1. Specifications
2. Unboxing (what's in the box)
3. Mounting the Nuvi 660 in the Car
4. Using the Garmin nuvi 660
5. Finding Addresses
6. Saving Your Current Location
7. Entering an Address Using Coordinates
8. Finding a Place by Spelling The Name
9. Telling the nuvi Where to Search
10. Setting the Home Address
11. Travel Kit
12. Playing MP3's
13. Audible Books
14. Photo Viewer
15. World Clock
16. Currency Converter
17. Converting Units of Measurement
18. Garmin Language Guide
19. Travel Guide
20. SaversGuide
21. BlueTooth
22. Text-to-Speech Voice Quality
23. Real-Time Traffic Data
24. Using the FM Transmitter
25. Using the Garmin Lock Feature
26. Configuring System Settings
27. Navigation Settings
28. Custom POIs
29. Routing Engine
30. GPS Performance: The Mighty SiRF
31. Useful nuvi Tips & Shortcuts
32. Updating the nuvi Software (WebUpdater)
33. Pros
34. Cons
35. Conclusion

1. Specifications

• Storage: 2 GB internal storage media, preprogrammed with City Navigator® NT for street-level detail and addresses, plus listings of nearest restaurants, hotels, ATMs, etc., throughout the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. In Europe, the nüvi 660 comes with full Western European detailed street map coverage
• Routes: Automatically calculated with turn-by-turn instructions; custom road preference allows user to prioritize choice of back roads or major highways; automatic off-route recalculation shows how to get back on track if you miss a turn or exit; a detour function enables routing around traffic problems or road construction
• Voice: Navigation instructions and warnings; Text-to-speech (TTS) feature identifies turns by street name. Wireless FM transmitter sends voice prompts, MP3's and audio books through your vehicle stereo.
• Traffic: Alerts for traffic, road construction and weather-related tie-ups. nüvi 660 uses data to suggest alternate routes before problems are encountered
• Waypoints: 500 with name and graphic symbol
• Trip computer: Resettable odometer, timers, average and maximum speeds
• Bluetooth® features: Bluetooth wireless technology allows hands-free calling capability when paired with your compatible phone. Just tap the screen to dial or answer a call, then speak into the nüvi 660’s built-in microphone. Voice dial available on phones that support voice tags and Bluetooth.
• MP3 Player
• Audio Book Player (for Audible.com media)
• JPEG Picture Viewer
• World Travel Clock With Time Zones
• Currency Converter
• Measurement Converter
• Calculator
• Card Game
• Travel Alarm Clock With Automatic Wake-up
• GPS Receiver: SiRF Star III high-sensitivity GPS receiver
• USB Connector
• Antenna: Flip up patch; MCX-type connector for optional external GPS antenna connection
• Size: 4.9”W x 2.9”H x 0.9”D (12.4 x 7.4 x 2.3 cm)
• Weight: 6.2 oz. (190 g)
  
• Display: 4.3 diagonal, 480 x 272 pixels; WQVGA TFT landscape display, with white back-light and touch screen
• Case: Not waterproof or IPX0
• Temp. range: 32°F to 140°F (0°C to 60°C)
  
• Headphone jack: standard 3.5 mm
• Input: 12/24 Vdc
• Usage: 10w
• Battery life: 3 to 7 hours

2. Unboxing (what's in the box)

• Nuvi 660
• Vehicle suction cup mount
• Carrying case
• 12/24-Volt adapter with integrated traffic receiver
• AC charger
• USB cable
• Dashboard disk (used to mount the suction cup mount on your dashboard instead of the windshield)
• Quick reference guide
• Owner's manual (on CD-ROM)

Figure 1: The Garmin Nuvi 660 Box

The packaging for the Garmin Nuvi 660 looks almost identical to the other Garmin units (Nuvi 360, StreetPilot c550, etc.). Small, square, and unassuming.

Figure 2: What's in the Box

Everything that ships with the Nuvi 660.

Figure 3: Nuvi 660's Windshield Mount

The windshield mount is a ball and socket style mount that is actually comprised of two pieces: the suction cup, and the docking cradle, or mount. The suction cup is identical to the Nuvi 360's mount, and almost identical to the StreetPilot c550's mount. The ball and socket style mount has proven very effective for Garmin. Also used on some of the StreetPilot's this style of mount is easy to use, and holds the unit firmly in place.

The mount is a major component of an in-car GPS unit, and frequently a stumbling block for GPS manufacturers. Garmin consistently does a better job with its mounting hardware than its competitors, and the nuvi 660 is no exception. Once the suction mount is locked into place (by lowering the lever on the mount), it sits securely in place. In fact, the mount is so secure, that I had a slightly hard time removing it from the window!

Figure 4: The Nuvi 660 Docking Cradle

The mount has a socket in the rear that snaps onto the ball of the suction mount. Note the button at the bottom of the mount - squeezing the button releases the 660 from the dock.

The cigarette lighter power adapter connects to the back of the dock rather than the unit itself. So once the mount is in place, you don't have to worry about the power cable; all you have to do is connect the nuvi to the mount and you're ready to go.

Figure 5: 12/24-Volt adapter with integrated traffic receiver

This is the included GTM 20, FM TMC traffic receiver - the U.S. version of the cigarette lighter power adapter with integrated FM traffic receiver. The European version ships with a lower profile adapter, although the European version also requires an additional antenna wire, so I actually prefer the U.S. adapter.

Figure 6: Included AC Adapter

Garmin includes an AC adapter for charging the Nuvi when not in the car. Notice that the power connector is actually a USB plug -- you can also charge the nuvi 660 by connecting it to your PC via the included USB cable (or any USB cable, for that matter).

Figure 7: Nuvi 660 - Front

The Nuvi 660 has a large, color, wide-format touchscreen. Screen size is substantial, measuring 4.3 inches (diagonally), and resolution is sharp at 480 x 272. While I like the form factor and overall look of the 660, the unit feels a little cheap in the hand. One good drop and I'm fairly certain the nuvi would break. The plastic feels fragile and overall the unit doesn't feel particularly solid. As far as looks go, the nuvi 660 looks identical to previous nuvi units, albeit with a wider screen. There's some room for improvement on the overall industrial design of the 660. It looks utilitarian. The TomTom ONE is more elegant and streamlined looking, for example. But the 660 is a MUCH better GPS than the TT One, and that's what really counts at the end of the day.

Figure 8: Nuvi 660 - Left Side

The Nuvi 660 is quite slim, measuring just under an inch in thickness (0.9”). The thin-ness of the 660 makes it ideal for travel, as you can easily put it in your pocket and take it with you.

 

Figure 9: Nuvi 660 - Right Side

Here you can see the headphone jack (bottom), AC Power/USB connector (middle), and SD Card slot.

Figure 10: Nuvi 660 - Rear

With the slip-up patch antenna in the closed position, as shown above in figure 10, the back of the 660 is flat and easy to transport. Although it sort of looks like the Nuvi 660 has two speakers, it actually only has a single speaker (on the left hand side).

