Garmin Talking StreetPilot III GPS

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Title : Garmin Talking StreetPilot III GPS
Author : Garmin
Release Date : 20010220
Binding : Electronics
Regular Price : $999.99
Amazon.com Price : $619.94 (38 %)
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Editorial Reviews :
You don't need to buy a luxury car or spend thousands installing a multipart system to get advanced GPS navigation capabilities in your automobile. Garmin's StreetPilot III delivers all the high-end features you need--from detailed street maps and sophisticated auto routing to voice prompts and a color screen--in a compact, inexpensive, and portable package.
Setting up the unit was surprisingly simple. First we installed the software from the MapSource City Navigator CD onto our PC and connected the card reader, with the 32 MB data card, to the USB port. Then we went online to unlock one of 10 detailed coverage areas included on the disk; for instance, area 1 covers California and Nevada, area 7 covers New England and New York. After that we downloaded detailed maps of our city (San Francisco) and surrounding areas to the data card. We also downloaded waypoints--locations like our home, office, and other places we often visit--onto the card and inserted it into the StreetPilot III. If you don't have a USB port, you can also use the included serial cable to connect the entire unit to your PC.

The physical installation went just as smoothly. We affixed the plastic base to the top of our dashboard with the included adhesive mounting disks, snapped the StreetPilot III into place, connected it to the cigarette lighter for power, and extended the small fold-down antenna. The dashboard mount's quick release makes it easy to store the StreetPilot III when not in use or, if you purchase a second mount, lets you use it in multiple vehicles.

We turned the unit on and in less than a minute it locked onto the GPS satellites and displayed a map of our current location on the clear, bright, easy-to-read color display. As we drove along, it displayed our position and direction on the map, the name and address number of the street we were on, and even the name of the upcoming cross street. The two zoom buttons let us get a very detailed street-level view or a broad overview of our current position, and the menu button allowed us to customize the display.

The fun really started, though, when we used the StreetPilot's routing capabilities. Using the arrow buttons, we input the intersection of a store we'd never visited, and within a minute it calculated the most direct route. The voice navigator told us where to go and when to turn, and it was simple to monitor our progress both on the map and on the text display. For our next stop we knew the exact address and entered it into the unit. The StreetPilot then guided us onto the freeway and successfully to our second destination, telling us exactly where to stop along the street and even on which side of the street the store was located. To get home, we just accessed a waypoint with our home address that we'd preprogrammed on the PC.

Even if you don't know exactly where you're going, the City Navigator maps include points of interest, like restaurants, shops, and parks. This allows you to tell the StreetPilot to find the closest fast-food restaurant and then be presented with a list of nearby options.

Testing in San Francisco, we did lose satellite lock a few times in extremely hilly areas or in areas with very tall buildings. We think this was due mainly to the fact that the unit's antenna is inside the car; an external antenna option is available for less than $100 that should solve the problem.

Once you use the StreetPilot III for a while, it's hard to imagine driving solo again. Whether you're a salesman always heading to new locations, planning a road trip, or just need help getting around town, it's an extremely helpful companion that's cheaper and easier to install than anything else available.

Buyer Reviews :
I've bought my garmin about a year ago. It is my first car navigation device. After using it for a year, my results are mixed. First, the good parts: I love its portability, taking it around US is great, and it dazzles airport security. The street coverage in the Bay Area is pretty good. Now for the bad parts: I was hoping that StreetPilot would work like a friend in the passenger seat that knows where you are going. A few drawbacks that Garmin had to make to sell it so cheap make this more like you are driving with an Idiot Savant who knows the city really well, but has no common sense. The biggest complaint is the user interface experience. Entering a destination address is painful, and unforgiving, probably on the order of setting up your VCR for recording. The display is small, and has few colors. The turn directions can be confusing in hairy situations, such as when you are coming off Bay Bridge, and road splits in about 4 highways and two exits. My biggest complaint is that it takes several minutes to calculate a route to a new destination. This means that if you miss a highway turn, it will be several minutes before StreetPilot will give you a new route. By this time, you are 3 miles away from your original destination. If all you have to go by is Garmin, it might take you 7-10 mins before leaving the driveway: 2-4 mins to acquire sattelites, 2-3 to enter an address, 2-3 for it to compute the route. When getting the address, make sure that you get an exact spelling: Bella Rita is not Dollerita. In conclusion, you can count on Garmin to get you there, but it might be slow, and you still have to use your brain and navigation skills. Can't wait until those nifty DVD navigation systems I've seen in Tokyo make their way to US.

(by Aleksandar Totic)

Features/Technical Specs :
* GPS receiver with turn-by-turn navigation for major North American cities
* Includes MapSource City Navigator CD-ROM with street-level maps and points of interest; unlock capability for one region in US or Canada
* Automated voice prompts tell you when to turn
* 16-color display with backlight for dim lighting
* Compatible with optional Garmin MapSource software for downloading maps and waypoint data

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