I just bought the Nuvi 750 GPS unit for $509 and i think this is the next best thing since slice of bread!!!

Its amazing - easy to use and pretty spot on in accuracy! The unit exudes quality and screen display/plotting routes is top notch

The only thing i have noticed is that when you turn on the unit it may take few minutes before getting the satellite signal but subsequent startups are pretty fast.

Also when approaching a turn, the distance to turn is a rough esitmate. As a general rule when it says turn in 90feet, you are pretty much at the 'turn'.

The features i love most are the multi destination route and the "where am i " feature. And the POI is awesome

Its only been a week of having this but i absulutely love this gadget.

As i use it more and discover any negatives or more positives - will post it here.

Highly recommend Nuvi 700 series to anybody deciding on buying a GPS unit

Fletch,
Thanks for the great review on the 760. Will definately buy one because of the abilitiy to put in multiple routes and sort them. Also agree that they need to do something with the FM transmitter. Can this be done with a software upgrade?

Hi Fletch!

Thank You for the excellent review. I am about to get one of these after local dealers can provide them.

The FM-transmitter in U.S. -version is lower powered compared to Euro-version. This is mentioned in owners manual page 52. So the problem is local laws, not Garmins ability to make sufficiently powered FM-tx or a software problem.

It is also worth mentioning that FM-tx is legal to be sold but illegal to be used in some European countries. It is also legal in some European countries if you get a license to use it. FM-tx is legal in most European countries, like in Finland.

Sami from Finland

Thank you, Fletch.
I have read your reviews for quite some time, but normally just lurk and do not respond.
I don't know how many readers have realized it yet, but your reviews are better instructions for using these units than most manufacturers' manuals. (The manufacturers should pay you!)
I received my 750 from MegaGPS yesterday and took it out of the box after my young trick or treating daughter went to bed.
So, a couple of comments.
When you go to Garmin's website to register your 7xx unit, the website hasn't been updated to show where the unit's serial number is located. It's located on the bottom edge of the unit, alongside the mounting connector. The trick to finding it is to first get a magnifying glass.
You compared your 760's routing with other manufacturers' units, one comparison of which started in San Jose and ended in San Francisco. The Tom Tom's route is WAY, WAY WORSE than you indicated. It's route takes you north on the EAST SIDE of the San Francisco bay, then routes you west on I80 to San Francisco.
In order to reach the west side of the San Francisco bay by going west on I80 involves crossing the San Francisco Bay bridge. YOU GOTTA PAY A TOLL, both monetarily and time-wise, especially if you attempt to cross in any commute period.
A small nit: Under Figure 1, in the first line of the paragraph beginning with "Except", change the 250W to 760.
A really small nit: "heal" should be "heel". (I don't remember exactly where this is located.)
Thanks for excellent manual/review.
Steve

WOW!!!
Something I missed on page 2, Figure 26: Trip Information Screen:
Garmin let's us reset JUST the max speed, rather than all the trip info.
(I cross the Sierras frequently and let the motorhome coast downhill when I can see the next uphill. I've reached a max speed of uhhh, nevermind.)
Steve

Hi Fletch,

Nice review on the 760 - I notice you have made an effort to address the fact that units don't always perform consistently in different places ie:(my previous examples last spring of a Nuvi 660 that performed horribly next to an older Magellan Roadmate 800 both in routing failures as well as missing many POI's that the Magellan had no problem with).

One thing I didn't see in the review that I think you ought to test for is a GPS's ability to re-route effectively when you purposely diverge from the original route. You may recall that here in the midwest there is a particular route I travel (Minneapolis to the Chicago area) that has a choice of two different interstates with only a 2-4 mile difference in distance. The shorter route takes you through many more tolls than the slightly longer one, but when I headed down the "truly" better route the Magellan adapted almost instantly while the Nuvi 660 tried for almost forty miles to take me back the other way). I would be very curious to see whether the new 760 has conquered this sort of routing glitch. Magellan solved the problem many years back by including a "Most use of freeways" option, and if only Garmin would provide a similar choice when setting up routes I'm certain that this sort of problem would cease to be an issue on the Nuvis.

I noticed you made mention that the Magellan Maestro 4050 announced the side of the street verbally while the Nuvi noted it in the written instructions. I always liked the fact that it was spoken to me on the Roadmate series, and they always announced which side of the street the destination was on. It would be cool if the Nuvi also announced which side the destination was on.

Overall a nice review. I may yet give the new Garmins another chance, but it's hard to willingly give up the "most use of freeways" option, since that is the type of GPS use that I think most people have in mind when they buy a GPS. Certainly they are valuable for local use, but the majority of people tend to know their local area so I imagine that GPS's get used by most people when traveling, and that means highways and byways...

Regards,
Steve

What I noticed from your review is that switching from automobile to bike to pedestrian has alot less options. I drive a commercial vehicle for work everyday and would like the multi-destination routing, but the 660 has the option to select car, motorcycle, or truck. When I select truck, it keeps me routed away from parkways that don't allow commercial vehicles. It appears the 760 left that out and it's a huge feature for all commercial drivers out there.