Figure 11: Nuvi 660 - Antenna Extended

The flip up patch antenna -- shown here opened. You can also see the MCX-type connector for optional external GPS antenna connection. Garmin says that the ideal position for the patch antenna is parallel to the surface of the earth. So most of the time the antenna should be at a 90 degree angle (forming an L shape with the Nuvi), depending on the angle of your windshield or how you have the 660 mounted in your car. In a typical setup, when the antenna is in the correct position you should not even see it when looking straight at the nuvi.

Figure 12: Nuvi 660 - Reset Button

The reset button is located under the flip antenna. In my testing I never had to use the rest button, although it's nice that the button isn't concealed like on some other units, or a pin-hole that you have to use a paperclip to use.

Figure 13: Nuvi 660 - Connected to the Mount

Here you see the Nuvi 660, connected to the mount and dock. The mount design is excellent. The ball and socket style mount holds the unit securely in place while driving, and allows you to tilt the unit at almost any angle. In my testing there was no vibration at all when driving. Garmin's GPS units have outstanding mounts, and the nuvi 660 is no exception. In fact, the suction mount makes such a solid connection with the windshield, I had a bit of a time getting it off the windshield (had to use 2 hands). I always pay special attention to the mounting hardware, as it is a critical component that often seems to be get overlooked by some GPS manufacturers. Kudos to Garmin for continuing to invest in simple, elegant, and functional mounts.

Figure 14: Included Leather Carrying Case

The Nuvi 660 ships with a basic leather carrying case. The case is perfect for protecting the large screen when traveling. It's nice that Garmin includes the case with the unit, instead of making you pay extra for it. You're definitely going to want a case of some sort if you plan on traveling with the nuvi, and this one does the job sufficiently.

My only complaint was that if you slide the unit into the case with the power button at the exposed end, you always end up pressing the power button inadvertently when removing the nuvi from the case. Not a big deal, since you can put the unit in the case the other way round, but still something that could be annoying if you're not careful.

Figure 15: Garmin Nuvi 660 vs Nuvi 360

The Nuvi 660 is Garmin's newest and top-of-the-line Nuvi. The nuvi product line has been hugely successful for Garmin. Consumers have responded to the small, thin form factor of the Nuvi, and extensive feature list. Side-by-side you can see how similar the Nuvi 660 and 360 really are. Just about the only noticeable physical difference is the wide screen format.

Figure 16: Garmin Nuvi 660 vs Nuvi 360

It may not look like much, but that extra inch of screen makes a big difference. I found the larger screen made the maps larger and easier to read, and overall made the GPS easier to use.

Figure 17: Garmin Nuvi 660 vs Nuvi 360

Both the Nuvi 660 and 360 have the same flip-up patch antenna and the same SiRF III chipset.

Figure 18: Garmin Nuvi 660 vs Nuvi 360

Looking at the rear of the Nuvi 360 and 660, you can see that the mount connector on the 660 (left) has twice as many connectors as the 360. This is due to the additional features on the 660, such as the integrated FM transmitter.

Both the 360 and 660 have the reset button located underneath the patch antenna.

3. Mounting the Nuvi 660 in the Car

Figure 19: Garmin Nuvi 660 Mounted in Car

Mounting the Nuvi 660 in the car is simple and straight forward:

• Connect the 12V power cable to the bottom of the mount, and connect the other end into the cigarette lighter plug in your car.
• Garmin suggests cleaning and drying the windshield and the suction cup prior to mounting it, although I did neither and everything still held solidly in place.
• Flip the lever back, toward the windshield.
• Flip up the GPS antenna on the Nuvi 660, and fit the bottom of the Nuvi into the cradle.
• Tilt the Nuvi back until it snaps into place.
• The Nuvi can now be docked and undocked by pressing the small tab on the bottom of the cradle and tilting the Nuvi forward (towards you).

Figure 20: Integrated 12v adapter / FM Traffic Receiver

The combined 12v Adapter and FM Traffic receiver is a little longer than you might expect, but then again it's also got the traffic receiver built into it.

Figure 21: 12V Power Adapter connected to the Mount

Once the 12V power adapter is connected to the mount, the mount can be snapped onto the windshield suction cup.

Figure 22: Windshield suction and Mount

The suction cup and mount connect via a ball and socket style connector. It works well, holding the mount securely in place while still allowing the unit to be tilted to almost any angle.

Figure 23: Garmin Nuvi 660 Mounted on the Windshield

According to Garmin, this is the correct position for the antenna. The patch antenna should be parallel with the surface of the earth.

Figure 24: Garmin Nuvi 660 Mounted on the Windshield

I found the nuvi 660 looked pretty good in the car. My only wish was that there was some way to conceal the unsightly 12V power cord.

Figure 25: Garmin Nuvi 660 Mounted on the Windshield

At first I thought I wouldn't really care that much about the wide screen, but I have to admit I really liked having the extra screen size. It made navigating menus easier and made the map view easier to see at a glance.

Figure 26: Turning off Safe Mode

The first time you try to use the Nuvi 660 while driving, the screen shown above appears. "Safe Mode" makes it so you cannot use the nuvi while the vehicle is in motion. I find Safe Mode annoying, so I answered yes and disabled it. Apart from the need to re-calculate a route, or enter a new address, the passenger may want to use the GPS. So I found it best to leave Safe Mode disabled.

4. Using the Garmin nuvi 660

Figure 27: System Information

The Nuvi 660 I'm testing is running version 2.0 software, as shown above in the "System and Copyright info" screen.

Figure 28: Map Info

The nuvi 660 comes pre-loaded with City Navigator North America NT v8, which includes full map coverage of North America.

Figure 29: Main Page

Figure 26 shows the Main Page screen on the Nuvi 660. This is the screen you see when the nuvi 660 is powered on. From here you can view the battery life, GPS signal strength, view the map, enter a destination, or use the Travel Kit.

Figure 30: The Map Page

This is the nuvi Map Page. This is the screen shown during normal navigation. Touching the plus and minus icons zooms in and out on the map. The purple line indicates the route you should follow. The lower-left hand corner of this page displays the estimated arrival time. Touching the arrival time opens the trip information page. Touching the blue button just to the right of arrival time brings up the main menu. Touching the blue note icon brings up the integrated MP3 player, and touching the "Turn In" box brings up the Next Turn page.

Figure 31: Trip Information Page

The Trip Information page shows your current speed, along with various other statistics. Not sure how useful this feature is (unless you want to find out how fast the Mrs. was driving while you were asleep on that long drive), but I suppose it could be fun/interesting for long road trips.

Figure 32: Next Turn Page

You can manually bring up the Next Turn page at any time to view your next maneuver by tapping on "Turn In" from the map view".

This is also useful if you want to repeat the last navigation prompt. While I liked having this feature available, I sometimes found the nuvi was too slow to render the map display. Also, I wished there was a way to set the feature to automatically appear shortly before a turn (Magellan's interface does this).

5. Finding Addresses

Figure 33: Where to?

Entering a destination address on the nuvi 660 is a simple process . From the main menu, tapping "Where to?" brings up the destination menu (shown below).

Figure 34: Choosing a destination address type

After tapping on "Where to?", the nuvi 660 prompts you to choose whether you'll be entering a street address (Address), going to the saved Home address (Go Home), searching for a point of interest (Food, Hotels...), choosing an address from the list of recently found destinations (Recently Found), choosing a saved address from the address book (Favorites), routing to a cross street (Intersections), or a city center (Cities). The Extras icon is for loading additional future custom POIs, such as speed camera locations, and other additional data Garmin may make available for purchase via their website.

