Garmin nüvi 850 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator

Garmin nüvi 850 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator
 List Price: $857.13
Our Price: Too low to display
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Garmin
Average Customer Rating: Average rating of 4.0/5Average rating of 4.0/5Average rating of 4.0/5Average rating of 4.0/5Average rating of 4.0/5

Buy it now at Amazon.com!
Batteries Included: 0
Binding: Electronics
Brand: Garmin
Display Size: 4.3
EAN: 0753759079635
Feature: Sleek, ultra-slim design fits in a pocket; High-sensitivity GPS receiver for fast satellite lock
Includes Mp3 Player: 1
Is Autographed: 0
Is Memorabilia: 0
Label: Garmin
Manufacturer: Garmin
Model: 010-00577-20
Native Resolution: 480x272
Publisher: Garmin
Studio: Garmin
Features
Sleek, ultra-slim design fits in a pocket; High-sensitivity GPS receiver for fast satellite lock
Pre-loaded with City Navigtor NT maps for North America, including more than 6-million name-searchable points of interest
Speech recognition -- speak menu options and keep your eyes on the road
Multi-destination routing -- enter several destinations and get the best route to all of them; "Where am I?" and "Where's my car?" features
Full feature set -- text to speech for spoken directions with real street names; MP3 player, and Photo viewer
Accessories
Garmin 010-10052-05 GA 27C Remote Antenna with MCX Connector
Garmin 8-Foot Antenna Cable
Garmin 010-10723-01 Usb Mass Storage Pc
Garmin A/C Power Cable for nüvi Portable GPS Navigators (010-10723-00)
Garmin 25 MCX Antenna for iQue, StreetPilot, GPSMap, GPS 76 Series, 12XL and eMap
Related Items
Editorial Reviews:
With the nüvi 800 series, Garmin adds smooth speech recognition to its bestselling line of sleek portable GPS navigators. As with all nüvis, you get a slim, pocket-sized navigator with a gorgeous display, detailed NAVTEQ maps that let  you search by name for more than 6 million points of interest like stores, restaurants or hospitals, and an easy, intuitive interface. All of the 800-series navigators also feature a rich array of features including spoken directions in real street names, integrated traffic receivers, MP3 player and photo viewer, and an FM transmitter that will play all the nüvi's audio, including voice prompts, MP3s, audio books, and more, directly through your vehicle's stereo system.  The top-of-the-line nüvi 880 adds Bluetooth for hands-free phone calls, an integrated traffic receiver and enhanced MSN Direct content with traffic data, reas-time gas prices, movie times and more.

slim form factorKey Features/Benefits

  • New -- Voice Recognition -- Just tell it what you're looking for (Learn more)
  • Easy to use interface (Learn More)
  • Integrated Antenna for a slim form factor
  • Pre-Loaded Maps for North America with 6 million searchable points of interest (POIs), plus add your own custom POIs (Learn more)
  • Multi-Destination Routing -- tells you the best way to get to a lot of different places in one trip (Learn More)
  • FM Transmitter lets you hear spoken navigation prompts, MP3s or audio books through your car's stereo system
  • Add FM traffic incident data or Enhanced MSN traffic flow data and content with an optional antenna (Learn more)
  • Where Am I? -- instantly shows you all of the emergency services nearby (Learn More)
  • Where's My Car? -- never forget where you parked again (Learn More)
  • Widescreen -- gives you a better idea of what's around you (Learn More)
  • microSD card slot -- store extra maps, travel guides, photos or MP3s
  • Photo Viewer and MP3 Player (Learn More)
  • Customize Your Onscreen Vehicle Icon (Learn More)
  • Garmin Lock (Learn More) -- keep others from using your navigator
  • New -- Photo Navigation lets you upload geo-coded photos from a phone, geo-coding camera or photo site and navigate to them. (Learn more)
  • New -- Send addresses directly to your Garmin from Google Maps or Mapquest (Learn more)

Which nüvi is Best for You?: Click here to see a quick, simple comparison of features for all Garmin nuvi GPS navigators

Learn More

Easy to Use Right Out of the Box

Garmin's own navigation is easy to use
 		One of Garmin's key product philosophies is, "to make extremely complex technology easy to use for anyone right out of the box," and perhaps nowhere is that better exemplified than in the user interface for Garmin's portable navigation devices.

Garmin's interface is a key to their success and one of the things that makes their devices such a pleasure to use. Simple controls and sub-screens make it easy to enter or search for destinations and get data about your trip.

