Guest Posted March 30, 2010 Posted March 30, 2010 Alright, so I'm going to buy a Garmin in the next week or so, because TomTom's look bulkier than them, Garmin's look a lot sleeker, IMO. So, I'm going to be needing some advice from you fellow TPR'ers/GPS users. I've searched online and looked in the stores and found a few good ones on sale, but can't decide, so this is what I need help on. @Best Buy: Nuvi 255W - $119 w/ 1,000 way points Nuvi 255 - $99 *Nuvi 1250 - $119 (Heading towards this one the most) Compare: Click @Wal*Mart: Nuvi 205 Portable GPS - $95.54 (This is the only one that says "portable" at the end. Anyone know what the difference is?) Info: Click Questions: -What are way points, and is 1,000 a lot? -Is there any major problems with the Garmin brand? -Are these good enough deals, that I should snag one?
jray21 Posted March 31, 2010 Posted March 31, 2010 I have used GPS for a long time, so hopefully I can help. I do like Garmin the best. They seem to be pretty much on the forefront, and are one of the most popular, so there are more accessories/options. The downside is that the maps are expensive. If you get the Nuvi's, I think you can get an unlimited map update for about $100, which is a pretty good deal considering it used to be almost $100 a year. Garmin is also Mac friendly. It's a little buggy, but Magellan doesn't work with Mac at all (this may not matter though). Also, do you do any sort of hiking/camping? If so, you may want to get one of those types of GPS. Probably to most popular, and the best, is the Garmin 60csx. I used it primarily in my car, but it was also really good for camping and hiking. I had really good routing features pretty comparable to the basic Nuvi's. Waypoints are saved locations. For example, Chick-fil-A, your favorite restaurant, just opened a new location. You can set it as a waypoint, and everytime you want to go there, you just pick it and say take me there. After over 10 years of having my GPS, I only have a total of about 100 waypoints saved up. However, memory size is more important to me than waypoints saved. For example, when I am hiking in the mountains, I set my GPS to keep track of my progress, so that way there is a trail of imaginary "crumbs" to follow back if I need to. As for the portable version, I'm pretty sure it's just a size thing. The 205 has a "smaller, sleeker" design that can fit in your pocket. Also figure in the cost of accessories. If you will use it in the car a lot, you will definitely need a stand of some sort. Some come with one, others don't. That's all I can think of now, let me know if you need more information.
Hotlanta Posted March 31, 2010 Posted March 31, 2010 I currently use the 255W and i love it. I have tried other people's Magellans and Tom Tom's. I am very comfartable with Garmin and you couldn't pay me to switch to another brand now. I got the 255W last thanksgiving for the same prices you quote now. As far as the updates go other than minor changes, you can pretty much use one for 4-5 years. By that time instead of getting an update it's cheaper to get a new one. Whenever i am at my parent's place i use their old Garmin streetpilot from 05-06 and it works great. It mostly lacks the newer POI's that all. So i would recommend a Garmin without a doubt.
Guest Posted April 1, 2010 Posted April 1, 2010 My manager also recommended that one. I'm going to go into best buy next week and probably purchase one after I get my tax return. The Nuvi 1250 I think has 6 million P.O.I. and that right there sort of drew me in, plus it's cheap. Thanks for all the help by the way!
Pufferfish Posted April 1, 2010 Posted April 1, 2010 I use the 255W and my sister uses the 1250 both of them are really good. The 1250 has a few more special features such as radio traffic monitoring that makes it a better option, but the 255W is smaller and has a better receiver so it links up to satellites quicker. That's basically all I can really say on the subject. Personally, I say you can't go wrong with a Garmin.
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