| Garmin Nuvi 1490 Traffic Satellite Navigation System with European Maps | 
| Brand: Garmin
Category: CE
List Price: £269.99
Buy New: £164.95
as of 30/7/2010 02:11 CDT details
You Save: £105.04 (39%)
New (24) Used (1) from £139.99
Seller: eXpansys UK Ltd
Rating:  73 reviews
Media: Electronics
Batteries: 1
Batteries Included: No
Display Size: 5
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 0.6 x 5.4 x 3.4
MPN: 010-00810-06
Model: 010-00810-06
UPC: 753759094362
EAN: 5052217001733
ASIN: B002AEZYVY
Release Date: June 29, 2009
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Almost perfect January 7, 2010
James Halliday
111 out of 111 found this review helpful
Eventually selected this Garmin after looking at a lot of other GPS units.
I've used TomTom for years, so my main decision was whether I stuck with them - or finally bit the bullet and tried out another manufacturer.
I'm used to TomTom's UI - but every extra feature seems to cost a fortune and I loathe their customer service.
Quick summary - I'm glad I changed.
Bad things:
The Power Lead. Power lead for the unit is a thick cable that's like having a boa sprawled over your dashboard. I've absolutely no idea why they've made it so chunky. On the bright side though, I've got no worries that it's going to snag or break, I'm quite convinced it's going to outlast me.
It's crashed a couple of times. When it does crash it restarts and you with one button push you're back on your route. Not good it crashed, but at least it's a reasonably pain-free crash.
Manuals. Useless. Traffic was flakey on my first trip and I'd no idea why. I'd used the power lead, but kept on losing signal. Only when I got home and noticed another lead in the box, I realized that there was a separate FM antenna you have to plug into the power lead.
Good things:
Build Quality. It feels well made. Big sold slab of nice rubberized plastic, with a lovely bright massive screen on the front.
UI. Didn't take me long to realize I preferred it to TomTom.
Full Post-code recognition. Many units have this now, but it was lovely to get it.
Bluetooth Handsfree. Works beautifully. I turn on my GPS and it now automatically routes all calls to it - can just leave your phone in your pocket.
Traffic. Not a lot to say. It works, and it comes free with the unit (yes I'm talking to you TomTom with your overpriced optional FM aerials).
Road Names. I liked the sound of this, but definitely my favourite feature. Rather than just saying "turn left in x", it actually tells you the name of the road you need to take (and quite remarkably pronounces everything correctly). Makes a massive difference when driving in a town as you no longer have to glance at the GPS screen to check where it thinks it is, and therefore where the 2nd left actually is.
In summary, it's not perfect (so close it hurts a bit) - but I think it's the best value unit out there.
Lovely large screen, full post-code search, lane guidance, road-name speech, bundled FM traffic, nice simple, clear GUI, European Maps. As far as I'm aware, there's no other unit that will give you all this for the price.
Some issues, but excellent overall November 15, 2009
M. Hammond (Hutton, Essex)
192 out of 194 found this review helpful
This seems to be a product that divides opinion. Yes, I recognise most of the criticisms that have been made by other reviewers, but I also believe they can be overcome to a large degree. For example:
1. Buy a dashboard mount: I find this invaluable, providing somewhere to tuck spare wiring, as well as making removal from the car that much easier.
2. True, the touchscreen can be frustrating at first, but with practice errors become much rarer.
Of course, the simplest way to use a SatNav is just to put your destination in and let the SatNav take you there, but we all know the difficulties that can create, when the SatNav thinks that impassable track is a great short cut, avoiding the need to take the main road miles further. The great advantage of the Nüvi 1490 is that you can use it away from the car to plan and simulate routes. If you think the SatNav is wrong you can always change the route by adding Waypoints.
As with human beings, it cannot be expected to respond to information it hasn't received, so if there is no FM signal or no information available, you may still be stuck in a queue. However, whilst driving from the North East to the Midlands recently, I twice had reason to be grateful for its ability to re-route in the face of traffic problems up ahead, so this is a useful feature, despite its limitations.
Finally, the Nüvi 1490 is not just a SatNav for the car. It's light-weight and its pedestrian mode means you can continue to us it when you have left the car, enabling you to avoid getting lost in town.
So, all in all, this SatNav may not yet be the answer to ALL our dreams, but it's still the best I have come across.
Stick with it! October 29, 2009
Derek Manley (Derbyshire U.K.)
