying case, AC adapter and printed manual which comes standard with the 660 packaging ($50 value).

As a an old time Garmin user, I am used to having these items come with my GPS.In addition, the Nuvis do not include CD/DVD map software nor the friction mount (must buy separately esp. for California and Minnesota).Considering how easy it is now for users to access the memory space of the Nuvi from their computers, it's much easier to corrupt the system unintentially.Thats when you'll need the original map software to recover.

Don't get me wrong, I do like the Nuvi 650 over my Streetpilot 2720 for it's size, improve user interface and the SirF Star III receiver for much more reliable GPS reception.But I can only give this product 4 stars because of the lack of accessories that I find essential for my usage and yet comes standard for the Nuvi 660, 670 and 680.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Garmin nuvi 650 4.3 Inch Portable GPS Navigator

Product Description:
With a gorgeous widescreen display, the Garmin nuvi 650 GPS Personal Travel Assistant is your answer to the call of adventure. A sleek navigator and a keen travel assistant, the nuvi 650 is preloaded with highly detailed City Navigator NT road maps for the entire United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. This map database features nearly six million points of interest (POIs), including hotels, restaurants, gas stations, ATMs, and attractions, and the data is provided by NAVTEQ, a world leader in premium-quality mapping. Step up to the nuvi 660 if you want to take advantage of Bluetooth connectivity, an integrated traffic receiver, and an FM transmitter.


The nuvi 650 features a colorful widescreen and is preloaded with highly detailed City Navigator NT road maps.

The device includes many entertainment and travel tools.

A 4.3-inch display with a touch screen interface makes it easy to select destinations, play MP3s, and more. This preloaded navigator brings all this fantastic map data to your fingertips with a super-bright, 4.3-inch widescreen display for improved map viewing, day or night. Use the touch screen interface to select destinations, look up POIs, and play your favorite MP3s and audio books. The device comes ready to go with automatic routing, 3D or 2D map perspective viewing, and turn-by-turn voice directions that speak street names. It also supports configurable vehicle icons. These fun, customized car-shaped icons come in a variety of colors to add a personal touch to your vehicle's position on the map. With this GPS system on board you'll be prepared to steer clear of traffic with an optional FM TMC traffic receiver. If you choose this add-on feature, The nuvi 650 will receive alerts about traffic tie-ups and road construction that might lie ahead on your route. The nuvi 650 includes many "must-have" entertainment and travel tools, including digital music and audio book playback, a JPEG picture viewer, currency converters, and more. All these great features make the nuvi 650 a complete Personal Travel Assistant.


Note: Optional software for language translation, detailed travel guides, and savings programs allow you to customize your nuvi to fit your travel needs.



What's in the Box
nuvi 650 GPS navigation system, preloaded City Navigator North America NT data, vehicle suction cup mount, vehicle power cable, dashboard disk, USB cable, and quick reference guide.

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.
Device

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TomTom ONE XL-S 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have this and used side by side with a Garmin 200 W for several weeks before returning the Garmin. Overall this is a good product but a few annoying bugs keep it from being great...here are the pros and cons

Pros

It finds the satellites quickly and keeps the signal. The garmin took 2-3 minutes almost every time from a power up start (this was the deal killer)

The user interface is nicer and has a lot more options than the garmin.

The POI database (such as the POI categories it actually has - it is missing several major US retail chains - see below) is more up to date than the Garmin I bought at same time.

Allows you to set the keyboard to QWERTY mode which the Garmin did not.cons

The graphics are a bit grainy compared to the garmin

The bluetooth is useless, works only for data transmission/reception and that too with very limited number of phones. No, you cannot use it as a handsfree.

If you take a wrong turn or pass by your destination or do anything to pass by your destination on a 2 lane road, it will not tell you to turn around - it will navigate you through the next set of intersections. In rural areas this can mean a 20 mile trip instead of going back 200 yards.

The text to speech works very unpredictably - it pronounces somename very nicely but mangles others horribly such that you can't recogonize it.

Also it announces street names about a quarter mile before and then simply says turn left or right when you are actually at an intersection and want the street name to turn into. This is annoying. Very annoying.

There is an SD card slot. However the unit works either exclusively with the SD card slot or with the internal memory. Which means that you have to reload everything in internal memory onto the SD card which takes about an hour because of the incredibly s-l-o-w data transfer rates.

Also the internal memory is pretty much full so forget about any upgrades unless you spring for at least a 2 GB or more SD card

Strangely, TomTom doesn't know about major US retail chains like Toys R Us, Payless Shoes etc. This even after I updated the unit with the US Retail POI database file

The color schemes available on the unit and online are completely weird. Seems to have been done by people with zero taste and sensiblity.

The internal battery is useless in cold weather (i.e. if you leave the unit in the car in winter). This after a few weeks. It either dies in a few minutes or doesn't fire up at all. Will have to see how it performs in the summer.

