GARMIN 010-00321-00 GPS 18 Deluxe USB Sensor for Laptops Reviews

• Great product with a few annoyances

  
  By A1NHVC1BESGWM4 on 2004-12-01
  For the money, this is a great value. If you already have a laptop, then for $129 you have most of the functionality of a $1500 built-in navigator. For basic functionality, it's a 5 star item. I have used around New England for about two months, and have navigated back roads and highways. Resolution, maps, screen displays, ETA, position, etc, are all superb. Once you have selected a route and are on the way it's better than the built-in units, because it has a bigger screen (your laptop) with more information.
  
  But without a touch screen, it's a little clumsy to use, and you have to plan on putting in destinations while stopped somewhere. It's not a bad process, takes only a few minutes, but it's slower and not as smooth as a Honda Navigator (point of reference).
  
  You can save any waypoints or routes and recall them easily. You can show gas stations, atms, etc. It talks to you, and anticipates turns, etc very well.
  
  Overall, a fantastic value for the price. Any defects are forgiven. When they produce a pda or tablet version, so that you could use a touch-screen, it will be a huge hit.
  
  

• disappointing

  
  By A2ZTFDUDNBQ2Z7 on 2006-01-17
  I bought this based on the generally good reviews here. I tried it for a few days but it wasn't anything like I expected. First of all, I realized immediately that even with a high quality notebook screen, glare was going to be a problem in a car. Also, having to use a mouse and keyboard to enter data over to your side requires you to be stopped when using it for safety reasons. But that's not Garmin's fault. But where the Garmin really fell down was in things that it shouldn't have a problem with.
  
  1. Accuracy. Inconsistent. The maps were ok and even had many new roads in my area, but when I typed in an address and started following directions, they were just plain wrong. In one trip to an apartment that was even listed on their map itself, the unit kept trying to make me do a U turn half a mile before I reached the actual apartment. This would drive someone crazy if they were not familiar with the place's location already. Input a street address and sometimes it would be incorrect on the map. I knew the area well and otherwise it would have been a very frustrating trip to find the address.
  
  2. Data input. When trying to type in a new address to find, it would not recognize the proper spelling of many roads, and I would have to play games to "trick" the unit into accepting an address. Gate parkway N had to be inputted as N gate pkwy, or Touchton Road had to be put in as E Touchton Road, when it is not called that on street signs or anywhere else. Time consuming.
  
  3. Interface: I also found it less than intuitive to simply plot a trip, even w/o waypoints. It was a little less easy to use than some of the portable units I've seen demo tapes of.
  
  4. Directions: I tried to plan a trip to Tampa and was given a route that I knew to be longer and more difficult than just using the interstates. I guess because it was shorter in miles. I changed the preferences to weigh towards the interstates, but then it took me on loops around the perimeter here that made no sense. In another instance it had me drive by a place, avoid u-turning to get into it, then drive 5 miles in a loop around town to come back to it. But clicking off "avoid u turns" fixed that. The problem is, it then had me U-turning at every chance possible.
  
  5. points of interest. Pretty good, including some very obscure places here. But also many obvious ones were simply missing. I'm not sure how one gets his restaurant or store added to their maps, but when they don't include them all, you lose faith in the machine. It's better than nothing, but not good enough to rely on.
  
  My conclusion is that no computer navigator is going to be as good as a human brain with a map. So for that reason the routing feature of these devices is not very useful to me. But, I could use a nice color moving map which advised me of upcoming street names, sort of a driving "assistant". And for that, they'd do fine. However, using gps with your laptop isn't a great idea in practice unless you have a fancy setup to point it at yourself and hold it firmly in place, and the space to do so, like in a pickup truck. You need to be able to see the screen and you can't keep looking to your side to check it.
  
  I would advise getting an inexpensive portable unit you can attach in your line of site, entering the destination, using it to get into the general area, then figuring out how to get to the place itself on your own and just use the map as an aide to that. It is very helpful to see a graphical display of the upcoming roads. Units that name the roads for you are much more helpful but cost a lot more.
  
  I would NEVER trust these type of units to put me in the proper lane for an exit at high speed on the interstates. They require too much of your attention and what you gain from them you use in awareness of what's going on outside.
  
  I also was concerned over having my expensive notebook computer in the car all the time, more prone to damage or theft, than otherwise.
  
  The unit was great at finding a signal, even indoors it did ok.
  
