Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Posted in
Garmin nuvi 50LM 5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator US
|
Garmin nüvi 50LM 5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator(US)
Customer Rating: : 
Price : $122.99 (Price updated 2012/07/15)
IN Stock /Usually ships in 1-2 business days 
The Garmin nuvi 50LM is the top of the line navigator in Garmin’s new 2012 Essential series, offering a 5” wide screen and lifetime map updates. The models in this series are meant to be basic navigators at a budget price, lower than what we’ve previously seen for Garmin entry-level models. Nevertheless, they do come with some features not previously found on low-end nuvis, such as speed limit display, lane assist and junction view
Related units
Drop down to the nuvi 40LM and you’ll get the same features, but with a smaller 4.3” screen
Or keep the 5” screen, but give up lifetime map updates with the nuvi 50
To see how the nuvi 50LM stacks up against other models, check out my Garmin nuvi comparison chart
Two versions
Two versions of the nuvi 50LM series are available – one with the entire US except for Alaska and Hawaii, and one for all 50 states plus Canada.
Key features
Generally speaking, all nuvis will get you from point A to point B; when you pay more, you’re primarily doing it to get bells and whistles. Nevertheless, the nuvi Essential series has some nice features. Here’s a look at several:Speed limit display and warning
As noted above, the nuvi 50LM includes speed limit display. In my testing of the Essentials series, I’ve seen speed limits not just on highways, but on many secondary roads as well.
And if you exceed the speed limit, the current speed field will turn red…
Lane Assist
The next turn icon in the top left corner highlights the proper lane to be in. You’ll primarily see this on freeways and on some surface streets in urban areas. Coverage is fairly extensive.
Junction View
The model I tested was a pre-production unit, and it did not have the Junction View .jcv file installed. Nevertheless, it is a listed feature for the Essential series, and should look something like this…
Customizable data fields/display
If you tap the lower left data field, you can customize what is displayed there. Different choices are offered for whether you are or are not navigating.Want more info displayed? Go to Settings > Map, press the down arrow icon and select Map Data Layout > More Data, to get the setup shown below, giving you two extra data fields. Tap a data field to change what is displayed.
Trip Log
The trip log allows you to display where you’ve been (which can be a big help navigating mega-mall parking lots, and even in everyday city driving). The trip log is the thin blue line shown below.
There are options to Show or Hide this info, but unfortunately (unlike on other nuvis) there appears to be no way to clear the trip log short of a hard reset! Perhaps this is just an oversight that will be fixed in an upcoming firmware update; I’m certainly hoping Garmin hasn’t decided that privacy features should be limited to higher priced models!
Where am I?
Tapping the car/current location icon on the map brings up the Where Am I? screen, with the options shown below.
What’s missing?
Not much. There is no multi-destination routing (although you can add a single via point to a route) or powered mount, two popular options. The latter means that you’ll need to attach the mini-USB lead for the power cord each time you use the unit. Also, unlike other recent low-end models, you cannot add a traffic receiver. Here is Garmin’s rationale for this:The nuvi 30, 40, and 50 series devices are not compatible with any traffic receiver or traffic service. Although these devices come with a variety of popular features, other features such as traffic compatibility have been left off so that we can provide our customers with the option of more basic devices at much lower price points.
Garmin nuvi Essential series performance
I noticed no routing irregularities while using the Garmin nuvi Essential series, nor did I notice excessively long waits for satellite acquisition. Except for the missing bells and whistles, it performed as well as my other nuvis. I did have trouble getting it to go into USB mass storage mode when connecting to my computer, but this was solved by ensuring that the unit was on before connecting it. And this issue went away entirely once I updated to firmware version 2.10. The only other item of note is that I found the mount a little awkward to clip the nuvi into at first, but after awhile I got used to how it attaches and rarely had problems with it.Garmin nuvi 50LM pros
- 5” screen
- Lifetime map updates
- Low cost
- Speed limit display
- Lane assist and junction view
- Customization options
Garmin nuvi 50LM cons
- No powered mount
- Cannot add a traffic receiver
- Can only hide Trip Log; cannot clear it without resorting to a hard reset
- Only includes maps of 48 states (although a version that adds Alaska, Hawaii and Canada is also available)
Conclusion and recommendation
Highly recommended. This is without a doubt the best entry level navigator Garmin has ever released. It has an ultra-wide 5” screen along with features previously restricted to mid-range units. You can’t hardly go wrong with this one.Technical Details
- 5-inch LCD display
- Free lifetime maps with over 6 million points of interest; Hear spoken street names
- Speed limit indicator
- Lane assist with junction view
- Trip computer records mileage, max speed, total time and more.
Special Offers and Product Promotions
Edition: 5-Inch with Lifetime Maps
Product Description
With a big 5” (12.7 cm) touchscreen, more than 5 million points of
interest (POIs) and spoken turn-by-turn directions, nüvi 50LM makes driving fun again. Plus, with FREE lifetime map updates, you always can keep your roads and POIs up to date.Get Turn-by-Turn Directions
nüvi 50LM's intuitive interface greets you with 2 simple choices: "Where To?" and "View Map." Touch the screen to easily look up addresses and services and to be guided to your destination with voice-prompted, turn-by-turn directions that speak street names. It comes in 2 mapping versions and has preloaded maps for the lower 48 states plus Hawaii and Puerto Rico or full coverage of the U.S. and Canada. nüvi 50LM’s speed limit indicator shows you how fast you can go on most major roads. With its "Where Am I?" emergency locator, you always know your location. It also comes preloaded with millions of POIs and offers the ability to add your own.Enjoy FREE Lifetime Map Updates
With FREE lifetime map¹ updates, you always have the most up-to-date maps, POIs and navigation information available at your fingertips. Map updates are available for download up to 4 times a year with no subscription or update fees and no expiration dates.Know the Lane Before It’s Too Late
Now there’s no more guessing which lane you need to be in to make an upcoming turn. Available in select metropolitan areas, lane assist with junction view guides you to the correct lane for an approaching turn or exit, making unfamiliar intersections and exits easy to navigate. It realistically displays road signs and junctions on your route along with arrows that indicate the proper lane for navigation.
¹ FREE lifetime map updates entitle you to receive up to 4 map data updates per year, when and as such updates are made available on the Garmin website, for this specific Garmin product only until this product’s useful life expires or Garmin no longer receives map data from its third party supplier, whichever is shorter. The updates you receive will be updates to the same geographic map data originally included with your Garmin product when originally purchased. Garmin may terminate your lifetime map updates at any time if you violate any of the terms of the End User License Agreement accompanying your nüvi product.
What's in the Box:
- nüvi 50LM
- City Navigator® NT data with preloaded street maps of the lower 48 states, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Bahamas, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Barthélemy and Jamaica
- Lifetime maps¹ (indicated by "LM" after model number on the box)
- Vehicle suction cup mount²
- Vehicle power cable
- USB cable
- Quick start manual
Read More Customer Reviews -->
This web site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com "CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON SERVICES LLC. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED 'AS IS' AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME."
0 comments:
Post a Comment