New -- Voice Recognition

Usable voice recognition is something we've been waiting to see for a  long time. Reaching over to type out directions on your GPS isn't just difficult, it can feel downright dangerous. There's even a warning on every GPS not to do it. But who has the time to sit still and punch in a destination? Well, now you can have your hurry and your directions too.

The nüvi 800s aren't the first GPS navigators to offer voice recognition, but the level of flexibility they offer sets a new standard for simple and intuitive use.

The device comes with a little remote control that mounts on your steering wheel. It has two buttons. One is, "listen." The other is, "stop listening". Hit the "listen" button to start voice recognition. Then you can speak any of the words that appear on the display, and the device will understand, or you can ask questions based on most points of interest. Say, "find nearest Italian restaurant," for example, and you’ll get a list of nearby spots. Say "go to" and name of the one you want, and you get turn-by-turn directions to dinner. The nüvi also knows the names of many large business brands, so you can just say, "find place, Starbucks," if that's your coffee mojo.

Of course, if you know the address you want to go to, you can say that too, and the nüvi will give you directions, all without having to reach over to the dashboard and touch it.

Speech recognition is available for American English, British English, European French, European Spanish, German, Italian, and Netherlands Dutch languages.

Traffic-Capable for Either FM Traffic or Enhanced MSN Direct Content (optional receiver required)

MSN Direct Enhanced Traffic and Content

traffic reports With an optional receiver, you can access enhanced dynamic content from the MSN Direct service. 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 custom to your nüvi.

Check out a full description of MSN Direct content features, or a coverage map for MSN Direct services.

A 3-month subscription to MSN Direct is included with the receiver. After that, subscription fees are $49.95 per year, or $129.95 for a lifetime subscription.

FM Traffic
TMC traffic service coverage map
 With an optional receiver, you can get alerts from TMC Clear Channel about traffic tie-ups and road construction that might lie ahead on your route. All you have to do is simply touch the screen to view traffic details and you'll be ready to detour around any problem area. And if you end up missing a turn, or you're forced into a detour that is not relayed through the traffic receiver, the nüvi's sophisticated automatic routing will get you back on track in no time.

In most areas, TMC Clear Channel traffic broadcasts are continuous — there's no waiting for scheduled traffic news updates or random alerts. Because traffic broadcasts are received via a "silent" FM data channel, you can still listen to music or news programming on your car radio without interference from incoming FM traffic data transmissions.

A 3-month subscription to TMC Clear Channel's Total Traffic Network is included with the receiver. For more information on subscription fees, coverage in individual cities, and traffic data networks in the United Kingdom and Europe, check the Garmin website.


Widescreen -- See More of What's Around

The super-bright, 4.3-inch (diagonal) touchscreen display gives is anti-glare for ease of viewing during the day and automatically changes its color profile for easy viewing at night or in dim light. It offers 2d or 3D perspective views.

The widescreen format gives you 70% more actual screen area than a 3.5-inch screen. Primarily this translates into a better view of the area through which you are driving. This is especially useful in showing you what parks, restaurants, ATM, gas stations, etc. are nearby, or in letting you know whether a detour is a good idea. Also, the device itself is larger, meaning controls on the screen are more widely spaced and somewhat easier to push.
Wider screen lets you see more of what's around. Compare these actual size views of a 3-inch (diagonal) screen
3-inch screen


 and a 4.3-inch diagonal widescreen
4.3-inch screen

Multi-Destination Routing

This lets you enter several spots into the device (day care - supermarket-cleaners - office - day care, for example) and it will plot the fastest route. And once you've found the best router, the "Route Planning" feature lets you  save up to 10 different routes, Garmin touts the feature for providing, "the most efficient route for errands, deliveries and sales calls." The feature also makes this an instant essential accessory for anyone who shops garage sales (you know what we're talking about).

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.

Where Am I?

Garmin's "Where Am I?" feature is a useful safety feature on all nüvis, but voice recognition makes it even better.

On any nüvi (including this one), you can 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. With the 800s, all you have to do is say "Where am I?" to get the info.

Where's My Car?

Like the nüvi 700s, the 800s will also remember 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.

First-Rate Map Data


nüvi 250W accepts custom points of interest (POIs). View larger.
 The nüvi comes ready to go right out of the box with preloaded City Navigator NT street maps, including a hefty POI database with hotels, restaurants, fuel, 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. Garmin gets its map data from NAVTEQ, a world leader in premium-quality mapping.

In addition, nüvi 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

Important note about map updates: Due to our high volume of sales, almost every Garmin portable GPS navigator sold by Amazon.com will come with the most recent map version. If you ever do need a map update, you can purchase one from Amazon.com at our Garmin Store.


