Though Garmin’s Nuvi 680 and Mio’s DigiWalker C520 both provide clear, accurate directions, the pricey Nuvi offers several nice extras.
Mio Technology DigiWalker C520

The latest GPS devices from Garmin and from Mio Technology–the Nuvi 680 and the DigiWalker C520, respectively–both provide detailed maps, but that’s only the beginning of their capabilities. Both products attempt to be all-in-one travel companions, each unit offering an SD Card slot for viewing images and video on its 4.3-inch touch screen, as well as for playing music files while you navigate or view your location on a map.

Garmin’s high-end, $675 Nuvi 680 adds the ability to stream directions and other audio through your car’s FM stereo. Mio’s $350 DigiWalker C520 lacks many of the Nuvi 680’s extras, but it’s a capable navigator with some nice touches of its own, at a much lower price.

In addition to the features you’d expect from a GPS device–clear on-screen and voiced navigation directions (including the mostly accurate pronunciation of street names), high-quality 3D maps, and a points-of-interest database–the Nuvi 680 offers a basic media player for viewing image and video files and for playing audio, including books downloaded from Audible.com. The device’s Travel Kit also contains a language guide that pronounces words and phrases in French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish, translated to and from English (you can download other languages and guides for an additional fee).

You also get one free year of the MSN Direct service, which provides traffic and weather information, gas prices, and movie times via a receiver built into the Nuvi 680’s 12-volt power adapter. After the first year you can pay a one-time fee of $130, or $50 a year. The traffic information is available inlimited areas, and even in those regions you may not be covered.

For example, I selected the northernmost section of the San Francisco region only to find that I was about 10 miles outside the coverage area. It wasn’t until I drove into the area that the MSN Direct information could download to the GPS. The initial download can take several hours, according to both Garmin and MSN, but I began receiving reports on traffic conditions along my route after only about an hour. When you encounter traffic the Nuvi 680 offers to route you around it, but I wouldn’t have saved much time with the alternates it suggested. Still, this feature could come in handy.

Another nice extra is the Nuvi 680’s Garmin Lock security feature, which lets you designate a four-digit PIN as well as a security location (such as your home). You must either enter the code or be at the security location to unlock the device.

On several occasions the Nuvi 680 delivered directions too late for me to follow them, while the Mio was more timely. This disparity occurred on both surface streets and the highway, while I used both products simultaneously.

All the most important features of the Nuvi 680 are available in Mio’s less-expensive DigiWalker C520, though without much of the polish. The one major exception is the ability to stream the device’s audio through your car’s FM radio. Even without this function, however, the C520 measures up fairly well, pronouncing street names as it directs you (although you have to change the default voice to get this option). The device’s 3D maps and trip information are easy to see on its wide screen, but the display isn’t as bright as that of the Nuvi 680, nor are the maps and other on-screen options as easy to spot. Each unit comes in a slim and light package measuring slightly under 5 by 3 by 1 inches, and weighing about 6.5 ounces.

Both products use the SiRF Star III GPS transceiver for fast and accurate positioning, although the Nuvi 680 generally suggested faster routes than the C520 did. The Mio GPS was also much less inclined than the Garmin product to give up on its first route suggestion and offer a true alternate. For example, both devices directed me into the teeth of morning commute traffic, and both recalculated quickly when I ignored their advice and took faster surface streets. But while the Garmin’s first recalculated route was my preferred alternate, the Mio instructed me to turn right at every subsequent intersection for about a half mile in an attempt to return me to the route it had selected originally.

You can sync your Bluetooth headset or phone with either device, but each supports a limited variety of phones. I was able to sync a Motorola Razr V3 with the Nuvi 680 only after I reset the phone’s “Find me” option. Repeated attempts to link the phone to the C520 caused the GPS to freeze, requiring a restart. I wasn’t able to complete the sync on the C520, even though the Razr is listed as a supported phone on Mio’s Web site.

The Mio DigiWalker C520 packs a lot of GPS features in a small, affordable box, but it lacks the polish and the range of features of the more expensive Garmin Nuvi 680. Many people will find such extras as the Garmin Lock security feature, the ability to stream sound through their car stereo, and the free year of traffic, weather, gas price, and other travel information well worth the Nuvi 680’s higher cost.

