The nüvi 660 features a colorful widescreen, hands-free calling, and an FM transmitter. View the nüvi 660 demo. |
The device includes many entertainment and travel tools.
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A 4.3-inch display with a touch screen interface makes it easy to select destinations, play MP3s, and more. |
This preloaded navigator brings all this fantastic map data to your fingertips with a super-bright, 4.3-inch widescreen display for improved map viewing, day or night. Use the touch screen interface to select destinations, look up POIs, and play your favorite MP3s and audio books. The display also helps you control hands-free calling, traffic alerts, and the FM transmitter, all from the screen of your personal travel assistant.
The nüvi 660, along with its counterparts, the nüvi 360 and nüvi 310, integrate Bluetooth wireless technology with a microphone and speaker that lets you make hands-free mobile phone calls. Simply dial the phone number with the nüvi'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.
The device comes ready to go with automatic routing, 3D or 2D map perspective viewing, and turn-by-turn voice directions that speak street names. It also supports 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. With this GPS system on board you'll be prepared to steer clear of traffic with the integrated FM TMC traffic receiver. The nüvi 660 is designed to receive alerts about traffic tie-ups and road construction that might lie ahead on your route. All you have to do is simply touch the screen to view traffic details and you'll be ready to detour around any problem area. And if you end up missing a turn, or you're forced into a detour that is not relayed through the traffic receiver, the nüvi's sophisticated automatic routing will get you back on track in no time.
Instead of straining your ears to hear turn-by-turn directions or your favorite MP3s, you can enjoy wireless FM audio transmission via the nüvi 660's wireless FM transmitter. Tune your car's radio to the appropriate station and you'll hear all the nüvi's audio, including voice prompts, MP3s, audio books, and more, directly through your vehicle's stereo system. The nüvi 660 includes many "must-have" entertainment and travel tools, including digital music and audio book playback, JPEG picture viewer, currency converters, and more. All these great features make the nüvi 660 a complete Personal Travel Assistant.
Note: Optional software for language translation, detailed travel guides, and savings programs allow you to customize your nüvi to fit your travel needs. The FM transmitter feature is only available in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Lastly, the nüvi 660 comes with a free, three-month trial for the traffic services.
What's in the Box
nüvi 660 GPS navigation system, preloaded City Navigator North, America NT data, vehicle suction cup mount, A/C charger, carrying case, FM traffic receiver/12-volt adapter with 3-month free trial subscription, dashboard disk, USB interface cable, sample language guide content (preloaded), sample travel guide, sample MP3s (preloaded), sample audio books (preloaded), owner's manual, and a quick reference guide.
Customer Reviews:
Muvi 660 vs Tom Tom.......2008-01-01
Over the Christmas holidays I made a interstate trip with a 2 car caravan. I used my Garmin 660 and the other person had a Tom Tom (model unknown). Both drivers were familiar with the shortest and best route to take. Garmin's performance was right on target.
Excellent Product, Easy to Use.......2008-01-01
I gave my parents a nuvi 660 for Christmas. After a lot of research, I decided this was the best one to give them, although it is more expensive than the others I initially considered. What I liked most was that the nuvi speaks the street names, has bluetooth capability, has the large size screen, and also the traffic receiver option.
I spent some time showing them how to use it. I am not a tech person but it was very intuitive and easy to get up and running with little direction, and I connected their cell phones with it easily. They were thrilled, and loved the bluetooth voice dialing option. The nuvi gives accurate directions, and the recalculation function is very quick. It didn't know about a road that was recently moved, but I'm guessing we'll need to get the newest version of the map sometime to remedy that. My parents like the points of interest such as airports, restaurants, etc. I like that they can download audio books for use on the nuvi, although I'll probably need to walk them through it.
Garmin includes a helpful quick instruction/tips guide, with the full owners manual on cd-rom. I would prefer the full manual in hard copy, because my parents are not likely to use the cd-rom manual, and I wasn't able to figure out the traffic receiver option based on the short guide. Also I am not sure if they can change the voice on the nuvi; my aunt has a street pilot and was able to change that easily but I didn't see that function in the short time I used it. But overall, I am entirely satisfied with the product, and I would recommend it to others.