  

• A great system. I'm putting a laptop in my car to use it

  
  By A31Z41ZXVS0K8O on 2005-10-19
  I've tried out the three popular GPS systems for laptops and find this the best. The other two; Delormer, and Microsoft have a long way to go to match the Garmin usb unit. They all have good features its just the Garmin does it best. For example, when aquiring satelites, by the time you've got the program booted the Garmin is ready to go. The others can take several minutes and clicking around to get them running. Not a good thing when your in a hurry. Next comes auto-routing. The Garmin excels in this area.In normal use, its very good and faster than the others. Garmin makes a lot of GPS units unlike the other 2 and I think they've got this right. However no GPS I've used is perfect at routing, it's just far less likely to take you out of your way. And if you don't believe or like their route, the Garmin has a handy feature in that it automatically and quickly reroutes itself when you don't follow its direction. Within a block of ignoring its directions it has replotted a new course for you. This handy feature lets you head in the direction you want and then if you get lost, you can just start following the GPS again - handy for us know it all guys that occasionally get lost. The other units are not nearly so friendly in this regard. They want you to follow their map or else. The Delormer unit, while better than the Microsoft unit, has the habit of being late in its direction and also likes to give you directions that amount to simply going straight on the same road.
  Some other handy Garmin feature: 1)The map changes to night time display automatically when the sun goes down.This is much easier on the eyes while driving 2) There is a button you can press that will find a route from where ever you are to home. Just press the button and it will show you the way home. 3)With a click you can set your PC clock to GPS atomic time. 4) The unit will let you select two items to display on the map, such as expected time of arrival, and time or distance to next turn. As with any product there could be improvements. The search feature is not as friendly as I'd like. To search, you're expected to type in the name only, not north, drive, etc. You then pick from a long generic list of names that might not even exist -so this is a bit funky. However, if you can find the location you want on a map, you can right click it and route to it. Overall this is a great unit and I have now installed a laptop in my minivan so it will always be available. I would not do this with the other units because they require too much fiddling around with to make them work and this is too dangerous while driving. (I've made a tray to hold and hid my laptop that fits between the two front bucket seats and rests on top of the plastic base for the seats. The tray also acts like a table between the seats.)
  I must tell you however of a few facts about this soft. The unit in the box I got had old software and old maps. You need to go to Garmin's website to download the updates for the software and you need to request Garmin to send a free CD for new maps. Both were updated around June 05. Once you load these in, you need to unlock the maps. There was an unlock code in the box that worked with the original maps, but so far, I have not been able to successfully to keep the updated maps unlocked. Everytime I turn it on it wants me to unlock them again. Perhaps connecting to the internet and registering will help. Even with this issue, I will give it 5 stars
  
  

• no title

  
  By A3K01O3AHYCIW4 on 2005-08-11
  I purchased the Garmin GPS 18 Deluxe after reading numerous customer reviews of this and other competing products. Not having had the opportunity to review the other products I can only attest to the performance of the Garmin unit and software. Much of what I read seems to hold true.
  
  The Garmin GPS 18 Deluxe works very well. The GPS unit is quick to pick up a signal from the satelites and is ready to navigate in a very short time (15secs or less) in most cases. The maps are pretty accurate and upto date as is the business address database. The voice navigation feature is a must have for solo navigation.
  
  That said, here are some shortcomings I've found.
  
  1. The software would not install on my laptop untill I discovered that it has a problem with installing from a DVDROM. The problem was not just my laptop it wouldn't install from either the DVDROM on my desktop nor the DVD burner either. I had to install it from a shared CDROM over the network which took forever. Once installed the cd was no longer needed so problem solved... (I'm glad I figured that one out.)
  
  2. I ordered the unit with the USB GPS even tho I was aware (from another user review I had read) that the Garmin USB GPS used a proprietary Garmin format. Normally, I would have steered away from anything that didn't conform to an already established industry standard but I really didn't want to have to deal with the serial GPS because I didn't want to deal with another power source and I didn't feel that it would be a problem because I thought I would most likely only use it with the Garmin software anyway. I quickly duscovered my mistake. There are now three applications that I wish I had a standards compliant GPS for.
  
  3. The voice navigation commands get confused sometimes when it has been running for a while and you have to shut the software off and restart it. Fortunatly, the software remembers your last route and resumes right where you left off so you don't have to set up your route all over again. It just takes about ten seconds to pick up right where you left off.
  
