Archives for 2010

Garmin zumo 220

September 1, 2010 By Rich Owings 4 Comments

The Garmin zumo 220 is an entry-level model in the motorcycle-friendly zumo line. The thin form factor unit offers many of the features of its more advanced siblings, albeit with a smaller 3.5” touchscreen. Included are lane assist, Bluetooth headset compatibility, multi-destination routing and on-road/off-road travel options.

Garmin zumo 665

September 1, 2010 By Rich Owings 2 Comments

The motorcycle-centric Garmin zumo 665 updates the zumo 660, adding an XM receiver for XM Satellite Radio®, real-time XM NavWeather® and real-time XM NavTraffic®. Designed especially for motorcycles, the 665 brings earlier zumo series features, like a customizable display with glove-friendly, oversized touchscreen buttons. It comes pre-loaded with maps of the US and Canada, and includes Bluetooth for hands free cell phone calling through the cyclist’s helmet.

Filed Under: Auto, Featured, Garmin auto GPS, GPS Reviews Tagged With: Garmin zumo 665, Motorcycle GPS

Garmin nuvi 3700 series learns your preferred routes

August 31, 2010 By Rich Owings 11 Comments

I started seeing reports recently that the Garmin nuvi 3700 series will learn your preferred route, once you have deviated from a suggested route several times. I’m a bit surprised that Garmin didn’t hype this aspect of their myTrends feature, but they seem to take a low key approach and not highlight some features (like the fact that your nuvi takes into account your driving habits when calculating your ETA).

Filed Under: Auto, Featured, Garmin auto GPS Tagged With: Garmin nuvi 3750, Garmin nuvi 3760T, Garmin nuvi 3790T

Garmin Edge 800 announced

August 26, 2010 By Rich Owings 2 Comments

UPDATE: I’ve got a new page devoted to the Garmin Edge 800, complete with links to hands on reviews.

Garmin announced a new cycling GPS this morning, the Garmin Edge 800. The big news is that this is the first touchscreen model in the Edge series. It also brings BirdsEye aerial imagery and Garmin custom map capabilities to the Edge line. I’m curious about Garmin mentioning simplified route planning through BaseCamp; I’ve never been a fan of the Edge’s use of courses instead of tracks, although much of that may be due to my background as a longtime mountain biker and handheld GPS user. There’s nothing in the specs that leads me to believe the Edge brings more traditional backcountry navigation tools to the plate though.

Filed Under: Featured, Garmin handheld GPS Tagged With: Garmin Edge 800

Garmin GPSMAP 62s review

August 25, 2010 By Rich Owings 447 Comments

Hands on with the Garmin GPSMAP 62s

It’s finally here… The Garmin GPSMAP 62s brings a long-awaited update to the fabled and much-loved GPSMAP 60CSx, which has reigned supreme as the gold standard handheld GPS for more than four years. During that time, Garmin experimented with new interfaces, first with the Colorado series, and later with the Oregon and Dakota lines. These have been fine-tuned through many software updates, adding things like paperless geocaching and the ability to add custom maps and aerial imagery.

Filed Under: Featured, Garmin handheld GPS, GPS Reviews, Handheld/Sport Tagged With: Garmin GPSMAP 62 series, Garmin GPSMAP 62s

Did CHKDSK eat my maps?

August 25, 2010 By Rich Owings 8 Comments

I held off on posting this in order to give the the folks at Garmin a chance to investigate the issue, but the story can now be told. As I was wrapping up my nuvi 3750 review, I had the unit connected to my computer, when Windows 7 popped up the above message. I suspect that I had improperly ejected the unit at some point, causing this. I had ran CHKDSK before on various units, with no deleterious results, so what the hey, I said okay. But when I got to my car, I saw a blank screen with my position and no detailed maps. I looked under Tools > Settings > myMaps and it said there weren’t any! Uh oh.

Filed Under: Featured, More GPS News Tagged With: CHKDSK

Garmin GPSMAP 62

August 24, 2010 By Rich Owings 14 Comments

The following has been adapted from my hands on review of the Garmin GPSMAP 62s.

It’s finally here… The Garmin GPSMAP 62 brings a long-awaited update to the GPSMAP 60Cx. The 60 series reigned supreme as the gold standard handheld GPS for more than four years. During that time, Garmin experimented with new interfaces, first with the Colorado series, and later with the Oregon and Dakota lines. These have been fine-tuned through many software updates, adding things like paperless geocaching and the ability to add custom maps and aerial imagery.

Filed Under: Featured, Garmin handheld GPS, GPS Reviews, Handheld/Sport Tagged With: Garmin GPSMAP 62, Garmin GPSMAP 62 series

Garmin nuvi 3760T

August 23, 2010 By Rich Owings 4 Comments

The Garmin nüvi 3760T, introduced the summer of 2010, is the low end unit in what is possibly Garmin’s nicest line of navigators to date. But this is not an entry level unit; in addition to many of the goodies found on previous high-end models, the 3700 series units are the first nuvis to use historical road speeds to calculate the fastest route. And with its 4.3” glass screen and minimalist 0.35” thickness, it resembles an iPhone more than past nuvis.

Filed Under: Featured, Garmin auto GPS, GPS Reviews Tagged With: Garmin nuvi 3760T

Garmin GPSMAP 62st

August 20, 2010 By Rich Owings 72 Comments

The following has been adapted from my hands on review of the Garmin GPSMAP 62s.

It’s finally here… The Garmin GPSMAP 62st brings a long-awaited update to the fabled and much-loved GPSMAP 60CSx, which has reigned supreme as the gold standard handheld GPS for more than four years. During that time, Garmin experimented with new interfaces, first with the Colorado series, and later with the Oregon and Dakota lines. These have been fine-tuned through many software updates, adding things like paperless geocaching and the ability to add custom maps and aerial imagery.

Filed Under: Featured, Garmin handheld GPS, GPS Reviews, Handheld/Sport Tagged With: Garmin GPSMAP 62 series, Garmin GPSMAP 62st

Garmin nuvi 3750 review

August 20, 2010 By Rich Owings 17 Comments

Hands on with the Garmin nuvi 3750

The Garmin nüvi 3750, introduced this summer, is the low end unit in Garmin’s latest (and possibly greatest) line of navigators. But this is not an entry level unit; in addition to many of the goodies found on previous high-end models, the 3700 series units are the first nuvis to use historical road speeds to calculate the fastest route. And with its 4.3” glass screen and minimalist 0.35” thickness, it resembles an iPhone more than past nuvis.

Filed Under: Featured, Garmin auto GPS, GPS Reviews Tagged With: Garmin nuvi 3750