What is so great about the new models?

 

I have a Nuvi 350 that performs great, however, I see there are numerous new models available. What are the attractions to all the new models? What features do they have that are really beneficial? At some point I will give my 350 to my wife and buy another model but I am not sure exactly what I am missing. Thanks

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I tripped going up the escalator and I fell for an hour and a half!

Compare them on Garmin Site

Check the ones you want to compare and click the compare button:
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=134

If you want to add your Nuvi 350 to the lineup, just append the following to the URL:

&compareProduct=31655

I have a 350 too and I'd really like to be able to record tracks (where I've been). Bluetooth would be nice to have too.

Edit:
Now that I think of it more, what I'd really, really want over what the Nuvi 350 gives me is faster booting time, a more sensitive receiver and faster satellite lock. Unfortunately the Garmin site doesn't really compare those specs. A saw on this form somewhere that some of the newer models have a faster processor in them. Maybe the boot time will be shorter?

Thank you for your response.

Thank you for your response. With so many available I wasn't sure what features were beneficial. I think response time is very important but I don't know how to verify that. I guess if I ask 50 people which one they like they will all like the one they have. I wish I knew which was the best of the best.

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I tripped going up the escalator and I fell for an hour and a half!

I have used 350, then 680,

I have used 350, then 680, then 760. Here is my opinion from one unit to the next.

350-> 680 is completely ... revolutionary. Being in California where talking without handsfree is illegal, bluetooth is awesome. Caller ID on GPS screen, being able to use phonebook and call log all on the GPS screen, answer the phone without ever taking the phone out of my pocket. This combined with the bigger screen and traffic alert. Yes the traffic alert is not always accurate, but at least I have a "heads-up". I do not go by traffic on the GPS as bible, but I do take it under advisement.

Going from 680 to 760 though, sometimes I feel like going a step back, but there are some improvements. First, 680 has the MSN direct, whereas 760 only has the FM for traffic. I took the MSN cable from the 680 and using it for 760, so now my MSN direct has extra features such as News, etc, which is neat, but can do without. One thing I miss from 680 is the 2-touch to get to traffic that I can do without looking at the screen since it is just at 2 corners of the screen. With the 760 it is a 4 touch operation all over the screen. The volume on the speaker is not as sharp as the 680. However the greatest improvement in my opinion is the loading time. I think the loading time is about 15 seconds for me. The unit also looks sleeker.

So, in summary, I think the 3xx needs to be retired, and I would not be able to go back to it. However the 6xx and the 7xx should still be very much equally usable for a while, until something cooler comes along.

Great, thanks for sharing.

Great, thanks for sharing. How do you get a phone book in the 680? Do you just have to create it?

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I tripped going up the escalator and I fell for an hour and a half!

bumped

bumped

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Using Android Based GPS.The above post and my sig reflects my own opinions, expressed for the purpose of informing or inspiring, not commanding. Naturally, you are free to reject or embrace whatever you read.

bpa5152 wrote: I have a

bpa5152 wrote:

I have a Nuvi 350 that performs great, however, I see there are numerous new models available. What are the attractions to all the new models? What features do they have that are really beneficial? At some point I will give my 350 to my wife and buy another model but I am not sure exactly what I am missing. Thanks

Just be sure to be a wise shopper and compare all GPSr's out there. Life goes on beyond Garmin and at a better price also.

Wait for Black Friday to buy any GPSr at this point, there will be some very interesting pricing this year, as the GPSr manufactures position themselves with new features to make a run on Garmin.

Bob

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Using Android Based GPS.The above post and my sig reflects my own opinions, expressed for the purpose of informing or inspiring, not commanding. Naturally, you are free to reject or embrace whatever you read.

The 700 series did not

The 700 series did not justify the price point. I got a 670 for my mother, and it is great.

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Garmin Nuvi 660;Garmin GPS III+ (Biking, Hiking); Toyota Camry Hybrid with Navigation

Is there any charge for the

Is there any charge for the traffic feature or do you just buy special equipment?

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I tripped going up the escalator and I fell for an hour and a half!

phone book

bpa5152 wrote:

Great, thanks for sharing. How do you get a phone book in the 680? Do you just have to create it?

It's the same phone book that's on your cellphone (as long as your phone support phonebook thru bluetooth)

Garmin nuvi 680, is delivered with the msn receiver

bpa5152 wrote:

Is there any charge for the traffic feature or do you just buy special equipment?

Garmin nuvi 680, is delivered with the msn receiver and integrates MSN Direct services which it receives via FM radio signal. MSN Direct offers weather, movie times, gas prices and traffic. The first year is free; after that, MSN Direct service is $49.95 per year or $129.95 for the lifetime of the device.

Bob

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Using Android Based GPS.The above post and my sig reflects my own opinions, expressed for the purpose of informing or inspiring, not commanding. Naturally, you are free to reject or embrace whatever you read.

255W

I originally sought out to buy the Nuvi 760, but asked myself “Do I really need Bluetooth?” (I don’t even answer my phone when I’m sitting at home on the couch) “Do I need to add multiple destinations and have them automatically sorted?” (No, I don’t) So, I opted for the Nuvi 255w with the new info/screen layout and faster refresh rate. I do not regret my decision. Also, since the 255W has been out for a while, it can be found a a very good price compared to the MSRP of the other new units that are about to hit the market.

Bluetooth and phone function

Bluetooth and phone function is very nice as a function IMO. I have not seen the newest models, but heard that reality view was coming to Garmin units. Does anyone have the latest and greatest with reality view? sv

To add, the phone book from the cell phone automatically gets imported to the GPS when connected. Cool!

