Garmin nüvi 855 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator with Speech Recognition
by Garmin
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Category: GPS or Navigation System
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Digital Photo Product Details
Manufacturer: GarminBrand: Garmin
Edition: Electronics
Format: CD
Model: 010-00577-31
Publisher: Garmin
Studio: Garmin
Music Label: Garmin
Product features:
- Sleek, ultra-slim design fits in a pocket; High-sensitivity GPS receiver for fast satellite lock
- Pre-loaded with City Navigtor NT maps for North America, including more than 6-million name-searchable points of interest
- Speech recognition--speak menu options and keep your eyes on the road
- Multi-destination routing--enter several destinations and get the best route to all of them; "Where am I?" and "Where's my car?" features
- Full feature set--text to speech for spoken directions with real street names; MP3 player, and Photo viewer
- Garmin AC/DC to Vehicle Power Adapter
- Garmin GTM 20 with Lifetime Traffic
- Garmin Suction-Cup Mount For nuvi 850/880 010-10987-02
- Garmin 12-Volt Adapter Cable
- Garmin 010-10987-01 Speech Recognition Remote
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Garmin nüvi 855 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator with Speech Recognition
Customer Review: Great value! Voice Recognition that works.
Summary: 5 Stars
Pros:
Voice recognition that actually works! Very impressive VR works well.
Very simple, easy to use interface.
Great value at current pricing.
Sleek, compact design.
Screen is bright and easy to read.
Free map updates (within 60 days of first use)
Software updated to fix issues recently. (v4.70)
FM transmitter -- though depends on your car. Also has audio out/headphone jack.
Can download lots of freebies like new voices, new vehicles, games, and so on. (Some of the games aren't too bad.)
Useful Pedestrian mode and "last location" feature (where did I park my car?), off road (find your way back to car after hunting/hiking in woods) and so on.
Can optimize multi-stop routes for speed and efficiency (would be great for deliveries, for example).
On board HELP.
Cons:
No printed manual. Garmin can't include a proper printed manual? Shame. They included plenty of color advertising brochures, cards, and such.
No A/C adapter (optional extra) -- but you can use most any A/C to USB adapter.
Even with latest map update, some new businesses in my area and a large development site not listed.
Remarks:
I just got my 855 and am quite happy with it. I've only used it for trips around town, so far, so I need more time to give it a thorough test, but I thought I would go ahead and post some information which may be helpful to some of you. My initial impressions are good. The user interface is probably the easiest to use of any of my GPS devices. Screen is bright and clear. Everything works as expected.
In local trips, the tracking seems very accurate, no issues there. The volume is adequate, but could be better. Using the FM transmitter worked well for me and had enough volume. Background static was only objectionable when the volume was turned up loud. Even better, I tried using a cassette adapter which worked very well and gave great sound. However, most of the time I just used the internal voice and speakers and they were acceptable.
The Voice Recognition (VR) is the hot feature for this unit and I found it to work very well. Quite impressive, actually. It required no "training" and had a high degree of accuracy. It is the best VR I've seen yet on any portable device. Good enough to actually be useful. One prime example, I can use VR to "Zoom In" and "Zoom Out" (merely by saying those phrases) of the map while driving. I also found it worked very well to find locations on the fly. For example, you can say "Find Nearest Mexican Restaurant" and it will show a list, then you just pick (by saying the number) and "Go!" -- very handy! For the current price, this feature alone is worth the price of admission.
So far, the navigation and routing has been fine, but I need to do more testing. Battery power is good (3-4 hours) and the ability to pop the unit out of the cradle and take with you to use on foot (think hiking, hunting, parks, large malls, etc.) and the "find my car" feature are nice pluses. The "Where am I?" is also a very easy and useful way to add locations to your favorites list.
I'll come back and add more after I've had more time using the unit. Some more comments and tips below. [If you find this review useful, please click on the "Was this review helpful to you?" Yes (or No) below and feel free to leave a comment or ask a question. I'll do my best to answer those that I can. Thanks!]
Comments:
Found satellites and had good location within five minutes right out of the box in my family room. Good receiver.
