Nuvi500

[adrenaline503]

Got a Nuvi500 for Xmas!!

My totally awesome wife got me a Nuvi500 and I have a few questions for the masses. I would like to get the "Garmin Topo United States Maps 2008 100K DVD" and was wondering if it is better to load to an SD card or use a USB cable? Does it read more quickly from SD or from the built in memory? Am I looking at this totally incorrectly? It is in the truck charging right now, but the one thing I noticed before the battery died was that I couldn't switch to car mode from walk mode. Any tips?

Thanks

 

[Tumbleweed]

If I understand Garmin right, that TOPO is preloaded into the memory of the nuvi 500. I would wait and add the more detailed topo of each area/state I wanted when they come out. They will be 1:24. Only a few states out now.
Being a near waterproof model, getting the SD card out of the 500 requires pulling the battery out. The slot is behind the battery. Not bad, but not as easy as having an outside slot.

 

[James86004]

If you have an SD card slot built into your computer, it is way faster to pull the SD card from the device and load it directly. If you are using a USB based SD card reader, you might as well leave the card in the device and transfer it with a cable. Also, it will read faster from built in memory than from the SD card, but there usually is not much built in memory.

I have a Nuvi 500 on my Amazon wish list for Christmas. If i get it, I may be able to answer your questions with more authority.

 

[HelaJames]

I have had the 500 for a couple of months and love it. It comes loaded with TOPO on it as well as the usual turn by turn directions. It takes Micro SD not SD cards on the inside under the battery. you can switch from car to bike to walk mode whenever you want. if you start driving in walk mode it will ask if you want to switch.

I use it in my Jeep, My KTM, My mountain bike and on foot, it is a good all around unit!!

Jim

 

[teejnut]

I've had mine for a few weeks and so far so good!