Garmin nüvi 650 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
by Garmin
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Garmin nüvi 650 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
Customer Review: Thanks for the 650!
Summary: 5 Stars
I must say that when I was looking for GPS Units, the Garmins were at the top of my list and at the top of Consumer Reports' list as well. The question was, did I need the features of the 660? It made the decision a little easier when I got the 650 for Christmas! My rationale, before I got the 650 for Christmas was that maybe I didn't need all the features the 660 offered over the 650. Here is what I deduced;
* For my own purposes, Bluetooth connectivity was not a big deal - I was not going to be using hands-free calling for my phone thru this device. This, however, may be useful for some, just not me. I have a Jawbone for my Blackberry and absolutely love it. There is no way I'm talking through a GPS. :)
* The FM Transmitter seemed like a good feature, until I read some reviews that the crowded FM band is a bit of an issue and that the weak power of the transmitter from this device would not give you enough power to overcome whatever signal is coming over the station you're tuned to in the FM spectrum. This will yield static sounds.
* The 650 does not come with an AC Charger, Leather Carrying Case, or Full Manual on CD. The 660 does come with these items. I ended up buying two of the items from a local retailer for about $50, total.
With this being said, I think the 650 was the way for me to go. If you want all of these extra features, then the 660 will be the way for you to go.
Customer Review: Best portable GPS for the money
Summary: 5 Stars
Have been working with my Nuvi 650 for over a week now. The accuracy is phenomenal even when streets come quickly after a turn. You will see many complaints about the manual and they are right. You can download it from the Garmin site before you buy it. The manual does not go into any detail, and if you are one of those that still has your VCR blinking 12, you will have problems with this manual. The interface is very easy to use and my 12 year old grandson was able to find a location and how to go to it in about five minutes without the manual. It has a good bright screen but it is easy to follow the voice directions without looking at the screen as it calls out turns by their street name. If you go off rout, it does not try to make you do a u-turn but recalculates the route in the direction that you are heading very quickly. I found the interface easy to use even with a poor manual. You will find that most mapping both hard copy and GPS are at least a year or two behind so don't be surprised when your GPS starts complaining that you are off route when you go on a relative new road or highway. There are also map errors. The maps of my town from everyone show three streets that cross RR tracks that really stop at the tracks. These streets never crossed the tracks, so there are gotcha's that you have to be aware of. A GPS may take a roundabout route, but it will get you there, The Garmin 650 is one of the best.Customer Review: Who cares about available space?
Summary: 5 Stars
I normally never write reviews, but the person from NY who gave this product a negative due to "advertised available space", I felt it needed a rebuttle. This product is a GPS, not a PDA, MP3 player (yes it does play MP3's), or a laptop. The purpose of this product is quite clear. Get from point A to point B. If you are a local and know all the back ways, it won't compete with you. But it is very accurate and the maps are much better than the Tom Tom. I purchased a new Mio, Tom Tom, and the Garmin Nuvi 550, tested all of them on the same trip, here are my results.
Mio: Reports I am off road when I'm in my driveway (house is 5 years old, in New Jersey, one of the most densely populated states).
Tom Tom: Same, reports I'm off road when in my driveway (house is 5 years old, very confusing directions, when at a stop light, says "bear left" does that mean to turn left?
Garmin Nuvi: Very disappointing voice, actually liked the 1/2 price Mio better. Much better directions, went from Princeton, NJ to Flemington, NJ much quicker due to the fact the MIO didn't understand when it brought me out to Rt.202 it was one way and I had to drive 5 miles to turn around!
All in all, the Nuvi is the best I've had, just wished the voice sounded a little more natural. I've downloaded the U.K. speaker from Garmin, it does sound better, but not great.
Customer Review: Great Value
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased this unit for a recent trip to AZ to visit my daughter. I flew into Phoenix and then drove to Flagstaff. Now getting to Flagstaff is a no-brainer straight shot up I-17. However, once in Flagstaff with no one with me to help find my way around was the kind of stress I wanted to avoid. The unit worked flawlessly and guided me to my destination. The verbal prompts were clear and given soon enough to make lane adjustments if needed, the display is clear and easy to read and the ETA was accurate within 5 minutes. I suggest getting used to the unit with a local trip that you are familiar with. I used it to guide me to work when I first got it. Programming the unit is not complicated at all. As I expected it would, it plotted the most obvious route which includes 8 traffic lights. But when I left home and turned left instead of right it quickly recalculated my preferred route (2 traffic lights). I can't comment on battery life as I used the car adapter nor did I have an opportunity to use any of the other trip options. The web site is easy to use and updated my unit after I got it. I suggest a dash mount as I found it more convenient, easier to see and didn't block my view. If you think you need more bells & whistles feel free to spend $200-$400 more but if you want a good basic navigation unit that delivers, you won't be disappointed with this one.Customer Review: Love it!
Summary: 5 Stars
As a former Magellan owner, I didn't know what to expect when we got our Nuvi 650. The unit is small, and doesn't obstruct from the windshield view (a problem the Magellan had due to its bulk). The package we got included the suction cup windshield mount, a leather case and the various cords and whatnot.
You can use it without plugging it in (provided the battery is charged, of course!) and to date it's not steered me wrong yet. We sometimes change the voice (it comes with a bunch of them to choose from, both male and female of various accents). It offers TTS on most of the voices which is important to me. My daughter dances competitively and so I am constantly driving her to competitions out of state, not once has the Garmin let us down.
When we first got it, I ran both units side by side for a couple trips and the Garmin does not always give the same directions as the Magellan -- but the Garmin's directions were usually quicker. Another thing I noticed was that the Garmin does not get lost in downtown areas (the Magellan could never seem to acquire satellite signals in any big downtown area).
Well worth the cost and when I eventually need to replace it, I'm going with another Garmin!