Customer Reviews:
Garmin StreetPilot Review
We had the previous version of the Garmin StreetPilot and loved that item, but this one is absolutely incredible. It is one of the best navigation systems that I have ever seen. The price was an amazement for what it is capable of doing. It is a million time better than the overpriced Magellan Navigation systems that all of my friends have. They paid a fortune for theirs and they don’t do the job half as good as the Garmin StreetPilot c580. After they see what mine can do, they say they wish they would have know about the Garmin. They also say, can I have yours when you upgrade???

WE LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THE GARMIN AND COULDN’T LIVE WITHOUT IT AT ALL.

Priscilla Leona

Albert John

Garmin Review
This is everything I expected it to be! Even though it is a discontinued model, Garmin updated the map database and the O/S. It was a great deal, and that, combined with a great company made it a great Amazon.com purchase.

UPDATE DECEMBER 1, 2008

The unit crapped out last Saturday. No screen, nothing. And my return period ended 12 days ago! Now I am stuck with a worthless paperweight!

Buyer beware!!

Best bang for the buck; Feature loaded, low price
I ordered this before driving halfway across the country. This is a fantastic deal, I had my reservations buying it because it is a slightly older model & I prefer the look & size of the NUVI product line. Putting that aside, this model has all of the features I wanted (and a couple more) for an absolute bargain price. I love the gas price feature of MSN Direct, I was able to avoid the just-off-of-the-freeway high priced gas stations and find the best deals on fuel.

The POI is very good, and the text to speech works better than many other GPS units I have used. Overall, I am very happy with the purchase & would recommend it to anyone looking for real value.

The c580 did send me on a couple of wild-goose chases, I am not sure if the unit was at fault or the map program. One example was that it kept telling us to exit and enter the same freeway for several miles. Another example is that it took us on some tangents through residential streets when there was a straight road that it should have directed us to.

I have noticed that the MSN Direct when used where I live, the movie times it shows are for theaters 40+ miles away. Since I live in a metropolitan area of Los Angeles, this service seems lacking.

The touch screen on this unit works very well comapred to other units I have used, it is very easy to use and is very accurate.

Aside from some rare occasional glitches, I am still very happy with this unit and would buy it again & recommend it to anyone.

You got it
Garmin StreetPilot c580 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator with MSN Direct

I’ve bought many gps’s and this is the best so far not too many needless bells and whistles Just it gets signal almost indoors and speaks well bluetooth is great It is the best in it’s price range. Just buy it!

Great unit for price
Using these units for our fleet of trucks. Works well and easy to set up.

Customer Reviews:
A Solid Value
I have had this GPS for about a month and used it to drive to and around St Louis during the recent election.

The main cons people have against this device are the Points of Interests feature and the Enter a Location feature. Both are a bit odd, I guess because the database is larger than the processor can handle. I got used to it pretty quickly, but I was frustrated at first and suspect a lot of folks who hate it simply gave up before getting used to it. Now I find it extremely easy to use. You just have to remember that it needs to narrow downward (so it is going to ask for the Streetname, and then ask for the House Number).

The Points of Interests are disorganized. It has a huge database of things in it, and many of the comments here claiming that locations aren’t in the device are inaccurate. It’s that it’s very difficult to search for some Points of Interest… and they might as well not be in the database. It still works if you’re patient enough. I typically don’t care much that I can’t find State Historical Marker #43412.A.

It’s rugged enough to take a lot of abuse, it has great routes (and route options and corrections), it’s accurate and fast, and it names the street you need to turn onto if Text to Speech is on (which is far safer than looking at the screen sometimes). For the price, this is an excellent device.

I downloaded a file that I put on an SD card, and I boot mine into the hidden Windows environment, so mine doubles as a mediocre PDA.

Great for the price
For the price I paid, I think It’s a bargain. It does a good job of navigating. The reason why I gave it a 4 star rating, is the fact that it does not come with it’s own USB cable if you want to hook it up to your computer and charge it, or update it.I think you have to purchase it separately. I happened to have one at home that fit the port on the GPS. Also, It cannot locate the exact street of my home, so I have to save my home base as another street in the subdivision. Overall, it might not be the most detailed GPS, but it gets you where you need to go most of the time.

Garbage - buy ANY TomTom instead
TomTom is the absolute king of GPS, accept no substitution.

I tried this GPS and compared it to the TomToms I have tried, it was garbage.

The TomTom is worth it’s weight in diamonds yet it only cost $150 at WalMart.

TomTom !!!! I’ll never go on a trip without one!!!

Great function. Low Cost!
I have had my Mio Moov 200 for about 3 weeks now and find it to be quite easy to use; and more than I would have expected at such a bargain price! The device was easy to figure out and the MIO manufacturer website provides several easy to follow online video tutorials for the more “technically challenged” users out there. As with all devices, there is a bit of a learning curve.

For instance, one potential drawback is that if you are planning a LONG route with multiple stops, it’s better to break it into shorter segments so that when/ if you miss a turn or encounter an unexpected road detour, your device does not take too long to recalculate the route (the more “waypoints” you have the longer the recalculating route takes). When you have just a handful of “waypoints” the route recalculation works rather quick.

