Garmin Nuvi 765T - 4.4 in. GPS Receiver
- Form Factor: Fixed
- Map capabilities: Internal, Map cartridges / Data cards
- Screen Size: 4.4 in.
- GPS Type: Handheld (Outdoor)
- Input Method: Touch Screen, Keyboard
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Usually great, but sometimes frustrating.
Pros
Quickly finds GPS satellite signal, lifetime traffic receiver, Bluetooth, MP3 player
Cons
Inaccurate touchscreen, slow, does not play WMA music files
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
It's not perfect - Lots of big pluses, some big minuses - buy if you're tolerant of quirkiness.
The Garmin nuvi 765T is my second GPS receiver, with the Garmin StreetPilot 340c my first. I upgraded because of the included lifetime traffic receiver, MP3 player and the Bluetooth capability in the nuvi 765T.
I purchased this in 9/2009 and am writing this review after using it for 5 months, in a variety of conditions – driving in cities (Boston, NYC) and walking (Boston, Denver).
BASICS:
Case: sturdy, compact and easy to pack. There is no included protective case or bag, so it is prone to scratching if putting it in your pocket or a knapsack with keys and such. There is a rearward facing single speaker, an audio output jack, mini USB port, and an SD card slot. The sound is fairly good, but dependent on how it is positioned on the windshield. It does not have an external volume control, which was present on the old StreetPilot.
Windshield mount: the power cord plugs into the mount, and not the GPS unit, making it easy to remove the GPS unit. The mount also is very easy to remove, making its use very easy in rental cars.
Screen: 4.3” in diameter, bright, color touchscreen. Very easy to see, even in bright sunlight. The matte finish is still quite susceptible to fingerprints. The touchscreen is somewhat inaccurate, even after calibrating – I have medium-sized fingers and still have trouble with mistyping (~ 5-10% errors) – those with larger fingers may have significant problems. There is also a variable delay in the response beep after touching the screen. The touchscreen function is inferior to my old StreetPilot.
GPS: Very quick in locating position, but accuracy somewhat limited when traveling on parallel roads, or ramps. I often don’t get a “Lost Satellite Reception” message when passing under overpasses or through short tunnels, as I did with my old StreetPilot. The 765T does a good job calculating routes, and takes into account traffic information from the traffic receiver (although not available in all cities), but it isn’t always the fastest route. Its estimated time of arrival, in my experience, is often too optimistic. I have noted that the route calculation sometimes “hiccups” and needs to be recalculated. I have not tried using it in Manhattan, whose tall buildings blocked satellite reception for my old StreetPilot, but have not had any difficulty in downtown Boston, nor in Denver. The voice, which also uses street names, is of poorer quality (very computer-like) than the StreetPilot but it is adequate. The LaneAssist feature is very useful in choosing the right lane for an upcoming exit, by showing you a fairly accurate representation of the upcoming exit, but it sometimes comes up delayed, too late to make a lane change safely. The points of interest feature is very good, showing restaurants, shopping, recreation and even rest stops (through Auto Services), although also present in the StreetPilot.
It even has a Pedestrian mode so you can use the GPS while walking, as well as a “Last Position” feature that notes your last position when you remove the nuvi 765T from its windshield mount. It makes it easier to locate your car in a shopping mall parking lot.
EXTRAS:
Bluetooth: allows handfree calling from your Bluetooth enabled cellphone and works fairly well. The speaker has fair quality as does the microphone, although I had to retrain my Voice Calling function on my cellphone. Once the Bluetooth is connected, a “phone” button shows up on the main screen. The best aspect of this feature , after selecting your destination (which in addition to the address has the phone number), allows you to use your cellphone to call your destination. You can also add a phone number for favorite destinations that you enter.
Media Player: allows playing MP3s (but not WMA files) and audiobooks (from audible.com). Its controls are not convenient, buried in the Tools menu, but once the media player is started, a button shows up on the main screen. The MP3s can be uploaded through a USB cable from your computer or through an SD card (the Media Player finds the music files automatically). Both the media player sounds as well as driving directions can be played through your car’s speakers (via the FM radio transmitter) or alternatively through the output audio jack and a cable /cassette adapter (not included).
