Is the Garmin Oregon 450 a Good Value? Where Can You Get a Great Deal on this Handheld GPS Navigator?

Handheld GPS devices have been popular for years but the designs were kept similar because rugged rubberized looks were important for durability when travelling and the flashy colors were necessary if in case the device is misplaced. The buttons were also big enough for easy operating in any condition. But the release of touchscreen devices highlighted some new possibilities such as larger screen sizes. Garmin is seeing this potential and is now following the footsteps of the various cellphone markets by releasing the Garmin Oregon series.

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Company Overview

Popular GPS maker Garmin introduced their first touchscreen lineup of Oregon GPS navigators in July 2008. The Oregon 400 series and its variations headlined the launch although the lower cost Oregon 300 and Oregon 200 devices were launched the same day. As of 2010, the entire lineup is replaced with the Oregon 450, 450t, 550, and 550t devices.

Highlights

The Garmin Oregon 450 is the least expensive device in the Oregon lineup priced at $400. It features a 3-inch diagonal display that remains readable even under sunlight and it allows high-resolution images to be viewed.

Garmin accomplishes this without sacrificing the durability as it remains rugged and waterproof just like their GPSMAP devices.

The built-in 3-axis tilt-compensated electronic compass lets users get their bearings while standing still regardless of the holding position. It also includes a barometric altimeter for altitude tracking and pressure detection which is useful for tracking the weather conditions. The receiver is WAAS-enabled for improved accuracy in many areas and the HotFix satellite prediction reduces the wait time in satellite acquisition by utilizing its own database that can predict the location of satellite for up to three days.

Maps can be loaded onto the device by inserting MapSource cards. Some of these maps take advantage of the Oregon 3-D map view to see elevation levels. The BlueChart feature also makes the Oregon just as useful as a marine GPS device. Any waypoints, routes, tracks, and geocaches may be shared wirelessly to other Oregon devices as well as some Colorado and Dakota devices. Garmin Connect amplifies this feature by making routes uploaded by other users accessible online.

Drawbacks

Some Amazon users have experienced issues with the way it records the distance traveled. Others have experienced some minor gripes about the accuracy of the odometer. The overall brightness of the device is debated on where some have difficulty in viewing the large display under bright sunlight.

Reception

All of the other features of the device were praised and many people thought of the Oregon 450 to be a nice follow up to the popular Garmin 60CSx. Some noted that both the off-road and on-road features are far better to than the 60CSx. Others found the learning curve to be accessible and the touchscreen interface being very easy to use.
For efficient tracking, it is best to save the track first and then check the track afterwards to see the distance traveled. Uploading the data to the laptop is also a good habit to practice for backup purposes and to work around the drawback mentioned earlier.

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