Garmin nuvi 1350 (GPS receiver)

Pros: I've used the Garmin Nuvi 1350 GPS for a month, including a road trip through the west coast states and Canada.

Pros:
- GPS works well most of the time - I found it easy to follow with clear voice annunciation of upcoming turns. The GPS did "get lost" wh

Cons: - Updating the unit's maps is a hassle. First, you need to buy a USB-miniUSB cable specifically for data. To get the current maps and device software you must download a proprietary Garmin Communicator Plugin to your computer. The plugin is problematic on

Summary: Other negatives:

- Their search and points-of-interest references are woefully out of date. For example, when searching for fuel stations it listed numerous locations that have been CLOSED FOR OVER A DECADE. I also found their business search database to be very limited, usually showing the "spinning hourglass" for several minutes before I gave up.

- The unit had several intermittent software bugs, like: toggling between full color maps and one color maps at random; mysteriously rebooting itself while driving; and occasionally telling me to take a meandering and time-consuming country road detour when there were much more direct and safer routes available.

- The in-vehicle power cord plug makes a high-pitched squeal. I tried exchanging it twice and they all made the same noise. My car is quiet inside so I found this bothersome.

- Battery life is short (less than three hours) when not plugged into a power source if you want to use it on a bicycle or on foot.

- The display is impossible to read in direct sunlight.