all handhelds and pdas

I installed the software per the user's guide and used it on the first day I got it (12/23/03). My wife was driving and I was reading about it in the car. I had the GPS on and was amazed at how the map moved (Track up mode) as we moved. It was accurate re: driving speed, location, odometer, etc. Then I tried the Que Route mode and tried reaching a destination. The thing kept saying "Off Route, recalculating" over, and over, and over again. I was pissed! Then I read some reviews and learned that I had to go to the Garmin website (http://www.garmin.com/support/download.jsp) to download "release 2" and "release 2 patch 1." After following the detailed instructions and re-trying the Que route, the navigation was perfect. No problems whatsoever. The unit is occasionally inaccurate as to street addresses, and is better with known intersections (gets you there within 10 feet accuracy). Some street addresses were right on the money, but others were a few houses off. Overall, however, it's a tremendous tool and a very fun toy.
Definitely get the 256 MB expansion card at a minimum and you absolutely need the Auto-Nav travel kit.

I purchased this item in Jan 04 and I couldn't be happier. Prior to purchasing, I read the reviews listed here and started to become concerned because of some of the negative comments. I have used the palm operating system for many years and have owned a garmin e-trex legend for 3 years, so I was familiar with both basic operations. I have found that most of my concern was unfounded. Here are the remarks that most concerned me and my actual experience with them.

1) "Software problems". The software updates from Garmin are easily found and easily installed. Took less than 5 minutes start to finish. This was a non-issue.

2) Battery Life. Several users reported only one hour of use with the GPS on. I set the unit in battery saver mode and dimmed the screen brightness to about 30%. I then used auto-routing continuously in order to keep the unit from staying in stand-by mode. I felt this would be more of a real-world experience. The unit operated for over 5 hours before the low battery warning came on. While it could be better, I only use mine in the car and the 12v charger was always handy. If you will be using your gps mostly for outdoor activities, then buy the e-trex vista instead. It is more than adequate for non-vehicle use. (p.s. Instead of the car mounting system, i purchased the car charger and a Belkin AC-vent mount from walmart for $5. This kept the unit off the dashboard and within easy reach.)

3) Satelite aquisition time. Mine aquires within a minute, much faster than the e-trex. Regarding GPS accuracy, I placed this unit next to my garmin e-trex and both showed identical accuracy (8 feet with waas enabled).

4) "Speaker hard to hear". I drive a F-250 DIESEL and can hear the voice prompts clearly at 60 mph.

5) Memory. Many people recomended getting the 128 M card. 95% of my driving is within a 100 mile radius of my home and the internal memory stored it all with plenty of room left over (this may not be the case in larger cities). Map uploads are much faster (15 seconds) than my etrex legend(15 minutes)so adding a map for a trip is not a big deal.

6) "Hardware problems". My unit has worked flawlessly so far.

7) Map loading speed. Some reviews noted a slow map rebuild time. Mine is almost instantanious. (maybe different if using a sd card)

This is a great product that has,so far, exceeded my expectations.

Amazon's price was within $15 of the lowest price I found on the web, and I received it in two days.

Purchase screen protectors, they are a must with any palm device.

I can't believe so many people love this product. I love electronic gismos and rarely need to use instructions to figure how to work things. It took me for ever to figure out and too load maps. Once I got it working, it worked ok, but not great. Besides being hard to set up, it had three major problems.
1) Poor user interface. Hard to figure out how to use. Can't use while driving.
2) Short battery life. I many times lost important data because battery ran out too quickly.
3)SD card slot doesn't hold card well. I loaded east and west coast maps into device. Went on vacation. When I came home, I used it as GPS and wondered why no detailed maps where there. My card fell out without my knowledge.