Also, fyi... the 660 does it so I assume the 760 does as well... when you have a cell phone linked to the unit via bluetooth and recieve text messages, the gps actually reads the text message to you with the text-to-speech.l Thats awesome so you dont have to read while driving. Now if it could just send a text message by hearing your voice....

The nuvi DOES announce which side of the street your dest. is on

I bought the NUVI 750 to replace my NUVI 660 and I also notice that the NUVI's are not as sensitive as the older NUVI models. I also noticed that if I use 3D view the car on the screen takes longer to catch up to live mode.
I do wish that they add the ability to avoid certain roads on a pre-determined route instead on a plain detour. This feature was available on the StreetPilot 2820.
Even with the missing items Garmin does have the best navigational units.

Fletch,
I've been watching for this review ever since you mentioned that the 700 series would allow multipoint routing. Great review!
One comment though - In the US and Canada almost all FM receivers will only receive on the odd number frequencies. 88.1, 88.3, 88.5, etc. So, allowing the Nuvi to broadcast on the even numbers as you suggest would not help anything at all. Your radio wouldn't be able to tune to the frequency, so it wouldn't hear the transmission.
Really enjoy your postings!

nuvi 7xx series does *not* use SiRF Star III chipset. It is Bravo (same as the later issued nuvi 2xx).

For all you Garmin NUVI Fans:
You can buy the NUVI 750 at SAMSCLUB for $497.00.
You can also buy the NUVI 760 at BEST BUY ONLINE for $719.00.

Garmin must have provided you a special hand picked unit for the review. The screen stinks when compared to the 680. The receiver is terrible and has poor sensitivity. Speaker is lousy and the aquisition time is slow. The 680 is a far far better unit IMHO. Clearly there are some nicer software features but these things are not as good.

AC - I specifically asked Garmin if the nuvi 760 uses SiRF and they said it does. What makes you think it's using something else?

Regarding chipset used--
Lack of SiRF branding/ logo in Garmin's literature (eg, website & manual). Check the splash screen copyright notices on startup. Check the Version Information/ Inventory using the battery icon trick.

Fletch,

Thanks for the great review. I've been using a c550 for the last year and a half, and while it's been great, I've really been looking forward to the new features in the nuvi 760. The only problem I ever had with the c550 was the connection for the charger/FM receiver cable on the back. I never leave my c550 in the car, so I’m constantly connecting and disconnecting the cable. After nearly one year of this, the connector on the c550 developed a short, and the cable would no longer supply power to the unit unless I applied constant pressure on the connector. Garmin replaced the unit at no charge, but if I kept the new unit for any length of time, I’m sure the same thing would happen all over again. That’s why I think the nuvi mount is so great. With the cable plugging into the mount and not the unit itself, this won’t be a problem anymore.

Despite the fact that your writer “Tyler” seems to think I’m an idiot for owning an iPhone (different strokes for different folks, Tyler, remember?), I’m glad to see in your review that the Bluetooth on the 760 works with the iPhone. On behalf of all us "idiots", thanks, Fletch, for pointing that out.

My 760 just arrived and I can't wait to try it out. Great review, Fletch, as always. Keep up the great work.

Fletch and others;

I tend to believe (like many others) that the 700 series is NOT as good as the 600 series.
I also don't believe that the 700 series has the SIRF chipset. Acquisition is lousy and my NUVI 750 has lost the signal severeal times during the last week. My 660 never lost signal.
Why does the Garmin website NOT post the SIRF chipset on their website under the FEATURES tab? It has the SIRF chipset posted for the 660.
The new features are better than before but the signal is not as good.

I looked at Garmin's 760 web page today an noticed the SiRF icon at the bottom of the screen is not there. It is for the 660. I remember going to Garmin's web page for the 760 shortly after it was announced and I swear it had a SiRF icon there. I am wondering if Garmin changed there minds about including SiRF on the 760.

It does have the SIRF chip. Someone on the GPSpassion forum tested theirs.

The nuvi 760 definitely does use SiRF. Garmin has confirmed it, and looking at my own 760, it says it uses SiRF:

760 looks nice, but I hope that there comes some bigger updates to Garmin GPS. At the moment those little changes just dont feel big enought update from Streetpilot C550. Its shame course 760 looks so nice :)

Is it possible choise what information is transferred by FM trans? MP3s and driving instructions are ok, but I would not like that someone could listen my bluetooth calls at trafic lights etc..

I stand corrected.

P.S. Fletch, as Forum Moderator please modify original post to indicate correction follows. Thanks.

You state you cannot sort alphabetically in favorites. If you notice at the bottom once you get to the list there is an icon that says "spell" If you push it it brings up the keyboard and you can search names by typing letters..very quick....

wow - this site's reviews are top notch. I feel like I own and have used this device (and many others) already.

BLUETOOTH ISSUES/QUESTIONS
1) I'm glad to read that your iphone connects flawlessly. This gives me hope for my Sony Ericksson 810i. Both the iphone and 810i on www.garmin.com DON'T LIST the 760 as a compatible device.

2) Anyone have an answer to to the question a few posts above...can others at a traffic light listen in via FM or bluetooth to your phone call when using a Nuvi to broadcast your call over the car stereo?

