Garmin n?vi 370 GPS

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test. I have used Magellans in rent cars and found them also to be more accurate and far more intuitive.

Garmin n?vi 370 GPS

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ahead. Make a customizable setting how long before to make the pre-announcement.

(2) giving confusing directions at complicated lane guidence situation

Time and time again, I missed the right exit on the highway. The map is absolutely no help. The multiple lanes look all overlapped!!! Red lines are cofusing as hell. Annoucement is in this fashion: "Keep to right and then keep to left." What is that supposed to mean and which lane are you supposed to be in? In a fast highway situation, this is incredibly dangerous. I almost got into accidents at many interchanges as I was trying to look both the road signs and my navigation and could not make any sense. SUGGESTION: the map needs major improvement on interchanges -- show us the way!!! Also get rid of "keep to right and then keep to left" style BS for a clearer direction.

(3) taking too long to find satellite initially

If you park your car outside, that would be fine but if you park it in a garage, woe to you. It will take at least 20 blocks to find the satellite and you will be either parking your car on the roadside waiting for godot or meandering down the street without knowing where you are going for very very long time. This is not acceptable. I used other product (magellan) before, and it found the satellite so much quicker. SUGGESTION: technological improvement or better processor.

[ADDED TO THIS AFTER I BOUGHT TOMTOM GO930 AND TESTING IT FOR A WEEK]

After my much frustration with Garmin NUVI 370, I purchased a Tomtom GO930 from local Best Buy. (The price of TomTom 930 at Best Buy was the same as the price at Amazon at USD 450, although I had to pay the tax.)

Wow, what a difference. That's all I can say. TomTom 930 is a bit more expensive than the street price of Garmin NUVI 370, but is so much better that the price difference is immaterial.

(1) prepare... prepare...

TomTom announces well before each turn and actually tells you on which side of the lane you should be in for the next turn. Incredibly friendly announcements. The arrow direction on the map display shows whether you should be making left or right turn as well. I never missed a single turn thanks to the ample announcements.

(2) guiding complicated lane situation with ease

the roads never appear overlapped like the NUVI 370. If there are five diverging roads, all are clearly shown, with the clear indication where you are and where you should go. Mind you, I haven't seen that many Advanced Lane Guidance screen yet as TomTom advertised (I hear that they don't have this on every intersection yet) but even without this, lane guidance is incredibly clear and easy (they show both on the map and on the status bar with muted arrows and one clear arrow). What a refreshing change from Garmin NUVI 370. The voice direction is a lot more clear and easier to understand as well -- it is as if somebody is actually speaking fine English to me. I never missed the right exit.

(3) lightening fast in finding satellites

It actually finds satellites when I am in my room with 4-5 bars. Need I say more?

(4) extras... extras...

TomTom has voice address input feature that is very useful. There are many situations that you hate to put in long characters (In California there are so many cities starting with San...). Simply pronounce it and the machine finds it for you, including the streets. I find this to be working well about 95% of the time. Also it gives you a few choices so that what you pronounced is almost always among the choices. SUGGESTION: This voice feature is not available for Place Name under Point of Interst (available only for the actual address).

Point of Interest feature in TomTom is incredibly extensive. I tested many restaurants listed in Zagat survey and found out that almost all (even obscure ones under "Best Value") restaurants have been registered in TomTom by names and phone numbers. I did not find that to be the case with Garmin NUVI 370 (I actually had to type in the exact address under my favorites). This makes inputing job so much easier. I typed in "Marshalls" under Point of Interest in Sunnyvale, and TomTom returned 7 results, some of them are as far away as San Jose, Mipitas, etc. Again, not so with Garmin.

Downloading updates and changes through computer seems painless and efficient as well. Works perfectly and took about 3 minutes to get the latest updates. Again, Garmin NUVI 370 does not have this feature. I don't know how actually useful the updates would be, but it is assuring that I am using the latest whatever.

Time estimation in TomTom is so much more accurate than Garmin. I found Garmin to be always a bit on the optimistic side (ie I never actually arrived as Garmin estimated especially in a city traffic). I don't know if it is because of the IQ Routes feature of TomTom but the timing estimate seems to be right on and there is little need for any traffic subscription service.