Great GPS. Additional features not as useful as I thought..........2008-01-01
Bought the Garmin Nuvi 660 two months ago, and have been very happy with the product. Took it on several road trips around California and Nevada, and the directions were very accurate.
I didn't find the additional features that came with this model - MP3, Bluetooth - very useful. There is nothing wrong with these fuctions, all of the features worked. However, I still prefer other methods of listening to music or answering calls better. The speakers on the unit works great for directions, but not as good for these features. Did not tried to use the FM transmitter since I mostly used the unit in metro areas.
The traffic alert is great! Let's me know what to expect ahead. But I turned off the traffic avoidance function since it kept telling me to get off the freeway, and I didn't feel comfortable doing so in unfamiliar towns.
The screen size is perfect, and the unit can be stored easily in the glove compartment. I was considering the smaller Nuvi 360 because it's cheaper but with the same functions, but glad I chose 660. Recommend getting the Garmin portable friction mount (010-10908-00) with this unit. I was very impressed how stable the unit is when hooked to the mount. It never moves during driving!
Nuvi 660's bluetooth feature is surprisingly useful, better bet than Nuvi 650........2008-01-01
I upgraded from a Garmin C320 with the 3.5 inch screen, what a difference the 4.3 inch screen makes! It's so much easier to see the route ahead. Earlier the 3D feature of the maps was not so useful unless you zoomed out. It's a pleasure to see the Nuvi 660s bright and big screen and now I use the 3-D feature of the map.
The SirfSTAR III chip makes routing very fast. The routing is faster and different from the Garmin C320 and usually more accurate. If you turn on the WAAS system which is turned off by default it can detect changes between 10-15 ft if you go off course, and re-routes you.
I took the 660 for a 5 day trip to Florida and it had all the POIs we needed like Disney and Universal parks. We also took it to the Smoky Mountains, TN. In the wilderness of Smokies, none of the cellphones had coverage - Verizon, AT&T etc. only the Nuvi worked. We had a flat tire right in the middle of the park and were stumped - we could not even call AAA as the cell phones did not work - then we remembered that we had the Nuvi. It gave us several options to buy new tires and calculated whether we'd get there before closing time. We had the phone numbers on the Nuvi too, so as soon as we got reception we were able to call several locations to find out if the shop had the tires we needed. It really saved us from what could have been a disaster - and could have cost us an extra day.
I used both the Nuvi 650 and 660. The bluetooth feature of the 660 takes the GPS to another level. The 660 also includes traffic alerts which are nice to have for the first 3 months when it is free, but not very useful in your home city as you'll know the traffic patterns better than the GPS. However, the bluetooth is very useful. It synced with my phone easily and shows ALL the menus of my phone on the big bright screen. I can see missed calls, last dialled calls etc. and also the complete contact list. If you get a call the GPS shows you the incoming call screen with 2 big buttons saying "Answer/ Ignore". I find it much more safer than trying to look at my cell phone while driving. There are fun benefits like when you are looking for a restaurant you not only get directions but you can also touch the GPS screen to call them and make reservations. Beats trying to key in the number into your cell phone while trying to drive!
The 660 comes with a black leather case, owner's manual, USB cable and a wall charger unlike the 650 which only comes with a USB cable and none of the other accessories. In addition, the car charger of the 660 includes an inbuilt traffic antenna which gives you free traffic alerts for the first 3 months. Both the 650 and 660 have an expansion card slot in which you can load MP3s or audiobooks for listening in the car. The inbuilt FM transmitter can connect to your car speaker system through an FM channel. However, I found that this option is not useful as the connection through the FM band had some static which gets magnified on your car speaker system.
