Pros: Perfect GPS Function, Integrated Bluetooth, MP3, Audiobook, FM transmitter, Traffic, and EVERYTHING ELSE!
Cons: $650.00 price is not for all, but I wouldn't settle for less at any price.
The Bottom Line: I am amazed/ love it. Check out the new 7XX series in sep/oct 2007 to see if you need new features, but I still choose the 680 over the 7XX.
hammerhead's Full Review: Garmin nuvi 680 Car GPS Receiver
As an avid RV'er, I wanted a GPS for many reasons. It's nice to have a "pleasant" female voice gently giving directions. It never once used a 4 letter word or called me a name for not stopping for directions. My current WNS (wife navigation system) is FAR inferior in these regards and so many more.
1: The door to door GPS functionality is the best I have ever seen. Nuvi almost never misses, even which side of the street the destination is on. If perfect GPS ability is what you need, ANY garmin will do, but be sure you get the new 2008 map version when you purchase. If not, they are offering a free upgrade for the next couple of months on some models including the Nuvi 680, but it's better to have the latest maps ready from the box.
2: POI's x 6,500,000 !!!!!!!! Nuvi 680 packs a true "points of interest" wallop! When you need to know where the nearest ANYTHING is, just ask the Nuvi. Food, Hotel, Recreation, Hospital, Doctor, Vet for Fido, Tourist attraction, Campground, and just about anything else you could possibly imagine. After you make your selection, just press "Go" and you're on your way. So simple. If you just get totally lost and give up, just press "go home" and Nuvi 680 will take you straight there. FROM ANYWHERE IN AMERICA.
3: Waypoints, 500 of them. Store your favorite spots. When you leave your car in the mall parking lot, take Nuvi with you, but first, save your location with a touch. It will walk you right to your car! (within about 10 yards, but even I can find my car from that range) I can save my favorite camping spots, fishing spots, and as a salesman by trade, I can save my customer's addresses. This may sound silly, but I have found short cuts to customers and points around town and I have lived in the same area for 11 years!
4: MP3 player: I though this would be a not very important nice little touch. I could have hardly been more wrong. I bought a WHOPPING 4GB SD card (about $50.00) and loaded my favorite 425 songs! (That didn't even fill the card 1/2 way up) While the Nuvi has an FM transmitter to play through the car stereo, here is a little trade secret! Many new cars have an "AUX input" for plugging in MP3 players and IPods. Radio Shack sells a $6.99 wire that can plug into the earphone jack of the Nuvi, and into the AUX jack on your car stereo for INCREDIBLE sound quality. If your car is older, and you don't mind doing a bit of work, most all car stereos have an AUX input jack. It's just usually behind the unit so you have to plug it in by going behind the dash and running the wire to the front. The advantage of using the wire direct connect is that you NEVER have to worry about FM signal interference around town. You always have clear crisp sound. Music can be played by title, artist, album, genre, and play all.
5: Integration Bluetooth! Nuvi paired simply and quickly with my Motorola Razor. Nuvi also stored my phonebook, and recent calls. Just press the PHONE Icon and either dial a number or press "phonebook" then hit call. Nuvi puts the music on hold and plays the phone call through the car speakers so you can turn up the volume to actually hear the person you are talking to! No more holding the cell phone in speaker mode 6 inches from your head because of road noise. No more "hold on while I turn the music off." Imagine that! I have used this feature A LOT and the people I am speaking with say the voice quality is as good as any high end bluetooth earpiece. When the call ends, the music comes back on RIGHT WHERE YOU LEFT OFF! COOL!
6: Integration "Text to Speech" capability: When on the phone, all Nuvi voice prompts are silenced. As soon as you hang up the call, voice prompts return. While playing music, songs pause while Nuvi gives voice directions then songs resume. Text to Speech means that Nuvi actually READS the map and speaks the street names for you. You get "In .1 miles turn left on Baker Street" instead of just "turn left in .1 miles" This, of course, while you can clearly see baker street and all other nearby streets and intersections with labels on the BIG 4.5" map screen.
7: Everything Else:
Nuvi 680 has an included 1 year subscription to MSN Direct. Useful if you live in a current coverage area. Here in ATL it's actually pretty nice to have. If this feature becomes popular, MSN will continue to expand coverage nationwide over time, but this feature is truly limited to about 120 service areas nation wide as of August 2007. A lot of potential, but wait and see. MSN Direct is NOT a reason to purchase Nuvi 680.
Nuvi 680 plays audio books just like MP3's
Nuvi 680 battery life is extended if you are in your hotel room using it as an MP3 player because when the antenna is folded down, GPS power drain is turned off.
>>The screen automatically changes to "night mode" at dusk and is thus easier to use at night.
Extra's can be added such as "Fodor's North America Travel Guide" so you can not only know where the nearest restaraunt is, but you can also know what type of food is served, and whether or not it's fit to eat!
POI's can be added via the free garmin POI loader software. Look on line for several sites that offer free or low cost POI databases for everything from traffic lights with speed cameras to state and federal parks.
There is so much like about this unit. Garmin has already announced the next version. The Nuvi 7XX series. These will be out in Sept / Oct of 2007 and will have a few additional routing features and ability to save routes, but the antenna is built in, and thus can not be shut off to conserve power when you don't need GPS (sitting in a camp chair with the Nuvi in my pocket listening to MP3's while relaxing by a stream with a beverage) Also, it will remain to be seen whether the next generation will have the same level of absolute flawless performance. Knowing Garmin, it likely will, but for me, I have what I want, and wouldn't trade up to the next model if it was a free trade. The Nuvi 680 is the GPS I plan to use for the long haul.
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