Garmin nuvi 780 Review:
The Garmin nuvi 780 was announced in preparation for the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and will be on display at the Garmin booth. “The Garmin nuvi 780 brings vital information - through dynamic updates - to recreational and business travelers,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president of worldwide sales. “Whether you’re doing your daily commute, on an extended business trip or relaxing on vacation, the Garmin 780 uses the second generation of MSN Direct to provide the most important details you need at a glance.”

The Garmin nuvi 780 acquired the necessary satellites in just a few minutes when first activated, and does so in less than a minute for subsequent activations. I found the screen brightness to be fine for both day and night. I’m using the Garmin nuvi 780 with the Garmin Portable Friction Mount. Smashing windows and stealing GPS devices is the sport of choice in the DC Metro area, so I wanted no evidence of a GPS extant when I left the car. The friction mount works perfectly on my Honda Accord dashboard and stores easily in the center console, leaving no trace of a GPS behind. Very cool. The Garmin 780 easily fits in a shirt pocket, so it’s not necessary to leave it in the car.

I tested the nuvi 780 immediately by driving during rush hour to a residence across the river in a tangle of park roads off of the beaten track, then returning at night. The Garmin had no trouble creating a very fast route to the destination that bypassed most of the heavy traffic during rush hour. On my return, I bypassed a turn on its preferred routing. It recalculated a new route in less than a second which was the exact right answer. The new route wasn’t a recapture of the original route, which wasn’t possible from that location, but an entirely new route. The routes it picked were appropriate for the times of day traveled, which can be a daunting task here if you don’t know which roads go which direction during the appropriate rush hour. DC is a notoriously difficult area to navigate, but so far the Garmin seems up to the challenge.

I found the volume of the internal speaker to be more than adequate even with the radio, air conditioning, and windshield wipers going. Voice notifications led upcoming turns by an adequate amount, and the voice prompts always helped me get into the correct lanes in plenty of time for upcoming turns. During a particularly tricky section where several major roads converge on a bridge, then diverge on the other side, the Garmin gave almost constant appropriate guidance to ensure that I took the correct forks and turns. I was quite impressed.

The Garmin 780’s Bluetooth paired quickly with my Motorola Razr V3. It even provided its PIN code at the appropriate time. The phone functions work great and it’s easy to hear over the nuvi 780 speaker. The party on the other side of the phone said that I sounded like I was in a tunnel, which is typical for remote devices for autos. I have another BT hands-free device and it garnered the same comments. The Garmin’s on-screen phone cues make hands-free easy.

Activation of the MSN Direct service was simple over the Net. On initial activation of your free 3 month trial, they offer a 6-month extension for $9.95 which gets you to 9 months of service total for less than $10–a very good deal. MSN Direct information took a while to load the initial information, but then it said that in the Quick Start pamphlet. Once loaded, the traffic, weather, and news worked great. Gas prices were behind by several days, which is an eternity these days. My favorite (and cheapest) station wasn’t listed.

There are several things I love about Garmin nuvi 780:
1. Google maps lets you send points of interest to your gps. This is only available for Garmin or Magellan gps owners. This feature alone has made me love owning a Garmin. Nothing beats finding your location on satellite and sending it to your gps. Especially if you don’t have an address. I found a friends property in the mountains via satellite imagery and sent it to the gps. Once you give the nuvi 780 your Google point, it takes you right to the door.

2. The audio out connects right to the aux plug on my stereo. While the audio is tolerable for navigation direct from the gps speaker, when I connect it to my stereo, the bluetooth phone conversations are crystal clear and the directions are pristine.

3. The database of poi’s is amazing. I have yet to look for a store or restaurant that it could not find. While camping recently, I looked for a Wal-Mart in Flagstaff, AZ. It not only found one that I would not have been able to spot from the highway, but it took me through all sorts of streets to get to it so that I looked like a local in a town I have never driven in.

4. When navigating complex intersections, the Garmin nuvi 780 always tells me what side of the highway to be on. This has saved me many a frustrating experience of not being able to make a turn because of being in the wrong lane position.

