Garmin nüvi 350 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator

Amazon.com Product Description

What if one device could help you navigate anywhere in the U.S. and Canada, while offering travel tips, storing your favorite tunes and photos, providing translation assistance, and more? That device is here, and it's not much bigger than a deck of cards. The Garmin nüvi 350 is set to revolutionize what we expect from a GPS navigation device, or from any device for that matter.

Update -- Which nüvi is best for you? Since this review was originally written, the Garmin nüvi line has multiplied into an entire family of GPS devices with a rich feature set. Click here to see a quick, simple comparison of features for all Garmin nüvi GPS navigators.

The nüvi 350 is a portable GPS navigator, traveler's reference, and digital entertainment system, all in one. View product demo (requires Flash).

A simple touchscreen interface and voice guidance allow you to keep your eyes on the road. View larger.

Listen to an audio book or an MP3 while you're on the road. View larger.

Design
With a total weight of 5.1 ounces and slim measurements of 3.87 x 2.91 x 0.87 inches (WxHxD), the nüvi 350 is just right for the pocket or purse. A bright, 64,000-color display dominates the front of the device and a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels means that there's plenty of room for displaying map data and other elements of the device's interface. An SD memory card slot is provided for expansion software, such as a points of interest database, media files and electronic guides (see below). The flip-up antenna includes an MCX-type connector for connecting the unit to an external GPS antenna. Meanwhile, a powerful built-in speaker resides on the back of device. A built-in lithium ion battery will give you for to eight hours of battery life, depending on use. In addition to an AC charger, the unit also ships with a 12-volt power adapter for vehicle charging, as well as a windshield suction cup mount.

Fortunately, Garmin has made it easy to interface with the nüvi 350's 700 megabytes of onboard memory, thanks to "plug-and-play" USB mass storage support. Just plug the device into your computer's USB port and you've got instantaneous access to all the audio books, music, photos, supplemental maps and other data on the nüvi 350's internal and SD card memory.

Navigation
The nüvi 350 is first and foremost a personal GPS device. Wherever you go -- in your car or on foot-- the device offers extremely accurate position data, thanks to a high-sensitivity integrated GPS receiver by SiRF and WAAS-enabled, 12-satellite reception. Combined with detailed maps of the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico the nüvi 350 provides automatic routing, turn-by-turn voice directions, and touchscreen control-- making it easy to find your way anywhere. Plus, the unique "text-to-speech" feature calls out turns by street name, and you can choose from either 2D or 3D mapping perspectives when you're viewing your route on the display. Additionally, the nüvi 350 is compatible with Garmin's GTM 10 FM TMC traffic receiver*, which allows users to avoid traffic tie-ups by simply pushing a button that will calculate a new route.

As mentioned, the nüvi 350 comes packed with mapping data for North America, but you can can also load up your custom points of interest. Set up proximity alerts for school zones, safety cameras, and more using Garmin's free POI (points of interest) loader program (available from garmin.com).

The device automatically calculates the fastest route and provides voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions along the way.

Tools for the Journey
Navigation is just part of the journey, and the nüvi 350 is one of the first devices to recognize that. The built-in "Travel Kit" offers an MP3 player, an audio book player from Audible.com, a jpeg-format picture viewer, a world travel clock with time zones, a currency converter, a measurement converter, and a calculator.

In addition to the included travel tools, additional software add-ons are available, such as the Garmin Language Guide, with data provided by Oxford University Press. This software suite contains a multilingual word bank, phrase bank, and five bilingual dictionaries. The multilingual word bank and phrase bank supports nine languages and dialects, including American English, British English, French, German, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, European Portuguese, European Spanish, and Latin American Spanish. Now you can look up and translate more than 17,000 words or 20,000 phrases per language -- right in the palm of your hand. Through the unit's text-to-speech interface, users can get a spoken pronunciation of each entry in the word bank, along with gender and part of speech information.

Another useful add-on software package, the Garmin Travel Guide, is loaded with information provided by Marco Polo. These guides put in-depth travel information such as reviews and recommendations for restaurants, tourist attractions, and more at your fingertips. The software allows you to navigate to an address or search points of interest-- places like hotels, restaurants, shopping, and tourist attractions. The nüvi 350 automatically calculates the fastest route and provides voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions along the way. The unit also audibly announces the name of upcoming streets-- letting you keep your eyes on the road while navigating through busy traffic and tricky roadways. And if you stray off course, the nüvi 350 automatically calculates the quickest way to get back on track.