Source: Washington Post

Garmin introduced the Nuvi 350 Pocket Vehicle GPS Navigator and Personal Travel Assistant in 2005, the price back then was almost $900.

Now you can get your hands on this compact navigation device for $378.50 on Amazon.com
The Garmin Nuvi has 700MB storage, screen with QVGA resolution, SD card slot and features like GPS navigator, MP3/audiobook player, photo viewer, and world travel clock.

This Garmin GPS is preloaded with City Navigator NT V.8 with maps of U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico.

Measurements are 3.87 x 2.91 x 0.87 inches (W x H x D).

Source: I4U

The Garmin’s nüvi™ 310 is one of th most versatile GPS around. This pocket-sized Personal Travel Assistant now comes with hands-free Bluetooth® wireless technology in addition to the popular features offered in the nüvi 300 — making it the go-anywhere travel companion.

Place hands-free calls with Bluetooth wireless technology
The nüvi 310 along with its counterpart the nüvi 360 integrate wireless technology with a microphone and speaker that lets you make hands-free mobile phone calls. Simply dial numbers with the nüvi’s touch screen keypad to make a call on a compatible Bluetooth phone. To answer calls, just tap nüvi’s screen and speak directly into its built in microphone.

In addition, easily look-up and dial numbers from your personalized phone book or from your phone’s call history log. Don’t know the phone number for your destination? Simply find and dial it from nüvi’s extensive points of interest database — including hotels, restaurants, stores, and attractions.

Navigate with Ease
The nüvi 310 comes preprogrammed with regional European map data, and includes automatic routing, 2D or 3D map perspective, and a fingertip touch screen interface — making navigation easy. It also supports configurable vehicle icons — fun, customized car-shaped icons in a variety of colors that show your position on the map.

The nüvi accepts customized points of interest (POIs) such as school zones and safety cameras. It even provides traffic alerts (in select cities) when used with a compatible traffic receiver. By adding traffic services and a receiver to your nüvi 310, you can avoid traffic tie-ups by simply pushing a button to calculate a new route.

Enjoy Travel Kit full of entertainment and useful tools
Navigation is just the beginning. The nüvi includes many “must have” entertainment and travel tools including MP3 player, audio book player, JPEG picture viewer, travel alarm, currency converters, and more. In addition, optional software packages such as the Language Guide™ and Travel Guides™ can be added for language and content support.

Customize with Optional Software
Optional software available on plug-in SD cards, lets you instantly add new features to your nüvi — without connecting to your computer.

Full Specifications
Receiver: high-sensitivity WAAS-capable GPS receiver by SiRF
Display: 2.8” W x 2.1” H (3.5” diag.), 320 x 240 pixels; bright, TFT display, 64K colors, with white backlight and touch screen
Unit dimensions: 3.87″ W x 2.91″ H x 0.87″ D (98.3 mm x 73.9 mm x 22.1 mm)
Weight: 5.1 ounces (144.6 grams)
Battery: built-in lithium ion battery — between 4-8 hours of battery life depending on use
Bluetooth wireless technology for hands-free calling
Includes Garmin Lock™, an anti-theft feature
Supports FM TMC traffic alerting
Preloaded maps for one European region
Fingertip touch-screen interface
Look up addresses and points of interest
Choose 2D or 3D map perspective
Upload custom POIs, including alerts for speed zones and safety cams
Built in Travel Kit includes MP3 player with sample MPs, audio books, picture viewer, world clock, currency and measurement converters, calculator and more
SD memory card expansion slot
USB interface for loading data