Figure 35: Choosing a destination address type, page 2

Tapping the more icon (the down-arrow on the bottom right corner) brings up additional choices for entering a destination address. Notice the two additional icons in figure 35: Browse Map and Coordinates. Browse Map allows you to select a point on the map as a destination to route to. Coordinates allows you to enter longitude and latitude coordinates.

Figure 36: Entering an Address - Selecting the State

Selecting "Address" as the destination type brings up the State selection screen, shown above. By default the nuvi asks if you want to use the State you're currently in. To choose a different state, tap "Spell State".

 

Figure 37: Choosing the city

The next step is selecting the city. If you know what city your destination address is in, you can enter it here. If you're not sure what city the destination address is in, you can choose to search all cities and have the nuvi product a list of all cities that have street names that match your destination address.

Figure 38: Spelling out the city name

Spelling the city is easy. The nuvi asks you to spell out the city name until you have entered enough letters that it can guess which city name you are entering. In the example above, I'm typing out the city name Manhattan.

The larger screen on the nuvi 660 made spelling out the city name much less error-prone than smaller devices. My only complaint is that the nuvi doesn't gray out letters that wouldn't spell a valid city name. On the Magellan RoadMate GPS', for example, only potentially valid letters are press-able, making text entry even faster and more accurate. So as you type out a city name (on the Magellan), the number of letters that can be pressed gets smaller and smaller. With the nuvi, you can spell out any name you want. So if you make a type, the unit might complain that no such city exists, and you have to backup and check the name you entered.

One feature worth mentioning is the nuvi's ability to search for a destination by zip code. Instead of entering a city name, if you enter a zip code the nuvi will choose the correct city for you. This can be handy if you're not entirely sure what the city name is. For example, is the correct city name New York City, or Manhattan? Entering a zip code instead of the name eliminates this kind of confusion.

Figure 39: Select City

As soon as I've entered the letters M-A-N-H, the list of possible matches appears, as shown in figure 38. Tap on the desired city name and move on to street name/number selection.

Figure 40: Enter house number

Like most GPS units, the nuvi 660 prompts you for the house number before the street name. I know this bothers some users, though it's never been an issue for me. To the best of my knowledge, only the TomTom GO units allow you to specify the street name before the house number.

Figure 41: Select Street

After entering the house number, the nuvi prompts you to enter the street name. In this example we're routing to a numbered street rather than a named street, so I tap on the 123 icon on the street selection page and enter 6-5.

Figure 42: Street selection, search results

After entering 6-5 for the street name, a short list of possible matches appears. From here, I select my ultimate destination: 160 East 65th Street, Manhattan, NY.

Figure 43: Confirm address selection and go

After successfully entering the destination address, I can view the address on the map, save it to my address book, or route to it by pressing the large green Go! button.

6. Saving Your Current Location

Although there's no menu item to do so, you can, in fact, save your current position on the map to your address book on the nuvi 660.

Figure 44: Saving Your Current Location

Tapping the vehicle icon on the map allows you to save your current position to the address book (favorites). I like short-cuts as much as the next person, but I really think Garmin should add a menu item for saving your current position. Saving your position is very useful for saving a location that might night have an official street address, or when you don't know where you are and want to save the location so you can return later.

7. Entering an Address Using Coordinates

Entering an address with coordinates is useful if you're into Geocaching. The nuvi 660 isn't a unit you'd want to replace your water-proof, rugged Garmin 60CSx with, but the nuvi's ability to route to coordinates is useful for getting as close to the geocache as possible in the car.

Figure 45: Enter Coordinates

Entering Long/Lat coordinates into the nuvi 660

Figure 46: Supported coordinates formats

This was a pleasant surprise: the nuvi 660 supports all the major formats for entering Lat/Long coordinates. The TomTom GO 910, by comparison, only supports the ddd mm.mmm format, which is not that useful for Geocaching.

Figure 47: Routing to a Lat/Long

Once the coordinates are in, you can view the position on the map, save it in the address book, or press "Go!" and have the nuvi route you to the coordinates.

8. Finding a Place by Spelling The Name

Not sure where something is, but you know the name of the place? You can spell out the name and have the nuvi 660 search the entire map for it by doing the following: From the Menu page, touch "Where to", and then tap "Spell Name".

9. Telling the nuvi Where to Search

Figure 48: Setting the search location

Suppose you want to find a restaurant near your destination instead of your current location? Tapping on the Near... button brings up the Search Near menu shown below:

Figure 49: Setting the Search Region

After tapping on the Search Near button on the "Where To" page, you can specify whether the nuvi should search near your current location, a specified city, along your current route, or near your final destination.

Some other GPS units have this feature, but the Garmin makes it easy and simple, and they've implemented it in an intuitive way.

10. Setting the Home Address

The Home address is a special address that is saved in the Favorites area (aka the address book). The Home address has a button on the Where To menu to make it easy/fast to tell the nuvi to take you home.

Figure 50: Setting the Home Address

The first time you tap on the Home button, the nuvi asks if you want to specify the Home address.

11. Travel Kit

Figure 51: Travel Kit

The Travel Kit is accessed from the main menu by tapping on "Travel Kit".

Figure 52: Features located in the Travel Kit

The "Travel Kit" is how you access the following nuvi features:

• Listening to MP3s
• Playing Audible Books
• Viewing Photos
• Using the World Clock
• Converting Currency
• Converting Measurements
• Using the Calculator

12. Playing MP3's

Figure 53: Accessing the MP3 Player

The MP3 player can be access either by tapping on MP3 Player from the Travel Kit menu, or you jump directly to the MP3 player by tapping on the music note icon from the map view, as shown above in figure 51.

In order to really make use of the built-in MP3 player, you'll want to get an SD memory card. In my testing, I found 512MB large enough to hold about 100 songs. A decent 512MB SD card can be had for around $16.

I have to admit it: I though I wouldn't care about the MP3 player, as I normally don't think of using the GPS to play music. However, the combination of the MP3 player and the integrated wireless FM transmitter really made a believer out of me. The wireless FM transmitter broadcasts the audio from the nuvi to your car's stereo, making the music (and navigation prompts) play over your car's speaker system. Sure, you could do the same thing with an iPod and a separate FM transmitter, but the key here is EASE OF USE. Having everything integrated really makes the whole thing viable. I found myself actually using the MP3 player all the time, now that it's so easy to use and plays over my car's speaker system.

If you're navigating to a destination, and playing music at the same time, the nuvi will politely pause the music, announce the next maneuver, and resume playing the song. See what I mean about the benefit of integration?

Figure 54: MP3 Player

The interface for the MP3 is intuitive: tapping the speaker icon brings up the volume control, tapping rewind or fast-forward backs up to the previous song or jumps to the next song, tapping and holding the same buttons rewinds or fast-forwards within the song. The two icons on the right side of the screen are the repeat and shuffle icons.

Tapping on the Source button allows you to toggle between the nuvi's internal memory, and an SD memory card (if present). Tapping on the Browse button allows you to search your MP3 collection.

