Friday 23 December 2011

Garmin Nuvi 1300 Reviews and Ratings -- GPS Personal Navigation

By Sara Parsons


Consumer ratings organizations such as Consumer Reports that provide Garmin Nuvi 1300 reviews and ratings believe that this GPS device falls in about the middle range for devices of this kind, and I agree. Its target customer is an entry-level user who wants the basic popular Garmin features along with a very modest price. It was purposely designed without a lot of bells and whistles that a more sophisticated user would want. The company apparently knows what its customers want because the Garmin Nuvi 1300 reviews are very good.

Features and Benefits

The Garmin Nuvi 1300 is a wide screen model with a 4.3 inch diagonal dimensioned screen. It is designed to be used not only in cars, but on foot and other vehicles such as bicycles. The Garmin Nuvi 1300 is one of the lightest and thinest GPS devices in the Garmin lineup with a weight of only 5.8 ounces. It has a 480 x 272 TFT display with an adjustable back light. The Nuvi 1300 also has a trip compute that records travel time, max speed, average speed, and mileage. Extra features include a currency and measurement converter, a picture viewer, world clock, calculator, and MicroSD memory expansion slot.

For automotive use the Garmin Nuvi 1300 has the text-to-speech feature which provides spoken street names for safety and easy navigation. The Garmin also comes preloaded with street maps for all 48 continental states, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. It also has a name-that-point search feature that allows users to search a database of over a million POIs (points of interest). This feature allows a person to simply enter the name of a place, and Garmin will provide directions. The Nuvi 1300 also has 3-D mapping and 2-D overhead mapping.

Other beneficial features for use in an automobile include an FM traffic service that provides traffic news in real time. This is extremely useful in helping you avoid traffic jams and/or accidents. This feature also helps you decide on alternate routes. The ecoRoute feature will automatically find you the most fuel efficient route to your destination -- a boon in these times of increasingly rising fuel costs. The Nuvi 1300 is a hand-held device. If you're interested in a hands-free GPS system, then check out the Garmin Nuvi 1370T or the 1390T which provide Bluetooth for wireless use.

When exploring a strange city on foot, the Garmin Nuvi 1300 provides CityXplorer to help you feel more comfortable and in control. CityXplorer is a subscription service that helps you navigate in unfamiliar territory. It tells you where to find the nearest taxi or bus station or subway or particular place where you want to go. Being a tourist doesn't mean you have to look like one. This Nuvi 1300 feature helps you look like you fit right in.

While most users are fully satisfied with their purchase, Amazon and Consumer Reports, the sites providing Garmin Nuvi 1300 reviews and ratings, indicate that consumer complaints for this product center around battery life and/or charging issues. Some users feel that battery life does not live up to the stated 4 hours. Other users have had trouble getting the battery to fully charge. However, for someone who is new to using a personal GPS navigation device and doesn't need the added expense of a lot of bells and whistles, the Garmin Nuvi 1300 is a very serviceable product.




About the Author:



No comments: