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216 of 218 humans found the following review helpful.
Fixed firmware makes this refurbished Nuvi the very best of the best!
By Jackson Harris
OK ... First things first. When the 1490 was primary freed in 2009, the firmware was so buggy that the unit even suffered from spontaneous reboots ... IN MID ROUTE! Occasionally it would not even restart again without the 10 second hold on the on button. THOUSANDS of these units were returned to COSTCO who got the basi release. In fact, so some were returned that Garmin genuinely freed this product again ... as a refurbished unit. The only modify being loading new firmware and packing it in a white box.
So now ... for underneath $200 you may get a new ... closely ... Nuvi with the best form factor, feature set, and ... now ... rock solid firmware on the market.
Here is what to do ...
1. Buy this unit ... just get it.
2. As soon as it arrives, scan the Amazon paperwork ... you'll need it for step 4
3. Log on to [...] and try to register the unit (you will need the S/N)
4. If you can not register the unit ... you likely can not ... call Garmin support (excellent USA based support) and tell them you can not register your refurbished unit. They will ask you to send them proof of recent buy ... without delay email the Amazon paperwork scanned in step 2. They will make an entry on the spot and you may register right away. Also explain that you want new maps. They may hook you up with a download of the most recent maps since you are a new owner.
5. Download and install Garmin's free Webupdater program. You will need that to get the latest firmware updates. Latest version was issued May 10, 2010 and is version 4.10.
6. Finally ... install in your car and enjoy.
I know, all this takes time. The new map downloads alone are 2 hours, and the scanning thing ... well, just recognise that it is worth it. The 5" screen is awful and since the solution is unchanged, everything is more spectacular and clearer. Audio is louder and clearer on this model. Battery life is better. Bluetooth now works very well. The eco data is very utile and the traffic is perfective now ... in this latest firmware. Lane help is 'da bomb. And don't forget in regards to the little extras like an awful photo viewer and available micro SD slot (I put in an 8 Gig card and Nuvi had no trouble reading it.)
All and all, you score big as a result of Garmin's short sighted decision to release an not finished product too early. But now that the firmware is fixed ... WOW!!!
211 of 216 humans found the following review helpful.
Wow! Severe Traffic Ahead, Recalculating!
By Lee Besing
I purchased this item after much comparison with the others available. This item was refurbished by Garmin, but still had a 1 year factory warranty, so why compensate full retail? I just found this same GPS at a local major merchandising store for $449.99, so my $243 buy price was a bargain, in particular with free shipping!Garmin nüvi 1490/1490T 5-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic (Factory Refurbished)
Features - I wanted multi-point mapping abilities & capacity upload routes from my PC, cause I volunteer for the MS150 and Tour de Cure bicycle events that have multiple break points (rest stops) and a route that zig-zags all over creation.
Features - I liked the idea of a more prominent screen (5 inch), the lifetime traffic service, the built in bluetooth speakerphone, and Garmin's reputation.
Map Upgrades - I found that I could buy a lifetime subscription to map updates for a little over $100, using the 10% discount code Garmin gave me for registering my unit with them. (Note: register with Garmin first, then buy the map upgrade from their site, save 10%.)
Other Items Bought - I also purchased the Garmin friction dash mount to use rather of the (included) suction cup window mount.Garmin Portable Friction Mount [Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging]
Who Needs the Stinking Manuals - Being a guy, I didn't bother with reading any manuals until much later. Got it straight out of the box, turned it on and employed it for a trip right then and there, comparing it side by side with my old GPS. I plugged in a destination with regards to 160+ miles away involving interstate highways in Texas, plus a lot of side roads, multiple towns, etc. I went straight from the PO Box, to the carwash before leaving town and hitting the highway north to Ft. Hood from San Antonio, TX.
The Garmin 1490T got me there rapidly and without delay (than the way my old GPS tried to route me) by when it comes to 20 minutes, cause it took me down a state highway with 60-70mph speeds, rather of sticking only to US highways.
Audio Directions - Audio quality rather nice in my opinion. Computer female voice, default 80% volume setting, easy to listen over road noise even in a rainstorm while driving.