Figure 55: Browsing the MP3 collection

The nuvi's MP3 player allows you to search your collection of songs by album, artist, genre, or search the entire collection for a particular song/artist. The nuvi reads this information from the ID3 tag, so you'll need your MP3's to be correctly tagged in order to use the browse function effectively.

One things that would be nice is the ability to create playlists on the nuvi directly. You can play a given album, or stay within a genre, but it would be nice if you could create a custom playlist and save it.

13. Audible Books

Figure 56: The Audible Book Player

I've never purchased any audiobooks from Audible, but if you do, then the nuvi's got you covered. After activating your account on Audible.com, downloading the book you purchased to your PC, you can transfer the book over to the nuvi via Audible's downloadable management software, AudibleManager.

The nuvi player allows you to save your current location in the audiobook with a bookmark (the icon on the right in figure 54). The player supports MP3 files and AA audio book files.

Getting MP3s and photos onto the nuvi is a matter of connecting the nuvi to your PC and using it just as you would any external hard drive. Once you connect the nuvi to your PC (or Mac), the nuvi and the SD memory card will appear as additional drives in My Computer. Just drag and drop the MP3s or JPGs you wish to copy onto the nuvi SD memory card, and then disconnect the nuvi from the computer and you're ready to go. I know some people like to have file management software from the GPS manufacturer (such as TomTom's HOME application, for example). Personally I much prefer the Garmin method for the following reasons:

• I don't have to install another application on my (which then needs to be kept up-to-date as new versions are released)
• I don't have to learn a new application
• Using a file management program is almost always more time consuming than just dragging and dropping the files directly
• Using the nuvi as a USB hard drive mean it will work fine on any USB capable system. I don't have to worry about Garmin releasing a MacOS version.

The only potential downside of directly accessing the nuvi via USB is that you could potentially accidentally delete important system files, so take care when deleting anything on the nuvi (you can be less careful on the SD card).

14. Photo Viewer

I'm less sold on the feature of an integrated photo viewer than the MP3 player, which is actually quite useful. I suppose if you're traveling and don't have a digital camera or a laptop, and want to show relatives photos of the family or recent escapades, then perhaps this could be a nice feature.

The Picture Viewer is accessed via the Travel Kit menu.

Figure 57: Telling the nuvi Where to Look for Photos

If the nuvi detects the presence of an SD memory card, tapping on the Picture Viewer from the Travel Kit menu will prompt the nuvi to ask you where you want it to look for photos.

Figure 58: Photo Thumbnails View

After telling the nuvi where to look for your photos, it creates a thumbnail contact sheet view that you can browse and tap on the photo you want to see. Alternatively, you can tap on Slide Show and have the nuvi cycle through all the photos, one at a time.

Figure 59: Viewing a Photo on the nuvi 660

Screen resolution and brightness on the nuvi 660 is excellent; the screen is better than on the StreetPilot c550, and photos look good on it. The nuvi Picture Viewer supports JPG files.

When looking at a photo, you can zoom in and out and pan by dragging the picture with your finger.

15. World Clock

Figure 60: World Clock

For the James Bond in all of us: those of you who find yourself in Morocco on Monday, London Tuesday, and Monte Carlo Wednesday -- the nuvi World Clock is for you!

16. Currency Converter

Figure 61: Converting Currency

The Currency Converter is accessed via the Travel Kit menu, and allows you to convert from virtually any currency to any currency.

I could see this being a very handy feature when traveling abroad. Although, to really make the nuvi 660 the ultimate travel companion, Garmin would need to add global maps to the unit.

Figure 62: Choosing the Currencies for Conversion

Tapping on the currency buttons allows you to set the source and target currency for conversion. The list of currencies is extensive -- looks like pretty much every currency in use is included.

Figure 63: Updating the Conversion Rate

The nuvi 660 ships with currency conversion rates pre-programmed, but if you're actually using the converter you'll want to update the conversion rate. Doing so is easy: tap on the Update button shown in figure 59.

17. Converting Units of Measurement

Figure 64: Unit Conversion

The nuvi 660 also includes a metrics conversion tool. Called the Measurement Converter, this tool is also accessed via the Travel Kit (Main Menu -> Travel Kit -> Measurement Converter).

18. Garmin Language Guide

Figure 65: Language Guide

The Garmin Language Guide translates words and phrases in text and audible speech.

The nuvi 660 ships with a trial version of the Language Guide that allows to translate a few words and see what the guide offers, but to have access to the entire guide, you'll have to spend an addition $75 to buy the guide from Garmin's website.

Supported languages include: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish, and the nuvi can provide text-to-speech between any two languages

Figure 66: Garmin Language Guide

You can choose to either lookup a word or phrase, or translate a word from one language to another.

Figure 67: Using the Language Guide

The optional Language Guide provides translation of individual words, or pre-defined key travel phrases (i.e. "how much does that cost", etc.).

Figure 68: Choosing the Translation Language

The Travel Guide supports bi-directional language translation.

Figure 69: Listening to a Word

The nuvi can perform text-to-speech audio translation so you can hear how to correctly pronounce a word.

19. Travel Guide

Figure 70: Travel Guide is accessed via the Travel Kit Menu

Garmin sells Travel Guides for the nuvi 660 that are essentially electronic guides to restaurants, tourist attractions, hotels, and more. Like the Language Guide, the nuvi ships with a lite version of the Fodor's North America travel guide, so you can see what the travel guides are like, but if you want the full guide you'll have to pay extra for it. Travel Guides ship on SD memory cards that you insert into the nuvi.

According to Garmin's website, the travel guides are available for the following countries at the following prices:

• Fodor's North America (SD Card) - $69.99
• Garmin Travel Guide, Europe (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, France, Monaco, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Andorra, Spain, Italy, Portugal, San Marino, Belgium, United Kingdom, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands) - $160.70
• Garmin Travel Guide, Central Europe (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein) - $74.99
• Garmin Travel Guide, France - $74.99
• Garmin Travel Guide, Scandinavia (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden) - $74.99
• Garmin Travel Guide, Southern Europe (Andorra, Spain, Italy, Portugal, San Marino) - $74.99
• Garmin Travel Guide, Northwestern Europe (Belgium, UK, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands) - $74.99

Figure 71: Fodor's North America

The Nuvi ships with a sampling from the Fodor's North America Travel Guide. Full travel guides cost extra.

Figure 72: Navigating the Travel Guide

Within each travel guide, you can drill down the category list, searching for a particular destination or category.

Figure 73: Travel Guide Categories

You can browse the list by location and by category, such as restaurants, hotels, tourist attractions, and more.

I really like the idea of augmenting the POI database with actual travel guides and reviews of restaurants, hotels, etc. My only wish was that Garmin would offer travel guides from slightly more upscale publishers, like Frommers or Zagat.

20. SaversGuide

Figure 74: SaversGuide

Savers Guide seems like a silly idea to me: it's an electronic coupon book (that you buy for $49!), and the nuvi notifies you if you are close to a business that participates in the Savers Guide and will give you a discount. I can see where this is a great business model for Garmin - location based advertising has been a marketers dream for years. Charging $50 for the privilege of having advertisements presented while you're driving is, I suppose, an even better business model for Garmin -- but I'd just as soon pay $50 NOT to have that... So, bottom line: skip the Savers Guide.

