Garmin eTrex Vista Handheld GPS Receiver

Pros: Easy to use, mapping, interface with computer.

Cons: Long time to start up, long time to upload maps.

The Bottom Line: Good piece of hardware if you find the needs. I do and I like it.

Review: I have the Garmin eTrex Vista now for a little more then a month and I have used it nearly daily. I bought with the eTrex also the Roads and Recreation CD and I’m impressed how well they work together. The Garmin is very easy to operate and also the R&R...

Pros: Reliable, functional, fits in a pocket

Cons: Not color

The Bottom Line: Unless you want to spend another $100 for the color - get this unit. It will treat you well for years to come!

Review: I bought this GPS unit a few years ago after I received some unexpected - but owed - money from my ex-wife. Since I felt it was 'free' money I decided to splurge and bought myself this GPS. At the time I purchased the unit I worked for a major ...

Pros: Small, lightweight, waterproof, large memory, electronic compass, barometric altimeter

Cons: Slow serial connection, battery life a bit short, no connection for external antenna

The Bottom Line: A very compact and powerful GPS unit. Would benefit from a faster dual-USB&Serial connection. Built in map good, addon maps quite expensive. Good value for the money.

Review: I had originally picked up a Garmin ETrex Venture, which is physically identical to the Vista, however only has a 1mb built-in points of interest database, and has no ability to load in mapsets (point data only).

I decided that if I was going...

Pros: Compact, easy to use and lots of great features

Cons: Rubber gasket loosens after a while. Positionally sensitive. No expandable memory.

The Bottom Line: Compact size makes it an excellent choice for hikers, hunters and geocachers. It's unfairly maligned for its reception. Size makes it a poor choice for automobile navigation.

Review: I purchased my Vista as an upgrade for my Legend and have been very happy with it. The click stick and intuitive menus make navigating the screens and entering waypoints a breeze. I love its light weight (5.3 oz) and compact size, as it fits comfortably ...

Pros: Small, lightweight, good display, lots of memory

Cons: Short battery life, weak GPS signal

The Bottom Line: A really good all around hand-held GPS unit for a reasonable price.

Review: I have never owned GPS before so I have no frame of reference for comparison.

Here is what I use it for:
- As I drive around I mark places that I frequently go to. I have downloaded the street level maps for my city and surrounding area...

Pros: Intuitive menus, configurable screen display to exact requirements, rugged (i.e. will bounce if dropped)

Cons: Continually no signal in built cities. Still a bit bulky for the pocket. Not colour!

The Bottom Line: Best product for walking in the country but Ordinance Survey maps can't be loaded and no good for cities, black and white is out of date.

Review: This product is Garmin's top handheld GPS (i.e. most expensive), I bought mine about 4 months ago and loaded it with MetroGuide CD without any problems; On the plus side: - it is great for walking in the county. - suing simple menus you can tailor ...

Pros: Small size. Great display. Lots of memory (24MB). Altimeter. Electronic compass.

Cons: No external antenna mount. Memory not expandable. Compass not 3D.

The Bottom Line: For outdoor use, and occassional in-car navigation, it's hard to beat the eTrex Vista.

Review: I bought a Vista for hiking/backpacking and in-car navigation. On a recent backpacking trip, the Vista performed well. It would lose signal reception in the trees but would then lock on in a clearing right away. The high-resolution display is sharp...

Pros: Very versatile and useful

Cons: too big for some things, too little for other things

The Bottom Line: The bottom line is that I would get this if I could only have one GPS for all uses and on a modest budget

Review: This is a great little GPS unit. I have used one, both for recreation and at work for the past three years. I really like the tracking features, and I also really like the go to feature. It is readable in the dark with the back light. It is very ...

Pros: compact, easy to use, great price, durable.

Cons: small black and white screen can be difficult to read.

Review: I bought this gps originally for my motorcycle and have used ti in my car as well. It has great mapping features and is compact enough to fit in your pocket. It requires Mapsource software by Garmin which is very user friendly. I would recommend ...

Pros: Great size and easy to use.

Cons: No external antenna. No programmable buttons.

Review: I have used this gps in just about every environment and the gps continues to work after all the abuse I put it through. The size is perfect and the Vista is easy to use. I am very happy with this product. Two things I would have liked to have with the ...