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Guide to choose Garmin GPS
Submitted by zen on 23 February, 2008 - 23:22.
| Garmin nüvi 780 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator |
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| Model | Nuvi 780 | | Made | Garmin | | Media | Electronics | | Catalog | CE | | Sales Rank | 603 | | Availability | Usually ships in 24 hours | | List Price | US$699.99 | | Our Price | Too low to display |
Goto Amazon.com
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Of all the GPS in the same price range, Garmin has the least feature to offer but also cause you the least headache. If all you want is a navigation system that gets you from point A to point B, Garmin is your best choice. It consistently choose the best route (save you a couple miles/minutes compare to other GPS), and usually has the best map coverage. Magellan sometimes has better POI coverage and more easily accessible. Magellan also has a more feature rich user interface (e.g. volume adjusted according to speed, an innovative way of selecting address by highlighting only the available keys, exit POI and the extremely helpful AAA tour book etc). Garmin has none of those but has the no nonsense, dirt easy GUI even your mom can use.
If you have made up your mind to choose a Garmin GPS, which one should you buy?
Nuvi 200? Nuvi 250w? Nuvi350? Nuvi660? Nuvi780?
Here is a list of all the available features:
Nuvi 200 - 3.5" screen, Cheapest, Map Cover USA or Canada, but not both.
Nuvi 200w - 4.3" screen, Cheap, Map Cover USA or Canada, but not both.
Nuvi 250 - 3.5" screen, Map Cover USA, Canada and Pureto Rico
Nuvi 250w - 4.3" screen, Map Cover USA, Canada and Pureto Rico
See the logic here?
So the model with "w" at the end all have 4.3" screen, except for 600, 700 series, even those with no "w", they still have 4.3" screen.
Screen is important. Even if you have good eyes, you still need the bigger screen to see more map, and the on screen keyboard will be less crowded on the bigger screens.
When you upgrade to 300 models or above (300,600,700), you also get Text to Speech on Street Name, So instead of "turn right in 2 miles" on the lower models, the higher models will say "Turn right on Main Street in 2 miles", it will cause less distraction (since you don't have to check the street names on the GPS screen).
Any model ends with 60 or above (e.g. 260, 360, 370, 660) will also have Blue Tooth hands free feature, so you can talk on the phone without picking it up, more driving safety.
Any model above 300 (e.g. 350, 660, 780) will also have MP3, you can listen to mp3 music and audio books, very handly. You may not need GPS guidance for diving to work everyday, but you way want to enrich yourself with MP3 books everyday you drive.
Any model ends wiht 70 (e.g. 270, 370, 670) has map coverage for North America and Western Europe, so you can take your gps with you next time you travel to Paris.
Nuvi 780 even has tracklogs, so you know where you have been. You can check below to see the full editorial review.
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Reviews:| Rating 4.0/5 from 31 reviews | | GARMAN 780 | | Rating: 5/5 2008-09-16 | | JUST THE BEST ON THE MARKET. EASY TO USE LOTS AND LOTS OF INFO TO GET YOU TO WHERE YOU ARE GOING. EASY TO SEE , | | if only it worked it would be worth the money. | | Rating: 1/5 2008-09-15 | for those of you who just want the basic problems without the detail: voice prompt always late, voice often cuts out, routed to wrong destination on several occassions.
want details?? here goes:
well i sneared at my wife's magellan maestro 4250 (i wanted a high end unit & i wanted a Garmin.) so the nuvi 780 price was at the high end of what i was willing to spend. i read over the reviews; it seemed the perfect gps for me. it came about 5 days after i placed the order. it looked and felt great. i loaded some music on it. the playback sounded good. but then it froze. i couldn't shut it off' so i just left it alone until the battery died. i recharged it and everything worked great, except when i made my first trip using it the navigation proved worthless.
so what was wrong you ask?? the navagation prompts were late, not occasionally, but always. let me give you three examples of the late prompts:
a) the 780 prompt, "in .3 miles turn right on 95n _J ...(inaudible)".