CONCLUSION: I will be updating this review to find any shortcoming of TomTom 930 (and I am sure there will be many) but so far it seems that TomTom is a very clear winner and fully justifies the extra USD 100. If you are looking for a navigation that includes both American and European maps, I guess your choices will be cleary limited: you would have to go for either the Garmin NUVI 370 or the TomTom GO 930, and my recommendation would be the latter -- not for the extra features but mainly for the basic abilities that I listed earlier in this review.

Garmin n?vi 370 GPS

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and using, Microsoft Streets and Garmin's own Map Source, MetroGuide U.S.A. In fact, I found Map Source the most expensive, the most incomplete, the most bug ridden, the most inaccurate, and the least user friendly. In fairness to Microsoft and Garmin the editions I used were late 1990's or early 21st century editions.Perhaps they've improve in later editions. I wouldn't know. Happy with Street Atlas I've purchased updates three times.

I also was a long-time user, fan, and loyal supporter of Macintosh personal computers until Apple nearly went belly-up. Lack of third-party support for critical, work-related mathematical software, and pressured by my employer I switched, reluctantly, to Windows driven computers for both work and, ultimately, home use.

Now I'm retired, Apple is back in the personal computer business, and my newest computer is a Macbook. I should be a happy-camper, right?

Well, for the most part I am, but...

After an exhaustive search of the Web, condescending, inaccurate answers from Garmin techs to my queries, and conversations with friends who are ultra-literate computer gurus, I've had to accept my shiny, new Garmin Nuvi 370 will not replace my eMap, at least not in the near future, and perhaps never.

The upcoming England vacation include a week traveling a few of the country's canals on a narrowboat--think RV that floats, 6.5 ft. wide--I had hoped to put together Google Earth, and the Nuvi 370 and track our progress along G. Earth's satellite photo's, on my computer's screen. (I've done this with eMap and Google Earth both with Windows and Macintosh OS X Leapord.) However, Google Earth's GPS subroutine can't find the Nuvi, neither on the USB nor the Bluetooth connection. I've tried every piece of Mac compatible freeware, and shareware I've found on the web that claims it can connect a broad spectrum of GPS units to the computer and Google Earth. They've all worked with eMap. None have worked with the Nuvi. Garmin technical support told me I had to download and install Garmin Communicator--a browser plug-in--in order to operate the 370 with websites that are conditioned to support Garmin PVT format. I did, but had no success with Google Earth.

In other respects Nuvi 370 is an adequate, dumb GPS, certainly dumber than my eMap. I'll keep it because it has Europe maps pre-loaded. However, I am very disappointed, and had I been fully informed beforehand would have purchased another manufacturer's unit. Not having the ability to plan routes on my computer and upload them to the Nuvi 370 is a huge "thumbs down" for meeting my needs. Route planning on the Nuvi 370 is limited, and cumbersome.

N.B. I've also tried to connect the Nuvi 370 to Google Earth on my wife's Windows Vista driven laptop (not exhaustively as I did my MacBook). I could not effect a connection.

Garmin n?vi 370 GPS

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and using, Microsoft Streets and Garmin's own Map Source, MetroGuide U.S.A. In fact, I found Map Source the most expensive, the most incomplete, the most bug ridden, the most inaccurate, and the least user friendly. In fairness to Microsoft and Garmin the editions I used were late 1990's or early 21st century editions.Perhaps they've improve in later editions. I wouldn't know. Happy with Street Atlas I've purchased updates three times.



I also was a long-time user, fan, and loyal supporter of Macintosh personal computers until Apple nearly went belly-up. Lack of third-party support for critical, work-related mathematical software, and pressured by my employer I switched, reluctantly, to Windows driven computers for both work and, ultimately, home use.



Now I'm retired, Apple is back in the personal computer business, and my newest computer is a Macbook. I should be a happy-camper, right?



Well, for the most part I am, but...



After an exhaustive search of the Web, condescending, inaccurate answers from Garmin techs to my queries, and conversations with friends who are ultra-literate computer gurus, I've had to accept my shiny, new Garmin Nuvi 370 will not replace my eMap, at least not in the near future, and perhaps never.



