Garmin Colorado 300 Bilingual Handheld GPS Unit with North American Maps

Product i received had problem staying up. It abruptly shutdown without warning fewminutes after power up. Amazon sent me a replacement. The replacement fared better But after a couple of days wouldn't work saying "Cannot find system software" OR "Missing system software". I am trying to work it out with the customer support.

I've used two other Garmin outdoor GPS before and I was expecting this new device. After a month of using, I'm almost decided to switch back to Garmin 60 CSx.

Colorado +:
- display
- gc listings
- holders (car, bike)
- wig

Colorado -:
- battery consumption
- gc listings (listing is sometimes bad formated)
- roller, buttons, menus (60 CSx is much more powerful and faster to control, search...)

So if you need listings/wig then buy Colorado. In case having PDA or smartphone, take 60 CSx...

The Garmin Colorado is a LONG way from being all that it should be for th price ov over $400.. Read the review if it on BACKPACKINGLIGHTWEIGHT.COM


I STILL haven't got my 300 model's SD card loaded w/ the topo map. Don't use an "Ultra" SD card. Garmin says they don't work well with this unit. It would have been nice if they would have SAID SO on the box or the tiny instruction leaflet so I could have known before I bought one.

Garmin's customer service is helpful but you MUST call them to learn how to use all the features properly. The included instructions are so basic as to be laughable. In short, this may be a good GPS in about a year - after Garmin gets the bugs out.

It amazes me the comments made about this product in the gps forums and websites. I was very reluctant to purchase based on all of the complaints and whining. Now that I've had one for a week, I don't see what all of the complaining was about. It does everything I expected it to and more. All of the things I've read that others were complaining about can be done, but you have to actually read the manual. No it's not like the older previous models - that's what makes it new. Could it be improved? Of course. So could the Jaguar XJS, but you won't hear many people complain.

This replaced my 60csx. The detail on the screen is a big improvement. NIMH battery performance has improved with recent firmware upgrades. The back cover is extremely hard to get on and off. After a couple of weeks of daily use, the back battery seal tore. Garmin support via email (3 day response time) said I had to return it for warranty repair. Instead I took it back to REI and they exchanged it no problem. This happened again and am now on my third one. Now, I never fully close the back cover unless I am in a situation where it could be submersed in water. This has prevented the seal from tearing, and makes the back cover much easier to get on and off. Also you do not have to remove the carabiner to get the cover off with this method. TOPO and City Navigator work great! I recommend this unit but be careful with the back cover!