Garmin Lock

Garmin's patent pending theft prevention system that disables the unit from performing any functions until the user types in a specific 4-digit PIN or takes the unit to a predetermined secure location

Beyond Navigation

Browse your stored pictures with an easy-to-use JPEG viewer.


Navigation is just the beginning. The nüvi 850 features travel tools including JPEG picture viewer, MP3 player, world travel clock with time zones, currency converter, measurement converter, calculator and more. 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.

This device is compatible with optional content plug-ins available via microSD card, such as the  Garmin Travel Guides and Garmin SaversGuide provide detailed data for attractions and information on nearby merchants offering discounts, so you can customize nüvi for your travel needs

note that the 800 series is unique among nüvis, in that the 800s use microSD cards, where all other nüvis use SD cards..

Garmin has also added the ability for customers to add custom points of interest (POI’s) from third parties such as school zones and safety cameras.

A handy MP3 player lets you play songs stored on SD memory cards.
MP3 Player

Trick Your GPS Ride

custom vehicle icons
Custom vehicle icons let you ride in style, at least inside your GPS.
See more icon option		 All Garmin nüvis support configurable vehicle icons. These fun, customized car-shaped icons come in a variety of colors to add a personal touch to your vehicle's position on the map.

New -- Navigate by Photo


 Using Garmin’s unique Web site — Garmin Connect Photos — users can choose from millions of geo-located photos provided by Google’s Panoramio photo sharing community and download them to the nüvi for a richer navigation experience using pictures as a guide.
  • Choose from Panoramio's collection of photos from around the world.
  • Easy to use interface displays photos on Google Maps.
  • Search for photos by location name or map area boundary.
  • Transfer photos directly from Garmin Connect to device with the Garmin Communicator.
  • View photos in Google Earth.
  • Supports Internet Explorer 6+, Firefox 2+, Safari 3+ on Windows and Mac.


New -- Send Addresses Directly from Google Maps or Mapquest

tching to try out a new restaurant, or setting off on a road trip to locate the best toffee apples on the east coast? Now, it's easy to search for locations on Google Maps or Mapquest, then transfer the addresses directly to your Garmin GPS navigator.
  1. Hook up your Garmin to the computer via it's USB port
  2. Search for the location you want
  3. Click the Send link in the info window for the address. That will bring up a popup "Send to" form.
  4. Pick GPS, then pick Garmin and hit the "Send" button. 
The address will instantly transfer to your Garmin device, The point will be saved as one of your favorites, and you can navigate to it or view it on a map just like with any other favorite.

The process does require a small plugin, which you can get at Garmin's website at http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=3739. You can send business addresses to your Garmin device from these countries: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States.
Search for the location you want.


 Pick "Send to GPS".


 Go!

Notes

  • Optional software for language translation, detailed travel guides, and savings programs allow you to customize your nüvi to fit your travel needs
  • The FM transmitter feature is only available in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand
  • This nüvi comes with a free, three-month trial for MSN Direct services.
  • Like most USB Mass Storage Devices, the nüvi is not compatible with Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows Me.

What's in the Box

nüvi 850, Preloaded City Navigator NT for North America, Speech recognition remote, Vehicle suction cup mount, USB cable, Dashboard disc, Quick start manual

Which nüvi is Best for You?

Note: All nüvis come with detailed NAVTEQ maps containing more than 6 million pre-loaded point of interest locations.



 Screen
Size
inches
(w x h)
 Included Maps
 Text-to-Speech
(Directions in
Real Street
Names)
 Traffic
 Bluetooth
 Media

 FM Transmitter
(audio through
car stereo
system)		 Multi-
Point
Routing
 Battery
life
(hours)
Cont. U.S.,
Hawaii, and
Puerto Rico
 AK and
Canada
 Europe
nüvi 200 2.8 x 2.1
 check




