Sunday, November 09, 2008

Feature Review of the Garmin Streetpilot 2820

By Sean McPhearson

For someone wanting a feature packed GPS system, the Garmin StreetPilot 2820 has nearly everything. Motorcycle riders especially love this unit because they can use it to basically get anywhere and even control it with their gloves on without a hitch!

The display is nice and big. Some people think everything should be small, so they don't like it so big, but it makes navigation much easier actually. This unit big enough to see even if you normally wear reading glasses. Its screen works just fine even in sunlight as well. You can easily see where you are headed with the 3D navigational directions. The big screen is touchscreen-enabled, so you don't have to fiddle with buttons. It also has a handy little remote for added functionality.

The Garmin Streetpilot 2820 comes preloaded with streetmaps of North America as well as millions of points of interest (POI's) like restaurants, gas stations, banks, hotels, grocery stores, and area attractions. Because it's preloaded right out of the box, you won't have to hassle with trying to get stuff loaded on there so you can use it the first time. Simply turn it on and head out!

The 2820 offers some other handy features as well, like an integrated MP3 player, XM radio, and audiobook player. If you like listening to things while on the go, the 2820 will help you do it. Load up all your tunes into the MP3 player, get a few interesting books off of audible.com, and subscribe to an XM radio provider and you'll have listening options for the longest of trips. The variety of options works real well if you're mountain traveling and tend to lose signals-simply switch over to the MP3 or audiobook player and keep on listening.

It might seem like all the audio features would drown-out the audible navigation prompts so that you get lost. However, that's not necessary. There's a neat little mode you can set on the StreetPilot 2820 that will sound a tone when it's ready to tell you your next turn to make. You then hit the "speak" button and hear clearly your next set of directions. No need for annoying and unnecessary interruptions. Simply set it how you like it and enjoy!

Some people find that the StreetPilot 2820 works better on a motorcycle than the Quest. The Quest seems to be harder to use while actually traveling. The 2820 allows for easier changes while flying down the road.

The 2820 also features Bluetooth functionality which enables hands-free calling. You have to have a Bluetooth compatible cell phone, but if you do, you simply hook it up to the GPS unit and use the built-in speaker and microphone on the 2820 to make your calling hands-free. You can also set up both your cell phone and your MP3 player, XM radio, and audio book so that you can make calls, listen to stuff, and hear navigational directions all thru your headset or helmet at the same time!

The Garmin StreetPilot 2820 definitely is loaded with features. In fact, you'll be hard up to imagine more in such a small gadget. It's size, features, and functionality are certainly addicting! - 2368

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