I dread driving. Part of it is that I get lost very easily (I assume I get this from my father, but lately HE's been better with directions than I've been, and on my most recent trip home, I made a wrong turn back from the grocery store).
Thus the Garmin.
I've had it for only a couple of days and I'm already really happy with it.
- It is really small and portable, so I can carry it around. Not that I do much random walking, but I like the fact that I can play with it in the comfort of my home, unlike built in units that have to be played with in the car.
- It came with a USB cable for software updates and hard disk use (MP3's, pictures). The unit came with a free update but I hear later updates are expensive ($70?).
- Satellite pickup is excellent. The worst case was about 15 sec, but usually it acquires a signal in just 1-2 seconds.
- It has really good data input. I can usually get an address entered in less than a minute.
- There are lots of pre-loaded business names/addresses, and lots of local presets (hospitals, restaurants, parks/recreation, stores).
- The Nuvi does give verbal commands, but unlike everything I've read, mine does not speak the actual street names. However, the verbal prompts are excellent, and if I need to know the street name it is printed in large characters on the top of the screen. [Update: I had to set the text from the default female voice to "English - Jill TTS". Apparently only the voices marked "TTS" can speak the street name. English Jill doesn't speak as fluently and naturally as the default voice but getting the street names spoken aloud is a real plus. ]
- It has a mode where you can "virtually" drive to the destination. The bad part is that it only displays in real time, but you can hit the turn-by-turn button and work through all of the turns in the trip.
- The lower right corner gives you the number of miles/feet to the next turn. For whatever reason, knowing how far it is to the next turn is a big source of concern for me.
- As I come up to a turn, if I'm not sure of the verbal prompt, the visual display is clearly marked and color coded. But I'm getting better with more use. I now know that, when the unit says to "Turn Here", not to slam on the brakes to make the random driveway that happens to be there. I know to wait the 200 ft to the next real intersection.
- The voice prompts are easily audible even when the radio is on fairly loud.
- I like the windshield mount better than built in units (where you have to look down). I doubt I really need to watch the screen and could go totally with the prompts, but it's reassuring to just turn my eyes slightly and get the info without having to take my eyes off the road.
- Battery life is supposedly up to 8 hours, but it also came with a car cable. As I'm writing this, I'm "virtually" going to Flagstaff AZ, a 2.5 hour "drive", and hopefully the fully charged battery will get me there.
- I took it out on a test drive yesterday. The first location was about 7 miles away and I already knew where it was. It worked great but oddly put me in a strip mall across the street from my destination. So I passed it, and it then told me to do an immediate U-turn and then put me where I wanted to go, on the proper side of the street. Weird but at least it got me there. The next place I picked was somewhere I didn't already know, but knew it was near the historic area of Scottsdale, where the streets are really screwey. It got me there without any problems, and then got me back home in a faster route than I would have taken on my own.
So what do I need a GPS for, since I never leave home and always get my roomie to drive?
- I'm hoping it will free up my roomie from the whole "Driving Miss Daisy" lifestyle.
- I want to visit some local parks and do some painting en plein aire.
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I want to visit some of the local art museums. Some are downtown and I hate driving there because I get lost so easily.
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Who knows what the economic future is. I might have to eventually work Agency nursing and work at multiple hospitals.
And besides, I just love gadgets!
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