GARMIN Zumo 450 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator by Garmin
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List Price: Category: GPS or Navigation System See more digital camera details and other models |
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Digital camera reviews of GARMIN Zumo 450 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
Digital camera Review: I'm excited!
Summary: 4 Stars
This thing is bad a$$! only down side is it has no built in speakers and you can't use a head set with out it being on a mount with a power running through the mount. I was hoping to use it on the bike and the truck but i'll have to buy another $130 mount for the truck. BUT! It's got so many features and i've already got people sending me their favorite motorcycle rides! I'm pretty pumped!Digital camera Review: It'll get you where your going 98% of the time.
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought the Zumo 450 the day before going on a 1700 mile trip from Dover DE to the Great Smokey Mountains in North Carolina. During the trip I got rained on and exposed to near freezing temperatures. I choose this over the 550 based on cost over function (I didn't need bluetooth or XM).
Pros:
Reliable information to destination including routes, times, and travel data.
Ease of use even with gloves.
Good mounting system and pretty easy to power from my motorcycle.
Good battery life.
Cons:
You have to use the base to plug anything except a USB chord into the unit and I didn't try driving with this unit hooked to a computer yet so I can't speak for that capability.
Garmin does not make a car power cord with a cigarette adaptor that will fit the base. The only options are to drop another $100 on a car base or modify a motorcycle power chord.
It doesn't seem like it would have been very difficult to make this unit a great multi-vehicle unit but greed got into Garmins way.
The onboard maps don't include recently reconfigured traffic patterns (watch out around Washington D.C.)
In the end I would recommend this unit for motorcyclists as it delivers me where I wanted to go and provided some interesting information along the way.
Digital camera Review: Its a good product, but I didn't get JUST want I wanted.
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a pretty good device all around. Its durable, easy to use for someone even in gloves, and it can be used in conjunction with Harley Davidson.com's ride planner to plan your route.
2 Problems I have with it:
1) Don't think it can be used as a GPS for both bike and car. It has a weird plug-in for the mount that gives it power (the only way to power the thing and use it at the same time is to power through the mount) and Garmin doesn't sell a car adapter with that end. Also, they don't sell anything that can mount it to the window of your car. It would be so easy for Garmin to make these things, but they obviously want you to own GPS's for as many things as they can get you to buy them for, regardless of the overwhelmingly high price.
2) If you want to be able to just hear it tell you where to go and not mess with putting in the wires to power it up, also out of luck! It requires power to use the audio functions. So you better resign yourself to getting this thing installed if you don't feel comfortable wiring your own bike.
Those two things get fixed, and I'd think it was PERFECT!
Digital camera Review: Just what I was looking for
Summary: 5 Stars
This gps does just what it promised - take me from point A to point B as swiftly as possible!
Easy to use, even with gloves, and all the extras you would need are there (hungry? it will show you where you can go eat! Sleepy? A hotel just around the corner!)
A definite 'must have' for people like me who have no clue about directions & driving in the USA...
Digital camera Review: Makes exploring more enjoyable
Summary: 4 Stars
This GPS is easy to use with it's touch screen. Finding fuel or a place to stay is a snap. It has however just shut off a time or two when I have punched "find fuel." That causes a delay of more than a few minutes and I have to watch the road as well as figure out what went wrong with it. This is a design flaw I think as I am not the only one who has experienced this anoying querk. The softwear that comes with this GPS is pretty good and makes planning a trip half the fun. Learning the softwear can be a patience tester. Directions for using it (the softwear) are not very good. Once one figures it out, its not bad.