Garmin StreetPilot i3 Portable GPS Navigator
Like the other review I have'nt had the time to do alot of testing......But it sure looks good!!!!I was going to buy thr c-340 which tells you the street name...But!!!!400 bucks more....I will do with the voice prompts alone....I did order the Garmin antenna today....Because certain states will ticket you for blocking windshield + I want to keep out of sight...You can buy more memory...You can double.....Buy from Amazon not Garmin...Don't know how much you can add???Gotta check book.....Just need.ny.nj.conn.ma..Hope it's enough..
I received this unit yesterday and have played with it for a few hours. Prior to this unit I have used a Magellan Sportrack for Geocaching and for my car I have used my Dell Axim pocket PC with Ostia mapping software which is terrible, and more recently I have been using Microsoft Streets and Trips 2005 on my laptop. Streets and Trips is excellent however it does not have voice prompts for turn-by-turn directions and viewing a laptop while you are trying to drive can be tough.
This Garmin I3 has excellent routing capability, very similar to MS Streets and Trips and has plenty of points of interests( POI). The screen is small but it is readable in both daylight and night. The suction mount holds very well on the windshield.
The voice prompts are loud and clear.
There is not much detail shown on the screen because of it's size, such as some street names and no POI's. The map will zoom in more as you are nearing your turn and the voice prompt's will tell you you need to turn in .5 to .3 miles and 400 to 500 ft before the turn.
On the display is also shown the distance to your next turn and an estimated arrival time to your destination. The unit will automatically re-route if you take a wrong turn.
Satellite acquisition time is pretty quick, and the manual states that you should keep batteries in it so that it will find satellites faster. The unit also comes with a cigarette lighter adapter. I do not think that the unit will recharge batteries though, and the battery level indicator is located on the "where to" screen only.
The only controls are a scroll wheel that doubles as a button and a back button and a power button. It is fairly simple to use and easy to figure out.
The included 128mb transflash card is more than adequate for my needs, I fit all of NJ, NY and PA and still had plenty of room.
You can store places in your favorites by adding them in your address screen, or you can store your current position simply by pressing and holding the scroll wheel button in.
Some cons to this unit is that it does not show the total distance of your trips, it just shows distance to the next turn.
If you want to add a stop on your destination it only allows 1 via point, after you visit that point you have to add your next via point. As I mentioned before there isn't too much detail on the screen but it does show you where you need to go.
I would highly recommend this unit above a pocket pc navigation, at least with Ostia software anyway.
For the price of this unit you really can't complain about the cons. This is a simple GPS unit that does what it is supposed to do, get you from point A to point B.
********update 6/15/06***********
Nearly a year and I still love this thing - navigation works great. Now that I am an experienced user I want a fancier touch screen, the scroll wheel is a pain in the neck. I also want a unit that you can put in multi-routes, like if you want to go to garage sales you can put in all the addresses and let the unit decide the best route. However, I will keep this unit longer before I thrown down a few hundred more for an advanced model.
I still haven't found the need to get a larger memory card, I've driven in New Jersey, New York state, Pennsylvania and Washington DC, and Connecticut.
[...]
My requirements were fairly simple; a GPS that was small enough to fit into a laptop bag with limited space and an integrated speaker. There isn't a lot of real estate in my bag and I am not planning on growing my case. I rent a lot of cars and get a lot of windshield time with my job, so I am constantly spending money on Nav systems in the rental cars. I was seriously considering the Quest 2, but didn't want to drop $600 for the small package (even Quest 1 will run close to $400). I also don't like the external speaker. I picked up the i3 as soon as it was available; what a great purchase! Navigation is great and for the most part has been dead on. Like the other reviewer, I wish text to speech was available for street names, etc, but maybe we can hope for this feature in an update from Garmin at a later date? (hint, hint) The mount and charger fit nicely in my laptop bag. Goodbye Hertz Neverlost! If you are looking for a full featured GPS in a small package, this is the unit for you. I purchased a 256MB transflash card with the unit and can fit all of the Northeast, Northern CA, and GA; perfectly acceptable for my travel habits and since it is always with the laptop, loading new maps is no problem at all. Great value compared to other small units.
Cheap, fast, and, most of all, compact. It's so compact that in our situation we're able to attach it in the dead space above the rearview mirror. In our minivan, that area is dark to help prevent glare and yet the i3 picks up the satellite signals through the coatings.
Reasonably accurate directions in almost every case, so far. Occasionally, it seems to recommend some inefficient turning, but it recalculates very quickly if you chose to ignore it.
The 128 MB on board seems to be enough space to store detailed maps for Calfornia, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Wyoming, and Idaho with with the complete set of businesses, schools, theaters, restaurants, ATMs, etc. in that area.
Very easy to use interface. With only minimal controls, you're able to navigate through it's features quiet quickly.
The only feature I would want to add would be a text-to-voice feature that would be able to say "Turn left on Main Street" instead of the more generic "Turn left in 400 feet." They're just now releasing that feature on their c300 series so, maybe in a year, they'll provide it on an "i4". I'd upgrade immediately if they do.
[Dec 2006] Revision
Ultimately, I'd probably want to downgrade this to only 4 stars. We ended up returning this and sticking with the Nuvi 350. Several big advantages for that unit: touch screen, bigger screen, stores flat, and, has text-to-speech so that it announces the street names not just "Turn left in 300 feet" sort of thing.
I am very pleased with the Garmin StreetPilot i3 Vehicle Navigation GPS System. I spent a lot of time reading reviews and product descriptions and decided to try this unit even though at the time no reviews were available. I liked the small size and the simple way the user interface was laid out with just a scroll wheel and one button.
This GPS is very easy to use and has worked seamlessly for me. I am moving from NJ to Ohio and I was able to load all of the states from NJ & NY to Indiana and more with the memory that came with the unit. I have used it in NJ and Ohio and it works very well in both places. In Ohio I did not know where anything was and it helped me to find various points of interest which was a plus. This include items like the National Rentals return location for rental cars as opposed to the pick up location for rental cars at the Cleveland Airport. The recalculate feature is great and automatic once you drive past a turn. I would highly recommend this GPS for anyone who does not want to spend $400 to $1000 on the others out there. It travels well in a laptop bag and does not block vision on the windshield. The text to speech feature found on other GPS units is nice but not worth the additional money required on units that have it. The size also makes it perfect for smaller cars. I also searched for the best price and found that Amazon had the best with free shipping.
It has a map feature that allows you to drive with just that on and it makes it easy to see streets before you actually get to them. This is especially helpful at night and in areas that you are unfamiliar. It has a memory that remembers recent trips so you can easily access them without entering all the information again. The "My Favorites" feature is nice too for storing popular places.
I have seen other GPS units and have looked at the more expensive Garmin GPS units that have received high ratings. But for my money you can't beat this small, easy to use, device.
A superb product. Very easy to use and Garmin's software updates, available directly from their website (with email notification of subsequent updates if you wish) has overcome the early problems of the screen locking-up etc that I saw in early reviews. The screen looks small, too small, but don't be fooled. In use it is very clear and the spoken directions are loud, clear and concise. Speed camera listings etc can be downloaded from the web, for free, along with loads of other points of interest listings too. This is a great package and takes the angst out of route planning, particularly in urban environments. Strongly recommended by a short-sighted, difficult-to-please son of a gun!
Sadly I didn't get the i3 for myself, but rather for my extremely directionally challenged girlfriend. After scouring the internet for different options I finally found the i3.
When I first got the unit I was surprised with the small size and had no idea how powerful this GPS unit was. Everything on the unit was very easy to use including setup, downloading maps and "navigating" through the menus. I have used a friends ~$1000 Magellan Roadmate on a recent road trip and honestly I did not find the Roadmate that much more useful, rather just a larger screen and no need to download maps (on DVD). The i3 only allows you to download a few states (we got 6) but 99% of my girlfriend's trips are around 5 states, so for most people that shouldn't be an issue.
The screen size was another thing I thought would be an issue but the well designed graphical layout of content allows information to be easily seen and comprehended. The menus are nicely laid out and easy to find adjustments with a lot of customizable features, a lot easier than the Magellan I used.
Some of the negatives include; some of the POI's seem to be a few years old so locations have changed, there has been an address it couldn't find and wouldn't let me map to, and the inability to input locations through your computer and save as destinations on the unit.
Overall this product has surpassed my girlfriend's and I expectations and best of all, I no longer receive the frequent "Honey!.... I'm lost!!!!.." phone calls at work.
I've played with a friend's Garmin c320 and was impressed but I actually needed a smaller, simpler GPS for my small car. The differnces are significant, but I'll live: no multiple voices, smaller no-touch screen, more expensive microflash card.
However, they use the same map data, POI's, and menus. The roller wheel works well but of course is dangerous to use while driving. The unit turns on and off automatically with vehicle power. The AA batteries are replaceable (a benefit IMO). The 128MB card fit Texas and 5 surrounding states. Cards up to 2GB (entire US and Canada) will be available. The screen seems a little brighter than Garmin C320/330, but there is still not an anti-glare coating. The speaker is clear and audible, even though I drive an S2000. The small size allows more mouting locations besides the windshield. For instance, it fits within my gauge pod (suctions to plastic) and only covers a few idiot lights.
Setting choices are minimal compared to the fancier competition, but the essentials are there: 2D/3D, day/night/auto, WAAS/Normal.
Some issues: the screen may be too small for those with poor eyesight. This is worse if your windshield is far away. The on screen only shows basic detail. It is impossible to find a place by looking at the screen alone - inputing an address or place is necessary.
O.K. -- Garmin finally suggested I simply return the unit to Amazon for a replacement, which was great. The replacement came in less than a week and I sent the defective unit back. I've been using the new unit for over a week now and am very happy.
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Great unit, but beware of the customer service. After I set-up the unit, loaded the maps and mounted it in my vehicle the backlight went out, which makes the screen impossible to see. Total time from taking it out of the box to blackout - 6 hours. I contacted Garmin and they admitted the product was defective and to send it back for repair, but in order to send it back they have to give you a Return Merchandise Authorization number (RMA#). To get the number they want my credit card number and persmission to charge $99 for the repair, on top of me paying for shipping and insurance. ALL THIS ON A BRAND NEW UNIT. I am working with Garmin, and don't expect to pay the repair charge (since it is under warranty), but it certainly has been a frustrating couple of weeks owing a product that is defective.
From what I saw, the unit will do everything I need and more, I just look forward to a owning a unit that works as advertised.
I bought this street pilot for $298 from an online retailer. This GPS has its good, bad, and neutral sides. Let me start with the good ones. Garmin has a good reputation for its GPSs. I did a lot of research and now that I own it, agree with this feedback. When I was having trouble registering my product on Garmin's web-site they immediately had a representative contact me and guide me step by step. If you buy it online make sure you obtain the original purchase receipt, or in case of warranty issues Garmin won't accept a product without a dated purchase receipt. It says right in their warranty conditions. The rep told me they had too many cases with people re-selling used units as new ones, and clueless buyers after receiving dead units tried to file for repair/replacement only to find out they were cheated. So, make sure you buy a unit with a receipt!
