Quirky But Good

The Garmin NUVI 750 is not one of the newest units offered by the GPS-market leader.  I have it piano black although, I believe, it comes in other colors as well.  Overall, it's a solid performer but it does have its drawbacks.

In the past sixteen months, I have regularly used this unit for directions to places I honestly had no clue as to their whereabouts.  Fifteen times, out of a potential several hundred, the unit directed me somewhere totally unrelated to my input destination.  Changing destinations, especially when searching or locating a locale in a different state, has far too many steps involved.  The number of screen presses should have been drastically minimized and could, and Garmin warns of the unit's use while driving, distract many drivers from the road in front of them.  All of the other, majority, of the times, it was pretty spot on.  So, for its GPS capabilities, it's a good unit.

The software, which may be updated free by using the Garmin Updater software from your PC also promises to keep the unit up-to-date with the latest from Garmin.  Keep in mind - This does NOT update the maps on the device (That's a fee-based, annual service) and only manages your Nuvi's OS.  Its process is pretty straightforward and the user interface is easy to use and navigate through.

Personally, I have had my software go bonkers more than a few times.  All of a sudden, while driving, the voice prompts will be lost.  Other times, the screen has gone blank.  While annoying and potentially travel-ruining, these issues were rectified when I reinstalled the software so it wasn't all for naught.

Installation can take the form of either a disc mount (suction cup to disc) on the dash or may be suctioned directly to the windshield.  I prefer the dash mount solution as the cord, if used, hangs clumsily from the windshield and can be more streamlined from the dash to your car's power source.

No matter where I installed the disc and, therefore, the unit, the glare on the windshield's interior is dreadful; and I mean REALLY bad!  I called Garmin USA to explain this and the only advice they could offer was to turn the brightness down on the device - Believe me, that will not work for you as it hasn't for me.  As the unit is, generally, mounted in your indirect line of vision, you will get an awful glare that impedes your sight, especially at night, even greater.  It's not a dangerous situation, at least in my experience, but could become overbearing to some.  Just make note of it as it's pretty hard to demonstrate this fact in-store before you buy.

The battery life is abysmal and you'll be lucky to get around the city without the need to plug it in.  While I expected this, they could have developed a battery source that gets better life - Since the battery is internal (think iPod) and not user serviceable, there is no hope for an extended battery or replacement.  Which brings up the issue of charging.  Now here's where Garmin completely left out a fairly basic feature found on almost every electronic device known to man - You have absolutely no clue, or indication, that your unit is being charged.  There is no blinking light(s), no on-screen indicator...Nothing.  You simply have to "trust" your unit is being charged.  Some vehicles' charging system shuts off when the ignition is killed - Other's, like my wife's Explorer, do not.  If you have a vehicle for which you are unsure, the Garmin's lack of charging indication won't help you out at all.

The touch screen is easily viewable, solidly constructed, and, well, pretty.  But be prepared to press it relatively hard in order to select the options you need - Often times, this moves the entire unit on its swivel stand and you need to reposition it.

A nice feature of the screen is that it automatically changes from day mode to night mode based on the unit's internal clock - It's cool (the screen's background changes from light to dark - Black actually) but its really just an aesthetic pleasure and not very functional in my opinion. 

As you may realize, Garmin isn't the cheapest in the industry when it comes to their hardware.   But their reputation and domination does assure the consumer that these units are easily serviceable and stood behind by Garmin.