Features

• Plug-'n'-go portable vehicle navigation system with built-in mapping database
• Automatic navigation with turn-by-turn directions and multilingual voice guidance
• Street-level detail map features 48 contiguous U.S. states, Hawaii, and major Canadian metropolitan areas
• 2 million points of interest; no CDs or downloads necessary; includes altimeter and compass
• 5.2-inch high-resolution ultra-bright color display; USB 2.0 interface

Amazon.com Product Description

Early Adopters Pick: August 2003. The first PDA to include integrated GPS technology.

With the power of Palm OS 5 and the dependability of Garmin GPS technology, this super PDA redefines multitasking. Its integrated software not only allows you to look up appointments and contacts, it also locates and routes you to them with voice-guidance commands. Feature highlights include: GPS receiver, MP3 player, voice recorder, infrared communication, and vibrating alarm.

GPS The differentiating feature of the iQue 3600 is its integrated GPS capabilities. Garmin's innovative Que technology delivers location awareness, electronic mapping, automatic route calculation, turn-by-turn voice guidance, and map data interface to the iQue 3600. Que technology enables users to see where they are, find a street address, know where the next turn is via visual and voice guidance, get back on track when they’ve strayed off course, and navigate efficiently to their desired destination. Detailed Mapping Users can choose a configurable basemap of North America, South America, Europe, or regions in the Pacific Rim, with generalized information on highways, major city streets, highway exit services, railways, rivers, lakes, and state, provincial, and national borders. The iQue also has the added benefit of detailed street information on the included MapSource® CD-ROM, giving users the capability of looking up restaurant addresses, hotels, local attractions, transportation hubs, emergency services, and much more. Once a desired point of interest is chosen, you have the capability to view more info or even show it on the map screen. The mapping capability of the iQue 3600 makes it a versatile companion for the international frequent flyer who travels, for instance, between New York and London or San Francisco and Hong Kong.

Customizable maps mean never getting lost again

Powerful Organization
The iQue 3600 is built around the Palm OS 5 platform and offers standard Palm applications, such as Address Book, Calculator, Date Book, Memo Pad, and To Do List. And there’s enough processing power to search large databases of stored information and to enhance display graphics with easy-to-read fonts and crisp electronic maps. There's also a voice recorder for making memos, quick notes, and messages. With 32 MB of built-in memory and an expansion slot, you can even store your favorite MP3s.

The flip-up GPS antenna

High-Tech Integration
One of the key benefits of technology integration on the iQue 3600 is its patent-pending contact-locator feature. Enabled by Garmin's Que technology, this feature connects the Palm Address Book and Date Book to the GPS electronic map to give the user the ability to navigate directly to a specific address within the user’s contact database.

System
The Garmin iQue 3600 features the new Motorola DragonBall MXL ARM9 microprocessor, and boasts 32 MB DRAM. This handheld is powered by Palm OS 5, which offers the processing power to take on the most demanding mobile computing tasks, together with advanced multimedia and the wireless connectivity and security that enterprises require.

Display
The iQue 3600 delivers brilliant images with its 2.16-by-3.24-inch display. It has a 16-bit color display with 320 x 480 pixel resolution.

Expansion
Expand your iQue 3600 via its Secure Digital slot.

Software
The iQue 3600 comes with the following Garmin Que applications: MP3, GPS Clock, Address Lookup, Electronic Mapping, Track Log, Trip Computer, Automatic Route Generation, and Turn-by-Turn Voice Guidance, as well as these Palm OS 5 applications: Address Book, Calculator, Date Book, Expense, Mail, Memo Pad, Palm Reader, and To Do List. In addition, it includes these third-party applications: Astraware Game Pack, Documents to Go, powerOne Personal Calculator, StarCaddy, SplashPhoto, and Vindigo.

The Nuts and Bolts

 

Included in the box
iQue 3600, protective display cover, metal stylus, USB HotSync cradle, A/C power/charging adapter, quick start guide, installation/application, CD-ROM with manual, and choice of MapSource configuration with full unlock certificate: either 1) North America City Select CD or Atlantic European City Select CD.

... Read more

Features

• ARM processor powered by Palm OS 5
• Integrated Que technology, with GARMIN GPS and mapping software
• Speaker for voice-guidance commands, MP3 player, and message playback
• Voice recorder for making memos, quick notes, and messages on the fly
• What's in the box: iQue 3600, protective display cover, metal stylus, USB HotSync cradle, A/C power/charging adapter, quick start guide, CD-ROM with manual, and choice of MapSource configuration

Reviews (124)

Don't believe the Hype
This is a great product. I have owned one for a few weeks and it is very cool. Looking at the iQue3600 as only a GPS navigation unit, it has performed perfectly and far exceeded my expectations. Garmin really has the gps navigation software perfected and the palm platform with the 320x480 16 bit screen makes for a pretty impressive package (much better resolution than more expensive in car units). The voice promps work great and the palm interface makes for real ease of use. If you have used a palm before, you will learn the GPS software in a couple of hours. Besides outperforming any GPS nav system in its price range, the iQue 3600 is also a full featured palm with mp3 and voice recorder. If you travel for business, you must get one. The Quefind program has a database of hotels, restaurants, ect, with phone numbers. If you see a place you'd like to eat, call and get reservations, then press "route to" and the iQue does the rest.

There is a lot of bashing of this product for alleged hard resets. I have never had one, although I did upgrade the firmware via Garmins website. I actually almost didn't buy the iQue 3600 because of some of the negative reviews I read here and elsewhere. Then I saw a newsprogram on undercover marketing and now believe that some of the negative product reviews here and elsewhere are the work of paid marketing folks pretending to be normal consumers. The dollars at stake are too large and this meathod too easy and inexpensive for it not to be happening.

I looked into Garmin and discovered that they are a 5 billion dollar company with a great reputation in the GPS area. So I figured that if the product becomes defective within the first year, Garmin would stand by its warranty and fix it.

If you buy this unit, also buy the car mount kit and a 256mb card. For about $600 you get a perfectly sized easy to use GPS navigation system that really works, and it also is a fully functional palm (you can even run other programs while the gps system is running). Everyone that I have shown it to can't believe what it can do or the price. You pay $300 - $500 bucks for a decent handhold anyway, for a little more, you also get a state of the art gps system with voice and a great screen. My bet is that this will be a very hot gift for Christmas this year.

A very good product
I decided to get the Garmin iQue 3600 since I needed a new Palm anyway and liked the idea of having a portable GPS for hiking and travel. Here is a brief summary of my two-week experience:
Price - very reasonable for such a bundle.
Convenience of use - very good.
Memory - an SD card is a must. The internal RAM will get you nowhere since it is all taken up. I bought a Panasonic 512 MB SD and I don't regret it. Now I have plenty of room for maps, MP3 music, third-party Palm products (including memory hogs such as dictionaries and e-books).
GPS performance - as good (or as mediocre) as you can expect from a hand-held GPS. Very good when holding horizontally outdoors, reception lost when putting in you pocket, lost when going indoors, reasonable on a car dashboard.
Software - well, you know Palm OS with all its quirks and inconviences, but this is Palm, nothing to do about it. Unfortunately, Garmin's device-specific software (Que) is no better. Worthless documentation, unhelpful Help, and some quirky procedures (most notably in Tracks and Audio).
Most troublesome point - absence of external battery pack. What is the use of a portable GPS if you can't take it on a decent half-a-day hike? Palm's own Power-to-Go is incompatible. I got Power Runner (look for it on the Web) and it is excellen t on all accounts, except for being a bit heavy.
In summary, iQue 3600 is the best of its kind, simply because it is the only device of its kind at the present (for this reason it is also the worst ...). Be prepared to spend $... on the unit,another $... on a SD card, then another handful of dollars on Power Runner, then perhaps another handful on a Car Kit, and you are ready to go.

Poor user interface!
I can't believe so many people love this product. I love electronic gismos and rarely need to use instructions to figure how to work things. It took me for ever to figure out and too load maps. Once I got it working, it worked ok, but not great. Besides being hard to set up, it had three major problems.
1) Poor user interface. Hard to figure out how to use. Can't use while driving.
2) Short battery life. I many times lost important data because battery ran out too quickly.
3)SD card slot doesn't hold card well. I loaded east and west coast maps into device. Went on vacation. When I came home, I used it as GPS and wondered why no detailed maps where there. My card fell out without my knowledge.

My First GPS
I read the reviews, I read everything I could about not only this unit, but all types of GPS units. Finally, I took the plunge and bought this unit and the auto adapter. All I can say is I made the right choice. I live in Chicago and my job requires I respond to railroad accidents. Not only does this unit get me there, but it picks a route that cuts the time I spend getting there. It also has shown me new routes to old destinations that were faster and more direct. I also added the 256 mg storage card. When you start loading the map software, it will take some space and you will have to load some now and replace it later for other areas, although I have Illinois, Wisconsin on now. I have the software on my laptop so it is also portable, if I need it on a trip. The auto unit has a beanbag with a cradle that locks the unit and can be positioned on the dash or anywhere the unit can detect the GPS satellites. You plug the combination charger and speaker in and you are ready to go. Step by step audible directions and if you go off route, the unit recalculates and guides you to your destination without any fuss. You can select hotels, restaurants and all kinds of stuff in the directory. The PDA functions are what you can expect, but one great feature is the mirror software that lets the Palm software recognize the Outlook calendar and address book and use it so I didn't have to enter it all over. Get this unit, you won't regret it.

Great When it Work - (Infrequently)
I have the IQue3600, in fact I've had 5 of them. When its working, its absolutely amazing. The PROBLEM in a nutshell, is that its fragile. None of mine has worked for more than a 2 week period. The wiring that passes through the antenna hinge breaks, and you then can't access satelites at all. Up to now, they've been good about replacing. Now they won't even answer my email, and its over 30 minutes on hold to talk to someone, so I'm guessing they're having lots of problems. I'd wait until they get the bugs out before buying one of these, but when they do, its super. ... Read more

Product Description

TomTom (1D00.081) GO + USA MAPS PRELOADED ... Read more

Features

• Crisp audio turn-by-turn directions; works straight out of the box
• Portable vehicle GPS navigation system with 1GB Secure Digital memory card
• 32 MB of internal memory; includes preloaded U.S. maps
• Crystal-clear 3D or 2D navigation views with day/night variations
• 3-1/2-inch color TFT LCD screen with touchscreen operation

Reviews (6)

TomTom Go Plus Rocks
After a couple of months of ownership of the product I have nothing but good things to say about it. Put in the address of your destination and let TomTom Go Plus do its thing. I really like the talking prompts that give you ample time to do what ever manuvering TomTom calls for. Since I got it I've had two down-loadable firmware upgrades. One of the additions is the ability to enter a zip code to get a city. New updated US maps are due out in June and will come both on CD and installed on the card for a higher price. If you want easy out of the box navagation help let TomTom do the talking. The newer 300 and 700 versions will have many more capabilities such as Bluetooth. Phone call ability and many more goodies. TomTom rocks!!!!!!

How did I ever get by without it?
First I would like to thank the reviewer who brought up the TamTam software to make this device macintosh compatible. It was the deciding factor in my purchase. There are only a couple of minor inconveniences that aren't worthy of a star removal. I'm not sure how to put this, but the device is not very "grippable". i'm always afraid of it slipping from my hands because of its shape and smooth contours. Also, it is difficult to see the screen from some angles in bright daylight. However, this GPS system is unbelievable! Very simple and intuitive, portable, long lasting battery, clear voice instructions, 3D visuals and comes with a nice carrying case. You would not believe how small this thing is, yet the maps and menus are easy to read.

