Handheld GPS Reviews - Customer reviews - Garmin StreetPilot c530 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator

Manufacturer: Garmin

List Price: $363.79
Our Price: $183.00
You Save: $180.79 (50%)
Refurbished Price: $88.90
Used Price: $119.00

Average Customer Rating: -

Product details

Offers (18)

Page:1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 >> of 53

Spotlight customer reviews:

Name: P. Bendre
Location: irvine, ca
Date: 2006-12-31
Customer Rating: -

Summary: User friendly and great for those who want GPS only
Comment: Got this unit recently and used it during trip from LA to Vegas. We had breakdown on I-15 just before Baker..this unit was very helpful to pinpoint the location of breakdown in order to get some help from AAA(It gave distance and phone no of the nearest tow stations in Baker, CA by which i was able to find my location) since there was no mile marker or call box near by... Also it showed me nearest Discount tire store in Vegas where I went got the new tires.
I would recommend this unit for those who want just a GPS and do not require bell & whistles like MP3 player, bluetooth etc etc.

Name: Sergio I. Patino
Location: Dallas, Texas USA
Date: 2006-12-31
Customer Rating: -

Summary: This is may first GPS and I love it!!!
Comment: After doing my homework and researching on the GPS world. I was undecided between this model and the Magellan Roadmate 800. Reading reviews and listening to people talking good and bad about these products can confuse you about any GPS system. I decided that the best choice for my needs was the Garmin c530. I do not need all the whistles in the world but just a reliable navigation system.

I opened the box and starting navigating with the GPS. It is really easy! However, my wife didn't like it at the beginning. She told me "this is just another expensive toy." Last week we had visits and we have been driving across town. After using our GPS to drive from and to several places she saw how how easy and convenient a GPS is. Finally, yesterday my wife told me that she thinks the GPS is a good idea after all, and I can keep it.

I like its easy interface and its accurate navigation system. I have not found any major problems to acquire satellite signals even under high buildings, under trees, bridges, etc.

The voice prompts are very useful. I read reviews wondering why this unit does not say the street. That is not a problem since you can easily read the street name from the screen. Now, if what you are looking for is the state of the art and a more fancy GPS. Please, don't but this one. It does not come with MP3 player, or BlueTooth but is worth every penny since is a great navigation system.

Pros:
Weight.
Wife friendly.
Accurate on maps and navigation system.
Great GPS starter.

Cons:
In some rural areas is hard to get the address. I couldn't find my in-laws address on the GPs, but I just added as a POI.
Cost of add on services such as traffic services, cameras, etc.

This is a reliable GPS. I strongly recommend it over other products on the same category. I plan to buy later the antenna to receive traffic signals. If what you want is a reliable and easy to use GPS buy this one. If you are looking for a JPEG Viewer and MP3 player also, look for other models. However. I have not complains for this unit. It is great and at this moment I like it a lot. I won't hesitate recommend it to other people looking for their first GPS.

Name: Jerry C. Rogers
Location: South East, Va.
Date: 2007-01-30
Customer Rating: -

Summary: Easy Unit To Use
Comment: Unit worked right out of the box. Manual is not needed much. I downloaded a new vehicle icon from Garmins web site, and the unit lost the file that lets it find the map. Contacted Garmin, and one of the software techs sent a file to my C530 via my computer and it now works. In a way, i'm glad it happened to me, because I now understand how to fix it if it looses this file.

I tried a C330, and it was nice, but with the C530 you can enter a telephone number in your saved sites, etc. It has a brighter screen, and the audio seems to be a little bit louder.

Now sure why the case has the cut out for the mount in the rear unless your going to use it on battery power only.

This is so easy to use. I find myself looking up address in the house, etc. By the way, the receiver is very good (keeps a signal while in my home, and it acquires a signal in approx. 10 seconds).

Name: anyonomous
Location:
Date: 2007-03-27
Customer Rating: -

Summary: Great invention
Comment: This thing is amazing. Ready right out of the box.
I am someone who has no sense of direction and I havent gotten lost yet.
This thing will within seconds redirect you if you make a wrong turn.
I highly recommend it

Name: Nandasiri Samarakone
Location: California
Date: 2007-05-11
Customer Rating: -

Summary: C530 excellent choice
Comment: A month ago I bought a Garmin C530. I chose the C530 over the cheaper 330 for its more sensitive SirF 3 chip, a display that was easier to view in strong daylight, its slightly thinner design and for its ability to alter route according to traffic conditions (the extra FM receiver is required).

My experiences have been extremely positive.

The unit locks onto sattellites ( depending upon the time of the day ) even when inside my appartment. Why it even locked on while flying inside a Southwest Boeing 737 en route to Orange County( indicating a max cruise speed of 527 mph )

Today after spending a hour at a local Circuit City here in San Jose and playing with several other units ( Nuvi 200, Tom Tom 1, Magellan, LG, Mio ) I am even more convinced that I made the right choice.

By far the best feature in favor of all Garmins in my opinion is the simple intuitive interface. One can switch it on and find your way around the basics without any need for an instruction manual.

By contrast I was and still am totally perplexed by the LG and Mio software.

Tom Tom was better but nowhere near as intuitive as the Garmin.

Maglellan was closest but even there there were clear differences in favor of the Garmin, for example in the larger buttons used for typing in information.

Garmin maps, while they may appear less detailed and cartoonish, I find do the job better under real life conditions. The colors are big and bold. The colors on the LG by comparison are anemic.

So what are my thoughts on the C530 deficiencies. Almost none for my purpose. On checking out the C550 this evening I wanted to hear for myself the unit annouce the street names. On this albeit limited trial I found the computer generated speech of the street name to be rather artificial and so am less convinced at this point in time of its desireability.

Maybe in a couple of years time when computer generated voices have improved, units all have voice recognition, the ability to handle a wireless back view camera, I will invest in a newer unit.

I have found the V 8.0 maps on the current units to have their fair share of errors ( gas stations supposedly on my left but in fact on my right , restaurants long since gone, however, these are small niggles )

One curiosity that I have noted is that with the same preferences selected, (and no wireless service connected) the unit will occasionally choose a different initial starting route. The main route is always the same. Most people would not notice this as they would not repeatedly use their GPS to find a route that they clearly have no need to use a GPS on (eg home to work). I wonder if this is a function of the particular set of satellites in view.

The unit calculates a new routes very quickly, however, it clearly avoids left turns and minor roads.

Living in California I am not able to use the windscreen mount. The friction mount works very well and further is easy to place on the floor if one needs to not advertise the prescence of a GPS in the vehicle.

One last point. In seeing the new Nuvi 200 I wish that Garmin would pay a little more attention to the tactile aspect of these units. Unlike the C530 which as heft in its favor, my experience of the Nuvi 350, 660 and now the 200 is that the outer plastic casing looks fragile; not ideally befitting a unit costing several hundred dollars. I do not expect Leica quality engineering, however, a little more care could I feel be directed towards creating a unit with a more substantial hand feel.

Are there any features that the competition does better. Perhaps the smoother vehicle icon movement on the Tom Tom units.

Sum up: I am even more convinced that Garmin will, capture increased market share. One very satisfied C530 owner.

Page:1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 >> of 53