Miscellaneous: Picture Viewer, World Clock, Calculator, Language Guide (by subscription), Unit conversion, EcoRoute (showing you the effects of your driving habits on gas mileage)
All in all, while I really like the nuvi 765T and its bells and whistle, I can’t help thinking that the extra features may be impairing some of the GPS functioning and responsiveness.
I purchased this in 9/2009 and am writing this review after using it for 5 months, in a variety of conditions – driving in cities (Boston, NYC) and walking (Boston, Denver).
BASICS:
Case: sturdy, compact and easy to pack. There is no included protective case or bag, so it is prone to scratching if putting it in your pocket or a knapsack with keys and such. There is a rearward facing single speaker, an audio output jack, mini USB port, and an SD card slot. The sound is fairly good, but dependent on how it is positioned on the windshield. It does not have an external volume control, which was present on the old StreetPilot.
Windshield mount: the power cord plugs into the mount, and not the GPS unit, making it easy to remove the GPS unit. The mount also is very easy to remove, making its use very easy in rental cars.
Screen: 4.3” in diameter, bright, color touchscreen. Very easy to see, even in bright sunlight. The matte finish is still quite susceptible to fingerprints. The touchscreen is somewhat inaccurate, even after calibrating – I have medium-sized fingers and still have trouble with mistyping (~ 5-10% errors) – those with larger fingers may have significant problems. There is also a variable delay in the response beep after touching the screen. The touchscreen function is inferior to my old StreetPilot.
GPS: Very quick in locating position, but accuracy somewhat limited when traveling on parallel roads, or ramps. I often don’t get a “Lost Satellite Reception” message when passing under overpasses or through short tunnels, as I did with my old StreetPilot. The 765T does a good job calculating routes, and takes into account traffic information from the traffic receiver (although not available in all cities), but it isn’t always the fastest route. Its estimated time of arrival, in my experience, is often too optimistic. I have noted that the route calculation sometimes “hiccups” and needs to be recalculated. I have not tried using it in Manhattan, whose tall buildings blocked satellite reception for my old StreetPilot, but have not had any difficulty in downtown Boston, nor in Denver. The voice, which also uses street names, is of poorer quality (very computer-like) than the StreetPilot but it is adequate. The LaneAssist feature is very useful in choosing the right lane for an upcoming exit, by showing you a fairly accurate representation of the upcoming exit, but it sometimes comes up delayed, too late to make a lane change safely. The points of interest feature is very good, showing restaurants, shopping, recreation and even rest stops (through Auto Services), although also present in the StreetPilot.
It even has a Pedestrian mode so you can use the GPS while walking, as well as a “Last Position” feature that notes your last position when you remove the nuvi 765T from its windshield mount. It makes it easier to locate your car in a shopping mall parking lot.
EXTRAS:
Bluetooth: allows handfree calling from your Bluetooth enabled cellphone and works fairly well. The speaker has fair quality as does the microphone, although I had to retrain my Voice Calling function on my cellphone. Once the Bluetooth is connected, a “phone” button shows up on the main screen. The best aspect of this feature , after selecting your destination (which in addition to the address has the phone number), allows you to use your cellphone to call your destination. You can also add a phone number for favorite destinations that you enter.
Media Player: allows playing MP3s (but not WMA files) and audiobooks (from audible.com). Its controls are not convenient, buried in the Tools menu, but once the media player is started, a button shows up on the main screen. The MP3s can be uploaded through a USB cable from your computer or through an SD card (the Media Player finds the music files automatically). Both the media player sounds as well as driving directions can be played through your car’s speakers (via the FM radio transmitter) or alternatively through the output audio jack and a cable /cassette adapter (not included).
Miscellaneous: Picture Viewer, World Clock, Calculator, Language Guide (by subscription), Unit conversion, EcoRoute (showing you the effects of your driving habits on gas mileage)
All in all, while I really like the nuvi 765T and its bells and whistle, I can’t help thinking that the extra features may be impairing some of the GPS functioning and responsiveness.
