Hands on with the Garmin nuvi 680
UPDATE: Though still available and supported, Garmin has discontinued the nuvi 680. For newer models, check out my Garmin nuvi comparison chart.
UPDATE: MSN Direct is ceasing operations on January 1, 2012.
I’ve tried out the Garmin nuvi 680
The nuvi 760 offers even more features, but MSN Direct is an option rather than included in the package. There are now so many models in the nuvi line, that it’s easy to get confused about their differences, so I’ve put together a Garmin nuvi comparison chart.
Compare prices on the Garmin nuvi 680
Since this unit is so similar to the nuvi 660, I’m going to focus primarily on MSN Direct services in my review.
|
|
MSN Direct services on the Garmin nuvi 680
I live a few hours away from a major metropolitan area, so I had to make a couple of trips
to the city to try these features out. Within half an hour of getting into range and having reception, I had traffic
updates on my screen. I was pretty impressed by this, since the nuvi MSN screens
say it may take several hours the first time.
To access MSN services, from the main menu, press the MSN butterfly logo in the lower right corner of the screen.
Shown below is the main MSN menu screen.
Weather information is shown below. I was disappointed that so few cities were available when you select "Other City." I live on the California coast and a few hours drive to the city can result in radical temperature changes due to our microclimates, swinging from as low as 55 degrees on the coast to 105 degrees inland! So I was displeased to see that the largest city on the way to the Bay Area (Santa Rosa, with a population 150,000) was not included.
Here’s the 3-day forecast screen.
And here’s what the gas prices screen looks like. Yes, gas prices really are that high here.
I really like the way the nuvi 680 handles traffic info. A warning symbol appears on the map, showing the length of delay. If I see that it is only a one or two minute delay, even I can be that patient! A lengthy delay would have me asking the unit about detours though.
Pressing the traffic icon brings up a detail map.
Press the top bar for text details.
If multiple delays are on your route, you’ll see a "Details" button at the bottom of the screen.
Pressing it will bring up a detail screen. Use the arrows to navigate the screen to the next delay.
Traffic levels are color-coded as shown below…
Green shows low severity with traffic flowing normally. Yellow shows medium severity with traffic a bit congested. Red shows high severity with traffic heavily congested or stopped.
More Garmin nuvi 680 reviews
- Consumer-authored Garmin nuvi 680 reviews have been posted at GPSNow.
- Hands-on Garmin nuvi 680 reviews
- GPS Lodge has posted an outstanding Garmin nuvi 680 review. Their discussion of the differences between the 660 and 680 in traffic services is well worth reading.
- PC Magazine has posted a Garmin nuvi 680 review,
giving it an Editor’s Choice award and a 4-1/2 out of 5 star rating. - GPS Magazine has published an excellent and thorough Garmin nuvi 680 review, giving it their Editor’s Choice award.
- SpotStop has posted a Garmin nuvi 680 review.
- Garmin nuvi 680 reviews by consumers are showing up on GpsPasSion.
- GpsPasSion also has a rolling nuvi 680 review going. A more formal writeup on their nuvi 680 experience has also been posted.
- GPSInformation.net has posted a combined nuvi 660 / nuvi 680 review.
- Not so much a review as a preview, GPS Magazine has posted additional Garmin nuvi 680 screenshots from the Consumer Electronics Show.
- Tad Anderson goes off-topic, posting a Garmin nuvi 680 review.
- Consumer-authored reviews of the nuvi 680 have also been posted at CNet.
- PC World gives an 88/100 score in their Garmin nuvi 680 review.
- ExiledBear reviews the nuvi 680.
- Digital Trends has also posted a Garmin nuvi 680 review
- I4U News gets into the act with their own nuvi 680 review
- The NY Times compares the Garmin nuvi 680 to several other units in this review.
- A brief Garmin nuvi 680 review has been posted at ThisNext.
- Wanderings and Musings reviews the nuvi 680.
- A video review of the nuvi 680.
Other Garmin nuvi 680 resources
- There is a Garmin nuvi message forum at GpsPasSion.
- And another nuvi forum at GPS Review
- Here is a PDF version of the Garmin nuvi 680 owners manual.
- Want to see how the nuvi stacks up against other units? Use this handy Garmin auto GPS comparison tool or my Garmin nuvi comparison chart.
- Some people feel that MSN Direct is the best traffic service available.
- GPSInformation.net compares the nuvi 680 with the nuvi 780.
- Five tips for nuvi newbies
- A video demo of the Garmin nuvi 680:
Compare prices on the Garmin nuvi 680 at these merchants:
- Get a great deal on the Garmin nuvi 680 at GPSNow, where shipping is free on orders over $399. Order by 5 p.m. Central Time for same day shipment.
