PRO: loaded with maps and details you cant find with other models

CON: consumes batteries like no tommorrow

Both my wife and I were fairly new to GPS's before we bought this unit. We first used a friends when we were driving to a concert and were amazed at the technology. Then, she started using handheld GPS's for her school program and we decided that we wanted to get one for hiking. At first we were looking at fairly cheap ones since we wanted one just for hiking but after I started to look into the technology I decided that it would be best if we got one that was more like an all in one unit. I travel a fair amount for work and we would also like to have a GPS for road trips and vacations. After a couple of weeks I decided on this GPS.

Initially I purchased the Legend Cx in Canada to see if I liked this GPS. I bought that one because the Vista Cx wasn't available and because I was just looking to test the GPS to see if I liked it. It worked great so I then returned it and found the Vista Cx on Amazon for $50 cheaper than I paid for the Legend Cx. In case you don't know the Vista is the same as the Legend except the Vista has an elctronic compass and barometric altimeter. I think the electronic compass is well worth it but like I said, I paid less for the Vista since I bought it in the US. Electronics are generally 15-20% more in Canada so if you can get around shipping costs and customs clearance then buying in the US makes sense.

Anyways, we bought the Auto Navigation Kit and 2 GB memory card to go along with this and we couldn't be happier. Having this GPS has given us more reason to get out. We have plenty of places to hike where we live but a GPS just seems to add more fun to hiking. I find with geocaching it adds more purpose to your trip and also gives you a sense of accomplishment when you find the geocache.

This GPS works great on the road too with the mapping software that comes with the auto kit. I can see the GPS screen just fine on the dash of my car when I'm driving. I don't think I will ever get lost again as long as I have my GPS with me. Once I set a destination in my GPS it does the rest for me. I find when I'm travelling I want to drive around and without a GPS you're kind of stuck staying on the path that you know. With your destination set in your GPS you can take any road you like and it will re-route your trip.

If you want a GPS that you can use for everything then I would say this is definitely the one. So far I have no complaints with the unit.

I paid quite a bit for this unit but had been using a cheap Magellan GPS that I could not update or download new maps, so everything in it seemed dated, and no rural mapes were available.

Here, even though some of the maps I downloaded weren't totally updated, and it will not give you road construction unless you can download a really recent map, I am fascinated every time I use this. There are a ton of features, but the best part is that I can use it on the road without having to pull over and read the directions.

The other day I was heading to a new place and didn't know if I would get there in time. So I just scrolled ahead on my GPS, it told me how many miles away it was and voila - I could relax, I had plenty of time.

Any GPS that cannot be updated by website downloads just isn't worth anything.

It will take me a while to learn all that this can do, but when I have to travel a lot alone, I don't need to book to figure it out.

I'm not a GPS guru (this is my first GPS), but I did some research before purchasing and opted for this one for portability - driving, walking, hiking, boating. I am VERY pleased with this device. I purchased this in conjunction with Mapsource City Navigator NT and a 1GB memory card for it. Now I have all streets in the continental US in my GPS!

If I have one complaint, it's that it's a little slow to draw when you zoom in or out a level (4-6 seconds). It just doesn't have a super-powerful computer inside it, but it keeps up well if you stay on the current level as you zoom down the highway. It knows exactly where you are (obviously), so just tell it where you want to go (addresses, cities, intersections, etc) and it calculates a route and also asks whether to follow streets or not (i.e. by car or on foot). If driving, it beeps at you about 30 seconds before an upcoming turn, and again when it's time to turn. The screen shows what you should be doing (turning right or whatever) via a white arrow that's overlayed on the map. There's also a marker showing your current position and you can set it to count down distance (or time) to the next turn. For instance, it counts down 7.2 miles... 2.3 miles... then 512 feet....90 feet....etc. Not to say it makes jumps like this, the countdown updates every second or so.

If you miss the turn, it automatically recalculates a new route. For instance, it typically will have you take the next exit and then a couple of back roads to get you back on track (perfect!)

It usually calculates routes in 10 to 20 seconds (for instance from New York City to Albany), but I have encountered a few problems when there are just TOO MANY roads like around New York City.

For instance, I asked it to get me from Jersey City NJ, through Manhattan, to Yonkers, NY and avoid toll rolls. It hung indefinitely calculating (probably because there's no way to avoid tolls!) However, this is rare. It usually has no problem plotting routes through New York City, Brooklyn, and surrounding areas WHILE ALSO AVOIDING TOLLS!

...and if it can plot routes through this chaos, it can plot anywhere!

