|
Garmin nuevi 880 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator | 
| Brand: Garmin
Category: CE
Buy New: See price in cart
New (31)
Rating:  15 reviews
Sales Rank: 589
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Native Resolution: 480 x 272
Display Size: 4.3
Includes MP3 Player: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3
Dimensions (in): 0.7 x 4.9 x 3.1
MPN: 010-00577-12
Model: 010-00577-12
UPC: 753759076870
EAN: 0753759076870
ASIN: B0012BI26K
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
| |
| Features:
| • | Sleek, ultra-slim design fits in a pocket; High-sensitivity GPS receiver for fast satellite lock | | • | Pre-loaded with City Navigtor NT maps for North America, including more than 6-million name-searchable points of interest | | • | Speech recognition -- speak menu options and keep your eyes on the road | | • | Multi-destination routing -- enter several destinations and get the best route to all of them; "Where am I?" and "Where's my car?" features | | • | Full feature set -- text to speech for spoken directions with real street names; MP3 player, and Photo viewer |
|
| Accessories:
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Product Description--May 2, 2008
With the nuevi 800 series, Garmin adds smooth speech recognition to its bestselling line of sleek portable GPS navigators. As with all nuevis, you get a slim, pocket-sized navigator with a gorgeous display, detailed NAVTEQ maps that let you search by name for more than 6 million points of interest like stores, restaurants or hospitals, and an easy, intuitive interface. All of the 800-series navigators also feature a rich array of features including spoken directions in real street names, integrated traffic receivers, MP3 player and photo viewer, and an FM transmitter that will play all the nuevi's audio, including voice prompts, MP3s, audio books, and more, directly through your vehicle's stereo system. The top-of-the-line nuevi 880 adds Bluetooth for hands-free phone calls, an integrated traffic receiver and enhanced MSN Direct content with traffic data, reas-time gas prices, movie times and more.
 Key Features/Benefits
- New -- Voice Recognition -- Just tell it what you're looking for (Learn more)
- New -- Enhanced MSN Direct Content -- find the cheapest gas nearby, see how fast traffic is moving, get local weather forecasts, event information and more (Learn More)
- Easy to use interface (Learn More)
- Integrated Antenna for a slim form factor
- Pre-Loaded Maps for North America with 6 million searchable points of interest (POIs), plus add your own custom POIs (Learn more)
- Multi-Destination Routing -- tells you the best way to get to a lot of different places in one trip (Learn More)
- Bluetooth for hands-free phone calling capability (Learn More)
- FM Transmitter lets you hear spoken navigation prompts, MP3s or audio books through your car's stereo system
- Where Am I? -- instantly shows you all of the emergency services nearby (Learn More)
- Where's My Car? -- never forget where you parked again (Learn More)
- Widescreen -- gives you a better idea of what's around you (Learn More)
- microSD card slot -- store extra maps, travel guides, photos or MP3s
- Photo Viewer and MP3 Player (Learn More)
- Customize Your Onscreen Vehicle Icon (Learn More)
- Garmin Lock (Learn More) -- keep others from using your navigator
- New -- Photo Navigation lets you upload geo-coded photos from a phone, geo-coding camera or photo site and navigate to them. (Learn more)
- New -- Send addresses directly to your Garmin from Google Maps or Mapquest (Learn more)
Which nuevi is Best for You?: Click here to see a quick, simple comparison of features for all Garmin nuvi GPS navigators Learn More
| One of Garmin's key product philosophies is, "to make extremely complex technology easy to use for anyone right out of the box," and perhaps nowhere is that better exemplified than in the user interface for Garmin's portable navigation devices.
Garmin's interface is a key to their success and one of the things that makes their devices such a pleasure to use. Simple controls and sub-screens make it easy to enter or search for destinations and get data about your trip. |
Usable voice recognition is something we've been waiting to see for a long time. Reaching over to type out directions on your GPS isn't just difficult, it can feel downright dangerous. There's even a warning on every GPS not to do it. But who has the time to sit still and punch in a destination? Well, now you can have your hurry and your directions too.
The nuevi 800s aren't the first GPS navigators to offer voice recognition, but the level of flexibility they offer sets a new standard for simple and intuitive use.
