Nuvi 3790 vs 3490?

 

Hello everyone,

I'm shopping around for a new GPS to replace my 7-8 year old 255w. Right now I'm between the 3970 and 3490. Does anyone have any experience between the devices or if you own one of these? Anyone recommend another model over these?

I saw that the 3970 is supported by garmin's red light and speed cameras which led me here, so do all of the POIs work on any model garmin?

Thanks in advance!

Welcome TO POI Factory

spxnerd wrote:

I saw that the 3970 is supported by garmin's red light and speed cameras which led me here, so do all of the POIs work on any model garmin?
Thanks in advance!

Yes, all POI's will work on Garmin Nuvi's.

I suggest you read the tutorial on how to install POI's.

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/85

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Nuvi 2460LMT 2 Units

went with the 3790 because of the more detailed map screen

I have the 3790LMT and had compared both you listed in a store before buying and went with the 3790 because of the more detailed map screen on the 3790.

Ended up buying the 3790lmt last year from Walmart for around $150.

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Garmin Drive Smart 55 - Samsung Note 10 Smartphone with Google Maps & HERE Apps

Thanks! I will read it when

Thanks! I will read it when I get home at work. Sorry I wasn't able to read in detail as I was heading into work. I was looking for feedback on the different models. There are so many and I was wondering what people's experiences were and why they chose one over another.

That was a steal! I believe

That was a steal! I believe they're 150 on tigerdirect for a refurb.. I was leaning toward it.

Garmin refurbs carry the same warranty as new

spxnerd wrote:

That was a steal! I believe they're 150 on tigerdirect for a refurb.. I was leaning toward it.

Garmin refurbished carry the same warranty as new with all new accessories. I have bought Garmin refurbished and they were as perfect as any new one I have bought. Looked to me that they had re-boxed excess inventory and sold it as refurbished to avoid alienating retailers still selling new ones.

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Garmin Drive Smart 55 - Samsung Note 10 Smartphone with Google Maps & HERE Apps

wonderful screen, some refurb trouble

I've purchased three 3790LMTs and participated in a friends purchase of one, all on the Wal-Mart selling of refurb models.

I love the screen--high resolution, bright enough for daylight viewing, really both the prettiest and the most usefully readable screen I've seen in a car. And, no, it is not the case that lots of other Garmins share it--I think perhaps just one.

I should warn that I and my friend have seen some imperfections in the refurb models, though Wal-Mart and Garmin have been fine about responding to them.

1. backside dents--some prominent (this on at least two of the four)
2. flat out defective base on one -- I forget all the details, but one side effect was that the sound was grossly wrong when the unit was plugged into the base (which has a speaker, which worked fine on the other three) and something much more serious which I forget. Garmin email help offered to ship me a new base for that one, but I passed it up because of other trouble with the main unit.
3. some trouble with touch recognition, varying from unit to unit. On the most severely affected one (which I returned for Wal-Mart credit) it took me minutes of struggle to get past the "select your country" type first time startup screen. Even on the good ones it sometimes happen that it clearly senses my touch (display commands a color change) but does not do the desired action (this may be poor debouncing--and thus a generic software problem rather than a unit problem.
4. traffic reception trouble--I have two identically configured 3790LMTs each of which took a trip to the Oakland and motored about the Bay area within two weeks of each other. One had a traffic icon up nearly the whole time, and gave some traffic-related guidance. The other never displayed the icon for a moment. As the settings are identical, I infer that either the receiver in the power cord on one unit is defective, or that the unit is defective in some way giving this effect. I don't know whether the third and fourth units could get a traffic icon or not.

The refurb price is great, and I've experienced excellent warranty and email help service, but I sure hope these four units were in worse shape than typical new product. If not, Garmin is in real trouble.

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personal GPS user since 1992

I bought 2 refurbished gps from walmart and they looked like

brand new not even a scratch. Good deal for $150 refurbished.

Great to know! I looked at

Great to know! I looked at walmart's site and they have the refurbed products for 250+. Since the 2013 lineup just came out, do you guys thing the price tag on these models will decrease soon?

So I read the links and

So I read the links and watched the video but may have a silly question.. Does it matter whether the file is .gpx or .scv? I saw a button for tomtom but I'm assuming they have a different file because I saw a section for them under the getting started page. Thanks!

one or the other

spxnerd wrote:

So I read the links and watched the video but may have a silly question.. Does it matter whether the file is .gpx or .scv? I saw a button for tomtom but I'm assuming they have a different file because I saw a section for them under the getting started page. Thanks!

You can use one or the other in your Nuvi, just not both for the same file. GPX allows the Nuvi to dial phone numbers through Bluetooth and your paired phone. The maintainer also has more control over how data is presented on the screen and your searches for a POI in a GPX show both the name and address. No phone integration or address display during searches with a CSV.

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Illiterate? Write for free help.

So I loaded some POIs on my

So I loaded some POIs on my 260w. How do I get it to alert me when there's a speed cam or right light camera?

Speed and redlight

spxnerd wrote:

So I loaded some POIs on my 260w. How do I get it to alert me when there's a speed cam or right light camera?

The speed cameras and redlight cameras POI files from The Factory should auto-alert for you when loaded with POI Loader:

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/6507

Or are you asking about alerts for other POI files?

For other POIs please!

For other POIs please!

Try these

spxnerd wrote:

For other POIs please!

Make sure you run POI Loader in manual (not Express) mode and set alerts with a distance or speed.

More:

Icons: http://www.poi-factory.com/node/4359

Audio: http://www.poi-factory.com/node/25730

Lets

spxnerd wrote:

For other POIs please!

Lets try to keep this simple. Not all poi files have alerts attached to them. If in manual mode using poi loader, you load speed camera and or red light camera files you will notice it tells you that the file contains proximity alert points because that section will be available. Its built in and its up to you to set the distance or leave at default or disable. The rest is automatic. Just watch poi loader as you load poi files, you'll get the hang of it. Go out and test it. It will warn you.

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2 DriveSmart 65's - We do not live in Igloo's and do not all ride to work on snow mobiles.

The 3490 has Digital Traffic

and faster than the 3790 that I used to have. The digital traffic is a big improvement if available in your area. Otherwise the 3790 is a better choice re cost.

Maybe

wwarchitect wrote:

and faster than the 3790 that I used to have. The digital traffic is a big improvement if available in your area. Otherwise the 3790 is a better choice re cost.

Maybe not. If he's in Canada, which we do not know, there's a good chance he doesn't get digital. I don't in Vancouver. Costco in Canada sells a 3580LMT which is a 3590LMT with out the digital receiver, you get the GTM 35

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2 DriveSmart 65's - We do not live in Igloo's and do not all ride to work on snow mobiles.