*Traffic services available only in select cities where RDS-TMC coverage exists. Requires the GTM 10 FM TMC traffic receiver and subscription fee to enable traffic capability.

What's in the Box
nüvi 350, travel kit, vehicle suction cup mount, carrying case, 12-24 volt adapter cable, dashboard disk, USB interface cable, sample language guide content, sample MP3s, and quick reference guide.

Which nüvi is Best for You?

Screen
Size
inches
(w x h)
Included Maps
POIs
Directions in
Real Street
Names
Traffic
Bluetooth
Media

FM Transmitter
(audio through
car stereo
system) Multi-
Point
Routing
Dimensions
inches
(w x h x d)

Cont. U.S.,
Hawaii, and
Puerto Rico
AK and
Canada
Europe
capable
included

nüvi 200 2.8 x 2.1
check

Photos

3.8 x 2.8 x 0.8

nüvi 200w 3.81 x 2.25
check

Photos

4.8 x 2.9 x 0.8

nüvi 250 2.8 x 2.1
check check

Photos

3.8 x 2.8 x 0.8

nüvi 250w 3.81 x 2.25
check check

Photos

4.8 x 2.9 x 0.8

nüvi 260 2.8 x 2.1
check check

check

Photos

3.8 x 2.8 x 0.8

nüvi 270 2.8 x 2.1
check check check

Photos

3.8 x 2.8 x 0.8

nüvi 350 2.8 x 2.1
check

check check

Photos, MP3s

3.87 x 2.91 x 0.87

nüvi 360 2.8 x 2.1
check check

check check
check Photos, MP3s

3.87 x 2.91 x 0.87

nüvi 370 2.8 x 2.1 check check check
check
check check Photos, MP3s

3.87 x 2.91 x 0.87

nüvi 650 3.81 x 2.25
check

check check

Photos, MP3s

4.9 x 2.9 x 0.9

nüvi 660
3.81 x 2.25
check check

check
check check Photos, MP3s check
4.9 x 2.9 x 0.9

nüvi 670
3.81 x 2.25
check check check
check
check check Photos, MP3s check
4.9 x 2.9 x 0.9

nüvi 680 3.81 x 2.25
check check

check
check check Photos, MP3s check
4.9 x 2.9 x 0.9

nüvi 750
3.81 x 2.25
check check

check
check
Photos, MP3s check check 4.8 x 3.0 x 0.8

nüvi 760 3.81 x 2.25
check check

check
check check Photos, MP3s check check 4.8 x 3.0 x 0.8

nüvi 770 3.81 x 2.25
check check check
check
check check Photos, MP3s check check 4.8 x 3.0 x 0.8

Customer Reviews:

I love it.......2008-01-02

I used it for a trip to the northeast and loved it. I never got lost or confused.

Garmin nuvi 350.......2008-01-02

I have not used this but gave it to my mom for a gift. She loves it!!

love this gps!.......2008-01-02

This is a great gps for the money - extremely easy to use and set up from the first. Gives verbal directions and it has been very accurate so far. Came with free downlad of audio books also, which will come in handy on long trips.

First GPS.......2008-01-02

I researched this item for a long time. I thought that this unit had all the functions that I would need. I used it on an 800 mile trip last week and am very pleased with it. It is easy to use out of the box and did everything I needed it to do. My only complaint is that I live in an area that is growing very fast and no GPS will ever be able to keep up with this growth. I am told that new maps will be out every 12 to 15 months for about $75.00. I know that they will not catch all the new roads here. I am taking a 6 week trip back East this Summer and I know that this unit will really pay for it's self then.

Garmin Nuvi 350.......2008-01-02

Works very well, but could be more user friendly. I found it hard to find my way through the screens to enter or change information. Could be partly because I've never used a GPS unit before. Directions were easy to follow, and it recalculated quickly when we didn't follow the directions.