21. BlueTooth

BlueTooth on the nuvi 660 functions similar to other BlueTooth enabled Garmin GPS units. Once paired with a BlueTooth enabled cell phone, you can use the nuvi 660 as a hands-free speakerphone to place/receive phone calls, dial a number from your phone's address book, or dial a POI's phone number. The nuvi 660 has a Bluetooth range of approximately 33 feet (10 meters), and a built-in microphone on the front of the unit.

Figure 75: Configuring the Bluetooth Settings

Unlike other GPS units, however, the nuvi 660 allows you to use the integrated FM transmitter with your BlueTooth connected cell phone -- making it possible to use your car's stereo speakers as a speakerphone. I absolutely LOVED this feature. Where I live it is illegal to use a cell phone while driving except via speakerphone or earpiece. I've noticed that on most GPS units, the speaker is sufficiently loud when parked, but when driving at highway speeds it becomes difficult to hear the other party on the phone call. Using the FM transmitter to broadcast the call via your car's stereo eliminates this problem.

I found the microphone built in to the front of the nuvi worked well. Callers said it didn't sound like I was on speakerphone, and the quality was "good enough". I did notice that when there was a lull in the conversation, the nuvi would mute all sound, prompting me to say "are you still there?". I assume this is part of the background noise canceling the nuvi performs to reduce road background noise.

In my review of the TomTom GO 910, I complained that the BlueTooth cell phone integration didn't allow you to view the signal strength or battery life. Garmin has addressed this nicely, and cell phone information can be viewed by tapping the phone icon from the menu page, and then tapping on Status.

The nuvi documentation states that you can pair multiple cell phones to the 660 via Bluetooth, although it doesn't specify how many phones you can pair. I was able to pair 2 phones without issue.

22. Text-to-Speech Voice Quality

Text-to-speech voice quality is good on the 660, although not quite as good as the TomTom GO 910, which sets a new standard for text-to-speech voice quality.

Speech quality on the nuvi 660 is identical to that of the StreetPilot c550. In my testing, the nuvi did a decent job pronouncing street names and I didn't find the voice abrasive or irritating.

The nuvi will also perform text-to-speech on saved addresses in your address book. So if you save an address as "Work", when arriving at the saved location, the nuvi will announce "arriving at work".

23. Real-Time Traffic Data

The nuvi 660 shares the same 12/24-Volt adapter with integrated traffic receiver as the StreetPilot c550. Both units ship with Garmin's GTM 20 (integrated receiver, antenna and cigarette lighter adapter).

Figure 76: GTM 20 integrated receiver, antenna and 12/24v adapter

The nuvi 660 is one of the few GPS units I've tested that actually comes with everything you need to receive real-time traffic updates. Most other units require that you buy additional hardware, and in some cases (TomTom) that hardware isn't even available yet.

Using the included integrated traffic receiver / 12v adapter, the nuvi 660 is able to receive traffic information broadcast over the RDS system (FM Radio Data System -- this is the same system that displays the song you're listening to on some FM radio stations). When a traffic message is received, the nuvi 660 displays the incident on the map and can change your route to avoid the accident/traffic.

Figure 77: Garmin Traffic Icons

If there is a traffic event received that impacts your current route, the nuvi displays the appropriate icon (from the table above in figure 64) in the lower-right hand corner of the map display. Touch the icon, and you can view the details of the traffic issue, or tap "Avoid" and get routed around the problem. Even if you don't manually view the traffic event, if the nuvi detects a traffic event and can find a better alternate route, it will prompt you saying a better route is available, and would you like it to automatically re-route you.

Garmin has implemented the traffic feature in a very intuitive way, and you don't need to read the instructions to use it. Be aware that currently traffic data is only available in larger, city areas. For a list of supported cities, visit Garmin's website.

The 660 comes with a complimentary 3-month traffic subscription. After that, It'll cost you $60/year (for service in the United States).

24. Using the FM Transmitter

The integrated FM transmitter is one of the best things about the nuvi 660. I was really surprised at how much it added to the user experience. It does add a (small) layer of complexity, but it's hard to deny the benefit of having the navigation system, hands-free speakerphone, and music playback all integrated into your car's stereo system.

Figure 78: Audio Output Selection

Switching from the internal speaker to the FM transmitter is accessed by touching the speaker icon on the Main Menu page, then tapping Audio Output.

Note: A quicker shortcut for switching between the internal nuvi speaker and the FM transmitter is quickly pressing the power button twice.

Figure 79: FM Transmitter Frequency Selection

The first time you set the nuvi to use the FM transmitter, you are prompted to set the frequency it should broadcast on.

Figure 80: Setting the FM Frequency for the Transmitter

Although you can manually set the FM frequency, the nuvi has a handy Auto Tune feature that will automatically scan the FM dial and find an unused frequency to use. Once the nuvi finds a suitable FM frequency to use, simply set your car's FM stereo to the same frequency and you'll hear the nuvi's output.

My only complaint about the FM transmitter was the weakness of the signal. In my car the antenna is located at the rear of the car, so it's a good 5 feet or so from the windshield, and I noticed some crackling and interference. Garmin's documentation says the unit is designed to be placed near the FM radio, and that vehicles that have the antenna far away from the radio may experience less than optimal quality. That was definitely the case for me, but it was not so poor that it was unusable; music still sounded good and the static was only barely noticeable at high volume.

25. Using the Garmin Lock Feature

Figure 81: Garmin Lock

The Nuvi 660 includes a feature called Garmin Lock. Using Garmin Lock, you can set a PIN code, and designate a "secure location". A secure location is a saved location on the map where you can unlock the GPS even if you've forgotten the PIN code. Personally this sounds like more of a liability than a help, but if you're into the idea of a password for your GPS, then GPS Lock might be just the ticket. To configure GPS Lock:

• Flip open the antenna
• Tap Settings -> System -> Garmin Lock -> OK
• Enter a four-digit PIN. Tap Yes -> OK

Figure 82: Setting a PIN Code for Garmin Lock

Once a Garmin Lock code has been entered, you must enter the PIN every time the Nuvi is powered on. Be forewarned: if you forget your PIN code AND the saved "Secure Location", you must send the unit back to Garmin to be reset.

26. Configuring System Settings

Figure 83: Configuration Main Page

Tapping on the configuration icon from the main menu brings up the main configuration menu shown above in figure 83. From this screen you can customize many aspects of the nuvi. At any time, you can restore the nuvi to all its original settings by tapping on "Restore" from this page. You can also restore individual settings by tapping on restore on the individual page.

Figure 84: Changing the Map Settings

Tapping on Map from the System Settings page bring up the Map settings page shown above.

Map Detail allows you to configure more or less map detail. More detail will make map redraws take longer. I found this also varied greatly on your location. For example, on a small country road, setting more or less detail made no difference. In downtown Boston, however, setting to maximum detail slowed things down a bit. I ended up leaving this on its default setting.

Map View allows you to change the perspective of the map from 3D to 2D. In 2D mode, you can also set whether you want the map to show North at the top, or "Track Up", which shows your direction at the top.

Map Outlines allows you to view supplemental maps, if you've loaded any onto the nuvi.

Map Info displays the currently installed map software version.