Driving to new places has become such a pleasure due to the Nuvi 660, it is so much better compared to the C320 or even C530 which I used previously. Also buy the friction "bean bag" mount, it makes the Nuvi doubly useful as you and your passenger can have easy access to it. It is a much better solution than mounting your Nuvi on the windshield.
I recommend it........2007-12-31
One of the most common complains I saw in previous reviews is that nuvi proposes the rout, which as people think is not perfect.
Guys, com on...
If you know the area well, there is absolutely no sense to use GPS.
But even in this case (I tested it in my home area) nuvi 660 offered me the rout which was better, than I used before.
But I just say again: the main advantage is to use this device in unfamiliar areas. I just returned from Florida, where I spent driving around about two weeks in Orlando and Tamp/Sarasota areas, and I can say: nuvi 660 was perfect. I have never been in Florida before, and I never opened the map. Nuvi handled everything. I never had any problem to get to the point I wanted: Disney parks, local stores or restourants, airport, etc...
It was the real pleasure to drive with this device instaled in your car. BTW, even though I never had problems with the suction mounting device, I prefer the bin bag. It's more rliable, and it's much faster to be reinstalled if you park park your car and want to hide it.
I also had a chance to test my nuvi 660 in wst Michigan (also unfamiliar area), and it also worked well.
I would highly recommnend this GPS.
Amazon.com Product Description
Travel throughout North America without loading any more maps with the Garmin nüvi 680 Personal Travel Assistant with MSN Direct. Plus, you can receive door-to-door directions while staying on top of local weather, traffic, and more with nüvi 680. The device features a colorful widescreen, hands-free calling, and an FM transmitter, then takes it up a notch by adding dynamic content from MSN Direct, as well as a convenient digital travel kit that includes an MP3 player with sample MP3s, audio books, a picture viewer, a world clock, currency and measurement converters, a calculator, and more.
This pocket sized personal travel assistant has a super bright, sunlight-readable color screen. See side view. |
Easy control via the simple touch screen. |
Weather reporting available with bright, colorful graphics. |
Despite being loaded with features, the nüvi 680 still allows you to navigate with ease. This unit comes ready to go right out of the box with preloaded NavTeq City Navigator NT street maps for North America, and includes a hefty points of interest (POIs) database with hotels, restaurants, fuel stops, ATMs and more. Simply touch the super-bright, sunlight-readable color screen to enter a destination, and the 680 takes you there with either 2D or 3D maps and turn-by-turn voice directions. This navigator voice even announces the name of exits and streets so you never have to take your eyes off the road, and can concentrate on your driving to keep yourself and your loved ones safe. In addition, the 680 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 that require your special consideration such as speed zones and safety cameras.
Speaking of keeping you safe, the nüvi 680 lets you make hands-free calls so you can talk freely during your worry-free driving. By integrating Bluetooth wireless technology with a built-in microphone and speaker, you can pair your nüvi with any compatible Bluetooth phone and talk hands-free while staying focused on the road. You no longer have to fumble with your phone's handset to answer a call or dial a number, just tap the 680's screen and you're instantly connected. And with 1-touch dialing for your POIs, you can quickly and conveniently call ahead to make reservations or get needed information.
Simply insert a memory card to enjoy pictures, songs, and audiobooks. |
You can also use the mini-USB port for tranferring files directly to the memory card. |
The new nüvi 680 lets you get localized information with dynamic content from MSN Direct, making it one of the most resourceful navigators available. Using the included receiver and free trial service to MSN Direct, you can check your local weather, avoid traffic backups, compare local gas prices, and even check movie times and locations, all while you travel. Easy and virtually fool-proof to use, the MSN Direct receiver is plug-and-play portable so you can quickly connect to your navigator unit when you are out and about. All of which can be customized with configurable vehicle icons that let you choose individual car-shaped icons in a variety of colors that show your position on the map.
