This is a refurbished GPS. Refurbished in general means that the unit has been returned to the manufacturer, who brings the navigator back to like new conditions. Some GPS may incorporate cosmetic blemishes.
Garmin's nüvi 255W improvesupon it is 200-series predecessors by adding top-of-the-line features such as FM traffic updates or MSN Direct content to an entry-level line. But Garmin is also introducing galore significant improvements with this new series, like a predictive engineering science that provides rapidly and without delay satellite lock, a redesigned screen with more information, terrain maps, and an stimulating new photo navigation feature. The 255W adds finish maps for North America and Text-to-Speech, so you get turn by turn spoken directions with the real names of streets (e.g. "turn left in 50 feet at Nebraska Way", rather than plainly "turn left in 50 feet"). The 255W likewise offers a wide 4.3-inch (diagonal) screen that displays 70% more of the road around you.
 The nüvi 2x5 models all sport the slim design that Garmin introduced with the 200-series last year, so they all fit comfortably in your pocket or purse, and a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that makes them commodious for navigation by car or foot.All of the models include utile travel tools like a JPEG picture viewer, world travel clock with time zones, currency converter, measurement converter, calculator and more.
Important Product Information: This device features a "screen lock" feature. This is a standard feature on all nüvi 2x5 and 7x5 Garmin units. If you slide the "Power" key to the right, it will lock the screen and prevent any accidental touches. Once the screen lock feature is engaged, the screen will go black/gray after in regards to 15 seconds to save power on the device. To unlock the screen, just slide the "Power" key to the center position. This feature is actually purposed for "Pedestrian" mode so that a user may put the device in his or her pocket/purse and quickly unlock the screen rather of powering on/off continuously. For more information, see page 5 of the product manual.
Key Features/Benefits for all 2x5 Series Navigators
- New -- HotFix (Long Term Ephemeris Prediction) finds satellites faster (Learn more)
- New -- Digital Elevation Model (DEM) Basemap shows 3D shaded terrain features (Learn more)
- New -- Faster 333 Mhz processor offers faster, smoother map drawing and vehicle icon motion through turns
- New -- Redesigned user interface offers more data (Learn more)
- New -- Photo Navigation lets you upload geo-coded photos from a phone, geo-coding camera or photo website and navigate to them. (Learn more)
- New -- Add Enhanced MSN Traffic and Content with the optional GDB 55 antenna and charger (Learn more)
- New -- Send addresses directly to your Garmin from Google Maps or Mapquest (Learn more)
- New -- Automatic Time Zone Transition
- Text-to-Speech gives directions with real street names
- 4.3-inch Widescreen shows you more of what's around you as you drive (Learn more)
- Memory Card Slots so you may add maps and travel guides, or store photos (MicroSD card slot on 3.5-inch units; SD card slot on 4.3-inch units)
- Preloaded Maps with Navteq data of North America + Hawaii + Puerto Rico, including 6.5 million searchable points of interest (Learn more)
- Rechargeable lithium-ion battery for easy portability (up to 4 hours per charge)
- Custom Vehicle Icons let you personalize your navigator (Learn more)
- Integrated Antenna for a slim form factor
- Where Am I? -- instantaneously shows you all of the emergency services nearby (Learn More)
What's in the Box
nüvi 255W, Preloaded City Navigator NT for North America or Europe (full coverage), Vehicle suction cup mount, Vehicle power cable, Dashboard disc, Quick commence manual
Which nüvi is Best for You?:
Click here to see a quick, simple comparison of features for all Garmin nuvi GPS navigators
Learn More
| One of Garmin's key product philosophies is to make exceedingly complex engineering easy to use for anybody right out of the box, and perhaps nowhere is that better exemplified than in the user interface for Garmin's portable navigation devices.
Garmin's interface is a key to their success share of what makes their appliances such a pleasure to use. Simple controls and sub-screens make it easy to enter or search for destinations and get info in regards to your trip. Simply touch the color screen to enter a destination, and nüvi takes you there with turn-by-turn voice directions, 2-D or 3-D maps and smooth map updates as you navigate.