On a kayak fishing trip in Florida last month, I followed the rising tide through a maze of mangroves, salt creeks and bayous. Unhooking a redfish about three hours later, I realized I didn’t have the first idea of where I was.
But tucked into my paddling vest was a Garmin Geko 201 GPS the size of a small cell phone and weighing fewer than four ounces, including two AA batteries. It took seconds for this little wonder to locate four satellites and calculate that the place where I started was 1.37 miles away on a bearing of 106 degrees.
Oh, the wonders of the Global Positioning System.
Hand-held GPS units that will plot your position with 30-foot accuracy can be had for as little as $79. And the difference in accuracy between the $79 unit and a $500 model is negligible.
The higher prices come with added features like built-in maps or marine charts, altitude measuring, color screens, internal memory and the ability to download new maps and data from a computer or memory card.
More expensive models usually can pick up the satellite signals better in areas where reception is marginal or limited by buildings, hills or dense tree cover, but not always.
Before you buy a handheld GPS, think about what you want to do with it and how you would use it. Will you carry it in the woods while hunting grouse or deer? Then you’ll want to pay more for a GPS with superior satellite reception. Do you want to use it as a fishing tool? Then you’ll probably want built-in marine charts. And as an outdoors person, I would never buy a handheld that wasn’t waterproof.
I often carry a $150 Magellan eXplorist 200 in the truck, which has a black-and-white screen and a rudimentary map of the United States. It shows towns and county, state and federal highways. It’s also the unit I usually carry while hunting and hiking because it works well in the woods, is small enough to slip into a vest pocket and has a tracking screen that lets me record where I’ve been and log points of interest.
But on long trips, I nearly always have my Brunton Atlas MNS, a $350 unit that also has a relatively simple map and lets me call up numbered exits on every major freeway and see what service stations, restaurants and other points of interest are available.
All GPS units will store 100 or more locations - waypoints - in their internal memory. Some can store 500.
An important factor that’s often overlooked is battery life. Most units today will run eight hours or more on a couple of AA or AAA batteries. I look for units that will run 12 hours nonstop, which means that a couple of sets of batteries will give me several days of intermittent use.

Source: BY ERIC SHARP-Detroit Free Press

Garmin Ltd. has filed two lawsuits against European rival TomTom Inc., claiming the company is using Garmin-patented technology in its GPS devices.
In the suits, filed earlier this month in U.S. District Court in Madison, Wis., Olathe-based Garmin says TomTom has infringed on five Garmin U.S. patents protecting technology used in its Global Positioning System devices.
All the patents covered in the lawsuits are aimed at making GPS navigators easier to use. For example, one patent deals with technology that simplifies the maps showing a vehicle’s location by eliminating streets the device determines aren’t important to the driver’s route.
“One of our hallmarks is ease of use,” said Garmin spokesman Ted Gartner, adding that the company’s long history in the GPS field means it has “amassed a significant stable of patents” in the consumer and aviation markets.
Officials for Amsterdam-based TomTom denied Garmin’s allegations.
“TomTom Inc. rejects Garmin’s claims and will vigorously defend itself,” the company said in a written statement.
Garmin, which got its start selling aviation and marine devices and has since moved into automotive GPS, and automotive-focused TomTom have been fighting for market share in Europe. Last fall, TomTom began trying to gain inroads into the U.S. market with a series of television advertisements.
Market analysts have said the lawsuits could mean trouble for TomTom, forcing the company’s marketing out of the United States if Garmin wins.
Garmin shares closed up 86 cents at $66.50 in trading Friday on the Nasdaq Stock Market. The stock has a 52-week range of $39.04 to $70.68.

Source: Kansas

Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ:GRMN) , today announced that it will immediately begin to make its line of GPS and mobile electronics devices compatible with Mac OS X version 10.4 “Tiger.” This makes Garmin the first major GPS designer and manufacturer to announce direct support for Mac OS X.

“We are very excited to be supporting the many tech-savvy Garmin users who are also Mac devotees,” said Min Kao, Garmin Ltd.’s chairman and CEO. “Mac users have been encouraging us to make our GPS units Mac compatible, and we’ve listened. We hope this brings the many benefits of GPS to current Mac users and invites future Apple customers to the Garmin fold.”

“The popularity of Mac OS X is attracting many first time developers to the Mac and driving astonishing innovation,” said Ron Okamoto, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations. “We’re thrilled to welcome Garmin to the platform and look forward to exciting new applications that take advantage of its GPS-based products and Mac OS X.”