The brightness and contrast are so-so in daylight compared to the garmin 200 w

Click Here to see more reviews about: TomTom ONE XL-S 4.3 Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator

Product Description:
The TomTom ONE XL-S is the high end of TomTom's ONE line of basicportable gps navigators. It adds text-to-speech functionality to the ONE XL's gorgeous widescreen, 4.3-inch display, expanded traffic options that include GPRS- and optional RDS-TMC radio-based real-time traffic information. The TomTom ONE XL is a complete portable GPS vehicle navigation device with an incredible range of features.

Powerful traffic services give you a big advantage on the commute home. View larger.

Use TomTom PLUS services to stay abreast of key information. View larger.

Voice instructions are available in over 30 languages (complete list below). You can even record directions in your own voice, download specialty voices free at TomTom's website, or purchase celebrity voices. Listen to sample clips.

Free download samples

Sylvia

Celebrity voice samples

Dennis Hopper
Curt Schilling
Gary Busey

While it does not have the same array of luxury features as TomTom's GO 720 or GO 920 line, the ONE XL-S offers all the features you need in a solid navigation system (see a feature comparison for all of TomTom's GO and ONE devices).
What's New -- Text To Speech
The ONE XL-S has all the features of the ONE XL, but also adds text-to speech, which allows the device to give spoken directions with real street names. MapShare lets you add your own map corrections and POIs, then share them with the entire TomTom user community via the TomTom HOME website


What's New -- Map Share
The ONE XL-S includes TomTom's innovative new Map Share technology. Map Share enables users to make easy changes to the map and to share map corrections with other TomTom customers so that users always have the most up-to-date maps available


Map Coverage
Like TomTom's other navigators, the ONE XL-S comes pre-loaded with complete maps for all fifty of the United States, as well as Canada, based on TeleAtlas map data and all stored on 1 GB of internal memory
See More
But it's not just the broad geographical coverage that makes the TomTom ONE XL-S special. The user-friendly design also puts it a step above other navigation systems. The crystal-clear multicolor display makes for exceptionally easy viewing of maps, routes, driving directions, and other traveling information, such as mileage and distance. Measuring 4.3 inches, the TFT display offers an expanded widescreen view of brilliant two- and three-dimensional graphics.


The device also features 32 MB RAM and 266 MHz CPU, making it responsive and zippy. Using the USB port and the provided cable, you can use your PC to add your own points of interest. Memory expansion is made possible by an SD card slot.


The ONE XL-S provides clear and accurate turn-by-turn voice instructions, so that you don't have to take your eyes off the road while your vehicle is on the move. Voice instructions are issued at a speed-sensitive volume, so as your vehicle's engine becomes louder or quieter as your speed changes, the volume adjusts itself accordingly, guaranteeing clear and easy listening. And because voice instructions are available in over 30 languages, just about anyone will find the TomTom ONE XL-S to be an invaluable system.


With its touch-sensitive screen, the TomTom ONE XL-S puts programming and operation literally at your fingertips to make sophisticated technology simple. The built-in database offers thousands of points of interest for you to use as destinations or reference points as you plan your trip. The ONE XL-S will also provide a selection of available routes, giving you the option of avoiding toll roads or choosing between the quickest or the most scenic routes. The database includes zip codes to simplify your route selection, and for extra convenience, the ONE XL-S lets you save the addresses of frequent destinations, making route planning easier and faster than ever. Other display features include a compass mode to assist you with directional orientation, and an anti-glare screen for optimal viewing even in direct sunlight.


The 4.3-inch (diagonal) 3D driving view offers a clear picture of the road and maneuvers ahead (actual size).
For additional navigational features to assist with trip planning, the built-in Bluetooth connection provides access to TomTom PLUS subscription-based services, so that you can tune in to the latest traffic and weather conditions, as well as download additional city maps, voices, points of interest, and much more. The ONE XL-S adds to these capabilities with FM radio-based RDS-TMC traffic information as an available accessory (not included).


Weighing less than 10 ounces and measuring 3.4 x 4.7 x 1.2 inches, the TomTom ONE XL-S can be easily installed in any vehicle. An included windshield suction mount holds it in place. Plus, with an operating temperature range of an icy -10 degrees to a sweltering 55 degrees Celsius (14 to 131 degrees Fahrenheit), the navigator is durable enough for New England winters or Arizona summers. The TomTom ONE XL-S is powered by an internal lithium ion battery that can be charged from your vehicle's cigarette lighter with the included 12-24V adapter.