Figure 85: System Settings

WAAS / EGNOS - I was confused when I saw that by default WAAS ships in the Off mode. I did some research, and found out that WAAS stands for Wide Area Augmentation System. Basically WAAS is a system of satellites and ground stations that provide GPS signal corrections, giving you even better position accuracy. How much better? Try an average of up to five times better. A WAAS-capable receiver can give you a position accuracy of better than three meters (10 feet) 95 percent of the time. You don't have to purchase additional receiving equipment or pay any service fees to utilize WAAS.

WAAS consists of approximately 25 ground reference stations positioned across the United States that monitor GPS satellite data. Two master stations, located on either coast, collect data from the reference stations and create a GPS correction message. This correction accounts for GPS satellite orbit and clock drift, plus signal delays caused by the atmosphere and ionosphere. The corrected differential message is then broadcast through one of two geostationary satellites (satellites with a fixed position over the equator). The information is compatible with the basic GPS signal structure, which means any WAAS-enabled GPS receiver can read the signal.

WAAS made a lot more sense before the SiRF III chipset, when GPS receivers were much less sensitive/accurate. With SiRF III, WAAS is a waste of time since the SiRF III is much more sensitive and accurate than WAAS. You save power consumption when you don't use the WAAS feature while on battery mode, so now it makes sense why Garmin ships the unit with WAAS mode disabled.

What doesn't make sense is why Garmin even includes WAAS, since the on-board SiRF receiver is better than WAAS. I guess WAAS doesn't add much cost to the unit and people are familiar with the feature, so Garmin includes it. I'm against including anything just for the sake of adding more useless features. Garmin should consider dropping the WAAS support, since it's not necessary.

At any rate, you're safe leaving WAAS disabled.

Safe Mode prevents you from operating the nuvi when the vehicle is in motion. This safety feature is designed to prevent a driver from becoming distracted by the GPS and causing an accident. I find that many times I need to use the GPS while driving, so I like to set Safe Mode to Off.

Garmin Lock was already discussed previously. This feature allows you to set a 4 digit pin code that must be entered each time the nuvi is powered on. Alternatively, if you forget the PIN code, you can drive to the specific "Safe" location (usually your home address) and the unit will unlock without the PIN code. Since I doubt most thieves are familiar with the Garmin Lock feature, I leave this feature disabled. Instead, I advise taking the nuvi out of the dash when leaving the car. Plus, if my nuvi does get stolen, the very last thing I want is crooks showing up at my home to unlock the device!

Touch Tones turns on or off the tone that plays whenever you touch the screen.

Simulator Mode allows you to have the nuvi operate in simulation mode. Useful if you want to plan a trip and want to see what route the nuvi will take you, or compare the nuvi's routing results with an online engine, like MapQuest.

Figure 86: Setting Locale Preferences

These are pretty self explanatory. You can set text and voice language, time format preference, and miles or kilometers.

Figure 87: Changing the Display Settings

Color Mode allows you to set whether the nuvi 660 should use the daytime screen colors and brightness, nighttime, or automatically switch between the two. Naturally I left this set to Auto. I noticed that day/night switching is based on time of day rather than actual ambient brightness level. I don't know how much cost it would add to have an external light sensor control the daytime/nighttime screen mode, but it would be preferable. Many times I noticed that although it was definitely dark enough outside to warrant nighttime screen brightness/colors, the nuvi continued in daytime mode until it was officially "sunset" time.

Backlight Timout might be useful if you're using the nuvi on battery instead of the 12v adapter. You can adjust how long the backlighting remains on when running on battery instead of 12v adapter. In my testing I didn't change this setting.

Touch Screen is a mechanism for recalibrating the display. If you notice that the unit thinks your pressing on a different button than you intended, you may need to recalibrate the screen. I didn't need to recalibrate, but it's nice to have the ability to do so.

Splash Screen allows you to change the image that's briefly displayed when you power on the nuvi. The nuvi can use any image saved on its internal memory or SD card.

Screenshot enabled you to capture what's being displayed on the nuvi and save it off to your computer. Although this was quite useful for this review, I'm not sure how handy this is for normal day-to-day operation (other than perhaps emailing a screenshot of your trip computer, showing your top speed of 130MPH to your roommates).

27. Navigation Settings

Figure 88: Changing Navigation Settings

One of the more important configuration pages is the Navigation Settings menu, accessed by tapping on configuration -> Navigation. This is the menu you'll use to set core navigation preferences.

Avoidances can be configured to avoid certain roads or highways. More importantly, you can have the nuvi automatically avoid traffic jams (provided you're in an area with traffic data coverage and have a valid traffic subscription).

Figure 89: Setting Routing Preferences

There are three options for setting your routing preference: Faster Time, Shorter Distance, and Off Road. Off Road is useful for navigating to coordinates instead of a street address, or Geocaching. Faster Time and Shorter Distance are slightly more complex. I always leave my GPS set to Faster Time. In some cases, however, Shorter Time may be the best choice, since the GPS may route you around congested streets.

I'd like to see Garmin include the ability to have the nuvi calculate both Faster Time and Shorter Distance, present each method's estimated travel time, and then let you choose the best method for each trip. I know this would add some route calculation time, but without it this setting is of little value.

Figure 90: Setting Vehicle Type

Some roads and highways have vehicle type restriction, such as forbidding large trucks or commercial traffic. The nuvi 660 allows you to specify what type of vehicle you're driving, and have it route you appropriately.

Although I don't use this feature, if you're a commercial driver, the ability to set this option can be a life saver.

Figure 91: Setting Alerts

The Alerts feature allows you to set custom proximity alerts. When you specify alerts, the nuvi can notify you if you're within a defined range of the POI you specified.

Figure 92: Setting Alert Types

For example, if you save any custom POIs, you can have the nuvi 660 automatically alert you if you're close to one of them.

Figure 93: Configuring the Attention Tone

If you want to have the nuvi beep before each maneuver to notify you that a turn is approaching, you can do so by turning on Attention Tone. The default setting is Off, and I found the attention tone unnecessary.

28. Custom POIs

You can use Garmin's free POI Loader (http://www.garmin.com/products/poiloader/) to load custom POI databases, such as safety camera locations, Dunkin Donuts stores, etc.

The nuvi can also alert you when you are approaching a safety camera and warn you if you're exceeding the speed limit. This feature is probably popular in Europe, where speed cameras are common. Here in North America, speed cameras aren't all that common. Garmin has a subscription service that allows you to download updated speed camera information weekly at http://my.garmin.com.

Once a custom POI database has been loaded, you can also navigate to a custom POI by tapping on Where To -> Extras -> Custom POI.

29. Routing Engine

Testing routing engine performance is always tricky. One GPS unit may route correctly in certain instances and incorrectly at other times.

To test the 660's routing, I picked a starting address in New York City and a destination address in Southbury, CT. I compared the results of the nuvi to those of the Garmin StreetPilot c550, the TomTom ONE (to see how a device using Tele Atlas maps instead of NAVTEQ would route us), and Yahoo Maps.

