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(More customer reviews)Pros: Small size, good text-to-speech, SD mapcard, ease-of-use, bright display, great suction cup mount, great satellite performance, decent maps (so far), clear and loud speaker
Cons: No prepare route, limited alternative route options, no USB-to-miniUSB cable for computer hookup I bought this GPS for a planned trip to France, the smaller size (fits better in my pocket) and text-to-speech feature, along with SD mapcard capability were my reasons. I have had the Nuvi 1200 for 3 days and the adjustment from Tomtom think to Nuvi think has been relatively painless.
The suction cup mount (with its lever application) is a definite upgrade from the Tomtom. Also the auto detection for day/night mode is nice. Satellite performance seems even better than the Tomtom, and Tomtom has great reception. The map screen is bright and uncluttered, my wife says it is noticeably sharper. So far the maps seem to be comprehensive, won't really know until I use the Nuvi more.
The only things I miss (and/or could not find) was the ability to plan a trip when you were not at that location (Tomtom has a "Prepare Route" option that allows you to specify the departure point)and the ability to easily avoid a road when you start out (Tomtom has a "Find Alternative" option which allow 6 options such as "Avoid Roadblock", "Travel Via", "Calculate Alternative", etc.). Nuvi does have a "Detour" option that shows its alternatives to a selected route but they can only be selected, not tweeked by the user.
While it is not a big deal is seems like for the current price ($200) that the Nuvi could include a USB-to-miniUSB cable. After all this is not a $69 no-name GPS. And it is clear that Garmin/Nuvi expects you to hook up to a computer, there is software on the Nuvi so you can register your Nuvi at their website, also this is how you get your one free map update.
My wife and I were also both puzzled by one small Nuvi human factor mistake. We were trying to enter a numerical address (i.e 20th St) and after entering "20th" the Nuvi presented a two item list:
20th (Ave NE, Ave NW, Ave SE, Ave SW
20th Ave Ln NW
We were stumped for a while, where is 20th Street!! It turns out that you need to select "20th (Ave NE, Ave NW, Ave SE, Ave SW". After you do, you will be presented with all the "20th" options, including 20th Street.
Note that specifying "20th St" resulted on a "No matches found": error message!
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Garmin nüvi 1200 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigatornuvi 1200 easily fits in a pocket and won\'t stretch your wallet either, thanks to regional mapping and its slim design. This thin GPS announces streets by name, offers pedestrian navigation options and calculates a more fuel-efficient route with ecoRoute™. Navigate City TransitWith its enhanced pedestrian navigation capabilities, nuvi 1200 is the perfect travel companion for getting around town. Download optional cityXplorer content to help you navigate city public transit. Know where to walk, where to catch the bus, subway, tram or other transportation and how long it will take to get there. It easily fits in your pocket or purse. cityXplorer maps are available for select cities throughout North America and Europe. And with prices as low as $9.99, you'll have money left over to spend in the big city. Get Turn-by-Turn Directions nuvi 1200's intuitive interface greets you with two simple questions: "Where To?" and "View Map." Touch the color screen to easily look up addresses and services and get voice-prompted, turn-by-turn directions that speak street names to your destination. It comes preloaded with City Navigator® NT street maps for the continental U.S., Hawaii and Puerto Rico or one European region or country (click versions tab to view all), millions of points of interest (POIs) and 2-D or 3-D maps. Its digital elevation maps show you shaded contours at higher zoom levels, giving you a big picture of the surrounding terrain. With the 1200's enhanced user interface, you can slide your finger to conveniently scroll between screens. You also can upload custom points of interest (POIs). And with HotFix® satellite prediction, nuvi calculates your position faster to get you there quicker. Go Beyond NavigationNavigation is just the beginning. nuvi 1200 saves you gas and money with ecoRoute — a green feature that calculates the most fuel-efficient route, tracks fuel usage and more. The 1200 includes many travel tools, including JPEG picture viewer, world travel clock with time zones, currency converter, measurement converter, calculator and more. With photo navigation, you can download pictures from Garmin Connect™ Photos and navigate to them. It's also compatible with lifetime traffic alerts (receiver purchase required). With its "Where Am I?" emergency locator, you always know your location. Simply tap the screen to get your exact latitude and longitude coordinates, the nearest address and intersection, and the closest hospitals, police stations and fuel stations. The 1200 features Garmin Lock™, an anti-theft feature, and is compatible with our free Garmin Garage™ where you can download custom voices and vehicles. Enhance your travel experience with optional plug-in microSD™ cards.What's in the Box nuvi 1200, Preloaded City Navigator® NT data for the lower 48 states, Hawaii and Puerto Rico (no Alaska or Canada detail), Vehicle suction cup mount, Vehicle power cable, Dashboard disc, and Quick start manual Compare all Garmin nuvisClick the button below to compare by series, user type, and features.
Visit Garmin.com at https://www8.garmin.com/support/download.jsp to get the latest firmware updates for your nuvi to keep it current and performing at its best.
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