- Check the current Garmin nuvi 680 price
- Buy the
Garmin nuvi 680 Personal Travel Assistant
at REI.
- Get the
Garmin nuvi 680 Portable Bluetooth GPS System with MSN Direct
at Tiger GPS, where shipping is free on orders over $250.
- Buy the
Garmin nuvi 680 Automobile Navigator
from TheNerds.net.
- Find a great deal on the Garmin nuvi 680 at eBay.
Here’s some additional information from the official Garmin nuvi 680 web page:
Receive door-to-door directions while staying on top of local weather, traffic and more with nüvi® 680, a sleek multi-tasking Personal Travel Assistant™. Similar to the 660, nüvi 680 features a colorful widescreen, hands-free calling and FM transmitter, then takes it up a notch by adding dynamic content from MSN® Direct. Like all nüvis, the user-friendly 680 comes with preloaded maps and travel kit.
Get Localized Information
With dynamic content from MSN Direct, nüvi 680 is one resourceful Personal Travel Assistant. Using the included receiver and free trial service* to MSN Direct, you can check the weather, avoid traffic backups, compare local gas prices and check movie times and locations when you travel with your unit. The MSN Direct receiver is plug-and-play portable, making it easy to connect to your unit when out and about.
Navigate with Ease
nüvi 680 comes ready to go right out of the box with preloaded City Navigator® NT street maps, including a hefty points of interest (POIs) database with hotels, restaurants, fuel, ATMs and more. Simply touch the sunlight-readable color screen to enter a destination, and nüvi takes you there with 2D or 3D maps and turn-by-turn voice directions. It even announces the name of exits and streets so you never have to take your eyes off the road. In addition, nüvi 680 accepts custom POIs, such as school zones and safety cameras and lets you set proximity alerts to warn you of upcoming POIs. It also supports configurable vehicle icons — fun, customized car-shaped icons in a variety of colors that show your position on the map.
See More
nuvi 680 features a super-bright 4.3" diagonal widescreen display for improved map viewing, POI lookup and MP3/audio book playback. This landscape display has white backlight and a touch screen for easy use.
Make Hands-free Calls
Talk about worry-free driving. nüvi 680 integrates Bluetooth® wireless technology with a built-in microphone and speaker, so you can pair it with your compatible Bluetooth® phone. Then talk hands-free through the 680 while staying focused on the road. Simply dial numbers with nüvi’s touch screen keypad to make a call. To answer calls, just tap nüvi’s screen and speak directly into its built-in microphone. You can also easily look up and dial numbers from your personalized phone book or from your phone’s call history log. With 1-touch dialing for points of interest (POIs), you can conveniently call ahead for reservations or information.
Go Beyond Navigation
Navigation is just the beginning. nüvi 680 includes many “must have” entertainment and travel tools including an MP3 player, audio book player (subscription to Audible.com required), JPEG picture viewer, currency converters and more. With nüvi 680′s wireless FM transmitter*, you can hear audio, including voice prompts, MP3s and audio books, through your vehicle’s stereo. Optional software on plug-and-play SD cards for language translation, detailed travel guide and savings programs allow you to customize your nüvi for your travel needs.
nüvi 680: It’s a whole nü way to travel.
Please note: Like most USB Mass Storage Devices, the nüvi is not compatible with Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows Me.
* Package includes 1 year free MSN Direct service. Some services available only in select cities where coverage exists.
Related posts:
About Rich Owings
One difference between traffic on the 660 and the 680 is that the traffic data the 680 gets from MSN Direct includes flow data — speeds from road sensors — not just incidents. The 660 receives only incidents.
Sunny,
Thanks for pointing that out. Now if my wife could only see the value in replacing my recently purchased 660!
Theatre Movie Showtimes
Click any of the showtimes to buy tickets and avoid the lines at the theater .Other features
I was looking at getting this but now I see the news from CES about DASH which collects traffic data from web AS WELL AS other Dash users, which seems very cool if it works. I guess the GPS location and speeds get sent to data bank and it determines traffic conditions.
Is it worth waiting for this? any thoughts
Greg,
The Dash may be THE hot GPS this year, but the question is, can they get enough users in each market to successfully implement their connected approach?
A few other things to consider (1) There will always be a hotter GPS, just around the corner. (2) We don’t know how the nuvi 680′s improved traffic services will perform. (3) Unless you’re in California, you’ll have to wait till fall to get your hands on a Dash Express.
Movie Showtimes
(Doesn\’t she look like she\’s upholstered with gray velvet? Erin surveying th
How is the volume on this 680 unit?
I don’t recall any problems with volume when I tested it, which was some time ago. My 660 doesn’t have any problems with it either.