The upcoming England vacation include a week traveling a few of the country's canals on a narrowboat--think RV that floats, 6.5 ft. wide--I had hoped to put together Google Earth, and the Nuvi 370 and track our progress along G. Earth's satellite photo's, on my computer's screen. (I've done this with eMap and Google Earth both with Windows and Macintosh OS X Leapord.) However, Google Earth's GPS subroutine can't find the Nuvi, neither on the USB nor the Bluetooth connection. I've tried every piece of Mac compatible freeware, and shareware I've found on the web that claims it can connect a broad spectrum of GPS units to the computer and Google Earth. They've all worked with eMap. None have worked with the Nuvi. Garmin technical support told me I had to download and install Garmin Communicator--a browser plug-in--in order to operate the 370 with websites that are conditioned to support Garmin PVT format. I did, but had no success with Google Earth.



In other respects Nuvi 370 is an adequate, dumb GPS, certainly dumber than my eMap. I'll keep it because it has Europe maps pre-loaded. However, I am very disappointed, and had I been fully informed beforehand would have purchased another manufacturer's unit. Not having the ability to plan routes on my computer and upload them to the Nuvi 370 is a huge "thumbs down" for meeting my needs. Route planning on the Nuvi 370 is limited, and cumbersome.



N.B. I've also tried to connect the Nuvi 370 to Google Earth on my wife's Windows Vista driven laptop (not exhaustively as I did my MacBook). I could not effect a connection.

Garmin n?vi 370 GPS

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FM traffic receiver - you name it, it's in the box.

4 - You can look at the map or you can view the line-by-line directions - very nice for those of us who need to see the directions in writing.

5 - You can use the Nuvi for walking, biking, and driving. It also has different settings for taxi cabs and semi trucks.

6 - Extensive database of restaurants, attractions, gas stations, airports, parking garages, etc. When planning a trip, I can input my hotel, chosen restaurants, and even find close gas stations before I leave home. When I arrive at my rental car, I just have to turn on the Nuvi and select my destination and chosen detours.

7 - Beeps and provides verbal instruction in advance of your turn. Even tells you to stay left or right on the highway depending on where your next exit is located or when the highway will split.

The only problem I've had with the Nuvi is that it will not find a satellite signal from inside a parking garage. I had figured this prior to travel, so I had a general idea of which highway to take when I left the parking garage. Once outside the parking garage, the Nuvi picks up a signal right away and you're on the way to your destination!

I cannot say enough good things about this device - it's an absolute lifesaver!

Garmin n?vi 370 GPS

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FM traffic receiver - you name it, it's in the box.



4 - You can look at the map or you can view the line-by-line directions - very nice for those of us who need to see the directions in writing.



5 - You can use the Nuvi for walking, biking, and driving. It also has different settings for taxi cabs and semi trucks.



6 - Extensive database of restaurants, attractions, gas stations, airports, parking garages, etc. When planning a trip, I can input my hotel, chosen restaurants, and even find close gas stations before I leave home. When I arrive at my rental car, I just have to turn on the Nuvi and select my destination and chosen detours.



7 - Beeps and provides verbal instruction in advance of your turn. Even tells you to stay left or right on the highway depending on where your next exit is located or when the highway will split.



The only problem I've had with the Nuvi is that it will not find a satellite signal from inside a parking garage. I had figured this prior to travel, so I had a general idea of which highway to take when I left the parking garage. Once outside the parking garage, the Nuvi picks up a signal right away and you're on the way to your destination!



I cannot say enough good things about this device - it's an absolute lifesaver!

Garmin n?vi 370 GPS

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right at the address. On the way, the voice told me to turn right at one point, but the route on the map showed left. I turned right without looking at the screen, and then figured out the mistake. A couple miles later, it tried to get me to turn left, then right, which would have put me into oncoming traffic. As someone else said, it frequently uses the term "turn" when it is really only a road name change. In another case, it wanted me to exit the freeway I was on, go through a roundabout and get back on the same freeway. Overall, I did not trust it in Italy, so it was a stress raiser rather than a stress reducer.

