Garmin nuvi 350 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
by Garmin
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Our Price: $48.90 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: GPS or Navigation System See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Garmin nuvi 350 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
Customer Review: Garmin gets me wherever I need to go!
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought the Garmin Nuvi 350 in March 2007 and have since put over 2000 miles on it. It works as advertised and has saved me countless hours of time. The beauty of the Garmin is that takes about 2 minutes to learn how to use it, input addresses and how it navigates. I've used it for both business and personal road trips and it is without doubt one of the best technology investments ever. It gives me tremendous peace of mind knowing I can simply plug in an address/intersection and know it'll get me there. Here are a few highlights:
1. Form factor. It's really small and lightweight, which makes it easy to throw into a pocket/purse/bag without being obnoxious. It's so small, my girlfriend takes it with her everywhere.
2. Reliability. The maps are very accurate for the most part. There are the occasional times where a street is newly blocked off and the Nuvi 350 isn't updated, but such is life. It works in dense metropolitan areas, including NY as well as well-off the beaten path country in Virginia.
3. Street name call outs. Unlike many competing units, the Garmin will read out upcoming streetnames where you need to turn. It'll say, "In point four miles, turn left on Main Street" while others will say, "turn left at the next street." This helps you remember streets and look for signs instead of blindly listening to directions. It's a subtle yet important distinction.
4. Battery life. It's pretty good at around 4 hours. I have the car charger (USB) and keep it plugged in for longer trips.
5. Ambient light detector. There is a built-in sensor that can tell whether you're in a dark/bright environment. Once it becomes dark, the screen itself dims and changes to a darker palette, which is easier on the eyes - great for night time drives.
6. Points of interest. I love how I can hit a button and find out the nearest gas station, rest stop, restaurants, etc. are located. Very handy. My favorite aspect, though not unique to this unit, is that you can pre-program all of your destinations in advance in the comfort of your own home, instead of futzing around with maps or sitting in your car. To me, that's a killer advantage over built-in navivation systems, which cost many times the price.
Now, on the downside:
Nothing's perfect, and I do have a quibble or two:
1. The suction cup isn't that strong. In hot weather, I find it gets jarred easily and can pop off. This can be remedied by slightly moistening the cup before jamming it to your windshield.
2. If you fly with it from place to place, it can take some time to reorient itself to its new locale and accuracy is not spot-on right away.
Overall, a great unit and I have only touched on the GPS-specific features. Highly recommended.
Customer Review: Can't Beat It
Summary: 5 Stars
I have owned GPS units from all of the major producers...My verdict; Don't buy anything but a Garmin...They are the leaders...As for the Nuvi 350; this thing is fun! I live in the Washington DC area, and it does a remarkable job of getting me where I want to go...OK, it can't account for the frequently closed streets in DC (demonstrations, etc), but it does re-route me without breaking a sweat...As with any GPS, it does not know the shortcuts that the locals can tell you about, and will sometimes send you a slightly longer way...But if you are that familiar with an area, you probably don't need your GPS on local trips anyway! The volume could be a bit louder...It is fine with the windows up, but, on these nice Spring days, it can be hard to hear with the windows down...It is great having the voice pronounce the actual street names instead of merely "turn left in 300 feet"...If I had to mention a criticism, it would be that sometimes the unit gives you short notice of a turn...Of course, here in DC, nobody will let you over into the other lane anyway...The mounting suction cup is sturdy and hasn't fallen off yet...In all but direct sunlight, the screen is readable...I would highly recommend using one of the screen protectors available for hand held devices...They attach and peel off easily and, if you have grubby fingers, will save your screen from possible scratches from frequest cleanings...It locates satellites quickly, and the antenna is as sensitive as any I have used...I have an external antenna that I used with a prior unit, but have had no need of it yet...Might be useful in cities with huge skyscraper "canyons"...I have updated the software once with Garmins Auto-Updater, and it went smoothly...It will be interesting to see how much Garmin charges for the first map upgrade...I will be going to Europe next Fall, and I have noticed that the expansion card for Western Europe is rather expensive ($240 USD) (Doesn't seem like the card should be almost half the cost of the unit)..The maps are very accurate, even to very minor roads in parks, malls, apartment complexes, etc...As for the MP3 player; It is adequate, but will never replace the in car stereo; Have not tried the talking book option yet; The World Clock, Currency Converter and Calculator work as advertised...I do not have any of the other add-ons...Nice that it comes with a carrying case to protect the screen...It is light enough to use while walking downtown, but it does "lock" to the street, so you always seem to be walking down the middle of the road! But, it gets you around town. If you are looking for a GPS for hiking, mountain bike riding, Geo-Caching, etc., select another unit more suitable. In summary, I highly recommend the Nuvi 350 for an auto based GPS...You will find yourself smiling as the voice directs you to your destination!Customer Review: I LOVE THE NUVI
Summary: 5 Stars
I just purchased the Nuvi 350 and have not had much experience using it, but so far it works great! I decided to buy this unit for two reasons. First, after almost 300 reviews, it still has maintained an average rating of almost 5-stars. Second, I subscribe to Consumer Reports and I trust their opinion. In a recent issue, this unit was rated above all others because of its compact size, touch screen and ability to speak street names. What makes this unit special is that it is the first truly portable GPS device.
The first thing I must mention is that it is very imprortant to download any software updates before you start using it. When I first opened the box and turned it on, the unit did an initial initial satalite search to determine its location. After about 15 minutes of waiting, I started getting worried because nothing was happining. However, after I went to the Garmin websit and downloaded the software updates (these are not map updates and they are free of charge). Afterwards, everything worked fine. I don't know if anyone else has had this experience; nevertheless, it would still be a good idea to have the most recent updates.
