Comments for Portable GPS Systems

Comment on Garmin nüvi 295W 3.5-Inch Widescreen Wi-Fi Portable GPS Navigator by J. Mursuli "gadget_man"

J. Mursuli "gadget_man" — Wed, 16 May 2012 23:28:35 +0000

99 of 107 people found the following review helpful

great GPS w/o the phone, May 20, 2010

J. Mursuli "gadget_man" (Palatine, IL United States) -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Garmin nüvi 295W 3.5-Inch Widescreen Wi-Fi Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)

GPS Experience:
I have been a GPS user for over 10 years. I have owned Garmin's, Tom Toms, Magellan's, Mio, DASH, and others.

Packaging:
You get a brown box with all the Garmin pieces inside and most important it's recyclable.

Physical unit:
The 295t has a power button on the top, it also has a 2.5mm headphone jack/audio line-out on top. It has volume up and down button on the right side and well as a camera button on the right side. The left side has the USB as well as the windshield bracket connection. The nice thing is that you can connect the power directly to the bracket.

First Impression:
I just received my Nuvi 295t and I have to say that I excited about the concept of being able to connect to the Internet to surf or to find POI's. I believe that all future PND units will have some kind of wi-fi connection or a bluetooth connection through your phone. The PND companies are loosing market share to all the NAV phones that are on the market. The 3.5 inch screen is SMALL. If you like having a 4.3" screen or even a 5" inch screen you might not like this small screen. Remember this a similar size to most NAV phones on the market today.

Navigation:
It has spoken street names (e.g. "Turn right on Elm street in 500 ft."). The directions given were similar to other Garmin units. The directions were accurate. The unit displays the posted speed limit, and your current speed on the bottom right. It displays your arrival time on the bottom left. On the top of the screen it displays the next turn arrow with the street name. The "Jill" directional voice is low and tiny...it must be a small speaker.

Screen:
3.5" inches. Dual-orientation automatically switches between portrait and landscape view. The Scrolling menu option was a nice add-on.

Wi-fi(web surfing, weather, e-mail):
Web surfing: Connected to an available hot spot was fast a easy. The web pages display as full web pages. You have the option to enlarge or reduce the web pages with a (+) or (-) that displays on the screen. Loading web pages was average with some taking longer to load.
Weather: while connected via wi-fi you can check your local forecast from the main menu. You would have to use the browser to go to [...] to view radar, and maps.
E-mail: setting an e-mail account was fast and easy. Once you are connected via wi-fi you can check your email from the main menu. The email icon shows how many un-opened emails that you have in your inbox. I was able to setup 2 e-mail accounts. The screen qwerty keyboard is not the greatest but you can still input the URL's and other info.

Wi-fi (Google searches):
Once you are connected via wi-fi and you have the option to use Google Search to find POI's that were not listed in the 6 million POI database. The searches were fast and easy. Once they are found the unit can route you to your destination. You can also use 1-step navigation from contacts, e-mail, and local search results.

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Comment on Garmin nüvi 295W 3.5-Inch Widescreen Wi-Fi Portable GPS Navigator by Northern Traveler

Northern Traveler — Wed, 16 May 2012 23:06:14 +0000

217 of 226 people found the following review helpful

Replaced my 755T, May 20, 2010

Northern Traveler (Michigan) -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Garmin nüvi 295W 3.5-Inch Widescreen Wi-Fi Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)

Just finished my first few hours with the 295W.

Just received the 295W today to replace the 755T that was unfortunately stolen. I was thinking about waiting for the 3790T or 3760T, but needed something before that becomes available.

** UNIT DIMENSIONS / FEEL / RESPONSE **
First impressions of the 295W are pretty good. Good fit and finish, has the right heft to it to where it does not have a "toy" feel. Fit and finish is nicer than the 755T I had. All functions process more quickly than the 755T did, and the touch screen is much more responsive. On my old unit, either the processor bogged down a bit, or the screen sensitivity was not quite there, but it did not respond like the 295W does. Scrolling with the touch screen is nice both in the menus, and in map view mode.

** ROUTING / DIRECTIONS **
The routing seemed faster than the 755T. I will miss the lane assist when I travel to larger cities like L.A. and Atlanta, but for the vast amount of time, it won't be a big deal. I did purposely take some wrong turns to check the rerouting capabilities, and found that to be very quick.