I have run into similar problems using it here in the US now too. Overall, I am not thrilled for $500. If it were $150-200, I wouldn't be so bothered having it sit there but for $500, it is too much money for the inaccuracies and for the amount that you actually are traveling in unknown territory. I think GPS is like a lot of things. If people actually evaluated how much they will use it vs the cost a lot less would be sold. I think I will return mine if I can.

Garmin n?vi 370 GPS

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right at the address. On the way, the voice told me to turn right at one point, but the route on the map showed left. I turned right without looking at the screen, and then figured out the mistake. A couple miles later, it tried to get me to turn left, then right, which would have put me into oncoming traffic. As someone else said, it frequently uses the term "turn" when it is really only a road name change. In another case, it wanted me to exit the freeway I was on, go through a roundabout and get back on the same freeway. Overall, I did not trust it in Italy, so it was a stress raiser rather than a stress reducer.



I have run into similar problems using it here in the US now too. Overall, I am not thrilled for $500. If it were $150-200, I wouldn't be so bothered having it sit there but for $500, it is too much money for the inaccuracies and for the amount that you actually are traveling in unknown territory. I think GPS is like a lot of things. If people actually evaluated how much they will use it vs the cost a lot less would be sold. I think I will return mine if I can.

Garmin n?vi 370 GPS

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right at the address. On the way, the voice told me to turn right at one point, but the route on the map showed left. I turned right without looking at the screen, and then figured out the mistake. A couple miles later, it tried to get me to turn left, then right, which would have put me into oncoming traffic. As someone else said, it frequently uses the term "turn" when it is really only a road name change. In another case, it wanted me to exit the freeway I was on, go through a roundabout and get back on the same freeway. Overall, I did not trust it in Italy, so it was a stress raiser rather than a stress reducer.





I have run into similar problems using it here in the US now too. Overall, I am not thrilled for $500. If it were $150-200, I wouldn't be so bothered having it sit there but for $500, it is too much money for the inaccuracies and for the amount that you actually are traveling in unknown territory. I think GPS is like a lot of things. If people actually evaluated how much they will use it vs the cost a lot less would be sold. I think I will return mine if I can.

Garmin n?vi 370 GPS

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right at the address. On the way, the voice told me to turn right at one point, but the route on the map showed left. I turned right without looking at the screen, and then figured out the mistake. A couple miles later, it tried to get me to turn left, then right, which would have put me into oncoming traffic. As someone else said, it frequently uses the term "turn" when it is really only a road name change. In another case, it wanted me to exit the freeway I was on, go through a roundabout and get back on the same freeway. Overall, I did not trust it in Italy, so it was a stress raiser rather than a stress reducer.







I have run into similar problems using it here in the US now too. Overall, I am not thrilled for $500. If it were $150-200, I wouldn't be so bothered having it sit there but for $500, it is too much money for the inaccuracies and for the amount that you actually are traveling in unknown territory. I think GPS is like a lot of things. If people actually evaluated how much they will use it vs the cost a lot less would be sold. I think I will return mine if I can.

Garmin n?vi 370 GPS

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the users manual would be quite nice - we had to figure out a lot of things by trial and error. Having said all that, she worked well, and we never got badly lost (which is quite an accomplishment in Ireland).

As part of the family, my 8 year old even composed a theme song about her! Coming soon to Youtube.... If you can't wait, here's the lyrics: "Please drive to highlighted route (x3) / If you go to the route I tell you to go, then you will go the place you want to go / If you don't oh well / Bum-bum-bum-bum-bum-bum recalculating...."

Garmin n?vi 370 GPS

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feature, which I found very useful.

(2) show the current time on the sub screen on trip data. Currently, it shows only the estimated arrival time, and not current time - this assumes that you know the current time, and that it is the same as that the system is using, which may not be the case. To get current time on the existing system, you have to go back to the main menu.

(3) on the main menu, have a "resume" button. Currently, to resume, you have to press "view maps". It is not immediately intuitive that this gets you back to the nagivation screen, because "view maps" is too generic. It could be labelled "view maps / resume" and that would help.

(4) on the "where to" screen, "intersections" and "address" should be on the same line. For a while, I thought the system was not able to find a location based on intersections, as the option is not available under "address", but is available as a separate option if you scroll down on the "where to" sub screens.