It doesn't have a super computer inside it (it just feels a little slow compared to modern computers), but the pluses far outweight the minuses. For instance portability. Park you car at a huge mall parking lot, get out of your car, place a flag marker in your GPS marking where you car is in the sea of parking, and go shopping. When you come back out, you can walk right back to your car. Just steer to the flag marker in your GPS!

It also leaves a little bread-crumb trail as you walk or drive so you can retrace your steps. If you go for a walk in the woods, there's just NO way you can get lost.

As far as size, it's about the size of a baby's shoe when looking at the top (display). From the side it's about an inch thick. It definitely fits in your pocket.

I'd guess 6-12 hours of life with Duracell batteries, give or take, depending on what you're doing with it. But if you've been driving or hiking for 12 hours straight, it's time to take a break anyway. Keep a couple of extra batteries in your pocket if you're doing something mission critical with it. If the batteries do run out, it remembers everything. Take out the old ones, pop in the new, and it picks up where you left off.

There are a LOT of features in this device. Too many to list here. In fact, there's a bit of a learning curve in navigating around the menus. But it's worth taking the time to learn how to use it.

Be careful if you're driving with this device. Try to keep your eyes on the road. Plot your route ahead of time so you're not fooling with the menus while you're driving. Or better yet, give it to your passenger and have them tell you what it says, when to turn, and what direction. Let them have some fun.

I LOVE this device. I tell everyone this is was DEFINITELY money well spent.

Also, it doesn't work indoors, but do any of them?

The Vista CX is a very nice GPS with great features EXCEPT the map software is not Mac OS compatable. You cannot upload maps or use any features which benfit from creation on computer based detailed maps. You can purchase the Garmin memory cards with map info and then establish waypoints etc., on the unit itself, but forget about the full functionality of planning, and mapping points and then uploading to the unit. The Garmin technical rep I talked with said Garmin is working on Mac compatability but would not indicate if this was one month, one year, or longer before reaching the market. The third party maps compatable with Macs I have found, so far, for planning trips, etc., such as National Geographic Maps, cannot be uploaded to the Garmin unit.

I don't have any complaint in terms of the receiver itself. It works just fine, quickly finding the satellites. The screen is bright, easy to read, buttons are well placed, navigation along menus and functions is OK. I haven't used it on long trips, but battery life seems to be more than adequate.

What I miss is a better base map, not living in the US. Documentation, when it comes to details of how tracks and routes differ, and how to deal with waypoints and viapoints is of no help. The software that comes with the unit is lame. Fortunately several free alternatives are available like GPS Trackmaker and GPS Babel. Also, Google Earth can send and receive data to the receiver.

When GPS were first introduced we used to joke about the inaccuracy of their satellite determined elevations. I bought the Vista Cx because I thought the built-in barometric altimeter would reduce the problem with satellite determined elevations - it does not. The expected error in elevation is 50 to 200 feet, far worse than the positional accuracy of the gps. To reduce error Garmin recommends calibrating the unit every hour to a known elevation - if you know the elevation that well you don't need a gps! So, while you marvel at the positional accuracy of the unit you can still expect to get a good laugh from the elevations.

I had purchased the vista cx primarily for geo-caching. It seems that the unit has good battery life qualities but is lacking on accuracy when there is any amount of cover like trees or even cloudy days. The GPS comes pretty much bare bones so you have to buy the map software to view streets, addresses, points of interest, ect. I recommend buying a car adapter. That will save on battery life. Overall I am pleased with the unit.

A cautionary note for Mac users, the GPS is great, but all of the touted MapSource charts and connectivity is for Windows users only. I gave the GPS to my husband for Christmas, and he was so dissappointed when he slipped the CD into our computer he hasn't even looked at it again. He'd hoped to use it to chart kayak routes on the computer before making trips.

I received the E-Trex Vista Cx for Christmas and have really enjoyed using it for Geocaching. With the WAAS enabled I have been directed to within a few (4-6) feet of every cache I've hunted so far. Very impressed as everything I've read says that once you get near the cache you should just start looking for it and stop looking at the GPS unit. This unit has gotten me VERY close to the cache every time.

I was told that manually entering a waypoint's coordinates was time consuming, but I've found the rocker button very efficient. Still, it's great to have the connectivity so I can download waypoints instead.

Included base map is poor, but that's not a surprise. I am awaiting arrival of my City Navigator CD and 1Gb MicroSD card in the mail.

The main problem I see is with the documentation. This unit has great capabilities, and I'd like to see a more exciting user manual. The one they include is accurate, but it is focused on what button or menu does what rather than on "Here are the cool things this unit can do for you." As a beginner, I feel the manual only lets me scratch the surface of the unit's powers.