This article is part two of a ten part series on the Top Ten GPS Units for 2010. The purpose of this series is to help you, the consumer, make an informed buying decision before you spend your hard earned money on a new gps unit. Without further delay, number nine: the Garmin Nuvi 750.
Features:
The Garmin Nuvi 750 features a 4.3 inch widescreen. Even though this unit is bigger than some, it has a sleek design that still makes it compact enough to take with you outside of the car. It has a bright, highly detailed screen showing maps in 2D and 3D perspectives that you can see at all times due to the units anti-glare surface.
Preloaded maps. This unit comes preloaded with maps of the United states, Canada, and Puerto Rico. This is pretty much the standard for gps units sold in the U.S. If you want maps of Europe, you'll either have to pay extra to get them, or look for a gps that comes with them.
Fast satellite lock. In order for a gps unit to be reliable, it has to find satellite's quickly and hold onto them. Otherwise you just have a very expensive toy that doesn't do you much good.
Spoken directions and street names. Driving is a responsibility and demands the full attention of all our senses. A gps unit that verbally tells you the directions allows you the freedom to keep your eys on the road, so we can all get where we need to be safely.
Battery life of up to five hours. If you only use your gps while you drive, battery life will never be an issue, as most units come standard with a charger for the car. I only mention battery life for those of you who like to use their gps unit as an all purpose device.
Garmin's easy to use interface. Garmin gps devices are known for their simplicity. Easy to use menus so you can take it out of the box and go.
Garmin lock, anti-theft system. Does this mean that your gps unit can't be stolen? No! It only means that if it is stolen, the thief will not be able to use it. In order for it to operate, it will need to be brought to a specific location, or a pin will need to be entered. There's very little comfort in knowing that someone else will not be able to use your stolen gps unit, because you'll still have to buy a new one. It is highly recommended that you take your gps out of the car whenever it's not being used. That's the best anti-theft system.
Where am I/Where's my car feature. At any time you can tap your gps screen and get an exact location of where you are, including gas stations, hospitals, and police stations. When you get out of your car and remove the gps unit from its mount, it automatically marks the spot where your car is. This comes in handy if you are in a large, unfamiliar parking lot.
Multi-destination routing. If you have multiple stops along your route, you can pre-program them into your Garmin Nuvi 750 and go. You don't have to wait to get to one destination before you input your data for the next place.
Three months free of MSN Direct Services. This is a traffic service that can help you avoid accidents and and traffic tie-up's if you're in a hurry. After the initial three months of free service, it would be a paid subscription.
Route setup and route avoidance features. When setting up your gps to get to your destination, you can program your Garmin Nuvi 750 to look for the fastest route or the most fuel efficient route. You can also program it to avoid certain routes or tolls.
Entertainment features and optional ad-on's. This particular gps unit is bluetooth enabled so it can be synced with your car stereo and phone. You can also use this gps to playback mp3's and audiobooks, or pay for the optional travel guide, savers guide, and language translation features if needed.
Pros:
Compact for easy transport. Although this unit is bigger due to its 4.3 inch screen, it is still compact enough to carry around with you.
Easy to use. Garmin makes it simple to use their gps units with easy menus and screens.
Excellent mounting system. This mounting system has been praised for its quality and sturdiness. It also allows for greater rotation, so it works well on most windshields.
Speed limits posted on gps screen. This comes in very handy when you are travelling in unfamiliar areas, which is the whole point of having a gps.
Cons:
Complaints about battery life. Once again, this is not an issue if you're only going to use it in the car.
Internal speaker is inferior. Something to consider if you don't have a quiet car.
Slow initial satellite lock. There have been numerous complaints that this unit takes a while to lock onto satellites. But once it is locked, there is no issue with losing the signal.
To get the complete list of 2010's Top Ten GPS, visit: http://www.squidoo.com/top-ten-gps
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
Top Ten GPS Mystery Unravelled- Number Ten!
This article kicks off a ten part series of the Top Ten GPS units for 2010, working our way down to number one. Working your way through the countless features and manufacturers in the gps marketplace today can be an overbearing chore. You just want the best features for the lowest cost, and you want it to be reliable. We begin our journey through the top ten gps for 2010 with number ten, the Garmin Nuvi 350.
Features:
The Garmin Nuvi 350 comes preloaded with maps of the continental U.S., Canada, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. This is pretty much standard on all gps units, but it's good to make sure what you're getting before you buy. Especially if you need maps of Europe, as this will only come standard with certain units.
Spoken directions and street names. If you're going to invest in a new gps unit, this feature is an absolute must. The last thing you need while driving, is to have to take your eyes off the road to look at your gps.
Excellent satellite acquisition. The Garmin Nuvi 350 is manufactured with an integrated, high sensitivity gps receiver with antenna. Without excellent satellite reception, owning a gps unit doesn't make much sense.
Garmin's easy to use interface. In order for a gps unit to be a convenience, it needs to be easy to use. Garmin takes all the guesswork out of the equation with simple menus and screens. So you can get where you need to go. Right now.