What's in the Box
TomTom ONE XL-S device, windshield mount, USB cable, cigarette lighter adaptor, adhesive mounting disk, documentation pack, and product code card.
TomTom HOME
HOME is TomTom's free software that enables TomTom users to future proof and personalize their devices. Via easy desktop access, any TomTom customer can update maps, download the latest application, celebrity voices and more. TomTom HOME allows TomTom customers to

Update their TomTom device with TomTom's latest software and services automatically and for free
Easily buy and install the latest maps and European safety cameras
Download celebrity and character voices
Pre-plan trip itineraries
Receive free traffic alerts on their computers

Supported Languages


The user interface/application comes in the following languages:

Catalan
Latvian
Czech
Lithuanian
Danish
Norwegian
Dutch
Polish
Estonian
Portuguese
Finnish
Slovakian
Flemish
Spanish
French
Swedish
German
Turkish
Hungarian
UK English
Italian
US English Spoken navigation instructions come in the following languages:
Australian
Japanese
Brazilian Portuguese
Latin American Spanish
Bulgarian
Latvian
Catalan
Lithuanian
Chinese Mandarin
Malaysian
Chinese Cantonese
Norwegian
Croatian
Polish
Czech
Portuguese
Danish
Romanian
Dutch
Russian
Estonian
Serbian
Finnish
Slovenian
Flemish
Spanish
French
Swedish
German
Thai
Greek
Turkish
Hungarian
UK English
Italian
US English
About TomTom TomTom NV is the world's largest navigation solution provider, developing products with an emphasis on innovation, quality, ease of use and value. TomTom's products include all-in-one navigation devices which enable customers to navigate right out of the box; including the award-winning TomTom GO family, the TomTom ONE range and the TomTom RIDER (for motorcycles). TomTom also provides navigation software products which integrate with third party devices; the TomTom NAVIGATOR software for PDAs and smartphones. TomTom WORK combines industry leading communication and smart navigation technology with leading edge tracking and tracing expertise. TomTom's products are sold through a network of leading retailers in 25 countries and online. TomTom was founded in 1991 in Amsterdam and has offices in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific.

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Garmin nuvi 250W 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigator Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This Garmin nuvi 250W 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator is my first GPS unit. Having now owned it for several days, and with my wife and me putting it through its paces, I can definitely and honestly say that it is an excellent unit, one of which Garmin should be proud.

It is considered to be a "basic" GPS device.

This unit does the job, does it very well, and does it very simply.

It gets you there and it gets you back! You won't ever be lost when you use this device.

That is the reason for which you purchase an item such as this. This particular unit functions much like its competition except that, from what I have read, it really works much better than most of them. And from my own experience with it I can say that I could not be more satisfied.

The nuvi 250W (as well as the nuvi 250) come pre-loaded with maps of all of North America, including Canada, Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. The nuvi 200W (and the nuvi 200) have maps only for the "lower 48" states including Hawaii and Puerto Rico. While that may be sufficient for many (probably most) people, I think the 250W offers much more for a relatively small difference in price.

To add Canada and Alaska maps to the 200/200W costs more than the price difference between the 250/250W and the 200/200W. The choice of which device to buy, of course, depends on where you plan or may plan to travel. Otherwise, the 250/250W and the 200/200W function identically.

The wide screen of the "W" units is, in my opinion, not a frill but rather an extremely useful upgrade in terms of visibility and usefulness. You can see much more of the surrounding area and this can be of great help when you're in an unfamiliar place.

Its wide screen is very bright in daylight, does not wash out, and can be set to automatically dim at night. This auto-adjust feature works very well indeed and is really welcome. Once set, you need not adjust the brightness any further. The sound volume control is fully and easily adjustable; I personally have found that the best setting for me is 70%. This level can be heard clearly over my radio/CD that I may have playing without "blasting," so I have left it at that level.

Obviously, in only a few days of ownership, I have not been able to explore all its capabilities, but I have found the Garmin web site to be of great help. (If you don't already know the URL of Garmin's site, just do a search. For some reason Amazon does not allow the URL to be posted here.) There is a wealth of information there. I was even able to update my firmware from version 2.60 (supplied) to the latest version 2.90. This was quite easy to do. (Of course, to do this you need a 6ft USBa/mini B Device USBa To Mini B 2.0 Compatible (#27005) or similar which, incredibly and disappointingly, Garmin does not include in the package. This particular cable, at Amazon's very low price, is well-worth buying, even if only as a spare. However, you may have one or more of these cables from other applications lying about your house, as I do.)

Garmin's site supports Apple Macintosh computers as well as Windows computers.

Entering addresses, saving them to if desired, and actually driving to a selected location is straightforward. I found the directions selected to be quite accurate. So far, I have tested the unit only locally and on locations known to me. But in every case it took me the same way that I would have gone myself. Distances tested have been up to about 20 miles. This unit also features a bicycle mode and a pedestrian mode, but I have tried neither as yet. (I understand that if you are parked in a crowded parking lot, you can switch to the pedestrian mode, mark the location of your automobile, and, after you are finished shopping or whatever, the unit will walk you right back to your car!)

I tried the function a couple of times, just for testing, and it worked flawlessly. The function also worked flawlessly.

If you miss an indicated turn, which I did deliberately, the device recalculates extremely rapidly. I am amazed as to how well it works in this regard.

Of course, NO GPS device is a substitute for local knowledge. None of them can know of, for example, closed roads, seasonally affected roads, or roads under construction. None can know that a "back road route" to a place which, even though slightly longer in mileage, avoids heavy local traffic, during local rush hour, for example, and so is actually much shorter in time.

Sometimes you may still have to ask!

