Perfect for those of us who are not exactly good with directions

Why a GPS?
Christmas (2005) comes around and my parents ask me over and over what I want this year and I realize that I no longer have a huge list of toys and video games as I did when I was younger. So I gave it a lot of thought and finally decided that I would ask for something that I could use over and over again and not get tired of. I thought, "a GPS would be perfect for me" as I had just started college in a city about 2 hours away from home. I couldn't even count the number of times I got lost on the way there; and once I did get there, I didn't know where anything was. So a GPS that would go in my car would be absolutely ideal.

Why a Garmin StreetPilot c330?
After I had made up my mind to ask for a GPS, I decided to go online to look at the different models. I saw plenty that were very attractive, but also ridiculously expensive. They had all of these extra features that I knew I wouldn't use...like bluetooth connectivity (I can just as easily pull out my cell phone to make a call) or MP3 capabilities (I already have a radio and plenty of cd's).

Finally, I narrowed down my search to either a Garmin StreetPilot c330, a Garmin StreetPilot c340, or a TomTom GO 300. While the Garmin StreetPilot c340 did offer a convenient text-to-voice command to actually speak street names, I didn't think it was worth the extra $100 or so. The final decision came down to price and design...the Garmin StreetPilot c330 was about $50 more expensive and didn't look as cool. So it was settled, I would get the Garmin StreetPilot c330 at Best Buy for about $600.

Is it worth it?
Absolutely. The Garmin StreetPilot c330 is not overly expensive and it is perfect for a teenager who hasn't been driving for a long time or even an adult who thinks he or she knows where everything is. It is invaluable when going on vacation or on business trips. It doesn't take long for the GPS to connect to satellites, so you can be on your way in almost no time. The unit provides over 5 million points of interest from all over the US ranging from gas stations, hotels, restaurants, shopping locations, and plenty of other entertainment/attractions that you may not have been aware of.

With its simple touch screen design, the user can select "Where to?" to access a variety of options to get them where they want to go or he or she can just choose to "View map" to get a better of idea of where they are. The display is wonderfully lit and easy to read, it even switches to "night mode" automatically to reduce the brightness that may be distracting while travelling at night.

The directions given to you by the unit are usually very precise. The screen gives you a 3 dimensional view of the road with an arrow to guide you along. Even if you miss your turn, the unit will quickly recalculate a route to get you back on track as quickly as possible. Of course there is a pleasant voice to instruct you to turn in x feet as well. At the end of your route, it's a wonderful sound to hear "Arriving at destination". You can select the voice to speak in a number of different languages, so it is useful for everyone.

The package containing the GPS unit also includes a vehicle suction cup mount with an integrated 12-24 volt adapter cable, a dashboard disk, a USB interface cable, and a quick reference guide. The unit easily connects to the vehicle suction cup mount, which can be placed on your car's windshield wherever you so desire; just plug it into the cigarette lighter or some other outlet your car may have. The dashboard disk is for those who would rather have the unit mounted directly on the dashboard and not up on the windshield. The USB interface cable is used to connect the unit to your computer so you can download custom points of interest, such as red light camera positions or school zones-you can even customize it to sound an alert if you are traveling too fast in these areas.

Because the unit is not the least bit bulky or complicated to hook up, it can easily be transferred from one vehicle to the other. You don't have to be in your car to use it though, the unit has a battery that will last up to 8 hours...you need only make sure its fully charged. You can let your friends borrow it too; just give them a quick overview of how to use it and they are set...just make sure they are responsible enough to look after it.

Overall, I am extremely happy with the GPS because it is very easy to use (even right out of the box), the directions are accurate, it is very portable, and it makes my car look fancier than it really is. It has allowed me to find my way to and from school and has helped me find a lot of cool places and restaurants. I wouldn't give second thought to traveling to the beach (except maybe with gas prices the way they are now) because I know the StreetPilot could get me there as efficiently as possible. I wouldn't recommend leaving it in your car at all times though, you wouldn't want it to get stolen.

Minor issues
While the Garmin StreetPilot c330 performs flawlessly most of the time, I have on occasion had it freeze up while on my route. I'm not sure why it does it, but it can be a little annoying. To reset it, you have to take off the faceplate via a small indentation at the top of the unit...and then press a very small button. It quickly reloads and your route will be waiting for you like nothing ever happened.

Another small problem is that the screen can be a little hard to read in direct sunlight, but you don't absolutely need to look at the screen because the voice will guide you along just as good.

Also, while the screen is not too small and not too big, you may find yourself pressing the wrong letter when spelling the name of something out on screen since the letters are pretty close together. But there is a backspace button, so you won't have to start all the way over.

Anyways, all are just minor inconveniences.