Top of the line!
The original reviewer didn't in truth do his exploration before he purchased this or else he would recognise that it only comes with basemaps. The other fact he would know is that that's how all GPS marketers work. They want you to buy their maps separately and only their maps will work on their hardware.
Now, I antecedently owned a 60CS which I loved after merchandising in my Vista. With the newly upgraded 60CSx you get a couple of further and added functions that make it much better than the 60CS. First, there's the SiRF III chipset. It is by far the best chipset out there right now. It's super sensible and super fast. You may lock onto satellites even in your house in a lot of cases! No longer will you loose reception in tricky situations. Most of the time you may even keep the 60CSx in your backpack and it will still track your movements.
The other highly requested function for some years is the elaboration memory, now in the form of a microSD. Now you may load almost half of the U.S. into 512mb of microSD. Later, larger capacity microSD cards will be freed that will concede you to loan the entire US! That's awesome!
Two things that you will loose by going to the 60CSx from the 60CS, the alarm clock, and the passive barometric tracking. Apparently, the new 60CSx no longer has a sleep mode so that these two things will not proceed to work if you turn OFF the unit. The 60CS had a sleep mode so that the altimeter would still record your barometric after the unit was turned off and wake up to sound the alarm clock but not with the new 60CSx.
Most people don't use these functions anyway so I don't think you'll miss them. Also, the SiRF III and microSD more than make up for those two shortfalls.
Great GPS: Ignore the petty complaints
Lots of people are expecting this GPS to be the perfective GPS. I actually like it so far and I don't have any complaints. Most of the complaints you'll see are humans comparing the features of this GPS to the 60CS. The issues most people are complaining in regards to are actually minor.
Icons: Ok the new icons are more cartoon like. None of them are hard to tell what the function is which is the point of an icon. It's an artistic style choice some persons will like it and galore will not.
No alarm: I have in regards to 10 gimmicks with an alarm clock on them I don't see where not including this feature is such a big deal.
No barometric trends while off: Garmin has stated this is a limitation of the new hardware. Useful if you're in the back country and can't get a weather radio broadcast. Otherwise a largely unused feature.
Expectation of indoor reception: I may personally get reception in my house. This is not going to hold unfeigned for everyone. It's still a GPS and needs a more or less unobstructed view of the sky. The new receiver is a HUGE betterment over the old one even though and gets a lock much rapidly and without delay and holds it better in terrain that is tough for a GPS to work in.
Over-Expectation of accuracy: People keep forgetting that this is still a buyer GPS and is fixed as to the accuracy it may get. Just because the GPS says it's got 3' accuracy doesn't mean it's correct. The 60CS and the 60CSx calculate their accuracy differently.Since the 60CS claims it is more exact humans entirely trust the number the GPS is reporting and assert the 60CSx is less accurate. This isn't the case nonetheless in real world tests in clear skys both units have similar accuracy. However in challenging reception situations the 60CSx get better signal and is then "more accurate".
GPS "Walking": The 60CSx have a tendancy to walk around when stopped for a while causing the stopped time and distance traveled to be inaccurate. Garmin is conscious of the problem and has stated it will be fixed with a firmware release.
Mini SD Card issues: This is the firstborn supplying by Garmin with a removable memory card. There are a few limitations nevertheless equated to other brands. First the cards are ONLY applied to store maps. No waypoints, tracks, routes, etc. are stored on the cards. It would be nice to have these features but it doesn't seem that this is something that will (or can??) be changed with a firmware update. People likewise complain that there is no way to view data with regards to the memory card (Space left, file listing, etc.) since there is no way to add selective information without having the GPS hooked into MapSource this is a non-issue. You can't write to it so why does it matter how much space is left? Oh and if you haven't seen a Mini SD card in person, wow they are actually tiny regarding the size of a fingernail. People without good dexterity might have issues altering the card.
This is a in truth great GPS. If you have a 60CS already you need to conservatively weigh your decision to upgrade since this unit will actually only add increased reception(not accuracy) and the removable memory card. If you're upgrading from something other than a 60CS you'll love it, I sure do.
Recommended for Hiking/Backpacking/Geocaching
Before I begin my review, I want to give the reader a great deal of selective information with regards to my background to put this review in proper context.
This is the primary GPS unit I've ever owned. I'm an avid hiker and I also take delight in backpacking. I'm likewise an occasional geocacher. I purchased this GPS as a supplement to the conventional map & compass. I use it mainly to mark trail heads, track my emplacement when hiking, and navigate the forest roads in the Nicolet & Ottawa National Forests.
ACQUIRING SATELLITES/LOCATING POSITION (5/5 stars): This unit has splendid sensitivity. It may acquire satellites and determine my position while inside my home. The performance was likewise magnificent beneath a dense forest canopy. It also acquires a position rather quickly.
EASE OF USE (3/5 stars): I'm a gadget junkie and tech geek in general. I seldom need to read a manual to figure out how a piece of electronics works. I will have to confess that I had a little difficultness with this GPS. The learning-curve was a bit steeper than I anticipated, but after a couple of weekends of uninterrupted use, I managed to figure everything out. The user interface isn't intuitive, so it takes a heap of time to learn how to navigate through the menus. I don't consider this a major negative for the unit. The user interface seems similar to some other GPS units, so experienced GPS users will probably experience few issues operating this one. First-time users ought to suppose to spend a few hours in the field with the unit and manual before sentiment comfortable with the controls.