But, in general, these devices, and this one in particular with its superb detouring ability, function very well indeed. Note that there is no limit on the number of times you can press . If you feel that the unit is taking you a way on which you do not want to travel, merely press the button again.

The number and extent of the pre-loaded "Points of Interest" is just staggering! There are 6,000,000(!) of them! I just can't imagine anyone not being able to find just what he is looking for! AND, additional customized points of interest can be added quickly and easily and mostly for free (see Garmin's site for information). This is amazing!

If you are moving to a new town, or are visiting an unfamiliar place, this "Points of Interest" function will show you just about every store,business, or place of entertainment you could desire. The unit can even indicate when you are near a "Point of Interest" which is contained within or programmed into its memory.

This unit also points out "speed zones" - both visually and audibly. The usefulness of this particular feature in unfamiliar locations goes without saying!

Unfortunately, the low price currently being charged precludes Garmin from supplying as standard certain items, in addition to the USB cable mentioned above, which, in my opinion, are necessary. While this may seem as though it's annoying "nickel-and-diming" (and it is!) the additional necessary items are, fortunately, not very expensive.

These are the several optional accessories that I should recommend (I purchased them all): the first two are the Garmin Portable Friction Mount for Nuvi, StreetPilot I Series & C530, C550(010-10908-00) (it is much, much better than the included window-mount suction cup - believe me, this "bean-bag" is a superb item - and it is mandatory in certain states), and the Garmin Carrying Case for Nuvi 660 (010-10823-01) (which I really wish were supplied as standard).

[Please note that, instead of Garmin's own carrying case, I now recommend the AmazonBasics Carrying Case for Portable GPS Units (Black) which is constructed just as well, perhaps better, than Garmin's own and is less expensive.]

Amazon carries both of these items as well as the unit itself and this season I have found their prices to be better than that of any other retailer. Their shipping service is top-notch as well.

There are two other accessories I recommend: 1) do NOT buy an AC Adapter for this unit; it is very expensive. Instead, buy an "AC Travel Charger with 12V Accessory Outlet" (formerly available from Amazon but now only available from PartsExpresscom); this alone will be all you need to allow the DC Power Adapter that comes with the unit to be used from any AC source.Merely navigate to PartsExpress' web site and enter the above description (in quotes) into the search box (without the quotation marks, of course). It is far less expensive (only $6.78) than an AC Adapter, and, of course, can be used with other DC-powered items as well. And 2) buy a soft side (padded) lunch box or fishing tackle box (I bought a cheap one at Wal-Mart) of suitable size to store the various accessories. This can be left in the trunk of your car out of sight when the GPS is not in use.

Obviously, you should NEVER - NEVER! -leave the unit itself anywhere in your car, at ANY time when the car is parked and you're not there, even if it's hidden away.

And you should NEVER - NEVER! - leave ANY of the attachments or accessories visible in your car when it is is parked.

In fact, you should NEVER leave any clue whatsoever that you have one of these devices. Thieves can be very clever! ALWAYS take the unit with you when you leave your car - every time!

It is probably safe to leave just the accessories as long as they are all carefully hidden away in the trunk or otherwise camouflaged (and no one has seen you hide them or place the items in your trunk! Be VERY careful!). I have heard that thieves even look for suction-cup marks on the windshield and, if they see one, they break into your car, figuring that you have a GPS device hidden in your glove box! GPS units are today's "hot" item to steal and sell.

You must employ common sense when using one of these devices, at least at the present time. You also want to make your car less "inviting" to thieves.

As a further aid in making theft somewhat less attractive, this Garmin unit has a feature that I really like - a security feature. One sets a 4-digit PIN AND sets this up at any particular desired location (generally your home). When you start up the unit, if you are at your starting point, the unit comes on automatically. If you are at any other location, you must...Read more›

Click Here to see more reviews about: Garmin nuvi 250W 4.3 Inch Portable GPS Navigator

Product Description:


Wider screen lets you see more of what's around. View larger.

nuvi 250W accepts custom points of interest (POIs). View larger.

The nuvi 250W comes preloaded with maps for U.S., Hawaii, and Puerto Rico, and features an ultra-slim design. The widescreen version of Garmin's nuvi 250 offers a large, easy-to-read screen (4.3 inches diagonally to the nuvi 250s 3.5 inches) at an attractive price point. Like its smaller sibling, the 250W comes with preloaded maps for the continental U.S., Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Canada and Alaska. If all you don't need Canada and Alaska, you can get the nuvi 200W at a lower pirce. If you want maps for Europe, you'll need to go with the smallernuvi 270, or you can purchase a set of European maps on SD Card or CD-Rom. While it doesn't have some of the more sophisticated features of higher-end nuvis, it does, like all nuvi 200-series members, offer a rock-solid navigation experience with an easy-to-use colorful touchscreen, 6 million points of interest (POI)s, and an ultra-slim design.
See More of What's Around
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.



