Garmin c580 StreetPilot - the more detailed review

All righty then. Time for some StreetPilot c580 GPS goodness.

And even if you're not a GPS freak like I am, trust me, this stuff is cool.

Screen shot 1 : Main Menu (night color scheme)

This looks very similar to other "c" series StreetPilots, but now there's the butterfly MSN button and an MP3 button.

And if I had the Bluetooth enabled (which I don't because I don't have a Bluetooth-capable phone), there would also be a Bluetooth icon next to the signal strength bars.

Screen shot 2 : MSN Direct Menu (day color scheme)

Here we have our MSN Direct choices.

Let's look at "Traffic" first.

Screen shot 3 : Traffic (day color scheme)

The thick green lines indicate the roads are clear. If they weren't you'd see yellows for moderate traffic and reds for heavy/stopped traffic.

The orange icons indicate construction work.

To note: There are lots of other icons besides that, such as alerts for accidents, delays and so on.

Additional note: The truck on screen is one of the configurable vehicle icons. I have a green truck, so.. I used a green truck (duh).

Screen shot 4 : Traffic Details (day color scheme)

You can use the up/down buttons to scroll thru all the current advisories.

Screen shot 5 : Gas Prices (day color scheme)

The gas prices update daily. I happened to grab this screen shot early in the morning so the update didn't occur just yet.

You simply tap a gas station button and you'll get directed there.

Screen shot 6/7/8 : Weather (day color scheme)

Current weather, 3-day forecast and weather for other regions.

Note: For anywhere you travel to, be it from a search or from Favorites, the c580 will state what the current temperature is.

Additional note: You will be notified of weather advisories. When you first get in your car and turn the unit on (if plugged into the MSN Direct receiver, better known as the power cord) - the c580 will immediately tell you via a notification icon if there is a weather advisory present for wherever you are.

Screen shot 9 : MP3 Player and volume control

The c580 has an MP3 player. And it has a port to output the audio elsewhere, such as a car stereo. This is located on the back of the unit.

Big whoop. Whatever.

Screen shot 10/11 : Avoidances (night color scheme)

We've got some newly added avoidances here.

. . .

To those out there who use existing "c" series StreetPilots, using the c580 will be very familiar to you. Garmin has kept the layout of the menus and screens consistent with the previous models - and that's good. There's almost no learning curve whatsoever.

The MSN Direct content feels like a natural extension of the unit, rather than something totally different. That's good, too.

Later on I may do up a video on usage and whatnot. Watch for it. 🙂