Garmin Nuvi 5000

The 5000 was conceived as an early device for RVs. And why do you think you need a battery in order to carry it to a PC? Just because the unit cold starts doesn't mean any of your data is lost. Essentially it is an 8XX series unit.

I am a bit surprised that - when you connect the 5000 to your computer with a USB cable - the nuvi does not respond by showing the attaching to the PC screen and you ultimately do not get the notification that a new device is attached.

Sorry but I guess I didn't make myself clear, I know I can hook up the USB cable and get updates etc but cannot power up the UPS without a 12v source...more inconvenient I guess than a real problem. Also unable to use it as a portable unit.

Not really a valid rant if you try to use a device for something it was not intended for.

A neighbor had one of these, at least it was similar. Had it Velcro'd to the dash of his F150. Only worked when connected in the truck. So be it. Not intended to be portable and the one he had was not very small.

I wonder if it could be powered by one of the external battery packs used for cell phones? The GPS itself requires a 5V source, not 12.

I thought about this for a minute and realized that except for the times when I perform a hard re-set and need to restore all the preferences I like, or are showing a family member how to use it when they borrow it, I rarely use my 2595 on battery only. I always have it connected to the 12v source in my vehicle or via USB to the laptop during an update. The few times I have used it in the car running on the battery, I found I only got about 2 hours of run time before the "low battery" warnings started.

I really doubt I'd even replace the battery in it if it ever failed to hold a charge.