Smart, Powerful Design
The nuvi 250W is built with a high-sensitivity WAAS-enabled GPS receiver for extreme accuracy, as well as an SD card slot for storing your media and additional navigation tools, and a USB interface for loading data. All this is wrapped up in a package that measures 4.8 x 2.9 x 0.8 inches (W x H x D) and weighs just 6.6 ounces. The nuvi display is touchscreen-enabled, making it a cinch to control the device with your fingertips. A rechargeable lithium-ion battery provides up to five hours of battery life depending on use.


Navigate with Ease
nuvi 250W comes ready to go right out of the box with preloaded City Navigator NT street maps, including a hefty POI database with hotels, restaurants, fuel, ATMs and more. Simply touch the color screen to enter a destination, and nuvi takes you there with 2D or 3D maps and turn-by-turn voice directions. In addition, nuvi 250W 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 interface is a key to their success and one of the things that 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.

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Magellan Maestro 4040 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've been using GPS systems for several years, and I'm always asked "what's the best GPS?"Unfortunately, that's not an easy question to answer. Just like there's no "best" car for everyone, there's no such thing as the "best" GPS.
That being said, this is a very fine GPS system, and one well worth checking out. I've owned two other Magellan systems in the past (a Roadmate 500 and a 750M), and the improvements in this system are wonderful. Excellent screen, clear even in full sun, easy to use - truly a "turn it on and go" setup.I've always been especially fond of the way Magellan announces upcoming turns - they are the only GPS that offers a incredibly accurate "bing-bong" sound right before the turn. The key word there is ACCURATE. Yes, Garmin has an upcoming turn tone, but more often than not, it's too early or too late to be effective. Magellan gets it right every time. That, and their split screen turn view is what makes this a must-own for me.The AAA guidebook is icing on the cake, and I'm finding that to be a real time saver - much better than the typical POI database since the places have been vetted by AAA.If you're a fan of the AAA paper guidebooks, you will absolutely love having it accessible through a GPS.
I also currently have a Garmin 2610 and have found that the Magellan/Garmin combo is what works best for me. The Garmins have some advantages over the Magellans and vice versa. Together, they make a great combo.
But, if you want to buy just one GPS, the Magellan 4040 is a great choice. The Garmin Nuvi line is also quite nice, but their wide-screen versions are considerably more expensive than the 4040.If it came down to the Nuvi 3XX model or the Magellan 40XX models, I feel the Magellan gives you more for your money.On the other hand, Garmin offers better support, more frequent map/firmware updates, and is an easier company to deal with by far.See - I told you that there's no such thing as the "best" GPS!Everything's a trade off.
I've also been impressed with the user interface of the Tom Tom units but, in my area, the TeleAtlas maps they use are rather poor.Both Garmin and Magellan use Navtec maps, which (on the East Coast, at least) are much better.
Some people comment on the U turn issue. For me, it's never happened to any extent. My Garmin, in fact, tends to be far more insistent on U turns than the Magellan when you go off-route. I've also found that the Magellan (this plus all the others I've used) tend to give either the same or better routes than the Garmins (I'm on my third Garmin as well). Not all the time -- once in a while you'll get a more roundabout route on the Magellan than the Garmin, but those cases are rare.
In short, you will be happy with this unit.If you're on the fence, buy this and a Garmin, and do a head to head comparison to see which one works best for your needs and send back the loser. Chances are, however, you'll end up like me with two (or sometimes three) GPS systems on your dash.
UPDATE 5/6/07:Just took the Maestro for a 450 mile trip -- continue to be very impressed with the unit. In a side-by-side test, it routinely beat the Garmin 2610 in determining that I was off route and recalculated the new route before the Garmin even realized I was not where I should be! (Off-route situations were due to me making an unplanned side trip, and not due to bad directions from either GPS). There's also a firmware update available from Magellan that allows you to use the preview turn function at any time (just like with past Magellan units). Very easy to install and, although it warns that you should backup your address book prior to the upgrade, it did not delete any of my addresses. It's always a good idea to backup your data, but the firmware upgrade does not seem to affect it.
Update 5/18: Another trip, this one nearly 1,000 in length and the Maestro once again performed very well. My sister was so impressed with the unit that immediately upon our return she placed an order for one as well. Given that she's always shunned GPS units (even though her sense of direction is as bad as mine), that's quite an endorsement for the Maestro. She had tried a Garmin Nuvi 350 that she borrowed from a friend, and found the Magellan to be more to her style. The features in particular she liked were the fact that the direction of the next turn is always visible in the lower left corner regardless of how far away the turn is. I like that feature as well - sometimes you need a lot of advance notice of what lane you should be in when the traffic is heavy. Also, she appreciated that the Magellan gave more frequent voice prompts than the Nuvi -- it will voice "stay on the current road" when you come to a major intersection or juncture on the freeway. The Garmin does not offer that. Some people find it to be nagging, but I like all the help a GPS can give.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Magellan Maestro 4040 4.3 Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator

Product Description:
With built-in AAA TourBook® travel information and member roadside assistance details, the Magellan Maestro 4040 Portable Auto GPS System is the ultimate travel companion. Re-engineered for easy use, it combines advanced features, elegance, and simplicity to make driving more pleasurable and less stressful. A few simple touches are all the Maestro 4040 needs to audibly guide you with turn-by-turn street name directions to virtually any destination in the United States and Canada. You can even customize your navigation method or route to get there quicker and stress-free.


