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GARMIN 010-10691-05 Micro SD City Navigator NT with Preloaded Italy and Greece Maps | 
 enlarge | Brand: Garmin
List Price: $134.38
Buy New: $77.22
You Save: $57.16 (43%)
New (12) Used (2) from $71.80
Rating:  4 reviews
Media: Accessory
Memorabilia: No
Fragile: No
Batteries Included: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.1
Dimensions (in): 4.1 x 3.8 x 0.3
MPN: 010-10691-05
Model: 010-10691-05
UPC: 753759051150
EAN: 0753759051150
ASIN: B000BS2V44
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Micro SD City Navigator NT with Preloaded Italy and Greece Maps | | • | Contains Full Detailed Coverage of Italy and Athens Greece | | • | Detailed Coverage Of Motorways/ National and Regional Thoroughfares and Local Roads | | • | Contains Navigational Features Such As Turn Restrictions and Speed Categories | | • | Automatically Create Point to Point Routes On NT Compatible Garmin GPS |
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| Accessories:
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Detailed coverage for Italy, Vatican City State, San Marino and Greece includes the municipalities of Patra, Greater Athens and Greater Thessaloniki
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| Customer Reviews:
Worked Fine November 19, 2008
Gary (Hawaii)
It was exactly as expected and helped me get all around Athens. I did not use it around other areas of Greece or at all in Italy (yet). With it's network of roads downtown it was able to get me from point A to point B knowing the one-way streets. The only drawback was that it doesn't react as quickly as I hoped as it has to read from the SD card so there are slight delays.
I think it's great because you can go off the beaten path and know you can get to your destination.
 Worth every penny I paid and then some.... November 2, 2008
Richard E. George (St. Louis, MO.)
Just returned from a two week driving trip thru northern Italy and used my Garmin NUVI 350 with the SM card for Italy - I would have been extremely frustrated if I did not have this navigational device with me every time we entered one of the major cities...It took us to each hotel (or other attraction we were trying to locate) even when we missed turns etc...I would highly recommend this to anyone unfamiliar with driving in Italy - it's worth the $99 and more..
Dont leave home without it. October 8, 2008
David Lasnick (Connecticut, USA)
Let's be up front about this. Maps, GPS, directions from the guy on the street, you're going to eventually get lost driving in a foreign country where you don't speak the language. That being said I can not adequately express the joy and lack of tension I felt driving in Tuscany while we had our Garmin City Navigator of Italy and Greece. The criticisms mentioned in Irina's review just prior to this one are all true, but in the end, so what. On those occasions where the data did not have the new off ramp or entrance to the I22 or the creation of the new roundabout in Siena you simply press detour and in about 5 seconds the new route is calculated. For me the beauty of this product was that in the end I knew it would get me there. Maybe it didn't seem to be the best route, but I could certainly not have done better with a map and my wife calling out directions. The only thing I would be aware of is the old - garbage in garbage out - advice. How you get there will be determined to a great extent on how precise your end location address is. If you are going to Florence but don't know the address of the parking garage, there is only so much the Garmin can do for you. (Been there, done that.) A couple of hints. 1. When in doubt, zoom out on the map, click on the location you are headed to and save. Some locations just don't appear in the address list no matter how many times you try to type in the name. I found this was often due to my misunderstanding of how towns, cities, and streets were categorized. That being said once I found the location on the map I was usually given the proper name and was able to find it in the data base; 2. The "attractions" section has a wonderful supply of information, including parking garages in the cities - found that one out too late; 3. If you are lost or get to an unidentified one way street, be quick with the detour button (menu - detour), it will save you a lot of time; 4. If you are taking a long drive, double check. Plot the route on the Garmin, then zoom out and use the touch screen to drag the map from beginning to end. Make sure that you and the GPS are in agreement as to where you are going. Had that problem going to the Coast. We were about 10 minutes away and the GPS took us up a mountain - as my wife said, this doesn't look like the beach. My fault since I had used the incorrect ending address so therefore, finally; 5. Bring a map - what can I say.
 Even if you buy this, still have with you a regular map! February 25, 2008
Irina (NJ)
17 out of 17 found this review helpful
Oddly, the Product Details do not contain a very important piece of information: the map version. I suspect this Product is the same "CN Europe NT Italy and Greece Version 9" map that was available last year on just SD card (but not microSD). If so, I have a couple of comments regarding it.
My opinion, based on our 2007 trip to Tuscany, is: it certainly is a useful product but you cannot always rely on it. Even if you have this product and a GPS with you, still take along a good road atlas (such as Atlante Stradale d'Italia) for global route planning, and, wherever you plan to stay or visit more than once, always try to get a detailed local map.
Now some particular examples:
The V9 map was already noticeably obsolete in 2007. It was missing some new rotaries and ramps and some newly build highway extents. Once we missed our exit because of that.