Now, about the features I liked. When you are driving, this pilot knows the exact car's location, speed, calculates estimated arrival time and even shows blue water when passing a bridge! The map is pretty up to date and I would say its GPS accuracy is about 3-4 feet. The screen is about 2*2 inches, you can adjust the volume, screen's brightness (or set it to autimatic and as it gets dark outside the screen highlights the road in bright color while the background is dark blue - very easy to see in the dark), view map in several dimensions (2D, 3D) and close up or zoomed out, tilt the screen up-down and sideways. If you make a wrong turn, it re-routes itself in a matter of 30 seconds and tells you how to drive from there to go to the planned destination. You can even enter favorite places that you visit frequently, so no need to enter them over and over. Has a pre-loaded list of major destinations, such as parks, restaurants, etc. When you turn off the car, it turns itself off too to preserve the AA batteries (though normally it runs of a power cord you plug into your car lighter). This unit came with a dashboard and a window mounter, mapping software, computer cable, and a power adapter. I do not think you need an antenna, as the reception is very good. I never lost a signal, except once in the middle of a long underwater tunnel.
What I am neutral about: you must own a computer to use this product because maps are not pre-loaded. Its memory card was big enough to load part of the east coast from NY to VA, but for a cross-country trip you will need a laptop to load the new maps as you travel.
Now what I disliked: instead of taking major highways it kept telling me to get off onto smaller roads. I checked the settings to use the fastest route instead of the shortest route but it did not help. Eventually, I had to ignore it and kept going on a highway until at some point GPS picked up my desired route. Also, this GPS does not tell you names of streets or exits to take, it tells you to turn left or right, or take an exit in XX feet (Metric users, you can set it to use meters instead of feet). To avoid taking a wrong turn you must glance at the screen, which has the name of the street/exit written on the top part of the screen. Sometimes if the street's name is long, it is hard to read the name of the street on a screen because it reduces the font to fit the name. So if you have bad vision consider a more expensive GPS that announces streets or have a passenger to help you navigate.
Recent update: the suction cup started falling of the windshield, causing the pilot to fall on the dashboard/floor. I called the company and they are sending a replacement for free. If you have the same problem, make sure to call while warranty is valid. Plus, the more they hear the same problem the more likely they are to re-design it.
One more update: if you just bought this unit or own it, go to the Garmin's website and run update of the mapping program. The new version is a lot better: instead of just saying "turn in ... feet" it now also warns "turn R/L here" so there is less guessing whether you passed the turn or not.
I have to edit this review, having used the product a bit more. I bought this having never owned a GPS before and still can't compare it to others, but can give a good first-time-owner's perspective.
- Size. You can throw this GPS into a carryon on a flight and use it in a rental car when you arrive. It's totally unobtrusive, you can put it up next to the rear-view-mirror and it blocks none of your view. You can hide it in a car compartment when you're not in a safe location. It does not have a touchscreen - this isn't really a big problem, but this and the size make it slower to enter addresses. It's a tradeoff, but I believe I prefer the size of this unit.
- Satellite tracking. Sometimes it'll take up to 30 seconds or so to acquire satellites when you power on. That's not too bad, but a little annoying. A bigger problem is that occasionally tracking seems to be lost. The GPS seems to think the car is pointed diagonally, or the map stops updating. Had these problems both in downtown Boston and coming from Virginia into DC on the GW Bridge. WAAS seems useless, by the way.
- Route recalculation. Pretty quick - usually happens in < 10 s when you miss a turn. Recalculations are pretty good - and the whole route is recalculated, not a path to the previous route. Once in a while it thinks you're off your route when you're not at all - it has the route coordinates wrong. It readjusts quickly.
- Routing/directions. Generally I think the calculated directions are very good. The program takes you on intelligent routes that are not always the absolute fastest but are pretty close. They could get annoying if you're living near an area in which they're inefficient or just wrong. In Harrisburg, PA it told me repeatedly to turn left on an expressway/bridge that you can't turn left on. If I were living close by (as I once was) this would be enough to return the unit. However, around my area they're fine.
- Prompts/info: I suspect Garmin is getting all its routing info including prompts from Navteq, so these are really Navteq problems common to many GPS devices. Often neither the voice prompt or the screen gives adequate info on which lane you should be in or which particular exit/street you should be taking. This is the most frustrating problem with this unit. When you're downtown, or going past a complicated set of highway entrances and exits, the combination of the voice prompt ("Bear right in 0.5 miles" - there are no voiced road names), the screen text ("Right on Dobbs Highway"), and the map is inadequate to determine where you should be turning. I've heard the StreetPilot i5 has a somewhat better Navteq route info system than this unit does.
Some very, very common situations:
- Road curves right and also exits both left and right. You're told to "Bear right". Which is it, follow the road or exit to the right?
- Two exits both to the right for the same highway, one North and the other South. You're told to "Turn right in 0.5 miles". The screen says "Right on Dobbs Highway". Which is it, exit North or exit South?
- Map Storage: Loading the software and maps was a bit buggy and slow for me the first time. If you intend to bring this on long trips or on air travel it might make sense to pay the extra money for the i5, which has maps preloaded - otherwise you have to load new maps for where you're going.
- Points of interest. Some of the points of interest are out of date or just inaccurate. This seems to be a common problem with GPS's, but it's really aggravating to drive someplace and find it doesn't exist, or that the GPS hasn't provided good enough directions to locate it.
Also, I have no idea if any competing product offers this, but if I'm driving on a route and I want to find a gas station, I obviously would prefer one that is ahead of me along my route. I probably don't want one that is behind me, and one that's off to the side somewhere isn't particularly convenient. But all I get is "Shell 3.5 miles". Could be behind me, ahead of me, anywhere. As far as I know that's 3.5 miles as the crow flies, too. It could be 3.5 miles away but across a river for which there's no bridge close by. This is a commonly used feature that gets annoying - you have to look at where each POI is in relation to your route rather than just picking the first one.
All in all I'm still quite happy with it. I certainly wouldn't pay double the price for a slightly improved one! The advantage at this price is that you can trade it out when newer technology comes out. Can't do that easily with a $2500 in-dash manufacturer nav system.
Amazing little GPS. You have to update your firmware from garmin's website for those who got software versions 2.5 or lower to prevent screen from freezing. My garmin streetpilot i3 came with version 2.10. But after I updated to 2.60 my map still freezes. The two lower corner's numbers of 'distance to turn' and time of arrival are fine. The voice directions are fine otherwise.
Pros - ease of use
- small size
- bright clear screen
- excellent directions before every fork (bear right etc)
- adequate memory card. The 128mb transflash that came with the unit, I was able to load, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Southern California, Nevada and Arizona.
- did not need external antenna in my case.
Cons - There wasn't any clear way to delete maps you loaded to put on other maps. It's doable after a lot of trial and error.
- map data might have duplicates such as Us-89 and US-89 which are not recognized as the same highway. And certain highways like Hwy 64 are not recognized points on the gps even though they are clearly visible in the MapInstaller.
- map freezes up from time to time (ie every minute on my 30 minute drive home last night.) It can be reset by zooming in and out.
note: take a look at garmin quest 2 which now goes for about the same price.
I just received this unit today about 3 hours ago.
After playing around with it and taking it out for a short 20 minute drive, I think I got my money's worth.
Installing maps to this unit took almost an hour.
1. DVD setup copies everything to your computer. 25min
2. Select states and it zips it or something. 15min
3. Copy map to i3 unit. (<5min)
4. Acquiring satelite. (~5min)
I was able to add.
VA, MD, NJ, NY, DE, PA, WV.
I might have added couple more but I am not sure.
I also added couple customer POI that I downloaded from some site.
Screen Size.
I was afraid it might be too small, but actually it's not that bad. Plus with voice prompt, all I had to do was glance at it from time to time to see if I am on the right track.
Navigation.
It might be the map, but sometimes when I pass an intersection, I don't see anything on my i3 unit. Or the name is different.
I was navigating to my office right across the street, but i3 told me to make left turn and go around instead of just heading straight.
I have 2005 Civic and mounting was kinda tricky.
First, I placed it lower middle of the windshield, but it was hard to reach.
So I placed it right on the center, it was easy to reach, but the cable bothered me.
I need to find the perfect spot to place this, or get batteries.
Being a first time GPS user, I am not 100% satisfied.
May be I was expecting too much for this price, but I think the whole calculating/locating/navigating/getting from satelite could be little faster.
But I am very satisfied for this price.
I am going on a trip to NY tonight and we'll see if it was really worth $300 or I should've paid couple extra for a better unit.
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Edited Nov 29, 2005.
I came back from my trip to NY from DC.
It was great. I lost signal in tunnels and in the middle of NY city, skyscrapers, but it came back alive pretty quickly.
I left the unit zoomed in, and it zoomed out automatically when I was on highway going over 60MPH. It zoomed back in when I got off highway. Pretty neat.
It also zooms in when I need to make turn or exit.
The only issue i had was the map.
It would be nice to be able to setup the map to show gasstation, restaurant, restarea, etc..
If I was looking for McDonalds, I have to search and see map on every single McDonalds from the POI to see which one is on my way and not far from my route.
Another neat thing with POI is that they also provide phone number with address. No more 411 necessary.
It was small enough to fit in my civic glovebox with the car adapter.
I love it.
I just bought the i3 from Amazon. I am a first time GPSer, and I fell in love with my i3. I have been traveling to new cities and the i3 works great. It allows you to pick a type of store or location that you want, lists them from closest to farthest within the given city, then not only shows you step by step how to get there, but also gives you the phone number in case you need to call ahead. I opted for the i3, over the i2, because the color really looks great. Each street is easy to see. I have not seen the i2, but I can only image that it looks just ok, while the i3 looks excellent. I do not need the built in maps that the i5 comes with, because I never go to that many states at once. The memory card that comes with the i3 and i2 holds about five large states worth of detailed information. You can always buy an additional memory card, or additional larger memory card. I would recommend this to anyone who ever has been lost in the past. This is an excellent device, and extremely easy to use.
-Adam
p.s. I enjoy the British accent that you can load from the DVD that is included.
Garmin StreetPilot I3
Software Version 2.70 (Updated from 2.30)
Audio Version 2.00
General Info:
I purchased the Garmin I3 from Amazon.com for $323.00. I have used it to navigate around a small town and it has worked almost perfectly. I have an Astro van and use one of the coffec cup holders to hold the I3. The cup holder is located about half way down the front console and the Garmin seems to pick up the GPS signals with no problem. I have also taken three 2 ½ hour trips out-of-town and the navigation has been excellent. The audio is excellent and can easily be heard over wind and road noise. I used the garmin Webupdater [...] to update my unit from Version 2.30 to 2.70. The update is completely automatic and takes about 10 - 15 minutes to download and install the updated operating system software.
The I3 has a simulation mode. You can simulate a trip by going to the System->GPS Mode and turning off the GPS. Return to the map mode and the unit will then simulate the trip. Makes for a useful teaching tool or a demo for your friends.
The bad:
I have had only two instances of the unit providing incorrect information. One was at my local post office. The unit directed me to turn left (incorrectly) on a one-way street and did not "know" about a new (about 2 years) off ramp on Interstate 15.