With fresh graphics and an intelligent touch screen, the Magellan Maestro 4040 is the ultimate travel companion.
View larger - Side view



Easy to use navigation features SmartDetour and auto re-route. View larger.

Access built-in AAA information from your GPS touch screen. View larger. AAA-enabled
With built-in AAA travel information, the Maestro 4040 gives you instant access to the most trusted source for trip planning; searchable AAA TourBook® listings, Show Your Card & Save® locations for member discounts, approved auto repair facilities, attractions, events, and more. The Maestro 4040 also provides AAA members roadside assistance details, with exact location and a toll-free help number. The Maestro 4040 is also Bluetooth-enabled, so you can connect your Bluetooth cell phone directly to AAA for immediate help when you need it most.
Note: AAA member roadside assistance requires AAA membership.
Easy-to-Use Navigation
Enter virtually any address on the freshly designed graphical touch screen, or select from 4.5 million preprogrammed points of interest and get turn-by-turn voice guidance to anywhere in the entire United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, right out of the box. Just turn it on and go. SiRFstarIII™ gives you the fastest GPS position accuracy in the industry, while SayWhere™ text-to-speech tells you the street name for each maneuver so you can focus on driving. Smart buttons and Magellan's unique QuickSpell™ function enable error-free spelling to minimize steps and give you a customized route to your destination with just a few screen touches.
Bluetooth, Traffic Updates, and More
The Maestro 4040's Bluetooth wireless technology lets you make hands-free phone calls with your Bluetooth-enabled phone. You can also store or sync numbers and contact information through the easy-to-use touch screen and make calls via the Maestro 4040's integrated microphone and speakers. Add the optional Magellan TrafficKit™ to this device and you'll be equipped with live traffic incident reports, so you'll never get stuck on the freeway.
Additional Product Features

Sophisticated and simple: Streamlined touch-screen buttons minimize steps to locate a destination
Sleek design: Integrated GPS antenna provides excellent satellite reception in a slim and compact design
Graphical interactive maps: Maps and destinations for the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Canada are built-in, so you can travel far and wide and always know where you are and where you're going
Traffic-enabled: Add the Magellan TrafficKit™ to your Maestro 4040 to get live traffic incident reports; activation and subscription fees apply
Voice command upgradeable: Add Voice Command control for hands-free operation with an upgrade from Magellan; activation fee applies
Bird's-eye 3D view: Clearly see your surroundings in 2D or 3D; also choose between Map View, TrueView™ 3D split screen, and Maneuver List
Rechargeable battery: Navigate even when you don't have access to power
Multi-destination routing: Select up to 20 destinations and choose the order that best fits your needs
SmartDetour™: Automatically prompts you to route around suddenly slow freeway traffic
Auto re-route: Never miss a turn and quickly get back on track whenever you make a detour
Auto night view: Adjusts color and contrast for easy night viewing
QuickSpell™: Easily enter addresses with unique auto-complete feature that even corrects spelling
Complete mobility: Transfer to any vehicle with no installation
4.5 million points of interest (POIs): Optimized database to easily find gas stations, restaurants, ATMs, and more. And with smart location you can search by name, category, and region. There's even a Coffee category so you can quickly find caffeine whenever you need it.
Interactive POI icons: Touch an onscreen icon for a nearby destination, see name and address, and get an instant route
Customizable route method: Fastest time, shortest distance, least or most use of freeways, avoid toll roads
Route exclusion: Select streets and freeways to avoid so you can get there your way
Address book: Create and store personal points of interest for easy reoccurring trips
Instant locate: One touch shows your location; quickly advise roadside assistance or emergency services

What's in the Box
Magellan Maestro 4040 Portable Auto GPS System, windshield mount and cradle, adhesive dash mount disk, cigarette lighter power adapter (12-24 watts), AC wall power supply/charger, quick reference guide, reference manual CD, and USB cable.

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Garmin nuvi 350 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)After trying other Garmin units, this is the one I kept. Simply wonderful. I bought it when it was more than triple its current price and thought it was good deal then.It's a great deal now.

It has all the characteristics that I was looking for:

1) VERY compact -- easily able to fit in a breast pocket
2) Text-to-Speech -- announces proper street names, not just "turn left in 500 feet"; radically reduces how much you need to look at the screen to figure out the real instructions; wouldn't own a GPS unit wihtout this
3) Bright Screen -- readable in virtually every situation

AND

Faster location of the GPS satellites.This turns out to be quite important in day-to-day use.In the other systems, it wasn't unusual that we could be driving for a couple minutes before it located the satellites and could give us directions.With this unit, the satellites are located almost as quickly as the unit fully starts up.

One comment on how we use this:We don't mount it on the dash board or on the window (which is technically illegal here in California).Instead we just lay this on the center console in our van or car.The antenna system is plenty sensitive to work just like this and we've never lost the satellite signals except in tunnels.