Some places of interest were located incorrectly on the map. E.g. the railroad station in Poggibonsi, Tuscany, is located on the map on the wrong side of the tracks. The GPS brought us to a place from where there was no access to the station, no parking etc. When we realized what happened and manually directed the GPS to take us to the spot on the opposite side of the tracks, the GPS navigated us to a tunnel that we could not even enter because it was one way (the wrong way for us). Luckily, we had a local map that we used to find another railroad crossing! (I guess I could try the GPS "Detour" button and may be that would work out, but at the time I was just fed up with it!)
I could list many other annoying quirks some of which could be attributed to the map data (which I guess is produced by NAVTEQ) and some to the Garmin navigation system, but that would not be appropriate for this brief review.
And, of course, there were many cases when everything worked flawlessly and the product was of great help.
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| Worthwhile Reading | Car GPS Navigation Systems - A Buyers Guide
By Nicola Carr
In 1973 the U.S. Department of Defence launched the Navstar GPS network. This consisted of 24 satellites orbiting the earth every 12 hours and five ground stations. This positioning system was made available for public use. With this capability, consumer location devices were produced to accurately determine location and other data such as current and average speed, directional heading, and elevation. These GPS devices need an unobstructed view of at least four satellites to provide a reliable 3D fix.
The GPS receiver overlays this location data onto map files stored on the unit, to give a current position on the map as well previous track. The receiver constantly recalculates position, giving real time position.
A typical GPS device contains:
- 12-channel receiver - the quality of the receiver determines how long it takes the device to acquire a 3D fix.
- Antenna to capture satellite signals - positioned to get a clear view of the sky.
- CPU to process the data and overlay on maps
- DVD Hard-drive - where maps on DVD's or available online are uploaded and stored. Some cheaper units do not upload the maps, but reference them off the DVD or CD.
- Display Screen - mostly color with handheld units using black and white
- Voice Interface - more advanced units
How The GPS Device Gets A Fix
The first time you start your GPS device, its data store is blank so needs a to collect satellite information to determine your position. This is known as a cold start. Some units only take 30 to 45 seconds to acquire a 3D fix during a cold start, while others can take several minutes. Subsequent position updates only take 3 to 4 seconds. If you go out of range from losing line of sight, such as passing behind a large building or through a tunnel, a good receiver will instantly recover, whereas weaker units will require more time to reacquire a 3D fix.
How Different GPS Navigation Units Differ
Location of Antenna - A factory installed in-dash unit antenna is integrated into the dashboard where it has an unobstructed view of the sky. Many portable models have a suction-cup-mounting device to position the device on the windshield. Add-on antennas are also available. Regardless of the type of unit and antenna, the important thing is to keep the antenna visible to the greatest area of sky possible. Choose a unit where this can be done AT THE SAME TIME as being able to maintain a clear view of the screen.
Screens and Display - important to check how bright these are, and if they are clearly visible from the mounted position in bright day light. Onboard navigation systems are generally color screens, and portable units are black and white to save power. Larger screens and integrate better with other vehicle electronics.
Input Buttons - most enroute buttons are on the display screen. Ensure these are easy to use when driving; that is they are big enough and colored sufficently to see without causing a driving hazard.
Map Media - Earlier models were CD-based, requiring multiple discs to cover the entire United States. Newer in-dash systems are DVD-based; only 1-2 DVD's required for an entire country of maps.
Cost - In-dash systems are usually more expensive than portable counterparts. Aftermarket in-dash models usually require professional installation and can be just as expensive as the factory models.
Upgrading - always check how easy it is to upgrade the firmware and maps on your GPS unit. Some units detach a portion to be connected to the computer via USB, whereas others are done using a DVD. Those units which can be upgraded online, are much more convenient.
Added Features of GPS Units
Apart from giving you a current position, a number of GPS navigation devices can give you: - A track of where you have been - the number of tracks and waypoints stored varies from unit to unit. You may also want to save on part of a track for future use.
- A path from your current position to your destination
- Maintain commonly used navigation paths for reuse.
- Points of Interest - user sets the types of points of interest, such as tourist, bank ATM, petrol stations, historical, accommodation, restaurants etc.
- Real time traffic reporting to avoid traffic delays. This can also include road works.
- Voice recognition to receive destination instructions, and voice guidance to give driving instructions
- Weather updates
- Street name navigation - instead of just turn left 200m it was say 'Turn left into Stanley St'
- Integrated Multimedia players - MP3 players, image viewers, and audio books.
- Onboard or Portable GPS Navigation
The downside of onboard GPS Navigation units are susceptible to theft; and you cannot take them with you to use in other vehicles or when travelling abroad. Portable units, such as the Garmin StreetPilot 2720, can be used in multiple cars; being easily moved from car to car. Depending upon the power supply and portability, portable and handheld units can be taken when travelling or used on cycles, boats, private aircraft etc.
For more information on Go-Reviews.com Car Electronics Section.
Nicola Carr - Nicola is a technology strategist and publisher of Go-Reviews.com. She provides product reviews and buying guides on a wide range of technology. Nicola is also a feature writer for Electrosmart Digital Publishing and RichMediaMix demonstrating how technology is integrating into business and media.
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