Garmin nüvi 650 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
by Garmin
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List Price: Our Price: $319.00 You Save: $430.99 (57%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $64.99 (click here) Category: GPS or Navigation System See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Garmin nüvi 650 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
Customer Review: How did I get around without a GPS? MUST HAVE!
Summary: 5 Stars
Well, I got this for my husband's birthday (yeah, I'm the main one using it since he doesn't get easily lost). We've had this Nuvi 650 GPS for a little over a year now. I wonder how I ever got around without one before. I'm one of those people who can never remember where any place is even if I have been there a couple of times. Due to that reason, I don't usually like to travel long distances (yeah, used mapquest too but it's not the same thing). With this new gadget, I'm so much more confident and can go anywhere without much worry.
Advantages
1) Find where want to go & alternate routes at the touch of a button.
We have a senior in high school & I found the GPS ever so helpful for those college visits. Not only that, with very active kids who are going here & there for various school competitions, a GPS was a necessity.
2) Find other convenience locations right from your car.
No matter where you go, you can always find restaurants, banks, etc. that's right by where you are currently located.
3) Because it's portable, its not stuck to just one car.
We had the option to get a GPS with our new Honda Hybrid but decided against that because with the portable unit, it goes where you want & you're not locked in for $1000s less.
It's one of those tools that you don't know how you ever got along without. If you're like me (easily lost) this gadget is for you. Nuvi makes the best GPS (this conclusion from after much research & review of other makers).
Disadvantage
Like any mapping software, you'll have to upgrade the map once in a while. If you live in a really small rural area, some streets/restuarants get updated rather late.
Customer Review: great unit
Summary: 5 Stars
after a lot of research i decided on the nuvi 650...mainly due to the great reviews it got on amazon and cnet...after using it for a bit i figured i would write a review...in my opinion this unit is great...although...it does lack a few conveniences that i wish it had...for example...my friend's magellan gives him the alititude...and you also have the option to split your map screen so that half of the screen displays the upcoming turn and the other half shows you your position...the nuvi 650 does not have either of these...other than that i have no complaints...i dont need the 650 as a media player since i have an iPod...and i dont need it to have bluetooth technology since i have a bluetooth phone and a jawbone ear piece...as for its abilities as a gps unit...it recalculates your route faster than any other gps i've been able to use...it also picks up satellites very quickly when you first turn it on...the 650 also allows you to pick from a very wide variety of options when it comes to your route selection and many other things...i read one review saying that the voice guidance wasn't quite loud enough...but i listen to my music at pretty high volumes and the gps is loud enough to get my attention...so even if i cant make out what exactly is being said...its showing me the upcoming turn and how far until that turn...so i have no complaints in that regard... overall i would give this unit a 4.5 out of 5...but id rather give it a 5 than a 4 since amazon doesn't give the 4.5 option...i would deffinately recommend this unit to anyone who doesn't desire bells and whistles that most people already have in their pocket (bluetooth phone/etc)Customer Review: Great navigation perfomance: skimpy accessories
Summary: 5 Stars
Incredibly accurate navigation; user interface is mostly intuitive and and user-friendly. Excellent, bright display (that automatically dims and changes contrast at dusk/dawn). Used at length from the mid-Atlantic to Ottawa to El Paso, and it has rarely suggested a wrong turn (and recalculates and recovers nicely when it does).
Minor interface issues:
-There is no map scale indicated (except in the "turn details" view and when browsing the map, such as after you enter an address).
--Although manually entered "favorite" locations will accept phone numbers as part of their data set, you can't do so at the time you enter the name and address information. Instead, you have to repeat your steps to return to favorites, and then enter the phone number.
--When connected to a Vista machine, isues with Vista and current browsers; close the error messages and you should be fine (the blame here almost certainly lies with Vista anyway!).
These are minor annoyances that detract little from the overall usefulness of this device.
You can't go wrong with this unit if you don't need Bluetooth.
Less forgivable:
a carrying case, printed manual and household AC adapter should have been in the box from Garmin (and in these days when GPS units are high theft they should have considered a friction/beanbag mount too...avoids the telltale "high value item was stored here" notification circle on your windshield.
You can't go wrong from a technical point of view, but leave a little room in your budget for the extras you'll probably want.
Customer Review: Garmin Nuvi 650
Summary: 5 Stars
Having been a GPS user for many years, I have found there is no such thing as a perfect GPS. No unit will produce perfect routes every time and with any model, users will find something that could be improved. However the Garmin nuvi 650 is as close to perfection as you will find in today's marketplace.
The unit's interface is extremely simple to use, its business database is very comprehensive and it produces accurate and reliable results at least 95% of the time. The receiver is very sensitive without an external antenna and satellites are usually recognized within a few seconds. The audible voice directions are clear and plenty loud enough. The MP3 player works well, but you can't expect a unit like this to provide the same results as a regular MP3 player.
If I had to be critical, features that would be desireable include automatic resizing of images in the picture viewer, breadcrumbs showing traveled routes and identification of the community that you are currently driving through. The plastic case might seem somewhat cheap upon first examinination, but it keeps the unit light and would not be as likely to be a dangerous projectile in an accident as a metal case would.
Buyers should give thought a lot of thought as to whether they need Bluetooth connectivity, FM transmission capability, etc. in their GPS. Most users will probably not use their GPS in this manner. With the Garmin nuvi 650, you get all essential GPS features without paying for features you probably will not use.
Overall, I am very satisfied with this unit.
Customer Review: Great for the $
Summary: 5 Stars
I read a lot of the reviews before buying and found them helpful. Most of the pros and cons are already stated but a few things that I would've liked to know ahead of time are:
Pros - Bought this for $200 new on Amazon and to get any other Garmin that has Text to Speech and the other features that this has is nearly double the price. After using the text to speech function I would not buy a nav without it. It is much safer to have the street names said instead of having to look down at a screen and read street names while driving. Also, the satellite reception is much better then my Nuvi 200 was. Much better. If I turn it on a couple minutes before I leave my house it already has reception before I get in the car. If I wait until I am already driving, it never takes more then 5 minutes to pick it up. My Nuvi 200 was probably 10 minutes prior to leaving and sometimes up to almost a half hour if I'm already on the road.
Cons - The charging system is different from most of the Garmins. You have to plug the charger into the mount and the mount into the nav. I thought it was missing the charger but that wasn't the case. I'm not sure if it is a con or a preference but I thought it would've been better is it was designed for use through the mount or directly as many people do not use the mount.
I am very happy with the Garmin Nuvi 650. For $200 this is a great deal and to find a widescreen text to speech reliable navigation system comparable to this is $300+. I would highly recommend this item.