A bright LCD screen. We drive our cars at all times of the day and night. You need to be able to see your gps whether it's dark or sunny.
A compact design. This particular unit has a 3.5 inch screen, and can easily fit in a shirt pocket or purse. A feature that makes it more convenient if you want to use your gps for more than just driving.
Good battery life. Garmin boasts that the Nuvi 350 will get up to eight hours of battery life, depending on how the unit is used. Battery life is not really a factor if you're only using your gps in the car, where it can be charged. But if you want to use it for walking or hiking, this factor is big.
Detour button. When you're in a hurry and you notice traffic is slowing down or at a complete stand still, you can just hit the detour button, and the gps will re-route you to avoid the delay.
Compatible with Garmin's GTM 10 FM TMC traffic receiver. Real time traffic updates that can alert your gps unit about delays and recalculate a new route for you.
Travel kit. With the 700 megabites of internal memory, and the available SD card slot, you can play mp3's and audio books on your gps unit, plus view digital photo's. Not to mention the additional add on's that are available for a price. Like the Garmin Language guide (9 Languages), and the Garmin Travel Guide, which shows you restaraunts, hotels, tourist attractions and other area information for wherever it is your travelling.
Pro's:
The Garmin Nuvi 350 is compact. Making it easy to go where you go.
Bright screen. You're screen is viewable in all situations.
Excellent satellite acquisition. You can get where you need to go whithout delays.
Powerful speaker. This compact unit boasts a powerful speaker so you can hear where you need to go.
Con's:
No external volume control. This means you'll have to navigate through menu's to turn it down digitally.
No getting started manual. If you're good with technology this may not be an issue. For the rest of you: Fully charge the battery, take your gps unit outside under an open sky, turn it on and let it acquire a satellite signal. Once this is complete, you'll be able to navigate through the menu's and learn your device.
Some issue's with "detour mode". Some user's have complained that once they used the detour button, they had difficulty turning the feature off without shutting the unit down and retyping all the trip information. So don't use it unless you really need it.
For The Complete List of The Top Ten GPS For 2010, visit: http://www.squidoo.com/top-ten-gps
Features:
The Garmin Nuvi 350 comes preloaded with maps of the continental U.S., Canada, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. This is pretty much standard on all gps units, but it's good to make sure what you're getting before you buy. Especially if you need maps of Europe, as this will only come standard with certain units.
Spoken directions and street names. If you're going to invest in a new gps unit, this feature is an absolute must. The last thing you need while driving, is to have to take your eyes off the road to look at your gps.
Excellent satellite acquisition. The Garmin Nuvi 350 is manufactured with an integrated, high sensitivity gps receiver with antenna. Without excellent satellite reception, owning a gps unit doesn't make much sense.
Garmin's easy to use interface. In order for a gps unit to be a convenience, it needs to be easy to use. Garmin takes all the guesswork out of the equation with simple menus and screens. So you can get where you need to go. Right now.
A bright LCD screen. We drive our cars at all times of the day and night. You need to be able to see your gps whether it's dark or sunny.
A compact design. This particular unit has a 3.5 inch screen, and can easily fit in a shirt pocket or purse. A feature that makes it more convenient if you want to use your gps for more than just driving.
Good battery life. Garmin boasts that the Nuvi 350 will get up to eight hours of battery life, depending on how the unit is used. Battery life is not really a factor if you're only using your gps in the car, where it can be charged. But if you want to use it for walking or hiking, this factor is big.
Detour button. When you're in a hurry and you notice traffic is slowing down or at a complete stand still, you can just hit the detour button, and the gps will re-route you to avoid the delay.
Compatible with Garmin's GTM 10 FM TMC traffic receiver. Real time traffic updates that can alert your gps unit about delays and recalculate a new route for you.
Travel kit. With the 700 megabites of internal memory, and the available SD card slot, you can play mp3's and audio books on your gps unit, plus view digital photo's. Not to mention the additional add on's that are available for a price. Like the Garmin Language guide (9 Languages), and the Garmin Travel Guide, which shows you restaraunts, hotels, tourist attractions and other area information for wherever it is your travelling.
Pro's:
The Garmin Nuvi 350 is compact. Making it easy to go where you go.
Bright screen. You're screen is viewable in all situations.
Excellent satellite acquisition. You can get where you need to go whithout delays.
Powerful speaker. This compact unit boasts a powerful speaker so you can hear where you need to go.
Con's:
No external volume control. This means you'll have to navigate through menu's to turn it down digitally.
No getting started manual. If you're good with technology this may not be an issue. For the rest of you: Fully charge the battery, take your gps unit outside under an open sky, turn it on and let it acquire a satellite signal. Once this is complete, you'll be able to navigate through the menu's and learn your device.
Some issue's with "detour mode". Some user's have complained that once they used the detour button, they had difficulty turning the feature off without shutting the unit down and retyping all the trip information. So don't use it unless you really need it.
For The Complete List of The Top Ten GPS For 2010, visit: http://www.squidoo.com/top-ten-gps
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