Review by D. Menke for Garmin nüvi 1490/1490T 5-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic (Factory Refurbished)
Rating:
Overall great product.

PRO: Easy to see large display, traffic feature is helpful, “turn lane” function is great – you will never miss an exit on a multiple lane highway.

CON: The only issue I have is with the user interface. This model (not sure if standard on all GARMINs) does not have an “escape” key to bring you directly back to the main menu. Meaning there are many menus with menus, as you drill down you have to push as many “x” buttons to get back to the main menu or map. This can be very annoying.

Review by Andy Royce for Garmin nüvi 1490/1490T 5-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic (Factory Refurbished)
Rating:
I, like others before me, researched many makes and models of GPS units and finally settled on the Garmin 1490T (T for traffic support). I’ve used this unit for over almost two months and am very pleased with my selection. At first I was not sure I would use it every day back and forth the twenty two miles to work but after initial use I have it on almost all the time. Reason…for the traffic updates. The traffic update feature is well worth the added expense as it gives you plenty of warning both visually and via voice that there is traffic ahead…the traffic shows on the screen with either yellow or red beside the route you are on. When the traffic icon warning goes yellow or red (it tells you how long the delay is) you have the option to select the traffic icon and can then push options to see where the traffic is being reported ahead of you and you have the option to route around the problem.

Other features I like are the fact that this is a wide screen which means I can see more of what is on the map even when other information is on the screen like miles per hour arrival time distance and so on. This model comes with a feature called junction view which I was skeptical of at first but when it comes on is very handy because it shows you a picture of complex interstate intersections with easy to follow verbal and visual directions. It has pictures of only complex interstate intersections…spaghetti junctions. The picture pops up when you are about .8 mile from the intersection so you have a visual image of what the intersection looks like. Kinda cool. If you are directionally challenged you will like this feature. There are also features for 2D and 3D tracking…2D for an overhead shot of your route that automatically zooms in when you get close to a turn and 3D for an upclose look at your route all the time…2D is best overall and 3D when your route is complex.

Other features are this one has a pedestrian mode for using in strange places and when you want to find the bus stops. It is supposed to work if you are on a bicycle. This one has lots of options for shortest route or fastest route or most economical like most GPS units. Depending on what option you select may generate some strange routes. I tried all the options and found one day it had me exiting from the interstate then getting right back on several times…very strange. I saw in advance what it was doing and ignored the command to take the exit then later changed the setting to fastest route and that corrected the strange commands.

It also has the ability to connect to Bluetooth which is OK but people complain there is lots of background noise…they can still hear me but it is not the best feature if your car has wind noise. Bluetooth connects automatically when you turn the GPS on and will not work if you also have an ear bud Bluetooth…turn the ear bud off.

Finding a place is very straight forward. You are prompted for the city, then the house number then the street name. When you start entering the street name the unit will respond with some options to select from. Very easy to use the on screen keyboard…not while driving of course but non-the-less easy to use.

Routing is a challenge if you know the best way to get to your destination because the GPS may route you differently depending on how it is set. You can force it to go a certain route by selecting intersections to route through. If you do not know the way then let the GPS do the route for you and you will be fine. If you go off route or stop along the way it will recalculate reroute you in a few seconds.

I used the Points of Interest feature a few times and find it does a nice job of finding gas stations, restaurants and other points near to where you are.

This GPS also connects to your computer for updates and to a Garmin product called MapSource. MapSource is kinda cool because you can use it to upload and download routes from your GPS to the computer. Create a complex route on a map on your computer with lots of waypoints or stops along the way then download the route to the GPS and you are good to go.

One stumble I had was when I purchased my 1490t it was described as used or refurbished but I got a nice discount over a new one. When I went to get the free map update I got a message from (…) saying that I did not qualify because I was outside the 60 free period. Since I had just bought it and received it a few days prior I wondered if it had anything to do that it was refurb. I poked around on the mygarmin site and noted that it showed that my particular serial number had already received a map upgrade almost eight month prior to my owning this device. I sent an email to the support people and they simply had me send them a copy of the sales receipt to validate my recent purchase. Then they set (…) so that it recognized my unit as eligible to receive an updated map.

