|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Epicurus.com - Garmin Nuvi 255W 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
|
List Price: $349.99
Our Price: Too low to display
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Garmin
|
Average Customer Rating:  
|
|
Batteries Included: 1
Binding: Electronics
Brand: Garmin
Display Size: 4.3
EAN: 0753759077600
Feature: 4.3 Inch Auto Navigator with Anti Theft Feature
Includes Mp3 Player: 1
Is Autographed: 0
Is Memorabilia: 0
Label: Garmin
Manufacturer: Garmin
Model: Nuvi 255W
Native Resolution: 480 x 272
Publisher: Garmin
Studio: Garmin
|
|
|
Features
|
4.3 Inch Auto Navigator with Anti Theft Feature
Voice Prompted Turn by Turn Directions
With HotFix, It Calculates Your Position Faster to Get You There Quicker
Compatible with Optional Enhanced MSN Direct Content
JPEG Picture Viewer, World Travel Clock, Currency Converter, Calculator and More
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Editorial Reviews:
|
GPS
satellite navigation unit with built-in antenna * 6 million points of
interest * preloaded with maps for the entire United States, Canada,
and Puerto Rico * text-to-speech technology lets voice prompts announce
road names over the built-in speaker * SD card slot (supports up to
2GB) *
|
|
|
Spotlight customer reviews:
|
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great unit with significant bugs
Comment: Overall the Nuvi 255W is a great GPS unit. The unit takes very quickly locks on to satellite signals, tracks very well and when you miss a turn or do something unexpected, recalculates a new route very quickly. I recently took it on a trip from Michigan to Washington, DC and it proved to be extremely useful. There are some quirks that I elaborate on below.
Good points: Hotfix (TM) to lock on to satellite signals works well. Tracking is excellent and without noticable lag. Likewise, it quickly notices that you're off track and recalculates a route quickly. Display is excellent - the layout of information on the screen is very good showing upcoming turns at the top, your speed, the local speed limit and the estimated time of arrival at the bottom. The automatic zoom in and out of the map works well too. I never came across a situation where I felt that the map showed too little (zoomed in too close). On I-76 in PA, I travelled through a mile long tunnel and it tracked me perfectly even though it obviously could not get satellite signals inside the tunnel. There is a sharp turn left just out of the tunnel (going east) and it had no trouble locating me at the turn so soon after I got out. Very commendable.
Not so good points: The quality of the voice (for announcing street names) leaves a bit to be desired. It is robotic as many people have commented and the pronunciation isn't great. It took me a while to recognize the word "ramp". I first assumed it was some Australian term! (I used the Aussie gal to do the announcements - I found her voice the least annoying). But as I got used to it, it ceased to bother me and I could recognize all she said.
I noticed several mistakes in the POI list - for example it did not list the Mobil station nearest my house but listed a party store as being a gas station (about 1/2 mile from the Mobil). I could not locate any of the Smithsonian Institution Museums in the list - a very glaring omission. In fact when I tried to locate museums near Washington, DC, it would not identify Washington, DC at all. It listed several Washingtons all around the country but not in the District of Columbia. I could not even locate the District of Columbia when doing this. It was annoying. Strangely it found a Smithsonian Institution somewhere in Virginia (No, not the Udvar- Hazy center though it located that as well) - I did not follow up.
It would not let me locate a commuter store in Herndon/Reston, Virginia that was closest to my hotel. When I tried to use the street adress it would not accept the Building # (12530 Sunrise Valley Drive, Herndon, VA 20171 ). It was listed in the POI database but at the wrong address.
When I tried to go to Safeway located at 413 Elden Street, Herndon from the Vienna station parking lot, it chose a route that while direct had me make a U-turn to get into the store parking lot. That would have been OK except that the road did not have a left-turn lane at that point and so making a U-turn would have been dangerous. Even stranger, when it asked me to make a U-turn, the symbol indicated a U-turn to the right! but the store was on the left side (as it knew). That confused the heck out of me the first time. I traveled the route again the next day just to make sure that I wasn't reading it wrong and it did it again. However on other occasions, it did correctly show a U-turn as being a turn to the left (all those were legal U-turns). All of this was a little disconcerting.
This model does not feature a compass. So it you're into Geocacheing as I am, other models might be more suitable. I find the lack of a compass very annoying - should'nt it be a basic feature of a navigation device? Particularly one that features "off road" and "Pedestrian" modes?
Customer Rating:
Summary: disappointed with major mapping error and solution
Comment: Item contains serious mapping error that Garmin will not stand behind. I have to wait one year and pay for new download if available. Dealer will also do nothing.