Good unit but serious flaw
Excellent ease of use coming out of the box, especially if you get the preloaded.Very unclunky looking and as discrete as you can expect from an aftermarket.3D view is a real plus.No it doesn't give the most direct directions but I didn't know where I was going anyway.I'm still ahead of the game.For the bad news, screen washout is not just an annoyance.Except for the voice prompts the unit is practically useless and distracting in NJ winter sun and likely even more so in summer or sunnier states.Forget about wearing sunglasses.Why wouldn't the company test this before putting it on the market? TomTom customer service says they are working on a screen cover to gerryrig a solution but that's a bs response.It's a hardware problem.Fix it.Drove from Jersey to Florida recently.Not much use in that drive.Get on I-95 and keep south til you hit water.The maps could use some updating.It's missing some sections of major roadways so it tries to swing around when all you need to do is go straight.Some addresses on roads that it does recognize is also missing.(Un)coupling the unit to the swing arm is clunky, especially if you have big hands or are wearing gloves.The unit is too easy to turn on in the carry pouch.The suction attachment doesn't work well in below freezing weather.Works fine once the car is warmed up.All of these are design flaws that should have been remedied in the product development phase.It has a feature that allows you to avoid parts of a route but would like one that allows you to force a route as well.Lack of WAAS makes it less precise than similarly priced products.Having to switch between maps ie. mid atlantic and southeast states is not that troublesome.Avoiding traffic jam feature was helpful.More good things is that I did feel more comfortable veering off my course to get gas and such. They could stand to shave a couple hundred off the price though given weaknesses in execution.My feeling is that they shouldn't be rewarded for selling a product that has such glaring and multiple design flaws.Instead buy the new Garmin c330 clone coming out in March.Looks good except for the fact that the Garmin doesn't seem to have a capture GPS position, which can be very useful.

http://www.garmin.com/products/sp330/

Good GPS
After owning for some years a Garmin Street Pilot III I decided to try a new GPS, hoping that technology would have improved- not that the Street Pilot wasn't doing its job, but there's always room for improvement.After seraching and re-searching, I went for the TomTom Go Plus with pre-loaded maps. Reasons?Several... A neat feature of the TT is that, with all the maps on the unit, there is no need for computer set up. You don't even need a computer, as a matter of fact, to use the unit right off the box.Another big plus is that there is no need to have all sort of cables across your dash -antenna, audio... The TT has only one cable, the power cable... which in a short trip you can do without, since the unit will run for at least 5 hours on a fully charged internal battery.The Street Pilot would run about 15 minutes with 6 AA batteries... More good stuff: the menus are very easy to navigate -touch screen- and information is entered with a screen keyboard (no more scrolling through the alphabet). I just wish that the keyboard was "qwert" instead of alphabetical.The satellite reception is much better than with the Street Pilot, and its built-in antenna picks up the signal just about anywhere you mount the unit... even inside the house! (magic?) The mounting winshield bracket works well, although in cars with very deep windshield (ie Beetle) places the unit kind of far to be able to read it comfortably.I have not tried the adhesive pad that comes in the box, after reading somewhere that it may become permanently attached to your dash... Navigation is cool, you probably read about the nice strong sound, and is simplified in comparison with the Street Pilot- less info about surrounding streets that are not in your route, only the name of the next street appears on the map. And the 3D view...I don't think I can live without it after trying it! Entering your destination is fast an definetly easier than with the Street Pilot.I have read some reviews that talk about the glare... and yes, that's a problem, and you may have to re-position the unit 'til you find the sweet spot.Downloading the latest software version (4.42) from their site -totally painless- increases the brightness of the screen, and that helped a bit.And finally, a couple of things that could be better:even though all the maps are loaded, you need to swap maps when you travel between regions, unless you use the less detailed "highway map" to route your destination.I that case, if your destination is a smal town, it will not be in the memory, and you'll have to settle for the next best (or bigger) city.The second issue is the points of interest.Garmin maps seem to be "better", including, for example, grocery stores, and above all, phone numbers -yes, it is convenient to be able to call a motel ahead to check availability... but not with your TT... On the other hand, is very easy to make your own list of POIs..to which you can add phone numbers if you wish.Despite these little "flaws", I definetly recommend this GPS...

Excellent GPS
The Tom Tom GO is an excellent product. With the preloaded maps there's almost no setup required, and it's very easy to use. It works as well or better than any of the original equipment GPS systems provided in automobiles. And because it is not original equipment it is unencumbered by liability-minimizing function locks present on some car systems (for example one car maker's GPS system doesn't allow anyone to enter a navigation destination when the car is in drive.)

The 3D views generated by the Tom Tom GO are uncannily realistic as they track exactly what you see through your windshield. As such they can be a bit distracting at first. But the Tom Tom GO provides an option to simplify the information displayed always or when traveling faster than a given speeds to eliminate potential distractions.

I've found the included maps (I have the Preloaded USA Maps version) to be very accurate and routes generated to be quite smart. In testing it out in my home town the routes generated have been very close to those I'd choose myself.

I've had another popular portable GPS system and the maps for that system were no where near as accurate or smart as the Tom Tom GO.

It's important to consider the pros and cons of a removable GPS navigation system. It's is an obvious advantage in that you can use it with any car and can take it with you when you travel and rent a car.But being removable it might make an attractive target for theft if left in place in your car. So you have to anticipate the minor hassle of packing it away when you leave your vehicle in any unsecured place.

The Tom Tom GO is a brilliantly designed and executed device that does what it promises and can be used by anyone. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

With 16 MB of built-in map data and a Secure Digital Memory Card slot, the Magellan Meridian Gold Global Positioning System receiver gives you almost unlimited ability to access and store location information. This rugged handheld GPS unit coordinates data from up to 12 satellites to pinpoint your location anywhere on the globe. The Meridian Gold's 16 MB base map gives you detailed information on U.S. cities, interstates, and waterways. Slide in a data card to get even more detail, or use a memory card to store waypoints and routes.

The Meridian Gold is PC compatible and stores up to 500 waypoints and 20 reversible routes with up to 30 legs. It also comes with a quadrifilar helix antenna for optimal satellite signal reception and fast position fixes. WAAS and EGNOS capability adds to the versatility of this receiver, which can be operated in English, French, German, Dutch, Finnish, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, or Swedish.

See your exact position on the Meridian Gold's seven navigation screens and vertical-profile graphs that show elevations of the route traveled. The oversized grayscale display allows you to easily see location information and comes with a backlight and backlit keypad for use even in dim light. Waterproof rubber armoring and an ergonomic, compact design add to the Meridian Gold's functionality.

The Meridian Gold is compatible with Magellan's MapSend software, including MapSend Streets Europe and the recently released MapSend Topo for the United States. Vehicle, bike, and swivel mounts are sold separately. ... Read more

Features

• 12-channel GPS unit with 16 MB base map
• Built-in detail on U.S. cities, interstate highways, major roads, parks, waterways, and airports
• Secure Digital memory-card slot for expanded storage
• Waterproof; rugged, ergonomic design
• Oversize gray-scale screen with backlight; includes serial PC interface

Reviews (24)

Meridian Gold
After much deliberation and comparison between various Magellan and Garmin GPS units, I chose to go with the Meridian Gold.
The larger screen size and resolution, the relatively large 16MB base map, and the ability to add more detail using secure disk modules helped to make my final decision.
I purchased MapSend Topo software and a SanDisk secure digital card. The only downside has been that I got a 64MB card and the Topo software will only load a total 32MB or 4 8MB region size maps, which renders half of my storage useless. As others have wrote, when zooming in all the way you may be off the road a bit, otherwise the unit and map interface seem to be real accurate. The specifications say 7 to 3 meter accuracy which seems hold up. The MapSend Topo software seems to have a lot of detail for the money, probalbly more than I'll ever need.
Iv'e used the unit mainly in my truck so far with no lost signals and Iv'e even been able to get a position in my house. When the weather gets warmer I'll use it with my biking. Neat Unit.

Magellan Meridian Gold - The Good, Bad & Ugly
After much comparison of Magellan and Garmin GPS, I plunked my $$ down on Magellen.

Purchase decision - My impression from OTHER reviews and info for Magellan was great hardware, weak software but considering all pluses, minuses and price points and my usage: hiking, biking, back-country skiing, driving, boating, I chose a Magellan Meridian Gold, 32meg memory, and Mapsend Topo Sofware. Keep in mind there's a lot to choose from and yet none seemed PERFECT.

I've now had it for 2 weeks of vacation time biking, hiking, driving and land surveying in S. Utah. I monkeyed with this unit everyday, becoming completely familiar with it's usage.

The Good: Solid, durable hardware. The Gold has a great feel, is a good size and fits into any of my outdoor shirt pockets. It holds satellite signal extremely well in trees, 2nd story house, Utah canyons. Solid feeling buttons and rubber armoring are all great. Seems to do very well on batteries using roughly a pair or less a day. (I already have a charger and extra batteries from my digital camera and headlamps).

The Bad: Mapsend topo software at 1:100,000 is not really precise at closest level. However, the amount of built in software and downloaded maps are sufficient for my usage and I can imagine the memory and processor speed needed for 1:24,000 topos. Also on the positive side Mapsend and Magellan built-in software has a ton of info! It's great having altitude, moon/sun info, vertical trip projections, and much more.

The Ugly: Magellan's method of setting routes and backtracking is absolutely terrible for my usage. I am so annoyed with this, I would return it if I hadn't already used it 2 weeks. Here's the deal -

If you go out for the day and retrace your route exacty, or just set it for the car in general it works very well. But so does a few cents worth of flagging, popcorn, or the cheapest GPS available.

In reality, I usually go on a hike, bike, or ski in some type of semi circle and at some point want to return to my nearest backtrack point and THEN start backtracking. I want the unit to beep when I get near the next point and keep counting them down. In the canyonlands of Utah and backcountry skiing here in Jackson Hole, Wyoming this could really be useful.

However, this ONLY works easily if you exacty retrace your trail.

So... in everyday usage where you aren't going exactly back down your same trail (why have a GPS?) you have to build a route with the GPS and/or go through the user database and select the nearest backtrack points. And then if you don't keep manually going through the database and selecting the next point, it will just keep pointing back at the last one. This is ridiculously time consuming on a day hike and makes operating the GPS the whole excecise instead of enjoying the outdoors. THIS SEEMS LIKE IT COULD BE EASILY CHANGED BY MAGELLAN BY SOFWARE PROGRAMMING.

More ugly: Really ugly.

Okay, so you set waypoints along your way using the GPS. Great, it does this well with 2 clicks. But THEN what??? It's back to the problem above.

It takes SEVEN screen operations and even more arrowing buttons to get a single one of these into a route. This completely insenses me. I could walk around circles for a day and eventually catch up to my wife and find the car in the time it takes to make a route! WHY CAN'T MAGELLAN MAKE IT SO I SELECT ALL THE POINTS FOR A ROUTE AT ONCE!!!???? How about storing waypoints in separate databases to start with? Or using two buttons in a computer-like fashion to highlight and select?

THEN: after I've got a route made HOW ABOUT if the GPS allows me to select manual or automatic retracing???? In other words, I want to go on a trip and set waypoints along the way. (Remember this is easy) Then, no matter where I am when I want to return to camp, I dump all my waypoints into memory in a few clicks, point the way to the nearest, and as I approach each new one, (automatic mode) the GPS beeps and rolls over to the next (lower number) waypoint.

If Magellan would make route setting and retracing easy, this would be a real must-have piece of gear for all my trips. At present, it's an electronic toy to play with while walking on flat ground or while my wife is driving the car. To give it the benefit of the doubt is also perhaps a good last resort safety measure so that if I get really lost I know where the nearest town is.

The annoying part is it is so close to being great, but Magellan's software programmers apparently never leave the office!

One last word - I find the Gold a great decision over the Platinum for using less batteries, having less to break, not needing re-calibrated everytime you change the batteries (daily) and knowing I haven't paid even more for some hardware that is mostly a toy because of the software behind it. Plus, I wouldn't go somewhere I could really get lost without a basic topo map and compass!

Three Stars overall for amazing toy that gives you info from satellites in outer space!

GREAT GPS
This is a great gps. After using the Magellan Meridian Gold, i fell in love with it. it was easy to use, fits in your hand nice, and has a easy to read large screen. It was a little bigger than i thought it would be but seems a little more rugged than the little Garmin's. I compared prices and brands and decided to get the Meridian Gold. I bought min eat Wal-Mart for $199.83 which was about as cheap as I could find it on the web. I would strongly recomend this GPS. It is a good price for what you get, maps aren't graet but overall is great GPS. Good buy, good GPS.

Excellent value
After comparing all the various Garmin and Magellan models, I went with the Meridian Gold because of the large basemap and the sale price ($199 when I got it). The included map was quite accurate in the US, but when we went over to Canada the map had us 100 feet out into Lake Ontario while parked on the beach.

Where this receiver really shines is with the new (optional) MapSend DirectRoute software. The Navtech maps are high-quality and quite recent, too. I live in a new subdivision and all the streets are correctly listed. With a 128MB SD card as storage, I can get about a quarter of the entire US down to the street level loaded. With DirectRoute loaded, the Meridian Gold is pretty good at street address routing. It's only suggested one bizarre route, but once I passed the unusual turn, I pressed Reroute and it correctly recomputed the remainder of the trip to my house. (Of course, had I followed it, I may have had a shorter trip, but it was a state highway with traffic lights instead of the usual Interstate.)

When used with the freeware QuakeMap, the unit correctly locked my home waypoint right in the middle of my driveway on the aerial photos. (Good, of course, because that's where I was standing when I took the fix!)

For the money, this is a nice unit to have, and with the extra DirectRoute software, a much cheaper alternative to the standalone vehicle GPS nav systems.

Warning: Product does NOT meet specifications
When I first got the unit, I loved it. It appeared accurate, though it took a long time to acquire satellites at times. In fact, many times my Delorme Earthmate would acquire within 15 seconds, and the Meridian would take several minutes (while moving in a car sitting on the dash). The ability to use SD/MMC cards and load maps onto the unit was great for general usage. I used Magellan GPS for everything, from hiking, kayaking, driving, to boating.

HOWEVER, the specs say that the unit is IPX7 compliant, which means accidental submersion underwater for up to 30 minutes in 1 meter of water. I was in a kayak, got hit by a wave with the Meridian in my pocket, and was in less than 1 meter of water for less than 15 seconds, and water made it's way into the unit.

I sent Magellan/Thales navigation an email and gave them a call but was not given much help, even though I own multiple Magellan products (including the GPS companion, etc...). They noted that I could have it serviced for $150, which is what an new unit cost (this was not the platinum edition, but it is the same form factor and same case). All customer service would tell me is that sometimes water may enter through the keypad area. Well, if water enters through the keypad area, how can they advertise that it is IPX7 compliant?

