Street Pilot c530 to Nuvi 855

Recently, I made the switch from the Street Pilot to the Nuvi. I liked the Street Pilot but that model does not announce street names and, for me, that is needed.

So, what do I think of the Nuvi? It has a larger screen, it announces street names and seems to have different software that I have to acquaint myself with. I did notice a couple of things. It is thinner, yes, but the on/off switch is a bit tacky. Literally. It is a slide type [which I do not like as much as the former button type] and it seems to stick now and then. Maybe it just needs to be worked a bit - I hope.

The second thing is the battery. It does not last as long as the one in the Street Pilot. That is okay just inconvenient.

Also, I cannot locate the system info as I did on the Street Pilot. I would just hold the upper right hand corner for 7-8 seconds and it would become visible. It also had test options but what I really liked was the system info - being able to tell what software, what maps, et cetera were loaded on the unit. Is there such an area for the Nuvi?

I did buy the lifetime maps for the unit which, considering the price of maps, was quite a bargain. Last year I paid $75 plus change for the map on the Street Pilot. This year, I paid about $120 for the lifetime map updates.

Oh, for some reason, when I got the device the maps were not unlocked. It worked for approximately four or five days and then the unit reported that it did not have any maps to load. I knew it did and guessed correctly at the cause. Still, I had to find the solution online and apply it. I wonder why the solution is not printed with the paperwork that comes with the unit?

Oh well. I have some reading to catch up on.