To add again, sorry, the reality view is skated to come out in the fall's units, annotated with a "T". Along with the RV feature, some state free ttraffic for life. My 660 costs $60 a year, and in Dallas, it is worth that money, BUT it sure would be nice to have the RV and lifetime traffic. The reality view on my Navigon is so geeky and cool, the Garmin people are right in adding it in. You will love it!

That is why there are so many models..

As you see from the comments we are very different in what we want and use our units for. I drive in the midwest mostly, and "rush hour" is your weekly commute time smile. I do like my msn for weather and gas. Wichita doesn't yet have traffic but may soon. I do not use the mp3 much or bluetooth because I already have a hands free device in the truck.

Lane assist - I will wait and see how good it is. We all know Navteq and how their maps are - how am I going to rely on something that I don't always have much faith in. I like that the Garmin will say left or right exit, and then I look at the traffic signs for the lane. You don't always have time to look at the screen.

Most of my friends that have gps have a garmin. They are not all "geeks," but want good directions and navigation, simple interface to use with a clear screen and voice. I hope that all the new "features" do not take away from what made them good.

Daniel

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Garmin StreetPilot c580 & Nuvi 760 - Member 32160 - Traveling in Kansas

Also depends on personal style

For example, I thought bluetooth on my 370 was great, until I kept bringing it in the house and forgetting to disable the bluetooth, so call cell phone calls went to the garmin. Then when I would get back in the car, I would forget to reenable. My wife, who is much cleverer, already lives with her Spock ears bluetooth, so the GPS bluetooth isn't important to her.

So in buying a new GPS 6 months ago (after clever wife lost the 370), I went for the 255W. Has done all I actually wanted. Of course now I see the announced 275W which would have been better for me, but that is the nature of electronics.

Neal

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Nuvi 255W/European SD card

No support from Garmin

I might suggest you read the 7 pages of problems with the 7XX series Garmin units plus the previous links about the issues and how long they have left us, their customers, hung out before you even consider buying a Garmin product. I have gone from the end of June and my unit is still not worth even hauling around in my car, and it is now October. If I need a GPS, I use my Nuvi 350.

Maybe after they make things right for this group you could carefully consider buying a new Garmin.

"For example, I thought

"For example, I thought bluetooth on my 370 was great, until I kept bringing it in the house and forgetting to disable the bluetooth"

Why do you leave it on after travelling and bringing the GPS inside the house? Just asking. sv

Can anyone comment on the

Can anyone comment on the voice command feature on the high end models. Somehow I can't see that working too well in a noisy car.

On the 880, I always have to

On the 880, I always have to turn down the radio for the unit to respond to my commands, so if you have a noisy car. Forget it....

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NickJr Nuvi 3597LMT

850 Nuvi voice works fine.

Unless I have the radio really loud or the windows down, I have no problems with voice control. My mount is stuck to the window and the unit slightly turned to the drivers seat and it is located mid dash.

Nuvi 350

If you use your GPS primarily for basic navigation to get from point A to point B, your Nuvi 350 is as good as anything out there. All the other features are frosting. What is essential to one person may have no use to another.

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Garmin Nuvi 750 & c530 with RT's vol. mod., Vulcan Nomad

.

I'm just waiting to start hearing the complaints about the new "lane assist" feature.

If Garmin can't even get some streets correct, how well do you think they are gonna handle actual lane guidance.

I can picture the complaints now. "I was driving to Chicago and the Garmin told me to be in the second lane, so I stayed in the second lane. But that lane took me to California."

New features...but what got cut out?

javafool wrote:

I might suggest you read the 7 pages of problems with the 7XX series Garmin units plus the previous links about the issues and how long they have left us, their customers, hung out before you even consider buying a Garmin product.

Agreed 100%. I am sticking with my v3.20 760 until the new features and the new units themselves are tried and tested. Although the new features in the new models are tempting (as always), I'd like to see how they actually work in daily use.

And like Garmin always does, they add new features but at the same time cut out other features they themselves (rather than the end-user) deem "not useful". I wonder what they have cut out of the new 7x5T models... rolleyes

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nuvi 760, nuvi 765T, nuvi 855, nuvi 3790LMT, nuvi 3490LMT - SoCal area

Nothing

bpa5152 wrote:

I have a Nuvi 350 that performs great, however, I see there are numerous new models available. What are the attractions to all the new models? What features do they have that are really beneficial? At some point I will give my 350 to my wife and buy another model but I am not sure exactly what I am missing. Thanks

If you are perfectly happy with the 350 you are not missing anything. IMHO all the other stuff is nothing but bells and whistles for the children among us.

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"Ceterum autem censeo, Carthaginem esse delendam" “When governments fear the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny.”

Love My 680

Still love my 680. It's clear, concise and does everything I need. smile

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StreetPilot III,Nuvi680,3790LMT

Phone dependent

calrayray wrote:
bpa5152 wrote:

Great, thanks for sharing. How do you get a phone book in the 680? Do you just have to create it?

It's the same phone book that's on your cellphone (as long as your phone support phonebook thru bluetooth)

Yep, it's totally phone dependent. My Samsung SCH-a930 worked fine with my nüvi 760 but didn't push the phone book to the unit. I gave that phone to my wife and got a Motorola V750. It pushes the entire phone book to the nüvi.

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GPSMAP 76CSx - nüvi 760 - nüvi 200 - GPSMAP 78S