Thanks!

Regarding the chipset that is being used. I really wonder if the SiRF Star III is used since Garmin had struck that deal with MicroTronics (?sp) a few months back. Maybe they have finally used up all of the Star III chips that are left in their inventory and have switched to the new chipset.

Gosh, it would be nice if they can make that multirouting software available as a download/software upgrade for other nuvi's. That shouldn't be difficult to do, right? Maybe...

the device got new very good features and became better in quality.

butfor me lots of information are still missing -> trip duration which is a basic information, traffice icon on the first screen.

the trip computer still is not modyfied. what is "max speed" for? sensless feature.field in the trip computer should be able to change.

it´s a pitty that the premium device seems to be slower compared to the recent devices. i´ll wait.

thanks for the very good review.

Page 8, number 24, Where did I park.

In my 760 it is also placed in Where to? >Favorits >Last Position

Does anybody know if the 760 has any "hidden" screens, like for diagnostics, re-calibrating the touch screen, a satellite reception display, etc? I thought I read where the nuvi 600 series had things like this. Just wondering if the 760 has as well. Thanks.

Liked the review. Use a Mag Crossover and major disappointment is the routing engine and trip planner, but does the job. Would suggest as a torture test for routing a trip from Grand Rapids, MN to say Ashland WI, through Duluth/Superior. There are so many alternatives through those two cities, all of them snakes breakfasts, it keeps the "Make a legal U-turn" phrase almost never-ending, as you disregard the recalculated routes. Seriously, it's where a text to voice GPS is extremely helpful, even if you have driven the route before. Try it on a Garmin, someone please. I'd like to know what you find out

Hold your thumb on the battery icon for a about 8 seconds and the diagnostics come up

Fletch:
The nuvi 760 definitely does use SiRF. Garmin has confirmed it, and looking at my own 760, it says it uses SiRF:
Where do you read out this information?

I can see at the splash screen during startup, that SIRF is mentioned, but without any information what kind of SIRF.

Does anyone know if you can bring up the sattalite status of the Nuvi 760 like Altitutde, Latitude, Longitude, etc... I haven't been able to get it to work at the displays in Best Buy and Circuit City. I know I have to press the bars on the very upmost left top screen, so are these in-store units modified a bit or does the Nuvi 760 really still have this feature like the Nuvi 6XX series?

Not sure if this the place to post this but here goes. Looking to buy my first GPS unit. Which Garmin is the one to buy? I don't care about phone calls, I do like the ability to find lowest gas prices. Does that option work? I like the ability to find lowest gas prices.Please let me know how accurate this is.do you know if the new 700's are good or is the 680 the way to go. Thanks, Terry

I received my Garmin Nuvi 750, last week. $459.00 from TVNAV.com. They have since insreased the price by $20.00. I am really impressed with the features and the accuracy of the device. As to the problem with it being slow to acquire, I find that the unit is much faster if I leave the power cord connected. Even if not charging. I can usually acquire in 30 sec. to 1 minute in my house. That seems pretty good to me. Overall I have had no problems with the unit. Thanks for the great review, it was very informative.

To access the satellite menu: Hold down the satellite signal bar for 4 seconds.

All the Garmin Nuvi 760 needs is the option to have most use of Highways or freeways. This way you won't be routed onto the highway and then it will tell you to get off the highway later in the route and then get back on again. Magellan has this feature it gives the user a choice and beleive me we need that, why can't Garmin have this feature on the editors choice nuvi 760. Anyone have any ideas. Thanks Lew

All the Garmin Nuvi 760 needs is the option to have most use of Highways or freeways. With all of this units wonderful features this one should be the most important. This way you won't be routed onto the highway and then it will tell you to get off the highway, later in the route and then get back on again. Magellan has this feature it gives the user a choice and beleive me we need that, why can't Garmin have this feature on the editors choice nuvi 760. Anyone have any ideas. Thanks Lew

Had my 760 a few days and first observations
1. My screen is really bright and I like it.No problem seeing it even at night. Seems brighter than the 680 probably because of the black cover.
2.Signal is great! Mine picks up in no less than 45 seconds after I turn it on and sometimes sooner.It is between 13-17 feet accuracy so far.
3.Love to be able to sort routes, That is what I bought it for and it works great so far.
4.The voices are good but the speaker is smaller than the 680 so they are not quite as loud but still very good.
5.Re-routes quickly when you go offtrack.
6.Really like it being thinner than the 680. Put them side-by-side in Best Buy tonight and you could really tell. Fits in my pocket better.Best Buys 760 unit was Solid Glossy Black, Mine I like better it is Matt Black nice finish with a silver stripe in the middle

Really glad so far that I updated from the 680. Traffic works fine with the cable provided but I miss my MSN so I ordered a cable and am going to probably end up selling the GTM 20 on ebay sometime. Also I emailed Garmin about a Mapsource CD and they emailed back "it's on the way to you free". Great service.Will write more as I use the unit more.

I really believe the 650 and 680 acquire satellites much quicker than the new 700 series. Because of this I also do not think the 700's have the SIRF chip. My 650 was on line much,much quicker than the new 700 series. If you don't need all the new destination programs and can remember where you parked your car I thing the 600 series are much better units.