I may be an isolated incident. However, with the customer service I received, I don't think I would ever buy another Magellan product, and will probably get rid of the rest of my Magellan products. I think the product design, features, usability, and intuitiveness is great, just the product does not perform up to expectations or promise. I would also consider customer service as well. ... Read more

Product Description

GPS unit with built-in antenna and protective cover * 20-gigabyte hard drive (10 for navigation, 10 for MP3 file storage) * industrial-strength casing sealed to prevent internal corrosion * 5" diagonal, color TFT display offers exceptional visibility * Map Mode accesses detailed road maps of the United States and Canada, with over 2 million points of interest * ... Read more

Features

• Stores up to 5,000 MP3 files depending on compression rates and song lengths
• Measures 6.1 x 4.5 x 2.15 inches (W x H x D); 1-year warranty
• Combination vehicle GPS navigation system and MP3 player with 5-inch color TFT display
• Built-in 20 GB hard drive with 10 GB for maps and 10 GB for MP3 files
• Built-in precision GPS WAAS receiver with 12 parallel channels

Reviews (5)

Brilliant!
This unit does everything I expect it to do and does so effortlessly straight out of the box. You don't have to load maps or install software- it's all pre-loaded. It's a high technology product your mom can learn to use in 10 minutes (from you, not the manual) even if her VCR is still flashing "12:00".

I like the fact that the iWay is waterproof (submergible 3 feet for 1/2 of an hour) because mine will spend some time on motorcycle handlebars in questionable weather. The iWay seems extremely well made and rugged. It's surprisingly heavy for its size and definately a "form-follows-function" product rather than a stylized one. It seems kind of "military specification", if you know what I mean. It does draw a lot of current (the heat sink on the back runs quite hot to the touch), if your cigarette lighter stays active when your engine is off make sure that you shut your iWay off when you leave the car or you'll risk having a dead battery.

If you get "off route" for any reason the route recalculation is quite fast.

It has a default "safety mode" that prevents you from making entries while you're moving- I guess it figures that you've got your hands full driving whilst drinking a latte and talking on your cell phone- that's probably for the best. You can defeat that function and put it in "passanger mode" but it will start up next time in "safety mode" again.

The "find address" function works very well once you realize that this is only an educated guess at where, within say 100 feet, the actual numerical address is located. You will be on the right street and it will tell you which side it's on.

I bought mine "1-click" through Amazon's partner "GPS for YOU". I ordered it mid-morning on a Wednesday and it was delivered by DHL the following morning! Over a week ahead of the estimated delivery date and I didn't request overnight delivery! After sale customer service has been very responsive.

Three little first day disapointments-

1) My unit was missing the rubberized flexible RAM dashboard mount referenced in the Amazon description. I called Lowrance (pronounced "low-rantz", by the way) and was informed that it's no longer included with the unit but available as an accesory for $40. The handlebar mounts are $30 in black or $70 in chrome.

2) I thought that my unit was defective because it didn't register my touch-pad key entries when they were on the left or bottom edges of the screen. It turns out that there's a set-up procudure to teach it exactly where the keys are (it pays to read the manual). The set-up takes less than a minute. Alas, the keyboard layout is alphabetic rather than "qwerty".

3) iTunes files aren't mp3 so you can't just transfer your music library directly to the iWay without converting the to mp3. I imagine that this can be done, but I bet it's not going to be pretty.

Best GPS
best gps in car good price nice features is the best, mp3 20 hard drive no spend money in SD cards. HAVE ALL ACCESSORIES big screen .nice buy recommend.

Highly Recommended
The iWay 500c is an incredible GPS that will rate at the top and at a lower price than anything with comparable features.You can read the specs yourself, what follows are my impressions of the unit.

The package includes 2 separate RAM-Mounts (one dash board and one windshield).I am new to RAM-Mounts and am very impressed with these excellent brackets.Additional RAM-mounts are available at a very reasonable price if you need them.

Also included are 3 power cords 1) automotive cigarette lighter, 2) a battery connection cable, 3) a 120v cable/cigarette female for indoor use.An external amplifying antenna is also included.

The screen is large and easy to read in all light conditions.There are 4 levels of back lighting.The touch screen and buttons work well and the interface is intuitive.The auto-zoom works great too.

The road selection software is good, but could use a little tweaking.My only complaint is that the "slider bar" to select more or less interstate seems to be basically an on-off switch.I would prefer to see a mixture of interstate and back roads at some intermediate setting.The good news is that Lowrance has already updated the software, which is easily downloadable and installed from the Internet.Hopefully they will continue to improve the road selection algorithm.

When I purchased the unit, I wondered how well the voice commands would work with the built in MP3 player.It turns out that they work better than expected.There are several setting for the voice commands and they will temporarily silence the music for instructions just as I had hoped.

Besides everything else that I mentioned one of the best things that I like about the iWay 500c is that it is waterproof to 1 meter of water for 30 minutes!This is perfect for motorcycle touring, which is my primary intended use.Of course with all of the mounting hardware and power cords, this unit is easily moved to my automobile.

This is a perfect GPS for motorcycling touring.I normally use a computer based GPS in the car, but I will switch to the Lowrance because it is incredibly easy to read and use, boots up in a matter of seconds (unlike my PC), and is very portable.In my research on GPS's the iWay 500c is a best value.

Great Navigator, Great Price, Best in Class
This little piece of gadgetry is absolutely wonderful. The large screen is the perfect size and is very clear and easy to read with a glance.It navigates great, you can switch from track up to north up to 3D view with a simple touch of the touch screen.It finds addresses and waypoints easily.It comes with all of the accessories made for it, including the external antennae.This fact makes it extremely adaptable and friendly.The voice directions are clear and correct.The price is great, especially if you shop around a bit. With its 10GB of MP3 I don't really use my 6 disc changer any more!

What I like:large color screen that can be read at a glance, lots of accessories, accuracy, Price.Certainly the best for the money.

What could be better:If the music player loaded wma as well as the MP3 and Ogg it now takes.If it had MGRS.If you could download waypoints from you computer so that you didn't have to add them individually.

Exactly what I was looking for!
Finally, I have found the answer to our new vehicle purchase. We recently bought a new Ford Excusrion with all of the bells and whistles.... almost, anyway. As Ford doesn't have a decent Nav system available, and we didnt want to give up the in-dash 6 CD changer and steering wheel audio controls, we decided to go aftermarket on the nav. I came across this unit in Las Vegas and bought it, as it offered the turn-by-turn instructions and 3D mapping I was looking for. After a 6 hour drive back home, I am completely sold on the model. The unit is built very ruggedized, and looks as if it can take a lot of punishment. The navigation performed flawlessly and found a new route quickly after I decided I didn't want to go the way it told me to. The kit contains several mounting options.... a real plus! On the dash of the Excursion, the large 5" screen fits right in, without being obtrusive. I am looking into some mounting options, however. I will also be installing a seperate under-dash audio system for the nav, as I don't want to parallel the audio in with the XM modulator. Very nice unit. I hope that it holds up all the same years from now. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

You don't need to buy a luxury car or spend thousands installing a multipart system to get advanced GPS navigation capabilities in your automobile. Garmin's StreetPilot III delivers all the high-end features you need--from detailed street maps and sophisticated auto routing to voice prompts and a color screen--in a compact, inexpensive, and portable package.

The Garmin StreetPilot III sports a brilliant LCD display

Setting up the unit was surprisingly simple. First we installed the software from the MapSource City Navigator CD onto our PC and connected the card reader, with the 32 MB data card, to the USB port. Then we went online to unlock one of 10 detailed coverage areas included on the disk; for instance, Area 1 covers California and Nevada, Area 7 covers New England and New York. After that we downloaded detailed maps of our city (San Francisco) and surrounding areas to the data card. We also downloaded waypoints--locations like our home, office, and other places we often visit--onto the card and inserted it into the StreetPilot III. If you don't have a USB port, you can also use the included serial cable to connect the entire unit to your PC.

The physical installation went just as smoothly. We affixed the plastic base to the top of our dashboard with the included adhesive mounting disks, snapped the StreetPilot III into place, connected it to the cigarette lighter for power, and extended the small fold-down antenna. The dashboard mount's quick release makes it easy to store the StreetPilot III when not in use or, if you purchase a second mount, lets you use it in multiple vehicles.

We turned the unit on and in less than a minute it locked onto the GPS satellites and displayed a map of our current location on the clear, bright, easy-to-read color display. As we drove along, it displayed our position and direction on the map, the name and address number of the street we were on, and even the name of the upcoming cross street. The two zoom buttons let us get a very detailed street-level view or a broad overview of our current position, and the menu button allowed us to customize the display.

By using the ‘find’ key, points of interest such as attractions, restaurants, banks, intersections and many more are easily located and routed to. Simply choose the destination from the list and press ‘route to it’. The Streetpilot III will calculate the best route and talk you through to the destination. The crisp, colorful LCD makes checking out your destination easy--even before you leave! This screen displays your possible destination of the St. Louis Zoo as well as local restaurants and emergency medical locations. It’s easy to become familiar with services provided even when you’re 244.1 miles away. Try that with a paper map!

The trip computer screen calculates all the travel data for your trip with incredible accuracy, while verbal instructions inform you of the next turn. Valuable information like distance to destination and time to destination are constantly updated--perhaps even putting an end to the question ‘are we there yet?’ Routes can be displayed several ways such as this turn by turn instruction screen, which highlights your next turn to make. The distance to go and time to go information gives driver’s the forewarning and confidence to watch for the approaching turn. The smooth verbal instructions will let you know when the next turn is approaching.

The fun really started, though, when we used the StreetPilot's routing capabilities. Using the arrow buttons, we input the intersection of a store we'd never visited, and within a minute it calculated the most direct route. The voice navigator told us where to go and when to turn, and it was simple to monitor our progress both on the map and on the text display. We knew the exact address of our next stop and entered it into the unit. The StreetPilot then guided us onto the freeway and successfully to our second destination, telling us exactly where to stop along the street and even on which side of the street the store was located. To get home, we just accessed a waypoint with our home address that we'd preprogrammed on the PC.

Even if you don't know exactly where you're going, the City Navigator maps include points of interest, such as restaurants, shops, and parks. For instance, the StreetPilot can find the closest fast-food restaurant and present you with a list of nearby options.

Testing in San Francisco, we did lose satellite lock a few times in extremely hilly areas or in areas with very tall buildings. We think this was due mainly to the fact that the unit's antenna is inside the car; an external antenna option is available for less than $100 that should solve the problem.

Once you use the StreetPilot III for a while, it's hard to imagine driving solo again. Whether you're planning a road trip or just need help getting around town, it's an extremely helpful companion that's cheaper and easier to install than anything else currently available. --Ken Feinstein

Pros:

• Compact, portable design
• Easy-to-read color screen
• Auto routing and voice prompts

Cons:

• Optional external antenna will get better satellite reception in some cities than the built-in antenna

Note about review: This review was written using the original version of the Garmin StreetPilot III. The deluxe version includes a 128 MB data card and full unlock access to all maps on the City Navigator CD-ROM.

What's in the Box
StreetPilot III with portable antenna, PC interface cable, dashboard mount, portable Mount (bean bag mount), external speaker with 12-volt cigarette lighter adapter, owner's manual, quick reference guide, USB data card programmer, Americas Autoroute Basemap, MapSource City Navigator North America CD. ... Read more

Features

• GPS receiver with turn-by-turn navigation
• Includes MapSource City Navigator CD-ROM with street-level maps and points of interest; full unlock capability for US and Canada
• Automated voice prompts tell you when to turn
• 16-color display with backlight for dim lighting
• Compatible with optional Garmin MapSource software for downloading maps and waypoint data

Reviews (63)

Street Pilot III - Excellent in the States and Overseas
We took our SP III with us on our last trip to France and used the 128MB memory card to load in all of the data from Paris through Normandy and beyond. There was enough capacity for about half of France. I was very impressed with the routing capabilities and up to date maps available for France. The Unit easily led us to our destinations and provided step by step directions when the routing function was used. It also highlighted our route on the map making following your progress simple, even when driving. Especially nice were the up-close maps of upcoming round-abouts, something common in Europe (and which can be confusing for first timers). The map showed entry onto the round-about and which exit to take, in addition to telling you the information with the voice feature. I was skeptical that the unit would function as well overseas as in the US because I figured the small back roads would not be shown on the map, but was pleasantly surprised. We navigated along highways and through medieval towns with ease. I can highly recommend this unit for use both in the United States and in Europe. While you do have to pay for the maps which are somewhat costly, they are well worth the one time investment. This Unit works as well as or better than any built in or rental car system that I have used.

I recommend this unit
I've owned my unit for about 5 months and love it. It's one of the few pieces of electronic equipment that has passed my wife's "waste of money" test.

I bought the deluxe package to get access to all of the US, and have the portable bean-bag mount. We frequently trade which car gets the unit based on the day's plans. I routinely use the unit to go to and from work, and hit the "detour" button when traffic gets bogged down. Thanks to this unit I have found some lightly traveled trails during rush hour.

The unit offers shortest-distance or quickest-time to calculate routes. There are options available for how much time the unit calculates each permutation. For those concerned about recalculation speed, such as in a city, try setting this parameter to least optimum and thus fasted calculation time.