This year, Garmin has redesigned it is interface to include much more utile information. |
Old Interface
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New Interface
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Your GPS device locks onto transmissions from a committed network of Satellites in order to determine it is position. Until the device gets a "lock" on three satellites, it can't efficaciously navigate, so decreasing the time it takes for your device to get "satellite lock" is always a goal of GPS manufacturers. With Garmin's new HotFix technology, your Garmin GPS remembers the position of all satellites it is tracking when you turn it off, and calculates their movements in order to predict where they will have to be the next time you turn it on. This gives the device an idea of where it will have to look for satellites, and dramatically decreases the time it takes for your Garmin to get it is position and start out navigating. HotFix may predict satellite positions for up to 3 days after the device was last turned off.
Using Garmin’s distinguishable Web internetsite — Garmin Connect Photos — users may choose from millions of geo-located photos provided by Google’s Panoramio photo sharing community and download them to the nüvi for a richer navigation experience using pictures as a guide. |
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Using Garmin’s distinctive Web internetsite — Garmin Connect Photos — users may choose from millions of geo-located photos provided by Google’s Panoramio photo sharing community and download them to the nüvi for a richer navigation experience using pictures as a guide.
- Choose from Panoramio's collection of photos from around the world.
- Easy to use interface displays photos on Google Maps.
- Search for photos by emplacement name or map area boundary.
- Transfer photos directly from Garmin Connect to device with the Garmin Communicator.
- View photos in Google Earth.
- Supports Internet Explorer 6+, Firefox 2+, Safari 3+ on Windows and Mac.
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| Shaded relief terrain maps show you when to suppose hills, mountains, forests and other natural features. Topographic terrain maps are viewable when using the 2D "birds-eye" view.
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tching to undertake out a new restaurant, or setting off on a road trip to locate the best toffee apples on the east coast? Now, it's easy to search for locatings on Google Maps or Mapquest, then transfer the addresses directly to your Garmin GPS navigator.
- Hook up your Garmin to the computer by way of it's USB port
- Search for the emplacement you want
- Click the Send link in the data window for the address. That will fetch up a popup "Send to" form.
- Pick GPS, then pick Garmin and hit the "Send" button.
The address will instantaneously transfer to your Garmin device, The point will be saved as one of your favorites, and you may navigate to it or view it on a map just like with any other favorite.
The routine does require a little plugin, which you may get at Garmin's internetsite at http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=3739. You may send business addresses to your Garmin device from these countries: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States.
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| Search for the emplacement you want.
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Pick "Send to GPS".
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Go!
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MSN Direct Enhanced Traffic and Content
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With an optional receiver, you may access intensified dynamic content from the MSN Direct service. Check the weather, refrain from traffic backups, compare local gas prices, get intensified movie listings, stock information, news and local events when you travel with your unit. Even plan trips from the comfortableness of your computer, thru Windows Live Local, and wirelessly send habit to your nüvi.
Check out a full description of MSN Direct content features, or a coverage map for MSN Direct services.
A 3-month subscription to MSN Direct is included with the receiver. After that, subscription fees are $49.95 per year, or $129.95 for a lifetime subscription. |
FM Traffic
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With an optional receiver, you may get alerts from TMC Clear Channel when it comes to traffic tie-ups and road construction that might lie in front on your route. All you have to do is plainly touch the screen to view traffic details and you'll be ready to detour around any problem area. And if you end up missing a turn, or you're forced into a detour that is not relayed through the traffic receiver, the nüvi's sophisticated automatic routing will get you back on track in no time.
In most areas, TMC Clear Channel traffic broadcasts are neverending — there's no waiting for scheduled traffic news updates or random alerts. Because traffic broadcasts are received thru a "silent" FM selective information channel, you may still listen to music or news programming on your car radio without interference from incoming FM traffic info transmissions.
A 3-month subscription to TMC Clear Channel's Total Traffic Network is included with the receiver. For more data on subscription fees, coverage in person cities, and traffic selective information networks in the United Kingdom and Europe, check the Garmin website.
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| The super-bright, 4.3-inch (diagonal) touchscreen display gives is anti-glare for ease of observing for the duration of the day and mechanically changes it is color profile for easy looking at at night or in dim light. It offers 2d or 3D perspective views.
The widescreen format gives you 70% more actual screen area than a 3.5-inch screen. Primarily this translates into a better view of the area through which you are driving. This is specially utile in showing you what parks, restaurants, ATM, gas stations, etc. are nearby, or in letting you know whether a detour is a good idea. Also, the device itself is larger, meaning controls on the screen are more widely spaced and more or less more comfortable to push. |
| Wider screen lets you see more of what's around. Compare these actual size views of a 3-inch (diagonal) screen
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Most helpful client reviews
2928 of 2943 people found the following review helpful.
