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| GARMIN 010-00522-00 Streetpilot C550 GPS Receiver | 
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| Brand: Garmin
Category: CE
List Price: $399.99
Buy New: $149.00
You Save: $250.99 (63%)
New (32) Used (1) Refurbished (5)
Avg. Customer Rating:  333 reviews
Sales Rank: 162
Format: Cd
Platform: Windows
Color: Li-Io
Media: Electronics
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: Yes
Native Resolution: 320 x 240
Display Size: 3.5
Includes MP3 Player: 1
Size: Garmin Part #010-00522-00
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 6.5 x 6.5 x 6.5
Array:
Legal Disclaimer: Warranty does not cover misuse of product.
MPN: 010-00522-00
Model: 010-00522-00
UPC: 753759054489
EAN: 0753759054489
ASIN: B000EXU4YK
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Good unit, I recommend it. February 12, 2007
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
I have had the StreetPilot c550 (SP) for four weeks now and I am very happy with it. Overall, the SP will get you there and the hands-free function with my phone is a good feature.
Navigation - Both my wife and I have taken turns using the SP to take us to places we are already familiar with [such as work and home]. This is a good way to get to know how the SP performs. What we have learned is that the route the SP first calculates is not always the most efficient route. I don't believe it takes traffic patterns [street lights and volume of traffic at different times of the day] into consideration. My daughters enjoy listening to the SP say "recalculating" as my wife or I decide not to follow the recommended route. What we have learned is don't be afraid to take a different route. The SP will eventually figure out which way you are going. One time my wife did take a rout I think is less efficient and she reported that after hearing "recalculating" several times, the SP finally stated "There's a better route".
We have both had a chance to use the SP to take us somewhere for the first time. NOTE: When going to someone's house, don't expect it to take you right to their driveway. The checkered flag will be a few houses before or after your destination. If you've added the destination as a favorite, it will announce the name you set and not the address, so make sure you have address written down. Also be sure that you choose the correct type of street. If you are going to Lichtenauer Ct and you select Lichtenauer Dr, the checkered flag may be off by a block.
The Estimated Time of Arrival indication at the lower left hand corner of the screen is pretty accurate and is helpful when you think you may be running late.
The point of interest (POI) database is fairly extensive. NOTE: If you know the name of where you are going, you can save time by simply selecting the option to spell the destination. In addition, partial name is the best way to go. I entered "PRICE" and the SP found the "Price Chopper" [grocery store] near my house in its database.
Bluetooth - When my wife has the SP I use a Bluetooth headset with my phone. When I have the SP, I use it in place of my headset. I have a Nokia 6133 and my wife has the Motorola RAZR V3. The SP is paired with both phones and will connect to whichever one it finds first. I am able to use the voice dial feature of my phone. NOTE: The success rate recognizing a voice command is an issue more with the phone than with the SP. I have a 4 out of 5 success rate with both the SP and my Bluetooth headset. The SP will pull up the phonebook of both phones [whichever one it is connected with]; I can view my call log; and I can even read the text messages I have received [don't try this while driving].
I am not terribly impressed with the MP3 feature. I tried connecting the SP to my car stereo using a cassette adapter, but it picked up a lot interference from my phone.
My wife and I are looking forward to bringing the SP with us when we go on vacation.
instructions February 10, 2007
I am satisified with the Garmin 550. Voice instructions might need to be voiced a bit earlier than .4 to .7 of a mile especially when you are in heavy traffic around a city like Atlanta, Ga. where traffic is six lanes and speed is 75mph. The instructions are extremely accurate. If you listen to the instructions you will definitely arrive at your destination.
 I have to get one of those! February 8, 2007
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
My wife DocLuster already wrote a review indicating the beauty of the Bluetooth allowing you hands free telephone calls. Since we just traded in my Pontiac Grand Prix with OnStar I had to have this for my new Audi A3. Of course the main reason to have this device is the great job it does giving you directions to unknown destinations. The easily understood voice directions and clear map, nice portable size, and better features than many of the $1100-3500 models in cars make it a bargain. The fact you can take this out of the car put in an address and walk through your drive while in the comfort of your home is a much nicer feature than a in car model. Heck you can play with it while hiking, camping, visiting amusement parks, or any number of other outdoor activities. I have only seen one con and that was on one occasion it seemed to go bonkers and lose track of where to go. It may have been interferance from large cranes on the bridge, some secret communications jamming installation (it was near Washington DC), or all the construction in the area. Pros: Great directions, remembers places you have been recently, locates restaurants and other businesses easily, Bluetooth hands free set up with mobile phone, easily transfers to another car or to take with you anywhere (runs on battery or car adapter). Tells you your speed and distance like a heads up display in cars. Has MP3 feature. Cons: It may occasionally disconnect from GPS satellite link. Overall I am very happy with it and look forward to getting the one my wife just ordered for me.
EXCELLENT UNIT-A FEW **VERY** MINOR ISSUES February 1, 2007
18 out of 18 found this review helpful
Bought this unit a couple of days ago. I've had a chance to explore all the features, and overall, this is an EXCELLENT unit.
