14. Pros

• Uses NAVTEQ database, which is more accurate (at least in the United States & Canada) than Tele Atlas (ever wonder why Google Maps, Yahoo Maps, Mapquest, and MSN all use NAVTEQ?)
• 2 excellent quality stereo speakers (Magellan and TomTom units only have 1 speaker) makes for clear, distortion-free instructions even at high volumes. Even music sounds pretty good through the c550's internal stereo speakers.
• Mapping data is stored in memory rather than a hard disk, making the unit very lightweight and less susceptible to hard disk failure or damage from dropping.
• SiRF's Star III GPS chipset yields phenomenal performance. I even got 4 out of 5 signal strength bars indoors! The SiRF enabled StreetPilot c550 performed well in Manhattan's GPS challenging urban environment, tracking even behind tall buildings and short tunnels.
• Fast boot/shutdown times (~16 seconds boot time, 1 second shutdown time).
• Solid windshield mount keeps the unit secure and in place. The c550 is easy to adjust on the mount, and it doesn't vibrate or shift while driving.
• Simple, intuitive interface makes the c550 easy to operate (although this one can be a negative, if you like lots of configurable options).
• Only GPS in our roundup that comes with everything you need to get real-time traffic updates right out of the box (both Magellan and TomTom require additional hardware).
• Screen is bright, clear, and easy to read even in bright sunlight, living up to Garmin's claim of "sunlight readable display".
• Garmin's website has a nice feature that lets you be alerted via email when new firmware is posted for the c550.
• Physical volume control wheel makes it easy to adjust or silence the volume (and without having to look at the unit or navigate menus).
• Nice 3D implementation. Garmin got the angle just right, so the 3D is just as easy to read on the map as 2D.
• Touchscreen menus are quick and responsive. No sluggishness in the menus.
• Good quality internal microphone works well for hand-free telephone.
• Whopping 8-hour battery life.
• Garmin is a mature company and everything here just works the way it's supposed to. No unpleasant surprises, or buggy code.

15. Cons

• Overall the user interface is a little long in the tooth and already looks dated. It's in need of a freshening up.
• No signal strength indicator on the map view. When looking at the map, or routing to a destination, it would be nice to see a signal strength indicator to make sure I've still got a GPS signal.
• SD card required in order to store mp3's or photos.
• Easy to accidentally delete key system files when the unit is connected via USB to a computer (you drag and drop files directly onto the c550, and delete them when you're done. Fat-finger the process and you could accidentally delete you mapping data!)
• When typing out a street name, it's not intuitive where the delete (backspace) key is (it's buried on the top right as a gray left arrow).
• Relatively few configurable options (no way to add a compass, current time, signal strength, etc.)
• Some settings are not documented in the manual. For example, there's no explanation of what the "GPS Mode" settings of "Normal, Off, and WAAS/EGNOS" mean.

16. Conclusion