In additional to all this functionality, the nüvi 680 includes many must-have entertainment and travel tools such as an MP3 player, an audio book player (subscription to Audible.com required), and a JPEG picture viewer so you can take your favorite music and pictures with you wherever you go. This unit also features a world travel clock with time zones, a currency converter, a measurement converter, and a calculator so that wherever you travel it will be easy to know what you are getting and keep track of your costs. The MP3 player lets you browse music by artist, album, and/or song, while the optional audio books may be purchased from Audible.com which features over 70,000 hours of audio programs. What's more, the nüvi 680 allows further customization via optional software such as a travel guide, savings programs and language translation on plug-and-play SD cards for all your travel needs.
The Garmin nüvi 680 comes with a built-in, high-sensitivity, WAAS-enabled GPS receiver, and lets you view and operate it via its bright, LCD TFT touch-screen, wide-screen display that measures 4.3 inches (diagonal) and has a resolution of 480 x 272 pixels with 64,000 colors and a white backlight. As a whole, the nüvi 680 measures 4.9 x 2.9 x 0.9 inches (W x H x D), and weighs only 6.2 ounces for easy portability. This unit provides you with from three to seven hours of battery life (depending on use) via its rechargeable lithium-ion battery, and comes with Garmin Lock, which is an anti-theft feature to protect your investment. While you can add software via the SD card slot, the Garmin nüvi 680 also lets you interface via high-speed USB for loading data, though users should note that, like most USB mass storage devices, this unit is not compatible with Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows Me.
The nüvi 680 comes ready to go right out of the box with preloaded City Navigator NT street maps, including a hefty points of interest (POIs) database with hotels, restaurants, fuel stops, ATMs, and more. |
What's in the Box
Garmin nüvi 680 with MSN Direct, City Navigator NT maps for North America (preloaded, full coverage), MSN Direct receiver with integrated vehicle power cable, 1 year of free MSN Direct service, vehicle suction cup mount, an AC charger, vehicle power cable, dashboard disk, a USB cable, leather carrying case, quick reference guide, and owner's manual.
Customer Reviews:
Great GPS! Well worth the price........2008-01-01
Accurate and easy to use. It also had more functions than advertized. You won't be disapointed.
Best GPS out there.......2008-01-01
This Garmin is probably the best GPS out there money can buy. Easy to use, the buttons on the touch screen are large enough that even big fingers like my own can accurately enter information. My second Garmin Nuvi, I would buy it again if my new car didn't have GPS built in- but still great to take with you on vacation.
Helpful but not without its quirks.......2008-01-01
I bought the Garmin 680 because to save time -- time lost when finding a location and time lost when rotting in traffic. The other features are more like a bonus to me. The 680 is excellent at navigation and its screen is super bright and readable even in the Arizona sun. The screen also responds well to my touch, to my surprise. The voice prompts are nice as well as are many of the configurable navigation options.
Now for the bad. I am most frustrated with the MSN Direct part. It's more of an after thought than a smoothly integrated feature. The problems with the MSN Direct feature are well documented:
- Requires the FM Adapter so you can only use it in the car
- Data updates (especially traffic) can take up to 10 minutes or more. Keep in mind when you start the car that you have no traffic data, so by time you hit the freeway, you may not have the data.
- The MSN Direct overlay icons are small and unclear.
- The MSN Direct info only overlays on the lame map instead of the primary map.
- The Garmin routing algorithm does not factor in traffic when routing an optimal route. (Note it does factor in road closures.)
I really need that traffic data since there are multiple routes in Phoenix area. When the traffic data is there, it has been pretty accurate thankfully. The good news is that about 90% of the time that I need traffic data, it is there.
As for the gas data, some people argued that this data pays for the MSN Direct subscription so it is worth it. Bah! My observations is that the cheapest gasolines stations consistently remain as the cheapest gas stations. And when you can find a cheaper one, it is out of the way not worth the time to get to it. If you can afford the price for this unit, then you are probably more interested in saving time and not saving $0.04 a gallon by driving 10 minutes out of the way.
I'd really like to see Garmin pipe the traffic, gas, etc. data over satellite or cellular instead of FM. Anyway, I doubt I'll renew my MSN Direct unless they give me a nice deal.