By the way Jerry the 680 weighs 1 oz more and is only .1 of an inch wider...

The newer 650 and 680 come with the new 2008 map also.

Fletch, AC is right, Garmin does not use the SiRF III chip in the Nuvi 770. After inquiring about whether or not the Nuvi 770 had the SiRF III chip, I received this reply from Product Support Specialist:
"The Nuvi 770 does have a similar high sensitivity GPS receiver built in, however, instead of the SiRF III chip, we are using a new GPS chip of our own design.

I like my Nuvi 750 but I may return it because getting a satellite connection sometimes takes 10 min. and often over 5 minutes.
G

Robert Farris:
The may only be .1 inch but it is noticably thinner and also feels better constructed in the hand.If you haven't compared directly you wouldn't know

Roger:
Mine is a 760 and it says Sirf , so it is a Sirf chip it just doesn't distinguish which type of sirf. The 770 may have a different chip when it comes out.

Garett:
My 760 picks up in 15-20 seconds really quick. I would call Garmin on that problem, I am sure they would have a solution. If you are inside a building it may not pick up at all. My 680 was the same way.

Garett: Found the below posted in another forum. You may want to try it.

If your Nuvi is taking long time to acquire satellite, you can try the below:

Sometimes the almanac data that your nüvi stores for
satellite
acquisition becomes corrupted. This causes acquisition to
become slow.
To correct this we need to perform a master reset. This
procedure will
erase all user data.

With your nüvi powered off, press and hold the lower left
corner of the
screen. Next, turn the power on. Continue to hold the
screen until it
asks if you really want to enter maintenance mode. Next,
choose clear
user data. The screen will flicker a bit and then start up
like it did
when it was first turned on. Follow the directions to set
time and
location. You will have to reacquire satellites by turning
on your nüvi
with the antenna up outside in full view of the sky. This
one time
acquisition may take up to 30 minutes.

Jerry, I hope that you are correct, I don't know why the Garmin Product Support Specialist has sent me an email saying that the chip was one of their own design. There's certainly a lot of Web Site out there that list the chip in the Nuvi 7xx as a SiRF one. However you would think that Garmin should know. On their Web Site, the lack of the SiRF logo on the specification page of their Nuvi 7xx vs the opposite for the Nuvi 6xx would seem to indicate that the SiRF chip is not in the Nuvi 7xx. I already owned 6 Garmins, the 770 would be my first with the SiRF chip. I wonder why one of the reviewer has not already opened one of the 7xx Nuvi to physically check whether or not the SiRf chip is in it. Jerry where does it tell you on yours that it is has a SiRF chip in it.

Hi Roger,When it Powers on at the bottom of the screen it says 2007 Copyright SIRF Technology Inc.

When you go Tools-Settings-System-and hit the about button on the bottom of the screen Second line says
SIRF when you it it it says
Copyright 2007 Sirf Technology,Inc. All rights reserved.
Seems like Sirf to me Roger,What do you think?

Roger: Just pressed the battery image and went into the system says it has

SIRF GSC3f GPS MODULE
so there you go. Jerry

Roger: Just pressed the battery image and went into the system says it has

SIRF GSC3f GPS MODULE
so there you go. Jerry

In Europe the advertisements are clear.
Nuvi 760 = SIRF Star III.
See for example complete tech.info.on http://www.club-gps.com/fiche/garmin-nuvi-760.php

Jerry, Chris
Thank you very much for the replies. One must wonder why Garmin replied that it did not have the SiRF chip in their Nuvi 770 when in fact it does and why so many people out there insist that the GPS takes so much longer then the 600 series to acquire position?

i will wait for the hopefully improved device:

* i still can not understand way garmin did not relaunch the trip computer yet.
* max speed = what for???!! * most of the trip information are already in the car computers.
* no information about trip duration (not arrival time)
* trip computer should give you the possibility to choose the data fields
* big bug: the device can not difference between mainroads and highways.
*long telefonnumbers are not accepted in the HOME Call feature - no call possible.
* TMC seems to be improved with the latest update. * device gives you the message "no satellite" if you drive through a long tunnel, which was solved in the recent devices.etc.
* speaker to low

things should be improved in navigation than introducing features like slideshow, etc.

the device is in basic very good but to expensive for this.there are still to many things not going well for me.

chris

OK, to add to this (SiRF chip) string I contacted Garmin yesterday 11/13 & got this reply....

Thank you for contacting Garmin International,

We are now using a chip that is not manufactured by SirF but is the
exact same in terms of quality reception. The brand is proprietary
information but its still a high sensitivity receiver.

With Best Regards,

Amy Lu
Product Support Specialist - 2nd Shift

I just called Garmin today and was told that some of the 7XX series are made with the SiRF chip and others are made with proprietary chips. She said there is no way of knowing until you turn on the unit.