The Via Points (Waypoints) are pretty much useless and you can only have one waypoint active at a time. I have not been able to find any instructions for setting them up in the on-line manuals or anywhere else
The one bug I have found is that the unit will emit two incorrect turn instructions "go left, then go left" when it is first turned on and just after it finds the satellites.
Wish list
The screen is small but useable. If Garmin would update the operating software so that the unit issued statements like "turn right on main street " instead of "turn right in .1 miles" there would be little or no need to look at the screen at all. The more expensive StreetPilot Garmin units have this feature now.
The provided suction cup mount will only work to a degree on windows. You can only use the mount in other places by first PERMANENTLY applying a round mount to your console. I chose not to do this so I don't know if this works. There should be a better solution.
The description of the updates on the Garmin site is inadequate. They do not give a user any clue about what is in the update. I can detect no difference in the operation of the unit after the updates. It would be nice if Garmin would supply some info about the content of the updates.
Despite the nit picks, I am very happy with the Garmin I3 and highly recommend it.
Update:
I have used my Garmin I3 for several more trips and I am delighted with its performance. Ironically it works well every where except for my home town. In my home town , two major chain stores (Wal Mart and Staples) are mis-located to the north of town and one of two Albertsons is not listed at all. I used the GPS twice for yard sales and all the residential addresses were correct. All in all the unit has performed exceptionally well. The audio directions have been superb.
Just for info, you can get a pretty good picture of which maps are loaded by zooming all the way out (this works best if you turn off the GPS navigation first. ) In my case I had first loaded California and Texas, then had to cut back to Southern California and Northern Texas to make room for Arizona and New Mexico. The map on my unit shows full coverage for California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma. Actually I have only partial coverage of Texas and California. I sent a mail message to Garmin and asked them how much memory I would need to load all the States in the U.S. Their reply was 2GB. At this time MicroSD cards only have a maximum of 512MB, so we will have to wait a while to get full coverage.
This is my first Vehicle GPS so I don't have any other GPS experiences to compare it with.
Basically plug and play. Menus and scroll wheel are easy to use. With MapSource software (downloadable) you can input custom waypoints which when transfered to the StreetPilot appear as "favorites." Perhaps other units would allow you to organize your favorites in subfolders, but this unit does NOT. I haven't figured out how to add POI's, if it's even possible.
While it has a very useful and nice feature of being able to search for nearby POIs (shopping, eating, entertainment, etc...)
It would be nice to easily add new favorite POI's which then be searchable. Alas, it either can't, or I haven't found that feature yet.
Is it slow? Or am I impatient? I don't know what an average or fast search time is for a GPS unit, but 2 minutes is not unusual for this unit to find a POI.
Battery life really isn't an issue because this unit comes with a car-lighter plug/adapter.
Memory: It comes with enough memory to load about 3 or 4 Western State maps.
Color and size are adequate, but the voice prompting really makes this unit "pop." You can find cheaper units with maps and alerts, but having the voice feature is quite nice. You can adjust the volume so it is audible over the radio. Naturally, your needs will define the appropriateness of this unit for you; however, for a relatively small, inexpensive GPS with voice prompting, I think you'll enjoy your StreetPilot i3 (if you don't need color, you can save a few $$ with an i2)
There are detailed reviews, so I'll focus on my personal experiences:
In general, a GPS unit is NOT NECESSARY for safe driving. It was really really useful when I drove to Philadelphia from Charlottesville, but I generally don't use it when I'm driving around my home town. The directions are SPOT ON. And when I selected the option to avoid toll-roads, it had be go on a 2 mile detour and somehow landed me on the other side of the toll gate. nice!
1. Batteries are not required to operate this unit, but it wears out very quickly. Mine keeps saying that the battery is low, but I just ignore it since I just use the car adaptor.
2. The LCD Screen: It's tiny, which makes the unit tiny and if you place the unit properly the unit will not block your driving view at ALL. The contrast and brightness is excellent, even in direct sunlight. However the screen is small and if you have bad eyes you won't be able to read the display text. (But if your eyes are good enough to pass the DMV test, you can see it fine.) By all accounts, the screen is NOT too small.
3. The voice prompts are very loud and clear, which is nice.
4. I have been leaving this unit in the car, and it seems like freezing weather is OK for the unit. I have yet to leave it in the car in HOT weather...
5. When you are driving and want to stop at a McDonald's (for example), it just directs you to the closest McDonalds, even if it is behind you. There is no obvious way to select a place ON THE WAY.
6. The unit doesn't have a touch screen, but the scroll button works just fine for me--I've never mistyped anything.
7. The reception is excellent. The only times I've lost reception was inside a underwater tunnel and under a bridge.
Exactly what I needed!
The Garmin i3 does pretty much what big expensive systems do: provides voice navigation, shows color maps, recalculates directions when you make a wrong turn or exit the highway due to traffic, and directs you to nearby places like supermarkets and gas stations. Except the i3 is dead simple and a tremendous value. Sure there is no touch screen and there don't seem to be any sophisticated features, but, based on my 2 weeks of use, I don't need that stuff in the first place. I do wish some of the selections were easier to configure (e.g., shortest distance vs. quickest route) but that issue does not diminish the brilliance of this product.
I plan on buying two more as gifts in the near future.
The product is great. Sleak, light and easy to be portable. The menu is easy to use. The only thing I have to do is to add more memory (microSD). Am thinking about getting 1GB so I can put all the detailed US map to my I3.
This product seems can run out of the battery very easily, using rechargable battery is a good idea or just by using the car kit came with the I3.
One complaint is when I received the package, the box was not in good shape. The packing is no good.
My impression after using for 1 week:
The screen is small but surprisingly easy to read and the 3D view, which I assumed was just a gimmick, actually makes it quite easy to navigate. The included 128 meg card was enough to fit detailed maps of all the states I'm at all likely to drive to anytime soon (Ontario, MI, IL, IN, OH). The the maximum memory card size it can handle is not listed in any of the specs, but one website I read claimed 2 gig, which should be enough to hold detailed maps of all of North America. Also includes major roads and routes for the whole US built in. Had no trouble acquiring satellites, even in heavy rain. Entering destination addresses with the scroll wheel is pretty easy. In fact, I think the fact that everything is done with a wheel that only scrolls up and down plus a back button really forced them to make the the device simple to use. I wish you could scroll the map around as you view it (when not driving), but i guess that's too much to ask for without some kind of joystick or touch screen
I had a Pocket PC GPS mapping solution that was always annoyingly difficult to use so I rarely bothered with it. The i3, in contrast, is well thought out and a pleasure to use. I wouldn't switch back to a PDA based solution.
I bought this little device based on the positive reviews on this site. I'd previously owned the more expensive, larger and heavier 2710 by Garmin. I didn't like it nearly as much. This little beauty is small but packs a big punch. It's easy to use, the driving instructions (voice) are crystal clear (better than the 2710) and the little screen is remarkably vivid. The 3D mapping is extremely intuitive to follow. I even find the somewhat funky joy wheel used to enter names not a big problem. It's the achilles heel of the device; a simple way to guide you to entering the information needed to send you on your way. The wheel is a little balky and time consuming compared with a touch screen, but really not as bad as I thought it would be. Overall a super product - big thumbs up.
My first navigation system, and I was truly surpised on how easy it was to download and install. Very user friendly. It's what I expected and more. It is Greaaaaaaaat!
I had Garmin i3 for the past 9 month.
It's great GPS unit for the money you pay.
I give it a 5 star because it give you big bang for the bucks.
I recently purchase i5 to see what is difference between the two model. In week of usage here is what i notice the difference below and returned the i3 for full refunds (Gotta Love Costco)
1. i5 rcvd on 8/15 came with v8 version of the map, i3 came with
v7
2. i5 has nicer silver/black finish which match better with most
car.
3. i5 re-route time take no longer than 3-5 seconds vs. i3 5-15
seconds. (this important when u drive in busy city like
Downtown L.A.)
4. zoom in and out with map is much faster with i5, where in i3 it
seem to take 3-10 second to comply.
5. Entire U.S. map is preload it in i5, vs you had to load the map
yourself with limitation of 128mb that came with.
6. i5's directory search time is about 2X-3X as fast as i3,
so is the time to calculate and plan destination.
If you can spare the extra $50 go for the i5
if you truely on the budget go for the i3
Overall both are great unit
different people has different needs
see what fit you best
good luck
When I got my new car about 6 months ago I had the option of the in-car navigation system. In the Infiniti G35, the nav system pops up in the center dash, very very cool...but about $2,000. I begrudgingly passed and figured I would find an after-market GPS sytem down the road.
While the I3 is small, it is packed with goodies and I have been so thrilled with it over the last 3 weeks of owning it. I live in Los Angeles and was worried about the numerous details that I didn't think it would know, but it did, and more.
I actually didn't expect all of the extra point of interest that downloaded when I set it up. I have used it to find a Verizon store in Vegas while on vacation, movie theatres, nearby restaurants, and so much more.
Pros:
* Packed with information and points of interest
* Very accurate (the speed-sensing feature knows exactly how fast you are going, down to the single MPH...very cool)
* Screen is bright and easy to read
* Voice is clear and loud
* Compact
* Once you get the hang of entering manual addresses, it's very easy
Cons
* As everyone likes to mention, it's a small screen, but I don't really find it much of a con since you know that is what you are getting and it is still very easy to use and read off of, even in sunlight.
* I wish the detour function would be a bit more intuitive, but then again, I live in L.A. with so many roads that it is simply trying to get me back the fastest way, though I often like some other freeways and surface street ways of getting around. Small issue, nothing major.
For the price, this is a jam-packed device that is a great purchase for those who have never had GPS in their cars. Having been on vacation in different parts of California over New Year's, this came in so handy with finding our way around.
You won't be dissapointed, it's a great buy (especially with the price coming down all of the time.)
The Garmin GPS is incredibly easy to setup and operate. The screen looks small but is fie in a driving situation. The voice prompts are clear and quite loud, if required. I've got mine mounted on the center of the dash. Be sure to wipe the surface clean with alcohol before applying the permanent dashboard mount disc. The transflash isn't a problem at all. I was able to load up several states. As an upgrade you could get a bigger card if you had to travel through a LOT of states. The POI information is pretty good, but it's funny how it misses some restaurants in my area. The map data is sometimes a bit off when it comes to addresses. It'll get you there fine but I noticed sometimes the target address could be either 200 feet further down the road or behind you. No such problems with turns and intersections.
The Garmin StreetPilot i3 is a great tool for travelers! I bought one before I went to Greenville, SC on business. It did an excellent job of helping me navigate to where I needed to be, regardless of where I was or how many wrong turns I made. It did automatic rerouting on the fly, it told me where to turn before the actual turn (allowing me to keep my eyes on the road instead of that little bitty screen), and it had a fair bit of knowledge about points of interest, restaurants, and the like, in the area. I particularly liked the auto-zoom feature - when you're approaching a turn, the unit zooms the map into the turn, so you can see exactly where to turn, instead of having to zoom and unzoom the map yourself.
The unit plugs into a standard cigarette lighter and has a suction cup mount for the windshield, so it's a great unit to move between cars, or to use in a rental if you're traveling.
I didn't have a lot of complaints about this unit, and the ones that I did are pretty minor:
1. No external volume control or mute button - when I wanted to kill the volume to hear the radio, I had to navigate through the menus instead of turning a knob or pressing a switch.