Garmin nüvi 360 3.5-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator

Average customer rating:

Garmin nuvi 360
Garmin 360 nuvi
Almost perfect
Nuvi 360 is GREAT
Garmin nuvi 360

Garmin nüvi 360 3.5-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator

Manufacturer: Garmin
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

Traffic-Enabled GPS | Handheld GPS | GPS & Navigation | Categories | Electronics

Traffic-Enabled | GPS & Navigation | Categories | Electronics

Gift-wrap Eligible | Specialty Stores | Electronics Features | Electronics

GPS & Navigation | Refurbished & Used | Special Features | Electronics Features | Electronics

Computers | Electronics | Categories | Target
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Accessories:

Product Features:

Bluetooth wireless technology, built-in microphone, and speaker for hands-free calls with compatible phones
MP3 player with pre-loaded sample songs and audio books, JPEG picture viewer, travel alarm, and currency converters
2D or 3D views; pre-loaded with most recent Navteq-driven maps for United States, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and Canada
Turn-by-turn directions with actual street names; real-time traffic and weather info
Super-bright 2.8 x 2.1-inch sunlight-readable color screen

ASIN: B000EXS1BS

Amazon.com Product Description

The Garmin nüvi 360 GPS Navigator and Personal Travel Assistant is a GPS navigator, personal translator, multi-media entertainer and tour guide all wrapped into one. In addition to all the advanced features of the Garmin nüvi 350 -- including automatic routing, turn-by-turn voice directions, an MP3 player and audio book player, JPEG picture viewer, and much more -- this pocket-sized personal travel assistant comes with hands-free Bluetooth wireless technology, making it the hands-down go-anywhere travel companion.

The nüvi 360 comes with hands-free bluetooth wireles technology. See side view.

Browse your stored pictures with an easy-to-use JPEG viewer.

The device sports a handy MP3 player, letting you play songs stored on SD memory cards.

Make Hands-Free Calls
The nüvi 360 integrates wireless technology with a microphone and speaker that lets you make hands-free mobile phone calls using your compatible Bluetooth-enabled phone. Simply dial numbers with the nüvi's touch screen keypad to place a call, and to answer calls, just tap the screen and speak directly into its built-in microphone.

In addition, you can 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 nüvi's database of more than six million points of interest -- including hotels, restaurants, stores, and attractions.

Navigation and Entertainment with Ease
For starters, the nüvi 360 includes a high-sensitivity integrated GPS receiver that offers exceptional performance and reception. The unit's flip-up antenna includes an MCX-type connector for optional external GPS antenna connection. Preloaded software features maps of Europe or North America, and it includes automatic routing, 2D or 3D map perspective, turn-by-turn voice directions that speak street names, and a fingertip touch screen interface -- making navigation as easy as it gets.

But navigation is just the beginning. Like the nüvi 350, the nüvi 360 also includes many entertainment and travel tools including an MP3 player, audio book player, JPEG picture viewer, travel alarm, and currency converters.

The nüvi 360 features a bright, 2.8 x 2.1-inch TFT display with white backlight for easy readability. At 3.87 x 2.91 x 0.87-inches (WxHxD) and just 5.1 ounces, the unit is small enough to be placed on the dashboard with the included suction mount, or into your pocket for easy transportability. The unit also features Garmin Lock -- an advanced anti-theft feature that disables the unit from performing any functions until you type in a specific four-digit PIN or take the unit to a predetermined location. A built-in lithium ion battery will give you up to eight hours of power, and an included 12/24 volt adapter cable will let you run the navigator off your vehicle's power. An AC battery charger is also included.

A built-in Travel Kit that includes sample MP3s and audio books will get you started with entertainment, and with the unit's SD memory card expansion slot you can add optional software, such as language and travel guides. A USB port is also included for loading and updating data.

What's in the Box
Gamin nüvi 360, Preloaded City Navigator NT North America or Europe (full coverage), vehicle suction cup mount, AC charger, 12/24 volt adapter cable, dashboard disk, USB interface cable, carrying case, owner's manual, and quick reference guide.

Customer Reviews:

Garmin nuvi 360.......2008-01-02

We really like the Garmin nuvi 360. It's a great tool and takes the stress and hassle out of finding routes around delays or just finding your way to a new place.

