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| Garmin StreetPilot c340 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator | 
 enlarge | Brand: Garmin
Category: CE
List Price: $365.00
Buy New: $124.99
You Save: $240.01 (66%)
New (13) Used (4) Refurbished (9)
Avg. Customer Rating:  1175 reviews
Sales Rank: 648
Color: Dark Gray
Media: Electronics
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: Yes
Native Resolution: 320x240
Free Memory Slots: 1
Display Size: 3.5
Includes MP3 Player: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3.3
Dimensions (in): 4.4 x 2.8 x 3.2
Array:
Legal Disclaimer: Warranty does not cover misuse of product.
Warranty: One Year Garmin Factory Warranty
MPN: 010-00401-20
Model: 010-00401-20
UPC: 753759050658
EAN: 0753759050658
ASIN: B000A5TAT2
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Great unit for the price though not the diamond in the rough it was hyped up to be November 27, 2005
53 out of 54 found this review helpful
I wanted to wait and hear the reviews before I dropped the money on the c340. The previous model had been well received and I'd heard good things about Garmin from friends and relatives. I went ahead and ordered the c340 a few weeks after it was finally released and several customer reviews had nice things to say.
Right after I ordered it I thought I should check up on the reviews and make sure I wasn't going to be facing $625 dollars worth of buyers remorse the next day. Lo and behold! The c340 is freezing up on people left and right!! I read about some other little software glitches that seemed to add up to Garmin's delayed release of this unit.
To date the buyers remorse has yet to set in. I have been relatively pleased with the c340 overall. It turns out that the software issues were similar to problems with the 2720 and the c330 Street Pilot models. In those cases Garmin eventually released some firmware updates that fixed the issues. This is also the case with the c340. If you have a PC (that's right, the unit is NOT compatible with Macs) you can simply download the software updates via a USB port located next to the volume wheel.
The touch screen menu is very intuitive and the screen size is just right: unobtrusive yet easy to read.
The window mount is a chintzy piece of you-know-what! I was worried about this after testing the c330's out at several Best Buys, but figured they were screwed up from being floor models. Not the case...The swivel that you mount the unit on does not tighten properly resulting in the unit tilting over if you take a sharp turn or hit a bump in the road. Very Annoying!!! I don't know if there is a difference in the optional dashboard mount or not...Though considering the quality of the window mount I'm hesitant to spend the money on another potential lemon. In the meantime I'm going to have to fix the problem with tape.
The text-to-speech option is a nice feature, though it is only available when you choose the American English voice "Jill." Additionally, there are several languages pre-loaded. The maps are up do date and astonlishgly accurate. Occasionaly, like all other mapping products, a route the unit suggests will get you where you're going in a roundabout way. All you have to do is touch "Detour", or make a wrong turn and the unit will recalculate a new route within a couple of seconds. Satellite acquisition is quite fast and map redraw is also relatively quick.
Overall the Garmin c340 is a worthy purchase. The few glitches it does have appear to be getting attention from the Garmin engineers. The built-in features are laudable and make the experience of using this unit fun and easy. The maps seem up to date and it is easy to load or save points of interest with the touch of a "button." The speakers are loud enough (minor distortion when turned all the way up) and the voice options are clear and understandable.
For the features and price this unit is a must buy. The optional traffic monitor seems like a nice upgrade if the price and time spent for installation is in-line with your needs. The window mount included with the unit is problematic but the suction cup is strong, so you don't have to worry about the gps flying off the window, just tilting over so you have to readjust it often. If you buy this and find it freezing on you while in 3D mode, just go to the Garmin website and download the software updates. Enjoy making wrong turns, you won't get lost again!
 Do exactly what it can do - take you to the destination. November 26, 2005
31 out of 35 found this review helpful
After review different GPS unit (C320, C330, Street Pilot, etc), I finally pulled my trigger and bought the C340. This is the first GPS unit I have ever own. When I received the unit, I turned it on right away. I didn't even look at the menu (1 page) before I start using it. Very straight forward and very easy to use. I would say it is very easy to overcome the learning curve with the C340. So far I dont see any major problem except getting poor signal after "sitting" under a bridge over several minutes or lost signal in the basement inside a structure. I believe this is not really a problem as other GPS(s) have the same problem and plus that make no sense to use the GPS inside a structure. This unit has a SD card slot and I may buy the Europe Map CD to test it in Europe ...... if I have a chance.
Pros:
Compact, easy to use, good battery life
Cons:
hmm ... get poor signal after "sitting" under the bridge under a while
Conclusion:
The unit do exactly what it should -- take you to the destination in the shortest distance. But of course, it doesn't have the AI:
1) to make short cut like getting into some side streets
2) taking stop signs into account
 Your Mileage May Vary November 22, 2005
265 out of 268 found this review helpful
I was originally going to get the C320 but the text-to-speech feature made me decide to get the C340 instead. Overall, after having owned this unit for approx. 2 years, I am pleased with it. When I first got it, to build my faith in the product, I used it for a week just entering the places I normally go to see how the unit performed.
First I tried to enter a restuarant I have been going to for years. Route planning was very fast - the only problem is that the route took me 6 miles away from the restuarant into a residential neighborhood. The destination was someone's house in this neighborhood! To retest, I chose the restuarant address from the built in POI listing instead of typing it in...and the result was the same. It had me going into a subdivision and to someone's house. My second test was entering my work address. This worked fairly well except that a 2-year old change in the road was not registered on the map. So the unit got really confused when I was driving through what looked like a lake on the screen. Recalculation can be irritating as the unit repeatedly tries to force you to do U-Turns to get back on what it thinks is the best route. I'm sure this is region specific.