2. The unit is a little slow recalculating routes if you're moving - a couple of times I had to pull over and stop while it figured out an alternate route if I took a wrong turn.
3. No ability to pan the map, so I couldn't see what was in the neighborhood if I wanted to.
4. The points of interest database is out of date, and there's apparantly no way to update it. For example, Best Buy has been moved from the location shown for months, and the Tony Roma's is no longer in Greenville :( It would be nice if Garmin would come out with updates every now and then.
The above is the only real reason I don't give the unit 5 stars - in all other ways, it's a great GPS for travelers! It even loaded the Garmin topo maps, although I had to turn off the loaded street maps in the menu before the topo features would show up, but if I'm out hiking, I could care less about roads.
Likes:
_ Contains not only entire US street maps but all interests point such as restaurants, attractions, hotel, gas station ...
_ Very accurate and if you miss the turn, route re-calculation is fairly quick.
_ Data entry via a thumb wheel (scroll up and down to select one character at a time) combining with 'active' search - a genius idea to eliminate a keyboard.
_ Very good design and easy to attach/remove from the windshield
Dislikes:
_ Next intersection announcement is sometimes too late (less than a mile). When you are not familiar with the area and driving in a busy highway, this is dangerous. It should announce twice, at 2 miles mark and then at 1 mile mark.
_ Voice prompt does not tell you the street name that you are going to turn into. You can get confused if there are 2 streets very close to each other (i.e. 5 or 6 way intersections).
_ Upcoming street name on the screen is too small - making difficult to read while driving. Should display in a bigger font.
_ Bottom of screen display miles to next turn and arrival time at destination. This really bugs me. Why arrival time? I found this is very inaccurate and useless. i don't care if I arrive at 8:13pm or 8:04pm. Just tell me how many more miles till my desination, i can estimate the arrival time myself. i cannot figure out precisely how many mile based on the inaccurate arrival time. Just give me an option to display the data I want.
_ It will not tell you how far to a new destination if you just search and select. You will have to save this location in your favorite before it tells you. This is extremely annoying.
_ It has a problem telling how far you are to next destination based on your 'anytime' location. For example: if you just stop at a rest area and want to find out what restaurants around the area. You will have to tell the units what city you are in and search for local interests. Sometimes I have no clue what city I am in. This bugs me a lot. Why can't it tell me from my current position? After all it is a GPS device, tt knows exactly where I am. Or maybe i have not figured this out yet.
I gave it a 4 stars based on its price and features. However, I feel that it could be a better unit.
I can't say enough about this device. It beats spending tons of money on some fancy product that has to much junk on it that you will never use. The garmin is to the point and easy to use giving great directions. I use it in the Baltimore and Washington DC area with many confusing streets and the Garmin has yet to fail me. This product is sure to satisfy, save those extra dollars and stick with this little fella.
The only reason not for a five star rating from me is the two minor issues I have had with this device. First of the suction cup has fallen off the widshield a few time and scared the hell out of me and secondly the Garmin has froze up on me in mid route twice. Not sure why it has froze up but I hope it will not happen anymore. Other than that I am perfectly happy with the Garmin and would recommend it to anyone.
Ive not thought much of Garmin until I read the reviews here and I asked my wife to gift me this baby on my birthday. The unit is really the best purchase I have made in recent times. Beautiful little screen - not too big , not too small. Right size, Clear voice prompts, accurate voice, scaringly precise tracking and speed sensing. WAAS capable, acquires signal easily after shut off, intuitive operation, night and day mode, extensive list of features, upgradable memory, supplied car adapter and on and on and on.........
Still with me ? Good. Just buy it . You wont regret it.
PS: The unit has some minor annoyances like displaying a "very approximate" time to destination , its not perfect but its darn close!
Who says big things don't come in small packages? This little guy delivers big time in the ever expanding world of GPS units. About the size of a ladies fist, I was a bit concerned about its "viewability", but I needn't have worried. The full color view is great, the sound suberb, the navigation (i.e., using the menus...) is incredibly intuitive. You'll spend about 20 seconds with the user manual. Battery life is more than adequate when not using the 12volt. My wife loves that she can just plop this little guy into her purse and take it anywhere which makes this really handy if your trip includes a walk (think large downtown areas) as well as a ride. Given I've used several GPS units, I was more than surprised at the SPEED of the SATELITE acquisition. It's darn quick (typically around 10-15 seconds in my neck of the woods). So in the end, what's not to love? It's easy to use, it's inexpensive, it's portable, the maps are as accurate as time allows. It's fast, it's unobtrusive on your dash and bottom line, it gets you THERE. In short, you can stop searching now. You've 'navigated' (sorry, couldn't help it) to the right GPS unit. And like you, I'm on a limited budget so I want my techno gadgets to be great deals. This one is. Pull the trigger, it will be one of the few buys you have that comes with no buyer's remorse, becase this little guy rocks!
I may not be the one to write about the gps. I have not had it long enought. My son-in-law has had his for a longer time and he loves it. He takes it with him every where he go. He comes home and programs in another state and off he goes. We bought it so when we get off on the wrong road in a large city we can find our way out.
been using this unit for 2 months now with excellent results. it has all the features I need with accurate directions, clear voice and bright screen. click wheel is adequate but I don't travel over 2 or 3 times a month. when you enter a destination and start navigation it displays an estimated arival time so that I know if I have time to stop enroute. baring traffic delays, the arival time has been right on.
I used to dread traveling out of town but the I3 gives me plenty of confidence that my trip will be trouble free
I purchased this 2 months ago and have used it ever since. It is very easy to use and seems very accurate. Outstanding value for the cost.
This is a great GPS and easy to use. One fault is the stickyness of the GPS.The suction works great at first then not at all.
The machine itself is really great though!
i really like this device. it is small, works well and is easy to use. I highly recommend it.
This was a present for my wife who is a Pharmaceutical Rep. She drives every day to see doctors all over Orange County. Her schedule changes without notice and she has to change plans on the fly. Street maps weren't doing it for her, because she had trouble seeing optimal driving routes over multiple pages, and she didn't feel safe reading and driving simultaneously. She loves this thing!! She can quickly add adresses, follow the color screen, and clearly understand the system voice.
This model has a smaller screen than some competitors, which also keeps the cost down. Larger screen models were over $1000. The functionality is great and the sceen is big enough to be effective. It's also small enough that we through it in the suitcase and take it on vacation or business trips when we have rental cars.
A word of caution, our first unit had a problem with sticking buttons and scroll wheels. We replaced it after a few weeks. The replacement model has been going strong with no problems at all. I am a pilot and have two Garmin aviation models in our plane and I swear by this company. Great technology, extremely user friendly, and reasonably priced.
I was totally amazed by the performance of this tiny device and I am absolutely satisfied with this product. Garmin is the best in GPS products and specially this streetpilot i3 is an affordable and efficient buy. Before I had Magellen Roademate 300 and I wasn't satisfied at all and returned it for refund. Comparing with this i3, i3 is 99.9% better product. I am completely satisfied and Amazon is one of the best place to buy it.
For the price and what its intended for its the best. Simple interface, extreme poratablity and good intelegence. It knows when I shut off my car to shut its self of. I thought screen size would be a problem but with the unit infront of my vizor it wasn't and issue. The speaker is loud almost too loud, very clear. Navigation is good as good as any I have tried. Usually gets a lock unless I am indoors but I don't drive in my office.
It is small but very very good. First I had problems with the distances because I'm from Germany so I didn't realise that everything is in Miles. But afterwards it works perfect and I can get wherever I want!
I was hesitant at first to buy this because of its small size. However, my fears were unfounded. It's definitely small but the screen is bright and easy to see. But I'm getting ahead of myself...
I've used this in the states around where I live and on a trip to CA. I've had it for about a month now.
Overall I'm very impressed with it. The memory card that ships with it holds plenty of map data so I haven't had to upgrade to a larger card yet. Maybe if I drive coast to coast...
The maps are reasonably accurate. I've found some new construction missing from the database. After registering with Garmin you get 1 year worth of database upgrades for free so perhaps that new construction will show up yet. Garmin has a nice update utility that downloads straight from the web and into your i3.
There are 3 ways to view the maps: track up, north up, and 3-D. I've found uses for all 3 modes of viewing. If you're driving around town or short distances on the highway, 3-d is the best mode to use. It makes it easy to see where to go. I'll use "track up" if I'm going moderate distances, under an hour of driving time. For longer distances, like state-to-state (out here where the states are small) I use "north up". Keeping north up is a more akin to using a road map and really lets you see where you are.
You can change the scale of the map in any view by using the wheel. When you slow down to turn or because of traffic the view zooms in, then returns to your setting when you speed up again. The map has two color modes, day and night. There is an auto setting that changes the mode based on the time of day (I'd say the the i3 calculates sunset based on the unit's location).
The directions are overall pretty good. Sometimes I'll get routed a way I know isn't optimal because of traffic patterns, but I've never been steered wrong because of this device. The "Detour" function is handy, though using it twice will return you to your original course.
If you miss a turn the unit will automatically recalculate your route to get you on track. This can get a little annoying, for example if you get off the highway to get food. The device will keep telling you new directions to get back on course. I suggest turning off the device if you make an unscheduled stop, then turning it back on when you're ready to continue. The i3 remembers where you were going and while you'll be asked "where to?" when it starts, just hitting the "back" key will return to your previous navigation.
Data entry is easy. I thought it would be a chore without the touch screen but the wheel/button and back key make using the menus a snap. The wheel can be tricky to use while driving, but since you're not supposed to do that it's really not a valid complaint. The database of attractions, restaurants, ATMs, and the like is comprehensive and handy to have. In CA I used it on more than one occasion to find a nearby restaurant, store, or post office. As other reviewers have noted it won't tell you what's ahead. I've found the results screen will update as you drive so just look for which restaurants, e.g., are getting closer. Every 30 seconds or so the list will re-sort so the closest destination is near the top.
You can enter waypoints, or "via points" as the unit calls them. There doesn't seem to be an easy way to manipulate your route once they're added, such as removing a point, so I don't use them much. If you have a particular route you want to take I've found it handy to insert a via point of some restaurant along that route to get the i3 to go that way. For example, sometimes I want to bypass DC traffic. I have a saved "favorite" destination that's along my alternate route. I insert that as a via point and I'm all set.
If you have favorite "points of interest" that you'd like to use, Garmin made available a free utility to load those points into the database. The format is standard CSV. Search a9.com (for the Amazon discount!) for "free poi files" or something similar and you'll find a few available.
The voice is clear and easy to understand. It would be nice to have a volume control on the side of the unit though. The only way to reduce the volume is through the settings menu. This is probably my biggest gripe about the device.
Battery life is adequate, certainly not impressive. As the batteries die the voice shuts off and the screen dims. You definitely want to run this off the plug when possible.
I place my unit right next to the rear view mirror. I don't have to look far from the windshield when I glance at it, and it's close enough so I can see the screen clearly.
I've only had two temporary problems with the i3. Once the unit claimed there was no map data loaded. Turning it off and on fixed that. Another time it just turned off, even though it was plugged in to a powered outlet. I turned it back on and it worked fine. I haven't seen a repeat of either glitch so perhaps they're one-time occurrences.