(5) I noticed that the system "lag" when you reach an intersection is quite severe. That is, when the system says you are 100 metres from the intersection, you could only be 70 metres or 50 metres away. So at first I tended to overshoot my turns, but after a while I compensated, and it was OK. If you stop at an intersection, the system "catches" up, so this problem goes away. So if you are new to the system, drive slowly as you approach your turning intersection, and you should be alright.

Other than these wrinkles, it is a good system, and I found it useful and worth the money spent (but wished it had more maps of other countries, especially Asia).

David

Garmin n?vi 370 GPS

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and landmarks were not there (e.g. gas stations). In the towns and cities travel by foot was a bit more of an issue (see comment above). There were 1-2 strange calculations in Berlin (most likely due to construction) and Munich. I did not get lost, however, since I stayed the course it had originally calculated.

In Austria, I used it in Salzburg and it worked really well. Landmarks were the only problem since I was on foot in Salzburg.

In Italy, I used it in Venice, Florence, Padua, Verona, Assisi, and Rome. Since these were all visited via train, I only have comments about pedestrian mode. Rome and Venice were easy to traverse on foot with the 370. Florence was a bit of a problem since it was more difficult to figure out which street to walk to with the many plazas there. (Street signs are on the sides of buildings if you've never been to Italy). Assisi, Padua, and Verona are smaller geographical areas, so the landmarks were easy to find.

Summary: I would have given the 370 five stars if it would have performed as well in Europe as it does in the US. Remember to know the names of any sights you want to see in their native languages prior to leaving for your trip (this will save you a lot of time). Loading in additional addresses to your favorite locations is easy. Still, realizing that the accuracy of domestic GPS units is much better now than a few years ago, I guess I cannot complain. The military satellite accuracy is what the private companies need to strive for, but then again we would most likely see that cost in the price of the end-user units.

I did, however, have to send back my GPS back to Garmin since the windshield mount power supply/FM traffic receiver outlet did not work. Their customer service has been great so far.

Garmin n?vi 370 GPS

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times only get you 'close' to a location. They can only take you to a location according to how it has been inputed by someone else (such as the government, or whomever is inputting the data). But, often times 'close enough' is exactly that -- when it gets me to a location I simply look around with my own eyes and can usually spot the exact address I need, or the sign of the company I was looking for, etc.

The one area where the unit gave me the most problems was in the downtown Dallas, Texas area. Near W Hotel (which is not listed in the Nuvi) and the American Airlines Center (where the Mavericks play). The Nuvi didn't list the W Hotel, but that's probably because the W is brand new and map updates haven't been uploaded. Shoot -- W doesn't even appear on Google Maps, so I can't blame the Nuvi all that much. Also, the Nuvi kept referring to streets incorrectly. I found out later that the wonderful Dallas city engineers decided to change the names of all the roads in that area because of all the new construction (and because of marketing dollars by big corporations to get them to rename everything). I learned very quickly to TRUST the directions the Nuvi was giving me, but to be aware that the street names in that area were all screwed up. Once I learned what the problem was everything went smooth. I've only experienced that issue in Dallas, though.

So... why didn't I get the Nuvi 350? or a bigger 600 series? Multiple reasons. The 370 comes preloaded with all the European Maps, and since I travel to the UK often it was a good thing for me. Purchasing the European Maps after the fact would have cost me $180.00 extra -- so you can see where the 370 is already coming close to the price of the 350. Not only that, but the 370 included a lot of extras -- such as the FM traffic antenna. If you use this service this will represent a great deal, as this antenna would have cost me another $130.00, or more, to purchase separately.

The unit has a lot of built-in storage (for MP3s, photos, additional maps, etc.) but the best thing is the SD card reader. I purchased a 2GB SD card from Best Buy for about $20.00 and filled it with enough music to last for a complete road trip across the United States. I put the SD card from my digital camera into the Nuvi and it recognized all my photos automatically and was willing to play them all one at a time, in thumbnail view, or as a slide show. I had about a thousand photos, so I found the unit a bit on the slow side (my camera is faster) so I'll probably only load my favorite photos to the Nuvi to show off to friends. The Nuvi also recognized all the MP3s that I placed on the SD card automatically, so that was a great plug-and-play experience.