While I don't have this unit, I have the 660. I am switching back to a Magellan unit (the new 4250) as I am dissatisfied with this unit. It makes far too many errors in the Washington D.C. area and the POI feature is far too hard to use. The lack of ability to alphabetically list and quickly find a POI is a pain and the search feature is so s l o w. Trying to find a location that is not near is really hard. For example if I am in Tyson's Corner and I want to find a hotel in Alexandria it can be almost impossible.

You can't enter the names of government facilities like Bolling AFB or other similar locations like the Navy yard. It goes into search mode from which it never returns. Finally, the way to know when to turn is also poor compared to the Magellan that gives you an exploded view of the upcoming turn and two dings to know to turn now. Additionally, the use of tenths of a mile (Gee it matches my odometer) versus feet, let's see which of the upcoming two streets is the one 420 ft away?) makes more sense in the U.S.. I can't tell you how many times I have missed a turn, especially if it is not a normal 90 degree turn but something more complex. Of course this always happens at rush hour when you now spend another 30 minutes trying to recover from the mistake. The routing may be slightly better but it won't get you there faster once you make a few turn errors.

Last week it took me via a long and out of the way route when the freeway route would have gotten me there faster and easier. Thanks but no thanks. Its best feature is the windshield mount and bright screen. Forget the Bluetooth phone connection as the mic's noise cancellation is horrible and people will complain that they can't understand what you are saying, even when you aren't going very fast. My units speaker phone is far better (Blackberry 8310). A good Bluetooth headset will put it to shame.

I contacted Garmin 11/10/07 regarding the Nuvi 760 & questioned them about the SirF chip in that model. Here is their response....

Thank you for contacting Garmin International,

We are now using a chip that is not manufactured by SirF but is the
exact same in terms of quality reception. The brand is proprietary
information but its still a high sensitivity receiver.

With Best Regards,

Amy Lu
Product Support Specialist - 2nd Shift

Garmin International
913-397-8200
800-800-1020
913-397-8282 (fax) Att: Amy Lu
www.garmin.com

I am currently using a Pocket PC, Sysonchip GPS and ALK's Co-pilot software. One of the functions that I liked about Co-Pilot was it's ability to allow you to plan a trip on your PC via way points and then dowload the trip to your Pocket PC. Does the Nuvi 760 or any of the Garmin GPS's have this functionality.

Thanks

To all concerned:

Garmin told me this morning the 700 series DOES NOT HAVE the SIRFIII chip as we know it. They are now putting in their own chip which is SUPPOSE to be equal to the SIRFIII as a high sensitive receiver. It could be they are paying to use some of the technology and the name.

Just got really cool idea.. What IF Garmin would add Wi-fi and Skype to their GPS.. It would be really cool make Skype calls where you have wlan connection. :)

This is how to find what chip is in your 7xx GPS

Hold your finger on the battery icon until the diagnostics screen comes up. Hit the next button to the screen that Has Version information on the top. Should be the second screen. Hit the start test button, then hit the MOR button. Scroll down till you see your chip. Mine was the last item on the Inventory. Hope this helps. Mine says SIRF GSC3F GPS MODULE what does yours say?

I read some great reviews thank you. After having a problem with my 660, I got the 680. I wasnt sure about the 760, so I thought I would read the reviews before making my decision on the 760. I happen to love the 680. (Loved the 660 as well) The weather on the 680 is great, gas prices work great,(told it can change hourly or day to day) and the movies seem to work just fine. I was told by MSN I will have to update the unit from time to time if it stops receiving because of new updates. I havent had to yet, or lost any connections and the touch screen is great. I have 14 days to get the 760. I like the features on the 760, but would like to see more positive reviews before making the decision to purchase one. Has anybody had the 680 or compaired it to the 760?
Thank you

To Jerry:

I tried your test and I get to the audio tests and it just stops at Francals European Virginie. The checksup numbers come up but I cannot scroll down any farther. Any ideas on that one. I never see anything about chip.

John, It usually is at the bottom of the list but yours . When you hit test, then hit the MOR button you should be able to scroll down to it.

Hello, I am wondering if the new Garmin 750 has an external antenna port like the 660 does.

Thanks

Hello,

Is it possible to simultaneously pair a phone with both the Nuvi 760 and a separate bluetooth headset, and be able to use both devices for the same active call? I would like to be able to sync my phone's contact list with the Nuvi, be able to dial from the Nuvi, and see the incoming name/number on the Nuvi, all while hearing and speaking via the headset only. Can anyone test to see if this is possible? Much appreciated, thanks!

Ron - if you download the manual for the 750, at:

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/store/manual.jsp?product=010-00657-20&cID=134&pID=10625

you'll see on page 2, there's a pic of the back of the unit, and a little spot on the bottom right of the pic, with the text "External antenna connector"

...

This sounds great for me as well, but I'm leary of the chipset issue... If I "luck out" and get one with the SirfIII it sounds like I'll be a lot better off than if I get one without - and it's just a gamble...? Ack!

I'd get a 6xx, but I don't like the flip-up antenna. :(

I like the look, the portability, spoken street names, and built-in antenna... but not sure what to do now! :(

Okay I am about to purchase my first GPS and I have read all of the reviews about the two or three I am interested in and I need to know which one would you finally recommend. Is it either the Garmin 660, 680 or 760?
Thanks for the advise

I don't recall the review mentioning the unit's excellent ability to follow a route create in mapsource.