The device comes with a little remote control that mounts on your steering wheel. It has two buttons. One is, "listen." The other is, "stop listening". Hit the "listen" button to start voice recognition. Then you can speak any of the words that appear on the display, and the device will understand, or you can ask questions based on most points of interest. Say, "find nearest Italian restaurant," for example, and you'll get a list of nearby spots. Say "go to" and name of the one you want, and you get turn-by-turn directions to dinner. The nuevi 880 also knows the names of many large business brands, so you can just say, "find place, Starbucks," if that's your coffee mojo.
Of course, if you know the address you want to go to, you can say that too, and the nuevi will give you directions, all without having to reach over to the dashboard and touch it.
Speech recognition is available for American English, British English, European French, European Spanish, German, Italian, and Netherlands Dutch languages. |  |  |  |  |  |
New -- Enhanced MSN Direct Content (3-month free subscription)  | An integrated receiver allows you to access enhanced dynamic content from the MSN Direct service. Check the weather, avoid traffic backups, compare local gas prices, get enhanced movie listings, stock information, news and local events when you travel with your unit. Even plan trips from the convenience of your computer, via Windows Live Local, and wirelessly send custom to your nuevi.
Check out a full description of MSN Direct content features, or a coverage map for MSN Direct services.
A 3-month subscription to MSN Direct is included with the device. After that, subscription fees are $49.95 per year, or $129.95 for a lifetime subscription. |
The super-bright, 4.3-inch (diagonal) touchscreen display gives is anti-glare for ease of viewing during the day and automatically changes its color profile for easy viewing at night or in dim light. It offers 2d or 3D perspective views.
The widescreen format gives you 70% more actual screen area than a 3.5-inch screen. Primarily this translates into a better view of the area through which you are driving. This is especially useful in showing you what parks, restaurants, ATM, gas stations, etc. are nearby, or in letting you know whether a detour is a good idea. Also, the device itself is larger, meaning controls on the screen are more widely spaced and somewhat easier to push. | Wider screen lets you see more of what's around. Compare these actual size views of a 3-inch (diagonal) screen
| and a 4.3-inch diagonal widescreen
|
This lets you enter several spots into the device (day care - supermarket-cleaners - office - day care, for example) and it will plot the fastest route. And once you've found the best router, the "Route Planning" feature lets you save up to 10 different routes, Garmin touts the feature for providing, "the most efficient route for errands, deliveries and sales calls." The feature also makes this an instant essential accessory for anyone who shops garage sales (you know what we're talking about).
A trip log provides an electronic bread crumb trail of up to 10,000 points, so you can see where you've been on the map.
Garmin's "Where Am I?" feature is a useful safety feature on all nuevis, but voice recognition makes it even better.
On any nuevi (including this one), you can just tap "Where Am I?" to find the closest hospitals, police stations, fuel stations, nearest address and intersection. Also see your exact latitude and longitude coordinates. With the 800s, all you have to do is say "Where am I?" to get the info.
Like the nuevi 700s, the 800s will also remember where you parked. It automatically marks your position when you remove it from the windshield mount, so you can navigate with nuevi on foot and find your way back to your vehicle. Perfect for unfamiliar spots and crowded lots such as amusement parks, stadiums and malls.
nuevi 250W accepts custom points of interest (POIs). View larger.
| The nuevi 880 comes ready to go right out of the box with preloaded City Navigator NT street maps, including a hefty POI database with hotels, restaurants, fuel, ATMs and more. Simply touch the color screen to enter a destination, and nuevi takes you there with 2D or 3D maps and turn-by-turn voice directions. Garmin gets its map data from NAVTEQ, a world leader in premium-quality mapping.
In addition, nuevi accepts custom points of interest (POIs), such as school zones and safety cameras and lets you set proximity alerts to warn you of upcoming POIs Important note about map updates: Due to our high volume of sales, almost every Garmin portable GPS navigator sold by Amazon.com will come with the most recent map version. If you ever do need a map update, you can purchase one from Amazon.com at our Garmin Store. |
In more and more places, it is becoming illegal to use cell phones while driving without a hands-free kit. The nuevi's Bluetooth capability, microphone and speaker lets match it to any bluetooth-capable phone to make hands-free mobile phone calls. Simply dial the phone number with the nuevi's touch screen keypad to make a call on a compatible phone. To answer an incoming call, just tap the screen and speak into the built-in microphone. Making and taking calls on the road has never been easier, or safer. In addition, Garmin makes it a breeze to look-up and dial numbers from your personalized phone book or even tap into your cell phone's call history log.
