7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
GOOD FIRST GPS
Date of Review: Sep 28, 2005
The Bottom Line: Ease of operation, included accessories = a very good choice. I can't compare it to another unit with firsthand experience, only what I have observed from other peoples GPS's.
I like to travel by motorcycle. That means that I am usually alone, and even when I'm not, you can't exactly break out a map at any time. Traveling by motorcycle also means you are limited to what you can carry. More local area maps means less space for other things. I needed a GPS that was weather-resistant and small in size, but with a legible screen for outside use. This narrowed my choices down considerably!
After much research on epinions, as well as asking other motorcycle forums what their experiences were, I narrowed my choices down to 3 Garmin units. These were the GPSMAP 276C, the 2610, and the Quest.
Memory: I was initially worried that 115MB of memory would not be sufficient for a GPS used for long distance traveling. Wrong! I have most of the South-Eastern US loaded, from just south of Atlanta to just north of Miami west to Lake Charles, LA (not including New Orleans). I also have a small section of upper South Carolina and lower North Carolina. Unless you are a traveling salesman, truck-driver, or in some other profession that would require street level maps of the ENTIRE US, the Quest has plenty of memory.
Size: This is by far the smallest of my three choices. Just under 5 inches wide by 3 inches tall, and only about one inch thick.
Screen: The screen size is smaller than the 2610 and the 276C, but still very legible. I have only used my Quest during the daytime so far. I have noticed, however, that I have better clarity in brighter light when running off the battery. I will post an update after I use the unit at night. The screen is not as legible as that of the 276C (which is the best in my opinion), but it's better than that of the 2610.
Ease of use: I had no problem loading the "included" street-level CD onto my laptop. As far as planning a route, I find it kind of confusing. I am still learning though. I have had better results by typing in a physical address than a places name. Physical addresses don't change very often:).
The Quest comes with the street level CD and a kit for mounting it in an auto. With the 276C and the 2610, you have to decide which is more important to be included, and which "accessories" you would rather purchase separately.
Gander Mountain