We also like all the potential of the traveling features (clock, calculator, etc.), but this is the one to own even if you just use it for the basic GPS features.

Very impressed.

[July 2006 Update]
How Its Ease-of-Use Enhanced Our Vacation:We were recently on a vacation combined with a business conference.While I was at the conference, my family had the confidence to explore the city without ever getting lost.Even our kids were able to help enter addreses and find locations.

Factoring In Added Cost:Just a warning about upgrade costs.Although Garmin does a good job of releasing updates to their system software that either fixes bugs or adds enhancements, the cost to update the built-in maps is extra. And they issue updates about once a year.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Garmin nuvi 350 3.5 Inch Portable GPS Navigator

Product Description:
What if one device could help you navigate anywhere in the U.S. andCanada, while offering travel tips, storing your favorite tunes and photos, providing translation assistance, and more? That device is here, and it's not much bigger than a deck of cards. The Garmin nuvi 350 is set to revolutionize what we expect from a GPS navigation device, or from any device for that matter.
Which nuvi is Best for You?: Click here to see a quick, simple comparison of features for all Garmin nuvi GPS navigators



The nuvi 350 is a portable GPS navigator, traveler's reference, and digital entertainment system, all in one. View product demo (requires Flash).


A simple touchscreen interface and voice guidance allow you to keep your eyes on the road. View larger.

Listen to an audio book or an MP3 while you're on the road. View larger. Design
With a total weight of 5.1 ounces and slim measurements of 3.87 x 2.91 x 0.87 inches (WxHxD), the nuvi 350 is just right for the pocket or purse. A bright, 64,000-color display dominates the front of the device and a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels means that there's plenty of room for displaying map data and other elements of the device's interface. An SD memory card slot is provided for expansion software, such as a points of interest database, media files and electronic guides (see below). The flip-up antenna includes an MCX-type connector for connecting the unit to an external GPS antenna. Meanwhile, a powerful built-in speaker resides on the back of device. A built-in lithium ion battery will give you for 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.
Fortunately, Garmin has made it easy to interface with the nuvi 350's 700 megabytes of onboard memory, thanks to "plug-and-play" USB mass storage support. Just plug the device into your computer's USB port and you've got instantaneous access to all the audio books, music, photos, supplemental maps and other data on the nuvi 350's internal and SD card memory.


Navigation
The nuvi 350 is first and foremost a personal GPS device. Wherever you go -- in your car or on foot-- the device offers extremely accurate position data, thanks to a high-sensitivity integrated GPS receiver by SiRF and WAAS-enabled, 12-satellite reception. Combined with detailed maps of the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico the nuvi 350 provides automatic routing, turn-by-turn voice directions, and touchscreen control-- making it easy to find your way anywhere. Plus, the unique "text-to-speech" feature calls out turns by street name, and you can choose from either 2D or 3D mapping perspectives when you're viewing your route on the display. Additionally, the nuvi 350 is compatible with Garmin's GTM 10 FM TMC traffic receiver*, which allows users to avoid traffic tie-ups by simply pushing a button that will calculate a new route.


As mentioned, the nuvi 350 comes packed with mapping data for North America, but you can can also load up your custom points of interest. Set up proximity alerts for school zones, safety cameras, and more using Garmin's free POI (points of interest) loader program (available from garmin.com).



Important note about map updates: Due to our high volume of sales, almost every Garmin portable GPS navigator sold by Amazon.com will come with the most recent map version. If you ever do need a map update, you can purchase one from Amazon.com at our Garmin Store.




The device automatically calculates the fastest route and provides voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions along the way. Tools for the Journey
Navigation is just part of the journey, and the nuvi 350 is one of the first devices to recognize that. The built-in "Travel Kit" offers an MP3 player, an audio book player from Audible.com, a jpeg-format picture viewer, a world travel clock with time zones, a currency converter, a measurement converter, and a calculator.


In addition to the included travel tools, additional software add-ons are available, such as the Garmin Language Guide, with data provided by Oxford University Press. This software suite contains a multilingual word bank, phrase bank, and five bilingual dictionaries. The multilingual word bank and phrase bank supports nine languages and dialects, including American English, British English, French, German, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, European Portuguese, European Spanish, and Latin American Spanish. Now you can look up and translate more than 17,000 words or 20,000 phrases per language -- right in the palm of your hand. Through the unit's text-to-speech interface, users can get a spoken pronunciation of each entry in the word bank, along with gender and part of speech information.


Another useful add-on software package, the Garmin Travel Guide, is loaded with information provided by Marco Polo. These guides put in-depth travel information such as reviews and recommendations for restaurants, tourist attractions, and more at your fingertips. The software allows you to navigate to an address or search points of interest-- places like hotels, restaurants, shopping, and tourist attractions. The nuvi 350 automatically calculates the fastest route and provides voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions along the way. The unit also audibly announces the name of upcoming streets-- letting you keep your eyes on the road while navigating through busy traffic and tricky roadways. And if you stray off course, the nuvi 350 automatically calculates the quickest way to get back on track.