A few other complaints... If you load up a fast memory card (2Gigs) with MP3s, this unit takes a super long time to show you the initial map. Why wouldn't Garmin give priority to the navigation and then worry about MP3s afterwards? The points of interest as also missing a lot of established businesses. I'd also like to see a better pedestrian mode such as showing a trail that you walked (great for returning from a hike).
In the end, for automobile navigation, the Garmin is a great product. They need to think through some of their little features and also figure out how to better integrate real-time data like traffic however. With rumors of Apple thinking of adding navigation to the iPhone, Garmin needs to step it up and offer Apple-like usability in all areas or they are going to get smoked.
High hopes, mediocre results..........2008-01-01
I've been using gps since 2003 when I purchased my first Garmin unit, the GPS V. It was limited in memory and the serial cable was tedious for downloads. Then I wait listed for the Streetpilot 2610. It was expensive but wow what a great GPS. It was big and bulky but had loads of features, more then I could ever use. Some of my favorite features included preference choices, you could rank Major Highways, Secondary road and local roads to avoid the types of roads you didn't want to travel. I travel frequently and travel long distances for play, I race motorcycles and the local track is 300 miles away, second closest is 500 miles and I travel as many as 1100 miles each way. I liked that when spelling out a name of a hotel or restaurant the unit would search for the closest location first and then continue to find further away places. I liked the ability to create a route and loved the ability to map out routes on the computer and make changes and download the routes to the unit.
The size of the Nuvi and MSN direct were enough to get me moved over to the 680 unit and I was very excited, I contacted MSN direct to ensure my area was covered by their service. I assumed based on the price I would be gaining all these great features and not be giving up the features I had come to love.(I received one of the first units well before any reviews had been written)
Upon receiving the unit I quickly realized many of the features I came to love were GONE and many of the new features did not work or work well and the worst thing was most of the mapping preferences had been removed and last there wasn't any computer routing capabilities, well there wasn't any routing ability at all.
MSN Direct- even though I'm in a covered area in Northern New Jersey, it does not get coverage most of the time. I drive to NYC every day and I do get coverage when I get a mile of two from the city, WAY WAY too late to help me. DOESN'T WORK
Bluetooth - No friends or workers will allow me to talk to them on the speaker phone because the quality is so bad. USELESS
FM Modulator - I use a Sat radio so this feature does not work.
So now most of the new features either don't work or don't work due to my setup. That is OK because as long as the unit works better at generating directions, I'm fine with MSN being a work in progress.
Interface is extremely easy to use, I'll say that but it has been dummy'ed down so much that many of the great features I had grown to love on my 2610 are not present on the 680.
Shortest time works OK on short distance travel but on long distance travel the mapping is a joke. The unit is constantly trying to take you off major highways for secondary roads and local roads. Most of the secondary roads are infested with traffic lights or take you through the heart of a city where traffic and stop signs are found all over the place. I rarely if ever make my destination anywhere close to the ETA shown in the begining of the trip, even when speeding and not hitting traffic.
Road preferences that were present on the 2610 are GONE
Routing- GONE
Computer program for designing directions - GONE
These critical key features missing on the 680 are a huge disappointment. Garmin service has been fantastic and have agreed to take back the unit. I'm upgrading to a Magellan Maestro 3250 unit. This unit has the ability to choose multi mapping settings, routing, tap on a road to avoid the road and is smaller then the Nuvi. Hoping this will be the unit for me.
Thank You Santa!!.......2007-12-30
I just received the nuvi this christmas, and I LOVE it! [The first 2 reviews are very detailed and described everything well.]
The bluetooth connection allows for a clear connection when talking on the phone. MSN direct is a great plus! I activated the first free year immediately. The nuvi 680 is a very very easy GPS, user friendly, bright, light and slim too. I appreciate the slimnest and the leather case that came with it, so that you take it out of the car. This is my first GPS and I did not have to use the manual other than to change the voice (could have find it without it but was eager to put a male voice instead of the standard female voice). I set up everything w/ the touch screen buttons - marvelous. Buy it and enjoy!
