24. Picture Viewer

Figure 93: Picture Viewer

Located in the Tools menu, the Picture Viewer lets you view photos on the nuvi 750's bright, 480 x 272 wide-screen display.

Any images stored in the JPEG folder on the nuvi will appear in the Picture Viewer.

Figure 94: Viewing an Image With Picture Viewer

Images can be scrolled through, viewed full screen, or set to replace the Garmin logo startup image.

25. World Clock

Figure 95: World Clock

The World Clock allows you to set up to three different time zones as well as the local time. Unfortunately there's no alarm function -- a feature that would have made the clock much more useful to travelers.

Figure 96: World Map

Tapping on "World Map" from the World Clock page brings up a world map that shows day/night zone information, as well as the current date/time in your own time zone.

26. Calculator

Figure 97: Calculator

The nuvi 750 includes a basic calculator that is accessed via the Tools menu.

27. Text-to-Speech Voice Quality

Text-to-Speech allows the GPS to speak actual street names instead of generic maneuvers. So instead of hearing "Turn left in 1 mile", you'll hear "Turn left on South Main Street in 1 mile".

Speech quality on the nuvi 750 is identical to that of previous nuvi models. In my testing, the nuvi did a decent job pronouncing street names and I didn't find the voice abrasive or irritating.

The nuvi 750 will also perform text-to-speech on saved addresses in your address book. So if you save an address as "Work", when arriving at that location, the nuvi will announce "arriving at work".

28. Using the Garmin Lock

Figure 98: Garmin Lock

Garmin Lock is a safety feature designed to thwart casual theft of the device. Using Garmin Lock, a PIN code can be set and must be entered whenever the unit is powered on. It is also possible to designate a "secure location", a saved location on the map where you can unlock the GPS even if you've forgotten the PIN code.

Figure 99: Security Menu

Garmin Lock and Safe Mode can be turned on or off via the Security menu.

Figure 100: 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.

If you forget the PIN code, you can drive to the designated "Safe Location" and the GPS can be unlocked without a PIN code (your home address, for example). Be forewarned though: if you forget your PIN code AND the saved "Secure Location", you must send the unit back to Garmin to be reset.

29. Signal Receiver Performance

Many new GPS devices use SiRF high-performance, 20-channel StarIII receiver, including Garmin's nuvi 300 and 600 units. SiRF's receiver is extremely sensitive and able to maintain solid signal reception even in challenging situations, such as dense urban environments (behind tall buildings), bridges, and canyons. Recent advances in GPS receiver technology have made GPS navigation much more reliable.

There has been considerable confusion around which GPS receiver the nuvi 700-series is actually using, mostly due to Garmin's own messaging on the subject, and conflicting answers from Garmin support. Garmin recently began removing all references to SiRF from its website's product pages, and SiRF's logo is nowhere to be found on the nuvi 750's box. Yet both my nuvi 750 and 760 shipped using SiRF's StarIII receiver (you can find out if your model uses SiRF by tapping Tools -> Settings -> System -> About).

Officially, Garmin says that it uses parts from a number of vendors, including the GPS receiver. Unofficially, it looks like Garmin is currently using SiRF's receiver on the nuvi 750, but that could change if the company decides to start using its own receiver or another vendor's. Garmin's rep went on to say that the company sources parts from various vendors, such as the LCD display, and that all components must meet or exceed Garmin's high performance standards. Any change in GPS receivers, I'm told, would have to deliver similar or better performance than the current SiRF receiver.

30. Configuring System Settings

Figure 101: System Settings

The Settings menu is accessed by tapping Tools >Settings.

Figure 102: Changing the Map Settings

Tapping on Tools >Settings >System brings 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.

Figure 103: Map View

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.

Trip Log is a new feature that displays the path you've taken on the map, much like a trackback.

Map Info displays the currently installed map software version.

Figure 104: Usage Mode

The Usage Mode menu is accessed by tapping Tools >Settings >System >Usage Mode, and allows the nuvi to route using either Automobile, Bicycle, or Pedestrian modes. When set to Bicycle or Pedestrian modes, the nuvi 750 will adjust the estimated arrival times as well as the suggested path to take.

Note that the nuvi 750 also has an Off Road navigation mode, but that is accessed in a different menu and accessed by taping Tools > Settings > Navigation > Route Preference > Off Road > OK.

Figure 105: Route Preference

Tapping Tools > Settings > Navigation > Route Preference > Off Road > OK brings up the Route Preference menu, shown above. This menu allows you to specify how you want the nuvi 750 to calculate routes.

By default the nuvi ships set to Faster Time mode, which will choose routes that might be longer distance but have shorter estimated drive times (i.e. taking highways instead of shorter surface roads).

Shorter Distance will force the nuvi to pick the shortest physical distance, even if it will result in a longer drive time.

Off Road allows the nuvi to route off road.

Figure 106: Selecting Avoidances

The Avoidances menu allows you to specify things the nuvi should avoid when choosing a route. By default U-Turns and Traffic are checked.

The Avoidances menu can be used as a round-about way of forcing the nuvi 750 to exclude highways. For example, if you're driving at rush hour and know the highway will be backed up, checking the Highways avoidance will force the nuvi 750 to take surface roads instead.

Unfortunately there's no way to avoid, or exclude, specific roads or highways - a feature sorely missing from Garmin's entire nuvi product line.

Figure 107: Keyboard Layout

Thankfully Garmin has added the ability to switch between a QWERTY or ABCDE keyboard. Personally I like the default ABCDE keyboard layout, but I know many customers strongly prefer a QWERTY style keyboard and will be pleased to see this feature included in the nuvi 760.

31. Updating the nuvi 750's Firmware

Figure 108: 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.