Garmin StreetPilot c530 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
by Garmin
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List Price: Category: GPS or Navigation System See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Garmin StreetPilot c530 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
Customer Review: Works great
Summary: 4 Stars
It works great and has in general led me quickly to my destination and located restaurants in towns that I was passing on the interstate. One must get used to using it and I did find one location that tripped it up. I was driving along the Mississippi in New Orleans attempting to get on the bridge across to the West Bank. It directed me under the bridge and along a road parallel to it. There are multiple layers of roads on the bridge which apparently confused it for I heard the fateful word: "Recalculating". I followed the prompts and circled around a few times each time getting the dreadful "Recalculating". I finally gave up and found a sign directing me to interstate going in the opposite direction. I took it until I could exit, loop around and get on the road going in the right direction.
My only wish would be for it to voice identify the road to turn on. It only says to turn right or left. The name of the road is in large letters at the top of the screen but I would prefer for the name to be included in the voice prompt.
Customer Review: Arizona Phoenix Metro review of C530
Summary: 3 Stars
I have had the Garmin c530 since Dec. 2006. When I first got it I connected to the Garmin website and updated to the lasted street map software package they offered. I have found that this GPS unit is easy to use but is lacking in its software support. I have configured the unit to find the "fastest" not "shortest" way to a destination but it still wants to minimize travel on an expressway. It often avoids the fastest method and steers you to city streets long before it should. The map support is way behind on what I would have expected. On one trip I found that a large Phoenix area east valley interstate expressway which has been OPENed for 7 months doesn't appear on the c530 map. The Graphics on the unit are great and makes staying on course easy, but what good is staying on course if it is not the best course?
I am a little leary now of depending on this device if I go to another city to give me the optimum travel route.
I sincerely hope the map support gets better.
Customer Review: Street Pilot c530
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been using gps devices for many years and have always relied on Garmin for top quality products. My latest is the Street Pilot c530 which has proved to be giant steps ahead of anything I have ever tried. After only a month of usage, it has become an indespensable piece of equipment. I read dozens of positve reviews and talked to several actual users and agree with all that this is a product almost without flaw. It leads you to almost anywhere you might to go with very little help and the directions are clear and easily understood. I thought this was close to being the best buy in the entire line because of the extra new hi tech features such as the SIRF chip that picks up satellite signals even through the roof of the store or at home. That coupled with the extra bright screen equals the top of the line and saves big bucks. The c530 goes with me eveywhere now and it's fun just to have the map turned on even in areas that are familiar.Buying from Amazon can't be topped. I'd rate it more stars if it was available!Customer Review: Excellent product for the price.
Summary: 5 Stars
This wonderful little thing allowed us to venture out to areas that otherwise would have been avoided by us. I have owned this since Christmas and have driven for approx 3000 miles since then. Now it has become indispensable part of our driving.
Experiences:
- We drove to our friend's place in suburb Boston from NYC and it brought us to the door without a hitch. Same with Philly and NJ suburbs and Westchester.
- However, we did ran into a problem once. We drove around Woodbridge, NJ and Garmin could not recognize the road we were driving on (ie does not exist on the map). The road was leading to the entrance of NJ turnpike (exit 11) and was definitely not a new road.
- Nevertheless, it's still a 5 star product.
- If we saw traffic on the route, we just hit 'detour' and it automatically selects another way. Awesome.
PS. I compared it to my friend's c330. I think the screen quality alone is worth the $70 upgrade. I did not test the calculation speed, etc.
Customer Review: Not Impressed
Summary: 2 Stars
I borrowed one of these from a friend for a trip to Myrtle Beach, and thankfully, I printed out directions as well because this thing tried to take us way off course on the way there, and lost us for a good 100 miles around the Charlotte turnpike in NC. The only saving grace about having it was knowing (or hoping?) that if we did get terribly lost, we could eventually get back on track with this thing. On the way home, we missed a turn via the printed directions due to confusion over the difference between what the gps said and what the printed directions said. So we went with the gps and it took us a good hour out of our way.
Unfortunately I had the same problems with a rented version on another trip down there that I was "assured" was updated. If it was, then Garmin needs some updating themselves. I wouldn't recommend this for purchase, and when I start shopping for a gps soon, I won't be looking at Garmin products period.