I have an aging (about four years old) Garmin Nuvi that has not had a maps update since that time. I had considered replacing it or updating the maps on it. Given that the maps update costs over half what I could buy a new one for, I'm leaning toward replacing it. I'm wondering if they have improved very much in the past few years? I really like the interface on the Garmin, and I can tell from playing with a few of them in the stores that the interface has not changed that much. Right now, I'm wondering if the few annoyances that have made me want to smash it/throw it out the window still occur. Here is a list of problems with the current one:
1. If I'm zipping down the highway at 50mph, and I miss the turn, it will say "recalculating..." and start counting up the percentage finished... if the next turn is in 1/4 mile or so, it may not have finished calculating by the time I get to it, it says recalculating again, and at that point the thing's mind is blown...it will perpetually recalculate, unless the next possible turn is miles down the highway. I have to pull over and let it "catch up" or power cycle it. 2. If I select a destination while sitting in a parking lot near a street, it will highlight the street and say "please drive to highlighted route". The problem is that when I get on the street, sometimes I've gone a few blocks before it "figures it out" and realizes where I am. The display will spin around, zoom in out, say recalculating a few times, etc.. then all is well, unless the next turn is nearby, and then I get into the situation I mentioned in #1. 3. It doesn't handle detecting which road I am on if they are both side by side. For example (I've seen this one in Atlanta a lot), when you are on a frontage road that runs right along the highway, it will get confused and recalculate, thinking that you have magically jumped onto the highway. 4. Sometimes when I select a destination, it just doesn't calculate the time to arrive..there is just no value on the screen. Usually when this occurs, it also doesn't show the current speed. Some bug in the software, I'm guessing. In summary, the thing is super-laggy, and takes a long time to deal with recalculations. Are they any better now? Is this just a Garmin thing, and should I look at another manufacturer and just deal with getting used to a different interface? Allen B. -- Allen Beddingfield [email protected]
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