well i saw a sign up ahead maybe about .1 of a mile, so i'm thinking that can't be it. But as i get about 100 feet away from the entrance and can now start reading the sign, i realize that's the turn i need to make. thankfully seeing no one was behind me, i was able to brake hard and then make the turn.
b) on the way home, when i was in an area i'm familiar with, i know i have to get to the right and take the next exit. and that's the route that shows on the map (the purple line) and at the top of the screen the next turn 'prompt, and yes i got a prompt about 2 miles back. so as i'm approaching the exit i wondering:am i doing something wrong, am i mistaken about the prompts being late, am i not listening close enough, how could it be that the prompts are late, it 's a garmin, the're the industry leader, when am i going to get a voice prompt for the next turn, i'll pay close attention to make sure it's not me screwing up. so i'm approaching the exit, about 3/10 of a mile away -- no prompt. so i get to the exit, but still no voice prompt. i exit and get to the bottom of the exit ramp, but still no vioce prompt. i go about another 200 feet along the street; now i get a voice prompt to exit right.
3) so i'm going along the street as i mentioned above. i get a voice prompt, "in ??? make a left at foster rd. (i don't remember the distance it gave), but i was about 1/4 of a mile, maybe a more, from foster rd when i got the prompt. so i continut along the street, i get to foster rd and make the left turn. as i'm about 1/2 way through the turn, yes, you guessed it, i get the voice prompt telling me to turn.
unfortunetly still more problems: the several times the unit would route me to the wrong location, i.e.:
i enter a street number for second ave, new york city, new york (i'm entering the data while i'm in staten island, ny.
i basically know where i'm going, except i'm not sure where the specific number address is on second ave. the unit directs me over the vz bridge and onto the gowanus expwy (which is in brooklyn) (so far so good) so i'm on the gowanus expwy and i know i have to continue to the battery tunnel. but the little man that lives inside the garmin 780 prompts me to get off at 36th street exit in brooklyn. now i know that's not right, so after several "recalculating" i shut the gps off and i continued going the way i knew to get to second ave new york city(nyc, as in manhattan). the gps unit was trying to take me to second ave in brooklyn.
garmin tech support -- no help. they told me to download the latest firmware. i checked on the garmin site; my unit already had the latest firmware.
needless to say i'm very disappointed. this i my second garmin unit. the first was an ique 3200 (i think that's the right model number). come to think of it that unit wasn't exactly trouble free either. well i returned the 780 and i am waiting for my refund.
now what unit will i get. well i think i'll get a magellan maestro 4250.
we used it on our trip to fl., to ga. and continously near and around new york. the navagation has always been perfect. the prompts always timely.
the one small problem the voice command function something speake to you when not spoken to. but it gets you to your destination. oh! and it cost about $200 less than the nuvi780.
sometimes less is more.
and one more "Oh." and here goes: Oh! by the way, i'm getting the magellan so i wont have to keep hearing my wife say, "you should have gotten the magellen."
| | Garmin 780 | | Rating: 4/5 2008-09-08 | | Large screen makes it easy to read and see all the detail. Free update of 2009 maps a plus! No ability to select WAAS, but it seems to be accurate to within a few yards. Can't turn sound up without accessing touch screen, could use a scroll volume control like my other Garmin products. The "Where am I now" function is a definite plus! Overall a very good purchase. | | Garmin 780 | | Rating: 4/5 2008-09-07 | I bought Garmin 780 almost a month ago and since then traveled to other states with it. I must say that I am extremely impressed with its quality and accuracy. The only accessories I bought were the screen protector and the leather case. I would highly recommend it to protect your investment.