Beginning in spring 2006, Garmin will offer a Mac version of its popular Training Center software. Used with Garmin’s line of Forerunner and Edge series of fitness products, the Training Center software lets users plan and analyze workouts. Fitness enthusiasts can create their own workouts or use workout templates that can be downloaded into the unit for any level of personal training. The software also offers interactive analysis tools that will now allow Mac users to chart their performance information like speed, heart rate, cadence, elevation, and pace.

Also in spring 2006, Garmin will make the http://www.motionbased.com/ upload interface Mac compatible. MotionBased.com translates GPS data into performance analysis, online mapping, and route sharing for endurance and outdoor athletes. Data collected by a Garmin GPS device is uploaded to MotionBased.com where time, distance, speed, elevation, cadence, grade, and heart rate analysis is displayed through charts, illustrations, and reports. This activity data can also be displayed as a route and replayed on street, photo, topographic, and elevation maps as well as the popular Google Earth service. Members can also use the TrailNetwork database to seek out and download new activities in their region, to find popular routes while traveling, or to engage in “virtual races” with other MotionBased users.

By the end of 2006, Garmin intends to have made all its popular hardware and software applications Mac OS X compatible. This includes the ability to load MapSource map data to Garmin units via a Mac, as well as waypoint and trip planning applications. Additionally, the Garmin nRoute application will allow Powerbook and iBook users to turn their laptop into a powerful street navigation tool with Garmin’s GPS 10 or GPS 18 sensors.

Garmin International Inc. is a member of the Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ:GRMN) group of companies, which designs and manufactures navigation, communication and information devices — most of which are enabled by GPS technology. Garmin is a leader in the general aviation and consumer GPS markets and its products serve aviation, marine, outdoor recreation, automotive, wireless and OEM applications. Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in the Cayman Islands, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit Garmin’s virtual pressroom at http://www.garmin.com/pressroom or contact the Media Relations department at 913-397-8200. Garmin, Forerunner, and MapSource are registered trademarks, and Edge, Training Center, MotionBased, TrailNetwork. and nRoute are trademarks of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries. Anticipated product availability dates are based on management’s current expectations and are not guaranteed.

Source: by Garmin

Garmin International has announced the iQue 3200, which joins the iQue 3600 as the only Palm Powered personal digital assistants (PDAs) that offer fully integrated Global Positioning System (GPS) technology. These products combine the portability of a PDA and the utility of an automotive navigation system in a sleek, lightweight design.

The iQue 3200 is designed for individuals who want a device that can manage their personal information and deliver personal navigation in a single unit.

“We believe auto-navigation handhelds are one of the fastest growing segments in the industry today. Garmin is a leader in that market, and we’re delighted that it’s expanding its product line,” said Michael Mace, chief competitive officer at PalmSource Inc.

“One of the strengths of Palm OS is that it is flexible enough to support a wide variety of devices. So, people can get the hardware they want, like a GPS unit, and still run the wide range of Palm OS software programs.”

The iQue 3200 features Garmin’s Que technology, a set of applications that provides the user with the benefits of GPS navigation, including location awareness on an electronic map, automatic route generation, off-route recalculation, turn-by-turn directions and voice guidance.

Que technology fully integrates organisation and navigation capabilities in the iQue 3200, allowing users to attach a “location stamp” to a contact in their Address Book or an appointment in their Date Book. The user can then follow voice prompts along a series of turns to the selected location.

Thanks to a bright 320×320-pixel color display, users can see navigation data at a glance. Additional screen space is dedicated to a Graffiti area for data input. Garmin also includes an automotive navigation kit as a standard accessory that simultaneously powers the unit and recharges the battery via the power outlet in a vehicle.

The iQue 3200 is expected to be available in the US in August 2004 at a suggested retail price of US$535.70. It will ship in the US standard with a MapSource, City Select CD, USB recharging synchronisation cradle, an AC adapter, automotive windshield mount with integrated charger and speaker, installation CD with owner’s manual, and quick-reference guide.

For more information see www.garmin.com

Source: Gizmag

The StreetPilot i3 is the color version in the i-series StreetPilots. The unit is a new line of small, affordable automotive GPS navigators that make driving fun.

It is no larger than a baseball and priced affordably for the budget conscious. The StreetPilot i-series is destined to be a big hit for commuters, college students, and corporate travelers who are looking to experience the ease and enjoyment of GPS satellite navigation for the first time.