  4. The software is near flawless at getting you to your destination once mapped but finding the destination to route to it can be a litle cumbersome. If you don't spell the business or street name correctly you may not be able to find it at all. The controls for finding your destination are not the most forgiving of errors and are unnecesarily clumsy to use. Also, if you don't put in enough info to narrow your search down sufficiently the program can effectively lock up while conducting a search. (It'll come back eventually but sometimes you just don't want to wait that long and you know when it finally does come back after that long a wait there won't be any usefull information so its faster just to go to task manager, kill the program and then restart it.
  
  Overall, I give the Garmin GPS 18 Deluxe 4 out of 5 stars. Though it may have its shortcomings it is an excellent product that does what its supposed to do and does it well. Its easy on system resources and should run well even on older laptops. The voice navigation feature, as I said before, is a must have feature if you don't have someone else along to navigate for you. Garmin's works very well giving you plenty of time to maneauver. It would be nice if the map and business database had more frequent updates available but I understand that the same applies to the other competing products as well. As it was, in my tests it performed very well finding raw addresses, gas stations, restaurants, car rental places, banks, and retail stores in my own town as well as unfamiliar cities.
  
  I wish I had the means and opportunity to review Garmin's competitors and compare them for myself but from what I've seen Garmin deserves the accolades it has earned from other reviewers.
  
  
  
  

• Best laptop GPS available

  
  By ADTEILCQB14AF on 2005-01-02
  I first tried Microsoft's Streets and Trips with GPS and I was quite dissapointed. I'm not sure how they even consider it a GPS system. I then tried Garmin's GPS 18, as Garmin is considered to be one of the better known GPS manufactures. I have no regrets at all. The Garmin met my expectations.
  
  Benefits to the Garmin GPS 18 are:
  
  1) Voice prompts (what good is a GPS system without this?)
  2) Auto-reroute, it automatically will recalculate a route if you go off track. This requires no user interaction at all.
  3) The status screen automatically tells you what house numbers you are driving by or what streets are approacting.
  4) Large text display stating clear and accurate directions.
  5) Provides estimates of ETA and mileage to destination and next manuever.
  
  I have no complaints really. I do agree with one thing though, finding addresses could be a little simpler. For example, it will find "Stop & Shop", but not "Stop and Shop". It will find Malden Dr. if you type Malden, but not if you enter Malden Dr. A couple annoyences, but you learn how to use it and it's good.
  
  
• NMEA compliant
  By A3MJLXVS9HKLQA on 2005-11-25
  All of the previous reviews are pretty much on the money. The unit works great, very accurate. I do wish it was easier to change the routing the way Delorme uses VIAs, maybe there is a way i haven't found yet.
  
  My main addition to info for everybody is that using a little $10 program called GPS Gate will turn the Garmin 18 USB from a proprietary Garmin format to a NMEA compliant device. I had a copy of MS Streets & Trips and it worked fine. Just do a google search for gpsgate and you can try it for 2 weeks before you buy. That removes the only downside I thought this product had, now it can work with any application looking for a NMEA compliant GPS.
  
  
• Works good and easy to use.
  By A3I5P9NPOWLNEW on 2004-10-17
  Very easy to set up no flaws of freezing during the loading. No CD-ROM is needed once the software it loaded. Maps are easy to read and change colors at night to make your screen dark. The voice promts have been 99% on the ball and clear enough that you don't really even need to look at the screen while its navigating for you. There is no limit on how much detailed map you have have and it figures a route or a re-route in seconds (much faster than the street pilot III)
  The interface for entering the address you'ld like to go to or find takes a few times to get used to but in the end the right address has always been there.
  
  
• Only works with included software
  By A3C1FE9GO0RXPG on 2005-03-23
  The GPS receiver works fine with the included nRoute software, but since the device supports only Garmin's proprietary communication protocol (it does NOT support NMEA, the standard protocol for GPS devices), the GPS 18 will not work with other mapping software such as Microsoft Streets and Trips or DeLorme Street Atlas. I find either of these two programs to be much easier to use than the included software, and am very dissapointed that this GPS receiver is not standards compliant, even though recievers made by Garmin in the past have been.
  
  
• Bought it for a Euro trip
  By A21FZ1UEIGICLZ on 2004-10-21
  Got the GPS 18 USB for my leave in germany.My Laptop is a 2.8GHZ with 1.25 GB ram.Got a rental and hit the Auto-Bahn.Right now im in a cafe in Heidelberg typing this,and i can safely say,for the money you cannot buy a better guide if you are traveling Europe by car.As a matter of fact,I had made NO plans for lodging or even where I was going to go untill i had met up with my friends in Frankfort!This thing got me through the most complicated city's without a hitch.I had to use gas coupons(Army) that are only good at Esso gas stations.Found them all with voice promps to boot.The voice floating from my laptop,telling me VERY accuratly(even with the WAAS turned off) "in 600 meters,take roundabout then 2end exit"Only got comfused once in a ver old city,kept telling me to turn around.Any way, paying the extra $300 for the Euro city select program was worth-it.And even though i have not used it in the USA yet, I can say that i probibly will not take another trip without it.No CD required,just load and go.You will need internet to activate the Euro. CD if you get it.As well as download the updates for the program.
  