Garmin 360 nuvi.......2008-01-02

Garmin nüvi 360 3.5-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator

this product is awesome
love the voice prompts
having some issues with the bluetooth, but other than that no complaints
very intelligent in guessing where you want to go
the function to select nearby businesses is great, very thorough

Almost perfect.......2008-01-02

The Nuvi 360 is as close to perfect as any product I have ever bought. It has guided me to my destination without fail many times since I acquired it. Sometimes, it takes me on an unexpected route to a known destination that proves to be quicker -- go figure!! My only beef is the alphabetic keyboard -- I would greatly appreciate the option of selecting a QWERTY keyboard.

Nuvi 360 is GREAT.......2008-01-01

I purchased this item for my husband for Christmas. I did about 10 hours of research on the different brands and definitely chose the right one. My husband said this is the best present he ever received. We took it on the plane with us and it was really cool to see our speed, altitude, and where we were while flying. Amazon (TigerDirect) also had the best price to be found.

Garmin nuvi 360.......2008-01-01

Better than expected. Opened the box and was all ready to go. Very easy to navigate. I am usually challenged by todays electronics but this was not the case with the Garmin. I can't imagine myself ever getting lost again. I love the bluetooth phone hook up too. Works very well. I also saved between $50 and $80 by using Amazon. Very happy about that.

Garmin nüvi 200W 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator

Average customer rating:

Very Pleased with Holiday purchase
Garmin Nuvi 200w
Garmin 200W GPS
Garmin nuvi 200W is really cool!!!!
Trouble Aquiring Satellites

Garmin nüvi 200W 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator

Manufacturer: Garmin
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

Navigation Systems | Car Electronics | Categories | Electronics | Vehicle GPS Systems

Gift-wrap Eligible | Specialty Stores | Electronics Features | Electronics

Computers | Electronics | Categories | Target
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Accessories:

Product Features:

Wide WQVGA 4.3 Inch Diagonal Color Touchscreen Display with White Backlight
480x272 Pixels Resolution
Sleek Ultra Slim Design/ SD Memory Card Expansion Slot
Turn by Turn Directions with Voice Guidance
0.38 Lbs (WxLxH) 0.80" x 4.80" x 2.90"

ASIN: B000QUZV9O

Amazon.com Product Description

comparison of 4.3-inch screen to 3.5-inch screen

Wider screen lets you see more of what's around. View larger.

nüvi 200W accepts custom points of interest (POIs). View larger.

The nüvi 200W comes preloaded with maps for U.S., Hawaii, and Puerto Rico, and features an ultra-slim design.

The widescreen version of Garmin's nüvi 200 offers a large, easy-to-read screen (4.3 inches diagonally to the nüvi 200s 3.5 inches) at an attractive price point. Like its smaller sibling, the 200W comes with preloaded maps for the continental U.S., Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. If you want maps for all of North America, check out the nüvi 250W. If you want maps for Europe, you'll need to go with the smaller nüvi 270, or you can purchase a set of European maps on SD Card or CD-Rom. While it doesn't have some of the more sophisticated features of higher-end nüvis, it does, like all nüvi 200-series members, offer a rock-solid navigation experience with an easy-to-use colorful touchscreen, 6 million points of interest (POI)s, and an ultra-slim design.

See More of What's Around
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.

Smart, Powerful Design
The nüvi 200W is built with a high-sensitivity WAAS-enabled GPS receiver for extreme accuracy, as well as an SD card slot for storing your media and additional navigation tools, and a USB interface for loading data. All this is wrapped up in a package that measures 4.8 x 2.9 x 0.8 inches (W x H x D) and weighs just 6.6 ounces. The nüvi 200's 4.3-inch (diagonal) display is touchscreen-enabled, making it a cinch to control the device with your fingertips. A rechargeable lithium-ion battery provides up to five hours of battery life depending on use.

Navigate with Ease
nüvi 200W 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 nüvi takes you there with 2D or 3D maps and turn-by-turn voice directions. In addition, nüvi 200W 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.

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.

Custom vehicle icons let you ride in style, at least inside your GPS. See more icon options.