Garmin's patent pending theft prevention system that disables the unit from performing any functions until the user types in a specific 4-digit PIN or takes the unit to a predetermined secure location
Browse your stored pictures with an easy-to-use JPEG viewer.
| Navigation is just the beginning. The nuevi 880 features travel tools including JPEG picture viewer, MP3 player, world travel clock with time zones, currency converter, measurement converter, calculator and more. It also comes with Garmin Lock, an anti-theft feature, and configurable vehicle icons that let you select car-shaped graphics to show your location on the map.
This device is compatible with optional content plug-ins available via microSD card, such as the Garmin Travel Guides and Garmin SaversGuide provide detailed data for attractions and information on nearby merchants offering discounts, so you can customize nuevi for your travel needs
note that the 800 series is unique among nuevis, in that the 800s use microSD cards, where all other nuevis use SD cards..
Garmin has also added the ability for customers to add custom points of interest (POI's) from third parties such as school zones and safety cameras. | A handy MP3 player lets you play songs stored on SD memory cards.
|
Custom vehicle icons let you ride in style, at least inside your GPS.
See more icon option | All Garmin nuevis support configurable vehicle icons. These fun, customized car-shaped icons come in a variety of colors to add a personal touch to your vehicle's position on the map. |
| Using Garmin's unique Web site — Garmin Connect Photos — users can choose from millions of geo-located photos provided by Google's Panoramio photo sharing community and download them to the nuevi for a richer navigation experience using pictures as a guide.
- Choose from Panoramio's collection of photos from around the world.
- Easy to use interface displays photos on Google Maps.
- Search for photos by location name or map area boundary.
- Transfer photos directly from Garmin Connect to device with the Garmin Communicator.
- View photos in Google Earth.
- Supports Internet Explorer 6+, Firefox 2+, Safari 3+ on Windows and Mac.
|
tching to try out a new restaurant, or setting off on a road trip to locate the best toffee apples on the east coast? Now, it's easy to search for locations on Google Maps or Mapquest, then transfer the addresses directly to your Garmin GPS navigator.
- Hook up your Garmin to the computer via it's USB port
- Search for the location you want
- Click the Send link in the info window for the address. That will bring up a popup "Send to" form.
- Pick GPS, then pick Garmin and hit the "Send" button.
The address will instantly transfer to your Garmin device, The point will be saved as one of your favorites, and you can navigate to it or view it on a map just like with any other favorite. The process does require a small plugin, which you can get at Garmin's website at http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=3739. You can send business addresses to your Garmin device from these countries: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. | Search for the location you want.
| Pick "Send to GPS".
| Go!
|
Notes
- Optional software for language translation, detailed travel guides, and savings programs allow you to customize your nuevi to fit your travel needs
- The FM transmitter feature is only available in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand
- This nuevi comes with a free, three-month trial for MSN Direct services.
- Like most USB Mass Storage Devices, the nuevi is not compatible with Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows Me.
What's in the Box nuevi 880, Preloaded City Navigator NT for North America*, MSN Direct receiver with integrated vehicle power cable, 3 months free MSN Direct service*, Speech recognition remote, Vehicle suction cup mount*, USB cable, Dashboard disc, Quick start manual
Note: All nuevis come with detailed NAVTEQ maps containing more than 6 million pre-loaded point of interest locations.
| Screen
Size
inches
(w x h)
| Included Maps
| Text-to-Speech
(Directions in
Real Street
Names)
| Traffic
| Bluetooth
| Media
| FM Transmitter
(audio through
car stereo
system) | Multi-
Point
Routing
| Battery
life
(hours)
| Cont. U.S.,
Hawaii, and
Puerto Rico
| AK and
Canada
| Europe
| | nuevi 200 | 2.8 x 2.1
|  |
|
|
|
|
| Photos
|
|
| up to 5
| | nuevi 200w | 3.81 x 2.25
| |
|
|
|
|
| Photos
|
|
| up to 5 | | nuevi 250 | 2.8 x 2.1
| | |
|
|
|
| Photos |
|
| up to 5 | | nuevi 250w | 3.81 x 2.25
| | |
|
|
|
| Photos |
|
| up to 5 | | nuevi 260 | 2.8 x 2.1
| | |
| |
|
| Photos |
|
| up to 5 | | nuevi 260w | 3.81 x 2.25 | | |
| |
|
| Photos |
|
| up to 5 | | nuevi 270 | 2.8 x 2.1
| | | |
|
|
| Photos |
|
| up to 5 | | nuevi 350 | 2.8 x 2.1
| | |
| | FM (with opt.