5. The traffic monitor, which may or may not be related to the MSN feature, is pretty cool. When it is issues a traffic warning, clicking on the warning button gives you the option of rerouting. If rerouting does not save time, it warns you of that. So far, I have never rerouted. I have realized, unfortunately, that sometimes the traffic info is outdated. It has told me that I was going to have delays, only to arrive and find the roads crystal clear on more than one occasion.

Overall, I’m very happy with the Garmin nuvi 780. I’ll be working it out heavily in the coming weeks, including on a road trip to another city with MSN Direct service. I can’t believe that I waited this long to take the plunge to a GPS device for my car. Even though I’m a master with maps, the Garmin suggested a clever routing that I did not previously discover on my own. From what I’ve seen so far, the Garmin 780 will be a highly valued addition to my road warrior kit bag. I can recommend the nuvi 780 without reservation.

Garmin nuvi 780 Features:

Get Enhanced MSN Direct

With next-generation dynamic content from MSN Direct, Garmin nuvi 780 is one resourceful personal travel assistant. Using the included receiver and free trial service¹ to MSN Direct, you can check the weather, avoid traffic backups, compare local gas prices, get enhanced movie listings, stock information, news and local events when you travel with your unit. Even plan trips from the convenience of your computer, via Windows Live Local, and wirelessly send locations to nuvi 780.

See More

With nuvi 780’s widescreen display, you’ll always get the big picture. View map detail, driving directions, photos and more in bright, brilliant color. Its sunlight-readable, 4.3-inch display is easy to read — from any direction.

Navigate With Ease

Garmin nuvi 780 comes ready to go right out of the box with preloaded City Navigator® NT street maps and millions of points of interest (POIs) such as hotels, restaurants, fuel stations, ATMs and more. Simply touch the color screen to enter a destination, and nüvi takes you there with 2D or 3D maps and turn-by-turn voice directions. It even announces the name of exits and streets so you never have to take your eyes off the road. In addition, Garmin 780 accepts custom points of interest, such as school zones and safety cameras and lets you set proximity alerts to warn you of upcoming POIs.

Where Am I?

Keep track of yourself and your car with nuvi 780. Just tap “Where Am I?” to find the closest hospitals, police stations, fuel stations, nearest address and intersection. Also see your exact latitude and longitude coordinates. Garmin nuvi 780 even remembers where you parked. It automatically marks your position when you remove it from the windshield mount, so you can navigate with nüvi on foot and find your way back to your vehicle. Perfect for unfamiliar spots and crowded lots such as amusement parks, stadiums and malls.

Plan Ahead

Garmin nuvi 780 includes advanced navigational features to take the worry out of traveling. With route planning you can save 10 routes, specify via points and preview simulated turns on the nuvi 780’s wide screen. In addition, nuvi 780 automatically sorts multiple destinations to provide an efficient route for errands, deliveries or sales calls. It also displays speed limits for highways and Interstates. A trip log provides an electronic bread crumb trail of up to 10,000 points, so you can see where you’ve been on the map.

Make Hands-free Calls

Talk about worry-free driving. nuvi 780 integrates Bluetooth® wireless technology with a built-in microphone and speaker for hands-free calling. Just pair it with your compatible Bluetooth phone and talk hands-free through the Garmin 780 while staying focused on the road. Simply dial numbers with nüvi’s touchscreen keypad to make a call. To answer calls, just tap the screen and speak directly into its built-in microphone.

Take It With You

nuvi 780’s high-sensitivity internal (non flip-up) antenna gives it a sleeker, thinner design than the nüvi 600-series, making it easy to slip in your pocket or purse. Its rechargeable lithium-ion battery makes it convenient for navigation by car or on foot.

Go Beyond Navigation

Navigation is just the beginning. nuvi 780 includes many “must have” entertainment and travel tools including MP3 player, audio book player (subscription to Audible.com required), JPEG picture viewer, currency converters and more. With nuvi 780’s wireless FM transmitter² you can hear audio, including voice prompts, MP3s and audio books, through your vehicle’s stereo. It also comes with Garmin Lock™, an anti-theft feature, and configurable vehicle icons that let you select car-shaped graphics to show your location on the map. Optional plug-in SD cards let you add additional features to enhance your travel experience including language translation and detailed travel guides. Our SaversGuide® provides information on nearby merchants offering discounts to customize your nüvi whether you’re traveling or close to home.

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