 

Starting Address W 74th Street, Central Park West New York, NY	Destination Address 284 Strongtown Rd Southbury, CT
Garmin Nuvi 660	Garmin c550
0.1 - Right on 72nd St 5.6mi - Exit 14 right to I-95/Cross Bronx Expwy/Geo Washington Br/W178 St 5.9 mi - Continue on I-95 N/Cr Bronx Expy/W 178 St 6.1 mi - Keep left onto I-95 to Cr Bronx Expwy 6.6 mi - Keep right on I-95 N 6.9 mi - Exit 1C right to I-87 to Albany/Maj Deegan Expwy/Queens 7.1 mi - Exit 3N right to I-87 N to Albany 14 mi - Exit 4 right to Cross County Pkwy 14 mi - Right to Cross County Pkwy East to Bronx River Pkwy 14 mi - Keep left onto Cross County Pky E to Hutchinson Pkwy 26 mi - Keep left onto I-684 to Brewster 54 mi - Exit 9E right to I-84 E to Danbury 60 mi - Keep left onto I-84 E to Hartford 64 mi - Keep right onto I-84 E to Hartford/Waterbury 79 mi - Exit 15 right to CT-67/U-6 to Seymour/Southbury 79 mi - Keep left to Main St N 79 mi - Right on Main St N 81 mi - Left on Bagley Rd 81 mi - Right on Munn Rd 82 mi - Left on Strongtown Rd 82 mi - Arrive at 289 Strongtown Rd on left	0.1 - Right on 72nd St 5.6mi - Exit 14 right to I-95/Cross Bronx Expwy/Geo Washington Br/W178 St 5.9 mi - Continue on I-95 N/Cr Bronx Expy/W 178 St 6.1 mi - Keep left onto I-95 to Cr Bronx Expwy 6.6 mi - Keep right on I-95 N 6.9 mi - Exit 1C right to I-87 to Albany/Maj Deegan Expwy/Queens 7.1 mi - Exit 3N right to I-87 N to Albany 14 mi - Exit 4 right to Cross County Pkwy 14 mi - Right to Cross County Pkwy East to Bronx River Pkwy 14 mi - Keep left onto Cross County Pky E to Hutchinson Pkwy 26 mi - Keep left onto I-684 to Brewster 54 mi - Exit 9E right to I-84 E to Danbury 60 mi - Keep left onto I-84 E to Hartford 64 mi - Keep right onto I-84 E to Hartford/Waterbury 79 mi - Exit 15 right to CT-67/U 6 to Seymour/Southbury 79 mi - Keep left to Main St N 79 mi - Right on Main St N 81 mi - Left on Bagley Rd 81 mi - Right on Munn Rd 82 mi - Left on Strongtown Rd 82 mi - Arrive at 289 Strongtown Rd on left
Total Drive Time: 1 hr 22 mins	Total Drive Time: 1 hr 22 mins

Both the Garmin StreetPilot c550 and the nuvi 660 chose identical routes and estimated the trip time exactly the same. Not surprising, since both units share Garmin's routing software and both units use mapping data provided by NAVTEQ.

Starting Address W 74th Street, Central Park West New York, NY	Destination Address 284 Strongtown Rd Southbury, CT
Garmin Nuvi 660	TomTom ONE
0.1 - Right on 72nd St 5.6mi - Exit 14 right to I-95/Cross Bronx Expwy/Geo Washington Br/W178 St 5.9 mi - Continue on I-95 N/Cr Bronx Expy/W 178 St 6.1 mi - Keep left onto I-95 to Cr Bronx Expwy 6.6 mi - Keep right on I-95 N 6.9 mi - Exit 1C right to I-87 to Albany/Maj Deegan Expwy/Queens 7.1 mi - Exit 3N right to I-87 N to Albany 14 mi - Exit 4 right to Cross County Pkwy 14 mi - Right to Cross County Pkwy East to Bronx River Pkwy 14 mi - Keep left onto Cross County Pky E to Hutchinson Pkwy 26 mi - Keep left onto I-684 to Brewster 54 mi - Exit 9E right to I-84 E to Danbury 60 mi - Keep left onto I-84 E to Hartford 64 mi - Keep right onto I-84 E to Hartford/Waterbury 79 mi - Exit 15 right to CT-67/U-6 to Seymour/Southbury 79 mi - Keep left to Main St N 79 mi - Right on Main St N 81 mi - Left on Bagley Rd 81 mi - Right on Munn Rd 82 mi - Left on Strongtown Rd 82 mi - Arrive at 289 Strongtown Rd on left	Right on 72nd St Enter 9A NB Bear Right onto 4 Cross County Pk... Continue Hutchinson Pkwy 684 NB Brewster Right 9E Danbury 84 EB Hartford 84 EB 6 EB Hartford 16 Middlebury Left 188 Strongtown Rd Southford Arrive 284 Strongtown Rd,...
Total Drive Time: 1 hr 22 mins	Total Drive Time: 1 hr 36 mins

The TomTom ONE chose a slightly less efficient route, choosing a route that's 14 minutes longer than the nuvi's route. It's not totally fair to compare the nuvi, which retails for just over $1,000, to the TomTom ONE, which retails for less than $500, but the point here is to show that there is more to routing than just mapping data. All three sources have the same roads available to choose from. Yet the TomTom ONE chooses a different route. Why?

Mapping data is a kind of dark art that mapping and GPS companies are loathe to discuss in detail. From what I've been able to determine, NAVTEQ (who provides mapping data for almost every online map service, such as Google, Yahoo, MSN, etc.) provides more details about the roads than Tele Atlas does (Tele Atlas is used in the TomTom ONE). The additional mapping attributes, combined with the decisions a routing engine makes ultimately decides the route the GPS will take. For example, when calculating the estimated time of arrival, a routing engine might decide to discard the posted speed limit on a road and instead use the average speed of travel that NAVTEQ provides. Or a GPS routing engine might decide that more accidents occur when making right turns than left turns, and decide to take a slightly longer, although safer, route. These are just some of the things that can affect how the GPS calculates the "best" route.

Starting Address W 74th Street, Central Park West New York, NY	Destination Address 284 Strongtown Rd Southbury, CT
Garmin Nuvi 660	Yahoo! Maps
0.1 - Right on 72nd St 5.6mi - Exit 14 right to I-95/Cross Bronx Expwy/Geo Washington Br/W178 St 5.9 mi - Continue on I-95 N/Cr Bronx Expy/W 178 St 6.1 mi - Keep left onto I-95 to Cr Bronx Expwy 6.6 mi - Keep right on I-95 N 6.9 mi - Exit 1C right to I-87 to Albany/Maj Deegan Expwy/Queens 7.1 mi - Exit 3N right to I-87 N to Albany 14 mi - Exit 4 right to Cross County Pkwy 14 mi - Right to Cross County Pkwy East to Bronx River Pkwy 14 mi - Keep left onto Cross County Pky E to Hutchinson Pkwy 26 mi - Keep left onto I-684 to Brewster 54 mi - Exit 9E right to I-84 E to Danbury 60 mi - Keep left onto I-84 E to Hartford 64 mi - Keep right onto I-84 E to Hartford/Waterbury 79 mi - Exit 15 right to CT-67/U-6 to Seymour/Southbury 79 mi - Keep left to Main St N 79 mi - Right on Main St N 81 mi - Left on Bagley Rd 81 mi - Right on Munn Rd 82 mi - Left on Strongtown Rd 82 mi - Arrive at 289 Strongtown Rd on left	Turn Right on W 72ND ST - go 0.6 mi Take ramp onto RT-9A NORTH - go 4.8 mi Take exit #14 onto I-95 NORTH - go 1.4 mi Take exit #1C onto I-87 NORTH toward ALBANY - go 7.1 mi Take exit #4 onto CENTRAL PARK AVE toward CROSS COUNTY PKWY - go 0.2 mi Take ramp onto CROSS COUNTY PKY EAST toward CROSS COUNTY PKWY EAST - go 3.4 mi Merge onto HUTCHINSON RIVER PKY N - go 8.0 mi Take Left fork onto I-684 NORTH toward BREWSTER - go 28.2 mi Take exit #9E onto I-84 EAST toward DANBURY - go 24.9 mi Take exit #15/US-6/CT-67 toward SOUTHBURY/SEYMOUR - go 0.2 mi Turn Right on MAIN ST N[CT-67] - go 0.1 mi Continue to follow CT-67 - go 2.6 mi Turn Left on STRONGTOWN RD[CT-188] - go 0.6 mi Arrive at 284 STRONGTOWN RD, SOUTHBURY, on the Left
Total Drive Time: 1 hr 22 mins	Total Drive Time: 1 hr 28 mins

