Well… I finally took the plunge. I bought a refurb Garmin 550 from buy.com for $179. I’ve wanted one for my wife, and for when we travel – but I also wanted one for bluetooth phone integration (as a speakerphone). The price point was always $350 or more – more than I was going to spend. $179 no tax, free shipping – DONE.
Garmin calls the refurb units “Completely Overhauled”. My wife said, “I think I like REFURB better”. My only observation is the volume knob seems a bit sticky but not worth trying to replace. Screen, etc. all looks superb. Great interface, simple setup, and even works with my AT&T 8125 phone. So far it has exceeded all my expectations but one. It doesn’t allow me to load destination addresses from my phone (maybe would require Bluetooth ADAP protocol).
Works like a champ, Garmin has this nailed – great Navteq maps. 5 stars so far. Go ahead Frank, sell the Newton, get a Garmin… It’s half the size.