Garmin StreetPilot c320 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
by Garmin
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Garmin StreetPilot c320 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
Customer Review: It simply works, better than most other GPS out there
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been a long time user of various GPS systems for over 8 years now.
I started with the Hertz Neverlost 1st generation all the way to the 3rd generation (made by Magellan).
I bought the C320 a year ago after a lot of research, time spent on GPS forums online.
I bought a Magellan Roadmate 300 and 850 to compare to the C320 on a road trip from Arizona to Vegas.
Both seemed to perform fine, although Magellan software is less intuitive to use and required extra clicks to do the same thing.
On the way back from Vegas to Arizona, there was a major accident and the highway was closed. The Magellan GPS gave an alternate route of going through Flagstaff, which was going to add 2 hours to the trip.
The Garmin GPS gave an alternate route of going through Williams, which only added an hour to the trip. The Garmin GPS had much better route detail and accuracy.
I returned the Magellan units after the trip due to the dismal performance.
My friends also purchased the Mio C310x GPS units recently. While they like the Mio C310x, it does not compare to the C320 as a GPS unit. The Garmin C320 is simply so much easier to use, due to the extremely intuitive menu system. The Mio C310x interface is very disorganized and confusing. Not good for someone who is driving and trying to interact with the GPS.
Pros:
-extremely intutitive menu system makes it a no-brainer to use
-very accurate routes
-GPS performance is great, WAAS system helps accurate pin-point of location (lack of SiRF chip is no concern here - it works better than the Mio which is SiRF enabled)
-the battery lasts a very long time. Most of the time I do not use the car charger at all
-SD card based, so no hard drive failure to worry about
-menu performance is fast
Cons:
-no mp3 player (not a big deal, I use my 40 GB iPod on road trips anyway)
-no bluetooth (I listen to radio for traffic anyway during rush hour)
-a bit bulkier than the sleeker nuvi units (but I have a cup holder that fits the GPS unit fine)
Overall I HIGHLY recommend this GPS unit if you are looking for an affordable and yet highly usable GPS system.
Customer Review: Frustrating at first but then it was good
Summary: 4 Stars
I first had trouble with this because I guess my SD Card was locked and I couldn't get the maps on it so I went with their 128 mb card. I put NJ, NY & PA on it (the states I was travelling within) and it worked well.
PROS:
1. Lots of locations nearby such as restaurants, shopping, gas etc.
2. Recalculates route fairly quickly
3. If it loses satellite feed, it gains it back fairly quickly
4. Automatically changes the color scheme for daylight/night time to make it easier to read.
5. Very light weight and not bulky
6. Touch screen very simple and very easy to look at.
7. Speaking voice was clear and easy to understand.
CONS:
1. Suction cup not the best. It fell a few times but thankfully it's light so it only falls on the dashboard and then you just stick it back on.
2. During one of my turns, I had to wait on a red light when it told me to turn...and by the time I turned it sorta lost direction and had to recalculate itself (but did that fairly quickly.)
3. DO NOT USE SHORTEST DISTANCE always use FASTEST ROUTE. For some reason the Shortest Distance one will get you god knows where so never use that :)
People complained about the visibility of the screen in bright sun, but frankly that is only like that if you have the sun directly shining on it. I was wearing sunglasses and I could see perfectly where I was going so don't listen to that. The only way you'd get a horrible glare is if you decide to drive through a desert. No GPS is perfect to be honest. I always have back up directions so I can follow signs in case I lose sattelite etc. NO one should ever rely 100% on GPS, however it will make your life easier if in the case you are lost trying to figure out where you are on a 4 x 4 foot paper map. =)
*Update* 1/2/2007 - After using this device for about a month I can say it isn't the most reliable thing. A GPS is a GPS so if you need SOMETHING nice get this however always have backup maps. This has led me into 1 way streets and opposing traffic on more than 1 occasion. When you get lost it keeps saying TURN LEFT TURN LEFT TURN LEFT and when you're panicking all that does is irritate the hell out of you @_@;;
Customer Review: It outperforms the navigation system of a Mercedes...
Summary: 4 Stars
I took out one star because of the difficulty setting it up. Otherwise, the unit is very good.
First the good news: This unit does everything it is supposed to and do it well. The direction it gives is very accurate and recalculation is fast. I actually did a side-by-side comparison of this unit against the factory installed navigation system of a Mercedes driving around Long Island NY. I find it to have a better user interface, the voice prompt is easier to follow, and the map easier to read. I missed my exit a few time when using the Mercedes' GPS, but I have no problem at all follow the direction given by my Garmin. One time, I intentionally not followed the precomputed direction, the Garmin recalculated a new route faster than the Mercedes too.