Replaceable battery! Can buy additional spares if needed (hiking, for example).
VR works right off the bat - no "training" required. Very accurate in my experience so far. (No VR system is perfect.)
Free Voice Studio software allows you to record your own voice prompts! I can see mischievous minds at work already. ;)
Fast route calculations -- overall pretty snappy and accurate
Good "MyGarmin" web site with lots of extras, FAQs and support info.
Has jack for an external GPS antenna/receiver, though I doubt you'll ever need it. Might be helpful in some trucks.
On screen touch keyboard works well and is easy to use.
Lets you easily create and save routes at home before your trip! Some units I've had made this very difficult. Very nice feature that is simple and easy to use. Can save up to 10 Routes, each route can have multiple destinations and via points. Shows you distance and time of travel for each route saved. Very flexible. The 855 will optimize routes so you visit destinations in the most efficient order. Kudos, Garmin!
Has on board HELP
Tips:
-- Audio out/headphone jack provide an alternate way to get audio. Can use external powered speakers, for example. Many new cars have an audio in jack which will give better sound than via FM transmitter. I tried using a cassette adapter (such as used to play mp3's via car radio) plugged into headphone/audio out jack and it worked very well.
-- I tried various A/C USB chargers and all worked fine. At first unit will go into "PC connected" mode, but if you wait 30 seconds or so, it will then switch to "normal" mode and you can use it as you normally would. Will charge battery fine. These chargers can be found for as little as $5 sometimes.
-- You can press and hold battery icon to see more detailed information, such as per cent charged and even core temps. (Diagnostic display)
-- I saw a tip somewhere online on how to adjust the internal mike gain to improve VR by decreasing the sensitivity to background noise. Will update later on this,
-- While at home, you can easily set/save the location in favorites as "Home" (Overcomes common problem of house number locations being a bit off, which affects all GPS units, by the way.)
-- Amazon camera case (item No. ??? , insert link) fits this unit perfectly and has belt loop for easy carry. (Will update this info later.)
-- Cancel VR button on remote works as "back" button on menus, too.
-- Use 128 CBR mp3's (constant bit rate) for best results.
-- Minimize background noises when using VR for best results. (True with most VR gear.)
-- After you do the map update, you still need to go to myGramin dashboard and check for the new software update. Follow the instructions very carefully. Takes awhile, but it works and will verify the update once done.
-- You can fold a paper plate to make a bonnet to shield unit from sun (heat) ad make the display easier to read in bright sunlight (though I had no problems with this). Heat may be causing some of the lockups others here have experienced. (Punch holes and use rubber band to secure.)
- In cases where a city or street name can not be understood, use the 'spell' option in VR mode and spell the name.
8/5/2010 Update: Used this on a road trip this past weekend (200 miles) and it performed very well. So I can verify a few more things:
1) Extremely fast recalculations if you deviate from the planned route. So fast, you might not even notice it. Fastest of any unit I have used.
2) Very fast satellite lock when you stop (i.e. turn off the car and GPS) and restart. It will be ready before you are!
3) I used the VR extensively and it worked very, very well. I had no problems even with the radio on (low) and some noise in the car. Yes, a sharp or loud background noise might cause you to have to repeat a command now and then, but this actually happened only rarely. Most of the time, it simply worked. I have not seen any other GPS with VR this good and this complete (in terms of supported functions). This was the most important feature for me and I am very pleased with it. You can truly use this GPS hands free nearly all of the time. And most importantly, *all* the functions you need while driving are supported. (Like zooming, accessing turn info, searching for POI's and so on.)
4) This trip was one I have taken many times, so I know the various routes pretty well. I like to drive down one way and come back a different way. On the way back, it found a new, faster route on a tricky section. At first, I thought it was misdirecting me, but when I checked and then followed the new route, it was indeed a bit shorter/faster than the way I normally go and on as good or better roads.
5) The estimated arrival times were right on the money.
6) I used the built-in speakers most of the time and they were loud enough for me.
7) Very easy to use, no problems or issues. The only other GPS I've used this good cost twice as much. Excellent at the main job of getting you where you want to go.