The StreetPilot i-series has many of the same powerful capabilities as our other premium automotive GPS navigators. Such features includes a unique and convenient click-to-enter scroll wheel and a “back” button which makes it easy to select a destination from the unit’s menu-driven interface. The StreetPilot i2 and i3 provide voice-prompted, turn-by-turn directions through a built-in speaker, and the unit easily moves from vehicle to vehicle with an integrated suction cup mount. The i-series will also automatically put drivers back on course if they miss a turn.

Both the i2 and i3 come with a MapSource City Select North America NT DVD, which contains mapping detail of the entire United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico—featuring nearly six million points of interest, including hotels, restaurants, gas stations, ATMs, and attractions. Users load the City Select data onto an included 128MB Transflash™ data card via a fast USB connection.

As an added benefit, you can now import customized points of interest with the help of Garmin’s free POI Loader software. The possibilities are endless — upload safety cameras or school zones, and you will receive a warning if you are traveling too fast. In addition, an optional proximity-alert feature notifies you of upcoming custom POIs.

The i3 and i5 feature a 32k-color, sunlight readable TFT display with backlight, while the i2 features a high-contrast backlit FSTN monochrome display. Motorists can choose from either a three-dimensional mapping perspective, or overhead “bird’s eye” view. For added convenience, drivers can power the unit with either two AA batteries (six hours, typical use) or the included 12-volt adapter cable.

Specifications

Moving map features
Detail: StreetPilot® i5 comes preloaded with MapSource® City Navigator™ North America NT street-level maps and addresses for all of the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. StreetPilot® i2 and i3 come with DVDs for loading MapSource® City Select® North America NT street-level mapping detail

Navigation features Routes
Automatically calculated with turn-by-turn instructions; a detour function enables routing around traffic problems or road construction; custom road preference allows user to prioritize choice of back roads or major highways; automatic offroute recalc shows how to get back on track if you miss a turn or exit

Voice: Navigation instructions and warnings

Waypoints: 500 with name and graphic symbol

GPS performance
Receiver: WAAS-enabled

Acquisition times:

Warm: Approximately 15 seconds
Cold: Approximately 45 seconds
AutoLocate®: Approximately 2 minutes
Update rate: 1/second, continuous
0
GPS Accuracy:

Position: <15 meters (49 feet), 95% typical
Velocity: 0.05 meter/sec steady state
GPS (WAAS) Accuracy:

Position: <3 meters, 95% typical
Velocity: 0.05 meter/sec steady state
Interfaces: USB 2.0 full-speed

Antenna: Built-in patch; MCX-type connector for optional external GPS antenna connection

Physical
Size: 3.00” W x 2.74” H x 2.15” D (7.6 x 6.9 x 5.5 cm)

Weight: 5.3 oz. (150 g)

Display: 1.3” W x 1.7” H (3.3 x 4.3 cm); 176 x 220 pixels; 32k-color, sunlight-readable TFT display with backlight

Case: Consumer grade/not waterproof

Temp. range: 32° F to 140° F (0° C to 60° C)

Data storage: Indefinite; no memory battery required

Power Input: 12/24 Vdc

Usage: 3w max. @ 13.8 Vdc

Battery life: 6 hours

i-series
comparison guide Here’s how the units are different:

StreetPilot i2:

Display: 1.7” W x 1.3” H (4.3 x 3.3 cm); 240 x 176 pixels; high-contrast monochrome FSTN with backlight
Map Storage: Comes with MapSource® City Select® North America NT DVD and blank 128 MB TransFlash™ card
StreetPilot i3:

Display: 1.7” W x 1.3” H (4.3 x 3.3 cm); 240 x 176 pixels; sunlight-readable color TFT with backlight
Map Storage: Comes with MapSource® City Select® North America NT DVD and blank 128 MB TransFlash™ card
StreetPilot i5:

Display: 1.7” W x 1.3” H (4.3 x 3.3 cm); 240 x 176 pixels; sunlight-readable color TFT with backlight
Map Storage: Preprogrammed drive with MapSource® City Navigator™ North America NT detail; accepts TransFlash cards for detail of other regions

www.gpsonlinesite.com