Using the device in downtown Washington DC has been very helpful, especially with the fast recalculating time since many of the streets in DC have “irregular” rules, some one-way streets that the device did not recognize and special turning lanes where one is not permitted (or able) to turn from the main roadway.

A really helpful feature of the device is that it will indicate in voice and onscreen the upcoming turn and let you know when to merge/ stay right or left. This is especially helpful in unknown areas (such as in St. Louis, MO where I went recently for the 1st time - knowing what lane to be in ahead of time was immensely helpful!)

Every once in a while the device would “freeze,” but a brief turn-off and back on of the device reset it. I like the auto-feature for day display to night and the POI’s (Points of Interest). Although, one small complaint I have for the POI’s is that it would be nice if you could select to view UPCOMING POI’s on your route rather than simply the closest ones which can make you back-track somewhat.

Overall, the functionality for the price cannot be beat. It is easy to get up and running.

Cheaper, Works just as well
I work for a TV station in a new area and needed to be able to find places I’ve never been fast. This was the best price I could find on a GPS that said the street names and so far it works great. No complaints.

Customer Reviews:
Wrong product sent as XL-S but was XL….
This product did not speak the street names as advertised. The replacement had the same issue.The box and instructions indicated it was the XL-S model; but the actual product was only a ONE XL….

Too bad as the price was right.

Different than I have ever seen
I tested almost all brands. This one is probably the worst in sense of destination routing. It sends me to streets that dont make any sence at all. Garmin and Magellan are much better get you a direct route that makes sense to follow. Otherwise unit is good looking with bright display and good speaker.

TomTom ONE
I had purchased the TomTom GO, with international info, for our 2007 European trip and was amazed at its utility throughout southern Holland, Belgium, parts of Germany and a quick dash to Paris. There simply was no road, lane or path it did not know or recognize. So, with the opportunity to acquire a simple version for my wife’s use in her SUV (She is slightly technophobic and refuses to establish or use an e-mail account), I jumped at the refurbed ONE. Though she has slower curve with gadgets, she’ll get it. Good product.

This Tom-Tom rocks!
I have been watching the price on the To-Tom over the past two years and when the price dropped on this XL-S, I decided to get one. It may be refurbished, but I couldn’t tell it was. Operation was perfect with the exception that the free grade available from the Tom-Tom site wasn’t available as being refurbished, it was probably used up. However, support was available for an upgrade at no cost if you work with the home sight on line.I also own the Tom-Tom One (3rd edition) and the later XL-S model does have some improvements, although some of the improvements are a pain to deal with, for example; a bleating noise if one exceeds the speed limit unknowingly. You have to control this noise through the menu options before you start the unit. Also, the computer voice you pick with more voice information to you, is no where near as nice as the pleasant, sexy voice that is available if desired.

All in all, the larger screen is easier to see, especially if you are older as I am.

Great unit and very operator friendly.

Very nice refurb
Enjoying this as my first GPS device. Glad I didn’t pay full price. I haven’t had a chance to play with all the features yet, but I’m really enjoying it. Works like new. The only flaw I found is with the text to speech. It doesn’t pronounce non-English names well at all. Considering I live in California, a lot of the the street and city names are Spanish. Makes for a good laugh.

Customer Reviews:
Works great
I really like this product. It works very well with my Holux GPSlim 236 GPS device via bluetooth to my laptop. It speaks the names of the steet names and automatically recalculates the route if you miss a turn.

Works Great
I have installed it and tested it out and it worked great. Easy to use, lots of great points of interest. I was mainly using it with a laptop and a usb gps unit. I finally broke down and bought a protable GPS Nav system and I like it a lot and don’t have to carry the laptop around all the time now. I will continue to use this product on my PCs for its mapping ability.

Gets the job done
I researched and compared both this product and Microsoft Streets and Trips. I had Streets and Trips several years ago, so I was familiar with the “look and feel” of that progam. I thought I would try something different, since it was not an expensive tool, as opposed to buying a GPS navigator. I do prefer the Streets and Trips interface to this program, but that may be just what I am used to. This interface seems a bit “dated”, while Streets and Trips seems more professional and polished. I use this software for planning leisure trips, and I like to experiment with several routes to the same destination. This product allows me to do that quite easily. One part of my planning is to figure out where we may want to stay overnight on our way somewhere. I like the listing of POI’s which shows the distance that POI is from my origin or destination. For example, if I want to stop after about 300 miles, I can scroll down and see the hotels available at about the 300 mile point on my route. It also shows me how far off the route that the POI’s are located. All this can be done before I leave home, and I can verify the POI details online. I am the family navigator, so I can have my laptop in front of me and read out directions to my husband. One feature that does not appear to be working correctly, is the connection of this program to the Internet. That may just be my inexperience with the product, but I am not sure how POI, road construction, and any other updates will become available. Overall, this program gets the job done, but I think I would have preferred Streets and Trips.