The speakers on the Nuvis aren't as good as on the 300 and 500 StreetPilot series, but then again the StreetPilot series are very big units -- so it's a tradeoff. I'd rather have a Nuvi that I can slip in my pocket than a StreetPilot that I have to carry around in a bag... even if the speakers on the StreetPilot are superior.

The screen is big, bright, responsive... the tools are easy to find, and the extras are really useable (at least for me). I synced my BlackBerry up to the Nuvi using Bluetooth and it synced up (paired up) without a hitch. Now, when I get a call my Nuvi notifies me, pauses my music automatically, and allows me to press one giant on-screen button to talk with someone. If someone else calls while I'm on the phone it also allows me to place the first caller on hold, or just ignore the second caller. Truth be told, people could actually hear me better on the Nuvi than they could on my BlackBerry. Odd. But that's cool with me. I could also hear them better through the Nuvi than I could at times on my BlackBerry... so that's a huge plus for me.

Oh... one other thing. My BlackBerry is not listed as a phone that works with the Nuvi... but it did. I guess they just haven't tested my phone out, since it's older, so they didn't list it as a working model.

The Nuvi 600 series are great units... and they have larger (wider) screens. I almost got one of them, but I figured the 370's screen was plenty big... and if I had purchased a 670, for example, it might have been too large to fit in a pocket (you even have to have big pockets if you want to 'pocket' the 370). So, the extra expense for the 600 model just for a wider screen didn't appeal to me. The MSN features of the 680 model seemed cool, but I've heard that they're not always up-to-the-hour accurate (such as gas station prices, or weather conditions) and you have to pay an extra fee to use that feature, so I thought I'd pass on that.

I couldn't be happier with my 370. And for all the extras that came with it (such as European Maps and the traffic antenna) it was cheaper than the 350 (assuming I'd eventually buy those items after the fact).

Great unit.

Garmin n?vi 370 GPS

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times only get you 'close' to a location. They can only take you to a location according to how it has been inputed by someone else (such as the government, or whomever is inputting the data). But, often times 'close enough' is exactly that -- when it gets me to a location I simply look around with my own eyes and can usually spot the exact address I need, or the sign of the company I was looking for, etc.



The one area where the unit gave me the most problems was in the downtown Dallas, Texas area. Near W Hotel (which is not listed in the Nuvi) and the American Airlines Center (where the Mavericks play). The Nuvi didn't list the W Hotel, but that's probably because the W is brand new and map updates haven't been uploaded. Shoot -- W doesn't even appear on Google Maps, so I can't blame the Nuvi all that much. Also, the Nuvi kept referring to streets incorrectly. I found out later that the wonderful Dallas city engineers decided to change the names of all the roads in that area because of all the new construction (and because of marketing dollars by big corporations to get them to rename everything). I learned very quickly to TRUST the directions the Nuvi was giving me, but to be aware that the street names in that area were all screwed up. Once I learned what the problem was everything went smooth. I've only experienced that issue in Dallas, though.



So... why didn't I get the Nuvi 350? or a bigger 600 series? Multiple reasons. The 370 comes preloaded with all the European Maps, and since I travel to the UK often it was a good thing for me. Purchasing the European Maps after the fact would have cost me $180.00 extra -- so you can see where the 370 is already coming close to the price of the 350. Not only that, but the 370 included a lot of extras -- such as the FM traffic antenna. If you use this service this will represent a great deal, as this antenna would have cost me another $130.00, or more, to purchase separately.



The unit has a lot of built-in storage (for MP3s, photos, additional maps, etc.) but the best thing is the SD card reader. I purchased a 2GB SD card from Best Buy for about $20.00 and filled it with enough music to last for a complete road trip across the United States. I put the SD card from my digital camera into the Nuvi and it recognized all my photos automatically and was willing to play them all one at a time, in thumbnail view, or as a slide show. I had about a thousand photos, so I found the unit a bit on the slow side (my camera is faster) so I'll probably only load my favorite photos to the Nuvi to show off to friends. The Nuvi also recognized all the MP3s that I placed on the SD card automatically, so that was a great plug-and-play experience.