That said, it did have one hiccup already. ( i.e.- when chose Lowe's from the POI list, it showed it in two different directions, same address, 5 miles apart. There is only one Lowe's in my town, and it is not a divided highway or anything).

** UPLOADS **
I have not yet updated the map. It seems strange to have JUST released the unit, and the website suggests there is an updated map set available? I am going to see if I can figure out the version, and when the last one was released. Since I can upload over 60 days from initial use, I may wait a bit.

That said, I did upload some of the extra voices and vehicles that you can get from the Garmin site. It was quick, and seems to be just fine. ( By the way, I did have the problem upload with my prior 755T that made it a brick, and I had to send back and forth with Garmin.)

** WEB / WIRELESS **
Set up with my wireless network. Security settings were easy. The auto download weather is a neat feature, but I don't see myself carrying this around every day in and out of the house the way I probably would with GarminPhone. The Google Local Search worked well though. The pre-loaded POIs were very good I thought, but there were a couple places I figured it wouldn't know, and it didn't. Connected through the web though, it found them in 5 seconds, and then they were added to the unit saved places.

** OVERALL FIRST IMPRESSION **
After being used to the larger 755T screen, this seems a little bit small. Seems like I can't just glance as quickly at it as the prior unit, but maybe that will change with some time. The spoken directions seem a little bit clearer than the 755 was The response of the unit is very good in my opinion. Not sure how much I will really use the wireless, but I can see it handy traveling when I head to the hotel and might be looking for all the food options locally that the bas POI may not have, etc....

I am headed on a couple hundred mile drive over the next weekend and will see what other opinions arise. I know it's an initial review, but at least I don't have any buyer's remorse at this point. I may still wind up with a 7300 series after those arrive, and put this in the other vehicle, but we'll see.

**As for the packaging issues mentioned by the first poster, (who may just have wanted to be the first poster, since it certainly was not a PRODUCT review), I can say that while everything did arrive in fine shape, the stuff did just kind of seem tossed in the box. I felt it actually cheapened the Garmin brand to send it this way.

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Comment on Garmin nüvi 295W 3.5-Inch Widescreen Wi-Fi Portable GPS Navigator by Dan Billings

Dan Billings — Wed, 16 May 2012 22:57:35 +0000

255 of 266 people found the following review helpful

Nice small GPS, but READ THIS about cityXplorer and Support, June 22, 2010

Dan Billings (Louisville, Kentucky) -

This review is from: Garmin nüvi 295W 3.5-Inch Widescreen Wi-Fi Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)

Update: September 17, 2010
After a few months of regular use, I still like this unit fine. My biggest problem with it is that the battery drains so fast when it's turned off. Even if I disable wi-fi and gps, it drains a full charge after one or two days of no use. The battery also takes a long time to charge compared to a phone, camera, or mp3 player.

Update: August 4, 2010
Just returned from a 1,400 mile trip thru KY, TN, NC, & SC. This GPS worked pretty good most of the time, but it can loose it's postition on the map as well as graphic details if you use the zoom, rotate, or other features while in the course of navigating. On some occassions, I'd wait for a few minutes and eventually it would correct itself. Other times I waited, but I had to power cycle the unit to get it back on course. Also, at gas stops and rest stops, it recalculated the route correctly most of the time. Sometimes I'd get off for gas and the GPS would recalculate my route in the opposite direction of the interstate that I just left! The GPS signal was always strong and satelites were always found within 30 seconds.
Regarding the Wi-Fi, it was compatible with the free Wi-Fi at the inn's where I stayed, but if it was a place where you have to pay for Wi-Fi service, this device was not compatible. This was also the case in Las Vegas.

Update: July 12, 2010
Just returned from Las Vegas. This GPS could not even pick up a satelite at all while walking the strip. Not even on the raised pedestrian bridges where I had a huge view of the sky. However, it got a great signal at The Grand Canyon (of course).