FEATURES (4/5 stars): The unit offers a lot of customization options. As a hiker and backpacker, I find the altimeter and compass very helpful. The microSD card support is a great feature, and I own 2 of the specialized TOPO map cards for use with this unit (Great Lakes Region & East Coast Region). The microSD card support frees you from having to constantly connect the GPS to the computer to upload a new section of map into the unit. This is particularly primary to me since I'm a Mac user and Garmin doesn't presently aid Mac OS X (although I'm told that they will have a Mac OS X version of their map merchandise on the market by year-end). The unit ships with a outstanding set of icons that may be assigned to your waypoint markers. The icons concede you to without apparent effort distinguish dissimilar waypoint categories by the icon displayed on the map. For instance, it allows me to mark a trail head using the "hiking" icon, and then mark a campsite along that trail using a "camping" icon. The trip computer is a fantastic hiking/backpacking companion. It tracks the number of miles you have hiked, moving & stopped time, max & overall speeds, etc. The "tracking" feature is one of the most useful. It mechanically brings about a track log for your trip. It diplays the track as an overlay on the terrain map so you may see incisively where you are presently and where you came from. The track log is a life-saving feature and it is the one that I rely on most when I'm in the forest. The Sun and Moon page is a nice feature to use when you are overnighting in the forest and want to get an idea of when to start out your day or start out setting up basecamp.
GEOCACHING (4/5 stars): The unit offers a special geocache menu that keeps track of the caches that you uploaded into the unit and have yet to find. Since I have a Mac, I'm not competent to hook the unit up to my computer and upload the waypoints from geocaching.com. I manually enter the waypoints from the selective information provided on the web site. The manual provides *no* data on how to manually enter geocache waypoints -- I figured it out on my own. The manual also did a poor occupation of explaining how to mark a cache as "found" in your GPS so it mechanically updates the cache status and enters the "find" date/time in the calendar. Once you figure out how to do everything, it does a good occupation of managing your geocaches.
DESIGN OF UNIT (5/5 stars): The unit looks rugged and seems to be designed to handle the rigors of outdoor use. The subdued color system makes it an idealisti backwoods companion. The layout of the buttons is logical and they are easy to use.
MAP SOFTWARE (3/4 stars): I use the Garmin TOPO map software (preloaded on the microSD cards). I think the maps are average. I find that, in some areas of Nicolet National Forest, the map software provides a lot of detail and precise forest road information, but in other subsections it has hardly any data at all. The inaccuracy of the map is in all likelihood the most irritating issue with the unit. I find that I still have to consult my DeLorme Gazetteer to get precise road data in sure elements of the forest. My expectation of the unit when I purchased it was that it would take over the role as my crucial navigator, and I'd only consult the Gazetteer in case of emergency. I was a little disappointed when I came upon that the Garmin map software wasn't an adequate replacement.
ROUTE-CALCULATION/CAR-NAVIGATION (1/5 stars): The route calculation function is the biggest failure of this unit. The routes that this unit recommends defies logic in a great deal of cases. I asked the unit to formulate a route to take me from my home to my bestloved trail head in the forest. The route it commended was adequate for the purpose until it had to figure region and forest roads into it is trip plan. The unit seemed to become confused and, had I followed it is directions, would have routed me directly into the trunk of a giant tamarack. The route appeared to be too perplexed for the unit, so it just drew a straight line to the trail head from the nearest state highway -- ignoring instructions to follow roads only. The unit has failed to compute an exact route closely each time I asked it to do so. It doesn't even do a good occupation of trip planning from one huge city to another using major roads. I ought to point out that this GPS wasn't designed for these functions (route-calculation/auto-navigation). It may carry out them, but the unit is intended to be used in offroad and backwoods type environments. If you require a GPS for use in your car, then I commend that you buy one designed distinctively for that purpose. I don't consider the unit's poor performance in this area as a big negative since it falls a little outside the unit's area of expertise.
AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT: The addition of the microSD card was a outstanding feature, but it is almost criminal that the unit can't use free space on the card for further and added storage. My greatest complaint with the unit is that the limits on the number of waypoints, tracks, and routes seems arbitrary and closely inexcusable given the fact that the unit has closely limitless storage available through the use of microSD cards. I'd gladly pay extra cash for a unit that permitted me to save the track log for each trail I hike, along with the waypoint for the trail head, without any internal limit on the total number I may save. This is a severe weakness for the unit, and is the only thing that prevents me from giving it a perfective 5 star rating. As a hiker, I hike assorted trails that follow old logging roads, cross other trails, or go "off-trail" in a great deal of areas. I find it irritating that even altho I have a GPS, I still have to rely on memory to a great deal of extent, to do not forget which path I need to take at critical intersections. I comprehend I may mark those intersections with further and added waypoints but, again, the unit limits the number of waypoints you may store. It also limits the number of tracks you may save.
OVERALL (4/5 stars): I think this is the best GPS presently available for hiking/backpacking. It excels in outdoors/backwoods environments and has all the features necessary to assure that you are conscious of your current position, the type of terrain you will encounter ahead, and how to return to your begin position speedily and with ease. I feel confidant hiking into areas of the forest that I'm not intimate with using this unit as my guide. Potential buyers must be conscious of numerous of the limitations that I brought up in my review: 1) The unit's route calculation, when using it as a GPS in your car, is awful. If you need a GPS for your car, then buy one designed for that purpose. 2) The Garmin maps are acceptable, but don't suppose them to have each country backroad documented. 3) The internal storage limits could cause difficulties for a lot of users.
