Garmin c530 StreetPilot
The latest addition to the legendary 500 series is the Garmin C530 Streetpilot. The 500 series is not a radically new concept (such as the Garmin Nuvi series). The 500 series doesn't attempt to redefine the category in any way. What the 500 series does, simply, is provide the best, most reliable portable navigation unit on the market today in a small package and one of the best interfaces available. This review concerns the Garmin c530. There are three models in the 500 line. The c510 is a European model with the same features as the Garmin c530 being reviewed here and the c550 has some additional features (MP3 player, Bluetooth, integrated traffic receiver). All are based on the same technology and carry the same basic features.
Garmin c530 StreetPilot comes ready to go right out of the box with preloaded City Navigator NT street maps and a hefty points of interest (POIs) database, including motels, restaurants, fuel, ATMs and more. Simply touch the super-bright sunlight-readable color screen to enter a destination, and the c530 takes you there with 2D or 3D maps and turn-by-turn voice directions. In addition, the Garmin c530 accepts custom points of interest (POIs) such as school zones and safety cameras and lets you set proximity alerts to warn you of upcoming POIs.
Where the Garmin c530 unit really shines isn't in the hardware world, it's software. Garmin has always been a leader, since the inception of the StreetPilots, in making reliable, easy to use nav software. Those of you who currently have a nav can understand this, those of you who do not, may have to take it on faith, but the real determining factor in nav units is the software. Sure, bad antenna placement, silly buttons or controls can hurt the usability of a GPS unit but software is really the key. Make the touch screen buttons too small, it's difficult to use. Make the information jagged and difficult to read, it's unusable. If the route recalculation takes too much time, you're really lost by the time the unit refigures your new route.
The maps on the Garmin c530 are rendered smoothly. The details are there but not so much as to make the maps unreadable. Text is appropriately sized and again, rendered smoothly (which not only looks nice but makes it easier to read). The overall layout of the controls and sizing of the buttons and keys are not only made for adult fingers but make the small screen more than large enough. It?s not often you hit the wrong thing (because the controls are sized inappropriately). The user interface on the Garmin c530 is pleasantly detailed so as not to look like something you might find on a battlefield or a fish-finder. Check back here daily for new deals on the Garmin c530 StreetPilot.