Update: July 2,2010
I dock it another star for the false advertising and poor support.
I purchased the add-on 10 dollar cityXplorer map of Las Vegas from Garmin's website. After I downloaded it, I couldn't find any evidence that it was installed. I emailed tech support to find out how I could confirm that it was installed and working. After three days of back and forth email help from their support I was convinced that I was gonna have to call. I called support, waited one hour to talk to a guy who walked me through the same process that I'd already done. He said, I'll see bus routes on my GPS when I get to Vegas. That's the upgrade?
They don't have this unit on hand to work with, and they are using support directions for other units which don't have the same menu's as the 295W. A few hours after talking to the tech, I got an email from Garmin saying that the cityXplorer maps enhanced pedestrian mode is not compatible with this model. They issued me a refund for the Las Vegas map upgrade. This is an advertised function of the GPS that does not work.

My original review:
My 3 year old Tom Tom was swiped from the car, so I was forced to shop for a replacement. This unit caught my eye right away due to the Wi Fi. I am a cheapskate prepaid phone guy, so the idea of smart phone features without the monthly charges sounded good. The family gave me this for Fathers Day and I've had two days to play with it. Here's my impression:

This device feels good. Solid and light. Responsive buttons and touchscreen. Good resolution and contrast. Navigation is simple, and within 20 minutes I had learned the layout of apps, menus and interface as well as configured the personal stuff(home address, wi fi connection, 2 email accounts, home page, and a couple of bookmarks). Very simple. No manual needed. I connected it to the computer and registered it at Garmin's website. Serial number is behind the battery pack, so write it down first. I downloaded the device update which took nearly an hour. The one-time map update refused to install. I downloaded it, went to install and the file was corrupt. tried it again. Same result. Oh well, I'll try later. I grabbed a different vehicle icon and some geotags and downloaded the pdf users manual while at the website, and then copied two albums to the device.

Web Browser - sluggish but effective. I would use it for banking, news, stocks, etc, but I wouldn't do my christmas shopping with it! The + and - zoom buttons work as good as pinching the screen (apple). Wi Fi signal is fair, but will not reach my garage 50 ft. from the router.

MP3 Player - This is a basic MP3 player that has features like repeat, shuffle, playlist, album art, etc. The internal speaker is not made for listening to music. The headphone jack is oddly not standard 3.5mm.

Apps - Nice practical assortment. All I need in a handheld really. The tools are well designed for their specific purpose. Biggest let down is that it can't import calender and contacts. That could save a lot of time! Email app is great.

Navigation - Google Local Search is a brilliant addition to this GPS. It helped me find some lesser known establishments, and provided ratings for restaurants. Satellites are found quickly when outside, but I must be... Read more

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Comment on AmazonBasics Vehicle Power Cable with Mini-USB Connector for GPS and Other Mini-USB Devices by Richard C. Drew "Anaal Nathra/Uthe vas Bethod...

Richard C. Drew "Anaal Nathra/Uthe vas Bethod... — Tue, 08 May 2012 23:44:30 +0000

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Don't know why they call it "basics" - it's much more!, May 10, 2011

Richard C. Drew "Anaal Nathra/Uthe vas Bethod... (Oak Lawn, IL USA) -

This review is from: AmazonBasics Vehicle Power Cable with Mini-USB Connector for GPS and Other Mini-USB Devices (Electronics)

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)

The name of a product line really influences my buying. I'm not sating that if it's called the "Ultima-Supremo" I'll buy it. But if it's called "generic" or "basic" I'll usually pass. So it's a mystery to me why Amazon calls their line of essentials, "basics" - "Essentials" would have been much a better moniker. This car adapter is really a superior build - at least on a par with - or better than - OEM equipment. Much better than the generic stuff you find all over the place.

It fits my Garmin, TomTom and several other devices - basically whatever accepts the smaller USB size. I like that Amazon put the cable at a 90 degree angle at both ends. I wish they would have added another foot or two of cable. My car's outlet is close to the floor. I position my GPS in the upper right corner of the windshield. The cable won't reach, so I have to mount the GPS on the window center or dash. It's a snug, no wobble, fir in the outlet - another plus. That's the only reason it has 4 stars. I feel the cable is a little short. But if your outlet is higher up on the dash, the cable length will not be an issue.

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Comment on TomTom START 55TM 5-Inch GPS Navigator with Lifetime Traffic & Maps and Roadside Assistance by 35-year Technology Consumer "8-tracks to 802.11"

35-year Technology Consumer "8-tracks to 802.11" — Tue, 08 May 2012 23:35:50 +0000

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Good basic navigation; minor interface issues..., April 25, 2012

35-year Technology Consumer "8-tracks to 802.11" (Mid Atlantic, USA) -

This review is from: TomTom START 55M 5-Inch GPS Navigator with Lifetime Maps and Roadside Assistance (Electronics)

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)

As a basic GPS, the START 55M provides good driving directions. I tested this unit going to several known destinations within 50 miles of my house, and generally agreed with the routes offered by the 55M.

