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| Garmin nüvi 350 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator | 
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| Brand: Garmin
Category: CE
List Price: $329.99
Buy Refurbished: $124.98
You Save: $205.01 (62%)
New (30) Used (7) Refurbished (14) from $124.98
Avg. Customer Rating:  2746 reviews
Sales Rank: 4
Media: Electronics
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: Yes
Native Resolution: 320 x 240
Display Size: 3.5
Includes MP3 Player: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 3.9 x 0.9 x 2.9
Array:
MPN: 010-00455-00
Model: 010-00455-00
UPC: 846330000132
EAN: 0846330000132
ASIN: B000BKJZ9Q
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Better than TomTom 910 May 5, 2006
193 out of 198 found this review helpful
I was recently looking to purchase a GPS unit and I had resigned myself to spending approximately $800. The obvious choices presented to me were the Garmin Nuvi 350 and the TomTom 910. For use in the USA, both machines are essentially equally equipped, with large, bright color touch screens and pre-loaded maps. The TomTom also includes maps of Europe, but as I don't intend to travel there anytime soon, this was not a compelling selling feature.
I spent a bit of time in the store using both devices side-by-side. I entered identical destinations and observed how many keystrokes it took to get the machines to recognize the address. The Garmin Nuvi, with a very refined user interface, took significantly fewer keystrokes in most cases. Since the Nuvi allows you to enter the state first, the machine can pinpoint your destination city much more quickly than the TomTom, which requires that you enter the city before the state. As such, you are presented with a (sometimes) very long list of matching cities, which you then must scroll through to find the correct one. Consider, for example, a city name like "Springfield." Once you manage to key in enough characters that the machine can guess the name, it presents you with a list of Springfields, one for each state! There are a lot of Springfields in the US, so you end up wasting considerably time clicking past the ones you don't want.
Now that the addresses were entered (and I was already starting to get annoyed with the TomTom's inefficiency), the machines begin to calculate a driving route. The Garmin found a reasonable route from Paramus, NJ to Cambridge, MA in about 8 seconds, and it took another 5 or so to draw the map and announce the first move. The trip was estimated to require about 3 1/2 hours (reasonable, if not a bit low). On the other hand, the TomTom required more like 30 seconds to calculate the route, plus another 10 or so to draw the map. What's worse, the TomTom told me it would take over 8 hours to reach the destination. Only on a pre-Thanksgiving Wednesday in snow, many years ago, has it ever taken that long!
I figured perhaps some other customer had chosen a route preference that led to this odd path. After searching hopelessly through several poorly labeled menus on the TomTom and failing to see a "shortest distance" or "quickest trip" option, I tried resetting the machine's preferences. Unfortunately, the machine's touch screen registered a finger-touch event right after the reset (I must have brushed the screen accidentally), and it locked in a foreign language I couldn't read. (I guess the first question it asks after a reset is "what language do you want?") There was no "back" button that I could find, and it kept asking additional questions in this foreign tongue. I needed a translator to continue! At that point, there was no sense in playing with the TomTom any further. The user interface was simply one frustration piled on another. Even if they were to update the menu choices to be more logical, the touch-sensitive feature is slightly misaligned, requiring you to press the bottom corner of a button you want in order to get the correct selection. Button presses made in the center of a button often resulted in the button above being chosen. I don't appreciate electronics that waste my time.
The speed of the Garmin's route calculation is more important that simply allowing you to set off quicker, though. If you miss a turn en route, the machine must recalculate your trip so it can correct your path. The Garmin recovers from missed turns quickly enough that it can usually find and announce the correcting route before the next turn. If a machine cannot recover this quickly, you'll simply miss that turn, too, and the machine will set off recalculating another new route. You'll end up in a vicious cycle of missed turns if the machine is off-line for too long. I have not used the TomTom in a car, but given that it was such a laggard in the store, I would want to experiment with it during a missed turn before investing such a large sum.
As for bright light visibility, the Garmin is more than adequate. I have a convertible, and even in bright sunlight with the top down, the Garmin is adequately legible. The built-in speaker, though small, is powerful and clear. Directions are easily audible over the wind and road noise, assuming I've got the stereo at a reasonably low level. The Text to Speech (TTS) feature allowing the unit to speak street names performs well enough to recognize the street without looking at the unit.
The windshield mount worked quite well despite the stiff suspension in my car, my aggressive driving habits, and the fact that it was in the direct sun and heat for several hours today. (The car corners at greater than 0.95g, and achieves about 1.00g in deceleration, which did not so much as shake the unit or the mount. Larger transient forces such as expansion joints also failed to upset the suction cup mount.) The machine snaps in and out of the charger / holder with complete ease.
Garmin's unit is much thinner than the TomTom, and its battery is rated for up to 8 hours of use while unplugged from the car charger (a wall charger is also included). Becaues the unit is so small (think iPod size), it fits easily into a pocket for walking trips, hiking, and biking. It's also very easy to place in a brief case or pocketbook, further protecting your investment when you park.
$800 is a lot of money to spend on a GPS device, but the Garmin has justified the expense with an exemplary machine. With plenty of map data, a very polished and efficient user interface, and simple setup and operation, they have managed to outshine the competition.