Now I am good to go with fresh maps and am pleased with my purchase…it works well and the Amazon price was the better than any of the others on offer.

Review by david c leavitt for Garmin nüvi 1490/1490T 5-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic (Factory Refurbished)
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I’ve owned several Garmin GPS products in the past, and The 1490T is my latest purchase. I consider Garmin truly the “gold standard” in the product field. Attractive casing, well engineered and laid out and very intuitive. The five inch screen is bright, easily read in traffic and very colorful, and frankly I can’t understand why this five inch screen option is not offered on the rest of the upper scale Garmin line. Bluetooth linking to my I-Phone 3G S is flawless and audio quality both sending and receiving is quite good. The interface is easy to input addresses, and the user menu offers a wealth of information you can op for. In reading another review here included, the compliant arose over outdated map data, undoubtedly related to the refreb status. I too noted older map data in my unit, but with a simple free call to Garmin tech support I was easily able to overcome this problem. The tech support representative simply asked me for proof of current purchase date from Amazon, which I provided easily and quickly by emailing a copy of my Amazon online invoice. I was then provided with an updated current warranty date, and made eligible for the sixty day initial Garmin online complimentary mapping update. The resulting download I was then allowed to access through my newly set up Garmin account page gave me the latest North American map soft wear version 2010.40. The graphic lane change feature is amazing, as all screen clutter is immediately removed as you approach a major highway brake and are shown a colorful 3D arrow guiding you visually into the correct lane to maintain route. Again, the five inch screen size shines! The 1490T is state of the art, providing superb routing, colorful interface, excellent blu tooth connectivity, and the wonderful lane change feature…at $199.00 as a refurbished with a full year’s factory warranty..look no further!

Review by Jackson Harris for Garmin nüvi 1490/1490T 5-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic (Factory Refurbished)
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OK … First things first. When the 1490 was first released in 2009, the firmware was so buggy that the unit even suffered from spontaneous reboots … IN MID ROUTE! Occasionally it would not even restart again without the 10 second hold on the on button. THOUSANDS of these units were returned to COSTCO who got the original release. In fact, so many were returned that Garmin actually released this product again … as a refurbished unit. The only change being loading new firmware and packing it in a white box.

So now … for under $200 you can get a new … almost … Nuvi with the best form factor, feature set, and … now … rock solid firmware on the market.

Here is what to do …

1. Buy this unit … just get it.

2. As soon as it arrives, scan the Amazon paperwork … you’ll need it for step 4

3. Log on to [...] and attempt to register the unit (you will need the S/N)

4. If you cannot register the unit … you likely cannot … call Garmin support (excellent USA based support) and tell them you cannot register your refurbished unit. They will ask you to send them proof of recent purchase … immediately email the Amazon paperwork scanned in step 2. They will make an entry on the spot and you can register right away. Also explain that you want new maps. They can hook you up with a download of the newest maps since you are a new owner.

5. Download and install Garmin’s free Webupdater program. You will need that to get the latest firmware updates. Latest version was issued May 10, 2010 and is version 4.10.

6. Finally … install in your car and enjoy.

I know, all this takes time. The new map downloads alone are 2 hours, and the scanning thing … well, just know that it is worth it. The 5″ screen is awesome and since the resolution is unchanged, everything is bigger and clearer. Audio is louder and clearer on this model. Battery life is better. Bluetooth now works very well. The eco info is very useful and the traffic is perfect now … in this latest firmware. Lane assist is ‘da bomb. And don’t forget about the little extras like an awesome photo viewer and available micro SD slot (I put in an 8 Gig card and Nuvi had no trouble reading it.)

All and all, you score big as a result of Garmin’s short sighted decision to release an unfinished product too early. But now that the firmware is fixed … WOW!!!

Review by Lee Besing for Garmin nüvi 1490/1490T 5-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic (Factory Refurbished)
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I bought this item after much comparison with the others available. This item was refurbished by Garmin, but still had a 1 year factory warranty, so why pay full retail? I just found this same GPS at a local major retail store for $449.99, so my $243 purchase price was a bargain, especially with free shipping!Garmin nüvi 1490/1490T 5-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic (Factory Refurbished)

Features – I wanted multi-point mapping abilities & ability upload routes from my PC, cause I volunteer for the MS150 and Tour de Cure bicycle events that have multiple break points (rest stops) and a route that zig-zags all over creation.