Bottom line here...don't rely on the restuarant listings.
My next test was a little longer - it was a 25 mile drive to my mother's house. Again, route planning was very fast (3-4 seconds). The route was very accurate to her house but the route seemed to favor toll roads and highways. The result was the same when I modified the preferences to prefer "back roads" and avoid highways. About 7 miles into the trip to mom's house, the C340 locked up completely. I reset it and reprogrammed the route (you have to stop the car to do this safely). Then, 5 miles down the road it locked up again. I checked for later firmware when I got home and there was none, but an email to customer support was all it took to get a firmware update that resolved this issue.
So with various other tests, I give it a ~90% chance of picking the correct route to wherever you are going (at least in my area)...but often times it does get you where you intend to go but takes you far out of the way. A few major highways are missing from the basemap in my area, which were corrected when I paid $75 for the 2006 map update. Common sense and a backup map are sometimes necessary.
Ok, about the unit itself...the text to speech is worth the extra money of you are considering buying it for that reason. Text to Speech pronunciation has been corrected with several firmware revisions. I have not had any major issues with the text-to-speech pronunciation since these firmware updates were applied.
The screen is bright and the whole thing is smaller than I expected - but there really is no excuse for being upset about the size when you can go to Best Buy or Circuit City and see it for yourself.
So:
Pros - bright screen, doesn't wash out too bad (I have deeply tinted windows) and speech volume is appropriate. Planning is quick.
It is very accurate on where to turn, giving ample time for braking or lane changing.
Cons - with earlier firm revisions it used to lock up frequently, power cable goes to mounting base, routing not accurate in many cases, and some POI are incorrect. Searching an address is glacially slow. Shows many obscure restuarants but overlooks the mainstream ones. Some of the cardinal directions are reversed. I was going to get on an expressway going east and the directions said to go west. (The drawn map was correct, just the speech was wrong)
Bottom line is that after using this for routine trips around town as well as jaunts into unfamiliar areas, I recommend it.
Update: 11/25/05: On Thanksgiving day I took a longer trip of about 50 miles. Set to use WAAS, the C340 locked up at exactly tyhe same point as in my previous review, about 7 miles from my home on a major highway. The unit definitely locks up at this point consistently and I will be informing Garmin. I did find that turning off WAAS reduces the amount of lockups but I can still get it to lock up with WAAS turned off. When it does work, the C340 is impressive in its accuracy and display. The automatic daylight to dark screen contrast is nice. But I still can't recommend the product because of the instability. I'll post an update here if I can get a response from Garmin.
12/30/05 Update: Several weeks ago, Garmin released updated firmware for the C340. I downloaded and installed the firmware update. Address entry appears to be improved and I have not encountered the lockups previously mentioned since applying this firmware patch. That said, I still have a hard time recommending the c340 for the price and other minor to moderate issues, but I am happier now that the lockups are gone.
5/22/07 Update: Changed my recommendation and rating of this product. I have gone many places with my Garmin and it is still a solid performer. Just recently, I went from Orlando to Hampton Roads, VA and the Garmin was very accurate. One thing I do want to add is that the Garmin likes to use major highways. Unchecking this feature is not advised as the Garmin will go "bonkers" using back roads and even dirt roads to get you to your destination. You must update the firmware frequently as Garmin continually irons out the bugs in the product. I still don't think this thing was ready for prime time when it was first sold...too many bugs! But now, with the latest firmwares and maps, I solidly recommend the Garmin to my friends, family and anyone. I now give it 4 stars, not three, though Amazon won't let me edit that part.
 Nice but flawed for travel use November 19, 2005
32 out of 40 found this review helpful
This is a good GPS and on the whole much more pleasant than the Navman 510 I'd been using. However, it has some drawbacks you should think about:
1) It's quite big. There's no hard case for it and its odd shape makes it hard to pack.
2) It can take up to 25 minutes (figure from Garmin tech support) for the unit to locate itself after it's been moved by more than 500 miles. This makes it pretty useless as a bring-along GPS. Sitting in a rental car for 25 minutes while the GPS figures out where it is doesn't make a lot of sense...
3) The software isn't very stable. I had it lock up twice during a 2-hour trip. Look for future firmware revisions to resolve this. Meantime, the whole unit needs to be reset (which involves removing the face plate - not nice given the frequency with which this seems to be required!)
4) The GPS doesn't seem to be as sensitive as the Navman and loses its position more often.
All in all, I'd seriously suggest giving the C340 a miss. Look at the Garmin nuvi instead - it has more features, the same screen size, the more sensitive SiRF chip set, stellar GPS performance, and a much smaller form factor.
Buy this unit! October 29, 2005
15 out of 19 found this review helpful
Amazing detail on maps. Live in Northern New Jersey outside NYC.
Map detail and routing is astonishing. My local familiarity is no match for the routing, but I do not need unit for this. This is for those areas your NOT familiar with. I have no anxiety going into areas I am not familiar with. I am never lost! A must for any ``emergency`` planning involving travel.Dont leave home without it!
Vehicle manufacturers should halt all in dash OEM GPS units and just slap one of these into every car.
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