As a footnote, I had planned to purchase the Garmin from Best Buy or Circuit City until they told me there was a 15% restocking fee for a returned item. Given the unique nature of this device (you need to like using it IN YOUR CAR, not in the store), this could be quite a loss if you decide against the item. Amazon has no such penalty. However, if you choose the Garmin, I suspect you will never want to send it back! Hope this helps you choose.
UPDATE: After a 1300 mile road trip to Virginia, I am still extremely pleased with the Garmin Nuvi 350. Even gravel side roads off the Blue Ridge Parkway were accurately labeled and present in the map data! No matter where we were, a few taps on the screen brought up a list of nearby restaurants (marked with arrows so you can choose only ones that don't require a U-turn!) or stores. Also, do not underestimate the utility of having a portable, battery-powered device while walking around unfamiliar cities and towns. It's a huge help. In short, this device is a joy to use. Garmin also plan to release Macintosh compatible software in the next several months (according to press releases on their Web site) so that we Mac users will be able to keep our Nuvi's accurate in the future.
Best Regards,
Daniel Wambold, MD
www.ascendiac.com
Excellent product May 5, 2006
29 out of 31 found this review helpful
I am not going to repeat all the features of this navigator since the product description is pretty complete and the other reviewers have repeated alot of the features.
I did want to offer some of my personal insight on this product now that i have used it for some time. I have been doing research on the various units on the market over the last few months after i recieved a Garmin 2610 as a gift (returned it due to its large size). My main criteria for selection was the size of the unit since i plan to take it on business trips and wanted it to easily fit in my computer bag. After completing my research i purchased the new sony unit (check out my review of that product - it just did not impress me).
The Nuvi is slightly more costly then some of the other alternatives but after using it for a while i am totally happy with my decision. As others note there is a new 360 model out - however if you dont care about this blue tooth feature there is no reason to not take advantage of the lower cost of the 350.
I immediately noticed some minor bugs when using my new product - then after doing some reading i realized you could download new software from the Garmin web site. The software image in my unit was about 4 updates old. The download was very straight foward - although you should back up your favorites since they get lost after the update.
The unit does not allow for direct entry of waypoints - However, remember this is only a software feature and could be added by Garmin in a future update if they so desired.
I recommend spending about 30 minutes and reading through the entire manual online. I have noticed that alot of the reviews on here listed faults with the unit that are either fixed with the latest software or really were not shortcomings of the unit but lack of reading the manual.
So far i love everything about my Nuvi. Battery opperation allows it to be used while out of the car and even to eliminate the need for a power cord while driving- especially useful in large cities. POI list is extensive. Menu's are extremly easy to navigate. Text to voice feature is a must once you use it - hearing the name of the street is much easier then being told to just turn right or left in 600 feet.
Not much else to say - this is a great all around device as you can easily see by the ratings that are being given on here. please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions - donfenyk@optonline.net.
Great GPS unit.... May 5, 2006
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
I have had this for a week and use it every day. It is so easy to tote around, and it is easy to use. I just slip it into a pocket.
If you are somewhere you can add that place/location to your favourites list easily, even if there is no address. If you know the address you can enter it if you are not there. You can choose a place to go based on where it is on the map.
It tells you where to turn ahead of time and calls out the name of the street or highway you need to go on.
I hardly look at it once I am on the road.
Downsides: it does not always give you the best route, which you might already know in your own locality but which you might not know and therefore miss where you are not familiar, and some of the roads are either not on the unit or out of date. A lot of the Points Of Interest are out of date. Some major local places (like a major lake/park/reservoir) which have been open for 10 years are not in the unit.
Even if the best route is not there, it will get you where you want to go. If you miss a turn it recalculates immediately to get you where you want to go.
All in all a great unit. I don't use the MP3 player or photoviewer much. I have the car radio or a laptop for those functions.
This is a look into the future of wonderful personal electronic devices: easy to use, functional, and probably a major timesaver, and it will get you where you need to go!
 good GPS May 1, 2006
4 out of 7 found this review helpful
Pros:
Picks up the satellite signal very fast. Even works indoors.
If you pass your route , the NUVI recalculates very fast. I would say within a few seconds.
Cons:
Doesn't come with any software program to enter personal address. You have to enter them by hand and if you reset the unit everything is lost. I wish the NUVI came with some sort of alternative mounting fixture for CA residents. I had to go buy a generic air vent attachment at best buy and zip tie it together.
A reliable friend. May 1, 2006
8 out of 10 found this review helpful
I recently took a trip out of my home state and used a rent-a-car gps. It was absolutely useless. I then went to a nearby Circuit City and purchased a Garmin c330. It was much better, but it was flawed in that it sometimes took me far from my destination and sometimes would loose the satellite signal. When I came back home I returned it and got the Nuvi 350. It is remarkable accurate and gives you the street name in which you will be turning. It picks up the satellite signal very fast and your quickly on your way. For all California drivers the signal is strong enough that you don't have to attach it anywhere. You can put it on your lap or on the compartment between the two front seats. The instructions are so clear you don't even have to look at the screen. I am extremely pleased with my purchase. Well worth the money.
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