Ever wish that you had a tour guide that spoke nine languages, gave driving directions, played music, read books, showed pictures, was pre-loaded with maps for all of North America, served as your travel guide in Europe, and fit in the palm of your hand? Your wishes have been granted with the introduction of the Garmin nuvi.
The Garmin nuvi 350 is a portable GPS navigator, traveler's reference, and digital entertainment system, all in one. Combined with detailed maps, the nuvi provides automatic routing, turn-by-turn voice directions, and finger-touchscreen control-making it easy to find your way anywhere. The unique "text-to-speech" feature calls out turns by street name. This versatile travel assistant is approximately the size of a deck of playing cards, meaning you can slip it in your pocket and take it anywhere! The nuvi 350 also comes with approximately 700 MBs of internal memory for storage of supplemental maps, MP3s, and audio books.
Travel Kit
The nuvi also offers a travel kit of useful travel tools to help keep any journey fun: MP3 player, audio book player from Audible.com, JPEG picture viewer, world travel clock with time zones, currency converter, measurement converter, and calculator. In addition, optional software packages such as the Language Guide and Travel Guide (sold separately on SD Data cards) can be added for language and content support.
Language Guide software (optional)
Users can access an optional Garmin Language Guide, with data provided by Oxford University Press. This software suite contains a multilingual word bank, phrase bank, and five bilingual dictionaries. The multilingual word bank and phrase bank supports nine languages and dialects, including American English, British English, French, German, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, European Portuguese, European Spanish, and Latin American Spanish. The Language Guide lets travelers look up and translate more than 17,000 words or 20,000 phrases per language. Through the unit's text-to-speech interface, users can get a spoken pronunciation of each entry in the word bank - along with gender and part of speech information.
Travel Guide software (optional)
The new Garmin Travel Guide is loaded with information provided by Marco Polo. These guides put in-depth travel information - such as reviews and recommendations for restaurants, tourist attractions, and more - at the user's fingertips.
Travelers can use the nuvi to navigate to an address or search points of interest (POIs) - places like hotels, restaurants, shopping, and tourist attractions. The nuvi automatically calculates the fastest route and provides voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions along the way. Thanks to the nuvi's text-to-speech functionality, the unit audibly announces the name of upcoming streets-letting drivers keep their eyes on the road while navigating through busy traffic and tricky roadways. If users stray off course, the nuvi automatically calculates the quickest way to get back on track.
nuvi Features:
- High-sensitivity integrated GPS receiver by SiRF
- WAAS enabled; flip-up antenna - includes MCX-type connector for optional external GPS antenna connection
- Preloaded with City Navigator NT v.8 - includes detailed maps of U.S., Canada & Puerto Rico (no downloading required)
- Travel Kit includes Language Guide, MP3 player, audible book player, picture viewer, world clock, currency and measurement converters, and calculator
- SD memory card expansion slot
- Powerful built-in speaker
- Traffic alerts with optional GTM 10 FM TMC traffic receiver
- Text-to-Speech - unit prompts you to "Turn right on Main St" instead of "Turn right in 500 feet"
- Audible and visual navigation instructions and warnings
- Offers a three dimensional mapping perspective, or 2-D overhead view
- 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) - fits easily in a pocket or purse
- Weight: 5.1 ounces (144.6 grams)
- Built-in lithium ion battery
- Between 4-8 hours of battery life, depending on use
- Includes 12-volt power adapter cable for external power while in your vehicle
- Includes suction cup mount that allows for easy adjustment and quick release
- Simplified PC connectivity, similar to a digital camera, using USB Mass Storage with access to either the SD card slot or to the unit's internal memory directly from your PC desktop.
- With the POI loader program users can set up proximity alerts for school zones, safety cameras, and more.
Garmin nuvi FAQs
Q: What are the differences between the nuvi 350, nuvi 360 and nuvi 660?
A: The nuvi 350 is the base model, with a 3.5" diagonal touch-screen, pre-loaded maps, SD card expanability, and all the travel and multimedia features. The nuvi 360 adds Bluetooth support for hands-free calls, dial-a-POI, and more. The nuvi 660 features an extra-wide 4.3" diagonal touch-screen, Bluetooth support, FM Transmitter and includes a GTM 20 traffic receiver. The traffic receiver must be purchased separately for the nuvi 350 and 360.
Q: What are the differences between the nuvis and StreetPilot c550?
