Hardware Archives - Page 13 of 33

Garmin Colorado vs 60CSx reception

March 14, 2008 By Rich Owings 5 Comments

Colorado_vs_60csx_3

I’ve been spending some time on the trail with my Garmin Colorado 300 and have been testing it against the Garmin 60CSx. Some folks have asked questions about satellite reception, since the Colorado reportedly uses a proprietary chipset and not the SiRFstar III found in the 60CSx. The image above compares tracklogs from both for the same mountain bike ride. Topography was steep in places, with canopy varying from deciduous trees to some mixed evergreens. Not the most difficult conditions but challenging enough that older receivers would likely have dropped out numerous times.

Filed Under: Garmin, Hardware

GPS for truckers

March 11, 2008 By Rich Owings Leave a Comment

Teletype_worldnav_truck_gps

I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve had comments from truck drivers asking for a GPS receiver designed to fit their needs. Most major GPS manufacturers allow you to choose truck routing, but there hasn’t been a device that explicitly routed for bridge heights and clearances, load limits, one-way road designations, left-hand turns, etc. Until now, that is.

Filed Under: Hardware

Navigon 2100 max and FreshMaps

March 4, 2008 By Rich Owings Leave a Comment

Navigon_2100_max

UPDATE: Read our Navigon 2100 max review

The Navigon 2100 max is being announced at CeBIT today. This update of the the Navigon 2100 offers a wider 4.3" screen, and DirectHelp^TM, seen above, which pinpoints the user’s location and that of emergency services. Like the 2100, the "max" includes Reality View^TM at complex interchanges, text-to-speech, and multi-destination routing. The 2100 max will include maps of the continental U.S. and will retail for $299. The 2120 max will be available in Canada for $329 CAD and will feature both U.S. and Canadian maps. The units are expected to hit store shelves in late March or early April.

Navigon is also announcing FreshMaps, which allows users to download up to 12 NAVTEQ-based map updates in three years. FreshMaps will cost $79.99 and will be available for all Navigon 2100, 5100 and 7100 series models as of April 2008.

Filed Under: Hardware, Navigon

TomTom GO 730 and 930 announced

March 3, 2008 By Rich Owings 2 Comments

Tomtom_go_930

UPDATE: Read my TomTom GO 730 review and my TomTom GO 930 review.

TomTom is announcing two new products today — the TomTom GO 730 and 930.

The new x30 series incorporates a couple of new features — lane separation / complex junction details being one, but perhaps most exciting is the integration of historical average speed data for improved routing.

NOTE: Originally this post mentioned two other models that would include a traffic receiver, a 730T and 930T. I’ve been told now that those models have not been announced. It would not surprise me to see them at some point in the future though. Who knows, maybe they changed their mind because they are getting close to bring high-definition (HD) traffic to the U.S.

Filed Under: Hardware, TomTom

Garmin Colorado 400t review

March 3, 2008 By Rich Owings 2 Comments

Garmin_colorado_400t_front

UPDATE: I’m recommending the new touch-screen Garmin Oregon 400t instead of the Colorado. It has a superior interface, along with almost all the other good things found on the Colorado.

UPDATE 2: This model has been discontinued. For more current recommendations, please refer to our handheld GPS buyers guide or our Garmin handheld GPS comparison chart.

The Garmin Colorado 400t is one of the first in a new line of handheld GPS receivers from Garmin. With an entirely new interface, it is very different from the eTrex and 60/76 series units.

Filed Under: Garmin, Garmin handheld GPS, GPS Reviews, Handheld/Sport, Hardware Tagged With: Garmin Colorado 400t

Garmin nuvi 780 review

February 23, 2008 By Rich Owings 5 Comments

Garmin_nuvi_780

UPDATE: MSN Direct is ceasing operations on January 1, 2012.
UPDATE 2: This model has been discontinued. For current recommendations, please refer to our auto GPS buyers guide.

The Garmin nuvi 780 is the top of the line member of Garmin's nuvi 700 series. It adds a second generation MSN Direct receiver to the other high-end features new to the 700 series:

Multi-destination routing
Automatic sorting of multiple destinations to provide an efficient route
Tracklog recording
Speed limit display for many interstates and highways
The newer internal antenna found on the nuvi 200 series
Automatic marking of your last position when the unit is turned off (to help you find your car in mega-mall parking lots)
A "Where am I" safety feature that gives your current location,
nearest address, nearest intersection, along with quick access to POIs
for the nearest hospitals, police stations and gas stations

Filed Under: Auto, Garmin, Garmin auto GPS, GPS Reviews, Hardware Tagged With: Garmin nuvi 780

Garmin nuvi 260W review

February 23, 2008 By Rich Owings 107 Comments

Garmin_nuvi_260w_review

UPDATE: This model has been discontinued. For current recommendations, please refer to our auto GPS buyers guide.

The Garmin nüvi 260W is a member of Garmin’s popular entry level nuvi 200 series. A 4.3″ wide screen version of the smaller nuvi 260, the 260W is identical to it in all other respects. The 260 and 260W are the only two models in the first-generation 200 series to include text-to-speech, the ability to call out street names. That way you’ll get “turn left on Highway 128 in 200 feet”, rather than just “turn left in 200 feet.”

Filed Under: Auto, Garmin, Garmin auto GPS, GPS Reviews, Hardware Tagged With: Garmin nuvi 260W

Garmin Colorado 300 review

February 4, 2008 By Rich Owings 43 Comments

Hands on with the Garmin Colorado 300

UPDATE: I’m recommending the new touch-screen Garmin Oregon series instead of the Colorado. It has a superior interface, along with almost all the other good things found on the Colorado. Read my hands-on review of the Oregon 400t for more information. I’ve also posted a page on the comparable model in the Oregon line — the Garmin Oregon 300.

UPDATE 2: This model has been discontinued. For more current recommendations, please refer to our handheld GPS buyers guide or our Garmin handheld GPS comparison chart.

The Garmin Colorado 300 is one of the first in a new line of handheld GPS receivers from Garmin. It has a completely new interface, very different from the eTrex and 60/76 series units. I’ve had mine for a couple of weeks now and have been enjoying getting to know it.

Filed Under: Garmin, Garmin handheld GPS, GPS Reviews, Handheld/Sport, Hardware Tagged With: Garmin Colorado 300

Garmin nuvifone

January 31, 2008 By Rich Owings Leave a Comment

Garmin_nuvifone

Garmin has announced a 3.5G cell phone, the Garmin nuvifone. The touch screen device will include Google local search capability. Nüvifone users can search for locations like “coffee shops” and Google will sort the results based on the user’s current location and relevance. Information provided by Google includes a web-based rating so that users can select the most appropriate destination and route directly to it. In addition, the nüvifone also includes personal messaging functions, including email, text, and instant messaging.

Filed Under: Garmin, Garmin-Asus, Hardware, Mobile, The business of GPS

Screen visibility problems on the new generation of handhelds

January 29, 2008 By Rich Owings 8 Comments

Triton_and_colorado

UPDATE: Screen visibility took a major leap forward recently with the Garmin Oregon 450, and it appears that later production runs of the 550 series now include the improved screen.

The new Garmin Colorado and Magellan Triton series (and now the Garmin Oregon too) have higher resolution screens than anything we’ve seen before in handheld GPS receivers. But those gorgeous and detailed displays come at a cost. Many early adopters have been surprised by the decreased visibility of these units in their natural habitat — the great outdoors.

Filed Under: Garmin, Handheld/Sport, Hardware, Magellan, Magellan handheld GPS