Features – I liked the idea of a larger screen (5 inch), the lifetime traffic service, the built in bluetooth speakerphone, and Garmin’s reputation.

Map Upgrades – I found that I could buy a lifetime subscription to map updates for a little over $100, using the 10% discount code Garmin gave me for registering my unit with them. (Note: register with Garmin first, then buy the map upgrade from their site, save 10%.)

Other Items Bought – I also bought the Garmin friction dash mount to use instead of the (included) suction cup window mount.Garmin Portable Friction Mount [Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging]

Who Needs the Stinking Manuals – Being a guy, I didn’t bother with reading any manuals until much later. Got it straight out of the box, turned it on and used it for a trip right then and there, comparing it side by side with my old GPS. I plugged in a destination about 160+ miles away involving interstate highways in Texas, plus some side roads, multiple towns, etc. I went straight from the PO Box, to the carwash before leaving town and hitting the highway north to Ft. Hood from San Antonio, TX.

The Garmin 1490T got me there faster (than the way my old GPS tried to route me) by about 20 minutes, cause it took me down a state highway with 60-70mph speeds, instead of sticking only to US highways.

Audio Directions – Audio quality quite nice in my opinion. Computer female voice, default 80% volume setting, easy to hear over road noise even in a rainstorm while driving.

Bluetooth Speaker Phone- I figured out how to connect my cell phone to the Garmin 1490T fairly easy, with pin code 1234. I’ve been making and sending calls thru it, mostly as a speaker phone, but found that the 1490T actually pulled down my phone directory and I could dial from there instead. But it didn’t get 100% of the directory. For some reason, it didn’t get all 500 phone #’s, like it skipped my wife’s cell number. (not good). Audio has been reported as good from the callers on the other end, saying some road noise detected, one saying I sounded like I was on a speaker phone, but quite legible even while highways noise was in background. Don’t try using the speaker phone while driving in a rainstorm, too much background road noise from the rain hitting the windshield, etc.

Traffic Alerts – I wasn’t sure how that worked, but trusted it would, since San Antonio, TX, (where I live) was on the list of covered cities. But as I drove north on IH-35 toward Austin, TX, all of a sudden a voice came out of nowhere saying “Severe Traffic Congestion Ahead, Recalculating Route”. This was about 35 miles before the congestion! It took me up into the congested area, then routed me around the majority of it. Wish I had trusted it earlier and I would have popped over to the nearby tollroad miles earlier instead. To me it was magic, I’m not sure how this works (FM transmitter / received built into power cord) in terms of where they get their live traffic info from, but it worked.

Lane Changing Alerts – The visual guide to changing lanes was more of a “hey, there are two right turn lanes ahead, left two lanes go straight”, etc. Audio was very accurate in saying “stay left for exit to…” or “stay right to exit then turn left/right, etc.” Very timely alerts and I never missed a turn while using it on this trip.

Screen Display – Easy to read! It alerts me to local speed limits when driving on highways, was only off by 5mph one short stretch of Texas Hwy 195 (speed was actually 60 instead of 65). Noticed some glare when the sun hit the screen from behind or from the side, will apply anti-glare screen like I used on my digital camera to see if that helps in future.

Cons: When text messaging received, it says “unknown caller” and stays on the screen, despite touching “ignore” or “answer”. Have noticed a few times that pop-up screen (while using bluetooth function) is annoying only because it didn’t go away right away, but the GPS kept giving me audio directions even though I couldn’t see the map. I’m going to keep playing with that “issue” and contact Garmin tech support about it if I can’t resolve it myself.

Recommendation – Yes, I strongly recommend this model to anyone wanting a easy to read, easy to use, accurate GPS for their vehicle. Supposedly it has pedestrian direction functions built in, with additional maps available for purchase (really cheap per metro area), but I will only be using it in my mini-van.

Thank you Amazon for another amazing deal!