 Garmin Nuvi 255w
By Schultzie
I actually could not determine amid the Garmin Nuvi 255w or the 750 model, so I decisive to buy them both for comparison. I mounted them both to my car windshield and gave them respective addresses to find together. I found that both models took the same routes and declared upcoming turns and street names at practically the same time. One thing I noticed in regards to the 255w was that it was updating my position on the road more often, I'd say in regards to 3 times as ofttimes as the 750. This made for smoother graphics on the 255w of the vehicle moving along displayed roads, where the 750's display was more of a "jerky" movement. I also found that the display on the 255w was a bit brighter, clearer, and more bright than on the 750 in both daylight and at night. Another feature I like on the 255w is the graphic turn indicator in the upper left corner, which the 750 lacks. This is a little arrow which shows upcoming turns and the distance to that turn. It also show things like a fork in the road, (ie: a Y intersection), and which fork you will be taking. The 750 just displays text on the top line for upcoming turns without the arrow. It's just a little extra feature on the 255w which I happened to actually like. The 255 likewise mechanically adjusts the font size of displayed text so that even lengthy text will fit.
Another feature on the 255w is a display of the posted speed limit on the road which you are presently on right above your current displayed speed. I found myself not even looking at my car speedometer as I could without apparent effort see my current speed and the speed limit of my route at a glance. The 750 doesn't have this feature. I likewise like how they moved the zoom in (+) and zoom out (-) buttons on the 255w to the same side of the screen which makes it a bit easier. On the 750 the zoom buttons are on opposite sides of the screen.
Now there are a good deal of features on the 750 that the 255w does not have. The 750 may broadcast it's sound over your FM radio with the supplied cigarette lighter cable, and it has a headphone jack, which I found to be nice features. The 750 likewise has an MP3 player and an Audio-book player, which the 255w does not. Another actually nice feature of the 750 is the car locater. This is a great feature if you are parking in a in truth big lot, such as at an amusement park or a fair. The 750 marks your emplacement when you remove it from the car, then you take it with you and it remembers where you parked and takes you right back to your car. The 255w doesn't have the car locater.
I also thought the the voice prompts of the 750 where more pleasant sounding than the 255w's. The 750 sounds more like a real female voice, where the 255w sounds more robotic.
Another thing to consider was that I remunerated $50 less for the 750 and it came with the FM transmitter cable and a USB cord to connect it to your computer for updates and downloads.
My final decision was to keep the 255w and return the 750 because I genuinely liked the graphic turn indicator and the posted speed limit and current speed indicators. I didn't find a need for the 750's MP3 player and Audio book player, but that is up to personal preference. Since the USB cable was not included with the 255w, I purchased it on this website for $10. I also intend to buy the MSN direct cable when it is available in August 2008.
498 of 506 humans found the following review helpful.
Best In Its Class - Great For Traveling
By EmbeddedFlyer
If you spend much time driving in unfamiliar territory, in particular if you rent cars in huge cities, a good portable GPS makes an awful difference. And the Garmin 255W is the best one I could find in the $250 - $350 range.
248 of 251 persons found the following review helpful.
LOVE the Garmin Nuvi 255W
By L. Smith
I received this GPS system regarding a week ago, and I haven't found one thing to complain when it comes to yet. The features are great, and all exclusively user friendly. No need to read the manual, just plug it in and go! The Garmin Nuvi 255W connects to satellites exceedingly fast--So when I get in my car and turn it on, we're gorgeous much ready to go immediately. The new display posts speed limit signs of major roads flush left on the screen, which is a new feature that is also in truth helpful, if you're driving in an unfamiliar area. The widescreen display makes it possible to view the names of roads that you are passing on the screen--which makes it much having little impact to distinguish amongst which road to turn on when there are two streets on your right (not without doubt or question labeled) that are only one house apart...which has happened to me twice... Also, the fact that the Garmin Nuvi 255W speaks street names is likewise helpful in times like these. In addition, another feature I find to be immensely helpful is how fast the Nuvi 255W recalculates your position if you do miss a turn. I love the detour feature, it saved me a ton of time when I heard there was an accident on the highway and took back roads that I would have never known existed! I would commend the Garmin Nuvi 255W to any individual looking for a fast, reliable, and easy to use GPS system.
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