More Garmin nüvi 855 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator with Speech Recognition reviews:
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Description of Garmin nüvi 855 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator with Speech Recognition
Stay ahead of the curve with nüvi 855. This premium navigator features voice-activated navigation and lane assist with junction view. Now you can keep both hands on the wheel, tell nüvi where to go and maneuver complicated interchanges with ease. Like the rest of the 805-series, it comes with a widescreen display, preloaded maps and more.Speak Commands
nüvi 855 not only tells you where to turn but listens to your spoken commands. With nüvi?s innovative speech recognition, you safely control nüvi?s interface with your voice ? allowing you to keep both hands on the wheel. Simply press the button on the remote (which attaches to the steering wheel) to activate speech recognition and begin speaking menu options. nüvi even recognizes shortcut phrases for popular functions. Tell nüvi "Find Address" and speak an address to start navigating.
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Voice-activated navigation and lane assist with junction view. |
No more guessing which lane you need to be in to make an upcoming turn. Lane assist with junction view guides you to the correct lane for an approaching turn or exit, making unfamiliar intersections and exits easy to navigate. It realistically displays road signs and junctions on your route along with arrows that indicate the proper lane for navigation. Lane assist with junction view is available in select metropolitan cities.
See More
With nüvi 855's widescreen display, you'll always get the big picture. View map detail, driving directions, photos and more in bright, brilliant color. Its sunlight-readable, 4.3-inch display is easy to read ? from any direction.
Get Turn-by-Turn Directions
nüvi 855's intuitive interface greets you with two simple questions: "Where to?" and "View map." Speak a menu option or touch the color screen to easily look up addresses and services and get voice-prompted, turn-by-turn directions that speak street names to your destination. It comes preloaded with detailed City Navigator® NT street maps, nearly 6 million points of interest (POIs) and features digital elevation maps that give you a big picture of the surrounding terrain. You can also upload custom points of interest (POIs). And with HotFix® satellite prediction, nüvi calculates your position faster to get you there quicker.
Find Yourself, Your Car
Keep track of yourself and your car with nüvi 855. Just speak or tap "Where Am I?" to find the closest hospitals, police stations, fuel stations, nearest address and intersection. Also see your exact latitude and longitude coordinates. nüvi 855 even remembers where you parked. It automatically marks your position when you remove it from the windshield mount, so you can navigate with nüvi on foot and find your way back to your vehicle. Perfect for unfamiliar spots and crowded lots such as amusement parks, stadiums and malls.
Plan Ahead
nüvi 855 includes advanced navigational features to take the worry out of traveling. With route planning you can save 10 routes, specify via points and preview simulated turns on the 855's wide screen. In addition, nüvi 855 automatically sorts multiple destinations to provide an efficient route for errands, deliveries or sales calls. It also displays speed limits for highways and Interstates. A trip log provides an electronic bread crumb trail of up to 10,000 points, so you can see where you've been on the map.
Take It With You
Like the rest of the nüvi 805-series, nüvi 855 sports a sleek, slim design and fits comfortably in your pocket or purse. Its rechargeable lithium-ion battery makes it convenient for navigation by car or foot. Go Beyond Navigation Navigation is just the beginning. nüvi 855 includes many ?must have? entertainment and travel tools including MP3 player, audio book player (subscription to Audible.com required), JPEG picture viewer, currency converters, Garmin Games, alarm clock and more. With the included wireless FM transmitter¹, you can hear audio, including voice prompts, MP3s and audio books, through your vehicle's stereo. It's also compatible with lifetime traffic alerts (receiver purchase required). With photo navigation, you can download pictures from Garmin Connect? Photos and navigate to them. The 855 features Garmin Lock?, an anti-theft feature, and is compatible with our free Garmin Garage where you can download custom voices and vehicles. Enhance your travel experience with optional plug-in microSD cards such as Garmin Travel Guides for detailed data on attractions.
What's in the Box
nüvi 855, Preloaded City Navigator® NT North America (U.S. and Canada), Remote for voice activation with battery, Vehicle suction cup mount, Vehicle power cable, Lithium-ion battery, USB cable, Dashboard disc, and Quick start manual
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