Bluetooth Speaker Phone- I figured out how to connect my cell phone to the Garmin 1490T reasonably easy, with pin code 1234. I've been making and sending calls by way of it, largely as a speaker phone, but found that the 1490T in truth pulled down my phone directory and I could dial from there instead. But it didn't get 100% of the directory. For a lot of reason, it didn't get all 500 phone #'s, like it skipped my wife's cell number. (not good). Audio has been reported as good from the callers on the other end, saying a lot of road noise detected, one saying I sounded like I was on a speaker phone, but rather legible even while highways noise was in background. Don't undertake using the speaker phone while driving in a rainstorm, too much background road noise from the rain hitting the windshield, etc.
Traffic Alerts - I wasn't sure how that worked, but trusted it would, since San Antonio, TX, (where I live) was on the list of covered cities. But as I drove north on IH-35 toward Austin, TX, all of a sudden a voice came out of nowhere saying "Severe Traffic Congestion Ahead, Recalculating Route". This was regarding 35 miles before the congestion! It took me up into the congested area, then routed me around the majority of it. Wish I had trusted it earlier and I would have popped over to the nearby tollroad miles earlier instead. To me it was magic, I'm not sure how this works (FM transmitter / received built into power cord) in terms of where they get their live traffic data from, but it worked.
Lane Changing Alerts - The visual guide to altering lanes was more of a "hey, there are two right turn lanes ahead, left two lanes go straight", etc. Audio was very exact in saying "stay left for exit to..." or "stay right to exit then turn left/right, etc." Very timely alerts and I never missed a turn while using it on this trip.
Screen Display - Easy to read! It alerts me to local speed limits when driving on highways, was only off by 5mph one short stretch of Texas Hwy 195 (speed was genuinely 60 rather of 65). Noticed a great deal of glare when the sun hit the screen from behind or from the side, will apply anti-glare screen like I used on my digital camera to see if that helps in future.
Cons: When text messaging received, it says "unknown caller" and stays on the screen, in spite of touching "ignore" or "answer". Have noticed a few times that pop-up screen (while using bluetooth function) is annoying only because it didn't go away right away, but the GPS held giving me audio directions even even though I couldn't see the map. I'm going to keep playing with that "issue" and contact Garmin tech support with regards to it if I can't resolve it myself.
Recommendation - Yes, I strongly commend this model to any person wanting a easy to read, easy to use, exact GPS for their vehicle. Supposedly it has pedestrian direction functions built in, with further and added maps available for buy (really cheap per metro area), but I will only be using it in my mini-van.
Thank you Amazon for another awful deal!
69 of 70 people found the following review helpful.
SIMPLY THE BEST YOU COULD ASK FOR!
By david c leavitt
I've owned various Garmin GPS merchandise in the past, and The 1490T is my latest purchase. I consider Garmin veritably the "gold standard" in the product field. Attractive casing, well engineered and laid out and very intuitive. The five inch screen is bright, effortlessly read in traffic and very colorful, and candidly I can't comprehend why this five inch screen option is not offered on the rest of the upper scale Garmin line. Bluetooth linking to my I-Phone 3G S is flawless and audio quality both sending and receiving is rather good. The interface is easy to input addresses, and the user menu offers a wealth of data you may op for. In reading another review here included, the compliant arose over outdated map data, undoubtedly affiliated to the refreb status. I too noted older map data in my unit, but with a simple free call to Garmin tech aid I was effortlessly capable to get over this problem. The tech aid representative merely asked me for proof of current buy date from Amazon, which I provided without apparent effort and speedily by emailing a copy of my Amazon online invoice. I was then provided with an modified current warranty date, and made entitled for the sixty day primary Garmin online complimentary mapping update. The resulting download I was then permitted to access through my newly set up Garmin account page gave me the latest North American map soft wear version 2010.40. The graphic lane alter feature is amazing, as all screen clutter is without delay got rid of as you approach a major highway brake and are shown a colorful 3D arrow guiding you visually into the rectify lane to maintain route. Again, the five inch screen size shines! The 1490T is state of the art, providing superb routing, colorful interface, magnificent blu tooth connectivity, and the wondrous lane change feature...at $199.00 as a refurbished with a full year's factory warranty..look no further!
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