I recommend this unit. It's not only affordable, as GPS units go, but has quite a few nice features as well. Why spend $1000 to get one in a new car when you can spend 1/3 that and have one for all your cars?
the gps doesn't work very well and when i programmed it to go back to new york it took me to pennsylvania. Not worth $200
Very convience!
Just one problem that it won't tell me which way to turn at first. Only after I turn into the road will it start to tell me how to navigate. The sticking cup sometimes does not work and falls down. In general, I am quite satisfy.
I'm a Realtor in Los Angeles so needless to say this device changed my life (it's my 1st GPS).
The good: The size is wonderful. I don't think the size of the screen is a problem at all. The wheel system is not a problem either. The vocal prompts are clear. The 3d maps work well and are very easy to understand. The display aslo changes colors at night so it easier on your eyes.
The bad: A little slow to acquire satelites under cloudy weather. The inscructions say this problem can be aleviated by putting batteries inside instead of just using the car power outlet. A little slow to calculate complex or long itineraries. The unit occasionally freezes and the only way to unblock it is to unplug it. I order to accelerate the entering of addresses I wanted to limit the maps to just Southern California, but I was not able to do that. Finally, I regret that the settings do not give the option to avoid left turns, which I hate.
I moved to New Jersey a little over a year ago, and the roads here are ridiculously confusing and never failed to get me hopelessly lost. Being from California and then Las Vegas where all the streets are a straight line and addresses are printed on street signs and buildings and the like, it was a shock to come to NJ where you can't turn left or right if there is a jughandle (and you never know if there's going to be a jughandle or a left and right turn lane), where the streets resemble curly fries and spaghetti, where there are no address signs to speak of and half of the businesses don't even know their own street address, where roads are named with numbers instead of words, and where the cities used on business cards are actually boroughs that are "nicknames" for certain areas, not the city registered with the zip code for the area. Not a nice place to drive if you ask me.
So I asked for and got this little baby for a Christmas gift from my mom!
I have actually tried the Magellan Roadmate 300/360 before and I prefer the Garmin StreetPilot hands down. It may be a cheaper unit, but suffice it to say that less expensive doesn't necesarily mean less quality.
Wondering which model to buy? Let me start by comparing the two! I used the Roadmate for a four-day long roadtrip with my friend who owned it (I was the only one driving), so I had a pretty good feel for it by the time the four days were up.
The Magellan Roadmate took up to 15 minutes to pick up the sattelite signal, my Garmin i3 has never taken more than one minute to boot up, save the initial use which took about 4-5 minutes. This is particularly important when leaving to go somewhere and you are running late, or if you drive under a brige and the signal is lost. For the more pricey Roadmate to take an extra 5 minutes to reboot itself with the sattelite signal is absurd while you are driving around aimlessly in the meantime.
Another thing that annoyed me about the Magellan roadmate was that it made this absurd low buzzing noise everytime it would give a voice command, which got pretty annoying after a while. My Garmin i3 has never made any strange noises at all.
The Magellan also has less accurate maps than my Garmin does. There were several times, when driving with the Magellan that we would hit a dead end or closed road and it seemed to think that the road still existed. Even on roads that had obviously been closed off for years. While my Garmin is not foolproof when it comes to maps, I had more false roads and nonexistent points-of-interest locations with the Magellan in 4 days than I have had with my Garmin in three months.
It is probably obvious, but I haven't been lost a single time since I got my i3 streetpilot. If I had bought one of these when I first moved here instead of waiting a year, it would have already paid for itself in gas. I would buy this thing ten times over, because (pun intended!) I would truly be lost without it!
Don't worry about leaving the unit in your car or it being exposed to extreme temperatures. I leave mine in the glovebox (with the car locked of course!) and I have never had a problem with it despite many freezing nights and days.
And don't worry about the screen. I have never ever had a problem seeing it clearly, be it night or day, rain or shine, glare or no glare. It is big enough to see very well without being bulky and huge.
Now for the pros and cons of this unit:
Cons:
It is going to spoil you in a very similar a manner as to that of having a cell phone for the first time! You will wonder how you ever got on without it.
It cannot search a city by zip code, only by city name. Or you can skip that and search all cities if you don't know. But that broadens your search quite a bit!
There have been a few times where it took me somewhere besides the exact address of my destination. I am not sure if this is just because NJ is wierd when it comes to roads and addresses (because it is) or if it is because the map is off, but when it happened it was only a short distance from the destination, close enough for me to easily find my way there, anyway. It could also be because there are sometimes a 400 North Main Street and a 400 South Main St. that may not be specified if the streets aren't long enough. But the Magellan did this too, so it doesn't really count much when making a comparison in this price range.
Some of the Point of Interest destinations don't exist. This seems to happen mainly with gas stations for some reason. One time I put in a gas station and it took me to a residential area. So the destinations aren't always guaranteed, but for the most part they do exist.
The suction cup on this unit could be a lot better. That was the only thing that the Magellan won out over this system, and really the only thing I hate about it. If your windshield is overly cold it might fall off the window and sit on the dashboard, or worse, onto the floor or into an open cup of liquid in the cup holder! I usually moisten mine and fasten it relatively low on the windshield of my 2005 Hyundai Accent so it stays stuck on, and if it's really cold I put on the defogger so the window stays warm.
The unit doesn't have any internal memory. The Magellan has 60 mb of internal memory, so if the memory card suddenly goes kaput, you are not totally screwed. But that can easily be remedied by carrying an additional inexpensive memory card in the car incase yours malfunctions.
My other complaint is that the memory card that came with this unit did not work in the GPS. For some reason it works in my digital camera, but the Garmin couldn't read it and I could not upload the maps to the card. I was going to buy a larger 250 mb card anyway, so it didn't bother me much, but it was still annoying. The new card works just fine, the first must have been defective. My GPS was purchased at Costco, which was only $289.00, but the memory card WAS broken!
Pros:
I never get lost, and I can decide to go somewhere on a whim without worrying about printing confusing directions from mapquest or being at the mercy of people wih good intentions who give out bad directions.
It saves me tons of money on gas. If you get lost frequently or have moved to a new city recently, or are military like me and move or travel a lot, this is your ticket!
The menu with its little built-in phone book is absolutely fabulous. I have been out so many times in unfamiliar areas and wanted a particular restuaraunt or type of food (I have found many awesome restaraunts by doing this) and looked at the menu to see what was nearby. Same thing with wanting a certain store like Target or Sporting Goods or a mall, and not knowing where one was. Now I can go wherever I want and find things I normally would never have found or known existed if I didn't have the GPS.
Liberty! This wonderful gem gives you the liberty to take road trips without getting lost or lugging around heavy books and confusing maps to tell you where to go. And if you decide you want to go to a certain spot while you are out, just punch in the address or look it up in the database, and you're there! You can go wherever you want on a whim.
No more wondering "How long does it take to get there?" The StreetPilot gives you an arrival time that is pretty damn accurate.
Never pass another freeway exit or miss another turn (and if you do, don't worry! It automatically recalculates a new route for you). It tells you to "keep right" or "keep left" in .4 miles or whatever and dings right where you are supposed to turn.
Never be confused about forks in roads or anything of that nature. It tells you to "bear right" or something of that nature in confusing situations such as forked roads, freeway interchanges, airports, and roundabouts.
It will teach you how to navigate the area. After using it for a while, you will learn how to get places that only got you lost before when trying to follow mapquest's written directions or a confusing map.
It is fun to drive with! I like having it on even if I know where i'm going, it adds a measure of security and I love the voice that I chose (The lady with an English accent).
It has a detour setting. That means if you run into a closed road or something, just go into the menu and select "detour", and it calculates a new route for you!
That's pretty much the gist of it!
And here's a tip for anyone living in New Jersey. A lot of businesses insist that they are in a certain city when it is a nickname and doesn't really exist. THIS IS NOT THE GPS's FAULT! This is a bad habit of NJ residents who like to give their city areas nicknames and aliases! You can easily circumvent this problem by going to a website (google "zip codes") that looks up zip codes, and type in the zip code for the destination. You will find that certain cities are actually technically other cities by the zip code, and there should be a list of "aliases" for your city name. 10 times out of 10, if the GPS doesn't show the city I am looking for, it is because of this problem. Know before you go!
And good luck getting a simple street address from anyone in NJ over the phone! I have noticed that most New Jersey-ers take pride in giving confusing verbal instructions and most of the time have no clue what the address is! They think their instructions are easy to follow for some reason and look at me like i'm batty when I mention I have a GPS. Have fun!
I've had the i3 for about 6 months now; used it all over the Northeast and took it on vacation to the Phoenix area. Upgraded to a 512MB chip so could add western US to east & midwest. This thing works great - very visible, voice is handy, small size is appreciated - I tuck it up next to the rearview. Very simple to use, I loan it to my kids (who have terrible senses of direction) so they don't get lost. Highly recommended, with a couple of issues:
1) Agree with other folks that the suction cup isn't great - but it does work better if you clean and moisten the window area and the suction cup itself;
2) This may be unique to my car (2000 Maxima w/ Bose sound) but when I use the CD player, the unit loses the satellites! It took me the longest time to figure this out, and it's kind of inconvenient! Fortunately, I mostly listen to the radio . . .
Otherwise, I'm a happy i3 user!
The fit, finish, and look of the maps on this device are top notch. However, the maps apparently are not updated as frequently as Garmin would like you to believe. We were directed to driving directly into the wall of a store that was built a few years ago. Also, directions on freeway splits aren't obvious or accurate at all. Buyer beware, if you need to return to Amazon because of these reasons, they will charge you about $60 for doing so.
The software provided for the i3StreetPilot will not load with a Macintosh. I researched the information about this model and did NOT see anywhere that it had to be loaded using Microsoft Windows. I was distressed when I received it to find that I could not load it using my Macintosh. I had to return it as I do not have access to any computer except a Macintosh. I THINK, but am not sure, that the Garmin StreetPilot i5 comes preloaded. That would solve the problem (I hope). I am now researching that option.
This is an amazing little device. I been using it for 2+ months now and love it. i don't know how I ever got along without it!
1. After you set an address to go, it will suggest you a route. When you drive out of the route, it will recalculate a new route from your current place to the destination.
2. After you set an address to go, it will suggest you a route. It might be far away. On the high way you don't need the GPS, so you can turn off the unit. When you are close to the destination you can turn the GPS on and select view the map. It will continue the route.
I bought this for my husband as he has to travel for work. He hates to use printed directions because it's a distraction. This gadget is great!!! He absolutely loves it.
If he kind of knows the area that he is in and takes a different route then given him by GPS it recaculates the route and shows him the way!!!
It's great!!!
I have used it from Phila to Long Island NY and in St. Louis and Oklahoma City and have had great success. I had two times when I was driving down a road and it tells me to make a left or right were there is no turn and then it corrects itself. Volume is very good, easy to read in daylight and night driving and is easy to use with a friendly interface. The extra $100 for color screen for me was worth the money. Always a good idea to do a quick check on a map before a long drive.
This sucker has relieved me of so much stress! No worries about getting lost, arriving late. Planning on traveling out-of-state next weekend, and I'm actually looking forward to it, because I'm not stressed about being on the right path!
