I’m looking to buy a GPS unit, and I’ve pretty much narrowed it down to the TomTom Go 910 or the Garmin Nuvi 350. I’m interested in hearing anyone’s opinion of either of these units, especially if you’ve compared them yourself and made the decision one way or the other.
They both have the touchscreen, which I like, and as far as North America maps, the quality of the maps in both seems to be on par. I don’t really care about things like audio books or MP3 (I have an iPod for that) or Bluetooth connection to a cell phone (since I don’t have a cell phone). I like the Nuvi’s small size, although I don’t know if I’d be all that inclined to actually carry it around outside of the car (the idea that I could if I wanted is attractive). On the other hand, I really like the idea of the TomTom’s bigger screen.
Factors that might help swing the decision for me: screen readability, especially in the car in direct sunlight while looking at it through sunglasses. Basic ease-of-use issues. Mac compatibility (I do have a Windows machine, but I’d prefer to use the GPS with my Mac, if possible). When planning a route between here and there, how easy is it to tell the thing “I don’t want to go on this road, plan the route around it.”
You might want to take a look at the Lowrance iWay 500, which I really like.
It had the largest screen I could find last year, and is very bright, with a touchscreen. You can download updates free from their website. It is however, heavy (well, it’s big) but the suction cup connecter is very good, will adhere to the windshield or the dashboard very well.
I got the August 2006 issue of Consumer Reports in the mail today, and coincidentally it contains GPS reviews: of 15 models, the Garmin Nuvi 350 is their top pick. The TomTom Go 910 wasn’t rated, but the 300 and 700 are both in the top 5.
The Lowrance iWay 500C is in the bottom 3 … sorry, Klondike.
Sorry I can’t help much in the way of useful info, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to tell you what CR thinks. FWIW.
I just did a 3700 mile trip with my new Nuvi and was really glad to have it along (although I can read maps just fine). One nice thing with Nuvi is that it’s small enough to take out of the car and put in your pocket.
I spent an afternoon walking around downtown Sante Fe and after coming out of the Georgia O’Keefe museum, I turned it on, asked it to list the closest attractions (like the cathedral), and it gave me turn by turn directions to walk to it (it has a pedestrian mode so it will take you the wrong way down one-way streets if you’re just walking).
How was it? I have a long-sleeved, black “Georgia O’Keefe Museum” t-shirt that I ordered online (and which isn’t available anymore), but I’ve never been there.
I have a Nuvi 350. It’s great. The screen is incredibly bright, and perfectly readable in the daylight. The small size is awesome: you can slip it into your pocket. That makes it very convenient for moving between cars, or taking it on trips (or on a plane!) And the screen is quite large enough for me: unless you have terrible eyesight, it doesn’t need to be any larger.
Mac compatibility is not available yet, but Garmin has made well-publicized promises to support them (by the end of this summer, I think).
I just bought a Garmin 350 and I am in love with it after 24 hours. I confess I haven’t yet used it in the conditions you describe (sunglasses, bright light, etc). I read nothing but great reviews on it, including some from people who had tried the TomTom first. It seems to be fairly idiot proof (not necessarily a selling point for the tech savvy, but it’s great for me). So far it has lived up to the hype–it was literally ready to go out of the box.
I haven’t yet refused a route ahead of time and asked it for a new one, but it can recalculate on the fly if you go in a direction other than it asks for.
Just to close this, I bought the Garmin Nuvi 350 last week. I’m generally pleased with it, and I find that I really like that I can carry it around if I want; it’s no bigger than a Palm handheld. the screen is readable through sunglasses (as long as the backlight is on). It’s a bit disappointing that (especially given the price) it can only handle one intermediate waypoint at a time, and that it only has two options for choosing a route (fastest or shortest). I’d like a way, once it’s chosen the route, to point to a road on the route and say “don’t use that road” and then it would calculate a new route. On the other hand, its maps are good and the database of attractions and restaurants and stuff seems pretty complete and up-to-date.