Photos

up to 5
nüvi 200w 3.81 x 2.25
 check




Photos

up to 5
nüvi 250 2.8 x 2.1
 check check



Photos

up to 5
nüvi 250w 3.81 x 2.25
 check check



Photos

up to 5
nüvi 260 2.8 x 2.1
 check check
check

Photos

up to 5
nüvi 260w 3.81 x 2.25 check check
check

Photos

up to 5
nüvi 270 2.8 x 2.1
 check check check


Photos

up to 5
nüvi 350 2.8 x 2.1
 check check
check FM (with opt.
receiver)
Photos, MP3s

up to 8
nüvi 360 2.8 x 2.1
 check check
check FM (with opt.
receiver)		 check Photos, MP3s

up to 8
nüvi 370 2.8 x 2.1 check check check check FM (receiver
included)
 check Photos, MP3s

up to 8
nüvi 650 3.81 x 2.25
 check check
check FM (with opt.
receiver)
Photos, MP3s

up to 7
nüvi 660
 3.81 x 2.25
 check check
check FM (receiver
included)
 check Photos, MP3s check
up to 7
nüvi 670
 3.81 x 2.25
 check check check check FM (receiver
included)		 check Photos, MP3s check
up to 7
nüvi 680 3.81 x 2.25
 check check
check MSN (receiver
included;
1-year free);
FM (with opt.
receiver)
 check Photos, MP3s check
up to 7
nüvi 750
 3.81 x 2.25
 check check
check MSN-enhanced
(with optional
receiver);
FM (with opt.
receiver)
Photos, MP3s check check up to 5
nüvi 760 3.81 x 2.25
 check check
check MSN-enhanced
(with optional
receiver);
FM (with opt.
receiver)		 check Photos, MP3s check check up to 5
nüvi 770 3.81 x 2.25
 check check check check MSN-enhanced
(with optional
receiver);
FM (with opt.
receiver)		 check Photos, MP3s check check up to 5
nüvi 780 3.81 x 2.25 check check
check MSN-enhanced
(receiver inc.;
3 months free)
receiver);
FM (with opt.
receiver)		 check Photos, MP3s check check up to 5
nüvi 850
 3.81 x 2.25 check check
check MSN-enhanced
(with optional
receiver);
FM (with opt.
receiver)
Photos, MP3s check check up to 4
nüvi 880
 3.81 x 2.25 check check check check MSN-enhanced
(receiver inc.;
3 months free);
FM (with opt.
receiver)		 check Photos, MP3s check check up to 4
nüvi 5000
 4.5 x 2.7 check check
check MSN-enhanced
(with optional
receiver);
FM (with opt.
receiver)

check check external
battery
only


Enhanced MSN Direct Traffic Data and Content

Basic MSN Direct Content Features
traffic reports Traffic Reports
  • Find the best route through traffic. Your GPS device uses MSN Direct traffic data to select the best route for you to avoid traffic congestion.
  • Check traffic flow. Know at a glance where to expect slowdowns in traffic.
  • Get accident warnings. Receive warnings about accidents, road closures, and construction in the area that may affect you.
Gas Prices Gas Prices
  • Compare local gas prices. See a list of recent gas prices in your area and an indication of how recently the prices were reported.
  • Find your way to the savings. Once you find the best price in your area, use your navigation system to guide you to the gas station.
Weather Reports Weather Reports
  • Stay on top of current conditions. View the current weather conditions in your area, including today's high and low temperatures, chances of precipitation, and more.
  • View the three-day forecast, Plan ahead by checking the three-day weather forecast for your area.
  • Check weather in other cities. See current weather conditions in major cities across the country.
movie times Movie Times
  • Search for a movie. Find the theaters in your coverage area that are showing the movie you want to see.
  • See which movies are playing. View which movies are playing in your coverage area or at your favorite theater.
  • See show times and get directions. Once you find a show you want to see, check the show times and use your GPS device to guide you to the theater.
Enhanced MSN Direct Content
Web Favorites Web Favorites (Send custom destinations to your GPS with Live Search Maps)
  • Powerful trip planning: Use Live Search Maps on your computer to look up an address, search for a business, or plan a trip
  • Choose your favorite location, and then MSN Direct delivers the address, phone number, and more straight to your navigation system.
  • Visit Live Search Maps at http://maps.live.com.
Local Events Local Events
  • See what's happening near you. Find nearby events to see what's happening in your area.
  • Find the events that interest you. Browse events sorted by category.
  • Search for an event. Get details about a particular event.
Stock Quotes Stock Quotes
  • Watch the stocks that interest you. Select stocks that you want to keep an eye on, and then see regularly updated stock prices and daily changes.
  • Get a little more detail. Touch a stock in your list to see daily highs, lows, and trading volume.
News Headlines News Headlines
  • Browse the headlines at a glance. See breaking news and other major news stories of the day.
  • Read more details. Select a headline to read all the details about the news story on your navigation system.


MSN Direct Coverage Map

Get detailed info for your Zip Code at the MSN Direct website.