The shortest distance route will sometimes take you down dirt roads and trails. I drive an Explorer so find this fun. I'd be less impressed if I drove a low-slung sportster. Thanks to this idiosyncrasy I found a quick detour when a rural bridge on my commute was closed for repairs. It's also helped me find spots for fishing when spring arrives.

The screen is easy to see, even in sunlight and while wearing polarized sunglasses. I always use the cigarette lighter for power as the unit is known for eating batteries. The 128m memory card is plenty for storing the maps I need for my local region. I intend to buy a second card so I can have "home" maps and "road trip" maps without having to spend the time reloading home maps after a trip.

Worth the Money
I love it! It was extremely intuitive. Easy to use, lots of features, voice/speaker feature is great.

2400 miles in 5 days and the Garmin took me to and fro!
I bought this little gem for the specific purpose of an upcoming vacation. I just got back this evening, and here are my thoughts.

Price:

I really don't think you can go wrong here for the price. A GPS system for under $500, with a color map (full screen if you choose), current street maps that are fully unlocked, talking directions, visual directions and waypoint setting (marking) right from the main unit.

Look/Feel:

The unit is surpisingly heavy, and when you use the bean bag mount, it stays put. This unit did not slide around my dash on my trip, even when taking curves at 75 mph. Impressive yes, kind of goofy looking though.

The unit feels very well built, and as I mentioned earlier, has some girth, so it won't go sliding all over the place when you are diving into that tight turn.

The buttons are all rubberized and I think they will last a long time to come.

Accuracy:

I didn't have a single problem with the maps and the streets we traveled. What did get a little "off" was if I was on a frontage road, or an exit road that ran with a road I just turned off, sometimes, the unit thought I was on the previous street and told me I was "off route". Not a big deal, as it recovered quickly and kept me going. However, I was in California and several streets seemed to parallel others and I would imagine this could give the Garmin fits.

Odometer accuracy is another area to look into. The mileage on my car read about 15 miles less than that reported by the Garmin. Not a big deal for sure, but it makes me wonder if my digital one in the car is off, or is that within tolerances for a GPS unit?

Waypoints/Routes:

Pretty simple here. Awesome, just awesome. Once we arrived at our hotel, we were kind of hungry so I checked for a steakhouse nearby using the "Find" feature. Numerous showed up, and within 4 pushes of a button, the one we were going into was located, made into a waypoint, routed to and away we went. It delivered us to the restaurants parking lot flawlessly.

Route Calculation:

Read carefully on the differences between shortest distance or quicker time. Shorter distance will tend to take you off main roads/interstates. On our trip, it routed us off I-15 (California) to a couple of secondary highways that were out of the way, and in the end, connected back up to I-15!! How goofy is that?

All in all, I would make this purchase again in a heartbeat. I was initially only going to use it for the trip and then resell the unit. Now after the trip, not only am I convinced on keeping this, so is my whole family!

A Great Deal for the Money
I purchased this in June of 2004. I was going on a cross country trip and I have ZERO sense of direction.

I wanted a GPS system for my car, that would talk to me as I drove (this is an option you can turn off if you don't like it) but that wasn't in the $1000 and up range.

For the amount this is selling for it is a great deal.

Yes, there are fancier systems out there, but if you don't need fancy bells and whistles (like the tidal patterns, or what the current hunting season is in your area) than this is the perfect choice.

Be patient during the initial set-up. If you are downloading a lot of maps (I was going across the country), it could take a couple of hours to set everything up. And if you don't have a HUGE memory card, and are going on a long trip, you'll need to take your computer with you to upload new maps. However, if you just need it for driving about town, there is more than enough memory.

Once you are up and running, the learning curve is quick. It's easy to ask for new addresses. It quickly recalculates if you accidentally go off route. And it still has some helpful tips, like it can tell you where the nearest gas station or restaurant is.

This is well worth the money and I can't imagine how I would have driven across country without it. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

GoodAuto Routing, Not So Good Database
I've been using a Garmin E-Trex for some driving navigation (not it's main purpose) for some time.Having wanted something better for driving, I saw this as an inexpensive solution to use my laptop and have large screen GPS navigation.In short, the active navigation direction (including voice) work pretty well, the large display (my laptop) is great, but the database and route management tools lack.

Having only used this H/W & S/W (the included Street Atlas) for a few days, I'm sure I haven't figured it all out.Still, I quickly found that the database only knows about one of the several Home Depot stores in my area.I looked for the hotel I'll be staying at on an upcoming trip, and it is not in the database.A two year old street in a newer nearby residential street is not present.In each of these cases, my Garmin MapSource s/w had these elements, and the level of detail and accuracy are better, too.I've found work arounds by creating waypoints where I know things I'll be going to are located (Delorme won't let me move an existing waypoint that I've created, so if it's not right, delete and recreate).I'll probably use it for such things as our RV traveling, but when I want to find the nearest hardware store... well most anything, I'll pull out my little E-Trex. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Take care of all your instrument needs with the Magellan Meridian Platinum Global Positioning System receiver. This rugged handheld GPS unit coordinates data from up to 12 satellites to pinpoint your location anywhere on the globe, and it includes a barometer and a three-axis digital compass. The 16 MB database provides details on U.S. cities, interstates, major roads, and airports. The Meridian Platinum's Secure Digital Memory Card slot allows you to slide in a data card to get even more detail, or use a memory card to store waypoints and routes.

The Meridian Platinum is PC compatible and stores up to 500 waypoints and 20 reversible routes with up to 30 legs. It also comes with a quadrifilar helix antenna for optimal satellite signal reception and fast position fixes. WAAS and EGNOS capability adds to the versatility of this receiver, which can be operated in English, French, German, Dutch, Finnish, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, or Swedish.

See your exact position on the Meridian Platinum's seven navigation screens and vertical profile graphs that show elevations of the route traveled. The oversized grayscale display allows you to easily see location information and comes with a backlight and backlit keypad for use even in dim light. Waterproof rubber armoring and an ergonomic, compact design add to the Meridian Platinum's functionality.

The Meridian Platinum is compatible with Magellan's MapSend software, including MapSend Streets Europe and the recently released MapSend Topo for the United States. Vehicle, bike, and swivel mounts are sold separately. ... Read more

Features

• 12-channel GPS unit with 16 MB base map, barometer, and 3-axis digital compass
• Built-in database of U.S. cities, interstates, major roads, and airports
• Secure Digital memory-card slot for expanded storage
• Waterproof; rugged, ergonomic design
• Oversize gray-scale screen with backlight; includes serial PC interface

Reviews (32)

Awesome GPS unit!
It took me a very long time (3 months or so) of comparing just about every Garmin and Magellan units before choosing the Meridian Platinum and I am *extremely* pleased with my final decision.

The Meridian Platinum is very easy to use (didn't have to read the manual and this is my first GPS). I was up and running with it in about 15 minutes.

I use this GPS for GeoCaching as well as street navigation in the car and it's excellent for both applications. One of the deciding factors for me was that the Magellan units are not as proprietary as the Garmin ones: for instance, using SanDisk memory cards is possible with Magellan but not Garmin. Considering the price that either Magellan or Garmin charge for those bits of silicon, going with the SanDisk option is a no-brainer.

For street navigation, the MapSend Topo software is a *must have* since the basemap shipping with the Platinum is really weak in details. Even though the MapSend software is a bit outdated, it's still a good buy.

I also purchased a 64Meg SanDisk SD card and a Cruzer SD card reader/writer to avoid using the serial connection for loading maps. Works like a charm! Loading a 32 Meg map only takes a few seconds as opposed to hours over the serial link.

I have not experienced any problems with the MapSend Topo software or GPS lock-ups as reported by a previous reviewer. However, I *did* upgrade the GPS firmware (free download from the Magellan site) before messing with the MapSend Topo software.

While the MapSend Topo software is necessary to upload new maps to the GPS, it's not great to plan trips with it. For that purpose, I find DeLorme's TOPO USA 4.0 to be excellent.

But when it comes to the management of routes built from waypoints, nothing beats the "EasyGPS" software. Even high-end products from DeLorme or Magellan aren't as good just for that purpose.

Overall this is a BIG thumbs up for this unit. The only downside may be how the GPS eats batteries (the electronic compass of the GPS has something to do with it but can be disabled to increase the battery life if needed) and for this reason, NiMH rechargeable batteries are a must.

Great Unit-Barometer feature over rated-compared w/Marine
I must say I really like the Platinum GPS. I used a friends Marine unit several times, which sold me on Megellan. I used both units (marine & my Platinum) side by side while driving. Every display was identical b/w the two units. The Platinum has some features the Marine doesn't. For the extra money, you otta get something. The base data b/w the two are almost if not identical. I didn't look that close. For the Money the Marine is a great unit. I decided to spend a few extra bucks (which I will discuss later)and get the Platinum because of the built in Barometer and electronic compass features.
The Barometer is accurate, but so what, I don't see the need. The compass works very well except while moving at hiway speeds. If you're a hicker/camper the feature is great but why not save a few Bucks and buy a regular compass and get one of the more accurate Sports Trak Models?
The Thermometer works, but once again who cares about the temp is inside the car?
...BR>Over all the Platinum is a great GPS for what it was built for. Think twice about the Barometer and Compass features. If I did it over I would buy either the Sports Trak or the Gold.

A full featured GPS receiver
I've been using my my MeriPlat on almost a weekly basis for over half a year now. I'm very happy with the purchase! The features I love most are the SD slot and the three-axis magnetic compass...meaning it works while held vertically, horizontally, or on it's side. It also has a superior built-in antenna when compared to Garmin's Etrex series of receivers. I've been out in the woods with friends who had Etrex. They periodically lost signal reception while I stayed locked in. The MeriPlat even works inside the house away from windows! In fact, the only time I have ever lost signal was under heavy tree canopy during a down pour. I highly recommend buying Magellan's Direct Route software...it gives the unit turn by turn routing ability and works great!

Warning: Does NOT meet specs
When I first got the unit, I loved it. It appeared accurate, though it took a long time to acquire satellites at times. In fact, many times my Delorme Earthmate would acquire within 15 seconds, and the Meridian would take several minutes (while moving in a car sitting on the dash). The ability to use SD/MMC cards and load maps onto the unit was great for general usage. I used Magellan GPS for everything, from hiking, kayaking, driving, to boating.

HOWEVER, the specs say that the unit is IPX7 compliant, which means accidental submersion underwater for up to 30 minutes in 1 meter of water. I was in a kayak, got hit by a wave with the Meridian in my pocket, and was in less than 1 meter of water for less than 15 seconds, and water made it's way into the unit.

I sent Magellan/Thales navigation an email and gave them a call but was not given much help, even though I own multiple Magellan products (including the GPS companion, etc...). They noted that I could have it serviced for $150, which is what an new unit cost (this was not the platinum edition, but it is the same form factor and same case). All customer service would tell me is that sometimes water may enter through the keypad area. Well, if water enters through the keypad area, how can they advertise that it is IPX7 compliant?

I may be an isolated incident. However, with the customer service I received, I don't think I would ever buy another Magellan product, and will probably get rid of the rest of my Magellan products. I think the product design, features, usability, and intuitiveness is great, just the product does not perform up to expectations or promise. I would also consider customer service as well.

This Is the Best GPS Available
Two years ago, after extensive research, I purchased my Magellan Meridian Platinum. I have used it for automobile travel, geocaching, and to just play around with. It is a reliable and extremely accurate GPS. I spent last weekend geocaching (if unfamiliar with the term check out www.geocaching.com)locating 8 caches. The "MeriPlat" got me to within feet of each item. It is easy to use, most screens can be customized, and is very rugged. I have both MapSend Streets & Destinations and Topo and have found them to be acceptable for my use. With a SD card you can load several map areas and select them as needed. Documentation accompanying the GPS is lacking but there are several excellent user groups on Yahoo that provide all the information you need to squeeze every bit of functionality out of your MeriPlat. Two years after it was introduced, the Meridian Platinum is still one of the best GPS units available in its price range. You cannot go wrong with this GPS. Good luch and happy geocaching. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The Foretrex 201 is a wearable Personal Navigator, perfect for outdoor and marine enthusiasts who desire hands-free GPS navigation in a lightweight, affordable package. At a mere 2.75 ounces, this waterproof wonder is lighter than most watches, and its wrist-top mount frees up hands for outdoor activities and sports an ergonomic wristband. The 201 model comes with a recharging unit so you never have to stock up on batteries for all your daily adventures, but consider the Foretrex 101 that runs on 2 AAA batteries if you're wandering away from the power outlet for a while.

With a user-friendly interface, the rugged Foretrex 201 simplifies navigation, making it ideal for the backcountry or water. Its six dedicated buttons (GoTo, Page, Enter/Mark, Up, Down and Power) make it easy to operate. It offers the most essential navigation data -- enhanced GPS accuracy, extensive storage for waypoints, and reversible routes and tracks -- on an easy-to-read display. Don't worry about packing extra batteries, because the Foretrex 201 runs on an internal lithium battery for 15 hours (typical use). Simply recharge and go.