A: The Garmin nuvi and StreetPilot c550 are both part of Garmin's "compact and simple" line. While both the nuvi and c550 are automotive units, the nuvi is designed to be pocket-friendly as well, which is reflected in the shape and feel. The nuvis only will take the Language Guide, audible book player, picture viewer, world clock, currency converter, measurement converter, and a calculator. The nuvi also has a screen where you can view and enter in lat/long coordinates. Otherwise, the navigation detail is the same: the nuvi and c550 will provide the same routes, with the same abilities to detour and add a single stop on the way. The c550 also has Bluetooth like the nuvi 360 and 660 and includes the traffic receiver, same as the nuvi 660.
Q: What is the difference between the nuvi and the StreetPilot 27x0/2820?
A: The StreetPilot 2720/2730/2820 are larger, bulkier units than the nuvi, and are not designed to be used out of the car (although you can easily switch them from one vehicle to another). The 27x0/2820 have larger screens than the nuvi 350/360 and are less susceptible to glare in bright sunlight. The 27x0/2820 also allow detailed PC planning of a route, and have the ability to plot over 250 stops per route, making it a better choice for drivers with multiple places to visit. The interface isn't as user-friendly as that of the nuvi, however, and the nuvi is pocket-friendly and takes extra software such as Language Guide, Travel Guide and Savers Guide.
Q: What "extra software" is available for the nuvi for North America?
A: For North America, there's the Savers Guide and Travel Guide. The Savers Guide includes an FV Entertainment card and shows you onscreen where you can use it to get discounts. The Travel Guide contains Fodor's information, such as restaurant and hotel ratings, so that when you look up a Point-of-Interest, you'll get a detailed description and rating of it, not just an address and phone number.
Q: What "extra software" is available for the nuvi for Europe?
A: First off, you'll need City Navigator Europe for detailed street maps. This is available on DVD-ROM, on a pre-programmed card with all of Europe, or on pre-programmed regional cards. You can put the DVD-ROM data on the nuvi's free memory or on a blank SD card. Then you can add Travel Guide (contains no maps), with information provided by Marco Polo such as restaurant and hotel ratings, so that when you look up a Point-of-Interest, you'll get a detailed description and rating of it, not just an address and phone number. There's also Language Guide software, which turns your nuvi into a pocket translator in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Portuguese. To use all of them, your best bet is to transfer the Language Guide and Travel Guide to the nuvi's internal memory (there's plenty of room for that) and then to pop in an SD card with the City Navigator Europe maps (there's not as much room for that).
Q: The nuvi is handheld - can I go hiking or camping with it? How about boating?
A: Nu! Despite its convenient size, the nuvi is not rugged, waterproof, or capable of taking topographical or marine software. The trip computer is for automotive routes only, and pedestrian routes on streets. For a Garmin unit that can do both, try a Quest or Quest 2, GPSMAP 276C, or see the Tiger GPS Handheld GPS section.
Q: Is there a monthly fee for using the nuvi?
A: GPS Navigation is always free of monthly charges. The live traffic, however, is a subscription service, and you must purchase it separately after an initial trial period. After the trial, subscription costs will be roughly $5 per month.
Q: Can I mount the nuvi on top of my dash, instead of with the windshield suction mount?
A: The nuvi box contains an adhesive disk, which sticks on to your dashboard and lets you turn the suction cup on its head. There's also the Dash Mount for nuvi 350/360 and Dash Mount for nuvi 660. These are sturdier solutions due to their design, and are also adhesive. If you don't want to clean up your mount, you can snap the dash mounts to the Portable Bean Bag Mount, which features a rubberized flexible base that keeps your unit secure on the dash without pasting anything down.
Screen Shots:
Garmin nuvi Feature Matrix
|
nuvi 350 |
nuvi 360 |
nuvi 370 |
nuvi 660 |
nuvi 670 |
nuvi 680 |
| Screen Size |
3.5" |
3.5" |
3.5" |
4.3" |
4.3" |
4.3" |
| Pre-Loaded Maps of North America |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Pre-Loaded Maps of Europe |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
No |
| Text-to-Speech |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Bluetooth Compatible |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| FM Transmitter |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Live Traffic |
GTM 12 |
GTM 12 |
Included |
Included |
Included |
MSN Direct |
| MSN Direct |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
| MSRP $ |
643 |
750 |
965 |
1039 |
1179 |
1071 |
"Feature Matrix" Copyright © 2007 TigerGPS.com, Ltd. All rights reserved.
"Garmin nuvi FAQs" Copyright © 2006 TigerGPS.com, Ltd. All rights reserved.
Not sure which nuvi is for you? Check out our exclusive Garmin nuvi Guide (click here)!
