The Garmin Nuvi 750 has the signature look of the Nuvi line of portable navigation systems. This slim, silver device is at 4.8″ wide by 3″ high by 0.8″ deep an weighs just only 6.2 ounces It’s just slightly bigger than palm size, so it’s easy to travel with and transport between vehicles.
Similar to the newer models, the Garmin Nuvi 750 features a wide 4.3-inch (diagonal) touch screen with a 480×272 pixel resolution and white backlight. Maps, text, and images appeared sharp on the display, even in various lighting conditions. The touch screen itself is responsive, and the menu icons are big enough that most users should be able to use without pressing the wrong icons. Some may find the onscreen keyboard to be slightly cramped, however we like that you canchoose between a QWERTY and ABC format. The overall interface and menu system are simple enough that you should be able to start using the Garmin Nuvi 750 right out of the box, though you may want check out the owner’s manual for more specific settings.
While you handle most of the device’s operations via the touch screen, there are a few other controls and design elements on the Garmin 750. The left side holds a 3.5mm headphone jack and an SD expansion slot for loading additional maps or media files. There’s a power/lock switch on top and a mini USB port on the bottom. Finally, the speaker and external antenna jack are located on the back.
The Nuvi 750 comes packaged with a car charger, a USB cable, a vehicle mount (windshield and dash), and reference material. The car mount is simple and easy to install, and the cradle securely held the unit in place during our road tests.
Here are some of the Garmin 750 Specifications:
It comes preloaded with City Navigator NT maps of North America and about 6 million POI. Trip preparation can begin in a number of ways. You can enter a specific address, choose a POI, or select a location from the Recently Found or Favorites list. We’re also happy to see that the Nuvi 750 now supports multidestination routes, which was lacking in the Nuvi 660. Once you have your destination set, the system can generate directions by fastest time, shortest distance, or off road, and you can instruct it to avoid certain road types, such as toll roads and highways. There is also a detour function if you want to avoid a certain part of the given route and if you happen to get off track, don’t panic, as the Nuvi 750 does automatic route recalculation. Last feature to showcase is, there are bicycle and pedestrian modes, so you’re not restricted to using the device just in the car.
The POI database contains all the major categories (gas stations, lodging, ATMs, restaurants by cuisine type, and so forth) and more specific ones, including golf courses, gyms, and night clubs. On top of the preloaded entries, you can add custom POIs, such as safety cameras and school zones.
The Nuvi 750 also has the recently added “Where am I?” feature, which gives you the coordinates of your location, the nearest address and intersection. It will also list the closest hospitals, police stations, and gas stations to your position, giving you a bit of peace of mind if you’re in unfamiliar territory and need access to any of these services, or if you need to give your location to a tow truck. There’s also a feature that will record your last location when you remove the Nuvi 750 from the in-car mount–think of it as a marker. It’s useful for situations such as remembering where you parked and when you are ready to return to the spot, just go to Where To? > Recently Found > Last Position.
Maps are available in 2D and 3D view with day and night colors, and you can change it so north is always at the top of your screen or the direction in which you are driving. It is very detailed. A plus and minus icon on the map screen allows you to zoom in and out, and there’s also a trip information page that displays your speed, direction, trip time, and so forth. In addition to the visual aids, you, of course, get voice-guided, turn-by-turn directions with text-to-speech functionality. The Nuvi 750 also incorporates a built-in FM transmitter so you can pipe the audio through your car’s stereo for better volume.
Beyond navigation, the Garmin Nuvi 750 comes with a Travel Kit like the other Nuvi models that consists of an MP3 player, an Audible book player, a JPEG picture viewer with a slide-show function, a world clock, currency and measurement converters, and a calculator. You can expand the device’s capabilities with one of Garmin’s three optional software packages (available on SD cards): Language Guide ($74.99), Travel Guide (price varies depending on what region you want), and SaversGuide ($49.99). The former includes a multilingual word and phrase bank with support for nine languages and dialects and five bilingual dictionaries.
If you would like another GPS model to compare against the Nuvi 750 before you make your decision, do take a look at the Garmin 550 product overview. It would provide you a better perspective.