Garmin Edge VS Garmin ETrex I own a Garmin Edge 305 but would like more detailed information like streets so I don't get lost. Is a Garmin Etrex any different from the Garmin Edge? What Is The Difference? Whice is betterThank you !!!!!! Garmin Edge VS Garmin ETrex I own a Garmin Edge 305 but would like more detailed information like streets so I don't get lost. Is a Garmin Etrex any different from the Garmin Edge? » Read More Garmin Edge VS Garmin ETrex I own a Garmin Edge 305 but would like more detailed information like streets so I don't get lost. Is a Garmin Etrex any different from the Garmin Edge? What Is The Difference? Whice is betterThank you !!!!!! « Show Less
486788
Garmin ETrex Vista HCx is the latest Etrex. The mapping features in the Etrex are excellent. It shows you street maps, turn-by-turn directions, points-of-interest, etc. The Etrex also has much better battery life than the Edge. The Etrex is much bigger and heavier than the Edge 305, though. The Etrex also lacks training features like heart rate and cadence. You should also check out the new Edge 705, which has both training features and maps, but at a much higher price than either the Edge 305 or the Etrex.
486789
The units are much, much different. As the other commenter wrote: battery life is greater in the Vista HCx. More importantly - if you do any kind of long-distance event like randonneuring - the Edge's battery is self-contained/rechargeable whereas the Vista HCx uses two AAs. (Thus, at mile 130, your Edge conks out. When the Vista does so at mile 200, you can just pop in another pair of batteries.)Also: the maps cost extra (varies, expect about 100 bucks), as does the SD memory card (under twenty) you'll use in the Vista.
1731337
Just went through this debate myself. In the store, my husband noticed how different the screens were. The 500 series was much brighter than the 300 and sure enough, it states so on the garmin comparison page. Here's your link, hope it helps.http://www.garmin.com/garmin/cms/us/ontheroad/streetpilotcseries
837275
Hey MelissaS, I've been researching the Garmin GPS's for a couple of weeks and can tell you the differences I've seen. The 255W has a few of "new" features in their 2x5 line but the two that I've seen people the most happy with in the reviews I've read are the satellite "hotfix" and the faster processor. The "hotfix" is supposed to speed up satellite acquisition immensely by having the unit remember where it was turned off last so it can calculate where the satellites should be when you turn it back on and from what I've read it works like a charm. The faster processor will speed up things like map drawing and looking up points of interest which people have really seemed to also notice in their reviews. The big drawback of the 255 and 255w is the text to speech voice quality (this is the voice that pronounces street names). Apparently the voice quality isn't as good on the 255 line as it is in the previous products due to the voice engine Garmin has used in this model...most people I've read say they can live with it but some bring it back due to the quality. I would goto a store and try both side by side to see if you can live with the quality. I did that today and was able to understand what the 255w was saying even in a busy store but still think I'll wait for the 265WT in October. Hope that helps!
1402837
Yep, I just replied to your latest comment on your review. Although I find the lack of detailed street names annoying if not ridiculous, I'm not quite to the point to where I would abandon Garmin all together. Quite a few of their units, like my much older Quest, do show street names. By the way, if you want to check out an excellent site for downloading POIs, icons, sounds, etc go to: http://www.poi-factory.com
1558406
the only difference i could find was the map,which could be updated on your computer. some show every street known,but i never found it that useful.call garmin
1517079
Hello, My experience with the GPSMAP 62 was not very good. The unit froze up several times during use and each time I had to restart the unit. Coworkers of mine use the GPSMAP 60 and really like it and I have heard the GPSMAP 64 is a good model. I recently purchased a Garmin Etrex 30 and I love it. I paid $200 and it's worth every penny. The new GLONASS technology in the etrex 30 is outstanding, I can be in the thickest timber canopy and still have &gt;20' accuracy. I hope this helps.
21955
Thanks for the reply, Craig!Do we need to buy the topo software directly from Garmin, or does Amazon carry it? (I couldn't find it here.) Will we need an extra memory card to hold the topo data for a region? I'm trying to figure out what the total expense will be for all the add-ons we'll want/need before we choose a unit.If you were choosing between an eTrex and a GPSMAP unit today, which would you choose?Thanks again!