*Traffic services available only in select cities where RDS-TMC coverage exists. Requires the GTM 10 FM TMC traffic receiver and subscription fee to enable traffic capability.

What's in the Box
nuvi 350, Preloaded City Navigator NT for North America and Puerto Rico, Vehicle suction cup mount, AC charger, Vehicle power cable, Dashboard disc, USB cable, Carrying case, Quick reference guide

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.
Device

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Garmin StreetPilot c580 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator with MSN Direct Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The StreetPilot c580 is for the GPS navigation fan who wants it all.You get easy to use navigation, built-in Bluetooth, traffic alerts and MSN Direct displayed on your screen.

I previously owned a c530 with just the basic GPS features so I was really impressed that I could add all those features for about the same price I paid for the c530 just 9 months ago!The StreetPilot 500 series have a brighter screen and faster satellite connectivity than previous models.

The Bluetooth is a safety feature if you own a Bluetooth cell phone.This enables you to talk hands-free while you're driving.

The MSN Direct is cool but limited to only 4 functions: weather, gas prices, movie times and traffic alerts. A minor complaint is that the gas prices usually have a one or 2-day delay and are not necessarily current.This is OK if you are driving through an unfamiliar area and want to know approximate gas prices.

The StreetPilot c580 is a feature-laden GPS that not everyone would need.With current prices, the basic StreetPilot is $200 less than the c580.Whether you need all the bells and whistles for $200 is a decision only you can make!

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Product Description:
Now you can easily receive door-to-door directions while staying on top of the weather, traffic and other localized information with the new Garmin StreetPilot c580 Auto Navigator with MSN Direct. The StreetPilot c580 comes loaded with convenient features such as hands-free calling, preloaded maps and an MP3 player, and then on top of all that provides you with dynamic content from MSN Direct.
The new StreetPilot c580 lets you get localized information with dynamic content from MSN Direct, making it one of the most resourceful navigators available. Using the included receiver and free trial service to MSN Direct, you can check your local weather, avoid traffic backups, compare local gas prices, and even check movie times and locations, all while you travel. Easy and virtually fool-proof to use, the MSN Direct receiver is plug-and-play portable so you can quickly connect to your navigator unit when you are out and about.


Despite being loaded with features, the StreetPilot c580 still allows you to navigate with ease. This unit comes ready to go right out of the box with preloaded NavTeq City Navigator NT street maps, including a hefty points of interest (POIs) database with hotels, restaurants, fuel stops, ATMs and more. Simply touch the super-bright, sunlight-readable color screen to enter a destination, and the c580 takes you there with either 2D or 3D maps and turn-by-turn voice directions. This navigator voice even announces the name of exits and streets so you never have to take your eyes off the road, and can concentrate on your driving to keep yourself and your loved ones safe. In addition, the c580 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 that require your special consideration such as speed zones and safety cameras.


Speaking of keeping you safe, the StreetPilot c580 lets you make hands-free calls so you can talk freely during your worry-free driving. By integrating Bluetooth wireless technology with a built-in microphone and speaker, you can pair your c580 with any compatible Bluetooth phone and talk hands-free while staying focused on the road. You no longer have to fumble with your phone's handset to answer a call or dial a number, just tap the c580's screen and you're instantly connected. And with 1-touch dialing for your POIs, you can quickly and conveniently call ahead to make reservations or get needed information.


Completely portable, the StreetPilot c580 conveniently moves from vehicle to vehicle with an easy, adjustable mount. This navigator has a compact size that makes it convenient to take along on business trips or use in rental cars, and also comes with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery for out-of-car route planning.


In addition to all of this functionality, the StreetPilot c580 is packed full of other features that make it the perfect navigator. Its high sensitivity, WAAS-enabled GPS receiver acquires satellites quickly and maintains signals even under heavy foliage or near skyscrapers. This unit also comes with an MP3 player so you can take your favorite music with you, Garmin Lock as an anti-theft feature to keep you investment safe, and configurable vehicle icons that let you select car-shaped graphics to show your location on the map. What's more the StreetPilot c580 allows you customization via optional software such as Travel and Savers guides on plug-and-play SD cards.


The c580 lets you view, navigate and operate it via its anti-glare, bright color display through its fingertip touch-screen interface, which measures 2.8 x 2.1 inches (W x H), and has a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels. As a whole, the c580 measures 4.4 x 3.2 x 2.2 inches (W x H x D), and weighs only 9.0 ounces. The rechargeable lithium-ion battery that comes with this unit provides you with an on-the-go battery life of eight hours.


What's in the Box
Garmin StreetPilot c580, City Navigator NT maps for North America (preloaded, full coverage), MSN Direct receiver with integrated vehicle power cable, 1 year of free MSN Direct service, vehicle suction cup mount, dashboard disk, USB cable, carrying case, and quick reference guide, and owner's manual.


Notice: MSN Direct service will be available only until January 1, 2012.

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