What replaced the Garmin 276C and 478?

[GotMojo?]

I see the 276C and 478 in a lot of the ride reports over in that forum, so they must work well for dual sport riding. I was interested in either of them, then discovered they have been discontinued. Doh! Why?

Does Garmin still make something equivalent to those two models?

[Jonzilla]

I got a 60CX when they came out with the CSX and discontinued the CX. I went to amazon and they had tons of factory refurbs for 100 bucks less than new. It was in the box and has a factory warranty and everything just like new so I'd imagine the same may be available for other discontinued garmin models. I used to be weary of "factory refurbished" but if I didn't know it I'd think it was new and I saved some money.

[Steve W]

Originally Posted by GotMojo?

I see the 276C and 478 in a lot of the ride reports over in that forum, so they must work well for dual sport riding. I was interested in either of them, then discovered they have been discontinued. Doh! Why?

Does Garmin still make something equivalent to those two models?

The cynic in me says they were dis-continued because they lasted too long, and no, IMO there isn't a replacement let alone an upgrade. There's a thread kicking around somewhere about the new GPSmap 6XX IIRC.

[sanjaya_sugiarto]

The replacement is GPSMap 620

[GotMojo?]

Originally Posted by sanjaya_sugiarto

The replacement is GPSMap 620

Interesting. Looks like that is a touch screen only model. Doesn't have the physical buttons like the 276C and 478. I figured that might be one of the nice features to have on a motorcycle, wearing gloves and all.

[SKINNY]

There is no replacement that matches the 276-478 feature for feature...apparently Garmin is too brain-dead to realize the market that they are neglecting...and if they would only check Ebay, they would find that a used 276c is going for about 150% for the original new price...I should have bought a truck-load of them while they were still available from Garmin at $495.00...I could make more money that I have in the stock market...

[mcnut]

The 620 does serve as a replacement for marine use but it is not suitable for off-road. It is lacking important functions while in land mode.

Bruce

[Jamie Z]

Originally Posted by SKINNY

There is no replacement that matches the 276-478 feature for feature...apparently Garmin is too brain-dead to realize the market that they are neglecting...

I'm no analyst, but I'm confident in guessing that Garmin knows exactly the market they are neglecting. We're not even a blip on the radar.

Sure, I'd love if Garmin produced an updated version of the 478, but how many would they sell? Not many at all. It's a simple business decision.

Jamie

[GotMojo?]

So, anybody got any recommendations for a GPS to use on a Trans America Trail ride? That's what I'm shooting for.

In the meantime, I might look for a refurb'd 276C or 478.

[TLRam1]

Originally Posted by Jamie Z

I'm no analyst, but I'm confident in guessing that Garmin knows exactly the market they are neglecting. We're not even a blip on the radar.

Sure, I'd love if Garmin produced an updated version of the 478, but how many would they sell? Not many at all. It's a simple business decision.

Jamie

Business is simple, you hit the nail on the head, if Garmin were making a mistake...there are other mfg's that could pick up the ball and run with it.

[9Dave]

IMHO - nothing has replaced the 276/376/478 series.

The closest is the 660/665 which have been reported to offer track handling, though not nearly as easily.

[markbvt]

As far as features/capabilities go, the Oregon series would be the obvious choice, but they lack the big, bright screen of the 276/478. The GPSMap 62s would be worth looking into as well.

I agree it would be nice if Garmin would come out with a true 276/478 replacement, but I don't think it's very likely. They seem to be more interested in selling different GPS units for different purposes rather than one that can do it all. (Oddly, the Oregon is largely an exception to that, aside from the screen size.)

The GPSMap 620 with the Oregon operating system/software on it would be a killer combination...

--mark

[Pete O Static]

Garmin seems to be more interested in making "gadgets" rather than proper navigation units.

[willcasp]

The 478 was a marine unit. The 640 is the replacement for it, and for marine functionality, it is pretty much a feature match.

I would be satisfied with a 640 that supported XM WX in road mode. I would think that this would not be too hard for Garmin to turn up with a BIOS update.

They are already selling the 640 to their target marine market. This would increase sales of an existing product, while satistying the market at the same time.

[Steve W]

Originally Posted by willcasp

The 478 was a marine unit. The 640 is the replacement for it, and for marine functionality, it is pretty much a feature match.

Not so for on road use though. IIRC the feature set is reduced quite a bit once you're out of marine mode. I think there's a track feature or two missing as well. The whole line from the 276C and it's predecessors on were chartplotters or marine units.