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Joined: Feb 16, 2008 Posts: 695 Location: Florida, USA
Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 12:54 am Post subject:
Unless you try them both out, even in a store, for yourself.
Another option is to buy both from a seller with a decent return policy. Use both for a week and return one.
@ Anita- I do have some experience myself with other devices, tho I won't bother with detail. I certainly understand your feeling that a post by a non-owner should perhaps be ignored. In my case, I believe my observations are quite accurate and not made without some knowledge not only of the device itself, but even extending to many of the 3rd party and poi solutions.
It has been quite an interesting discussion so far. Andy's screenshots seem to advantage TomTom's cause (especially that side-by-side comparison of the roundabout!) but as gatorguy says that is comparing the views from an older Garmin unit, and from what I recall at the store the 760's map did appear to be of improved quality.
Not that TomTom are entirely free of roundabout issues, for instance just yesterday in NL news a TomTom unit was reported to have directed a driver over the middle of a new roundabout and into some wet cement...
In the end both units seem to be so close together in terms of quality that it may come down to whether or not the Nuvi's Guam map also includes the rest of the Marianas!
Joined: Feb 16, 2008 Posts: 695 Location: Florida, USA
Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 2:00 am Post subject:
Are Garmin 700's so rarely found in stores there that no one can actually look at one? A screen shot (small bitmapped file) of a nav display, then shown on a flat unknown resolution computer screen with unprofiled color space is certainly no evidence of real-life screen quality/color on any device. What that picture looks like on your computer is certainly different in both color and quality from what I will see on mine. If anyone is actually curious about the comparison, take the time to look at the display on each, even if only at a store display. I will guarantee the clarity and text crispness of the Garmin screen, even the brightness, in comparison to the TT720 will surprise you. Only advantage of the TT display is in refresh rate. Neither device uses a dedicated graphics processor. Of course, if you really want top see a display with both antialiasing and fast refresh, take a look at the HP300 series. That's the way a display should look.
Joined: Mar 15, 2006 Posts: 3219 Location: Windlesham, Surrey
Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 2:11 am Post subject:
gatorguy6996 wrote:
@ Anita- I do have some experience myself with other devices, tho I won't bother with detail. I certainly understand your feeling that a post by a non-owner should perhaps be ignored. In my case, I believe my observations are quite accurate and not made without some knowledge not only of the device itself, but even extending to many of the 3rd party and poi solutions.
Sorry, gatorguy, I wasn't suggesting your posts should be ignored, but with passionate views on both sides colossus is no nearer reaching a decision. I just felt that maybe people with experience of both devices (and not only mikealder) might give more useful comparisons.
I certainly don't have any strong views on Garmin v TomTom, and would probably have upgraded to a better Garmin device if I hadn't won the TomTom. _________________ Anita
TomTom VIA 135 - App 12.075
UK map 1130.12368
Samsung Galaxy S21
Joined: Feb 16, 2008 Posts: 695 Location: Florida, USA
Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 2:23 am Post subject:
Unfortunately, he may not be able to help as much, either. After reading the posts a bit closer. it would appear that he also doesn't have both the 760 and 720 at his disposal. I believe his may be a 300 series device? Please correct me if I am mistaken. By the end of next week, I will be evaluating each of these side by side on a daily basis for at least 2 weeks, as I am currently with the HP310. Who knows . . . I may adjust my opinion after the comparison.
Joined: Feb 10, 2008 Posts: 22 Location: Calgary, CANADA
Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 4:55 am Post subject:
gatorguy6996 wrote:
By the way Continental Drifter, good to see you here. It's been lively.
Lively indeed!
You're doing an admirable job of carrying the torch.
Perhaps we TomTom fans should call in some reinforcements.
Now what is infama's number?
Anyway. Keep up the good work. You may or may not win this one but you have definitely shown that Garmin is a more than viable alternative. I might even get one myself some day.
Judging from the screenshots above it does seem like there's been some improvement to the map view in the Nuvi series since the 300. That explains why when I went to the store the other day I didn't immediately think, omg what terrible maps on the 760!
I've never been too thrilled with the Nuvi color scheme and overall I still slightly prefer the maps on the 720, but that's only one of many factors for me. In fact, at the store I saw PNDs from other manufacturers with map views that looked superior to both TomTom's and Garmin's views, yet I still will not be considering them due to the general consensus that they aren't in the same league as TomTom/Garmin in terms of functionality and customer support.
Joined: Jan 04, 2006 Posts: 9323 Location: Durham, UK
Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 10:36 am Post subject:
Whilst i don't like the colours Garmin chose when just looking at the screen, when driving i find it very effective at getting the road layout and turns across even with a quick glance.
Whilst i don't like the colours Garmin chose when just looking at the screen, when driving i find it very effective at getting the road layout and turns across even with a quick glance.
Mine experience is roughly the same, with two exceptions:
1) the graphic refresh rate make it sometimes problematic to decide when to turn, especially if you have two streets one after another, the distance to turn is more 'real time' than the image refresh rate
2) the - i could say "bold" line for roads with make it sometimes difficult to figura what lane/road to take on complex junctions,
3) auto-zoom in some situations zooms out too much... for example driving through a city, take the junction, and its 2 km to the next juctions,
immediately after clearing the first one, garmin zooms out so you could see the junction 2 km ahead resulting in total mess (there are so many roads visible almost overlapping each other that it is hard to figure what's going on and/or seeing the 'turn arrow' until the device zooms in closer before the junction.
As for before you buy advices generally speaking I think both devices are fine. and the user who had not any of them will be pleased regardless what you buy. Many of those differences pointed out here will come out
only if you use both devices for a while and see what fits you better.
Also some issues are not easily comparable, for example 760 has better mount, but 720/920 supports remote control (option in 720, standard in 920). After I bought my 920 I thought to myself why the heck the remote
and left it in the box. Then I've tried it few times, and now can't live without it. I just don't touch my PND after I mount it in the car. Very similar - in terms of ease of use - to the radio buttons on your steering wheel.
Joined: Feb 16, 2008 Posts: 695 Location: Florida, USA
Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 1:53 pm Post subject:
Don't you still need to tap the screen to activate the speech input even with the remote? If I recall correctly, some screen input is still required to input addresses even with the remote.
Joined: Jun 04, 2005 Posts: 19991 Location: West and Southwest London
Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 2:58 pm Post subject:
Thanks for the screenshots Paul.
Well, I have to admit I still think the maps look really "cartoon-like" but they ARE an improvement (down to personal preference again!).
The main difference I can see is in the road names - yours look OK, whereas mine look like they have been hand-written!
I wonder why? Is it down to the hardware or the map version itself?
I've not seen the "half road names" problem so much since I ditched the SD card with extra POIs on; but it basically would have shown just "Ashlone", "Festing" etc. on the view below.
In fact, I've just noticed, it's there on "Church" in my second pair below!
With the card out, performance is definitely better than with it in, but screen refresh rate is still less than half that of the TomTom.
-----------------------------------------
I'm going to sign off from this topic I think, as I'm starting to repeat myself, but here's just a couple more comparison pictures between the Nuvi300 and the Go720 (for what it's worth, having just learnt how to make them!):
(I think I see what you mean about "jaggies" now, Gatorguy - on the edges of the roads?)
..and finally, as we haven't yet managed a direct comparison between the two models we started discussing all that time ago.... I tried to match the position of one of Paul's:
(I forgot to mention... notice also that one way streets and no through roads are marked on the TT mapping, does that happen on the Garmin now?)
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