The Foretrex 201 also comes equipped with special features sure to please mariners and hikers alike. It includes a unique application for sailing and paragliding racers that allows them to configure the start sequence of a race. The countdown is displayed in a large-number format that audibly alerts the user at each phase of the start sequence. With the help of Garmin's exclusive TracBack® technology, hikers can mark a campsite, go trekking all day, and follow the electronic "breadcrumb trail" back to camp in time for dinner.

The WAAS difference

100 meters: Accuracy of the original GPS system, which was subject to accuracy degradation under the government-imposed Selective Availability (SA) program. 15 meters: Typical GPS position accuracy without SA. 3-5 meters: Typical differential GPS (DGPS) position accuracy. Less than 3 meters: Typical WAAS position accuracy.

WAAS is a system of satellites and ground stations that provide GPS signal corrections, giving you even better position accuracy. How much better? Try an average of up to five times better. A WAAS-capable receiver can give you a position accuracy of better than three meters 95 percent of the time. And you don't have to purchase additional receiving equipment or pay service fees to utilize WAAS.

How it Works
WAAS consists of approximately 25 ground reference stations positioned across the United States that monitor GPS satellite data. Two master stations, located on either coast, collect data from the reference stations and create a GPS correction message. This correction accounts for GPS satellite orbit and clock drift plus signal delays caused by the atmosphere and ionosphere. The corrected differential message is then broadcast through one of two geostationary satellites, or satellites with a fixed position over the equator. The information is compatible with the basic GPS signal structure, which means any WAAS-enabled GPS receiver can read the signal.

Who benefits from WAAS?
Currently, WAAS satellite coverage is only available in North America. There are no ground reference stations in South America, so even though GPS users there can receive WAAS, the signal has not been corrected and thus would not improve the accuracy of their unit. For some users in the U.S., the position of the satellites over the equator makes it difficult to receive the signals when trees or mountains obstruct the view of the horizon. WAAS signal reception is ideal for open land and marine applications. WAAS provides extended coverage both inland and offshore compared to the land-based DGPS (differential GPS) system. Another benefit of WAAS is that it does not require additional receiving equipment, while DGPS does.

... Read more

Features

• WAAS-enabled, 12 parallel channel GPS receiver
• Built-in patch style GPS antenna
• 15 hours battery life; rechargeable lithium ion battery
• Waypoints/Icons, 500 with name and graphic symbol
• 20 reversible routes with up to 125 waypoints each; includes serial PC interface

Reviews (8)

Built-in Battery Makes No Sense
I love my Garmin GPS devices. I own enough of them. However, this device makes no sense. If you are going hiking with this device and have no way of changing batteries, you may end up like those dumbasses in the "Blair Witch Project", wandering in the forest with no way of getting out. Get something like the Foretrex 101 that allows you to change batteries.

One Design Racing GPS
From a sailor's perspective ... this thing rocks.

My class does not permit electronic aids for racing, so I cannot mount a GPS on the boat or put a speedo through the hull. I needed a way to get knots feedback during training. I gave this a try. I am happy. The unit provides just what I wanted: quick feedback on trim / crew position when there are no other boats to race.

Features that work for me -- waterproof, WAAS accurate to 17feet, knot meter only lags about 2-3 seconds on actual, adjustable countdown for starts, manual magnetic/true heading adjustment, manual tacking angle input (really cool - it beeps on VMG layline), adjustable display screens, easy to read.

If your hands are busy and the cockpit is wet - consider this model over handheld or mounted alternatives. Did I mention the BIG NUMBER 5 minute countdown feature with easy reset/adjustment to cmte-boat sequence? Good engineering on this one. My strongest recommendation.

My Foretrex review after a few days with it
The Foretrex 201 is a general purpose version of the Forerunner personal training device. It lacks the personal training features (and PC software) of the Forerunner and replaces them with a general purpose GPS feature set derived from Garmins successful "Geko" models.

Note that Garmin describes the Foretrex as being similar to a Geko 201, but the Foretrex is missing a few features (no games) and the user interface is substantially different in a few areas.

There are two Foretrex models currently. This model, the 201, has an internal rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery which means the unit is .3 inches thinner than the model 101 which takes two AAA batteries. Currently the 201 can only be recharged using the (included) AC adapter and "cradle" bracket, so the advantage of the 201 is its smaller size, and the disadvantage is that you need to be near AC power and have the charger and cable along if you run low on power. This could be an issue for backcountry use. The other difference between the 101 and 201 is that the 201 is dark green (it's more green than is obvious in the pictures) and the 101 appears (I haven't seen one) to be silver. Each will appear equally dorky on your wrist if you wear it as a watch.

The 201 is very light, actually weighing .1 ounces *less* than the watch I usually wear. The strap is comfortable but wide. It adjusts to a surpisingly large range of wrist sizes (even fairly skinny ones). There's an extension strap provided if you want to wear it around your forearm.

The screen is very high contrast (more so than other Garmin GPSs I've seen) and easy to see.

The 201 has four gold contacts on the back at one end and it comes with a charging and data "cradle" (basically a clip that attaches to the back from end to end (works with the strap attached) and provides two small connectors for power and serial data.

It comes with a serial cable but no software. It will work with Garmin's Mapsource products (though without downloadable maps) and there's lots of shareware/freeware out there for managing waypoints, track logs, geocaching, etc. Note that the serial cable is only about three feet long, which can be somewhat inconvenient.

Battery life appears good. Garmin claim 15 hours, but I haven't run it down far enough to know what's realistic. After five hours of constant use in "normal" mode, the battery gague was still at 3 out of 4 dots. Charging takes a couple hours and displays "Battery Charging in Progress" bouncing around the display while it's going on.

Software updates can be downloaded from Garmin's web site (there's a minor update already available) and installed using the included cable.

Performance is about what I expected from a wrist-mounted GPS. The receiver performance appears to be identical to the other current Garmin models even at this small size. When walking around outdoors with my arm at my side, it does a good job of tracking the satellites that aren't obscured by my body and track logs downloaded from the unit are usually very good. There certainly are times when it can't see enough sats or just barely gets three of them or gets some ugly multipath reflection from somewhere and as a result you can get some track points that are really out in left-field. Overall it does better than I expected it to and you can just hold it up like you're looking at your watch to give it a better sky view if you want to take a more accurate fix.

The navigation data display page consists of a number of user-selectable fields in various (fixed) sizes from one to four per screen. These are arranged in a sort of virtual strip that you scroll up and down through. It appears to me that none of the time displays will show better than minute resolution. The "digital" style font used is pretty ugly.

There's a "timer" page which only supports count-down timing.

It has the Hunt/Fish and Sun/Moon data pages from the Geko and most of its other features except for the games as mentioned. Most of what you can do with a Geko you can do with this model, so check out the Geko 201 reviews as well.

It would be nice if it had a "watch" mode which would allow it to display the time and date with the GPS off and get a few days of battery life in this mode, but no such luck.

It's very well made and feels very solid as do most Garmin products. It should be very reliable as long as you don't prang the screen on something while wearing it as a watch. It's easy to operate the buttons with your other hand.

So, I could certainly recommend this model for someone who needs a basic (non-mapping) GPS and for whom the wrist/arm mounting option is desirable. It's probably the most functional way of carrying an active GPS on your person without resorting to a separate antenna or some similar complexity.

G.

Good for Mtn biking
201 works great for mtn biking--very sturdy using bike-mount (extra purchase). Elevation is very accurate w/ WAAS turned on (I compared to map survey pts & found 201 to be spot on). Would be nice if unit displayed total elevation gained / lost without having to download track to GPS software to get these figures (Garmin are you listening?). Overall I'm extremely pleased with product & highly recommend it to other bike/hiking folks.

Small GPS with some good features
This is my third Garmin GPS, after a GPS III Pilot & E*Trex Vista. It is a good product if you want a robust, fast acting, low power consuming GPS you can wear on your arm! The displays are highly customizable in terms of wanting 1, 2, 3, or 4 key fields on the display at one time. Some may want more than 17 hours battery, but this is a LEAP forward for GPS & this light unit. And satelite reception is FAST & accuracy is as good or better than my 2 previous & reliable Garmin units which are much larger.
FUNCTIONS: I was waiting for 3 key functions: ability to show Speed & VMG in big, easy to see letters, & to be able to "project waypoints" & GOTO them. It also has a sailboat racing timer that is easy to syncronize at any whole minite. This unit does these things well.
SOFTWARE FRIENDLY: It uploads & downloads tracks, waypoints & routes with Garmin's MapSource software or freeware like the excellent "G7towin" program. Easy with my windows 2000 computer.
MAP: I'm not used to having a map with nothing on it except the waypoints you save or upload. I may find this helpful. Maybe in 2 years they'll be packing high res. maps into these also!
But it's easy to upload a route into the unit & simply watch the compass arrow point you in the right direction, while showing things like total distance remaining & eta. With G7towin, it's easy to download tracks to your PC & zap them into Delorme StreetAtlas to see exactly where you were.
Menus: The menus seem well designed to quickly get to any screen or customize anything you want. The only thing I had trouble entering was "owner info.". The alphabet scrolls at a nice fast speed, but entering words & spaces I did have some confusion and backtracking to get things right.
All & all, it does want I wanted and seems to work very well. ... Read more

Features

• Remote Antenna Runs on a Lower Voltage so Battery Drain is Minimized
• Keeps Unit Secure
• Magnetic Mount for Outside of Vehicle. Suction Mount for Inside of Window

Amazon.com Product Description

There's a lot to Magellan's small, cool eXplorist 200 handheld GPS navigation device beyond its vibrant yellow exterior. Inside and out, the eXplorist is built to provide real GPS (global-positioning system) abilities for serious outdoor use--from its tough, impact-resistant, waterproof exterior to Magellan's proven, powerful, and easy-to-use technology. The eXplorist 200 rewrites the rules by proving you can spend less and actually get more.

The eXplorist 200 includes all-new Magellan TrueFix technology with a 14-parallel-channel, WAAS/EGNOS-enabled GPS receiver to provide precise position fixes within 3 meters while ensuring reliable, accurate satellite-signal acquisition and tracking. Small, lightweight and easy-to-use, anyone can pick it up and get going without studying a manual. Among its many features, the eXplorist 200 offers 3 navigation screens with track plotting to help you find the fun--then find your way back.

Explorers will appreciate Magellan's 1-button access, which takes you directly to the functions that matter most: the menu, navigation screens, personal points-of-interest, "go to" routing, and backlight. In addition, the eXplorist 200 stores up to 500 waypoints, 20 routes, and 5 track logs with up to 2,000 points each, providing ample storage even for avid navigators. The unit also supplies a built-in North American background map, which offers convenient access to roads, parks, waterways, airports, and more.

Designed for compact, fit-in-your-pocket convenience, the eXplorist receiver measures just 4.6 x 2.1 x 1.3 inches (11,7 cm x 5,4 cm x 3,3 cm) and weighs less than 4 ounces (115 g), yet still has room for a large, 2.3-inch (5.8 cm), 4-level grayscale LCD. A zoom capability and an amber backlight ensure optimum viewing, even at night.

The unit's rugged exterior is cased in a rubber-armored, impact-resistant shell that is waterproof to the rigid IPX-7 standard. The eXplorist 200 is ready for adventure in all conditions and terrain, whether you'll be hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, mountain biking, or simply finding your way around a new area. ... Read more

Features

• TrueFix technology with a 14-parallel-channel, WAAS/EGNOS-enabled GPS receiver provides precise position fixes within 3 meters
• 2.3-inch, grayscale LCD offers zoom and an amber backlight; unit's rubber-armored, impact-resistant shell is waterproof to the IPX-7 standard
• Stores up to 500 waypoints, 20 routes, and 5 track logs with up to 2,000 points each
• Built-in North American background map offers convenient access to roads, parks, waterways, airports, more
• 1-button control takes you to important functions like menu, nav screens, personal points-of-interest, "go to" routing, and backlight

Amazon.com Product Description

The the most feature-rich device in the Rino family, Garmin's Rino 130 combination 2-way FRS/GMRS radio and GPS receiver comes fully loaded with an electronic compass, a barometric sensor, a weather receiver for 7 NOAA weather channels, and 24 MB of internal memory for downloading and storing MapSource detail--including data from products like U.S. Topo 24K, U.S. Topo, Recreational Lakes, BlueChart, and MetroGuide (MapSource products sold separately).

The Rino 130 is also outfitted with a marine-point database and a basemap of North and South America. The database includes nautical navaids for North and South America. The Americas Highway basemap includes the United States, Alaska, Canada, Mexico, and Central and South America, and covers an area from W180 to W30 Longitude and S60 to N75 Latitude. Also included is a high-level worldwide map with political boundaries and major cities. Among many other included elements are oceans, rivers, and lakes (greater than 30 square miles), principal cities and many smaller cities and towns, major interstates and principal highways, and political boundaries (state and international borders).

Integration has its advantages: the Rino 130 sends and receives GPS locations using FRS channels and shows them on the map. The GPS device is a 12-channel, WAAS-enabled GPS receiver. WAAS, which stands for Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), is the global-positioning-system of choice for mariners. The handheld's built-in electronic compass give a heading while you're standing still, and its barometric altimeter provides accurate elevation and pressure readings to help you identify and analyze weather conditions.

