Technology
Garmin StreetPilot c340 Review
So after months of contemplating whether to get a GPS unit (I found Google Maps adequate) I finally got one. Circuit City was selling a Garmin Street Pilot c340 for less than 200 dollars.
Sure there were lower-priced units, like the c330 for a hundred and fifty dollars or even a hundred and thirty somewhere else. But then I was looking for text-to-speech capability – something that most GPS review sites recommended as a “must-have” for automobile units. This allows voice prompts for street names instead of mere distances. For instance, it will say, “Turn left on Park Ave” instead of “Turn left in three hundred feet.” I was not interested in Bluetooth or MP3 interface. I did want a NAVTEQ map because Google uses NAVTEQ, and a SiRFstar III chipset as these two were also “must-haves” according to many sites like CNet and GPSReview.net.
And so I went online to www.circuitcity.com and chose in-store pickup. This seemed to be the fastest way to get it. They offered free shipping for orders over a certain amount but the estimated arrival was two weeks away.
Being black Friday I still had to wait a while. Everybody seems to have thought of buying online and picking up in-store. The local Circuit City was severely understaffed at the counters. I felt sorry for the woman who helped me. She hasn’t had a break and her knee was aching. On the plus side, I did notice their price guarantee, and it sounded good, at least on paper. The gist of it is if within 30 days you find an advertised price from a local competitor that is lower than your purchase price, Circuit City will refund you 110% percent of the price difference.
On to the StreetPilot c340! There must be a reason for the airtight packaging, but it is such a pain to open. Good thing I always carry my trusty Buck knife. (See my knife collection here.) It took a while to open. The Garmin nuvi another customer bought came in two sorts of packaging, one was the airtight clear pack and another was in a regular box. I wished mine came in a box.
Once I got it out, it’s literally plug-and-play. I may be exaggerating. I pulled out the unit, read the short instructions and plugged it in. The c340 requires that it be mounted to its mounting brace, because the power travels through two terminals on the braces. The cigarette lighter adapter then connects to the mounting brace. There came my second problem. California law prohibits any windshield mounted device that potentially blocks the driver’s field of vision. I have yet to find a good spot on my dash. The mount will still put the c340 high in the middle. I wish I could just put it on top of the dash so it just sticks out three or four inches. The mount adds at least two more inches.
Setup was a breeze. I just made a few choices and then the c340 found a signal and pinpointed its current location. I entered a destination, and got a route almost instantaneously.
I tried the woman with the British accent but she doesn’t seem to read the street names. I tried the Australian and she did. The searching for address always asks for state and city. I wish there was a way to default the State at least, or have a shortcut to the current city. On the plus side, I discovered the points-of-interest included the place where we were. I didn’t have to remember the address. Hungry, I checked out the list of restaurants, chose one and used the c340 to get me there. I turned too early though, and the c340 duly recalculated. The only thing I noticed is that it doesn’t suggest U-turns. It makes you go around the block.
Apart from that, I found it very useful. I fear though that, as my friend said, you stop thinking about where you’re going and rely so much on it. I’m looking forward to using it for a trip out of town, like Las Vegas.