Online registration is required in order to activate the lifetime services (and to receive one year of a fuel-price service). Registration codes are required for both, and requires you to enter codes included on the few pieces of literature included in the carton (so don't throw anything out right away!). Other included documentation consists of a glossy quick start poster. You'll have to go to TomTom's website to download the full .pdf user guide.

The user interface is not the best I have used on a touch-screen GPS. The screen sometimes us not immediately responsive to the first touch of either a menu item or the on-screen keyboard. In addition, some optional settings --such as changing the the vehicle indicator icon-- do not show the changes in an entirely intuitive way; you may think they have not been accepted...and then the new settings appear in a later screen.

This unit ships with a windshield mount, an option I don't care for (and which at least two states --California and Minnesota-- no longer permit). Consider a dashboard mount instead.

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Comment on TomTom START 55TM 5-Inch GPS Navigator with Lifetime Traffic & Maps and Roadside Assistance by Dr. Bojan Tunguz

Dr. Bojan Tunguz — Tue, 08 May 2012 23:11:32 +0000

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Solid GPS Navigation Device, May 2, 2012

Dr. Bojan Tunguz (Indiana, USA) -

This review is from: TomTom START 55M 5-Inch GPS Navigator with Lifetime Maps and Roadside Assistance (Electronics)

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)

GPS navigation devices have come a long way. What used to be exclusive gadgets that only a few could afford has become nearly as ubiquitous as the car stereo. In recent years this trend has only accelerated with the introduction of GPS navigation capabilities to the smartphones. Some of these smartphone GPS solutions are really impressive and give the standalone GPS devices run for their money. However, there is something to be said for having a dedicated device that will do one thing and do it well. That's why I have continued to use the standalone GPS devices, and will likely do so for foreseeable future.

Over the years I've owned several different GPS navigators. Garmin continues to be my preferred brand, but I've also tested several Magellan devices. This is the first TomTom device that I've come across, and although I will probably continue using my Garmin Nuvi, in terms of most essential features TomTom gives it a run for its money.

The TomTom Start that I got comes with the lifetime map updates for US and Canada, so I naturally wanted to make sure that my maps are up to date before I start using it. It turns out that I needed to download the Mac desktop app since my unit did not come with one. Getting the app from the TomTom's website was not the smoothest process shall we say. They really need to make the connectivity and user experience more Mac friendly.

I like the large 5" screen. In my opinion that is an optimal size for a small vehicle GPS navigation unit. Anything larger would obstruct too much of the view through the windshield. The screen is fairly well illuminated even in the bright sunlight.

The screen uses the resistive touch technology, instead of the more expensive capacitive technology that is found in most today's tablets and smartphones. This means that the touch sensitivity is very low, and you have to press fairly firmly before the screen detects the contact. The touch response time is also not very good, nor is the precision. All of these things become very annoying when you are starting your trip and want to get going as fast as possible. If you've never used a GPS navigation unit and are familiar with smartphones, you may be very frustrated when you first start using it.

The device comes with a windshield mount, which is overall OK. I prefer mounting my GPS units to the dashboard instead of the windshield, but this mount will be useful in either case.

Unlike most other GPS navigators that I've tested TomTom only includes one standard voice for the turn-by-turn navigation. You can purchase additional voices online, but these are kind of expensive (about $13 per voice), and they don't include the street name annunciations. This is definitely a shortcoming in my book.

When it comes to navigation TomTom Start's performance was definitely comparable to the one that I've experienced from my Garmin Nuvi. There are a few subtle differences (I think that TomTom acquires satellites a bit faster than Garmin), but nothing in my experience thus far that would make either one of the units a clear winner. I liked all the speed limit indicators, traffic updates, and the exact lane navigation that this TomTom navigator offers, but most of those are only really useful if you drive a lot around bigger cities. If you use GPS navigation predominantly for long road trips, then all of these extra features are a nice add-on but not something that is all that crucial.