The Rino 130 also provides two-way radio communication with a transmission range of up to two miles using FRS channels and up to five miles with GMRS (be aware that use of GMRS requires an FCC license). The integration of two-way radio and GPS lets you transmit your position with a simple button press, so others can easily navigate to your position. The Rino 130 also has a polling feature so you can manually request GPS location information from other Rino units.

You get 14 FRS channels, 8 GMRS channels, and 8 GMRS repeater channels, as well as 38 sub-audible squelch codes per transmission channel for semi-private radio communications.

The unit's ergonomic design grants single-handed operation, with its Call, Page mode, and Press-To-Talk (PTT) buttons mounted on the side, Power/Backlighting button on top, Volume and Zoom buttons on front, and a Thumb Stick positioned in the center. The thumb stick allows channel selection and volume adjustment in FRS/GMRS mode, as well as quick map panning, enter, and selection functions in GPS mode.

Other features include a backlit display (160 x 160 pixels), external voice activation (VOX), waterproof construction to IPX-7 standards (immersible in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes), storage for up to 500 waypoints with graphic identification and 20 reversible routes, 10,000 trackpoints and up to 20 saved tracks to retrace your path or a companion's path via the location-reporting feature, trip computer with speed tracking, sunrise/sunset read out, trip time, and trip distance, and multiple grid formats including MGRS and Loran TD. The Rino 130 even sends and receives short text notes for quiet communication.

The Rino 130 has a battery life of 14 hours (typical use) on 3 AA alkaline batteries (not included).

What's in the Box
Rino 130 receiver, a PC-interface cable, a wrist strap, a belt clip, a user's manual, and a quick-reference guide. ... Read more

Features

• Combination portable 2-way radio and GPS receiver with built-in electronic compass, barometric altimeter, and weather receiver
• Radio specs: 14 FRS channels for 2-mile range, 7 GMRS channels for 5-mile range, 38 subcodes per channel, hands-free VOX
• GPS specs: 12-channel, WAAS-enabled receiver, up to 500 waypoints, trip computer with speed tracking
• Beam your location to another Rino user within a 2-mile range using the FRS spectrum
• Sends and receives short text notes for quiet communication

Product Description

Door-to-door planning in the United States

The smartest portable car navigator

• USB 2.0 for faster data transfers
• Assisted Satellite Navigation allows continuous navigation, even in tunnels

• Just plug in, switch on & GO
• Simple touch-screen operation
• Clear, accurate turn-by-turn voice instructions
• Compact, portable design; easy to take from car to car
• Crystal-clear 3D graphics
• View route: review and test the calculated route before you actually start driving
• Dynamic status bar: improve readability by customizing status bar
• Tip feature: discover everything GO has to offer through useful onscreen tips
• Extensive guided tour: pick up the features even quicker and get the maximum out of your TomTom GO

• Integrated GPS antenna
• Speaks more than 30 languages in over 50 voices
• User interface: now including 18 languages
• A choice of routes: quickest, shortest or avoiding toll roads
• Itinerary planning: plan your trip by defining multiple waypoints and destinations
• Millions of points of interest
• Compass mode available: displays compass on screen to have even more orientation while driving
• Car speed linked volume: volume of voice instructions will increase/decrease depending on speed of car
• Anti-glare screen; always an optimal view, even in direct sunlight
• Improved on/off button: prevents the device to turn off by accident

• Built-in Bluetooth™ connection
• Ready for TomTom PLUS services (real time information on traffic congestions, weather conditions and extra downloads such as detailed city maps, additional voices, points of interest and much more)

Features

• Touch-Screen Operation
• Voice Instructions
• Bluetooth Connect
• SD Map Card
• Multi-lingual

Amazon.com Product Description

The GPS 72 is an affordable solution for land or marine navigation designed to provide precise GPS positioning using correction data obtained from the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS). The GPS 72 can provide position accuracy to less than three meters when receiving WAAS corrections. This rugged, waterproof, floatable GPS receiver offers a large, 4-level grayscale screen. The GPS 72 has 1 MB of memory for use with optional Garmin MapSource Point of Interest software.

Other features include:

• 500 waypoints with name and graphic symbol; 50 reversible routes
• Built-in quad helix receiving antenna
• Permanent user data storage; no memory battery required
• Water resistant, IEC-529, IPX7 (Submersible 1 meter @ 30 minutes) and floatable
• Audible alarms for anchor drag, arrival, off-course, proximity waypoint, and clock
• "Large numbers" option for easy viewing
• Trip computer provides odometer, stopped time, moving average, overall average, total time, max speed, and more
• Automatic track log; 10 saved tracks let you retrace your path in both directions
• Built-in celestial tables for best time to fish, plus sun and moon calculations

What is WAAS?
GPS receivers have an accuracy of about 15 meters, but you can get to as close as 3 meters with a WAAS-enabled receiver. WAAS stands for Wide Area Augmentation System, which is a network of satellites and ground stations (in North America) that were designed to improve the accuracy and ensure the integrity of information coming from GPS satellites. Originally implemented by the FAA for aviation use, WAAS is particularly useful for serious outdoors enthusiasts as well as for precise in-city navigation.

Power and Size
The GPS 72 uses 2 AA batteries to provide up to 16 hours of operation. It measures 2.7"W x 6.2"H x 1.2 inches and weighs 7.7 ounces without batteries.

What's In The Box
This package includes the GPS 38 receiver, wrist strap, owners manual, and quick reference guide. ... Read more

Features

• 12-channel handheld land/marine GPS receiver
• WAAS-enabled for 3-meter accuracy
• 1 MB built-in memory for points of interest storage (not map compatible)
• 500 user waypoints with name and graphic symbol; 50 reversible routes
• Floatable, waterproof to 1 meter; built-in celestial time tables for best time to fish

Reviews (7)

COMPRA DE GPS GARMIN 72
Srs. AMAZON, me dirijo a uds. para saber cuales son los pasos a seguir para ordenar la compra de 25 GPS Garmin 72, asi como el tiempo que demoraria en llegar, el precio exacto del envio y los impuestos.
Asi mismo nos interesa saber los costos de los accesorios del mismo:
- cuatro (5) PC interface cable.
- cuatro (5) licencias de MapSource.
- venticinco (25) estuches para los GPS.
- sesenta (60) pilas recargables Panasonic Ni/Cd.
- quince (15) cargadores para 4 pilas recargables.

Atentamente

Ing. Héctor Velásquez G.
CONSORCIO VCHI
Av. Larco 383 Miraflores
Lima - PERU
(511) 444-0537

an excellent GPS
I have tried a Etrex Vista, Sportmap, and a Gekko but I bought a Garmin 72. I like the 72 for use on my kayak where I can use the large screen to see my speed three feet away. This unit has been put through the ringer and it just keeps working. I don't miss the mapping at all.

Garmin GPS72
Have used the GPS72 now for 4 months. It has been a pleasure to use. The Garmin operating system is is easy to follow and the prompts make it unnecessary to carry the manual to use all of the features. So far it is waterproof as advertised as it lives in my canoes and while not fully submerged is subject to splash and spray every time it is out. Approximately 66 hours of use to data and am totally happy.

Pinpoint precision
This is a great GPS, probably the best I've ever used. I started with GPS in 1997 with the Garmin GPS 38, and three years later purchased an eTrex. I was satisfied with that, but when I heard about the added features of the 72, I went ahead and bought it to replace the eTrex. It is far more powerful than the eTrex and easier to use. The 72 makes excellent use of its dedicated zoom and menu keys. These alone make this unit quicker and easier to operate than some entry-level units. The display is of higher resolution which makes things like track lines more precise--a real problem on the eTrex, on which the track appeared as a thick black line that didn't show many meanders or fine movements. Many of the software features that the GPS 38 had, but the eTrex didn't, are included here, such as the ability to measure distance between waypoints, pan on the map page, and time-stamp marked points. The receiver in the 72 is very hot and sometimes gets you a fix within seconds. The software is apparently upgradeable and the receiver is WAAS-enabled, so it's ready for the next generation of navigation. Like most GPS units it's completely waterproof and it's worked for me under very unfavorable conditions. The third GPS I've owned and probably the last one I'll ever need to buy. Another job well done by Garmin.

Nearly perfect for non-mappers
I'm one of those rare people who decided to get a GPS not for mapping, but for additional display info while driving (in my case, speed, elevation, and navigation) and since I planned to mount it upright on the dash, it needed an antenna that would allow good reception in that position. The GPS 72 fit my profile the way I wanted things to work in every way except one...the time format available for the Navigation page, which is almost the only page I use, doesn't include seconds.

If Garmin would allow the customizable display to include the date-time format line available on the Satellite page on the Navigation page, this unit would be perfect. As it stands, I can toggle to the Satellite page if I need to know pretty easily, so otherwise, I'm good to go. I did find a Garmin unit that can do this, but I would have spent twice the money.

The unit is simple to understand out of the box even for a GPS novice like myself. The manual is laid out well and, with a bit of practice, complete functionality should be easy. The black body blends into the dash and the screen size is perfect for me. I can see myself marking Waypoints this Christmas for the best neighborhood light displays so I can find them again next year.

I like it. I like it a lot. ... Read more

Features

• Compact 12-channel GPS receiver with high-contrast display (100 x 64 pixels)
• WAAS-enabled for 3-meter accuracy
• Stores 500 waypoints and 20 routes with 125 waypoints per route
• Easy operation: five buttons for one-hand use
• 12-hour operation on 2 AAA batteries; includes serial PC interface

Reviews (13)

Just a Toy? No way!
Intrigued by Garmin's Geko 201 Personal Navigator®? It's smaller than an eTrex and dwarfed by many standard GPS units. But is the Geko a real GPS or just a toy?

First, the Geko 201 is a serious GPS receiver. It features WAAS differential correction; memory for 500 waypoints, twenty routes, a whopping 10,000 track points and ten saved tracks; and it connects to external power or to your PC for data transfer with an optional cable. It floats. The array of five buttons is easy to use. The screen is tiny, but it's not that hard to read. Menu choices allow configuration of the data screens to your liking. The back is rubberized, so you can lay it on your dashboard (where it works quite well) and not have it slide around. Using only two AAA batteries, the unit is light as well as small enough to fit in a shirt pocket (but the limited power supply may be an issue for some as explained below). The Geko also has four built-in arcade games, a novelty to emphasize that GPS can be fun.

The Geko doesn't show base maps but is adept at recording points and lines (keeping track of where you've been, locations you want to remember and where you'd like to go). If you want a GPS unit to use primarily for hiking or recording locations, the absence of base maps isn't that significant. Fact is that the base maps in many GPS units don't provide enough detail to be of much use at a close-in scale unless you can download more features from a CD. If you need map detail, a Geko easily connects to a PDA or laptop computer to display your location in navigation programs or even projected on aerial photos.

The Geko utilizes a built-in "patch" antenna (a square plate inside the unit, located under the lizard logo). I found the antenna remarkably sensitive when the unit is held correctly. It works best in a horizontal orientation, the top edge of the unit pointed to the horizon. That way the antenna can look up to the sky. Hang it around your neck on a lanyard, though, and the reception will drop. (Note: Unlike receivers with a patch antenna, GPS units like the Garmin 72 and 76 series using a quadrifilar helix antenna should be operated with the top edge pointed skyward.)

As an experiment, I took both a big Garmin GPSMAP 76S and the Geko 201 on a hike through a forest area. I wanted to see if the Geko could perform as well and hold a track in a wooded situation. After the hike I downloaded the data with a freeware mapping program (USAPhotoMaps) to overlay the GPS tracks on a TerraServer aerial photo. That's the best way to visualize where you've been. To my surprise the tracks and waypoints recorded by the two units were nearly identical. The Geko had no problem holding a signal in the test, even while I walked through a crowded pine plantation.

On the downside, Geko's rather feeble power supply - two AAA batteries - disappoints me. Garmin claims that two AAA alkaline batteries can last up to twelve hours (on battery saver mode). For economy, however, I use NiMH rechargeable batteries. I know that NiMH power cells don't last as long as alkaline, but the duration was far shorter than I expected - only 40 minutes set on standard mode in 32° F March weather. At 60° F (~16° C) the Geko ran just two hours on fresh NiMH batteries. It operated five and a half hours in battery saver mode with NiMH batteries on the warm dashboard of my car. It's also peculiar that the Geko manual extols lithium batteries for cold weather use and long life when nobody manufactures AAA lithium batteries. Only AA-cell batteries from Energizer are available in a lithium formulation. They can operate to -40°F and last four times longer than alkaline batteries, but sadly do not fit a Geko.

Although you may rely on a more complex GPS for serious tasks, having a miniature Geko tucked in your pocket or bag could be handy. If you toss the Geko to your kids in the back seat to play arcade games en route to your destination, however, the batteries could be dead by the time you arrive. You might prefer a recreational GPS unit using AA batteries for extended outdoor activities, but a Geko is a good buy for educational, casual or backup use.

Excellent (and tiny) GPS
This little GPS, while not having any removeable memory nor a large bank of memory, does VERY well with what it does have. It easily stored a 6 hour hike in it's memory, with less than half the memory used. For street mapping, it has a connection for a computer -- And coupled with Delorme Street Atlas USA, is a high-end solution for in car navigation. (Requires the cables and a serial/USB converter, which are reasonably priced and excellently assembled at the pfranc project.) The eTrex cable/converter is the same for this Geko.

