My love for technology and gadgets is well documented. I’m usually an early adopter when it comes to this stuff. Confessional case-in-point: in 1995, I made the unfortunate decision to install Microsoft Bob on my PC. We can’t be absolutely certain, but I think I was the only person in North America to install Bob. I know I’m the only person who will admit doing so.
And yet, our truck SEEMORE has the subtlety of a sledgehammer. A mountain of gleaming non-aerodynamic metal, it’s pretty much devoid of technological gadgetry. The 1980s LED dash display is illegible in all conditions except total darkness. One suspects that its engineers would’ve preferred installing an old school 8-track cassette deck, but reluctantly switched to a CD player after pressure from marketing. These sins are forgivable because the gargantuan diesel engine is capable of towing the Statue of Liberty over Mount Everest without skipping an 11.8 MPG beat.
Although SEEMORE’s an old school beast, I somehow refrained from taking the GPS plunge – until our Airstreaming honeymoon. After driving around North America for two months with a ratty old $10 map, I finally surrendered to my technological desires and bought a Garmin Nuvi 660 GPS system. Simply stated, it changed our lives along with our credit card statement. The resultant question was not, “Why the hell did we buy this thing?” but rather “Why the hell did we wait so long to buy this thing?”
Of course, in the comfort of your own hometown, you can probably (hopefully?) make it down to the grocery store and back without some fancy gadget leading you by the nose. But suppose you are 1000 miles away from familiar streets…it’s dark…you have a flat tire…and you’re looking for that international camping haven known as Wal-Mart. Just type “Wal-Mart” into the Garmin and you’ll find the nearest one. No phone calls, no guesswork, no hassle. A GPS is not only a timesaver, it’s potentially a lifesaver. You might make an occasional wrong turn, but you’ll never really be lost if you have one of these gadgets. This totally changes the tenor of the classic American road trip.
Our GPS has a zillion other features with varying degrees of usefulness. It broadcasts audio over our truck speakers via an FM transmitter. It has a very nice Bluetooth cellphone connection, so you can gab on your cellphone hands free. And it plays audiobooks seamlessly, even pausing the books when offering spoken directions. I haven’t tried every GPS out there, but this Nuvi 660 model has been named one of CNET’s editors’ best GPS navigation systems. So don’t take my word for it; take CNET’s.
Garmin Nuvi 660 v.s. Tom Tom.
Your thoughts?
I haven’t tried ’em all, but cnet ranks the Tom Tom GO 720 quite highly (an editors’ top 5 GPS system). But Cnet users rank the Garmin 660 higher than the Tom Tom. With items such as a GPS, I tend to favor the voice of the majority. The user reviews, taken in aggregate, are usually pretty accurate.
As for the Garmin, I still believe it’s a great purchase. We’ve never regretted owning it!
I bought a Nuvi 660 in late ’06 before my first snowbirder jaunt. At the time I traveled alone and the 660 immediately proved its worth. The turn-by-turn voice commands, the large screen and multiple features are great. I used the search feature a lot to find eateries, shops, etc… I just got one on eBay for $290 for a relative.
When I travel I don’t leave home without my Garmin and “The Next Exit.”
Kristy and I have also used the audiobook player quite a bit. If you like audiobooks, it really makes time fly when on a long road trip.
And I agree that the search feature is pretty revolutionary. Suppose you’ve been driving all day, are tired, and want to find a Wal-Mart parking lot. The GPS will lead you to the nearest one.
Hi Sean, $450-$650?? Ouch. We currently (until they’re gone) sell the nuvi 660 for $390.00. I’m really enjoying watching the videos. To Aaron The Truck Driver…it is a well known fact that GARMIN is a superior GPS to the other brand you mention. Thanks.
Darrel, the original suggested retail price of the Nuvi 660 when it debuted was $1076! This brings to light an interesting point. It’s said that GPS devices are among the most rapidly depreciating electronic gadgets you can buy. That’s the thing about technology…it always gets better and cheaper. If you want the latest and greatest, fine, but don’t expect it to hold its value.
The Nuvi 660 seems like a great deal these days. You’re still getting a fantastic GPS, only at a fraction of its original MSRP.
Hi Sean, you are right, the GARMIN units keep getting less expensive with more features. We are now selling the nuvi 760 for $415.00 that even has more features than the 660. BTW, before we sold GPS’ I had a video production company. (1986-2000). Man have things changed in the video world too! I was a beta tester for the first real time non linear editor….the Video Toaster Flyer. I paid $4500.00 for my first 9GB hard drive! I bought 3 broadcast quality cameras over those years at $10,000.00 plus! The last camera I bought was around $3,000.00 and it all but matched the quality of my last 10K camera.
No doubt about the video equipment! It’s really an exciting time to be involved with video in any capacity. My primary cameras are HD consumer cams — I like their low profile and easy portability. And the image quality in most situations is outstanding! As for editing, the majority of our “long, long honeymoon” videos were edited on my laptop, right there on the couch in our Airstream. Once uploaded to the Internet, they are available around the globe, even on your cell phone. It’s pretty amazing what you can do these days. 😎
I realize this is an old review but I could not resist. At 1:10 @ 2.3 miles away. That a boy! LOL. I have the same software glitch in our unit.
I am glad to see you two are enjoying the travel at a younger age. My lovely bride and I had our 18 year anniversary. The kids will come and travel becomes more challenging and rewarding at the same time. We travel with the rug rats now. Looks like you both enjoy life!
Our Garmin 6XX is in use today. Great purchase and we always update our maps. I think the iPad or Android devices will soon replace our old series one day.
Enjoy your site.
LOL bonita…. After all of this time, I think you’re the first person to get that joke at 1:10. 😉
Thanks for your comments. We’ve had a lot of people tell us to “get out there and travel while you’re young” so we are taking their advice. Although at this point, I am getting older fast!
We love our Garmin GPS. One of the best, if not THE best, technological purchases for our road tripping. After four years of heavy use it is still going strong. I have updated the maps too. I note that the new Garmins often include lifetime map updates, a major convenience!