  
• good gps, bad software
  By A1BYQWUBX0AXPU on 2005-01-12
  ok the gps system works well and as expected. the software on the other hand...was hard to find the address of shops, for some reason, they literally are blocked? or perhaps i have the worst of luck. To find shops, you have to search by their names in Garmin's compiled list of shops, you can't just type in their address or else it doesn't exist at all. For the voice, it's really nice, but when I was going straight on the highway to get from point A to point B which is just down the road, the voice keeps on telling me to turn right. Luckily I ignored it, until the voice stops telling me to turn right even though the map display shows me on the right road and I know certainly that I'm going in a straight line to my destination. This gps usb system does not work with other map softwares unfortunately. You can only use it with Garmin's overpriced software. Overall, if you want voice and good gps system and don't mind the every now and then mis-directions by the "voice" or poorly designed address search, then this is the product to buy.
  
  
• Good to have...but there are some annoying clitches
  By A6R44KM0BVU5I on 2004-10-22
  The road trip was fun when bringing along this GPS. Even the wife wants to show you the direction now :-). We drove in the back country of Pennsylvania and New York states. The device comes in handy and eases the headache of getting direction. The good thing are: powerful tracking even under bad weather, clear and precise voice direction, quick (under 5 sec) route recalcuation. The bad thing are: the initial satellite search can take as long as 20 minutes; there are time the voice command doesn't match the route on the map but this is rare; the 'find places' feature is hard and cumbersome to use. I like 'one line search' feature in MS streets & trips. Overall, I would bring this along on any road trip.
  
  
• Great - after getting used to minor annoyances
  By A4PPX0ATHKK3K on 2005-01-05
  Its an absolutely fabulous value. The GPS has all the features of the Hertz Never-Lost system that I used. The maps and directions are clear and accurate. My only gripe is that the search feature could be better; for example if you have the street address of JC Penny store and you type it in and tell the system to find it, most probably if will NOT find it, but if you select another tab, you can pick this JC Penny store from a list and then it will find it and then you can 'route to' it. But it does seem to find home addresses very well, I have not had a problem with that.
  
  
• Read...before you buy.
  By A1OEKH13FWY6IW on 2005-05-14
  If you want the GPS 18 to output in the industry standard data format NMEA 0183 make sure to purchase the version that has the SERIAL interface. The USB version only outputs in Garmin's proprietary format.
  
  "The PC and LVC versions both default to output data in the industry standard NMEA 0183 data format, but may also be user programmed to output data in the GARMIN proprietary format. The USB version produces data only in the GARMIN proprietary format."
  
  All in all a great GPS sensor, it is very accurate and fast locking. I have it hooked up to my car-pc (serial interface version) and use it for mapping WIFI hotspots and navigation along with the occasional miscellaneous venture. I am quite happy with it.
  
  
• Takes the stress out of driving in unfamiliar territory
  By A1ZSZWSLWVO3NT on 2005-01-03
  This really exceeded my expectations. Just got back from a four-day trip in the mountains and valleys of Virginia. Instead of worrying about whether I was on the correct road, and how far to the next turn (or did I miss it already?), I was able to relax and enjoy the scenery confident in the continuous location and route feedback I was getting.
  
  It's easy to use (once you get the hang of a few simple procedures), very accurate, and loaded with useful features. If you have a laptop, give yourself a break by taking this little puppy on your next trip.
  
  
• Great Product, Horrible and Rude Customer Service
  By A16LSMIS872D2O on 2005-06-13
  The product is great and 100 times better than MS Street. The turn by turn voice command is a must when driving. Instead of pulling over and searching what turns to make this software includes a visual and most important, speaker directions.
  I have tried numerous times calling garmin in regards to a question that the online site does not answer and all I get is an operator who is rude who buts me on eternity hold for tech support. I have come to the conclusion, GARMIN CUSTOMER and TECH PHONE SERVICES SUCK!!!!!!!!!!
  