The battery life isn't really a negative -- ten to twelve hours of operation is just fine, and you can replace low batteries without losing information, so nothing is hurting there. Overall, the price for this unit makes this unit an excellent purchase. Only complaint is that the color is a bit ugly -- And the stretch holster offered by Garmin doesn't do anything for its appearance either.

Excellent!
I bought the Geko 201 as a replacement for my very old Magellen Blazer 12. The difference is night and day.

Although both had parallel processing, the Geko picks up signals much faster. From a cold, fresh-out-of-the-box start, it took the Geko less than a minute to figure out where it was. The Blazer 12 took about 10 minutes even when given hints.

The screens are simple and extremely useful. Even with my very bad eyesight, the display was very readable. The buttons make sense, no manual necessary.

A few people have mentioned a "flaw" with the power button. I have carried this Geko around for almost two months, keeping it in my pocket almost every day. The unit has NEVER come on by accident. The power button is recessed and takes a good push to get it going.

As a hiker and backpacker, my power usage might be less demanding than others. I find that the battery lasts about 8-9 hours on battery save mode. This mode even works well in forests. The only time the Geko is kept powered on is if I'm mapping a trail. Otherwise, it is used for waypoints and position checks only.

The lack of displayed maps is irrelevent as I have yet to see a GPS with enough detail to be worth it. I have linked the Geko to DeLorme's Topo 5 with excellent results. Routes, tracks, waypoints can all be moved freely back and forth. This is great for mapping new trails or discovering hard-to-find trailheads. The memory is more than enough, I've never gotten past 12% full after a weekend jaunt.

Of course, the size is amazing. The color is also nice as I can actually find it! This is an excellent buy and a great choice for those who want GPS served up straight, stripped of all the annoying "features" of other units. I just purchased a second 201 for my hiking friend, she loves hers as much as I do!

Good product in need of small improvement
Very good, lightweight GPS system, ideal for hiking/mountain etc.
However 3 cheap improvements would be advisable:
1. The accidental ON/OFF is a real issue. My own trick is to install one of the batteries the wrong way in order to give zero voltage and protect against accidental switching on. The designer could easily have set up a system like on mobile phones. Already got twice out of power because of accidental switch on!
2. Real autonomy with alkaline is 6 hours - far too short for my use. Current AAA NiMH rechargeables are 800mAh while one can find AA rechargeables at 2000mAh. AA Alkalines can be found in nearly any village in any country, not AAA. I would fancy an accessory allowing external power supply with bigger batteries (ideally 4 AA size) or connection to a solar panel for long expeditions.
3. Would be nice if it had a loop for a carrying strap (like on any camera).
If nothing is available soon I will make an external battery power supply myself.
Jean

Great intro to GPS but be careful ordering accessories
This is my first GPS unit to own. I bought it for one specific task (to measure distances on my jogging routes) and for the general purpose of learning and using a GPS. It's simple to use, easy to carry running, and I'm completely satisfied with the unit. I also want to connect it to my laptop (that's why I got a 201 instead of a 101). So I also got the PC acessory cable that the amazon website suggests, but it is made for a different model series and does not connect to the geko 201. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

The Magellan Meridian Color GPS receiver is just as at home navigating the highways and byways in your car as it is tracking through your favorite mountain trails. This top-of-the line GPS device features a preloaded 16 MB map database of North America, which can be augmented by detailed maps from optional CD-ROMs via the Secure Digital memory card slot. It also offers easy-to-read navigation screens, good-sized buttons and a thumb directional pad on the front, and WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation Service) for 3-meter accuracy.

Compared to Magellan's Sportrak line, the Meridian is bulkier both in weight (8.5 ounces with batteries compared to the Sportrak's 6.1 ounces) and overall dimensions--6.5 x 2.9 x 1.2 inches (W x H x D)--making it not quite as pocketable (unless you have cargo pants).

The bright color screen measures 2.2 x 1.75 inches and has a decent 160 x 120 pixel resolution with 16 colors. Compared with the staid monochrome screens of most GPS devices, the icons and mapping detail literally jumps off the screen. We found it to be nicely readable in the car and in most outside conditions, though it wasn't at its best in direct sunlight. As with cell phones in the car, you will have to be wary with your usage. The Meridian Color can be a bit distracting while you're driving as you have to read the screen for turning instructions (though there are audible prompts) rather than hear a voice providing directions (a feature of the Magellan Roadmate).

With a selected map region loaded into the memory (such as from the Mapsend DirectRoute CD-ROM), simply press the Goto button and select either a new or previously loaded waypoint or a point of interest (such as an airport or sports arena) to navigate to via a street route. After a bit of calculating, we were presented with a turn-by-turn journey that we could follow while driving. As we neared each turn, the Meridian Color emitted a set of beeps to warn us (which elevated to an urgent beeping when we were right on top of the turn). We used this to plot a course to Seattle's Space Needle, and it produced acceptable results (though, if you're familiar with the terrain, you may know better shortcuts). If you turn off the Meridian while following a route (say if you take a coffee break), you can return right back to it once you turn the device back on.

Magellan's Meridian series offers Secure Digital (SD) memory card expandability, which is a bonus for adding a large amount of map data (especially for long trips). However, we were disappointed at its placement within the device behind the batteries rather than an external slot. This won't be a problem for most users, but it will be annoying if you've got a number of maps spread across several cards.

We experienced good battery life during our test (Magellan boasts 13 hours of continuous use with 2 AA batteries). If you do plan on using it a lot in your vehicle, we recommend either purchasing the optional cigarette lighter power cable or using NiMH rechargeable batteries (which provide a typically longer battery duration as well as minimized cost in the long run).

Overall, we were pleased with this portable hybrid car/outdoor GPS receiver. The Meridian's color screen definitely helps with quickly viewing details while out hiking or mountain-biking, while the driving navigation features were indeed helpful in unknown locales. However, if you do plan on using your GPS primarily in your car, you should think about moving up to either Magellan's Meridian Color Traveler (which includes a street map CD-ROM, vehicle mounting bracket, and power adapter) or the Magellan Roadmate (with voice instruction). --Agen G.N. Schmitz

Pros:

• Color LCD is very readable--routes and icons pop off the screen
• Controls well laid out, navigation screens are intuitive (especially for new users)
• Optional mapping software is easy to use and transfer

• SD memory card slot not easily accessible
• We recommend a power adapter or NiMH batteries for extended car use

Features

• Full-color 120 x 160 pixel display; backlit for easy night-time use
• Uses WAAS technology for accuracy to within 3 meters or better
• 16 MB of built-in memory includes mapping of North America and unlimited expandability
• Rubber armored construction is impact resistant and waterproof
• Runs for up to 13 hours on 2 AA batteries; includes USB interface with cable

Reviews (12)

Feature rich, quality unit, color screen is a miss
I have used a downloaded mapping GPS since 1998 and use it extensively.

The pluses on the Meridian Color are: SD memory cards - I can finally carry the maps I need, uses only 2 AA batteries, well built and waterproof, searchable addresses, extensive points of interest, maps of Canada and parts of Europe, programmable navigation menus. I use a USB 2.0 SD card reader and a 256MB SD card and can quickly download 64 MB maps. Multiple maps can be stored on the SD card up to your storage limit. Using a card reader the map creation and storage process is done in a couple of minutes.

The misses: the color screen is not a helpful as I expected, in daytime use the screen is very dark and hard to see even with the backlight on draining the batteries quickly, still needs better waypoint management, the Topo maps are not a useful as I expected.

Good unit, but I would probably have been better off with the Meridian Gold due to the Color unit's hard to see screen.

Better than car-installed navigation systems
All the power of a car-installed navgiational system, but portable! Incredibly easy user interface. Display as many, or as few information screens as suits your needs. Color display is appealing to the eyes, but it's the functionality of this devise that makes it a must have.

Accessories available include carrying case, bicycle/auto mounts, additional memory, mapping software, all readily available. The unit is waterproof and floats which is a great feature if you're planning to use it while boating. Pocket size and lightweight makes it practical to carry with you anywhere.

Waited a long time to buy myself one of these units, and glad I am that I waited. The Meridian color is Magellan's flagship handheld GPS unit. You won't be disappointed. Highly recommended.

Warning: Product does NOT meet specifications
When I first got the unit, I loved it. It appeared accurate, though it took a long time to acquire satellites at times. In fact, many times my Delorme Earthmate would acquire within 15 seconds, and the Meridian would take several minutes (while moving in a car sitting on the dash). The ability to use SD/MMC cards and load maps onto the unit was great for general usage. I used Magellan GPS for everything, from hiking, kayaking, driving, to boating.

HOWEVER, the specs say that the unit is IPX7 compliant, which means accidental submersion underwater for up to 30 minutes in 1 meter of water. I was in a kayak, got hit by a wave with the Meridian in my pocket, and was in less than 1 meter of water for less than 15 seconds, and water made it's way into the unit.

I sent Magellan/Thales navigation an email and gave them a call but was not given much help, even though I own multiple Magellan products (including the GPS companion, etc...). They noted that I could have it serviced for $150, which is what an new unit cost (this was not the platinum edition, but it is the same form factor and same case). All customer service would tell me is that sometimes water may enter through the keypad area. Well, if water enters through the keypad area, how can they advertise that it is IPX7 compliant?

I may be an isolated incident. However, with the customer service I received, I don't think I would ever buy another Magellan product, and will probably get rid of the rest of my Magellan products. I think the product design, features, usability, and intuitiveness is great, just the product does not perform up to expectations or promise. I would also consider customer service as well.

Meridian COLOR vs. PLATINUM
Display:
The COLOR has no-light/dim/bright, as does the PLATINUM. But the COLOR it is only usable with bright lights in daylight and dim during nighttime, with no lights you don't see anything. The Platinum w/o light has still an acceptable display and runs for about 8 hrs, the COLOR on bright runs slightly over 4 hrs (1.850 mAh).

Functionality:
The colored display is very helpful together with Topo Send. You can easily distinguish between different graphics by the color; like arroyos and dirt-roads, specially marked arreas and lakes, etc.
What is missing on the COLOR compared to the PLATINUM is the baro, thermo and the build in electronic compass (not gps dependent). I thermo and baro I found fun to play around with but never really found a serious application. The compass needs constant alignment and is often considerably off. For all those applications there is way better stuff out there.
The COLOR has the better software wich might be due to the fact that I downloaded the latest software to it (v. 5.12). After v. 5.xx there is supposed to be a street navigation function to it, which I haven't found yet- maybe only works with MapStreets.

Durability:
As I pointed out in my earlier review on the PLATINUM this unit is extremely rugged and highly reliable in the field. I figure so will be the COLOR.

Deficiencies:
The backtrack function is higly deficient. When you wanna walk back you have to hit every single point this function created on the way back. Often you don't do that because you do a shortcut. Neither one of those units does allow you to bypass one single point and from now it desperatly points back to the one point you might have missed by a couple of feets.

Map-Download:
has certain limitations which are discussed in some other reviews on this side. Even with the latest software I was only able to download 3 regions to one map, but 4 maps alltogether with a total of 120mb over my PDA (Card-Reader might be even better) by doing the following:

1. Without connecting your Meridian to a PC, begin the map Upload process (click Regions; then Upload to GPS).
2. When the map data conversion process is done, MapSend will display a message that it cannot find your GPS receiver to perform the download.
3. Stop the process here by selecting "Cancel".
4. Using Windows Explorer, go to Program Files/Magellan/MapSend/Export and locate the file called "maps.img".
5. Copy this file to the SD card using USB card reader. Do not create any folders within the SD card where you place this file. Your Meridian will always looks at the top, or "Root" level within the card.
6. Rename the file "XXXXXX.img" - Example (SO California.img).
7. Remove the card and place it in your Meridian. You can use your Meridian as you would normally from here. (If you have at least software version 3.12 loaded on your Meridian, you will be able to select a map image to use from the Card Utilities menu - Press MENU to find Card Utilities)

Verdict:

I do recommend both units, but do personally prefer the COLOR for its more consise display even considering the extra functions on the PLATINUM. Because of certain flaws in the software I give both a 4 out of 5.

A wonderful GPS worked great!
Just returned from a trip to Europe, and I have to say this GPS is stellar. I read some of the other comments below and let me offer some advice that clears up some of the problems.

The backlight is adjustable, there is Bright, Dim, and Off. You change from one to the other by holding the power key down for a few seconds.

There is a work around for the maps. I was able to download all of german, netherlands, italy, most of poland etc. You need an SD card programmer to do it, and either 128 mb or 64 mb cards. I needed 192mb total to store what I wanted. Each "Region" that you want to store has to be under 16mb. You can store up to 4 regions in a "Map". You can store as many maps as you want to the SD card, but you will need to rename them from "Region00." to "Region01", "Region02", etc. In this way you are able to store multiple 64 mb "Maps". You can change which map you are using by going to card utilities->select map. Waypoints and routes are stored in the GPS, so they will be sticky if you switch cards.

Using this method you can download all the maps you could possibly need during your trip, and not have to lug a laptop or any software around with you, maybe a couple of postage-stamp sized sd cards. Also note that you'll want to load at least 16mb of the European basemap onto each sd card if you will be using it in europe.