I am an avid motorcyclist, and for me this is a very important feature.

Also, the unit creates a breadcrumb trail which you can later create into a route (by tracing over the track using the route tool in mapsource). The zumo supports this directly, but it also costs much more.

Does the 680 have a sirf III chip?

I am still waiting for my Nuvi 770, does anyone already have theirs, does it have the SiRF III chip in it? How does it perform as compared to the 760?

Can someone also tell me if we can listen to our favorite radio station while driving or does the GPS only have to be tuned in?

Yes and so does my 760

Jerry, are you responsding to my posting when you say yes? Are you confirming that the 770 is being shipped with the SiRF III chip? If so, thanks as it is great news.

Can anyone answer my second question about the radio?

Most of you guys complain about lover sensitivity of Nuvi 7xx GPS receiver. I would appreciate if somebody could compare (from the experience) Nuvi 700 series sensitivity to Legend C AND Legend HCx.

As for SIRF chipset, Garmin started putting SIRF III into 700 but during production switched for ‘in house’ proprietary chipset. Early adopters or if you come across old stock (first units delivered to the stores but not sold right away) may be lucky and get a unit with SIRF, others will get Garmin’s brand. End of story so please stop asking and comment about SIRF chipset.

REMEMBER: You live in capitalistic regime. Everything is about money and NOT your wellbeing. So if company determines that putting component X instead of component Y is better for her profit margin they will do it. Average Joe will buy it anyway. If not, there are Dick, Harry and Paul waiting in a line with a wad of dollars.

The proprietary chipset put in by GARMIN, may be as good or better than the original Sirf III. We can't say. I did check my 760 and it has the Sirf III chip inside. Do you ask the dealer what brand of brakes your original car has as long as it stops? Garmin has built a quality product and I do not believe they would sacrifice this for inferior chips. Just my opinion

Dragan, you seem to speak with authority and knowledge, when someone such as yourself post comments that are relevant to our questions, it is much appreciated and very helpful. My issue is not with whether or not the Nuvi 770 is sold with a SiRF III chip, but rather with its long delay to acquire satellites. Over the past few days I've read a number of comments regarding this matter and from what I read on these posts, this delay could be resolved if a SiRF III was installed in the GPS. I am not new to GPS, I had as many as eight and currently own six Garmins, however when it comes to GPS chips I only know what I read on these posts.

If I dont need the multi-destination option would I be better off buying the 680? Or is the current 7** devises still the way to go?

Lastly has anyone ever had any experience with purchasing a refurbished model for alot less, say off ebay?

thanks

Hi Roger, I am definitely not an authority for GPS but since money do not grow on trees I Always do very thorough research before I spend them. Reading messages on this and similar forums helps a lot and I appreciate every comment (good or bad) made by participants.
I talked with Garmin USA, Canada and Europe few times and I have a friend working for RIM in their GPS department who buy competition’s units, disassemble them and analyse what and why other did in order to improve their own toys. And everybody in industry does that… So G750 bought two weeks ago from store in Alberta has NO SIRF chipset.
And am definitely not interested what kind of chipset is inside G7xx as long as it does what it suppose to do. Right now I am concerned with the satellite acquisition time since manual says ‘

Has anyone had any problem with their nuvi 750 missing some of the POI icons? I select "Where to?" and then "Points of Interest" and there are no icons for Food, Lodging, Shopping, Bank/ATM, Parking, Community, Entertainment, and Auto Services. The Owner's Manual on page 5 shows Food, Lodging, Shopping, Bank/ATM, and Parking icons that don't appear on my screen.

I have tried asking Garmin Product Support about this, but so far their responses have been non-responsive...

Purchased Garmin 770. Browsed through the system info (where you check the checksum) and found that this device uses SiRF III chip.

Signal Testing Result: I live in Jersey City, NJ right across from NYC. In Jersey city, there are tall buildings but not too crowded. Garmin 770 had a fairly hard time grabbing the signal. (avg. 5-8 min) Once it grabbed the signal it didn't lose it wherever I went.

Signal Testing Result II: I took the device to NYC mid-town (30th - 55th street) where there are tall buildings everywhere literally. It was having the hardest time grabbing the signal. (avg. 30 min - 1 hour). Once it grabbed the signal it didn't lose it wherever I went.

This is my very first GPS device and I can't make other comparisons. But overall, it's not the best but would definitely help if I go somewhere totally unfamiliar or go somewhere country-side.

I am surprised by two things in your review: You talk about entering co-ordinates in the 760 as a new feature. I have the 660 and that feature is there. Also, my 660 has always announced the name of the saved location ("arriving at work/etc"), so it's not a new thing. I read your review of the 660 and I understand that the 660 is/was your primary GPS so I'm not sure how you can make those mistakes after using a 660 for so long.

Also, why not include a routing performance comparison between the 660 and the 760?

Hi, I have a couple questions regarding SD cards in the Nuvi 750...

1) What size SD cards are supported? Will the Nuvi 750 work with a 2GB or 4GB SD card or will it only support up to 1GB cards?