Beyond Navigation
Navigation is just the beginning. nüvi 200W features travel tools including JPEG picture viewer, 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. Optional plug-in SD cards for our line of Garmin Travel Guides and Garmin SaversGuide provide detailed data for attractions and information on nearby merchants offering discounts, so you can customize nüvi for your travel needs.

Note: Like most USB Mass Storage Devices, the nüvi is not compatible with Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows Me.

What's in the Box
nüvi 200W, preloaded City Navigator NT for the continental U.S., Hawaii, and Puerto Rico (no Alaska or Canada detail), vehicle suction cup mount, vehicle power cable, dashboard disk, and set up and go guide.

Customer Reviews:

Very Pleased with Holiday purchase.......2008-01-02

I purchased this GPS as a holiday gift for my husband. We spent lots of time researching different units and decided on this one. The purchase price was less expensive then any where else we looked. The shipping took no time and my husband has used it every day since it's arrival.

Garmin Nuvi 200w.......2008-01-02

This was a Christmas gift, so it has not been used a lot. Each time we have used it, we found it to be easy to operate and right on target, as to arrival time, etc. We really like it. Don't know what took us so long to get one.

Garmin 200W GPS.......2008-01-02

This is a great GPS for the price ($220).
Pros: widescreen - the bigger the screen the better
turn by turn voice (but no street names)
Garmin - emerging as the leader in GPS units
Cons: no cover included
no AC charger included (must charge off of car input)
no street name annunciation
Bottom line - the best unit for your $$ from an industry leader

Garmin nuvi 200W is really cool!!!!.......2008-01-02

Garmin nuvi 200W is really cool!!!!

I did all my online research and red all the positive reviews of this machine.

The features and value cannot be touched by TomTom or Magellan at the same price range.

I love it, go buy it :)

Trouble Aquiring Satellites.......2008-01-02

I picked this up as a second basic GPS at Dillards of all places for $150 today.

It is very slow at acquiring satellites. Takes a long time. My other unit that I own which is a TomTom acquires them immediately, even when inside buildings.

It is very basic unit. No frills at all.

Many of the POI's are incorrect and many missing. The POI database is very frustrating to use because of the inaccuracies and there is no way to make edits or updates to the existing POI's on the unit like I can do on my TomTom. You can also not create custom POI's on the fly on this unit like my TomTom allows. No MapShare feature like TomTom has, so you are stuck with inaccuracies in the map and POI's until Garmin releases a new map in a year or two and then you have to pay $69 to buy it.

Map detail is quite basic on this unit. My TomTom shows much greater detail with color shading of terrain and building footprints in many areas. This unit also only includes the continental USA, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. If you want full coverage including Canada and Alaska, you should buy the Garmin nuvi 250W for just a few bucks more. Routing is slow and you must have patience. I have no idea what speed and type of processor this thing has and the Garmin Website specifications tell you nothing about the real specs like this including how much memory it has. It must be a pretty slow processor based on the performance. Map drawing is slow too.

The form factor is pretty nice. Fairly slim and trim. The unit is kinda of slippery and it would be easy to drop. Garmin gives you no case, that is $20 more ! You better buy one before your new toy goes sliding across the concrete sometime and really gets messed up. The SD card slot is handy to put some photos of the rugrats on or for those extra maps you might buy that are not included.

If you want a basic GPS and you have to have Garmin I would recommend spending the few extra bucks and going for the Garmin Nuvi 250W with better map coverage.

I think I will play with this a couple of weeks and return it ( I have 30 days ) as I can tell right away even at the low price I paid it disappoints me since I have gotten spoiled by my TomTom.

Not recommended.

Garmin Edge 305HR+ GPS Navigator and Bicycle Computer with Heart Rate Monitor and Cadence Sensor

Average customer rating:

Garmin Edge 305 Review
Satisfied with my Edge 305
Unreliable
Bike Computer
Nice and worth the money

Garmin Edge 305HR+ GPS Navigator and Bicycle Computer with Heart Rate Monitor and Cadence Sensor

Manufacturer: Garmin
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

Gift-wrap Eligible | Specialty Stores | Electronics Features | Electronics

Sports & Fitness GPS | Handheld GPS | GPS & Navigation | Categories | Electronics