I think it would be nice to have an easy one-touch button (soft or hard) to return to the navigation screen from any menu/screen instead of going back through multiple menus.
| | Nuvi 780 | | Rating: 5/5 2008-09-05 | | This is a great product, competitively priced through Amazon, probably too expensive if you pay full retail. The bluetooth with my Blackberry didn't work properly, but after a series of emails with their tech support people I downloaded and installed an upgrade to the bluetooth software and now it's fine. Still haven't figured out how to play it through my car radio, even though that should be simple. May require more discussions with them. The MSN add-on (about $10/mo after a free three-month trial) is a must -- traffic alerts work perfectly, weather alerts are useful. |
Editorials:Product DescriptionGPS satellite navigation unit with built-in antenna * car power adapter, USB cable, and built-in rechargeable battery with 5 hours of life * 4.3" touchscreen (480 x 272 pixels) * preloaded with maps for Canada, Puerto Rico, and the entire United States * includes MSN Direct receiver with free 90-day subscription to MSN Direct service included (additional subscription required after trial period) * text-to-speech technology lets voice prompts announce road names over the built-in speaker * Bluetooth technology for making and receiving hands-free calls with your compatible cell phone *
Amazon.com Product Description -- January 8, 2008The nüvi 780 adds enhanced MSN direct content to the multi-destination routing and "Where Am I?" features and gorgeous widescreen display of other nüvi 700s to create a superior navigation device for business as well as casual drivers. As with all nüvis, you get Garmin reliability, the fast satellite lock of an integrated high-sensitivity receiver, a slim, pocket-sized design with a gorgeous display, an easy, intuitive interface, and detailed NAVTEQ maps for the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico with more than 6 million name-searchable points of interest. All of the 700-series navigators also feature a rich array of features including spoken directions in real street names, integrated traffic receivers, MP3 player and photo viewer, and an FM transmitter that will play voice prompts, MP3s, audio books, and more, directly through your vehicle's stereo system. Which nüvi is Best for You?: Click here to see a quick, simple comparison of features for all Garmin nuvi GPS navigators 
Garmin's nüvis pack top of the line features into a slim form factor. |
New Features -- Enhanced MSN Direct Content (3-month free subscription) An integrated receiver allows you to 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 nüvi. 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 device. After that, subscription fees are $49.95 per year, or $129.95 for a lifetime subscription. Multi-Destination Routing
Wider screen lets you see more of what's around. Compare these actual size views of a 3-inch (diagonal) screen
and a 4.3-inch diagonal widescreen
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This lets you enter several spots into the device (day care - supermarket-cleaners - office - day care, for example) and it will plot the fastest route. And once you've found the best router, the "Route Planning" feature lets you save up to 10 different routes, Garmin touts the feature for providing, "the most efficient route for errands, deliveries and sales calls." The feature also makes this an instant essential accessory for anyone who shops garage sales (you know what we're talking about).
A trip log provides an electronic bread crumb trail of up to 10,000 points, so you can see where you've been on the map.
Where Am I? Where's My Car?
The nüvi 700 series is the first to answer two common questions: "Where am I?" and "Where’s my car?"
At any time, with a single tap of the screen, drivers can display their exact latitude and longitude coordinates, the nearest address and intersection, and the closest hospitals, police stations and gas stations. And to help drivers find their car in an unfamiliar spot or vast parking lot, the nüvis in the 700 series automatically mark the position in which they were last removed from the mount. See Better, See More 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.
First Rate Map Data
The nüvi 780 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. Garmin gets its map data from NAVTEQ, a world leader in premium-quality mapping. 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.
Hands-Free Calling
In more and more places, it is becoming illegal to use cell phones while driving without a hands-free kit. The nüvi 780's Bluetooth capability, microphone and speaker lets match it to any bluetooth-capable phone to make hands-free mobile phone calls. Simply dial the phone number with the nüvi's touch screen keypad to make a call on a compatible phone. To answer an incoming call, just tap the screen and speak into the built-in microphone. Making and taking calls on the road has never been easier, or safer. In addition, Garmin makes it a breeze to look-up and dial numbers from your personalized phone book or even tap into your cell phone's call history log.
Garmin Lock
Garmin's patent pending theft prevention system that disables the unit from performing any functions until the user types in a specific 4-digit PIN or takes the unit to a predetermined secure location Easy To Use Interface
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.