Screen size is NOT an issue. The voice prompt is clear and loud. Absolutely worth every penny!!
Motor Coach and RV owners tend to be gadget crazy. I purchased this from Amazon for a motorcoach I recently purchased. Unfortunate that the dealer didn't order the coach with a factory installed GPS, but I calculate I saved 2000-3000 dollars. I am not repeating all the other pro's and con's of other reviewers but for those that are driving 40 foot coaches and pulling a tag, it is invaluable for crowded city driving. You are audiably warned well in advance which lane to be in and thus avoids those dreaded missed turns because you are in the wrong lane. I agree the screen is small for us oldies over 25, but the voice is loud enough even for us old folks to hear that your turn or destination lies ahead. I have a larger screen GPS in my tow and that would be nice, but for the dollar spent, this is a good investment.
First off, im glad i did not spend >$500 on a gps, i spent only $300, and this little thing brings me everywhere. I had doubts about its capabilities, but i was amazed at its accuracy. The 128 meg card that comes with the drive is enough to fit 5-6 states which is plenty for me.
The only thing that bothered me was the fact that entering a new address takes patience, which you need anyway since u shouldnt be an aggressive driver.
Also, you should put the gps on the bottom of your windsheid in order to get faster satalite receiption, i had it near the cup holders, rear view mirror and it lost signal a couple of times, but once i put it in the front of the car near the wipers, it performs brilliantly!
I would recommend this device to anyone wanting a GPS device and do not know electronics very well. The screen is small but why would you want to look at the screen anyway when it tell you where u should be going! To me the screen size is a useless concern since you should be looking at the road anyway.
Pro's:
- Very small (size of baseball) makes easy to store (or hide after parking) & take on my trips. Screen size (some complain it's too small) + voice prompts is plenty good enough to follow the routes.
- Transrelective screen can be seen in strong in daylight.
- Reasonably accurate, large database of locations
- Battery option very handy. I usually use with recharable batteries, and prefer the convenience of no chord.
- After it locks on satellite, seems to be fairly sensitive. I can put the unit in pocket near the gearshift and it tracks no problem.
Con's:
- Takes 1-2 minutes to get satellite lock after first powering on. This is a annoying.
- In Manhattan, had trouble maintaining lock (I assume due to tall buildings blocking signal). Not sure if other GPS units would do better though.
- Uploading new maps to flash memory is bit slow. Takes 15-25 mins depending on size of upload. Can be addressed by using 1 or 2GB transflash (not available yet) which can store entire US.
I recently bought the i3 because my new job requires lots of driving. It is TERRIFIC. Easy to download maps. Easy to program your destinations. That little lady's voice has steered me right so far! Oh and $299 is a very good price for all that you get.
This totally sucks. People who like this apparently only buy it so they can walk their dogs around the block. C'mon, folks, the screen is a joke. It's so tiny. Anyone older than 25 will find the screen not useable in real driving. (Or maybe all you guys *want* to get into a crash so you can sue the pants off Garmin?) The screen is also barely readable in daylight, and the buttons are stiff so pressing them while driving *is* dangerous. Unlike the more expensive i5 which contains North America map, this one only has 128MB of flash memory (not upgradable!) and less than that is actually useable. So you can store probably half a state of data in this thing, maybe less. The USB is supposedly fast, but half the time I couldn't get my PCs to recognize the i3. And Macintosh users, forget about the whole thing. This is totally poorly designed. And it kills your eyes and significantly increase your chance of dying in a crash.
If you want a GPS system, get a Garmin C330 or above which at least has larger screens and (slightly)easier to use buttons. Your life is really worth more than a novelty gadget or a few hundred bucks -- at least I hope it is.
I've owned this unit for about 3 months now and I've taken it on both long trips and short ones. I mostly keep it in my glove compartment and if I need it, can't find my way, or I get lost I just pull over, mount it, and wait for the satellites to acquire (anywhere from 10 to 60 seconds usually).
SCREEN SIZE:
I must have gone to the store 3 times looking at the i3 then comparing the screen size to the larger c330. I finally ordered the i3 and hoped. I was not disappointed. First off, remember that this is not a TV. The screen is there for direction verification (IE if you are unsure of the voice directions). I don't think that the screen is too small and I actually prefer the size because I don't want something much larger on my dash or hanging off of my window.
ACCURACY:
Very happy. The unit has lead me to about 90% of my destinations without fail. A few times it will drop me a couple of houses short or it will state that it is on the left when it is on the right but I'm O.K. with that.
Please note that it is a computer program not an actual person. And by that I mean it is not smart enough to know when rush hour is or if there is an accident up ahead or anything like that. There are some other models that will provide that information in certain cities but I have never used them so I can't comment.
STORAGE: It comes with a mini memory card that is 128 MB. I put on MN, IA, WI, MI, NE, SD, ND, IL and a couple of other states that I will never go to and still had a little space left. You can get a bigger card pretty cheap if you need the whole USA but how many of us actually NEED it. If you do much traveling you may consider getting the i3 and upgrading the memory card (maybe 50 bucks at Best Buy?). That will save you around $100.00 bucks over the i5 and you don't loose any functionality.
OTHER:
--Garmin just released an update and it is a good one. It has a bunch of other enhancements for other countries but the main one is that they voice is much better at giving directions at the correct time. For instance, it will warn you 50 feet from your turn now instead of 10 feet in city driving.
--This is not made to operate and drive at the same time. You can but please don't get into an accident. Pull over and spend 60 precious seconds safely.
--Yes, the screen is a little hard to see in the sunlight. I know that the other garmins (c3xx series) have the same problem.
--Lastly, when I went to the stores the clerk tried to convince me that the more expensive models had better maps and navigation ability. This is just not true. You get the same maps and the same software with the ix series as you do with the c3xx series. While the c3xx series can do a few more things, the i3 will give the you the same directions from point A to point B as will a GPS in the c3xx series. Don't be fooled.
--ANTENNA
I was a little worried about how such a little unit would handle satellite reception so I got on e-bay and bought an antenna. I'm sure that it will help a little but so far, I have never needed to use it so it just sits in my glove compartment.
CONCLUSION:
I am more than happy with my decision for the smaller GPS. It does exactly what I wanted. I too was getting caught up in all of the extra features and stuff that other units provided but now I know that they are just fluff to add more money to the price. I would recommend this to anyone who asked.
I bought one of these new from Amazon at $199.99 with FREE SHIPPING! All I can say is WOW! I travel a great deal for work. I drive approx 40,000 miles a year to mostly locations that I have never been to before. This i3 has made my whole working life so much easier. I am on time everywhere now with no delays from fumbling with a map. My stress level is way down and I am more relaxed with customers when I do arrive. It also has the feature of being able to take you to shopping, food, etc. I use this feature every day!
I have also used this for a three state trip with my family. it worked beautifully with one notable exception. When on the return trip we were driving through Chicago the unit did not know the highway it put us on was under construction. We missed our turnoff and got pretty well off-track. However, the i3 guided us through some pretty nasty areas with out having to stop and we made it home about 15 mins later than planned. Not too bad!
At the price I bought it for or even the current price, this thing is a huge bargain. It is not updatable so construction and closed roads will get you BUT you have to spend hundreds more to get that kind of help!
I am a first-time GPS user (but an experience tech user), and the i3 has literally changed my driving experiences. For anyone who has never owned a reliable, highly performing auto GPS, having the i3 as a travel companion makes going to out-of-the way places, new locales, and new cities a sheer joy, as opposed to the usual high stresses accompanying getting lost.
I use this regularly in my hometown of Massachusetts, but I recently took it to Los Angeles where it was a lifesaver - great route calculations, and ease of use. I found all the locales that I was headed for easily, got re-routed within seconds when I accidentally missed turns or got blocked off by heavy traffic, found local gas stations & post offices & restaurants, and got consistent reception everywhere except areas of the tallest skyscrapers. It even does an incredibly good job at estimating where the actual house number is - in my address lists, it never missed by more than 30 feet.
I actually did lend this to my girlfriend, (who is NOT a tech-fan) who at first opposed the idea of having a potentially annoying driving coach in the side-seat, but after 1 local trip, she was sold. She then took it with her to San Francisco, and it made driving a fun, pleasant, stress-free journey despite the fact she had no knowledge of the area and only one prior trip with the i3. (She's demanding one for herself now.)
It's easy to use, it's small, it's inexpensive for what it does. Add to the fact that it has a virtual yellow pages built in (including phone #s and addresses - call ahead for reservations!!) and this unit is unstoppable. I like this thing so much that I feel that EVERY car should come with one off the showroom floor.
The main criticism I have is that entering text/numbers is a bit slow with the scroll wheel. Not bad, but definitely on the clunky side.
This is one of the few technologies that I've encoutered that are truly life-changing. If you're not a GPS user yet, try this one - you can't go wrong (most of the others are >$500), and you'll see the road in a whole new light.
** Just to comment on some prior incorrect critiques:
- The 128Mb card is spacious. Holds 4 dense map states (NY/MA/NJ/NH)with some small room to spare, or MANY less dense maps (most of the Midwest.) Definitely NOT just 1/2 a state.
- The screen is more than adequate in size & brightness. I have NEVER had to squint at it - the text is big and bold, and the brightness works even in sunlight.
- I've never had a problem getting it recognized via USB on a PC. In fact, it's one of the most reliable pieces that gets recognized for me.
- Alas, the suction cup issue is true though. It's a fancy suction-cup complete with manual lever, but it will invariably fall off if the temp changes a lot, or especially when you're twiddling around with the zoom wheel. Remember to reset the lever every 3 hours, or after a lot of manipulation, and it'll never fall off again.
First of all, this unit is well worth the purchase. I won't waste time by repeating the pros and cons that most every review below lists out, but I will share my opinion. I have used this for approx. 1 month, and I love it. I travel around the Atlanta metro area for my job, and this GPS has saved me a lot of headache and wasted gas. The directions are 98% accurate. I have only had one instance where the directions where not accurate, but in defense of the unit, two roads that were on the route were closed due to construction. The unit finally recalculated and got me to my destination.
The only "annoyances" I have found so far are:
1. In the city, the unit takes a little while (30 to 60 secs) to acquire the satellites. This is due to the tall buildings blocking the signal. This happens with all GPS units, so it is not an issue with the unit, but still annoying.
2. The points of interest are out of date. Several of the ones I have tried no longer exist. This is mostly due to the fact that businesses come and go in Atlanta almost weekly, so I can't really hold this against the unit.
3. You really have to use the "Avoidances" setting, and select/deselect "Highways" if you plan to take back roads or side streets. If you do not choose to avoid highways, the unit will constantly try and steer you to the interstate, instead of realizing that the side street/backroad you are on is taking you in the same direction, and adjust accordingly. It gets very annoying to hear "When safe, make a U-Turn" at every intersection when you get off of the highway to avoid a construction or a wreck. The only way to choose to avoid the highway is to go into settings, which means you have to take the risk while driving, or pull over.
Overall, I am very pleased with the unit. You must remember that with all GPS units, they are not 100% accurate, 100% of the time. I have also used a factory system in a Mazda, and it suffers from the same issues, but it was a $1500 upgrade. I got mine from Amazon, and they seem to have very reasonable prices for this GPS.
