Garmin StreetPilot c320 Portable GPS Navigator
Garmin has introduced two new in-vehicle GPS receivers for use in your car or truck, the StreetPilot c320 and Street Pilot c330. We’ll be discussing both in each description as both are virtually identical with one key difference. The c320 comes with Mapsource City-Select award-winning software on CD (for installation into a notebook or desktop computer) and uses a 128MB SD card which allows you to download a particular region for GPS mapping as you drive. The c330, on the other hand, comes pre-loaded with highly detailed MapSource City Select street data of the entire United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. The database features an industry-leading five million-plus points of interest?including hotels, restaurants, gas stations, ATMs, and attractions. So, if you do lots of long-distance continental driving, the c330 may be the better value for you. If you usually stick to driving within a section of the country, the c320 might just be the best for you. Both are exceptional units but you must choose which is best for you. Either way, you can be assured that you’ll get where you want to go easily and comfortably. Choose between a three-dimensional navigation view or the more traditional ?bird’s eye? overhead view Each boasts distinctive and sleek styling?the only buttons are a rotary volume knob and an on/off switch. The device is secured by a suction-mount cradle that fastens to the windshield for easy portability among vehicles. Users can customize their unit’s appearance with an array of colored faceplates (sold separately). WAAS-enabled 12 parallel channel GPS Built-in patch antenna; MCX-type connector for optional external GPS antenna connection Unit dimensions - 4.4? W x 3.2? H x 2.8? D

Customer Review: a sound piece of smarts
I have owned this for 4 months now. My husband and I travel for work so it is used almost every time we get in the car. We are in TX right now and I would be lost without it! I left off a star for 2 reasons. No. 1, she has taken me to the wrong place several times. Most often though, she will be in the area you at least need to be in so you need to switch over from tech gear to brains. No. 2 reason is b/c my husband got me a newer version that automatically detects what city you are in so you dont have to involve your computer in the situation. I turned it on and it started up immediately. This is an older version of course though which is why I graded a bit gentle. I would recommend everyone get a GPS navigator no matter what brand it is. It helps relieve tension on getting to where you need to go and you can concentrate on your end result and not have a tension headache when you get to your destination. P.S. Hubby has the “older version” now Ha ha

Customer Review: This Product Makes My Life Easier
Since I started using this wonderful device two years ago, I cannot imagine how I could survive without it. It saves gas and time, makes driving safer, and makes a family trip more enjoyable. It is especially helpful in downtown when you lose your natural sense of direction after making a few turns. Even with a GPS, it is still possible that you can’t find the destination (a wrong address, for example), but at least you can go back to your starting location easily, which provides great peace of mind.

Before I bought a Garmin StreetPilot C320, I tried Garmin StreetPilot i3, which had a 2.2-inch monochrome display. While its route finding performance was as good as C320, the tiny display without touch- screen sensors posed problems. While driving, not only it was hard to see the map from the driver’s seat, operating a button and/or a wheel required significant effort and attention, which translated to a higher risk of accidents. So I returned it and got a C320. What a difference! This GPS navigator is easy to use, accurate, and reliable. Since many reviewers reported so many good things already, I will list a few inconvenient things that I have found out so far:

(1) Occasionally, map data loading from the SD memory card fails. When it happens, ejecting and re-inserting the memory card solves the problem, but it makes me worry about the long-term reliability of the unit.

(2) To save current locations, you first choose “My Locations” category from the main menu screen then choose “SAVE” on the bottom menu bar. This is not really intuitive. Without consulting the manual, it took me a while to figure that out because I assumed “My Locations” category should contain only a pool of saved locations. It would be better if “Save Locations” category exists separately on the main menu screen.

(3) More than once, the GPS instructed me to drive over a cliff. It seems that this problem occurs when a seemingly connected route on the two dimensional map actually has a disconnection (cliff) in 3-D space. Since C320 does not provide “detour-by-road” function, once you have this problem, the GPS persistently guides you to the dead-end place again and again. It is hard to escape from this trap if you are new to the area hence do not know a “right” waypoint to go first.

(4) Often times, it is necessary to change the sound level of the GPS depending on the outside noise, radio/CD playing, conversation, etc. However, adjusting volume is quite tricky on this GPS because the volume-control dial gets very sensitive near and above the “normal” loudness level. Without a precise setting, it becomes either too loud or too quiet. I think that this problem could be fixed by using a linear-tapered or reverse audio-tapered volume pot instead of the current one (I assume that it is an audio-tapered type).