First Experience with a GPS Device is Good So Far

I had been wanting a GPS Navigator for quite a while but they were so expensive.  When I bought my car, it was a $1,900 option and portables started at around $400 for entry-level, so I stayed with map books and MapQuest printouts.  After reading about the Garmin models in Consumer Reports and on this site, I decided to go for it.  I drive to less-familiar areas for work and sometimes stay a night or two out of my area, and after wandering around for about a half an hour and then finally paying $2.99 for one day's access to GPS on my cell phone, it made sense to get portable navigation.

The main features I wanted were spoken street names and a travel guide for points of interest like gas stations, restaurants, etc.  I didn't care too much about traffic info, weather and that other stuff, but I am trying it out for free with the one year of included MSN service.

I bought a refurbished unit on Amazon for around $195 and it is in almost brand new condition.  There is one tiny scratch on the casing (not the screen) that is only noticeable if you look for it.  It came with the suction mount, self-adhesive mounting disc, car power adapter, software and a case.

The screen is very bright and easy to read even in sunlight.  The touch-screen sensitivity is good, it responds quickly to user prompts.  The mounting bracket works well and is quite manueverable.  The only problem was being in California, it is illegal to mount anything to the windshield, so I had to find a spot on the dash. This actually makes it less safe to use and view because I have to look down to use it (defying the instructions on the start-screen to not use while driving the vehicle).  I ordered a dashboard friction mount that should be arriving any day now.  The power cord plugs into the back of the mounting bracket which requires that the antenna be opened.  There is no separate power input on the unit itself.  This means that you need to be very careful not to lose or damage the mounting clip that snaps onto the unit.

The unit takes longer than I would like to go from being powered up to "navigation ready."  A lot of this will depend on how strong and clear the satellite signal is.  For example, it will not find the satellites or show a map when I am parked under my aluminum carport.  Sometimes I want to just park in the open somewhere and hold the unit out my window until it acquires the signal.  On average, it takes about two full minutes to go from power up to "ready to navigate."  This is much longer than it sounds if you think you can simply get in your car and go somewhere in an unknown neighborhood, particularly if there is nowhere to pull over or park until the unit is ready.

Entering addresses and place names is pretty simple and straight-forward, but it is hard to get used to the alphabetical placement of the letters.  They are not in standard keyboard layout.  Entering symbols is cumbersome as well because you have to put the keyboard in symbol mode, enter your symbol, and then go back to letter or number mode.  This can be very dangerous if attempted while driving.  The key is to plan trips ahead of time when possible and pre-save your desitnations into the "Favorites" menu.  The Favorites function is great because you can enter an address and very quickly save it, name it and navigate to it.  If you save a point of interest from the preloaded travel guide, the name is already there for you.

The other functions I have tried work well also.  I haven't tried the Bluetooth for my cellphone yet.  The MP3 player works great, but on short trips, the constant interruption of the voice prompts can get annoying if you leave them on (which is the point of having the thing in the first place!).  Like I said, I am trying the MSN service for a year and will decide if it's worth it to pay for it (currently $49.00/year or $129.99 one-time).  The MSN service is what provides traffic info, weather, gas station info (with prices) and movie info.  These services work pretty well, but if you don't use the GPS unit for a few days (with it plugged into the cigarette lighter) it has to reload all of that MSN info, which can take anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes depending on coverage and signal.  The power adapter is where the MSN info is received, so that info is not available if you run the GPS on the internal battery.

The GPS unit easily connects to a PC via USB and shows up as two separate removable drives, one for the internal memory and one for the flash memory (SD) card slot.  Transfer of data is very slow, however.  If you want to put music and pictures onto an SD card, it is MUCH faster to use a card reader if possible.  Just be sure the card is formatted with the proper folders so the GPS unit can find the data.

The voice prompts are pretty clear and can be set to warn you ahead of time that you need to make a turn, for example "In .3 miles, turn left onto North Main Street."  Then when you get to the street, it tells you to make that turn.  If you miss a turn, the unit is pretty quick to recalculate your route.

Navigation has been accurate so far.  I have noticed some differences in the routes it recommends versus the routes I generally take, but they are not wrong directions.

There are a lot of settings that can be customized to your personal preference, such as the icon that represents your car (it can even be a piece of pizza!), the voice, screen brightness (day and night), volume, ratio of voice volume to music (if listening to MP3s), etc.  You can also use the audio output to listen to the directions and music on your car stereo if you have the proper car stereo input.  There are also many available updates to the maps, travel guide and the software itself.  The map and travel guide updates must be purchased but I can't see them going out of date very often.

As others have stated, it is a good idea to store the unit and all of the mounting pieces out of sight when leaving your vehicle.  Just like any other highly portable electronic device, it can be a desireable target for thieves.  This makes it sort of a pain for short trips having to take it out and mount it, and then unmount it and put it away, but that is much better than the alternative.

All in all I am happy with the Nuvi 680 and would recommend it.  I look forward to using it more and more as well as taking it with me in other people's cars when I am a passenger.