The Garmin Nuvi 660 performs well in all categories. The price point on this unit is very affordable. It has the highest overall rated very good score of all the GPS units indicating an exceptional value by “Consumer Reports”. Ratings of excellent for entering destination, information for driver, portability and color display. Ratings of very good for use of controls, routing options, routing time and mount design. All with a retail price in the $ 350.00. A tested battery life of approximately 4.5 hours, weight of 6.7 ounces, screen size of 4.4 inches, Bluetooth hands free calls (Allows the user to make and receive telephone calls using the unit’s internal speaker, microphone and screen.) and spoken street names (Commonly referred to as “Text-to-Speech,” this feature allows the driver to confirm directions with street signs without looking at the screen) It can also dial phone numbers of point of interest locations. This feature requires a Bluetooth compatible phone as well.
These results are the most current ratings from “Consumer Reports” magazine of the GPS units that are considered portable in auto GPS navigation systems. You can remove them from one vehicle and use them in another vehicle. The most recent use that I have heard of is by delivery people, which makes a great deal of sense. I have also had some very positive comments from two different older ladies about ease of use when traveling from rural areas about two hours outside a large city via much more rural roads and back without getting lost at all. This eased their minds about traveling these roads alone and getting home safely.
By: Diana Zagouris
Posts Tagged ‘Point Of Interest’
A Comparison of Garmin and Magellan GPS Receivers
December 11th, 2009
If you’re like me, a comparison of Garmin and Magellan GPS recievers would really help you choose the right device to buy. Both of these companies are industry leaders, although Garmin has by far the most market share. Both make great products. So, how do you choose between the two? Read on to find out.
Before I launch into a discussion of these two companies’ products, let’s talk about what the basic features of any GPS receiver are, and also what are the main upgraded features.
All GPS receivers have a touch screen interface. They also all auto-calculate the best route to get you to where you want to go. In addition, they all have voice prompts that tell you where to turn, as well as a large database of Point of Interest (POIs).
With either Garmin or Magellan, you can get all of this for around $150!
If you want to spend more, then you can get the following features: wider screen, more POIs, actually saying the street names, Bluetooth integration, ability to hear your GPS device through your car’s audio system, and real-time traffic and weather.
You can get all of this with either Garmin or Magellan. Let’s talk about Garmin first.
Garmin is the industry leader. They’re really a powerhouse in GPS technology with about 70% of the current market share. Garmin also has a much broader product range than anyone else. As far as automotive after-market GPS receivers are concerned, their nuvi and StreetPilot lines offer an excellent selection along with a very large price range.
The Garmin 660 can give you all of the upgraded features I mentioned above for less than $350! Of course, you can get more by spending more.
Garmin’s 800 line, can do everything the 660 can but it also includes maps of Europe and can calculate multiple routes. That is, you can enter more than one destination into the device and it will calculate how to go from point A to point B to point C, etc. in the most efficient manner.
Magellan’s Maestro Elite line compares with the nuvi 600’s and above. Magellan’s prices might be slightly less for comparable features. But not enough for that to be the deciding factor.
Both Garmin and Magellan make an excellent product! You won’t go wrong with either company!
Since it’s impossible to write a complete comparison of Garmin and Magellan GPS receivers in 500 words, what you need to do now is get on an informative website where you can browse and check prices.
By: Lee Cole