2) Does the SD card sit flush with the unit when fully inserted or does the card stick out from the side?

Thanks in advance.

Thx for the great reviews...I am new to GPS units and have been using vznavigator..we wont go there...the one feature I do like is listening to directions thru my bluetooth earpiece..I sometimes drive a limo and want to know if you can use an earpipece with the gps units so as not to disturb others in the car...can anyone help with this?

My inventory list, initially, did not show the SiRF data that my splash screen indicated. Once I updated the software to 2.30, the last item on the inventory list was:

SiRF 3.0 SiRF GSC3f GPS Module

I am looking at the Nuvi 760 as well as the TomTom GO 920T. It seems that the Nuvi 760 has superior routing functions and is overall the better unit. But I have heard the lag on the Nuvi 760 is terrible and sometimes you will have passed the turn before it tells you to turn. Is this true? What has all of your experiences been? Supposedly the TomTom has basically no lag and is spot on when telling you when to turn... THis seems like it could be a major issue for the Nuvi 760; I would hate to be missing turns because it lags so much.

No one answered the question...can someone in an adjacent car/building pick up your telephone conversation if using the Garmin 760 bluetooth?

Want to purchase for Christmas gift as this is a good feature, but only if conversations are private.

Hi James:

I just bought a Nuvi 760 3 weeks ago and this is my first GPS. So far I've found no lag time at all in the response from the Nuvi with respect to upcoming turns.
Unless traveling @ extremely high speeds I've never experienced this issue. Even if I was warned a couple 100 feet ahead of the turn by the time I could react to the turn information it would be too late anyways.
All things being equal the response from the Nuvi is quite good.

I received my Nuvi 770 yesterday, this is what I have to say about it:
The satellites acquisition is very fast, no problems what so ever. Even indoor in the basement I am getting a very strong signal.
On start-up it displays the SiRF name however I could not find any specifics like a model number as mentioned on other posts.
The display is bright and very responsive.
It announces turns ahead with enough time that you could not miss them, and recalculates very quickly.
It is very quick to calculate routes, a 3000KM one in less then ten seconds.
The European Maps loaded are the latest version "City Navigator Europe NT 2008 Deluxe", when I registered the Nuvi it quickly gave me the unlock code for the DVD. I could not unlock the DVD because Garmin had sent me "City Navigator NT Europe version 9". I called them and they told me that the latest version loaded on the Nuvi was not yet available on DVD but would be in February.
My only disappointment so far is that the map does not stay still when stopped at intersections.

Competition among GPS manufacturers has increased significantly over the last couple of years. I am sure that Garmin will take notice if EVERYBODY who buys a 770 WITHOUT a SiRF III chipset RETURNS to the store for cerdit or exchange until they get one with a SiRF chipset. I have a 660 (and other) with SiRF sets and have NEVER had to wait 30 min (even in NYC), It is time we ALL start demanding performance in exchange for our preference for a product line (and our money).

Phuong:

I cannot find the SiRF information on my Nuvi 770, just the name SiRF. Where is the inventory list you mention in your post?

BELOW IS HOW TO FIND OUT WHAT CHIP IS IN YOUR NUVI 7XX

Hold your finger on the battery icon until the diagnostics screen comes up. Go to the screen that Has Version information on the top. Hit the start test button, then hit the MOR button. Scroll down till you see your chip. Mine was the last item on the Inventory. Hope this helps. Mine says 3.0 SIRF GSC3F GPS MODULE what does yours say?

Hi Fletch, Great review, I am in Australia, and just bought a 760 with the SiRF Star III chip [i checked] and works a treat satellite acquisition is great and locks it in. fm works well as long as you find the illusive quiet frequency. Interface a old Nokia 9500 and a 2 GIG SD chockers with MP3's and Bingo all good. Cant fault it. Its teaching me a few things as far as what I thought was a short cut.
Remember, nothing beats local knowledge. I have used several units including Navman, TomTom and crappy chinchong brands and the nuvi 760 out performed them by far. No more weading a street directory, I plan to start a BBQ with it on the weekend. Most happy little chappy. :)

Roger,

I had to do the Garmin update on my unit before I was able to get the SiRF information to show-up. You can get that from the Garmin website. After that, follow the instructions that were originally posted.

I just received my 760 four days ago and I love it! I even found a new added feature. I left my house yesterday morning, put my 760 in it cradle and shortly backed out of the drive and headed down the road. In a couple blocks it told me it lost connection with my bluetooth phone. I thought, "huh?" I reached for my phone, that was not on my belt. My 760 had just reminded me that I forgot to pickup my cell phone on the way out the door! I turned around and went back and got my phone, which made my day a whole lot better. Thank you for the tips on pressing and holding the battery and sat. signal display. I was wishing I could see sat. status like I can on my 76Cs. The one thing I wish I could do was change the data fields on the trip information page, like I can on my 76Cs. I mean who really cares about averages and maximums. I like to see TOD and ETA to next, among other things. One other thing, I don't understand why everybody is worrying about FM transmitting. I have an old enough vehicle to still have a cassette tape player. I use a cassette audio adapter, that I had for my mp3 player, and jack into audio out. Works perfect. Most new vehicles have and aux. audio jack that could be used also, with the right cable. I just can't use FM transmitter in city, to much bleed over. All in all I give the 760 full gold stars, I would definately recommend it to my friends.

