DId cost you extra for the updates?
Nope! I registered my unit on the site. It was a little weird in that I had to hook up the GPS via USB (pretty straightforward) but the GPS did not automatically start to do anything. I had to download a couple of programs to my laptop for the GPS to be able to be recognized and updated. Once I did this and registered the unit everything was a piece of cake. I uploaded new cars for the display and the latest maps (normally around $49).
When I go to Europe next I will get the maps for this and I will update my Canada/US maps in a few years. I might try out my SD card from my digital camera in the unit to see how good it does as an MP3 player.
It seems to very a bit picky about the exact format and bit rate of MP3s. I have a complete set of the Beatles that I was given and it won't play any of them. When I connect the GPS to my PC I do see that the "properties" of my mp3s are different from the samples in the machine. I am not an mp3 guy so I have not bothered to explore further.
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Hmmm... I just put a bunch of George Carlin MP3s into the Garmin and they were immediately playable once I disconnected the USB cable and rebooted the unit. Now, these are lower bit rate MP3s so I have yet to try higher bit rate MP3s. Apparently the unit will not play MPA and MP4 coded songs.
Heck, with a 16 gig card this unit can be my MP3 player as well! Man am I ever happy with this unit. I have easily saved an hour or more this week with not having to fight with maps etc. I find my driving way less stressful as well as I am no longer trying to find unit #s etc on buildings (which is a serious pain in the rump in commercial areas).
![Tongue :P](https://www.autos.ca/forum/Smileys/CarTalk/tongue.gif)
This has to be the best purchase I have made in some time (the new digital camera we got last fall would be a close second).