Product Description
Answer the call to adventure with n?vi 660, a sleek navigator and travel assistant. This preloaded navigator brings a colorful widescreen display to the n?vi family and features hands-free calling, traffic alerts, an FM transmitter and more.n?vi 660 integrates Bluetooth wireless technology with a microphone and speaker that lets you make hands-free mobile phone calls. Simply dial numbers with the n?vi's touch screen keypad to make a call on a compatible Bluetooth phone. To answer calls, just tap n?vi's screen and speak directly into its built in microphone. In addition, easily look-up and dial numbers from your personalized phone book or from your phone's call history log. Don't know the phone number for your destination? Simply find and dial it from n?vi's extensive points of interest database - including hotels, restaurants, stores, and attractions.n?vi 660 comes ready to go with preloaded maps and includes automatic routing, 3D or 2D map perspective, turn-by-turn voice directions that speak street names and a fingertip touch screen interface, making navigation easy. It also supports configurable vehicle icons - fun, customized car-shaped icons in a variety of colors that show your position on the map.n?vi 660 features a super-bright 4.3" widescreen display for improved map viewing, POI lookup and MP3/audio book playback. This landscape display has white backlight and a touchscreen for easy use.Steer clear of traffic with n?vi 660's integrated FM TMC traffic receiver. Receive alerts about traffic tie-ups and road construction that lie ahead on your route. Next, simply touch n?vi's screen to view traffic details or detour around the problem area.Navigation is just the beginning. n?vi 660 includes many "must have" entertainment and travel tools including MP3 player, audio book player, JPEG picture viewer, currency converters, and more.3-month free trial subscription for real-time FM TMC traffic services is included.
Customer Reviews:
Great GPS.......2007-12-31
I had originally gotten a TomTom Go 720, which I thought to be a great piece of equipment. The only problem being, that it's Bluetooth function wouldn't work with my CDMA Sprint phone. So, I returned it for the Garmin nuvi 660. The FM transmitter is decent. The Bluetooth function is exceptional. The mic/speaker works great, and the mapping software is pretty decent
Also, I was able to get quick satellite fixes from within my house (10-15' from the windows)
Pros:
*Car mount allows for one step installation. Power is delivered through the mount, therefore no need to detach from mount and unplug several cables, everytime you get in and out of the car.
*Turns on/off with car power.
*Bright screen for good sunlight read-ability.
*GPS function can be turned on/off to save battery usage.
*Bluetooth/speaker phone is crystal clear.
Cons:
*Menus not very intuitive. (TomTom interface wins here)
*Processing speed should have been a little faster. Mapping feature a little jerky.
*Clunky antenna must be flipped out for GPS usage. Not ideal for shoving in a pocket.
*Text-to-Voice feature needs improvement. Hard to understand. I end up just looking at the screen to read to directions.
Hardware winner: Garmin nuvi 660 - Pops in and out of car easily.
Software winner: TomTom Go 720 - Intuitive menus run seamlessly. (If my phone would have worked with the TomTom, I would have kept it.)
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Vehicle GPS
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GPS & Navigation
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Electronics
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In-Dash Vehicle GPS (Installed)
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Motorcycle GPS
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On-Dash GPS
Garmin Automotive Mount for Nuvi 660 (010-10823-02)
Garmin Portable Friction Mount for Nuvi, StreetPilot I Series & C530, C550 (010-10908-00)
Garmin Vehicle DC Power Adapter for Nuvi (010-10723-06)
Garmin Carrying Case for Nuvi 660 (010-10823-01)
Garmin Suction Cup Mount with 12-Volt Adapter for Nuvi 660 (010-10935-02)
Garmin MapSource CD ROM (USA TOPO)
Garmin MapSource Topo U.S. 2008
Garmin 010-10085-00 DC Power Adapter
Garmin GA 27C Remote Antenna with MCX Connector
Garmin Bean Bag Mount for GPS V (010-10195-00)