Be sure to format your SD cards before using them!

I think the unit would work with 512mb sd cards, but I don't have a 512mb card to test with.

Another important note is that magellan is releasing Turn-By-Turn software for this GPS this Month! It will retail @ 149.99 and if you do a cost comparison between the magellan and the garmin software, the magellan will now work out cheaper AND provide turn by turn routing with voice prompting (This is just a fantastic software upgrade, I can't believe it can be done without buying a new GPS. I will have to see how well it works when I receive my copy however.).

Some items that keep this from getting 5 stars:

Non-intuitive user interface for loading multiple maps (workaround described above)

Battery life - I went thru about 4 2100 maH AA batteries a day. I had the backlight auto-off set at two minutes, but wanted the gps on all the time to get accurate routing. I remember by GPS V goes for a couple days on one set of batteries, although it uses 4 batteries instead of two.

No compass - this makes it kind of tricky to navigate if you're walking. The directional arrow is frequently inaccurate, so you have to cross check the street that you are on. I'd love to see a screw on magnetic compass attachment for this unit. The sport-trak color has the compass, but only allows 10 or so MB of built in maps.

No built in auto routing - was kind of dismayed to find it didn't have this originally, but with the promised software upgrade, it should be good. I do feel that this should be built into the unit, as a I think every user out there would want it. $150 is a bit much to pay for software that should really be included with the unit.

Annoying alarm when battery reaches critical - There are some times that you don't want to advertise that you are carrying around an expensive device, and having the alarm go off in the middle of a subway or something could be dangerous. Didn't fully investigate if this can be turned off.

Difficult to tell which button you're pushing if it's in your pocket - a little bump on the power and enter buttons would help for unseen operation.

External connector is slow to connect disconnect - you have to turn a screw to connect the external car power or PC interface cables, which takes 60 seconds or so, maybe 30 when you get good. Very difficult to accomplish while driving.

Annoying alarm when external power lost in car - my car connector kept turning off when bumped with the hand, and then this alarm would go off. A single beep would suffice guys!

External power should turn off backlight saver automatically e.g. the backlight should stay on. (or better yet, seperate backlight saver mode for battery and external power). Ditto the auto-off functions although I wasn't using those.

Display - the display was pretty good, and the color definitely helps to clear up the map. Street names are a bit difficult to read and certain zoom levels, the detail level/zoom level threshoulds might need a bit of adjustment.

Antenna - Definitely works better when the gps top is pointed up. This is only my second GPS but it seemed a little less sensitive then my GPS V is.

Cursor - cursor didn't track correctly when entering in a street name where the second word of the street name caused it to wrap to the second line; the cursor remained on a blank square - annoying, no big deal.

German streets - geez, the first 17 characters are the same, can someone figure out how to do the UI so it is easier to get to the right street? I think using the up/down arrows to scroll thru the possible repeat characters would be much easier then the current methods. ... Read more

Features

• Pocket-sized vehicle GPS navigator with 3.5-inch touchscreen QVGA display
• 32 MB of flash memory with SD/MMC expansion slot for memory card
• SmartST software offers voice guidance, address-to-address routing, and zip code searching
• CD-ROM includes maps for U.S. and Canada, including Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, and Guam
• Includes USB interface and cable for PC connection

Amazon.com Product Description

Palm-size, lightweight, and waterproof, Garmin's eTrex Summit is a 12-channel handheld global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver. The Summit's easy-to-use menu lets you create and view waypoints, save and view track logs, calibrate the compass and altimeter, and access setup features, among others. Its trip and elevation computers calculate a range of data including direction of movement; total and average ascent and descent; current, average and maximum speeds; trip odometer--and much more. The five user buttons located on the unit's sides allow for simple single-handed operation. The eTrex Summit offers a total of20 routes to be stored, an improvement over the single route that the eTrex base model stores, as well as almost 1500 more track log points more than the entry level eTrex. Additionally the Summit offers the super useful compass and altimeter built in making it perfect to aid in traditional map and compass reading. If you plan on keeping track of every tree in the forrest then the eTrex Legend with 8MB of memory and 1,000 waypoints might be right for you.

Even in dense cloud cover or bad weather, the Summit maintains its lock on available satellites. Garmin's TracBack feature reverses your track log, helping you navigate your way back. Its graphical user interface quickly and easily identifies your marked waypoints--up to 500.

During normal operation, the Summit runs for up to 16 hours on two AA batteries and up to 22 hours when in battery-save mode. It has a built-in antenna and an external power/data connector.

The eTrex Summit comes with a one-year warranty, and Garmin's Web site offers numerous online informational resources and FAQs. ... Read more

Features

• Palm-size global positioning system (GPS) pinpoints location anytime, anywhere--regardless of cloud cover or weather
• Automatic track log with two-way navigation; stores 10 custom tracks
• Navigates up to 50 waypoints in sequence with animated graphical interface
• Waterproof case; adjustable, backlit LCD; battery-save feature
• Compatible with optional Garmin MapSource software for downloading trip and waypoint data (not map compatible)

Reviews (13)

Little to offer over the GPS 12
I really love my Garim GPS 12. It is easy to use and move between screens and features. The Summit is not as easy to use. It is not as convenient to identify way points, does not work with mapping software and its display is to simple. It was not a step up but sideways. I use it in conjunction with my GPS 12 mostly just to keep the track log.

Accurate, fast and small
I have several GPS for different uses. The most professional one is a Raytheon Chartplotter 630 on my motoryacht. The E-Trex Summit I bought to use for trekking and to mark the GPS location on dive trips with dive operators. They are VERY reluctant to reveal the GPS dive location. I found no difference in accuracy to other GPS. What is completely amazing is the sync time until all satellites are mapped and its ability to work by partly covered satellite horizons. The E-trex Summit syncs in about 15-30 seconds for normal use. The larger units all need 5-15 minutes!!! I have already ordered another one as backup for my boat. Two AA batteries or NiMh cells will run for more than 24 hours. The GPS III+ needs 4-5 times the batteries! The digital compass and barometric pressure/level display are very practical features and very accurate. This is not just a toy.

Great!
I use it when I go sking, so I see how fast I can go, I use it for biking, so I can tell how far I have gone. I can be in the middle of my two story house and still get a signal (It takes about 10 minutes though) Outside it will pick up a signal in under 30secconds. Its Great!

Pro-Easy to use
-Lots of info
-Can be used for rec/work
-Very accurate

Con-Sucks up batteries fast

Great GPS, less accurate than I would like
This GPS is a great help for any kind of GPS work you would need to do that didn't require you to be any closer than about 20 feet. Within 20 feet is is inprecise.

I've found that the altimeter needs regular calibration to be accurate as well.

Too bad it doesn't come standard with an A/C adapter. You'd think with all the money you're paying the least you would get is an A/C adapter!

Altitude profile doesn't download
I've checked this GPS out in the toughest test and I guess you get what you pay for, this model can display the profile for up to 25 miles on the screen , but when you download the data the profile is very hard to re create on the PC, I've tried using several kinds of download software and then Harvard Graphics or excel , with the same result, a horizontal scale problem.

Every check I have made on its accuracy shows no problem , just this end of the line processing, perhaps I'm the only user trying to print off the profile ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Traveling with your laptop on business or vacation? Garmin's GPS 18 global-positioning sensor is a simple, convenient, and inexpensive way to turn your PC laptop into a personal navigator. The GPS sensor is bundled with nRoute and City Select navigation software that automatically guides you with turn-by-turn directions and voice prompts to get you safely to your destination.

Similar to Garmin's MapSource software, nRoute features an easy-to-use interface, making its operation intuitive so you can focus on driving. It offers auto-routing and voice-prompting capabilities for virtually any address.

The GPS 18 package also includes City Select North America map data with detailed maps of the United States and select cities in Canada. This data is fully unlocked, and map detail includes highways, interstates, business roads, and residential roads, with turn restrictions, speed categories, and other navigation features. Its more than 5 million points of interest include restaurants, lodging, attractions, shopping, emergency services, post offices, among others.

The GPS 18 includes a 12-parallel-channel, WAAS-enabled sensor/receiver just 2.4 inches in diameter with an integrated magnetic base. The receiver connects to your PC via a USB interface, high-speed 2.0 with USB 1.1 compatibility, and it's powered via your computer so you'll never have to change batteries.

What's in the Box
GPS 18 sensor with USB connection, integrated magnetic base, automotive windshield mount, nRoute with City Select North America map data (full unlock), owner's manual, and a quick-start guide. ... Read more

Features

• A simple, convenient, and inexpensive way to turn your PC laptop into a personal navigator
• GPS sensor bundled with nRoute and City Select navigation software that automatically guides you with turn-by-turn directions and voice prompts
• 12-parallel-channel, WAAS-enabled sensor/receiver just 2.4 inches in diameter with an integrated magnetic base
• Connects to your PC via USB 2.0 interface (USB 1.1 compatible)
• Waterproof to withstand immersion in 1 meter of water for 30 minutes

Amazon.com Product Description

Garmin's Foretrex 101 wrist-mounted WAAS-enabled GPS unit is the perfect navigational tool for a wide variety of outdoors enthusaists, from mountain bikers and hikers to kayakers. It's got all the features of the Foretrex 201, but it runs on 2 AAA batteries instead of a rechargeable lithium-ion battery.Its six dedicated buttons (GoTo, Page, Enter/Mark, Up, Down and Power) make it easy to operate. It offers the most essential navigation data--enhanced GPS accuracy, extensive storage for waypoints, and reversible routes and tracks -- on an easy-to-read display. With the help of Garmin's exclusive TracBack technology, hikers can mark a campsite, go trekking all day, and follow the electronic "breadcrumb trail" back to camp in time for dinner. Because it's waterproof, the Foretrex 101 is a natural companion on watersport adventures like kayaking, canoeing, boating and sailing. It includes a sailboat racing timer, which enables you to configure the countdown sequence prior to the start of the race and utilize the GPS location to be in the best possible tacking position when the race begins.

The WAAS difference

100 meters: Accuracy of the original GPS system, which was subject to accuracy degradation under the government-imposed Selective Availability (SA) program. 15 meters: Typical GPS position accuracy without SA. 3-5 meters: Typical differential GPS (DGPS) position accuracy. Less than 3 meters: Typical WAAS position accuracy.

WAAS is a system of satellites and ground stations that provide GPS signal corrections, giving you even better position accuracy. How much better? Try an average of up to five times better. A WAAS-capable receiver can give you a position accuracy of better than three meters 95 percent of the time. And you don't have to purchase additional receiving equipment or pay service fees to utilize WAAS.

How it Works
WAAS consists of approximately 25 ground reference stations positioned across the United States that monitor GPS satellite data. Two master stations, located on either coast, collect data from the reference stations and create a GPS correction message. This correction accounts for GPS satellite orbit and clock drift plus signal delays caused by the atmosphere and ionosphere. The corrected differential message is then broadcast through one of two geostationary satellites, or satellites with a fixed position over the equator. The information is compatible with the basic GPS signal structure, which means any WAAS-enabled GPS receiver can read the signal.

Who benefits from WAAS?
Currently, WAAS satellite coverage is only available in North America. There are no ground reference stations in South America, so even though GPS users there can receive WAAS, the signal has not been corrected and thus would not improve the accuracy of their unit. For some users in the U.S., the position of the satellites over the equator makes it difficult to receive the signals when trees or mountains obstruct the view of the horizon. WAAS signal reception is ideal for open land and marine applications. WAAS provides extended coverage both inland and offshore compared to the land-based DGPS (differential GPS) system. Another benefit of WAAS is that it does not require additional receiving equipment, while DGPS does.

What's in the Box
GPSMAP 60C, PC/USB cable, lanyard, belt clip, manual and a one year warranty.

What's in the Box
Garmin Foretrex 101 GPS unit, wrist strap, expandable strap, and printed quick start guide and owners manual. ... Read more

Features

• Wrist-mounted GPS unit for outdoor navigation
• TracBack technology retraces hiking route for return to campsite
• 12 parallel channels; WAAS-enabled
• WAAS satellite coverage accurate to within 3 meters
• Easy-to-read display; runs on 2 AAA batteries; includes serial PC interface

Reviews (2)

Error in Amazon's Product description
The Garmin Foretrex 101 uses 2 AAA batteries, not 2 AA batteries as described in Amazon's product description.

A remarkable small device
I've been waiting for this to become available as a gift for my wife, an inveterate walker, but now I may have to buy another. I've been "testing" this wondrous gadget today--this is my first experience with any GPS--and am finding it to be both useful and remarkably easy to use. The unit is small enough to not get in the way while worn on the wrist/forearm, yet the screen is large enough and the display clear enough to use while on the move. I don't seem to be experiencing any difficulty getting GPS signal (I've set it for WAAS), and I've been having a great time driving back and forth over and across my trail all day.

Pros:
Clear, informative and responsive GPS!
Small and lightweight unit
Clear display
Easy to use pages and menus
Uses any AAA battery, alkaline or rechargeable

Cons:
The 101 does not come with a PC-connection cable, but even if it did, 9-pin Serial?! Ummmm... Has Garmin heard of USB?
Also, no hint of any sort of PC software is given in any of the documentation, so if I were to connect it via a serial port, what would I do with it? ... Read more