Best Entry Level GPS device
Written: Aug 10 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: - WAAS Auto route
- Downloadable maps
- Ease of use
- $$$ Value
Cons: - OK, 19Mb not sufficient in all cases
- Download speed is, well, slow!
The Bottom Line: Solid quality, ease of use and VALUE!!!!
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| justintymne's Full Review: Garmin GPS V GPS Receiver |
My needs:
1) In car dash mounted GPS device for summer road trips
2) Limited budget (yes, I'd love a Street Pilot 2650....but)
3) Must have WAAS and Auto route recalculation
4) Downloadable, Street level mapping
5) Higher resolution screen than handhelds (need not be color)
6) No additional cost for mapping software, in car adaptor, dash mount, cables.
Choices: not much, GPS V fits the bill perfectly!
Paid a little over US$300 and with free upgrade to Map Source V6.0. Build quality is quite excellent, considering it is made in Taiwan.
Took the unit to Florida for a week long trip. This unit is amazing. Apart from the really tight exits e.g. exiting Orlando International car park, the GPS V has been really accurate.
Surprised to find both a permanent and removable mounting surface included. The latter is great if you are using the device in a rental car!
90% of the time, my destinations can be found via the "Points of Interest" menu. There is no need to punch in an address. Need to go to your hotel? Just select "Lodgings" and enter "H", "O" and you will see all the Holiday Inns listed (prior map download required). Just scroll to the one you want and hit "GOTO". GPS V is ready to navigate in around 10 seconds.
Unit will beep you when the next turn is about 1.5 miles ahead and the screen will flip to a zoomed in mode as you approach the turn. Very neat and the driver does not really need to take his/her eyes off the road. A quick glance is enough. It will also count down the seconds before you reach the turn, in case one couldn't figure out the distance 8^)
Connecting to the 12V cigarette outlet allows you to maintain constant back lit display without the fear of running down the alkaline batteries. A great bonus at night or under direct sunlight.
I was able to fit 3/4 of Florida into the 19Mb memory. For my intent and purposes, this is enough. Downloading took 35 minutes, which is definitely long. But if you do it ahead of your trip, this shouldn't be a problem.
Autoroute took about 40 seconds to recalculate when I missed a turn near Disney World. But since I am stuck in traffic, it really doesn't matter.
For the price I am paying and the fact that this is my first GPS, I am very satisfied. Plus I am eligible to upgrade to Map Source V6.0 for free. NICE!
Treat this as an entry level GPS and you won't be disappointed. The new "Quest" sure addresses most if not all the drawbacks of the GPS V, but with it's tall entry price and hmmmm, rechargeable battery pack instead of AA's? Sure makes the GPS V an amazing choice.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
justintymne
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Reviews written: 2
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