MSN Direct Coverage Map


Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating: Average rating of 3/5Average rating of 3/5Average rating of 3/5Average rating of 3/5Average rating of 3/5
Summary: Not Worth The Money - Voice Commands Hype
Comment: I recently bought a Nuvi 850. Here's my advice for what it's worth.

The real value of a Nav system comes from the fundamentals.
* Receiver
* Maps
* Routing Engine
* Display
* User Interface

Garmin does a solid job in all these areas. But that's not why you're paying a premium for an 800 series Nuvi.

This model has a couple of "nice to have" features that were introduced on the 700 series of Nuvi's.
* Where Am I
* Where's My Car
Both are very well implemented and can be very handy. But again, all of the stuff I mentioned so far can be found in a Nuvi costing $300 less.

So what are you paying a premium for?
* Voice Recognition
* User Replaceable Battery
* Front Mounted Speakers

Well, the front mounted speakers are still drowned out by moderate road noise. So, I wouldn't pay a nickel for that. The only real sound solution remains the FM transmitter that everyone complains about. It works OK for me, in my car, in my area. Your mileage may vary.

The user replaceable battery is excellent. For $30 you can carry a spare battery and go totally wireless in the car or use the Nuvi for 8 hours of walking around a city. I'd pay for that. In fact, every portable device should have user replaceable batteries.

OK, that leaves the "Big Kahuna" feature, voice recognition. Don't believe the hype from the professional reviews or some of the hosanna's being thrown around in Amazon reviews.

Does it work? Yes, it works amazingly well. In a dead silent environment.

With moderate road noise or even indoors with a TV at low volume 15 feet away the thing to gets confused about what it's "hearing". It should have a microphone with low sensitivity and high directionality to screen out spurious noise. A little DSP noise filtering wouldn't hurt either. Unfortunately, the standard piezo mic that Garmin also uses for bluetooth phone calls will pick up any sound coming from any direction. The result is that voice recognition becomes an excercise in frustration.

Still, I'm gonna keep the darned thing. I'll simply enter destinations in the quiet of my home, office, hotel room, or a restaurant before heading out on the road. The remote will live in my briefcase. It does save you from a lot of tedious keyboard entry. But, it is not the mobile safety feature that reviews would have you believe since voice commands are all but useless in a car. You can get essentially the same features in a Nuvi 760 and save yourself $300.

Your decision.


EDIT: Update.....OK maybe I was a bit harsh first time round. I have found that the unit will respond with moderate background noise.....some of the time.....if you yell at it. It appears to have the ability to lock in on the loudest sound it "hears". So, if you are relatively close to the microphone and speak really loud (yell), it does respond some of the time.

On the upside, connecting to the Garmin website was very easy. I registered the 850, downloaded the newest firmware, and downloaded/installed the latest maps (2009), all in about ten mintues without a glitch.

Customer Rating: Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5
Summary: Excellent GPS Navigator...Awesome Voice-Activated Controls
Comment: This unit functions perfectly as it is described. The voice-activation is nearly perfect. Probably one of the best implementations to date that I can remember. The map is a bit under-detailed for the price but it gets you where you need to go. Voice commands from the unit are very easy to understand. Controls are easy to navigate as are the menu options. One thing that I think is a bit ridiculous is the absence of Bluetooth Hands-Free calling. For $800 they could have included that and it is the reason that I gave it four stars instead of 5. Many of the options included with the device are useless to me to be honest. Games? Picture viewer? MP3 player? I don't need any of these but the voice-commands for unit control are awesome.

If you have the money to buy this unit, get it... if not look at some of the lower-priced 700-series Nuvi's
Customer Rating: Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5
Summary: LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 5 STARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment: I JUST GOT MY GARMIN 850 AND I HAVE TO SAY IM REALLY LOVING IT!!!! IM REALLY IMPRESSED WITH THE SPEECH COMMAND FEATURE! GARMIN UNDERSTANDS EVERYTHING I ASK AND FOLLOWS MY INSTRUCTIONS TO THE T. THE GARMIN VOICE IS PRETTY CLEAR AND ACCURATE ON STREET ANNOUCMENTS. THE MAPS ARE VERY UP TO DATE AND ALL I CAN SAY IS IM SO GLAD I RETURNED THE TOMTOM AND GOT THE GARMIN INSTEAD. 5 STARS***** THE ONLY BAD THING I CAN SAY IS FOR THE AMOUNT OF MONEY YOU SPEND YOU WOULD THINK THEY WOULD INCLUDE A CARRY/PROTECTIVE CASE. I HAD TO PURCHASE ONE FOR $12.99.
Buy it now at Amazon.com!

All prices are in US dollars