Garmin nuvi 850 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator(Factory Refurbished - Silver) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought this model after owning the 205 and 255 Garmin GPS units which I was very satisfied with.So I moved up to this one because of the wider screen and it came highly recommended from a family member.Quite honestly I was disappointed in the battery life and the voice recognition thing.The original battery I have already replaced and the new one, too, will not hold a charge over more than a couple of days even when unplugged and turned completely off in the console.I never had that problem with the other models.The voice recognition thing works sometimes but it hates my southern drawl and I hate screaming at it while I'm driving so I just use it manually.I've had this unit about 2 months and a couple of times it has just frozen up on me and I had to turn it off and remove the battery to reboot the system. Like the other smaller units it will get you to the right street every time, but don't count on the location flag being exact.Another disappointment was the multi-lane mode.When I saw it advertised the screen was in the multi-lane mode at an intersection, so I naturally thought the screen was always in that mode.In that mode you actually see the lanes and traffic signs, not just the triangle moving along a map. On my first trip I discovered that it rarely goes into the multi-lane mode and only when there is more than one lane exiting the same direction.What a bummer! Ending on a positive note, because of the larger screen I can read it easily.

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Product Description:
This is a refurbished GPS. Refurbished generally means that the unit has been returned to the manufacturer, who brings the navigator back to like new conditions. Some GPS may contain cosmetic blemishes.
With the nuvi 800 series, Garmin adds smooth speech recognitionto its bestselling line of sleek portable GPS navigators. As with all nuvis, you get a slim, pocket-sized navigator with a gorgeous display, detailed NAVTEQ maps that let you search by name for more than 6 million points of interest like stores, restaurants or hospitals, and an easy, intuitive interface. All of the 800-series navigators also feature a rich array of features including spoken directions in real street names, integrated traffic receivers, MP3 player and photo viewer, and an FM transmitter that will play all the nuvi's audio, including voice prompts, MP3s, audio books, and more, directly through your vehicle's stereo system. The 850 also features an integrated traffic receiver and enhanced MSN Direct content with traffic data, reas-time gas prices, movie times and more.

Key Features/Benefits

Which nuvi is Best for You?: Click here to see a quick, simple comparison of features for all Garmin nuvi GPS navigators

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Easy to Use Right Out of the Box

One of Garmin's key product philosophies is, "to make extremely complex technology easy to use for anyone right out of the box," and perhaps nowhere is that better exemplified than in the user interface for Garmin's portable navigation devices.

Garmin's interface is a key to their success and one of the things that makes their devices such a pleasure to use. Simple controls and sub-screens make it easy to enter or search for destinations and get data about your trip.

New -- Voice Recognition

Usable voice recognition is something we've been waiting to see for a long time. Reaching over to type out directions on your GPS isn't just difficult, it can feel downright dangerous. There's even a warning on every GPS not to do it. But who has the time to sit still and punch in a destination? Well, now you can have your hurry and your directions too.

The nuvi 800s aren't the first GPS navigators to offer voice recognition, but the level of flexibility they offer sets a new standard for simple and intuitive use.
The device comes with a little remote control that mounts on your steering wheel. It has two buttons. One is, "listen." The other is, "stop listening". Hit the "listen" button to start voice recognition. Then you can speak any of the words that appear on the display, and the device will understand, or you can ask questions based on most points of interest. Say, "find nearest Italian restaurant," for example, and you'll get a list of nearby spots. Say "go to" and name of the one you want, and you get turn-by-turn directions to dinner. The nuvi also knows the names of many large business brands, so you can just say, "find place, Starbucks," if that's your coffee mojo.
Of course, if you know the address you want to go to, you can say that too, and the nuvi will give you directions, all without having to reach over to the dashboard and touch it.

Speech recognition is available for American English, British English, European French, European Spanish, German, Italian, and Netherlands Dutch languages.

Traffic-Capable for Either FM Traffic or Enhanced MSN Direct Content (optional receiver required)

MSN Direct Enhanced Traffic and Content

With an optional receiver, you can access enhanced dynamic content from the MSN Direct service. Check the weather, avoid traffic backups, compare local gas prices, get enhanced movie listings, stock information, news and local events when you travel with your unit. Even plan trips from the convenience of your computer, via Windows Live Local, and wirelessly send custom to your nuvi.

Check out a full description of MSN Direct content features, or a coverage map for MSN Direct services.

A 3-month subscription to MSN Direct is included with the receiver. After that, subscription fees are $49.95 per year, or $129.95 for a lifetime subscription.
FM Traffic

With an optional receiver, you can get alerts from TMC Clear Channel about traffic tie-ups and road construction that might lie ahead on your route. All you have to do is simply touch the screen to view traffic details and you'll be ready to detour around any problem area. And if you end up missing a turn, or you're forced into a detour that is not relayed through the traffic receiver, the nuvi's sophisticated automatic routing will get you back on track in no time.

In most areas, TMC Clear Channel traffic broadcasts are continuous - there's no waiting for scheduled traffic news updates or random alerts. Because traffic broadcasts are received via a "silent" FM data channel, you can still listen to music or news programming on your car radio without interference from incoming FM traffic data transmissions.
A 3-month subscription to TMC Clear Channel's Total Traffic Network is included with the receiver. For more information on subscription fees, coverage in individual cities, and traffic data networks in the United Kingdom and Europe, check the Garmin website.

Widescreen -- See More of What's Around

The super-bright, 4.3-inch (diagonal) touchscreen display gives is anti-glare for ease of viewing during the day and automatically changes its color profile for easy viewing at night or in dim light. It offers 2d or 3D perspective views.

The widescreen format gives you 70% more actual screen area than a 3.5-inch screen. Primarily this translates into a better view of the area through which you are driving. This is especially useful in showing you what parks, restaurants, ATM, gas stations, etc. are nearby, or in letting you know whether a detour is a good idea. Also, the device itself is larger, meaning controls on the screen are more widely spaced and somewhat easier to push. Wider screen lets you see more of what's around. Compare these actual size views of a 3-inch (diagonal) screen

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