First Impressions of Three GPSes: Garmin Nuvi 760

We're on the road, tooling up the Oregon coast, clamming and crabbing, and testing out three GPS receivers -- the recently released Dash Express, Cobra's Nav One 5000, and the I've-been-around-awhile Garmin Nuvi 760.

I'm going to give you my first impression of all three units based on the first few days out of Pasadena. My wife, Judy, also contributed to the blog--she's the trip's real-time GPS and the person who's actually pushing the buttons and pointing out the "oh, wow"s, and the "oh, come on"s, of each device. I'll go into more detail after I get home. (FYI to potential burglars: A friend of ours, an off-duty sheriff who collects shotguns and has two trained Rottweilers, is house-sitting for us while we're away.)

My favorite GPS gadget? I'm not going to tell you until I've reviewed all three. But read between the lines and you'll probably guess.

Go Garmin
The Garmin is small enough to stick in my pocket, yet it has a big enough screen to read easily when it's mounted on the dashboard; when disconnected from vehicle power through its docking device, the battery life was adequate.

Before we left home, I was able to download over two dozen Point of Interest files (POIs) -- in our case, campgrounds, wineries, brewpubs and hot springs on route. (Shows you where our interests lie, no?) I wasn't happy with Garmin's free program to install the POIs. It isn't very smart. I transferred a bunch of POIs, then at the end of the process, it told me there was an error, yet didn't say whether the GPS was out of space or a specific POI was corrupt.

On a happier note, I was able to download any Google Map or MapQuest location directly to the Garmin. Check out a video of it here. That's nice, but it could be better, because I was able to send only one location at a time. I'd like to be able to drag and drop a bunch onto a list and send everything at once. The Garmin had to be connected to the PC to do these transfers.

The Garmin's built-in database was fast, easy to access, and amazingly comprehensive. Without flinching it found everything we asked it to -- campgrounds, state parks and recreation areas, restaurants, ever-so-important highway rest areas, and even every Starbucks in every town. (Hey, it's Wednesday as I write this and we had a coupon for a free cup.)

A few useful features we liked right away: A list of recently found locations, the ability to add multiple way points on the fly, a decent MP3 player, Bluetooth capabilities, and an FM transmitter that gave me a way to send all audio (music, navigation, and cell calls) through our Road Trek's FM radio.

I have a couple of things I'd do differently. I want a one-step, one-button way to both mute the Garmin and reach the top-level menu. As it is, I may have to back out six or seven screens to go back to the viewing map. And I'd like to choose -- or avoid -- certain roads and not just freeways.

I'll have more about the Garmin, but for right now, the tide is out and the clams are calling.

Comments

Steve,

To get back to the main menu, hold down the "Back" button. If you aren't using the FM transmitter, a quick way to mute is to double tap the power button. Also, under Where To, there should be a Recently Found button.

Rich Owings
http://gpstracklog.com

gpsmapper

May 23, 2008

6:55 AM PT