Beyond Navigation
Browse your stored pictures with an easy-to-use JPEG viewer. |  A handy MP3 player lets you play songs stored on SD memory cards. |  nüvi accepts custom points of interest (POIs). View larger. |
Navigation is just the beginning. nüvi 780 features travel tools including JPEG picture viewer, MP3 player, world travel clock with time zones, currency converter, measurement converter, calculator and more. It also comes with Garmin Lock, an anti-theft feature, and configurable vehicle icons that let you select car-shaped graphics to show your location on the map.
This device is compatible with optional content plug-ins available via SD card, such as the Garmin Travel Guides and Garmin SaversGuide provide detailed data for attractions and information on nearby merchants offering discounts, so you can customize nüvi for your travel needs.
Garmin has also added the ability for customers to add custom points of interest (POI’s) from third parties such as school zones and safety cameras. Trick Your GPS Ride
Like all nüvis, the 780 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 the integrated FM TMC traffic receiver. The nüvi is designed to receive alerts 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 nüvi's sophisticated automatic routing will get you back on track in no time.
What's in the Box
nüvi 780, Preloaded City Navigator NT for North America*, MSN Direct receiver with integrated vehicle power cable, 3 months free MSN Direct service*, Vehicle suction cup mount*, USB cable, Dashboard disc, Quick start manual
Notes
- Optional software for language translation, detailed travel guides, and savings programs allow you to customize your nüvi to fit your travel needs
- The FM transmitter feature is only available in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand
- This nüvi comes with a free, three-month trial for MSN Direct services.
- Like most USB Mass Storage Devices, the nüvi is not compatible with Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows Me.
Which nüvi is Best for You?
Which nüvi is Best for You?
Note: All nüvis come with detailed NAVTEQ maps containing more than 6 million pre-loaded point of interest locations.
| Screen
Size
inches
(w x h)
| Included Maps
| Text-to-Speech
(Directions in
Real Street
Names)
| Traffic
| Bluetooth
| Media
| FM Transmitter
(audio through
car stereo
system) | Multi-
Point
Routing
| Battery
life
(hours)
| Cont. U.S.,
Hawaii, and
Puerto Rico
| AK and
Canada
| Europe
| | nüvi 200 | 2.8 x 2.1
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| Photos
|
|
| up to 5
| | nüvi 200w | 3.81 x 2.25
| |
|
|
|
|
| Photos
|
|
| up to 5 | | nüvi 250 | 2.8 x 2.1
| | |
|
|
|
| Photos |
|
| up to 5 | | nüvi 250w | 3.81 x 2.25
| | |
|
|
|
| Photos |
|
| up to 5 | | nüvi 260 | 2.8 x 2.1
| | |
| |
|
| Photos |
|
| up to 5 | | nüvi 260w | 3.81 x 2.25 | | |
| |
|
| Photos |
|
| up to 5 | | nüvi 270 | 2.8 x 2.1
| | | |
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|
| Photos |
|
| up to 5 | | nüvi 350 | 2.8 x 2.1
| | |
| | FM (with opt.
receiver) |
| Photos, MP3s
|
|
| up to 8
| | nüvi 360 | 2.8 x 2.1
| | |
| | FM (with opt.
receiver) | | Photos, MP3s |
|
| up to 8 | | nüvi 370 | 2.8 x 2.1 | | | | | FM (receiver
included)
| | Photos, MP3s |
|
| up to 8 | | nüvi 650 | 3.81 x 2.25
| | |
| | FM (with opt.
receiver) |
| Photos, MP3s |
|
| up to 7
| nüvi 660
| 3.81 x 2.25
| | |
| | FM (receiver
included)
| | Photos, MP3s | |
| up to 7 | nüvi 670
| 3.81 x 2.25
| | | | | FM (receiver
included) | | Photos, MP3s | |
| up to 7 | | nüvi 680 | 3.81 x 2.25
| | |
| | MSN (receiver
included;
1-year free);
FM (with opt.
