GPS Navigation For Dummies FD-220 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator

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GPS Navigation For Dummies FD-220 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator

3.5-inch color touch display GPS system with high-sensitivity GPS receiver for quick location fix
Digital map with browsing capability, 2-D and 3-D map perspective
Turn-by-turn visual guidance and voice directions
The familiar, easy-to-use For Dummies style, complete with icons, leads you through the GPS navigation software user interface and user’s manual
Entertainment features including digital music player, picture viewer and more

Need to get where you are going easily, quickly, and accurately. GPS Navigation For Dummies is the answer from Maylong – the Creator of the For Dummies Portable GPS. About the size of a deck of cards, this device comes with the For Dummies GPS Navigation software with the familiar and ease-of-use interface. FD-220 comes with the following features: Preloaded maps of the contiguous U. S. states with 1.7 million searchable points of interest. Visual and voice turn-by-turn navigation, so you can keep your eyes on the road while navigating. Backlit 3.5″ color LCD touch screen with 320 x 240 resolution for easy navigation in 2D- and 3D map viewing. Built-in software user interface with easy-to-use Dummies style for simple operation. Automa

Rating: (out of 6 reviews)

List Price: $ 119.99

Price: $ 73.50

5 comments

Cynthia Moss says:

August 22, 2010 at 5:50 pm (UTC -6)

Review by Cynthia Moss for GPS Navigation For Dummies FD-220 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
Rating:
I brought this product in June, 2009 and had to send it back. I only used it about 6 times and it stopped working. I sent it back today to the Maylong group in Rochester Hills, Michigan. I explained to them how disappointed I was in the quality of their GPS system. It is less than 90 days and to me it should have at least lasted for a few years. It was too late to get my money back so they are supposed to fix it for me and send it back. I will not ever purchase another one.
Richard La Barca says:

August 22, 2010 at 6:34 pm (UTC -6)

Review by Richard La Barca for GPS Navigation For Dummies FD-220 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
Rating:
I bought this GPS for Dummies last year and have been pleased with it’s performance. It does take a moment for it to acquire a satellite signal. After signal is acquired, it keeps the connection quite well. I like that it also has a media player for playing my music through my car stereo although you have to use WMA music files…easily converted from MP3. Plus there is a a picture and video viewer. Quite nice for the mere price of $70.00 which I found this player on sale for at, of all places, CVS store. Also, for this price, it has voice navigation and/or displayed turn-by-turn routing. It quickly re-routes if you stray from original route. One note of information is that I don’t see a choice to avoid tolls but I found that choosing the “quickest” (as opposed to the “shortest”) route function did avoid local tolls…maybe because it knows that stopping for tolls actually adds time to route. I haven’t had any product problems and it has been reliable so far. Overall, I recommend this GPS for ease of use and also for its additional features for a very reasonable price. Look for sales!
TheFrey says:

August 22, 2010 at 6:53 pm (UTC -6)

Review by TheFrey for GPS Navigation For Dummies FD-220 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
Rating:
Due to our past experience with this item, I am currently on line now to buy one for my father to take on a cross country trip.

My husband, who was a GPS newbie bought one and was able to use it right out of the box. Instruction Manual? What is this instruction manual thing you speak of? He don’t need no stinkin’ manual. And acutally he didn’t. He then thought he was a GPS pro, so he gave this to my brother, who loves it, and bought a garvin because he wanted a larger screen. Big mistake. He pawned the garvin off on my neice and bought a tom-tom because he needed it the next day and couldn’t find another Dummies GPS locally at 8:45 pm on a saturday.

He still misses his dummies gps very much wants to pawn the tom-tom off on me so he can get another Dummies GPS with the larger screen. Not gonna’ happen slick.
John Doe says:

August 22, 2010 at 7:09 pm (UTC -6)

Review by John Doe for GPS Navigation For Dummies FD-220 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
Rating:
The FD-220 system is functional, the satellite response could be faster. There is no menu button for quick access to the main screen, and the POI function is not easily accessible. However, it comes with a suction cup car mount, usb cable, and car-power adapter. This device is great for the novice gps user. The system calls out street names and allows the user to bypass roads if they chose. Overall a decent GPS unit for a decent price; not too fancy but good enough.
Inconspicuous Consumer says:

August 22, 2010 at 8:06 pm (UTC -6)

Review by Inconspicuous Consumer for GPS Navigation For Dummies FD-220 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
Rating:
Revised on 04/15:

I’d originally written a review in January, describing my horrible experience w the unit. I’ve since returned the unit to the place I had purchased it, CVS, somewhat warily. Before I returned the unit, I looked around for similar GPS units in the same price range – $80 from CVS – and couldn’t find any other ones that I liked. I did find out, that in this price range, the turn-by-turn directions were something not readily found. I’ve had my replacement unit for three months, now, the worst problem being that it can take a bit of time to get a signal. I’ve learned to queue up my directions when I don’t have a signal (I park in a garage), & then re-select the directions from the “Recent Places” area when I am above ground. Occasionally, it takes some time to find the satellite since the GPS unit lags while I already have a signal & I’m driving (I’ve been fortunate to know some of those routes so that I can keep driving). Because I still have this paranoia that this unit is going to quit in the middle of driving like my old Dummies GPS unit, many times I bring along a printed copy of directions just to be sure. I have yet to have that same Blue Screen of Death problem from the old unit, but it’s better to be cautious than lost.

One caveat, & I would imagine that this is with all GPS units, get to know the differences between the “Shorter” and “Quicker” routes. If you’re not sure, you can always preview the route before you start driving. Since I park in an underground garage it takes time for my unit (I call her “Zelda”) to find a signal, I’ve learned never to be in a hurry when trying to get the GPS going.

Quick bonus as I returned the unit – there is a stylus, located in the back of the unit, I believe it’s on the right side. This stylus really makes the screen much more responsive! A big thank you to the CVS clerk for pointing this out as I returned my old unit.