Overall I have been very pleased with this TomTom Start navigator. It has all the features that I'd expect from an up-to-date stand-alone GPS device, and it will probably be a solid choice for anyone looking to invest into one of these for a longish period of time. There are a few shortcomings that prevent me from giving it a five-star review, but overall it is as good of a GPS device as you'll come across.

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Comment on AmazonBasics Vehicle Power Cable with Mini-USB Connector for GPS and Other Mini-USB Devices by Christina Paul "Live like you MEAN it!!"

Christina Paul "Live like you MEAN it!!" — Tue, 08 May 2012 22:45:47 +0000

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Basically what it says it is, May 18, 2011

Christina Paul "Live like you MEAN it!!" (Anamosa, IA USA) -

This review is from: AmazonBasics Vehicle Power Cable with Mini-USB Connector for GPS and Other Mini-USB Devices (Electronics)

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)

I put this power cable in our other vehicle for when we use our Garmin nuvii in that vehicle. The angled curve of the plug is great and we didn't have that with our original plug. The cord works just like the one that came with our Garmin, however, the length of cord could have been just a wee bit longer. As a replacement product, I am not so sure that most consumers would want to spend quite the list amount of $29.99 for it.

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Comment on AmazonBasics Vehicle Power Cable with Mini-USB Connector for GPS and Other Mini-USB Devices by broiderqueen "army mama"

broiderqueen "army mama" — Tue, 08 May 2012 22:42:03 +0000

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

Way better than my original Garmin cord, May 17, 2011

broiderqueen "army mama" (Southern Oregon) -

This review is from: AmazonBasics Vehicle Power Cable with Mini-USB Connector for GPS and Other Mini-USB Devices (Electronics)

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)

I've had my Garmin nuvi for a couple of years now. I do not use it on a daily basis but use it on longer trips or in unfamiliar cities. The problem I had in the past was that it would work great for about two hours. Then the battery would run down, I would plug in the Garmin cable I got with the unit but the screen was dim. It worked but you really couldn't read it if you were driving (fine if I had a second person along to read and navigate). I know, I know - I should have called tech support long before now. I even bought an extended warranty on it but never called them. I just didn't use it very often and just kept forgetting.

All that written - I LOVE this new power cable. I don't know if the other was defective but this one works like its supposed to. The screen on the Garmin stays bright all the time it is plugged in. We took an extended trip to Portland this past week, used it the whole time up there, and it worked perfectly. I'll be using it much more now.

1. I liked the packaging. Extremely easy to get into and cable was packed well.

2. I like the right angle USB mini plug and that the cable goes BEHIND the Garmin when plugged in, out of the way.

3. Cable is plenty long for my use. It reaches mid-dash from the cigarette lighter plug and also reaches passenger seat easily if using navigator.

4. Cable is very sturdily built with nice bright blue light showing that it is charging. The light is easy to see even in strong daylight. The cord is sturdy. The USB plug fits snugly into my Garmin and charging end fits snugly but not too tight into the cigarette lighter. It is sturdy but still coils fairly easily to stow in glove box when not in use.

In my case, I would buy this over a Garmin power cord any time.

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Comment on Bracketron UFM-210-BL Nav-Mat II Ultra Thin Dash Mount for GPS by Corylfrandsen "No sheep"

Corylfrandsen "No sheep" — Sat, 05 May 2012 00:22:52 +0000

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

Great!, May 27, 2010

Corylfrandsen "No sheep" (USA) -

This review is from: Bracketron UFM-210-BL Nav-Mat II Ultra Thin Dash Mount for GPS (Electronics)

Low profile design, stays in place, moulds to curve of dash. No problems at all.

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Comment on Bracketron UFM-210-BL Nav-Mat II Ultra Thin Dash Mount for GPS by T. Fro

T. Fro — Fri, 04 May 2012 23:51:05 +0000

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

The Immovable mat, May 2, 2010

T. Fro (Indiana) -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Bracketron UFM-210-BL Nav-Mat II Ultra Thin Dash Mount for GPS (Electronics)

I wanted a non-permanent place to put the gps on my dash. I also didn't want something very bulky. This mat works great! You hardly notice it's there. The edges of the mat don't stick to the dash the way a permanent adhesive would, but it has not moved around on any trip. I would certainly recommend this dash mount.

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