Here is what I like:
*From the time I opened the box to the time I started using it was less than 5 minutes. Very simple and intuitive interface.
*Incredibly sensitive satellite receiver. The unit even worked indoors in my kitchen when I first turned it on. How can that be, since I thought you had to have a clear view of the sky? I don't know, but it did. No issues in the car either. No dropped signals, and virtually instantaneous satellite acquisition.
*Directions for the most part were very accurate (see below for minor exception),
*You get plenty of advance warning for turns.
*When you deviate from the directions that the GPS gives you, it recalculates a new route almost instantaneously.
*Spoken street names.
*Anti glare screen (you can still see it in bright sunlight).
*Bluetooth phone link works perfectly with my Razor phone (see below for minor issue). Sound on both ends is crystal clear. I could even access my address book on the unit itself.
*Windshield mount is very easy to get on and off, and it held the unit very securely.
Here are the minor issues:
*Maps seem pretty up to date, but you still have to use common sense. There is a road that opened up near my house about 5 months ago, and the GPS didn't recognize it. It kept wanting to take me a different route, but since I knew the road was there, I took it. The good news is that it recalculated a new route almost immediately once I left that road. Along those same lines, I was visiting someone in a gated community, and I knew that you had to go in the front gate and not the back. The GPS kept trying to direct me to the back gate because it was closer. This is a common sense issue, not a technical issue.
*On very rare occasion it gives you an odd or unusual turn. Near my house, it wants to route me through a small subdivision to get me home (very small-only about 20 homes), when I can get there by staying on the main street and making one turn. Not sure why it does that (perhaps it may be a few feet shorter and the GPS thinks it's a shortcut).
*Remember to check or uncheck the box to avoid highways and toll roads depending on what you want to do. The very first time I used it, it sent me on a toll road for 1 exit, then had get me off and resume on surface streets. I could have gotten where I was going without going on the toll road. I don't fault the system because technically it took me the shortest route, but it's just something to keep in mind.
*When you are talking on the speaker phone, it mutes the voice giving you the directions. If you're talking and driving, that is a bit of an issue. You can still see the directions on the screen, but you lose the voice prompts. I read some review where the person said that you have the ability to change this feature, but I haven't figured out how to do it yet.
*Pricey, but you get what you pay for. The cost differential with the C340 (about $150) is well worth it in my opinion.
Garmin C550 great, with a couple of bugs January 30, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I recently started an apartment renovation job in Jersey City and dreaded the drive from my house about 65 miles Northwest of there. There's a variety of ways to get there, and I was afraid of the traffic congestion. I got the Garmin for my second drive down, and it was a relief not having to try to read Mapquest directions and keep my eyes on the road at the same time. The Bluetooth function allowed me to make and take cellphone calls safely which was also a blessing. But so far, the Garmin has sent me down and back in several different routes. I don't know if it's because of the Traffic warning system that comes free for 90 days or what, it doesn't explain (it does tell you when there is congestion ahead, and includes a little yellow icon to indicate that--when my 90 day free trial of the Traffic receiver service is up, I may lose that little perk). Also, when I became familiar with Jersey City I would start to take the side streets, but the Garmin would recalculate my route by telling me to make an illegal U-turn and getting back on the main roads to follow it's original path. I'm still trying to figure out how to request a path that lets me bypass tollroads. I don't know if it will do this for me, like RandMacNally.com does (fastest vs. most direct route). One time I had a problem with inputting an address called "Route 97 South" -- the "south" part refused to be recognized by the unit. It only recognized "Route 97", and I had to figure out where I was headed by just following mailbox numbers. This is probably a Navtech problem though, not a fault of the unit. If you buy a GPS, I would get used to it's functions by taking it out on roads you know first, so you can learn how to use the unit without worrying about getting somewhere unfamiliar.
I like the points of interest function. When looking for a parking lot in Manhattan it directed me quickly and easily via the POI function (admittedly there's a garage around every corner in Midtown Manhattan). You can select a destination, and call them via the Bluetooth link just by pushing a couple of buttons! I haven't tried the POI for other destinations (gas stations, restaurants) yet.
The mp3 player function is of limited use to me. I did upload some "This American Life" podcasts and the Garmin refuses to play them. File size limits maybe, I don't know, because it played shorter mp3s. But I think the mp3 player is kind of pointless anyway, since you can't use the GPS and play mp3s at the same time.
I told myself until the prices of these things came down to something reasonable, I wouldn't get one. But it has saved me a lot of frustration already and is worth the money, especially if you live in a metropolitan area (I wouldn't bother if I lived out in the boonies and a paper map would suffice). Bugs and all, I'd spring for this unit again. Amazon's price was the best (some others were a couple of dollars cheaper, but shipping is extra and those vendors had less-than-stellar feedback). If you buy one of these units, I'd spring for this one, which is supposed to have an updated chipset that recalculates your route every one second (see CNET.com) over the cheaper models. The Bluetooth function is a necessity, and they should all have the ability to link to a phone like the C550.
Happy trails!
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