I had the Garmin 680 for a few days before buying the TomTom (the Nuvi had a burned out pixel).
680 NUVI Pros
- POI Database is more complete and up to date.
- POI's show address and phone number immediately when selected.
- Handsfree calling through FM radio (as well as voice navigation)
- Ability to change zoom level of maps, and stay there
- Fast navigation of maps without having to go through menus
- Ability to redirect to a via point without losing initial destination
- MSN traffic and weather forecast and conditions
- Customer support is FANTASTIC. Three calls placed within the first couple days were answered by a person within 30 seconds, and handled well.
- Mounting systems are smart.
- Screen is excellent for brightness in daytime.
- Audible feedback when pressing any on-screen button (ie. a gentle "blip")
- Slim
680 NUVI Cons
- Over-simplified interface; basic info on how many hours and miles to final destination not displayed. The main navigation window cannot be customized.
- Search engine is extremely slow when looking for POI's. Some POI's will send the 660/680 into a minutes-long tailspin. This happened several times.
- While subjective, the map interface is a bit cartoonish and not as easy to sort out streets.
- Preferences are next to none; there is no map customization or choice of backgrounds. Day screens are a stark white (easier to see, but rather bland).
- Screen refresh is much slower than the TomTom.
- Voice recognition software is so-so; built-in speaker not as good as TomTom or Magellan.
- No smart spell; Magellan will blank out letters: best; the TomTom will begin to partially list: second best; the Garmin will not feeback until you have reached the last possible match. If you're spelling is off, you have to wait or you may get a message saying no match, when in fact, it is just your spelling off.
- MSN does not cover Canada; the 680, then, is a waste of money there (unless the 660 provides FM transmission... I don't know).
- Way too much money.
TOMTOM 910 PROS
- Customization is the best of any GPS. The navigation screen gives every type of applicable info.
- Though subjective, the 3D navigation screen is most clear and map-like.
- Voice text to speech software is amazingly accurate and clear.
- Good speaker and choice of voices.
- POI searches will route you to a POI "along route." This feature takes out the guess work of how far off a route a POI is.
- Good Trip planning features.
- Ability to customize POI's and icons that the user inputs.
- Fast re-routing
- Docks on computer as a removable hard-drive making file transfers a breeze.
- Large hard drive (20Gb)
- Auto-zoom feature will re-frame map according to info needed.
- Competitive price for features.
TOMTOM 910 CONS
- POI database has some serious flaws: missing POI's, POI's which don't exist when you get there, or addresses which are up to a mile or two from where they should be. This is also the case with the NEW maps.
- Navigation, even on "Fastest route," will often take the user the shortest route, through winding streets, instead of using the freeway or main roads which would have been faster.
- Cannot search for an exit unlike all other GPS's.
- Menu navigation is not intuitive; selecting one feature often drops you out of preferences, instead of back to the last window.
- No audible button feeback.
- Dayscreen difficult to see in sunlight or when clothing reflects on screen. Far diimmer than the Garmin or Magellan.
- Mounting does not prevent vibration; no dashboard mount provided.
- Day/night sensor will quit working randomly; hooking up the unit to the PC/Mac software seems to reset it.
- Auto-zoom feature cannot be turned off; if user wants to have a more expanded viewpoint, for example, the TomTom won't permit it, but will zoom back in again. Bad, if you prefer to see a couple turns in advance instead of just one.
- Support via email is unresponsive. Phone support took 15 minutes to get through, but questions were answered.
SUMMARY:
If you like to customize your GPS, and prefer lots of info on the screen, the Garmin is a big disappointment. TomTom, on the other hand, while putting GPS features first and center over MP3 and photo gimmicks etc. is still struggling to provide reliable navigation with their marriage to Tele-Atlas. The latest maps are still hit and miss in North America, which really, is unacceptable. After all, this is what the unit is for.