I bought this device before my trip to LA. I live in Silicon Valley and through out it proved very very useful. It acquires satellite signal almost immediately. I have used it in San Francisco Finanical District and it works great in there. In general this is a good investment. People warned me against the size and memory capacity: but i have put in 5 states in the GPS and thats more than i will ever travel in one trip. It has all of california, nevada, Utah, oregon, and Arizona in just 128 MB and there is sstill some space.
The size shocked me when i got it. I suggest you draw a bbox with the dimensions as mentioned for the display size and ask yourself if you are going to be fine with a small display.
I have had no issues with the display even though its small! its very handy because of the size. you can fit it in the dash when you park your car in an unsafe parking lot or locality! If you get the big ones you will have to leave it at home and if its not in the car its of no use!
The one inconvenience was entering addresses with a scroll wheel. It does have the auto complete feature which means u can enter 3 letters of the street name and it will show u the options, which makes it easier! but i think i will go with the scroll wheel if it saves me 200$.
Down side is in less than a month this dropped 25$, i bought it for 295 and this is now selling for 270!
Get it and start roaming around! its fun when u never have to go to maps.google.com or mapquest!
First I should state that I have had the full-featured Garmin 2610 for almost three years. The 2610 is larger, heavier, and nothing like the i3, which weighs little and is (as Garmin says) "The size of a baseball". I wanted something smaller and lighter...something I would not have to be concerned about stowing or carrying when I parked the car. The i3 fit my requirements. (No stand-alone GPS unit should be left on your dash or windshield when you leave your car. It will be a sitting duck for thieves.)
Upon opening the i3 box, a quick set-up guide instructs you to insert a DVD into your computer which loads the software and maps. When instructed to do so, I plugged the unit into the computer USB connection. Once my computer recognized the unit, I installed the maps onto the MicroSD (Transflash) card that is in the i3. The maps are much easier to install on the i3 than the 2610. The standard 128 MB card can hold several states. If you know you will never drive out of a certain region, then the 128 MB card should be all that you will ever need. I was able to load about 8 New England/Mid Atlantic states onto the 128MB card. However, I decided to take out the 128 MB card and buy a 1 GB card which can hold all continental 48 states....you never know where you may have to drive to..do you?
Why buy the i3 vs. the i5? The i5 uses a micro hard drive which has all the state maps pre-loaded. It also comes with a 128 MB MicroSD card which is for additional maps or data. The i3 and i2 use a MicroSD flash memory card. My feeling is that anything that has delicate internal moving parts (such as a micro hard drive) is more prone to failure, plus may even be slower than a flash card. I can't see how over time a micro hard drive can withstand the everyday bumps and shakes of moving the unit between your windshield and glove box, or car to car, or whatever. The maps on the i5 hard drive are not upgradeable as they are with the i3/i2. Finally, the cost of the i3, plus a larger card is still less than the i5. You don't need to be tech savvy to load the maps onto the i3. Just follow the easy instructions and you are on your way.
I wont go over all the features of the i3. You can find that on the Garmin site. However, since I have had a Garmin 2610 for awhile, I will compare the i3 to it.
The i3 is very basic, but certainly functional. It turns on as soon as it gets power from the car, or you can turn it on using the power button. It takes 2 AA batteries (claim to last 6 hours), but when in the car, I always run it plugged in. The batteries power the unit when I am out of the car and need to look things up.
Most people who buy their first GPS unit think that once they start their car, the GPS is immediately available for use. Not really. Like all GPS units, the i3 may take several minutes to acquire satellites when starting out from "Cold", meaning you haven't used it for hours, or when you are in a different area from where you last turned it off, since it needs to find different satellites than it did before. Most of the time it is ready to operate in less than 1 minute, but it can take up to 5 minutes to find satellites. In addition, it must have a clear view of the sky to function, meaning no trees, buildings, etc. are blocking it. Satellite acquisition has always presented a problem for me when I first turn it on. Do you start driving, hoping you am going in the correct direction as you wait for the unit to find the satellites, or do you just sit there with the motor running waiting for it to tell you what to do? That is a decision you have to make.
The i3 has a clean interface, with only three things you can push. 1 button for power, 1 button to return to the previous screen, and a scroll wheel/button to scroll and select. The scroll wheel is tedious to use compared to the touch screen on the 2610. You have to scroll through letters and numbers, then press your selection. However, the software is intuitive, in that it narrows down your choices as you select things. Of course this is the way it must be, since the screen is too small to be touch-sensitive. Cant have it all.
In terms of readability, the 2610 is the winner here. It is big, bright, and sharp, easily read even in the sun. The i3's screen almost washes out in the sun,...whether the sun is directly shinning on it or not. I have the screen always at the maximum brightness setting, and even then there are times when it is tough to make things out. (I have read about this gripe in other reviews.) The 2610 screen has a matte-like surface. Unfortunately the i3 screen is very reflective. Not a good design for the car during bright days.
While the screen of the i3 is not as sharp and readable as the 2610, it is still not so bad that I would not buy the unit again. It just is not as good as the better models Garmin makes. (Remember, I have been using a full-featured unit for the past few years. If I never did, I would have nothing to compare the i3 to. If I bought the i3 as my first unit, I would not know any difference and be very happy). As to the size, I thought I would have a hard time using such a small screen., but I don't. It displays only what is really needed. It is acceptable. Besides, most of the time you use the voice prompts to guide you, and one only makes fleeting glances at the screen to confirm the name of the street, highway, or a direction. I just care about where I should be heading, right, left, etc. I don't have to know the names of everything around me. One shouldn't be always looking at that screen anyway. One should be concentrating on the driving first and foremost. Safety is more important than anything. One shoudnt be fiddling with any of the buttons on the unit while driving. All GPS units need much more attention from the user than when using something like a car stereo. One should input all data before the vehicle starts moving. If the driver trys to input data while driving, that is very unsafe. In addtion, in most states you can be ticketed for distracted driving.
There are the usual set-up options, but much fewer than the 2610. There are points of interest such as food, fuel, lodging, attractions, shopping, etc. Of course the points of interest are a few years behind from what is current. That is true for all mapping programs.
The i3 uses a suction mount that attaches to the windshield. When it stays put, it is fine. However; too many times it has come off unexpectedly, causing the unit to hit the dash. This has happened so many times, I recently gave up using the suction mount completely and got a friction dash mount. Garmin needs to address the problem with the suction mounts, since it seems to occur with other models that Garmin makes.
Finally, the processor in the i3, while fast, is just not as fast with route calculation and searches for points of interest as in the 2610. The i3 still works admirably, but you have to decide if the processing time is too slow for youself. Is it worth it for to you to spend hundreds more to save a few seconds off the processing time?
The i3 has does have many good points. The price affords GPS to an entire market that was not able to enter it before this. The small size enables you to keep one of these in your glove box or center console for ready access. We all have had times where we had no idea which way to go. This unit will lead you to your desination on a leash. Why spend 2 grand for a OEM GPS unit, when for less than 300 dollars you can have this? Finally, this is a great thing to move from car to car. Give it to different family members when they need it. Never be lost in a strange area again. Take it with you the next time you take a airplane trip and are renting a car at the airport. Upon picking up the rental car at the airport, I put the unit on the dash, then wait a few minutes for it to find the satellites. It leads us me to the driveway of our hotel miles away. When on vacation, it is also a great tool to find stores, restaurants, gas stations, etc. I would use the GPS (with the unit in GPS off mode) in the hotel room to investigate all the places I wanted to go the next day (using battery power). They were saved on the unit. Once in the car, the list of the places I wanted to go to was already there under "Recent Finds". I just selected my choice from the list, then I choose navigate, and it routed me there from wherever I happened to be. One of the best things about it is that I was never afraid of "getting lost". Sometimes we would just drive around exploring new areas. When we were done and wanted to go back to our hotel, I just scrolled to the hotel in the list of recent finds and it got me back easily.
The Garmin 2610 is certainly the more advanced unit. If I have a trip planned and I am driving my own car the entire way, I would choose the 2610. But....when I take my next airplane trip and am going to pickup a rental car, the i3 will be packed in my carry-on. It can't do everything that the 2610 can do, but the size and weight of the i3 makes it more practical for use in a car other than your own. Plus, it is much more practical if others will be using it (such as your children), since if something happens to it you wont feel so bad since the price you paid wasnt exhorbitant.
Yes, the i3 has it's limitations, but that is reflected in the low cost. You are buying price, not the features of a higher end, larger GPS unit. You want something better? Garmin makes many different models. They are trying to cover all market segments. This unit may not be for you. However, if you are reading this, you are somewhat interested in the unit, and you know that you may dont always need to spend more money on something. It all depends on your needs. Do you want a Honda Fit or a Honda Accord? They will both get you there, but in different ways. What do you feel comfortable with, plus what is your budget for this?
If you are debating about buying any GPS unit, an important thing to realize is the secure feeling you will get just by having a GPS system. The security of knowing you will never be lost in a strange area may be the single most important reason for purchasing this. Make a wrong turn during a route? In a few seconds it automatically calculates a new route to get you back on track. Also...another wonderful use for this is searching for an address at night, especially in a dimly lit area. How many times have you tried to find an address in the dark, in a suburb or a rural area? You go up and down the road, hoping to end up at the right house. Try doing that during a heavy rain, and it even gets harder. This unit will work invisibly to lead you where you have to be.
In closing I would like to add that I feel that Garmin has great customer support. (Isn't it amazing how some companies can get away with charging you to speak with them about the problems you are having with the product that you just paid them a significant amount of money for?) You should know that at times you may have to wait up to 30 minutes to talk to someone at Garmin, but the call is toll free, and the support is free for life. Few companies still offer perks like that.
After reading the reviews, I decided to by the Garmin StreetPilot i3 (only $50 more than the black and white i2). Once I installed the hardware and plugged it in, I began to realize how intuitive the i3 is its use. You really do not even need a manual. I ordered the i3 with a 1GB smart card. This allowed me to load up the entire US, Canada and Puerto Rico... with room to spare. Then I went on the road and tried it out. It performed flawlessly. On the initial acquiring of satellites, the i3 takes about 30 seconds. After that, your position is always certain. Once you select a destination, the i3 takes about 5-10 seconds to map it out. If I ever deviated from the selected route, the i3 would recalculate in about 5 seconds.
I have been using the i3 for about a month now. I have NOT had any problems with this GPS system. On the contrary, I have fully incorporated it into my driving. I recommend downloading the POI loader and the Web Updater (both free from Garmin's website). Once you get the POI Loader, you can download those intersections within some cities that have traffic cameras. Once loaded onto your i3, you can be warned when you approach such intersections, thereby avoiding tickets. It has come in handy numerous times already. In addition, if you purchase MapSource from Garmin, you can create an almost limitless number of Waypoints or "Favorite locations" that can be uploaded to your i3. Ever person in your phone book can now be positioned on your i3 and navigated to with the touch of a button. If you decide not to buy MapSource, there are some other GPS utilities that are free (e.g., Easy GPS). I still recommend MapSource for ease of use.
