Originally Posted by
Cychologist
It doesn't navigate as well as an auto Garmin ("recalculating" is changed to a message in the middle of the screen saying you are off course) and you have to download the route into the Garmin for it to give you directions. It than prompts you visually of the upcoming turns you have programmed, etc.
This isn't quite correct. The 800/810 provide a few different methods of navigation (and you can use more than one of them at the same time).
1) "A to B" computed routes (like a car navigation unit). It does this fairly well. It will "recalculate" the route just like a car navigation unit.
2) Computed directions based on uploaded routes (you want to use clean "track" routes). Often, these routes are loops that begin and end at the same place. This displays the same sorts of annoucements that 1 does. It seems most people find that the "recalculation" mode (you can turn it off) doesn't work that well for following uploaded routes.
3) Waypoint navigation (Garmin calls this "course points"). This uses points in the uploaded file that have icons (arrows) and labels. These waypoints are placed at turns in the uploaded file.
4) Off-course/on-course. With this method, you follow a track (path) on the Garmin and, if you get too far off, the device buzzes and tells you are off-course. You then move back to the route and it indicates "course found".
5) Follow a track/path. You can display a track on the map and follow it (no annoucements at all). (While this is pretty basic, it's still useful sometimes.)
Originally Posted by
Cychologist
The Garmin forums helped me a lot in getting acquainted with it's features, although a lot of people who post as not as pleased with the product as I am.
There haven't been that many complaints about the 800. The 810 has, it seems, had some issues that it's taking some time to work out. The number of people posting on those forums is a very small fraction of the number of people who have bought the units.