Please help.
Customer Rating:
Summary: I have not read the instrutions yet I've travelled 2,000 miles with it!
Comment: So I finally got the Nuvi 255w after months of analizing and comparing wit other brands, adding 3 days of looking arownd in Circuit City and Best Buy stores displays.
I have not read the instructions that came with this unit, yet I and my 11 years old son were able to operate the unit like pros out of the box.
I just arrived from a trip that took me from New York to New Jersey, then Bostn, then MAine, then Niagara Falls, then Corning (upstate NY), then to Harrisburg, PA, Hershey Park PA, Washington DC, Philladelphia and back to New Jersey (We live actually in the Dominican Republic, but were on a two week family trip).
Of course,and being our native language, we programmed the GPS in Latin American Spanish, and of course, the pronunciation of some street names was a little akward, but nothing you can't manage. One of the main bugs is that when it mentioned a south route or high way it said, for example, to take I-95 seconds instead of south, since S is the abreviation of seconds in spanish and not south. We overcame that and the rest was easy.
Maps issue: this unit is not up to date on actual maps in the DC and Alexandria VA area. We were trough streets that seem to have been there for a while and it showed that we were travelling trough grass, of course recalculating, but we got used to this fast and as soon as we arrived to the part of the road it had on the map it recalculated again.
Crazy Issue: in NY city or if surrounded by tall buildings, it went a little crazy. I guess it was because during the traffic jams we encountered I guess it loss contact with the satellites due to interferrence by the tall buildings arroung. I recomend that if travelling in a city, try to remenber the first route it displyed and follow it even when it redirects you because after a while it realculates and send you on the right track again.
Overall, I give this unit a 4.75, because of:
1- Ease of use
2- Fast satellite adquisition
3- Fast perfonmance
4- 96% relliability
5- Excellent form factor
6- Good battery life
7- Excellent for pedestrian use (It even guides you through internal walking roads like in the National Mall, Arlington Cementery, Central Park, Niagara Falls Park, Manhattan, etc.
8- It took me and my familly in a two week 2000 mile trip with exellent ease of use and only very minor gltches
Finally, be carefull around Washington DC, because this unit has not updated the actual and latest detours arownd monuments and buildings, therefore taking you to dead ends. Don't trust it to take you to the White House, Capitol, Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, because it will guide you to direct streets that are now blocked. Also beware with the sides when you are arriving somewhere.. it sometimes says the finish will be on the opposite side of the street to where it really is.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Best In Its Class - Great For Traveling
Comment: If you spend much time driving in unfamiliar territory, especially if you rent cars in big cities, a good portable GPS makes an amazing difference. And the Garmin 255W is the best one I could find in the $250 - $350 range.
First this thing just plain works. I haven't had any issues with mine. It was easy to set up and figure out right out of the box, and it's easy to use. It never has had trouble getting sufficient signal unlike earlier and cheaper models.
I chose the 255W for several reasons: It uses some of the newest and best maps available. It has one of the more usable touch screens for entering destinations. It's fast to acquire satellites. And Garmin almost always comes out on top in reviews--especially in routing.
Ultimately, you buy a car GPS to get you from Point A to Point B as easily and efficiently as possible. And that's what the 255W does best. If you've ever had a "Brand X" GPS take you on some strange route that adds 20 minutes to your trip, has you turn the wrong way down a one way road, tell you to turn AFTER you've passed the street, frequently loses the satellite signal, or has old maps missing streets, you know how important this stuff is.
The 255W has a really clear display that's easy to see in any light. It's small enough to use on foot. The windshield mount works great and it's easy to toss in the glovebox when you park. It even tells you the speed limit on most roads. The "points of interest" feature works very well to find places to eat by type of cuisine, gas stations, etc.
The difference between the 255W and 205W is the 255 speaks street names and includes Alaska and Canada. The 205 and 205W will tell you to "turn right in 500 feet" which isn't as helpful or obvious as "turn right on Ivy Street in 500 feet". The "W" models are widescreen which makes entering destinations easier due to having a bigger "keyboard" and also lets you see more map area while driving.
All in all this isn't the cheapest GPS in its class but it's one of the best. My only gripe is you need an expensive add-on to get live traffic data--something that's included with the Magellan Roadmate 1430 which is close to the same price. But the Garmin 255W is a better GPS in every other way.
Customer Rating:
Summary: POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE
Comment: I ordered two of them and only received one even though the packing slip said two. I called and at first got resistance but explained that there was no way two would have fit in the box. The product then shipped ground again delaying the delivery for a week.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