So far, the unit has worked great! It has guided me to every destination so far without flaw. I really like its ability to speak street names and when I am on a highway that forks ahead, the unit will tell you to stay to the left or right, which is very useful. The voice promts are also very easy to understand. You can choose between a male or female voice. I chose the male with a British accent since it seemed clearer. Other reviewers have claimed to have problems with the suction mount, but I have not experienced this problem so far.
Still, I think the unit does have some flaws. For example, I think some of the functions of the menu could be easier to navigate. Another improvement would be a distinctive sound (in addition to saying "turn left on Main Street") to alert you that you have arived at the intersection. Still, these are minor issues and even Consumer Reports stated that none of the GPS units they tested was perfect. As a result, I purchased this unit expecting to have some flaws. Some reviewers have also criticized the Nuvi because it sometimes does not provide the most efficient route. This may be true some of the time but does this really matter when you are lost? All I care about is getting to my destination and for me, this is what is great about this device. It can actually reduce your stress-level when driving.
Overall, I am very pleased so far with its performance. And since I often get lost, I consider it to be one of the most useful devices I have ever purchased. It is one of those devices that can actually make a difference in your daily life.
Customer Review: A wonderful convenience, though not without it's quirks
Summary: 5 Stars
We bought the Nuvi 350 for a 2 week roadtrip to Yellowstone. We wanted the freedom to wander a bit off the planned route, if the urge struck us, without the fear of getting lost. We also thought it would be convenient to know where upcoming gas stations and conveniences are along the way. We're heard they can be few and far between in Kansas, for example. And with little ones with wee little bladders, having that information would be helpful. We've used the Garmin around town to get the feel for it, but have not yet left on our big trip. Here are some of positive and negative things I've noticed:
Positive:
1. I can enter all the hotel's we've reserved and all the attractions we would like to see in our "favorites" folder ahead of time. They will be there ready to go when it's time to plan that part of the route.
2. If you use the garmin's database to find something, it also knows the phone number.
3. Sitting at my desk, I can tell it to pretend we are at a hotel in the middle of Kansas and search for nearby attractions. Who knew there were so many there?
4. I've discovered a shortcut in town when the Garmin directed me to a street I never knew existed.
5. The small size is wonderful. The case is nice. It comes with the ac power cable to charge it in a regular outlet, as well as the cigarette lighter adapter when you're in the car.
6. My son is absolutely fascinated with the world clock.
Negative:
1. My biggest complaint is that once you go down a series of menus searching for something and you either do not want it to "go" right then or it was unable to find it, you have to hit "back" for every single layer of menus to get back to the top menu. Perhaps there is a quick and simple way to get directly back to the main menu, but I have not found it.
2. When the garmin has been turned on for the first time for the day, it can take a while to lock on to the satellite. Sometimes it can take over 5 minutes.
3. The Garmin can be so convenient and so full of information, that it can be tempting to trust it blindly. Do NOT let it substitute for common sense. If you are headed to a particular address, but the most convenient entrance is via a side street, it sometimes doesn't know. It also can choose a route according to your choice of fastest or shortest. But it doesn't seem to know a thing about traffic lights.
4. Some of the information is old. This seems to affect it's knowledge of businesses more than streets, as the former changes more frequently. You can get updates from Garmin, but they are expensive. I have heard that when you buy a Garmin, you can get one free update, but I have not verified that.
Customer Review: Great Unit!
Summary: 5 Stars
Love this unit. I'm not a road warrior so I had to be honest with myself as to the reason's I wanted/needed this device. I had some gift certificates to spend on Amazon so I rationalized my out of pocket expenses (about $350) and my need to treat myself, as the overwhelming reason to pick this GPS up.
The unit, as stated many times in previous posts, is excellent in its ability to lock and hold satellites. Accuracy is excellent. My experience with the TTS programming and logic has been nothing but favorable. Clear directions with niceties such "Entering Roundabout - Take third exit onto Main Street" and "Stay to left" are what I've always wanted from these types of units. A huge benefit is the ability to program the unit while at home, and porting it between all your cars as necessary. And here is where that satellite locking comes in. Other than my main car, I don't even bother with the mounting bracket, as just keeping in somewhere in one of a cars many `nooks- n-crannies' seems to work just fine. Living in Calif. I'm not allowed to mount my Nuvi to the windshield. I glued up a small piece of clear Plexiglas, slide it into a misc coin shelf and attached the unit to that. Works great. Finding locations via the touch screen is a breeze. While POI's will never be all encompassing, the bulk of them are right on. Businesses, theatres, restaurants do come and go.
I agree with other posters that the Nuvi is an accident waiting to happen. One drop and it could be out of commission. Keeping essentially the same form factor but giving it some rubber bumpers and perhaps a lanyard holder should be on their must list of enhancements. As for the MP3 and other goodies; can't say as I use them . Volume is more than sufficient, but a little scratchy at the highest volume.
For the tech intimidated in your family, forget it. They will love the unit for its simplicity. Your biggest hurdle will be in getting them to just try it one time.
For those posters who've been dissatisfied with the units ability to take the fastest, most convenient route I can only ask, "why care"? If I truly don't know how to get somewhere, it doesn't bother me that I may not be arriving via the most efficient route, but rather that I simply arrive. And, I should add, for the most part the unit does take the most efficient route. Recalculation is also fast and efficient. With the four drivers in our family, I know this unit is going to be of benefit. So, for constant travelers, buy it. You will not regret your decision. For those of you where `need' doesn't factor in, it's a matter of budget. But wait awhile, the Nuvi 360 comes out next month (w/blutooth) so the 350 should start to drop in $.