A Nice Little Gadget Called GPS: Nuvi 680

K. I must admit that I don't drive without my nuvi 680 in hand. It always sits on my dashboard, so I am totally worry-free as I take point A to point B. It is basically my travel guide which of course never runs out of patience if I insist on taking a different route. You see, the funny thing is, try to imagine somebody looking at a map and guiding you as you drive. If it was a real passenger in your car, chances are when directions are not followed, it's going to lead into an argument or an altercation. With the GPS (global positioning system) though, you're the boss. It is typical to hear, "...in 0.3 miles turn left on ..." from your GPS device, but if you miss the turn, you'll hear, "...recalculating..." and if you miss again, and again, your GPS device always will recalculate for you (without yelling at you!)

I'm sure a lot of people don't even know that this technology exists--the capability to be tracked by satellite wherever you are within continental USA, Canada, Europe. And for some who know, perhaps the thought of having a GPS device in their vehicle doesn't entice them. Well, technology is not for everyone, but for the lucky few who appreciate the advances of technology, you're in for a more convenient life, not necessarily simpler, though.

So what does the nuvi 680 do? Basically, it is a more feature-rich device compared to the nuvi 660. Both the nuvi 660 & 680 employ an MP3 player, a hands-free speakerphone which is bluetooth enabled so you can make and receive calls from and to your cellphone using the nuvi, preloaded maps with categorized POIs(points of interest), bigger touch screen, extras like cruising speed and simulator, option to travel using shorter distance or shorter time, loud speakers, voice options for the audio guide (male or female). The nuvi 680 does even better with MSN direct. As the nuvi 680 is mounted on the vehicle dock, MSN direct is activated giving you up to the minute information on traffic, weather and even a comparison on gas prices. Wow,that's really useful!

These GPS models are a bit pricey compared to their other counterparts, but you always get what you pay for. Honestly, the GPS is so useful to me that I actually own both the nuvi 660 and the nuvi 680, so I'm never without it when I'm on the road. Tip: You can always compare prices and get good deals using pricegrabber.com.

I got mine about $300 cheaper compared to retail prices from electronic stores even at sale prices.

The nuvi always gives me a kick everytime I hear, "...recalculating...". I hope one day they'll make one that is more humanely involved, one that says stuff like, "Moron, I told you not to go that way!" or "You're helpless, you cannot even drive your way out of a trash can!" or "That's it! You're on your own genius!" I think that will be more fun. It will be of course, limited edition for the witty few funny people. I'd be the first one to get it as soon as it is available.

Before I forget, the screen of the nuvi is easy on your eyes and the graphics on the monitor adapts to whether it's daytime or nighttime automatically, so you can easily see where you're going whatever time of day it is.

Anyway, the nuvi is a nice little work of genius, that I can never do without. It's as if it is surgically attached to me, indefinitely. Get one now, and live large.