So, as you can see this GPS system outperforms most vehicle installed GPS systems. With the ease of POI loading and the automatic updates from Garmin, you're always up to date in your navigation. You can even have a voice with different languages. And because it's mobile, you can take it with you as you fly to other cities and rent vehicles in those cities. It can even be used in Europe (if you buy the European map version). A SIDE NOTE TO CALIFORNIA DRIVERS... California Vehicle code will only allow you to place the i3 in the lower corner nearest the driver or in the lower corner furthest from the driver. Obviously, you will place it nearest the driver. But it's more convenient there than in the middle of the windshield anyway. Other than that, the i3 is an awesome device. I whole-heartedly recommend it!!!!!!
I lived in NJ Suburbs, our place got lots of trees. It easily losses it's signal with the satellite. Then I tried it from my home going to my work in Parsippany. The device got me lost. I tried to stick with it's direction, I am following it turn by turn. I never miss a turn but it keeps on recalculating the route. It's good I know my way.
The good thing is if it worked it is awesome. Just don't give 100% trust on the device.
I've got my i3 for six months now. Other than the occasional hard-freeze (requiring the removal of car adapter power AND opening the battery compartment door to kill power and restart) and also some inaccuracies in the map data (I don't attribute this issue to the unit per se but the data provider), the unit has been well worth every cent I paid for it.
I live in Seattle, but I took my i3 along with me to Cabo San Lucas in Mexico (about 2000 miles away), and also to Singapore (over 8000 miles away!), and in both cases, the unit was able to figure out where it was after it took well over 10 minutes acquiring satellites. It just doesn't have the correct data to work in those places. Thought that's something fun to know.
This past week I drove from Atlanta to Naples, Florida. Coming from the northeast, I didn't realize how bad and unpredictable rain storms were over Florida. I bought the Garmin i3 about a month ago for this trip in mind. I couldn't praise the little unit anymore then I could. During one of the many terrible rain storms when visibility was only a couple feet, the i3 navigated me perfectly to my exit. I got to my destination on time and didn't let the rainstorm deter me. If it weren't for this purchase, I would have been lost on the road without a clue during that storm.
The i3 of course has a couple limitations. The i3 comes with a 128 MB Transflash card, which only allows you to hold only so many states. I actually bought an additional 256 MB card just to cover my southeast drive. Sliding cards in and out of this unit depending on where you are driving can be frustrating, especially if your start point is on one disk and your end point is on another. I know all the models up from the i3 have all the North America maps preloaded for you already. For the amount of money you would spend in Transflash cards you probably might want to look into the more expensive units.
The i3 isn't very big and the screen can be hard to navigate with, but it is ideal for people that don't want to lug around large devices in a travel bag. It fit perfect in my camera bag with room left over to throw in my ipod.
Overall, the i3 is a great buy for what it does.
Note: I've read in previous posts about the horrors of the suction cup mount not holding up to the windshield. It's not a defect, but merely needing to apply some moisture to the suction cup before attaching it to glass. I actually dampen the suction cup with a little water and then attach it to the windshield. Hasn't dropped from the windshield since this method.
I love this thing. It's pretty economical, especially compared to some of the other GPS units out there. The Street Pilots are awesome. You can find all kinds of stuff with this and it will take you right to it. Gas stations, restaurants, streets, just about anything you can think of. It is small and portable but has a good sized screen. It is easy to use, easier than I thought for just having a couple of buttons. A fun toy for those that like gadgets.
This is a great GPS system. It is very versatile and exactly what I was looking for. It is able to give me turn by turn directions but also will find a place for me even if I don't know the address. I would highly recommend this unit to anyone, experienced or not in how to use a GPS.
I originally bought this due to the price point and didn't realize how good it was until I hit the road. Easy to change views using the click wheel and back button. Unit only has three buttons. Other reviews really fill in the other details. My only complaint is one-way streets don't show up. I wan a unit I can drive anywhere with and not get lost. Being told to turn down a one-way doesn't help. It does recalculate your route very quickly so you can just go to the next street and you'll get there.
Great little unit. Got a chance to play with it, and used Amazon's offer to add a 512MB transflash microSD card also. However, when loading up the unit, found out that the 512 card doesn't have enough capacity to load the whole US map (got everything west of the Mississippi, most of the midwest, but didn't get the far NE or SE). So, if you consider that buying the i3 plus a 1GB transflash card, plus the time loading all the maps, for only another $60 or so more, you could get the i5, plug it in and go. Something to consider if you don't want to mess with using a PC in the process.
The Good:
Great starter GPS unit, especially for the price. Got us where we needed to go, and worked reliably. Volume was good, screen was crisp and easy to read (even though it's pretty small!). Loading the maps, aside from the time taken, was very, very easy. PC with DVD necessary. Also could download a utility that updated the firmware. Thanks, Garmin!
The Bad:
Took 2 or 3 minutes to acquire satellites. We had to stop at the side of the road and wait until it acquired before we could drive off. Not a surprise - all GPS units take some time to acquire satellites. Just remember that it's going to do that, maybe start up the unit as soon as you get near the car, before loading up.
The pricing that I talked about at the top of the review.
I was originally concerned that the screen may be too small but it is not if you mount it on the windshield next to the rear view mirror (this idea is from a picture posted for the i5 model). Added benefit is that you don't worry about the sun since the GPS is shielded from the direct sun this way. You may have to adjust where you put the GPS if you want the visor down.
(Garmin should change the screen so that it is not so reflective.)
I checked the GPS every time I stopped at a light to see if it showed my exact location and it was 100% right on the dot every time. (This was suburban driving -- no tall buildings to block the signals.)
I got a 1 gig microSD card and I was able to load all 50 states plus Canada on it with room to spare.
Some of the points of interest are out-dated, but a simple phone call ahead will confirm if something is still in business,etc. Not a big deal.
If you will only use the GPS in your car, it may make sense to get the C320 since it has a 3.5" screen for only $50 more and it has a touch screen which the i3 does not have. It is not worth saving the $50 to get the black-and-white i2 because the screen just does not look as sharp.
I wasnt at all disappointed with the i3. So far it has worked really well in the MA and NH areas. It is my first GPS and it has given me the freedom to explore places without the fear of getting lost and going around in circles. Only 1 negative and that it has trouble contacting satellites amongst tall buildings, but this might be a trait for all gps. I like the fact that with extra batteries i can use it outside of the car without having to ever recharge it, unlike all the other gps models.
I've had this GPS for several months now, and I have used it in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, California and probably a few other states that I don't remember offhand. It's a terrific buy for the price. There are some quirks with it. One is that it frequently "recalculates" your route right in the middle of heavy traffic on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. That can get annoying. This happened to me a lot in Boston which drove me nuts. Another problem is that when you first turn it on, it can take a couple of minutes to hook up with a satellite. In one instance, it took about an hour and a half. Ouch! After all that, why would anyone buy one? Well, if you have never used GPS before, you're in for a real treat. I'm hooked on GPS, and I don't know why anyone would bother using a map anymore except on those days when it takes an hour and a half to hook up to a satellite. This particular device is a bargain. For one, it's portable meaning you can put it in any car you want, particularly a rental car when you're on vacation. If you own two cars, you can switch it back and forth. Do not buy the carrying case from Garmin! Those things are the pits. Way too small. I bought a basic overnight bag where I put spare batteries, a battery charger and other small gadgets in. I highly recommend getting rechargeable AA batteries as well. The adapter for the car works fine, but I had one rental car where it did not work. The other reason is that when you are driving, if you stop for gas and turn off the engine, with no batteries, the power goes out meaning that you have to retype your route and hook up to a satellite. Having the batteries in at all times means that when you stop, you can just leave it on. I highly recommend that. I have used mine for dozens and dozens of driving hours in several different states, and I will NEVER travel without a GPS again. If you have never tried a GPS before, rent a car from Thrifty or Enterprise or whomever and pay the $10 per day for the GPS. I'm absolutely wild about mine. The points of interest part of it works fairly well. Basically, if you're in town somewhere, you can simply hit the fuel button, and it will tell you all the nearest gas stations. Well, if one has closed, you're out of luck. I tried to find a Chevron once and ended up at a Shell station. I also tried to find a pizza joint with the food button, but it said "arriving at destination" while I was cruising south on the New Jersey Turnpike. Okay, it's not perfect, but I can say that most of the time when you're looking for a restaurant, you'll find one. Same with hotels, gas stations and particularly parks. I LOVE that function. I was on my way to Fort McHenry for Flag Day back in June. I think there were detours on the road. I searched for historical landmarks or parks, and I clicked on Fort McHenry. It took me right there. I annoy friends when I visit because all I ever ask for is an address, but they start giving me directions. The only people who don't like or understand GPS are those who have never used one. Once you start, you'll never stop. Vacations are fun, but they're more fun when you spend time getting where you're going and not fumbling around looking at a map. Time is money. I recommend this device over the more expensive one because technology changes so rapidly. You'll upgrade eventually anyway. Also, I would buy a larger chip. It comes with 128 mb which is enough to load a couple of states. The only annoyance is that I have to load states into it whenever I travel. If you're using it for home, no problem. On 128 mb, you can fit the western U.S. on it. I upgraded to 512 mb because I prefer to store more states. Also, you need a DVD drive to load the software. I recommend having a laptop computer with DVD drive to take with you when you travel. Just in case, you can reload the maps onto the GPS from your laptop. Once you load the software from the DVD, you don't need to carry the DVD with you. I absolutely love GPS technology. It's going to become very commonplace very soon. Don't waste your money on a device installed in your car. It will go out of date sooner or later, and you can only use it in that car.
I feel so empowered! This great product saved me in Dallas so many times. The only time I had a problem was when I didn't trust the unit and made my own decisions or when we ran into new construction areas. But Gia (our nickname for our GPS) always got me back on track, thank goodness. I am the family joke regarding getting lost and always turning the opposite way than I should have. Now I am not so nervous to drive in a big city. My husband did have some trouble loading the maps, but he worked it out relatively easily. It took me a little bit to learn how to use it, but it is very user friendly so I was able to figure it out without wasting too much time. I also love that it is light enough for me to carry it on the plane easily. It will travel out of town with me always from now on.
Though it does seem small, Garmin gives you all the info you need without clogging the screen with too much info. I have used it extensively (even threw it in my suitcase and brought it on vacation) and never had a problem! It has taken the stress out driving when you don't know where you're going!
Although Amazon delivered it after a big road trip I took, I was able to use it for a few others.
Simple to set up, easy to load maps. I purchased a larger memory card, and loaded the whole US. I also purchased an external antenna(just in case).
The size may seem small, but not really a problem navigating. I can carry it inside and load routes or look for retaurants in the area.
I travel for my kids ball games, so it's real handy to get you there and find places to eat once there.
Overall it's a great unit, very portable and affordable.
The low price of this product makes it well worth buying; but if you can afford it, go for something better like the c330/c340. This is probably the best value of the Garmin StreetPilot series. The i2 does not have a color display and the i5s features aren't really enough to justify such a sharp price increase. Instead of buying an i5, I reccomend upgrading to a 1GB microSD card which enables you to load almost all of the maps and still comes out $40 cheaper.
Pros of the i3:
- Small size minimizes obstructed view
- Low Price
- Easy to use
- Has most of the same features as pricier models.
Cons:
- Suction cup mount sometimes fall