1488070
I agree-have been in the market for a new GPS for awhile now. Really do not need one [my Garmin 350 still does the job]. I like some of the newer features on the 1300 series-see such mixed reviews!! Model numbers should be mandatory when submitting a review so the customer can differentiate between units.
1151566
I didn't t get that far. I sent it back and got a Magellan. Wayyyyyyyy better!!! Clearer screen, operating system makes sense. Superior to Garmin.
1346090
I have had an eTrex Venture HC for a couple of years, and it came with a mini-USB cable which works great for downloading caches directly from the computer. You have to download a little free program from the Garmin site first. Great little GPS for hiking or geocaching, not for driving.
1567531
I am also looking for the best unit; especially for rural areas as we do a lot of hiking. We have been depending on cell phone GPS navigation but it sure doesn't work well in the Far West nor on a recent hiking trip to the Great Smokys and Blue Ridge Mountains. I am thinking of the Garmin nvi 2797LMT 7-Inch or the Garmin nvi 3597LMTHD 5-Inch. Not sure what one I will pick but there are 100's to choose from and reviews are all over the place. Wish Amazon provided for comparisons. Try Best Buy for details, they do a much better job of showing all features and allow comparisons. Then search the web for that unit and get the best price (not always on Amazon).
95783
I have an Oregon 350T, so I can't recommend settings for an etrex20. I can tell you that I just recently returned from Italy and the Street Maps program worked great for Rome, Venice, Verona. Florence, the Amalfi Coast, and driving on a tour bus over much of Italy. I also recently used it in Ireland. It is an amazing little app for the price.
1264114
I've had a Garmin with a smaller screen for about 4 years. I liked it and wanted the same kind, with a larger screen. I thought it was easy to learn, once you get the hang of it. When I purchased another brand, I thought it was confusing and ended up returning it.
608267
This may not work on the Edge 810. It does work on the 800. I tried an 810 and returned it because the turn-by-turn routing provided by RideWithGPS.com TCX wouldn't work with the 810. The following is from the RideWithGPS web site on how to load maps. http://ridewithgps.com/users/115523 ................ After downloading, copy the IMG file to the SD cards "GARMIN" folder that was created earlier. The SD card can have multiple IMG files on it and you can choose between them in the Edge 800 configuration menu. I kept my names descriptive, "osm_western_us.img". VERY IMPORTANT: keep the name short and free of spaces or odd punctuation - underscores are OK for spaces. Once the file is copied, safely remove (right click on the icon in the lower right of screen for Windows users) the SD card from your computer. Insert the card and power up the Garmin. Go to the configuration menu, then System -&gt; Map -&gt; Map Information, and select the map type. Enjoy!
580340
I have 305 and I decided not to buy the new 405 because:a) I am using the 305 while kayaking (it is waterproof to 1 m) and I fear 405 is not;b) When running in a new area or city I can use the basic map of the 305 to backtrack (very useful when you are lost! ) and I read a post from the developers that the 405 does not have even the crude maps that 305 has and that basically sealed the deal fore me.
2031184
The question would be if Garmin is better than Motorola. My wife has a Garmin 310XT and although it has more features, is more complicated. The Motorola is easy to use. I cannot talk about the latest Garmin models but it does sync wireless and it has an easy screen. It would be preference.
710262
I bought a Polar RS800sd about a year ago after I got sick of my (2nd) Nike+ losing data after a run. The polar has been great. Simple to use, detailed info, and from what I've seen pretty accurate. I just bought a Garmin 405. Went to the REI garage sale and they had one for only $160. It was that low because someone returned it saying the band was broken. Check it out and it still looked fine, so I bought it just for the sake of getting a new toy. Just did my first run with it, and as of right now, I like the Polar better. I think I'm just used to that technology and am comfortable with it. The garmin doesn't come with any software. you need to download it all off the web, and it's not super simple to find. Polar came with some offline software which I like a lot. Now, I think once I get used to the forerunner, it may grow on me. There have been a LOT of reviews where people think the garmin is the best, and then there's 3rd party apps that let you map where you've ran. Plus, with the 405, I think you can use it for biking right out of the box. no need for a pod or anything.