  
  
• Muskogee Re-Route
  By A2TR8BKYUHG1Z2 on 2006-12-28
  This is my first GPS and as yet I've only "tested" the unit but I am impressed. It may not be the best choice for someone who uses a GPS several times, day in and day out and/or is mostly solo as this is designed to hook to ones laptop and will most probably reside on the passengers seat. That said, by virtue of this design one gets quite a view as the map is as big as your laptop screen. My initial use was sitting on my wife's lap and as others point out a "Co-Pilot" can be of benifit in this case. I have found a "mounting system" for my laptop (cop like) for under $40 so in time (I don't have it yet) one will see if this places the screen in a useful position for a solo run. For the price and this time, my search put Amazon as the best, this seems a good bang for the buck. For the most part my wife and I don't "need" a GPS. We both know where our work is (and my wife is not into Gizmos but does get lost easily) but at times we need to "find" an unknown location. We also take a drive (21 hours) to South Padre Island at least one time a year. Sure I know the basic route but as I tend to drive through the night while my wife sleeps the idea of a GPS guide has been on my mind the last two trips as often turns "pop" up at the most inopertune times and this GPS puts a lot of information at ones finger tips. As far as the product itself the receiver is a small puck like unit, maybe 2 1/2 inches. It was pretty much "plug-n-play" after selecting that the unit was USB then loading the software and entering the unlock code a stop at Garmin website and an easy software update . As other's have said entering the street names can be a bit of a puzzle. I wanted "Elm Tree Lane" but even with the proper zip code the only way to get that street was by inputing "Elmtree Ln" not a big deal but I see where it could make look-ups interesting. The unit quickly set up the fastest and most direct route. The voice promps were good but don't use street names, just "turn left in 3/10 of a mile. However, the computer screen gives the street names in a banner which is rather large print and is easy to see at a glance. As I needed gas when I came to my first "right turn" I went left. The program almost immediatly re-routed based on the direction I was going now. The unit then guided us almost flawlessly to our destination (a bit confused at the gas station but later I noted the unit was "locked" on road) so once back on "the" road I got clear verbal directions that were given at least twice allowing me to always get into the proper lane with plenty of time to spare. Being a laptop, on my co-pilot's lap, as the driver, it probably not real safe to do more than just take a quick glance at the screen but one can tap the space bar and it repeats the oral directions. Should I be able to pull off my "cop mount" it could be very cool for our trip. Now the map orientation is either north up or direction of travel up. That makes alot of sense but with a widescreen laptop it would be nice to make the direction of travel "across" the screen should one choose especally while tranversing Texas. On the return from our "test" trip, I thought I would take every backroad turn to see how the unit would work. It has a "take me home" tab that will automatically set ones route home. The unit may be a bit too accurate as it immediatly told me to "continue north one tenth of a mile then turn left" that was all true, however, as I had backed up the driveway on arrivial. I didn't really need directions back down the driveway to the street. The unit was set on "fastest route" and again set up quickly with the fastest most direct course. I took every back street and weird way I could think of and clearly expected the unit to lose it's temper and scream "No, I said RIGHT turn" after 10 or 12 deliberate wrong turns but it would just recalculate (about 10 seconds) and continue to guide us home never requesting a U-turn but based on direction of travel. At home I programed a trip to SPI. Now since I did not have the address I just found the Island itself and clicked on it. I noticed that the ID was on the north of the island and as it's like 100 miles long and there are no roads up north so I looked for a close city to identify. I was easily able to ID Port Isabel which is where the Causway crosses to SPI so I marked that as the end and hit calculate. The route was clearly the most direct and I have driven that way before. I know that this way runs one through several smaller Oklahoma towns where the highway goes literally right through town with speed changes, stop lights, the local police etc. and as I generally am coming through at 3 A.M. well you get my drift, no disrespect to Okie From Muskogee. I prefer going down to Oklahoma City then down I35 as that is all major highway as the scenic route is of little use in the dark. The software did not seem to agree, I guess I could have read the directions but being a guy I just fooled around till I figured it out which really was not too complex. I just identified Oklahoma City as a midway "Waypoint" and then recalculated the route. I have not used the find gas station feature but as often as I push the limits and hope one will show up in the next 10 miles that might reduce anxiety. So my take is at $109 for a person who seems to be a more "casual" GPS user this unit seems pretty groovy and again, should I be able to do the Cop-mount for my laptop it would be all around great with a power inverter. Now for a "sales rep" type who is a bit more demanding a good window mount dedicated GPS unit or a built-in might be more to the peachy keen but the cost can be between $300-$1,500. For my limited requirments it seemed like $250 was as high as I wanted to go so getting on the map for $109 works for me at least as to my introduction to the GPS world.
  