receiver)
| | Photos, MP3s | |
| up to 7 | nüvi 750
| 3.81 x 2.25
| | |
| | MSN-enhanced
(with optional
receiver);
FM (with opt.
receiver)
|
| Photos, MP3s | | | up to 5
| | nüvi 760 | 3.81 x 2.25
| | |
| | MSN-enhanced
(with optional
receiver);
FM (with opt.
receiver) | | Photos, MP3s | | | up to 5 | | nüvi 770 | 3.81 x 2.25
| | | | | MSN-enhanced
(with optional
receiver);
FM (with opt.
receiver) | | Photos, MP3s | | | up to 5 | | nüvi 780 | 3.81 x 2.25 | | |
| | MSN-enhanced
(receiver inc.;
3 months free)
receiver);
FM (with opt.
receiver) | | Photos, MP3s | | | up to 5 | | nüvi 850 | 3.81 x 2.25 | | |
| | MSN-enhanced
(with optional
receiver);
FM (with opt.
receiver) |
| Photos, MP3s | | | up to 4 | nüvi 880
| 3.81 x 2.25 | | | | | MSN-enhanced
(receiver inc.;
3 months free);
FM (with opt.
receiver) | | Photos, MP3s | | | up to 4 | nüvi 5000
| 4.5 x 2.7 | | |
| | MSN-enhanced
(with optional
receiver);
FM (with opt.
receiver) |
|
| | | external
battery
only |
Basic MSN Direct Content Features
|  | Traffic Reports
- Find the best route through traffic. Your GPS device uses MSN Direct traffic data to select the best route for you to avoid traffic congestion.
- Check traffic flow. Know at a glance where to expect slowdowns in traffic.
- Get accident warnings. Receive warnings about accidents, road closures, and construction in the area that may affect you.
|  | Gas Prices
- Compare local gas prices. See a list of recent gas prices in your area and an indication of how recently the prices were reported.
- Find your way to the savings. Once you find the best price in your area, use your navigation system to guide you to the gas station.
|  | Weather Reports
- Stay on top of current conditions. View the current weather conditions in your area, including today's high and low temperatures, chances of precipitation, and more.
- View the three-day forecast, Plan ahead by checking the three-day weather forecast for your area.
- Check weather in other cities. See current weather conditions in major cities across the country.
|  | Movie Times
- Search for a movie. Find the theaters in your coverage area that are showing the movie you want to see.
- See which movies are playing. View which movies are playing in your coverage area or at your favorite theater.
- See show times and get directions. Once you find a show you want to see, check the show times and use your GPS device to guide you to the theater.
| Enhanced MSN Direct Content
|  | Web Favorites (Send custom destinations to your GPS with Live Search Maps)
- Powerful trip planning: Use Live Search Maps on your computer to look up an address, search for a business, or plan a trip
- Choose your favorite location, and then MSN Direct delivers the address, phone number, and more straight to your navigation system.
- Visit Live Search Maps at http://maps.live.com.
|  | Local Events
- See what's happening near you. Find nearby events to see what's happening in your area.
- Find the events that interest you. Browse events sorted by category.
- Search for an event. Get details about a particular event.
|  | Stock Quotes
- Watch the stocks that interest you. Select stocks that you want to keep an eye on, and then see regularly updated stock prices and daily changes.
- Get a little more detail. Touch a stock in your list to see daily highs, lows, and trading volume.
|  | News Headlines
- Browse the headlines at a glance. See breaking news and other major news stories of the day.
- Read more details. Select a headline to read all the details about the news story on your navigation system.
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| MSN Direct Coverage Map -- get detailed info for your Zip Code at the MSN Direct website
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Features:- GPS Navigator Preloaded w/City Navigator North America NT
- 4.3 in Diagonal Touchscreen Display with 2D/3D Mapping Perspective
- Turn by Turn Directions with Voice Guidance/ Text to Speech Feature
- Includes MSN Direct Receiver with Version 2
- 1.8 Lbs (WxLxH) 0.8" x 4.8" x 2.8"
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