Let me help you understand mapping programs
I am an ‘over-the-road’ long haul truck driver. As such, mapping and routing is crucial to doing my job well. I actually use 4 different mapping programs (3 of them run on one gps receiver, the other is a stand-alone). It is totally possible to enter the same data into each program and come up with 4 different routes. But that usually doesnt happen. I do get minor discrepancies between them at times. Of the laptop/desktop programs, the Delorme Street Atlas (SA) is by far the best. Having said that, I will admit that it is NOT intuitive to use at first. MS-Streets and Trips (SNT) is easier to use out of the box and for simple short trips. However, after taking the time to beat the learning curve on SA, it is a far superior product than SNT. The third program that I have is a terribly expensive product designed to be used by truckers. It is useless for the most part. I only consult it if I have concerns about truck restricted roads or bridge clearances. They all have mapping errors in them. They cannot possibly keep up with all the road building that goes on, and must rely on input from users. I dont believe that many people take the time to report errors or changes. There is also a considerable lag time from when the map data is created and the software vendor issues the product. So yes, when you buy the latest version, it is already months out of date.

I am not sure where they get the data for commercial points of interests. In my opinion, I think many places have to pay for the ‘advertising’, thus if they choose not to, they wont appear. It was frustrating when I was attempting to find a local post office and the data was for a mailbox location. Again, the management and collection of this type of data is an impossible task,they must rely upon the veracity of the data that is supplied to them. Think of what it would cost to send someone to each and every POI to verify the information, and as well collect new data on new resturants, etc. We wouldnt be able to afford such a conveniece.

My advice to you is this, If you are a casual user in familiar areas, consider the dedicated units such as tom-tom or garvin or delphi. I dont believe that you get much by paying a higher price. I wouldnt spend more than a couple of hundred dollars. I would also look for refurbished units. They will give you the best price. Often, they are units returned to stores because the user changed his/her mind. Neither the store nor manufacturer can resell the item as new. There is nothing wrong with it and it will have the same warranty as a brand new one. They are all about the same, though I did like my Delphi unit better than the device I use now that runs Tom Tom. I would stick with the major brands, I just dont trust the no-names. A larger screen is about the only good reason to spend more money.

If you are a heavy user, one who is likely to have a laptop in your vehicle with gps, get both SA and SNT. Get the GPS receiver from Delorme. Then go to their website and download a free small program (called a serial port emulator)that will allow SNT and other programs to use the same receiver. For quick and easy routes use SNT. Use SA for your GPS monitoring. Compare the routes between the two products. If they are not the same, make a decision according to your preferences. You will find it much easier to manipulate your route in SA than in SNT.

And finally, my best advice to you, is to secure the device that you are using. The most popular item to steal from a car today is a GPS device. Remove it from you windshield, including the bracket. It is also a good idea to clean the windshield so that the ring mark left by the suction cup on the bracket doesnt advertise that you have and use a GPS device. A bother you say! Yep, it is! But not as much bother as having to deal with the result of your car having been broken into and stuff stolen from you! And please — when passing me on the road wave with more than one finger (I go slow because I have to and it saves on fuel)and give plenty of room before you move back into the lane. At highway speeds it takes me 3 football fields to bring my truck to a panic stop. I dont want to have to live with the fact that I killed someone because the driver of the other vehicle was ignorant or in just too big a hurry.

Worth the upgrade
We purchased this to update from Delorme 2005.The new version has larger control buttons and campground search. All for less than the cost to update our Garmen. Easy to use once you get past the learning curve.

Customer Reviews:
Garmin 60CSx Cigarette Adapter
This adapter is OEM and perfect for when i am using my GPS in the car. The cord is plenty long and the wire is nice and thick - not some thin, cheap product.

A VERY necessary accessory for your Garmin GPS.
If you own a portable GPS unit, such as the Garmin GPS Map 60CSx, you will quickly understand how much you need a power hook-up for your automobile, truck or SUV. These units can eat up ENORMOUS amounts of battery power, although the newer ones have MUCH more efficient use, and therefore get much longer time out of a set of batteries. BUT using a cigarette lighter adapter while IN your vehicle greatly extends a set of batteries. It also allows you to use the brightest level of illumination of the display screen without worry that you are drawig down the battery power too much. The only drawback, in my opinion, is the plug you plug into the back of your unit fits quite snugly, and is a little cumbersome to remove. It is much easier to do if you remove the unit from it’s car mount first(shich you are about to do anyway, to carry it with you).

I highly reccomend getting this product.

OK, This DOES fit the 60CSx
I thought the pins on this item were lining up wrong and was afraid to use a bit of pressure to push the adapter onto the unit. After talking to Garmin customer service and making sure the slot on the adapter was lined up, I confirmed this is the correct item. I was so worried about bending the pins, but this is an EXACT fit.

Great accessory
This is well worth the money , saves the cost in batteries in a month easily, well worth the time and money works well with the holder also

It Fits the Garmin 60CSx
I don’t know what those of you who claim this is the wrong adapter for the Garmin 60 series are talking about. I bought one for my 60CSx and it works perfectly and I love not having to burn through the AA batteries while I’m in my FJ.

If you want a car adapter for your Garmin 60CSx series GPS unit, this is the one for you.