Will be acquiring Garmin Nuvi 255W GPS, thoughts?

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Punkrulz

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Nov 11, 2001
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Hey guys,

Since I'm going to be starting a new job, I decided that it was time for me to get a GPS device as I would be going back to traveling a bit. After searching around a bit online, I saw a deal for a Garmin nuvi 255w, that was $219 before tax & shipping. The deal was also nice because the company I ordered from has a payment plan, which would entitle me to get the GPS before starting the job.

So far reading things about it, it doesn't seem half bad. The only thing that stinks is that I know it won't come with a USB cable, and I will have to acquire one. What are your thoughts about this GPS? It's tough, there are so many different kinds of devices out there, it was tough to make a decision. I was going to go for the Nuvi 760 on Newegg, however I didn't qualify for the "Bill Me Later" option.
 
I dont know much about the 200 series, but the 350 is great and is very cheap these days. It doesnt have all the bells and whistles of some of the new devices, but I've never been lost with it in my car. It has text-to-speech and that's pretty much all you need in a GPS.

I seriously could not get by without my GPS. It's especially nice when I travel to an unknown area and can instantly get anywhere that I need to.
 
I'm really hoping everything works out. I think the only thing that I need to do for myself now is to get the travel kit... it looks like it would be important, as it has an AC Adapter, the USB cord, as well as a carrying case. The only thing that is going to suck is I now am going to have to take 3 things into the house everytime I walk in... GPS, Stereo head unit, and my iPod when I get one in there... ugh.
 
Punkrulz said:
I'm really hoping everything works out. I think the only thing that I need to do for myself now is to get the travel kit... it looks like it would be important, as it has an AC Adapter, the USB cord, as well as a carrying case. The only thing that is going to suck is I now am going to have to take 3 things into the house everytime I walk in... GPS, Stereo head unit, and my iPod when I get one in there... ugh.
Click to expand...

My GPS stays prominently displayed on my dash, along with my sat radio and aftermarket head unit. I live in Montgomery, AL where there are definitely less than "safe" areas of town, but I carry insurance for a reason :)

The suction cup thing that comes with the GPS often comes unstuck in hold/cold weather, so I would advise you get a --not sure of the name-- beanbag dash holder thing.

Found it: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8417055&type=product&id=1181832025409

I had mine connected to the windshield, but I would often come back to my car in hot weather to find it had fallen. The impact of that happening several times caused the audio to stop working. Dashboard mat is a good buy.

All that being said, I guess it's not an issue if you will be taking your GPS out of the car when you arent in it.
 
Jeez, $41 for that thing? This GPS is really becoming an investment! Yeah I live in an apartment complex. I'm still not sure how comfortable I am leaving new technology in the car. I know many thefts happen in town all throughout the place, and I live relatively close to a very bad apartment complex, so I'm always uncomfortable of the people that are around. I would hopefully only have to put everything in / take everything out once a day... unless my job takes me to Camden NJ which I better get armor plating and bullet proof glass.

Does your automobile insurance cover stolen electronics?
 
99 percent of companies will cover it if you elect to pay extra.

I just bought the 255w from work and I am more than satisfied with it. Just trying to find a nice trip to go on now :)
 
The GPS is definitely arriving tomorrow... I imagine early morning in fact. I'm very anxious to receive it, and to mess around with it for a little while. My biggest concern is making sure that I get the travel kit. I really want the travel kit because not only does it come with a case to hold the device in, but it will also have an AC Adapter so I can charge it inside.

1) Will the GPS arrive with a charge? My biggest fear is how I would charge it otherwise, as I won't be making any long trips until Monday to charge it.

2) Should I invest in some sort of external antenna? Or should reception be decent enough that it wouldn't be worth the investment, to hang something like that out of my window?

3) Is there anything else I should get for it? Within reason, of course. I'll look into that bean-bag friction mount if I head to a store.
 
Though I have a different in-car GPS -- the TomTom ONE -- I can answer those questions:

1) Most likely not. At least, not enough to confidently rely on it. Though GPS systems come with a USB cable that also doubles as a charging cable, they often sell the power adapter block separately (for around $20-$30 a pop, a la Apple).

2) You won't really need an external antenna in most cases. I get good "coverage" from my entry-level TomTom whenever I use it (then again, I don't have a lot of stuff littering the dash -- or the windshield -- of my car). If you live in an area that gets a lot of traffic -- and you're willing to pay the monthly fees for the service -- you may want to consider getting a paid subscription to Garmin's traffic service. (I don't know whether or not you'll need the external antenna to take advantage of that.)

3) Though it's more optional than anything, I recommend getting the AC power adapter block for charging. (Then again, I occasionally charge it overnight for long trips -- and I don't like using my computer for that task.) The only other thing to consider, especially if you're planning a road trip, is possibly buying a (yearly) map update. (Yearly, in this case, meaning that they offer a map update package once a year.) I take it that you already have the car charger, carrying case, and beanbag friction mount accounted for.

Come to think of it, tell us how it works out for you. I may end up getting the Nuvi 255W myself....
 
I will definitely let you know how it works out. I haven't bought any additional accessories for the Garmin, purely due to money, however I will be having it ordered come tomorrow for pay day. That will include the case, ac power adapter, and the USB cable. That's actually my biggest concern right now is getting the power adapter.
 
This may be blasphemous for me to say, but you may want to check eBay out for some good prices on accessories.

If you can, though, order the power adapter along with the GPS. Outside of the case, it's the one thing that you'd probably want right away.
 
I'd pass on getting any additional ac power adapters. As you will 99% of time be using it while in the car where you have the cig adapter. Really only thing I req'd with my nuvi 200 series was a small case. Never used a usb cable for it yet either.

And am traveling every week to different cities and really like the nuvi.
 
I have a Garmin GPS - bought it after standing in Fry's and BB for a few hours each playing with the different brands. Garmin had the best interface and was the most responsive. Plus you can have it talk to you in an Australian female voice. ;)

To answer your questions,

1. The unit will have a partial charge when it comes out of the box - at least mine did. It should come with some kind of power adapter - most likely one that plugs into your car's power adapter. The only port on mine for power is a mini-USB plug. That doubles as a data port. To my knowledge, all Garmins are like that, unless they changed their convention for whatever reason.
2. Your unit will contain a folding antenna about the size of a matchbook. You'll see it when you get it. Basically, when you're driving or using it, you want the antenna folded out so that it's parallel with the ground. You get the best reception that way. If you want traffic information, you'll need to buy an external radio antenna for that purpose. I want to say they're about $80. If your traveling is traffic-dependent, it might be a good expenditure.
3. Someone remarked about the poor performance of the suction cup windshield mount, but I've never had a problem with mine whatsoever. We don't have to put up with a lot of cold weather in Texas, but I can assure you it gets hot :). Hot enough to melt the adhesive on your rearview mirror. My Garmin has never fallen off the window or lost suction in my experience. My unit came pretty well all-inclusive, so I'm not sure if anything else is needed.
 
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