  An up-date; well now I've used it for the before mentioned trip to SPI and it is the way to travel. Yes, there were some quirks. First I was able to mount a "Cop" type stand so I was able to have it where I could use it well on the trip, even used the mouse. My laptop is big, really too big for this with the 17 inch screen but it was nice but again due to size and complexity it was/is great for a big trip but for occasional use (and my motorcycle) I got a Garmin eTrex Cx as I could load the same maps from the GPS 18 as Garmin allows a person to download the maps to 2 Garmin products. The City Select 7 alone would cost you more than this unit which it includes, also I should note, if you got this unit in the past year Garmin will send you a FREE map upgrade to City Navigator 8 free shipping too. The unit was just too good when coming through downtown Dallas I was in the wrong place when the highway did a three way split and I was off course. Within just a few seconds the unit had done it's recalculations, it had me move to a left lane exit then I went down a dark (scary) tunnel and as I came out into the light I was merging back on the right roadway, very cool. It's a bit annoying everytime you pull over for gas or to hit a rest stop as the unit "also" starts to recalculate but one learns to shut it down prior, I rig the laptop to go to "stand by" when the lid is shut so that's easy. I'd also just close the lid when I had a long stretch to drive. By the way I let it route me home through Muskogee, and during the day it's very pretty and them people is right friendly.
  
  
• nRoute software is a travesty
  By AE8Z84DIEZHK9 on 2007-10-27
  I was very excited to purchase this product. I typically have my laptop open while my husband is driving anyway, so I saw this as a great way to get full GPS navigation capability at a fraction of the price of a standalone GPS unit.
  
  However, the nRoute software that came with this unit is a catastrophe. Garmin has written fantastic, intuitive, usable software to run on its standalone devices - but nRoute has none of those characteristics. Use it for 5 minutes, and you will be pulling your hair out.
  
  I write software for a living, and I'm always the person my relatives turn to when they need their computers fixed. My friends are always amazed at my ability to figure out and use complex software applications. But nRoute contains enough flaws that it becomes frustratingly unusable, even for a tech-saavy individual like me.
  
  What is the most common thing you would want to do with a GPS navigator? Why, enter a street address and route to it. Unfortunately, this simple act is virtually impossible. To select the street, you type a portion of the street name. The software then ignores the city/state/zip code you've already entered, and displays every street in North America that looks similar. For example, I tried to do a search for "River Road". Over 50 different river roads are listed, with such useful names as "River Rd", "River Road", "River Road Rd", "River Road 1", "River Road 2", etc. The best you can do is choose one, make several mouse clicks, and then be told that there are no matches. (That street doesn't exist in that city - no matches!) So you attempt to select the next street in the list (which requires 5 mouse clicks), only to be told that there are no matches there either. Working your way through 50 different possibilities can take several minutes. After a week of use, I have NEVER been able to get the software to recognize a single street address.
  
  If you already know the exact location you're trying to go, you can manually find the location, right-click, and choose "Route to here". But can you imagine using an interface like that, for example, in Google maps? "Here's a picture of LA ... just manually find the place you're trying to go, zoom all the way down to the street level manually, and right-click..." That's absurd, but that's what you have to do. So the only way I've been able to use this software at all is to do a preliminary search with Google Maps, visually identify where I'm going, and then manually locate that same location in nRoute. If you happen to be in your car without an internet connection, you're out of luck.
  
  For the record, it is easier to search for a point of interest in their database. So if you know you're looking for the Hilton, you can search for potential matches, pick one, and route to it. When other people report success with this product, I imagine that they must be using it in this way. (Or perhaps the street searching algorithm works better in some cities than others?)
  
  Of course, if you perform a search for a generalized category like "Restaurants," the user interface becomes maddening once again. It would make sense to display the results on a map, but instead they are displayed in table form. You can click on the results one at a time, and the map will zoom down to show you the intersection where that one result is located - but it zooms down so far that you can't see where it is located in the overall scheme of things. You cannot interact with the map to change the zoom level until you dismiss the table of search results. Then if you want to see where the next search result is located, you have to open the search window and restart your search from scratch. So there is no way to do something simple, like see whether a bunch of restaurants are clustered together nearby.
  