Cycling GPS Units | Accessories | Cycling & Wheel Sports | Categories | Sports & Outdoors

Computers | Electronics | Categories | Target
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Accessories:

Product Features:

High-sensitivity GPS receiver
Heart rate monitor and speed/cadence sensor
Automatically records up to 1000 laps. Download to your PC
Look up and navigate to stored locations
Virtual Partner lets you "race" a virtual competitor, making training fun

ASIN: B000BS4PZW

Product Description

built-in high-sensitivity SiRFstarIII GPS receiver continuously tracks and uses up to 12 satellites to compute and update your position * built-in patch GPS antenna * wireless heart rate monitor with chest strap * wireless speed and cadence sensor * built-in lithium ion rechargeable battery provides up to 12 hours of operation *

Customer Reviews:

Garmin Edge 305 Review.......2007-12-28

This is a great product. I have been using it for about a month now and have very little, if any, negative to say about the product. Basically it says what it does and it does what it says.

The display system is clean, easy to read, highly adjustable and very informative displaying information in a very clear and consise way that is easy to understand.

If there was a negative side to the unit it would be 2 very small issues. 1) There is a definate learning curve to the product, but this is minor considering the support system and the high number of users for this product all my questions were answered with little problems. 2) The software that comes with it is good, but is difficult to understand the data after it is sync'd to your computer. It would help if that was cleaned up so it is more user friendly. I have heard the motion based website is better at analyzing the data, but I have not tried it.

Garmin - Edge 305 HR+Speed/Cadence Sensor GPS Receiver, Personal Trainer and Cycle Computer

Satisfied with my Edge 305.......2007-12-24

Yes I am very satisfied with my Garmin 305. Delivered on time, as described in the site, without damages...working perfectly. I would rate as 5 stars.

However after my first ride I got a big storm and the buttons Start/Stop and Reset/New Lap are not working as they were. I don't know if this was because of the storm (I suppose Garmin is waterprof) or because of the ride itself. I don't think so because I just got a single track and I am using just for XC purpose, the device didn't fall. The problem now is that I have to press the buttons stronger than before in order to make them work. That is way I rated as 3 starts....

Regarding the baterries so far I don't face any issues. The satelite cover is working fine, cadence and speed sensor and Heart Rate as well.

Please if anybody faced the same issue let me know.

Best Regards.

Unreliable.......2007-12-18

I loved everything about the 305, except for its proclivity for ceasing to function and short battery life. I went through three of them in a year. The first one went back to the store where I bought it, the second one was returned to Garmin, the final one was exchanged for a Suunto T6 which I have been very happy with (i.e. it works.)
Garmin has released several firmware updates that did address the early problems I was having with the unit, but after the third one simply turned off several times on a commute home I gave up. The low (MUCH lower than the advertised) battery life per charge was frustrating as well. I could have lived with that if the unit had been reliable, but as is, I could not recommend this product. Hopefully the new version will work better.

Bike Computer.......2007-11-24

I love my Garmin Edge. This computer works perfect. I installed it myself and am really new to biking. It has been great for my weekly rides and it challenges me each time to get better when I ride by myself. The signal and data are extremely accurate and I have had no problems with this device. I highly recommend checking out the stats on [...] and also using it with Google Earth.

Nice and worth the money.......2007-11-13

no problem so far. I already used it for 5K since I bought in June07. No battery replaced yet and no weak signal for cadence, Heart Monitor and GPS. Very accurate for distance and speed. I compared with the car odometer and didn't get a huge variation. At maximum for 200km rode by car, i got 2Km the delta to Garmin. The speed was very close to the car odometer. I recommend this even the Garmin already launched the EDGE 705 (color screen and SD card with GPS maps - for me this extra features is not usefull for my training and competition)

Harman Kardon GPS-500 Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator, MP3 Player, and Video Player

Average customer rating:

Freezes
Simple Review for a Simple Product
NO GPS SiGNAL FOUND
Buyer beware
Would not buy again

Harman Kardon GPS-500 Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator, MP3 Player, and Video Player

Manufacturer: Harman Kardon
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

MP3 GPS | GPS & Navigation | Categories | Electronics

Navigation Systems | Car Electronics | Categories | Electronics | Vehicle GPS Systems
Similar Items:

Product Features:

Powerful, portable device combines highly-accurate GPS navigation with robust digital audio and video playback
Turn-by-turn maps and spoken driving directions in English, French, or Spanish; complete, preloaded maps of the U.S. and Canada
4-inch widescreen touchscreen display can play video in MPEG-1/4 and WMV9 formats
Fully-featured MP3 player allows you to search by artist, album, genre, song, or playlist
Features an intuitive and easy-to-operate, color-coded menu scheme

ASIN: B000NNASK6
Release Date: 2007-04-01

Amazon.com

Amazon.com Review

Amazon.com Review
Creating a device that does more than one or two things well has proved elusive for device manufacturers. So-called "convergence" devices--devices that provide multimedia, communication, and navigation functions, for instance--are just beginning to mature into products worth buying. One such product is the Harman Kardon GPS-500, which pulls an admirable hat trick by combining above average music and video playback with a top notch GPS navigation experience.

Navigation, Music and Movies on One Device

Turn-by-turn directions and navigation prompts appear as needed, even during music playback.

Enjoy your favorite music in your car--or on the couch. The unit supports MP3, AAC, and WMA audio formats.

The SD card slot supports up to 4GB, enough room for hours of video.

Granted, you don't get some top shelf features like Bluetooth integration, text-to-speech address announcements, or wireless traffic reports, but Harman Kardon has wisely stuck with basics and polished them into an experience that, apart from a few software problems we encountered on our pre-production model, doesn't fail to disappoint.

Navigation
The main purpose of any car GPS device is to take you reliably from point A to B. Here the GPS-500 performs nicely indeed, providing several options for finding your destination. To get going you can select either a street address, a specific point of interest such as a gas station or restaurant, a recent or saved destination, a postal code, or an intersection (if you're not sure of the exact address). To speed up text entry, the unit employs an intelligent auto-completion feature that displays only the letters that spell an item in its database. This greatly reduces the letters from which you have to choose to tell it where you want to go.

Accurate, detailed 3D navigation, and turn-by-turn directions. View larger.

Use the unit's touch screen to enter address locations. View larger.

An intuitive menu lets you switch quickly between music, video, and navigation options. View larger.

Once it knows where you are headed, the device offers you the choice of shortest distance or most use of freeways or other high-speed arterials. You'll also find a trip planner that lets you lay out and save multiple destinations, as well as avoidance choices for routing your trip away from borders, toll roads, unpaved roads, ferries, and more. If you take a wrong turn or need to use a detour, the GPS-500 will automatically re-route you and get you back on your way.

Preloaded maps of the U.S. and Canada help you quickly plan your trip. All you have to do is drive. See route planning details.

And how did the GPS-500 perform out on the road? In a word, admirably. Apart from a few lags and interface hiccups that (we hope) can be attributed to our pre-production software, the responsiveness of the device, combined with the excellent user interface, are what make it a joy to use. Add that to extremely fast and accurate GPS signal processing, and you've got a recipe for navigation nirvana. In most cases, the device decided on logical and efficient routes, too--something that can't be said of all GPS devices out there. This is likely the result of using accurate and up-to-date mapping data.

Multimedia
The GPS-500 strives to be much more than just another GPS device in a crowded market, and that's likely why Harman Kardon has polished the multimedia features of the device so well. With support for MP3 and WMA music files, the music player has a refreshingly intuitive user interface and good sound quality. It's a cinch to browse music on your SD card by artist, album, genre, playlist, and song. Another nice touch is that you can keep the music playing while the unit is in navigation mode.

Video playback is equally straightforward. The device recognizes WMV9 or MPEG-4 AVI video files and presents them in a scrolling list. Press a title and you're off in movie land, complete with smooth framerates and minimal jitters during high-action sequences. We did encounter a format incompatibility with an AVI file encoded in the DIVX format. Attempting to play the file freaked the GPS-500 out, and a hard reset was required. Harman Kardon is very clear about which file formats are supported, but many folks might inadvertantly attempt to play a DIVX-encoded AVI instead of an MPEG-4 AVI. Broader format support would be a welcome addition.