The nuvi and Yahoo Maps actually choose identical routes, although the nuvi is more aggressive with its time estimate.

I tested 3 more random starting addresses and destination addresses and found similar results. In most cases the nuvi chose identical routes to Yahoo Maps. In each tested route the TomTom ONE was less efficient at calculating the best route.

The nuvi has an excellent routing engine. That routing engine coupled with NAVTEQ mapping data makes the nuvi very good at its primary task: navigation.

30. GPS Performance: The Mighty SiRF

The Garmin Nuvi 660 uses SiRF's high performance SiRF StarIII GPS receiver. This chipset is extremely sensitive and able to maintain solid signal reception even when driving in challenging situations, such as dense urban environments (behind tall buildings), bridges, and canyons.

In fact, in my testing, I was able to get a strong signal even indoors. The integration of SiRF's chipset into the latest generation of in-car navigation systems has been a watershed event for GPS manufacturers.

Prior to this, line-of-sight to the sky was required to receive GPS signals, resulting in less than reliable GPS performance in many situations. SiRF's chipset has ushered in a new era of GPS performance, allowing signals to be acquired quickly and maintained while driving. GPS devices are more reliable than ever today, but be sure to buy a device that has SiRF's chipset. I'm always amazed that people continue to buy GPS devices that are old and outdated and cost even more than some of the newer devices with SiRF chipsets -- even from the same manufacturer.

31. Useful nuvi Tips & Shortcuts

• Touch & hold Back to return to the Menu page at any time
• To adjust the audio or brightness, quickly press and release the power button
• To switch audio output between the built-in speaker and the FM transmitter, quickly press the power button twice

32. Updating the nuvi Software (WebUpdater)

Figure 94: Garmin's WebUpdater Software

Garmin provides an easy utility for updating the firmware/software on all their GPS units. Garmin's WebUpdater software can be downloaded from Garmin's Website. The utility automatically checks the model number connected to the computer (via USB), the version of software currently installed, and the version available for download. If a newer version is available on Garmin's website, the WebUpdater will ask if you want to install the new version. Of course, if you prefer, you can still download the individual updates for the nuvi manually.

There's no official rule on how frequently Garmin makes mapping updates available for their products. Their map supplier, NAVTEQ, generally releases map updates 6 times per year. However, you can expect to wait around 1-2 years for updated map data to make its way into your device.

33. Pros

• Beautiful, super-bright, white backlit screen is easy to read even in sunlight, living up to Garmin's claim of "sunlight readable display")
• Slim, portable design
• Integrated FM transmitter
• NAVTEQ Mapping Data
• 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 nuvi performed well in Manhattan's GPS challenging urban environment, tracking even behind tall buildings and short tunnels.
• Excellent routing engine
• Fast boot/shutdown times
• Bluetooth / Cell phone integration works well and is thoughtfully implemented (nuvi handles things like call waiting, pausing music playback during a call, etc.)
• Solid windshield mount keeps the unit secure and in place. The nuvi is easy to angle on the mount, and it doesn't vibrate or shift while driving.
• Includes everything you need to receive real-time traffic data
• WebUpdater software makes updating the nuvi's internal software easy
• Fast CPU performance: the nuvi is zippy and responsive. Navigating menus is quick, and route / re-route calculation is fast
• Good quality internal microphone works well for hand-free telephone.
• Long battery life (up to 8 hours per charge)
• Lots of configurable options
• Capability to add travel guides
• Support for loading custom POIs
• Ability to route to lat/long coordinates
• Garmin has finally added the ability to pan the map when looking at the map view
• Garmin is a mature company and everything here just works the way it's supposed to. No unpleasant surprises, or buggy code. Software feels well tested and thoughtfully implemented.

34. Cons

• Cost: suggested retail price is just over $1,000 (although online retailers are selling it for under $750)
• Weak FM transmitter. Nuvi needs to be very close to the car stereo for good performance
• No route exclusion feature (ability to exclude certain roadways when choosing a route
• No multi-destination routing/optimizing (although you can include up to 1 stop along a route)
• No physical volume control (you have to navigate the menus to adjust the volume, although this is less of an issue if you're using the FM transmitter to use your car's stereo instead of the nuvi's internal speaker)
• Sometimes the nuvi waits too long to reroute -- If you miss a turn, I found the nuvi waiting a nail-biting amount of time before finally accepting the fact that I had missed the turn and it needed to re-calculate. This is especially frustrating if you're on a highway and the exits are close together.
• Unit feels fragile, and could be more rugged.
• 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).
• No multi-destination routing (you can only add 1 stop along the route, but you cannot, for example, enter 5 addresses and have the nuvi optimize the order of addresses)
• Some useful features are only available via shortcuts that require you read the manual (i.e. save my current location, view the maneuvering list)

35. Conclusion

I love this GPS! In fact, I like it so much that I just went online and ordered one to replace my previous favorite GPS, the Garmin StreetPilot c550. I'm declaring the nuvi 660 the current GPS Magazine Editor's Choice. Garmin has managed to pack the nuvi 660 chock-full of features without adding clutter or confusion to the interface. Each feature is thoughtfully implemented and well-designed. I really loved using the integrated FM transmitter to play MP3's over the car's stereo system. When nuvi wanted to tell me about an up-coming maneuver, it politely paused the music, announced the next maneuver, and resumed playing the music. Using Bluetooth and the FM transmitter to transmit phone calls over the stereo was easy and made phone calls easy to hear. The super-bright, white backlit screen would be reason enough to upgrade to the nuvi 660, especially given its newly reduced pricing. Add Bluetooth, traffic data, an MP3 player, photo viewer, travel guides, and long battery life, and you've got yourself one great GPS. At its core, navigation on the nuvi 660 is excellent. NAVTEQ mapping data and a sophisticated routing engine produced reliable and efficient routes. The nuvi could be built a little more solidly, but there's really very little to complain about - this is an excellent GPS. With its recently reduced price, the Garmin nuvi 660 has raised the bar on in-car navigation and is clearly the GPS to beat. I can, without reservation, enthusiastically recommend the nuvi 660 for anyone looking for a full featured GPS with a big screen and lots of features, all in an easy-to-use package.