  When you're in motion, the software gives voice prompts, like "in 0.7 miles, turn right." Unfortunately, these voice prompts are useless. It would be nice if the software could say, "turn right on Main Street" or even "turn right now." Since it does not, you need to become very talented at judging exactly how far 0.7 miles is so you know when you're supposed to turn. If you're in a city with side streets each a block apart, this is impossible. Ultimately, you MUST have a dedicated navigator in your passenger seat who is watching the map and telling you when you need to turn.
  
  Also, the software doesn't provide any convenient way to alter the route. In my case, it wanted me to turn down a private road that had a locked gate. I obviously couldn't turn, so it would eventually recalculate the route. But every time my travels took me anywhere near that road it would give the voice prompts of "in 0.7 miles, turn left." Since the voice prompts are giving you so little information, you have to become talented at remembering where you are located so you know whether to heed or ignore the voice instruction. Wasn't that the whole purpose of having a GPS???
  
  With the other wonderful products they create, I can't imagine why Garmin would release such a frustrating piece of software. I wonder if they intentionally distribute this terrible software in an attempt to push consumers toward a more expensive product.
  
  
  
• Great product from Garmin with reasonable price
  By A2ORONU6RC70D3 on 2005-03-18
  The best navigation ever. At the end Garmin tried to price one
  of their product so reasonable to compete against the current products in the market. After installing the software and unlocking
  try to download the latest version of the nRoute and City select
  software. The navigation is so accurate in the high ways and crowded cities as well. If you make a mistake, the navigation software
  quickly will adjust and find the new route from where you are.
  
  The voice promt is ok. It is best used when two people are in the
  trip where one will be driving and the other using the laptop for
  quidance.
  
  I did not encounter any of the problems mentioned by the other
  reviewers.
  
  
• Garmin on a Budget
  By A3SKLEXLQDFZC7 on 2006-08-05
  I bought the Garmin GPS 18 Deluxe GPS Sensor with nRoute and City Select Navigation Software (USB Interface)as a supplement to my Garmin 60 CSX. It is with out a doubt, the best receiver that I have used, and I have used all the other brands. It finds the satellites so fast that it's almost instantaneous! The software however, is not as easy as some or as colorful as others. That said, it is competent and their customer service is absolutely the finest. Yes there is a wait on the phone but after talking to an understanding, well schooled tech who really cares, you start to appreciate what this company is all about. I love the sensor, like the software and I am in awe of the company attitude! Try it,, you'll like it. I am nearly sure!
  
  
  
  
• Garmin GPS 18
  By A3VUC0FHHV8TS0 on 2006-08-23
  The GPS 18 itself worked flawlessly. I originally bought it because it was the only GPS with a USB connector so it could take advantage of mapping software on a laptop computer. The module can be attached to a vehicle using its built in magnets or screwed into its own bracket wich has suction cups to stick on the windshield. Either way works well, and the bracket could be used in other ways with a little imagination. I just threw the thing on the dashboard. I had no intention of leaving it in the car to get stolen.
  The software included in the package had a few problems, mainly the predictable dilemma of attempting to locate a particular point in a changing world. Usually I had no trouble typing in an address, setting the computer in the passenger seat, and following the voice promts to my destination. The map displays visual directions in large letters, but they don't give helpful tips such as "stay to the left" like the verbal prompts, and of course there is the obvious danger of driving while watching a display.
  The one greatest advantage of an electronic nav system over a paper map is that the GPS continually updates your position so that however lost you may be, the prompt will always attempt to direct you to your destination.
  
  
  
• It works
  By AC6BZY0EGPBPY on 2006-03-24
  All around I haven't any serious problems with this product, the only problem is that if you need to use it while driving you need a co-pilot. I was hesitant in getting a GPS unit and I found this one to the best for me. I travel around California regularly and it was nice to have an information bank on the seat next to me. I would suggest this to anyone that doesn't want to spend too much on a GPS unit and has a laptop that they don't mind traveling with.
  
  
• Worked very well for short "trial" trip.
  By A1LIRKVD44KUZE on 2005-03-21
  We used this device and nRoute to navigate from country roads in SC to the highway maze in south Charlote, NC. It worked quite well and quickly rerouted when I intentionally missed the first interstate exit. All the turns were accurate and presented with ample time to prepare. The display presented on the laptop screen is very readable.
  
  The software was easy to install, set up and unlock. It takes a little trial and error to figure it out which could be something of a challenge.
  
  All in all, I am quite pleased with the performance so far.
  
  
• GPS 18
  By A1QWY9JBYV41JP on 2006-03-04
  This is a good item. Though, I have to bring out my laptop computer to use it, it is still worth the effort because price is good and screen is big.
  There was one downside. The equipment was not able to locate a few locations even though they were at very well known places, but I feel this software related problems would be with other GPSs as well.
  When you install the software, follow the steps in the instruction.
  Buy it!
  