receiver) |
| Photos, MP3s
|
|
| up to 8
| | nuevi 360 | 2.8 x 2.1
| | |
| | FM (with opt.
receiver) | | Photos, MP3s |
|
| up to 8 | | nuevi 370 | 2.8 x 2.1 | | | | | FM (receiver
included)
| | Photos, MP3s |
|
| up to 8 | | nuevi 650 | 3.81 x 2.25
| | |
| | FM (with opt.
receiver) |
| Photos, MP3s |
|
| up to 7
| nuevi 660
| 3.81 x 2.25
| | |
| | FM (receiver
included)
| | Photos, MP3s | |
| up to 7 | nuevi 670
| 3.81 x 2.25
| | | | | FM (receiver
included) | | Photos, MP3s | |
| up to 7 | | nuevi 680 | 3.81 x 2.25
| | |
| | MSN (receiver
included;
1-year free);
FM (with opt.
receiver)
| | Photos, MP3s | |
| up to 7 | nuevi 750
| 3.81 x 2.25
| | |
| | MSN-enhanced
(with optional
receiver);
FM (with opt.
receiver)
|
| Photos, MP3s | | | up to 5
| | nuevi 760 | 3.81 x 2.25
| | |
| | MSN-enhanced
(with optional
receiver);
FM (with opt.
receiver) | | Photos, MP3s | | | up to 5 | | nuevi 770 | 3.81 x 2.25
| | | | | MSN-enhanced
(with optional
receiver);
FM (with opt.
receiver) | | Photos, MP3s | | | up to 5 | | nuevi 780 | 3.81 x 2.25 | | |
| | MSN-enhanced
(receiver inc.;
3 months free)
receiver);
FM (with opt.
receiver) | | Photos, MP3s | | | up to 5 | nuevi 850
| 3.81 x 2.25 | | |
| | MSN-enhanced
(with optional
receiver);
FM (with opt.
receiver) |
| Photos, MP3s | | | up to 4 | nuevi 880
| 3.81 x 2.25 | | | | | MSN-enhanced
(receiver inc.;
3 months free);
FM (with opt.
receiver) | | Photos, MP3s | | | up to 4 | nuevi 5000
| 4.5 x 2.7 | | |
| | MSN-enhanced
(with optional
receiver);
FM (with opt.
receiver) |
|
| | | external
battery
only
|
Basic MSN Direct Content Features
| | Traffic Reports
- Find the best route through traffic. Your GPS device uses MSN Direct traffic data to select the best route for you to avoid traffic congestion.
- Check traffic flow. Know at a glance where to expect slowdowns in traffic.
- Get accident warnings. Receive warnings about accidents, road closures, and construction in the area that may affect you.
|  | Gas Prices
- Compare local gas prices. See a list of recent gas prices in your area and an indication of how recently the prices were reported.
- Find your way to the savings. Once you find the best price in your area, use your navigation system to guide you to the gas station.
|  | Weather Reports
- Stay on top of current conditions. View the current weather conditions in your area, including today's high and low temperatures, chances of precipitation, and more.
- View the three-day forecast, Plan ahead by checking the three-day weather forecast for your area.
- Check weather in other cities. See current weather conditions in major cities across the country.
|  | Movie Times
- Search for a movie. Find the theaters in your coverage area that are showing the movie you want to see.
- See which movies are playing. View which movies are playing in your coverage area or at your favorite theater.
- See show times and get directions. Once you find a show you want to see, check the show times and use your GPS device to guide you to the theater.
| Enhanced MSN Direct Content
|  | Web Favorites (Send custom destinations to your GPS with Live Search Maps)
- Powerful trip planning: Use Live Search Maps on your computer to look up an address, search for a business, or plan a trip
- Choose your favorite location, and then MSN Direct delivers the address, phone number, and more straight to your navigation system.
- Visit Live Search Maps at http://maps.live.com.
|  | Local Events
- See what's happening near you. Find nearby events to see what's happening in your area.
- Find the events that interest you. Browse events sorted by category.