To ease some of the pain of getting your movies and TV shows into the right format for the GPS-500, Harman Kardon provides a brief guide for Windows Media Player users. Mac users will have to use third-party media encoders to prepare their videos for the GPS-500. Lastly, battery life when playing back videos was surprisingly good. After a two-hour movie the GPS-500 was only down to a 40 percent charge.

This personal travel assistant has a super bright, sunlight-readable, 4-inch widescreen with highly accurate 2D and 3D navigation capabilities.

See more pictures: back - right side - left side

Design
The GPS-500 is solidly built--something we expect from Harman Kardon--and it instills a sense of confidence that it can survive the bumps of bruises that come with the mobile lifestyle. Measuring approximately 4.5 inches wide by 3.5 inches high, and a little over half an inch thick, the device is only a little chunkier than your average PDA or Smartphone. The clean lines of the GPS-500 are enhanced by a complete lack of buttons; all interaction with the device happens between the touchscreen and your finger. In the interest of simplicity, there is not even a stylus that can fall to the floor and roll under the seat of your car.

The only button you'll find on the device is the recessed power button on the top, right next to the SD card slot. The slot accepts cards with up to 4 GB of capacity. There's also a small jog wheel on the right side for volume and display brightness control. Below this dial you'll also find a mini-USB port that serves double duty for both charging and PC-to-device data transfers, as well as a standard 3.5-millimeter headphone jack. Meanwhile, you'll find a pinhole reset button on the bottom, as well as a hold switch on the left side for deactivating the touchscreen. Lastly, the back of the unit sports a small audio speaker and a port for an optional GPS signal booster antenna.

Setup and Interface
Setup is as easy as turning the device on, since it comes loaded with maps of the U.S. and Canada. On first bootup, choose from English, Spanish, or French language options for the spoken directions and interface menus.

Interacting with the GPS-500's touchscreen is delightfully intuitive and reliable; there's really no need for a stylus or navigation buttons, which simplifies things on the road. The division of the main interface into four main quadrants is a helpful touch, and it's refreshing to see manufacturers moving away from awkward icon-based menus. Instead of drilling down through lists of icons, all of the GPS-500's options are presented on simple, color-coded shapes. That said, we were a little puzzled by the use of the "Source" menu key, which takes the user back to the main menu from any point in the interface. It's a useful feature, but why not call this the "Home" button instead?

The screen itself is sharp and clear, offering great resolution and clarity in all driving conditions. The map screen is a sight to behold, offering delightfully crisp 3D images, as well as excellent responsiveness when zoomed and panned. Likewise, the interfaces for music and video playback are pleasantly uncluttered, responsive, and well thought-out. One problem in our unit, though, was the lack of a sleep mode. The device's screen will stay on at full illumination when it's left idle--even when running on battery power. There's also no sleep button on the device.

The GPS-500 provides audible commands for turns, which is very useful for anticipating upcoming maneuvers. As mentioned, though, the device does not provide text-to-speech capabilities for reading the names of locations or upcoming addresses.

Pros

Excellent user interface
Fast, accurate GPS performance; good mapping capabilities
Polished, user-friendly music and video playback

Cons

Minor lag during some operations
Limited video format compatibility
No sleep or low power standby function

What's in the Box
GPS-500, car charger, wall charger, USB cable, fold-flat mounting bracket, plastic disc for dash mount, adhesive pad for plastic disc, alcohol cleaning pad for dash surface, quick-start guide, and carrying case.

Customer Reviews:

Freezes.......2007-12-29

This is my first GPS and I am quite disappointed. It seemed to work fine when I was charging it with the outlet. However, when I tried to install it in my car and tried to start the navigation, it completely froze. I tried shutting the system off and restarting it many times but the results were all the same. It allowed me to go to the music section though so I guess it was just the navigation that did not work. My parents have Garmin and theirs is much better in terms of overall usability. However, I did like the sound quality of the music. I am returning the item.

Simple Review for a Simple Product.......2007-12-27

Easy to use. Gets you to where you need to go.

I just buy things that work... I am not going to analyze a GPS that gets me from A to B just fine. There is nothing to Analyze

Plays Music just fine plugged into my line in on my headunit.

It also plays movies.. That is an added bonus considering it costs less then the GPS-300

Just put the address or place in and move on with life.