  
• Great Sensor but Propietary to Garmin's nRoute Program
  By AVTFTLNQAH3Q2 on 2006-07-19
  The GPS sensor is great and quick to lock on to signals. However, it only works with the included software, nRoute by Garmin. The sensor uses a proprietary language (not the standard NMEA) which will only allow it to be used with Garmin software. If you don't intend to use this device with any other Mapping software programs, then its not a bad deal. I'm not saying nRoute is a bad program, but it takes some time to get use to its menus and to navigate throughout the program. Its Find/Search needs some major improvement, otherwise, it keeps track of time (trip, stopped, moving), speeds (avg, current, and max), and tells the accuracy of location (within how small of an area it has pinpointed you). Being an IT Professional of 7 years, I think there are other programs better suited for ease of use, such as iNav's iGuidance, which will work with many less expensive GPS Receivers/Sensors. A note for contacting Garmin Support should you need your installation key (if its not included) or any assistance with the software - the hold times are often unbareable, informing you of high call volume and to call back later.
  
  
• Works as described
  By A2AO33C1YCFAP3 on 2005-07-21
  The device works pretty well--I run with an older laptop in my car. The software is +/- in that finding some addresses is difficult while other seemingly obscure things (like store names) is pretty good. The problem is that store names must have been done by someone else--chains like 'Chipotle' are listed with many different forms of the name.
  
  
• Just got mine
  By AC7VXJNTSDL6G on 2006-01-08
  I just tried my GPS18 and here are my thoughts:
  
  1. It locks MUCH faster than the Delorme. The nRoute software looks very 1990s, and the Delorme looks very 1980s.... I wish they could look more '00s.
  2. The user interface is vastly superior to the Delorme.
  3. So far, navigation is spot-on accurate, and re-routing is simply a dream. There is an option that is not on by default to announce the re-routing so you can tell when you have made a wrong turn.
  
  
  1. Searching is just not as easy as it should be. You literally must force the software to find your item, and it's not always very coherent. They could benefit from some R&D for searching.
  2. I would like the option to announce street names by voice, or to configure it to respond to voice commands from the driver.
  3. The voice is pleasant female voice, but is not configurable.
  4, Had to buy the GPS gate software to make it compliant with other programs.
  
  Over the two other consumer level products I have seen, M$ and Delorme, the Garmin is far better... That's not to say that I hope things change in the coming versions.
  
  
• Great product
  By A237FXWML83XCT on 2006-02-17
  We have found this unit to be great. It is very accurate and if you change your route for any reason it will first try to get you back to the original route, but if you keep driving and ignore it, it then realizes there is another way of getting to your destination and it adjusts to a new route. We nicknamed the voice "Betty" and she guides us as we drive so we don't have to look at the laptop. Great product! We can't wait to go on vacation and explore new areas. We'll never be lost again.
  
  
• Works great.
  By A1Y5J99V16K1FP on 2007-01-11
  I am in sales and travel every week. I can't find anything to complain about. It works great. Once you input your destination, you never have to look at the screen. The voice commands will take you there. With the antenna placed in the front windshield, I get an accuracy between 7- 10 feet of my location. Considering my car must be maybe 24 feet that is just unreal. Also, it has every gas station, restaurant, hospital, park ,airport, etc etc etc etc all built in.
  
  
• Great product! I wish I could give it 4.5 stars.
  By AQ59PXV5LDT1O on 2005-09-20
  Great product! Easy to install (no issues from my DVD ROM). Plesant voice commands (does not name the roads, however). Great mapping software! Automatically adjusts the contrast variant on the time of day. Super fast aquisition of satelites...even from the middle of my living room (cant figure that one out!) Tracks my position perfectly on the maps (unlike the Delorme LT20). Its the best one for this price range.
  
  
• Needs some updating
  By A1C3HSWERP4VOZ on 2006-01-07
  I really like the city select and Nroute. How it helps a traveler who doesn't know where he is going in a stange place. I took it to LAX and toured LA with no trouble at all and I had never been to that city before. I do think it needs work in out lying areas. My son lives at the Edwards AFB and the program has trouble finding the shortest and fastest routes. I think because it always tries to get you to a major high no matter how far out of the way it takes you. I realize the program writers don't always know how the secondary roads are going to be. Taking that into account , my glad I have it and will use it often.
  
  

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