- Search for an event. Get details about a particular event.
|  | Stock Quotes
- Watch the stocks that interest you. Select stocks that you want to keep an eye on, and then see regularly updated stock prices and daily changes.
- Get a little more detail. Touch a stock in your list to see daily highs, lows, and trading volume.
|  | News Headlines
- Browse the headlines at a glance. See breaking news and other major news stories of the day.
- Read more details. Select a headline to read all the details about the news story on your navigation system.
|
|
| MSN Direct Coverage Map
|
Get detailed info for your Zip Code at the MSN Direct website.
|
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 10 more reviews...
Nuvi 880 August 17, 2008
G. Wrona (Michigan)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Garmin nuevi 880 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator
This is my first GPS and overall, am enjoying it and have found it to be a great tool, especially in metro areas. I enjoy the features of MSN Direct as well. I purchased this unit in mid-July directly from Amazon. I tend to like more fully featured units as I appreciate technology. I was willing to pay more for this unit (versus the 850 for example) to try out the extra features.
I used the unit locally (smaller city west of Grand Rapids, MI) for a week or so before I took it out of state to Virginia for a family trip so that I would gain a decent understanding of its abilities and features by seeing how it would route me to work and other known points before trying it in a larger, unknown metro area. The unit was a real help, even within the Norfolk Naval Base.
Some frustrations:
Unit needed to be "reset" twice already. Once it simply locked up and the other, although it recognized and added the remote, it would not allow it to function. I followed all the instructions, new remote battery - no help. Reseting (removed GPS battery) cleared both issues.
Internal speakers are difficult to hear and people on the receiving end mention the clarity of my voice is not all that great thru the bluetooth connection. This is true even with no radio, no fan motor, no passengers talking, etc) Like another reviewer, I am also hard of hearing and found that using the FM option does not help much for a variety of reasons. Have to really turn up the volume on the radio to even hear the nuvi and quality was not consistent. Thank you for the tip of plugging into the AUX jack, which I have on my 2008 CRV - I will definitely try that. One thing that has helped with the sound issue it that, after experimenting a bit, I am able to locate the unit on my windshield next to and at the same level as the rearview mirror. This gets the unit as close to me as possible and gives me a clear line of sight. One learning point - on some cars, the "dot patterns" on the windshield around the rearview mirror on some cars are printed on the inside surface which the suction mount will not stick to - so you have to position the unit lower and farther away. On my car, I eventually found out that the dots are within the glass which allowed me to better position the unit as mentioned above.
WebUpdater - I am a Mac user and had to spend quite a bit of time getting the software to recognize/find my unit. I tried using a Dell laptop as well but got the same result except that it kept telling me that I might have to change an interface setting (somewhere/somehow) to "Garmin" or "Host" which I was not anxious to experiment with. Garmin does tell you that you might have to update the software on older models (which I did not expect the brand new 880 to be !!!) before WebUpdater will work. Unfortunately, they don't tell you your options for doing such - you have to nose around. After several hours, I was able to find and get thru a back door by going thru the "Additional Software" section on the Garmin website and found a link specific to the 880 to update the software. Once I updated the software to version 3.00 (from 2.50 as received), I connected my nuvi back to my Mac and everything now works fine. Better instructions would have saved hours here.
I am also a little surprised on how long it takes for the unit to find a sat signal. Not sure of other brands performance in this area though.
Not sure if any make or model would do better but when in situations where one turn or instruction needs to be followed quickly with another instruction (to turn again in a short distance or stay left for example), I found that the unit would sometimes be giving the second instruction after I already had to execute the move. Other times, traveling the same route, it gave both instructions right up front so that you knew that you had to pay extra attention.
Note to Judy - I also experienced the same "unit already registered" problem. There are multiple codes in the battery compartment of the unit that are "8 or 9 characters long". I got the same message using one number and then was successful using the number directly under the barcode. You think that maybe they could be a little more specific in the instructions on where to find the right code ???!!!
Overall a very helpful unit and would recommend to anyone. The 850 might be the better and less expensive choice for most.
 Great GPS!!! ........unfortunately poor customer service August 16, 2008
S. Vann (Tampa, FL)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
After having used several GPS products Garmin has really outdone themselves on this
one. The voice recognition has preformed almost flawlessly. Any faults I
can attribute to myself by trying to give too much information when searching
for places. The less spoken the better. I have a tendancy to provide too
much detail for the query, which causes it to think too long. Again I count
this as user error. You learn very quickly the ease of use with Nuvi 880 is
a very natural progression. I wouold highly reccomend this to anyone
looking for the best.
