4. Mounting the nuvi 750 in the car

Figure 18: Garmin nuvi 750, Mounted in the Car

Mounting the nuvi 750 in the car is simple and doesn't require any professional installation. Simply attach the windshield mount to the glass, dock the GPS, connect the power cable and you're ready to start using the GPS.

Figure 19: Windshield Mount, Attached to the Windshield

Locate the area on the windshield where you want to mount the GPS, then press the suction cup mount against the glass and lower the locking lever into place to secure the mount to the windshield.

Some States/countries prohibit you from mounting anything in the windshield. If you happen to live in such a place, you can use the permanent adhesive mounting disc (included) to attach the mount to the dashboard instead of the windshield glass. I prefer to use the windshield mount, as it's easer to remove when you want to hide the GPS from view (i.e. when parking the car on a city street or parking lot).

Figure 20: Connecting the 12v Power Adapter to the Cigarette Lighter

The included 12v power adapter is relatively short and narrow, and the cable is long enough that I was able to connect it to the front or rear 12v power connector in my vehicle.

Figure 21: Connecting the 12v Adapter to the Cradle

The 12v power cable connects to the mounting cradle instead of the GPS unit directly, making it that much simpler to dock/undock the nuvi 750 from the windshield mount.

Figure 22: Attaching the Cradle to the Mount

Once the 12V power adapter is connected to the cradle, it's ready to be snapped onto the tip of the windshield mount.

Garmin's excellent windshield mount derives much of its strength from its simplicity; to connect the cradle to the mount, you simply press the cradle onto the mount until you hear it "click" onto the ball of the mount. Together, the two pieces (cradle and mount) form a socket and ball type joint that can easily be angled into the desired viewing angle.

There are no screws to loosen, or levers to unlock - adjusting the nuvi is simply a matter of applying slight force and angling the GPS into the desired position.

Figure 23: Docking the nuvi 750

With the windshield mount, 12v power, and cradle assembled, we're ready to mount the nuvi 750.

Fit the bottom of the nuvi 750 into the cradle and tilt the nuvi back (towards the windshield glass) until it snaps into place, as shown above in figure 23.

To release the nuvi from the cradle, press the release button located on the underside of the cradle, and tilt the nuvi away from the mount.

Figure 24: Garmin nuvi 750, Mounted in the Windshield

Throughout my testing I found Garmin's windshield mount to be excellent, holding the nuvi securely in place and vibration free, even when driving at highway speeds. Adjusting the viewing angle of the mount was easy, thanks to the innovative mount design that doesn't require tightening any knobs or levers when making adjustments.

The secret to Garmin's highly effective mount is its simplicity: lightweight with very few moving parts makes for a reliable, solid connection that will stand up well to normal wear and tear.

5. Garmin's Map Screen

Figure 25: nuvi 700 vs nuvi 600 Map Screen

Whether navigating to a destination or simply driving around, you'll spend most of your time using the nuvi 750 looking at the map screen.

The nuvi 750's map screen has an updated look compared to the older nuvi 600 units. Figure 25 (above) shows a side-by-side comparison between the nuvi 750 and nuvi 660 map screens.

Compared to previous nuvi map screens, the 700-series screen is slightly more refined. The information bars at the bottom and top of the screen are slightly thinner on the 700 series, displaying more map area on the same size screen. The anti-aliasing has also been improved, creating smoother lines along the map. The 750's Icons now have a 3D bevel-effect, and the text is slightly bolder.

I found the updated map screen an improvement over the older style map screen: those familiar with Garmin nuvis will find everything where they expect (everything still functions just as it did in previous models, and is in the same position), but the visual presentation has been enhanced slightly.

It's unlikely Garmin will roll out this updated map screen to existing nuvi 300 and 600-series owners, though there's no reason the company couldn't do so via a simple firmware update. Garmin says it currently has no plans to update the map screen on older nuvi units.

Figure 26: nuvi 750's Map Screen

The map screen is displayed automatically when navigating to an address. The route the GPS has calculated is marked with a magenta line, as shown above in figure 26. The map screen can also be manually invoked by tapping on View Map from the Main Menu.

Figure 27: Using the nuvi 750's Map Screen

Figure 27 shows the map screen, as displayed when navigating to a destination:

1. Text Bar - This text bar displays the current navigation instruction. Tapping on this bar opens the turn list (a list of all up-coming turns)
2. Zoom Out - Zoom out the map display
3. Speed Limit - When available, the nuvi 750 displays the speed limit for the current road you are driving on
4. Vehicle icon - This customizable icon represents your vehicle on the map. Tapping on the vehicle icons allows you to save your current location (even if there's not a valid street address at your location)
5. Arrival Time - Displays your estimated arrival time. When not en route to a destination, your current speed is displayed here. Tapping this icon opens the Trip Information page
6. Menu - Tap the Menu icon to return to the Menu page
7. Turn In - Displays the distance to the next turn. Tapping this icon displays the Next Turn page (a detailed view of the upcoming turn) and repeats the last voice instruction
8. Highlighted Route - The highlighted route is "painted", or marked, in magenta color
9. Zoom In - Zooms in on the map display

Figure 28: Trip Information Screen

Tapping on the Arrival Time area (#5 in figure 25) brings up the trip information page, which displays a running counter of various statistics about the "trip", or since it was last reset.

Figure 29: Turn List

The Turn List, available by tapping on the text bar (the horizontal green bar across the top of the Map Screen), displays a list of all upcoming maneuvers. Each turn can be selected to view a more detailed view of the turn (Next Turn page, shown below).

Figure 30: Next Turn Page

The "Next Turn" page is available by tapping on the lower-right icon from the map view ("Turn In", as shown in figure 27), and displays a detailed view of the turn. This split-screen view shows a 2-dimensional drawing of the turn on the left side of the screen, and a text description of the turn on the right side. Also displayed are the distance and time to the turn.

Tapping the up/down arrows in the lower-right portion of the screen cycles through the upcoming turns, one at a time. Voice prompts are also announced as each turn is viewed.

Figure 31: Speed Limit Indicator

When the nuvi 750 knows the posted speed limit for the road you are traveling, the speed limit is displayed on the map screen, as shown above (this feature can also be disabled if you prefer not to see it). The inclusion of speed limit information on the map screen is a welcome addition that I frequently used, especially during long highway trips.

Overall, Garmin's map screen is well implemented, thoughtfully designed, and shows the kind of polish that comes from years of refinement. The map screen is easy to read and does a good job displaying the essential information without becoming cluttered or confusing.

For example, notice how the green information bar across the top of the map screen mimics the color and font used on actual highway signs. Arrival and upcoming turn information is displayed in large, bold text. Also notice how the angle of the 3D map makes it easy to see upcoming maneuvers.

The map screen is one of the most important aspects of any GPS, and the nuvi 750 gets it right.