Hi All, Great to see a really helpful review (top quality)! I will buy a Nuvi 760 over the next few weeks. One thing I did not like is reading the Nuvi 760 owners manual and it tells you the battery is non-replaceable which is a bummer if you ever want to swap out the battery for a more powerful one or if it fails out of warranty. I know the unit will stay in the car for most of the time but can see myself taking the unit out on foot and when the battery life degrades, I would like the option to replace the battery. Cheers all and Merry Christmas!

I just received my Nuvi 760 from an authorized Garmin online dealer for $579.95 much cheaper than the retail chains, even with their holiday discounts. I live in Jersey City, NJ and it picks up sats. in no time. Now since I picked the machine up online and not a retail store that moves their items faster, mine came with the SI chip. I have tried it out for two days now and will continue to test it. As of now, I see no issues except that I need to learn how to use the machine better. Is it worth it? So far so good.

Here is question for everybody. Has anybody found a very good case for the 760? The garmin case is not a good option since the the machine can come ouf of the case when tilted. There is nothing to stop it like a velcro strap or button strap etc. Nor can I place the carrying case on my belt.

I am looking for a case where I can attach to my belt and carry the NUVI 760 around. I know I can buy a camera case but I would have to buy a bigger camera case that is bulky. Any suggestions?

I have had an nuvi 750 for a few weeks. Sensitivity is definitely a disappointment as far as I'm concerned. I also have a GPS Map76cs and a GPS Map76csx. The csx has a SiRF chip while the cs does not. With all three units laying face up outside, the csx will receive strong signals from 9 satellites while the cs and the 750 will see 4 or 5 satellites, all with a lower relative signal level than the csx.

The 76csx only looses signal in tunnels. With the cs, satellite lock was frequently lost when in close proximity to tall buildings or in canyons. Although I've not tested the 750 near tall buildings nor canyons, I am concerned that ist will have the same issdues as the 76cs.

The diagnostic screen on the 750 indicates that it is a SiRF chip.

I'd be interested is seeing more comparisons between the 750 and other Garmin receivers that also have a SiRF chip.

Bob

I've had my 770 for few days now. In general I am very happy with it. However There are a few glitches I hope Garmin will look into and correct:

Any street ending with DR is pronounced "Doctor", Hwy is pronounce "H"- "W"- "Y". it sounds dumb. When I connect the GPS to the WebUpdater, the same updates are always suggested although they already have been uploaded to the device (This applies to "Voices").

Other then that, I find that the unit has very good and natural sounding voices, I am very impress.

Have been reading your web page for some time now and have learned a great deal about the different GPS's out there. Your reviews are often better than the owners manuals!

I am getting ready to make a purchase after the holidays (based on the information I learned from you) of either a Nuvi 750 or 760, and have a couple of questions that I have never seen addressed in any reviews of the Garmins.

Concerning the bluetooth feature, if both myself and my wife have cell phones with bluetooth, how will the 760 work with using two different phones/numbers. Can we set it up to recognize multiple phones since we will both share the unit between cars at various times? What happens if we are together in the car and we both have our cell phone on? Does anyone have any idea how this would work?

Also, is there ever any problem with GPS signal reception while driving in a bad snow or rain storm?

Thanks for the awesome reviews and articles!

Just recived my nuvie 760 and can't figure out how to input multiple addresses into a route after typing them up on my computer. The manual is very vague. Any hints?

Thanky you,

Tony

Bob and others,

I've owned both the NUVI 750 and the NUVI 760. As stated on many blogs; the 750 has a slower processor than the 760. When I used my 750 w/o inputting a destination the unit was tracking 1 block slower than my current position. In 3D mode the unit was VERY sluggish. I have not notice any of the sluggishness with the 760 and the 760 locks in to the satellites much faster.
Personally since I have owned both units I would HIGHLY recommend the 760 over the 750. It is defintely worth the extra $100 or so bucks

GPS history:
Street Pilot III
nuvi 670
nuvi 770
Location: Birmingham, United Kingdom

Does anyone know about the track log feature in the 770? Specifically, when I was using my Street Pilot III in daily use for four years, the track log feature there stored only about one and a half days worth of data, whereas the nuvi 770 thus far seems to have stored at least a month's worth of data.

In the 770, do you have to clear out the old track logs, like I used to have to do with the Street Pilot III, or is it somehow deleted automatically?

Thanks.

Incidentally, in the very short time lag between the 670 and 770 (months) I spoke with Garmin here in the UK and they told me there were no plans to introduce multiple routing and track log recording (both features on the earlier Street Pilot) to the nuvi range at all. Lo and behold in November of this year, the 770 came out with these features which were trailed in the summer of 07. Thus, due to the product development cycle, they must have lied.

I am interested in the Garmin 870 or 880. The 880 is shown on Garmin's website but nothing yet on 870. The 670 and 770 have transatlantic maps preloaded. I assume an 870 will as well.

The additional/new fea