I did find pricing a little less on other web sites but chose
Amazon.com thinking if If I had any issues they would correct them.
Unfortunately, they did not stock the unit as is the case
on many items and when I had some minor issues with the purchase
regarding shipping charges, open box etc. Electronica Direct the seller
used by Amazon did not respond to my concerns and were somewhat arrogant
whithout even addressing my issues. That being said, I would not let
this get in the way of a truly GREAT GPS. Shop around for pricing though.
 Do not buy! August 14, 2008
J. M. Weisler (New Orleans, LA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Having been pleased with my Garmin Street Pilot 2720, I looked forward to the Garmin nuvi 880, with hands-free telephone, FM connection, and more. 1)It responds inconsistently to my loud voice commands, 2)the person I call can hear my voice, but their voice is too soft for me to hear, 3)if I switch to having sound transmitted through my radio, I can hear their voice but this replaces my radio transmission, and 4)I could go on with how unsatisfactory it is in all of the "advances" in this new instrument. Talking to Garmin was a total waste of time and zero help. I am seriously thinking of returning it to the dealer, but just haven't gotten around to it.
Awesome! August 12, 2008
D. Weddle (Lexington, VA)
The Garmin nuvi 880 is excellent. The portability of this item makes it nicer than one built into a vehicle. One of our vehicles has a built in model; this is a better, more up to date unit and can travel with us when we are walking and touring around town. Amazon offered speedy delivery and a fair price. Other suppliers said they could sell it cheaper; the only problem was they didn't have it in stock. I had delivery of the item in 2 days and it was traveling across country in another two. The detour feature saved me many hours of sitting, stopped in traffic and had me traveling a beautiful, scenic route across Ohio. To add to the scenery, I lost no travel time. The blu-tooth feature worked, but the clarity of voice on the other end was not good. I would highly recommend the Garmin nuvi 880 unit to anyone looking for a top of the line unit.
 Don't buy this for the voice recognition August 9, 2008
R. Kintner (CT, USA)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I recently bought a Nuvi 850 for the only one of our three cars that doesn't have a factory nav system and for rental cars. I am pretty well spoiled by factory system integration but I figured that the aftermarket portable crowd may have figured out how to make a decent product at this point. And they have. Decent, not great.
First, the primary value of a nav system comes from the basics. Maps, routing engine, receiver, a well designed user interface, and a great screen. Garmin does a great job with these basics. And you get all this basic goodness in even their lower end widescreen Nuvi models like the 260W or 760.
But, when it comes to some other stuff well, they have some work left to do.
Volume - the Nuvi 850 is barely audible at max volume with moderate road noise. I was hoping the front mounted speakers on the Nuvi 800's would be an improvement. They're not! The FM transmitter meanwhile is a pain in the butt if you're moving (why else would you need a nav unit). As you move, a previously clear FM channel may become occupied resulting in constant fiddling with the radio and Nuvi.
Voice Recognition - it's a great concept and the 850 does pretty well but you need a very quiet environment. Doesn't sound like a moving car does it? Even in the house, with a TV at low volume 15 feet away, the unit becomes confused about what it's "hearing". Mute the TV, and tell the kids to shut up and it really does a pretty good job. Entering addresses via voice is just so much better than tedious typing. My opinion of the professional reviewers who rave about the Nuvi 800's voice recognition has slipped quite a few notches. It ain't that great.
Garmin Features - the "Where Am I" and "Where's My Car" features are great ideas and well implemented. But again, both of these are available on the much cheaper 700 series of Nuvi's.
Battery - the 800 series has the first user replaceable battery on a Nuvi. For about $30 you can carry a spare. Nice.
So, is limited voice recognition and a replaceable battery worth the $300 premium over a 700 series Nuvi? Only you can answer that. Although very disappointed with the voice recognition accuracy and low volume, I'm keeping my Nuvi 850. The voice recognition still saves me from typing and a spare battery means I don't have to carry a power cord for most trips. I'll just enter my destination using voice comands in the office, hotel, restaurant, or at home before I head out. The VR remote can live in my briefcase. Less clutter for the cabin.
|
|
|
|
powered by full speed | |