The unit comes with a 256M SD card. Which, for me, is enough to store most (but not all) of the New England States plus N.Y. State. Since SD memory cards are so cheap now, I suggest everyone get a bigger card and download the entire USA and Canada. (I think 1GB is enough for that)
Now the bad news: You need to be very technology savvy to install the software for the first time. I am a professional software engineer and I still find it confusing. The quick start instruction sheet is very uninformative and do not describe the software installation well.
You'll need to register the software and the map data with Garmin and obtain a 25 digit unlock code. I happened to do that on a night when Garmin's server went down. Took me a while to figure that out. They did not have a "Sorry, our server is down, please try again later." message, instead they had a "We think your software is out-of-date, please download a newer version and try again." I download the newer version and tried again, and that did not work. Finally, I went to the Garmin web site, manually typed in my registration info, and then manually copied the unlock code onto the software to unlock it.
All through the process, Garmin customer service and tech support was non-existent. Their email arrived 3 days after I installed everything.
So unless you knows how to work around software like a professional. Buy one that has map pre-installed.
Customer Review: Garmin c320 - great unit for the money
Summary: 5 Stars
I've only been using mine for a few weeks, but so far I am very happy with it. I also have a Navman PocketPC with integrated GPS, the c320 is far easier to use.
It can sometimes take several minutes to acquire satellites when you first turn it on, but my Navman was even worse. I've seen a lot of complaints about "screen glare", but frankly mine has been crystal clear in every driving situation so far. Maybe it's because my car's window is tinted on the top, or maybe because of the dark interior color, but I have not had the glare problem that others have mentioned. I've also seen complaints about the "window mount" -- I am very pleased with the window mount and would not replace it for "bean-bag" mount. It doesn't vibrate (like my Navman), it never falls off, it's easy to adjust, and it's well-built. I've also seen a few complaints about the 3D map mode. I used this all the time on my Navman, and I find it far better than the 2D map. Things up close I can see in greater detail, yet I get a broader "macro view" of those things further away. It provides a much broader/wider line-of-sight than the 2D mode.
The unit is super-easy to use. It shows the turns using large white arrows. It "announces" the turn as you approach it, but unfortunately doesn't provide an audio alert as you just reach the turn (like NeverLost or my Navman does). The points-of-interest feature is really cool (but some of the data seems outdated to me). We were out-of-state & had a craving for Chinese food -- we selected FOOD and then CHINESE, and it immediately provided a list of all Chinese restaurants within about 20 miles (it shows the address, the distance & the direction).
For the money (I paid about $400 for mine), the unit is a great value. My list of Pros & Cons:
PROS
Easy to use
Intuitive operation
Solid Window Mount
Points-of-Interest (POI)
3D Map Mode
Large touch-screen buttons
Automatic switch to "night mode" screen
CONS
Some of the POI database seems outdated
No audio "alert" when you reach the turn
Doesn't support waypoints
Can take several minutes to acquire satellites
Customer Review: Really Great Unit
Summary: 5 Stars
I've had hand held units for several years, but wanted to get a real auto type unit. After reading the reviews and the cost savings of loading my own areas on to the GPS, this Garmin c320 is an excellent choice for me and I'd highly recommend it to anyone. I bought this one about three months ago and have been using it in my semi-retired job of school bus driver. We had moved from Sothern Calif to northern Idaho last year and I didn't know much more than the local area very well at all. So long bus trips were at times a real challege until I got this. But I really got it for the occasional trips we make back to Sothern Calif and specifically the L.A., Santa Ana, and San Diego areas. My flight arrived at night and even though I lived in So. Cal. all my life, I didn't live in those areas and it is SO EASY to get lost when driving there, especially when you get on to surface streets off the freeways. When I got going from the airport I was all turned around and if I hadn't had this Garmin it would have taken me a loooooong time to find my motel, let alone find my way to my relatives homes in those areas. The Garmin is really clear to hear in a vehicle, easy to see (except as others have said in really bright sunlight), and compact enough to litterally take it everywhere. I use it on my Gold Wing motorcycle as well with the same great results.
With SD cards so inexpensive I bought a 1 Gig card (also from Amazon)and everything fit on that card that would have been pre loaded in the c330 that I was also considering. In my local area they sell c330's for $500.00! From Amazon I bought my unit including the new card, for about $240.00, a very substantial savings. Other things, you have a choice of two voices. While easy to navigate it does take a little self training to use the unit. Yes, you can just plug and go, but it will work much more smoothly if you need to make enroute changes or have to find another location, if you take a few minutes and read at least the quick start guide or better, read the manual from the enclosed CD. Over all I think you can't go wrong with this unit itself for the cost savings, or any other of the Garmin brand units.