54 out of 54 found this review helpful
Nearly caused a divorce the first time we used it but that's not the machine's fault! Worked O.K. out of the box, easy to set up - connect to computer to update firm ware (do this on a regular basis for ongoing updates). Maps clear,(although a few glaring errors)spoken instructions clear although female voice less distinct. Traffic jam updates good. Third party POIs plentiful but remember to upload everything at one go as previous inputs are overwritten. Works for me - a decent piece of kit.
Addendum to above - If you are updating maps make sure you have, a very fast internet connection, a fast CPU, plenty of time... and patience. Took me about nine attempts over three days to finally get everything sorted. If the downloader looks as if it is doing something, it probably is! It's just flaming slow. Also I hope the update is major otherwise it's a lot of effort for maybe very little.
Very impressive device January 16, 2010
Douglas Hill (Scotland)
15 out of 15 found this review helpful
This is my second satnav, bought to replace a very good one produced by Sony, who have now ceased to produce satnavs, so that getting map updates was a problem. I went for the Garmin 1490 because it came out top in a very exhaustive review carried out by a respected consumer magazine - and I haven't been disappointed. It's even better than the Sony, getting me to my destination correctly each time I've used it. And it's quick in "translating" the satellite info to my actual position - for example, when I go under a railway bridge, the screen shows that (the Sony sometimes showed this a little too late or early). Its estimate of arrival times is a bit optimistic, but, there again, I haven't connected the traffic info aerial yet, so maybe that can be excused. The maps appear to be very up-to-date - it was good to be able to get a free update just after purchase. (But they're not up to date for everywhere - our house in Spain doesn't apparently exist, although we moved in five years ago, and I've just been looking at it in a photo on Google Earth! On the other hand, it contains full details of a new housing development in Scotland that had its first occupants only last year!) I haven't found anything to moan about, although I would say that the manual is sometimes not as clear as it might be, but that will be sorted out by experience.
My second GPS... My Second Garmin January 10, 2010
Garmin GPS Reviewer (Cambs, UK)
29 out of 30 found this review helpful
Firstly thank you to everyone else who's taken the time to review this. On the strength of opinion I did buy this unit- and have found the following points with it:
1) Hefty cable- yes it is bulky- but in my opinion only slightly moreso than my old 205W power lead- and is powering the traffic aerial to boot- so understandable. I personally wrap the excess bulk around my cupholder- but can understand other reviewers concerns over this.
2) The additional aerial and suckers I find too short.. I could do with it being 50% longer, and another sucker- and I suspect causes a poor traffic reception- moreso than it should. I have lost reception for upto 1hr on a 4hr journey east-west via Birmingham. When the traffic work though it is brilliant- and is as good as having AA traffic reports right under your nose.
3) Software issues. When I first received it- and used it on one of my journeys I did experience issues over it locking up- which it did 3 times over said 4hr journeys. This seemed to be related to a) Poor connection with the lighter socket and b) just using the device sometimes also caused a lockup and reset- at some very bad moments! Fortuantely it went back to where it left off.
I did update the firmware- and it made little difference, but since then Garmin have releaves another software update through their site and as of 27th Dec this appears to be giving the unit reliability on a par with the 205W- as I was expecting in the first place!
4) Map updates. Yes I have downloaded my free update the unit did need it- a number of junctions on the route weren't shown correctly but now are. Yes it is a whopping 3+Gb's worth and did take a good couple of hours on my 8mb Broadband verified running at 7.5Mb throughout) The uncompression and installation took a similiar time to the download- and I would strongly recommend a newer PC to do this on. Suggest to set the download going and then leave it- probably best done overnight. Do the same with the installation- this is one process that will take a long while- so just let it run its course.
5) Junction View- does what it says... But not for every single interchange. I've found it only does for major motorway and dual carriageway interchanges, but you can call it in advance by clicking the lane button in top left, and clicking Junction View. I find this a quirk- but personally find it nice it can be called on demand from about 2 miles beforehand. The overhead junction layout plan the unit shows I also find a nice touch- and helps keep things clearer- and much better that the 205W
I do like the bigger size #it allows a bigger speaker so you can hear the announcements easier) and always have liked the Garmin interface- which is pretty much the same as the 205W... It's nice put onto a bigger screen though.
Overall I like this. It would of scored it higher, had I not had the issue over the software updates.
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