The speakers on the Nuvis aren't as good as on the 300 and 500 StreetPilot series, but then again the StreetPilot series are very big units -- so it's a tradeoff. I'd rather have a Nuvi that I can slip in my pocket than a StreetPilot that I have to carry around in a bag... even if the speakers on the StreetPilot are superior.



The screen is big, bright, responsive... the tools are easy to find, and the extras are really useable (at least for me). I synced my BlackBerry up to the Nuvi using Bluetooth and it synced up (paired up) without a hitch. Now, when I get a call my Nuvi notifies me, pauses my music automatically, and allows me to press one giant on-screen button to talk with someone. If someone else calls while I'm on the phone it also allows me to place the first caller on hold, or just ignore the second caller. Truth be told, people could actually hear me better on the Nuvi than they could on my BlackBerry. Odd. But that's cool with me. I could also hear them better through the Nuvi than I could at times on my BlackBerry... so that's a huge plus for me.



Oh... one other thing. My BlackBerry is not listed as a phone that works with the Nuvi... but it did. I guess they just haven't tested my phone out, since it's older, so they didn't list it as a working model.



The Nuvi 600 series are great units... and they have larger (wider) screens. I almost got one of them, but I figured the 370's screen was plenty big... and if I had purchased a 670, for example, it might have been too large to fit in a pocket (you even have to have big pockets if you want to 'pocket' the 370). So, the extra expense for the 600 model just for a wider screen didn't appeal to me. The MSN features of the 680 model seemed cool, but I've heard that they're not always up-to-the-hour accurate (such as gas station prices, or weather conditions) and you have to pay an extra fee to use that feature, so I thought I'd pass on that.



I couldn't be happier with my 370. And for all the extras that came with it (such as European Maps and the traffic antenna) it was cheaper than the 350 (assuming I'd eventually buy those items after the fact).



Great unit.

Garmin n?vi 370 GPS

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traffic adapter and just wait patiently on the highway when it backs up. It may be safer for you.

Garmin n?vi 370 GPS

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street that I walked on without exception. It knew that I could walk the wrong way on one-way streets as a pedestrian (in pedestrian mode). Usually very fast lock on of satellites. Currency converter very useful. Language guide easy to use and very helpful with menus. Learned a few phrases by imitating the voice on the language guide which led to a lot of goodwill in France and Italy. Used it to show addresses to cab drivers which was always helpful. Tracked the taxi rides and could tell when cabbies were way off route and a little protesting got them back on track. Used it to make easy decisions between walking, metro, or cab by routing a destination and seeing how far the walk would be. Nuvi lets you scroll through the route and is pretty accurate as to how long it will take to walk.

Cons - 1. In pedestrian mode, I almost always started walking the wrong way because Nuvi isn't sure which way it is pointed when you are standing still. This is fixed by walking a few feet until you see if you are going the right way, rarely more than 10 feet. 2. It doesn't automatically reroute in pedestrian mode if you get off the selected route, you need to hit "detour" which sometimes leads to a much longer path. 3. Sometimes satellite signal would get lost in the narrow older streets, especially in Italy. Sometimes the display would suddenly indicate that I was walking the exact opposite way that I had been going due to lost or confused signal. But these are all nits and were easily handled.

Overall - The Nuvi 370 worked exactly the way I was hoping it would. If you live in America and plan travel in Europe, I highly recommend the Nuvi 370 and Language Guide.

Garmin n?vi 370 GPS

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in comparison in numerous areas.Also much simpler then my sons BMW built in in the Uk and a friends built in Mercedes system.
JIM

Garmin n?vi 370 GPS

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in comparison in numerous areas.Also much simpler then my sons BMW built in in the Uk and a friends built in Mercedes system.

JIM

Garmin n?vi 370 GPS

...

in comparison in numerous areas.Also much simpler then my sons BMW built in in the Uk and a friends built in Mercedes system.


JIM

Garmin n?vi 370 GPS

...

in NYC was when I came to one of those THREE OR FOUR WAY FORKS in NYC and Jersey----the unit does get confused with those 4 way forks--but who or what wouldn't---that's why they have these 4 way forks---to confuse the tourists, right!

If you have any questions or comments, write boland7214@aol.

Garmin n?vi 370 GPS