Garmin nüvi 205W 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator by Garmin
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Digital camera reviews of Garmin nüvi 205W 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator
Digital camera Review: 1st GPS experience very positive
Summary: 4 Stars
I've sat out of the GPS trend, initially to let the technology mature, and then after seeing Black Friday 2009 prices, I felt there would be a lot of opportunity in 2010. I'm glad I waited, and and I think my research led me to a good decision.
I'm not the worst navigator, but any roadtrip has typically been planned with allowances for getting lost at least once. I would study Google map suggested routes for obvious errors, and would try to have both text directions and maps of any spots I though were potentially tricky.
The last time we found ourselves wondering if we should turn back yet, my much wiser partner declared we were getting a GPS unit. I checked several sites, decided the price point I wanted, and what features I could get for that cost. The bigger screen was a must, and touch screen seemed an easy get. Bluetooth would have been nice, but mostly because I'm a geek. She would likely never use it. Voice command seemed undependable. And so my short list included this unit, and the $100 credit earned by becoming an audible.com members meant I could essentially make no interest installment payments AND take advantage of the Audible benefits, so I purchased the year subscriotion and bought this GPS.
The unit exceeds my expectations. The routing sooms odd around places I know, which tells me the routing choices around my destination are likely not always the most efficient. But I get where I'm going, and if I depart from the planned rout, the unit usually plots a new path quickly.
The menu system seems at least adequate. I've not encountered anything that doesn't work like it should, and can't think of any features I need to have that the unit doesn't offer.
It's not as flashy as many other units, but it does a fine job of meeting my needs.
Digital camera Review: 205W at a glance, from Amazon
Summary: 4 Stars
the 205W is fairly straightforward, although it is a bit difficult to change the home location.
I was hoping for a bit more latitude in restaurants, but, as I become used to its foibles, it will work out fine
Digital camera Review: A Great Product and Even Better Customer Service
Summary: 5 Stars
Love this product! I have recently moved to Dallas TX. There are no words to explain how invaluable this device has been to me. I had read other reviews that these GPS units will not always take you the most convenient way or shortest distance to where you are heading and yes this is true. BUT IT GETS YOU THERE! When you are new to a city believe me it helps. Most of the time you can look through the directions and map to see if there is something that can be corrected. And if you miss a turn it "recalculates" and puts you back on track, sometimes missing a turn has showed me alternatives that I didn't know I had.
CUSTOMER SERVICE AT GARMIN IS TOP NOTCH! When was the last time you called customer service and had a tech speak to you without a very heavy foreign accent? Or have to pause to read off a computer screen? I had a problem with my Garmin flickering after owning it for about two weeks. I called tech support and had a well-informed person to speak with. We hooked up my GPS to my computer to see if we could correct it with some software updates and then a complete reboot of the software. When this didn't work and it was decided to replace the unit. I packed it up, and shipped it back.
While waiting for software downloads I complemented the tech on how much I enjoyed having this GPS and how valuable it had already been in familiarizing myself with my new surroundings. Knowing that I was new to my city, he took it upon himself to expedite the shipment of my brand new unit as soon as they received my faulty one. I had a new one in my hands in 4 days.
AND THAT'S HOW A SERVICE DEPARTMENT SHOULD BE RUN!
I will be buying another one of these this week for my wife.
Digital camera Review: A good non-geek GPS unit
Summary: 4 Stars
I have an older Garmin V that I have used for about 7 years. The old Garmin is great for driving around provided you plan ahead and update the maps to show where you're traveling. If you forget, you miss critical detail and you'd better have good local maps. I still have that unit and use it mostly in the woods due to its limited memory.
So on a recent trip to Sacramento, I decided to upgrade to a newer unit that had more memory. The 205W worked so well out of the box I was a little disappointed. The tech on these is so simple now it's almost 'boring' to use. It navigated rapidly and accurately and provided clear directions within minutes. Most amazing to me was how well it picked up satellites compared to the Garmin V. Extremely fast and even worked resting in the space between the seats of our rental car. Pretty cool.
I'm not sure you can go wrong with the 205W. I've been a GPS geek for about 10 years and we use them at work.
The 205W is intuitive enough for most folks to use right out of the box and the routing is good. By 'good', I mean it's fast and accurate. If you accidentally drive by something it quickly recalculates a route for you.
The screen is nice and bright too, even in daylight. It is wise to bring along the supplied 12 volt cigarette lighter plug as it seems to last for very short times on battery alone and there is no way to replace the battery or bring along a spare. Fortunately, you can charge it off a mini-usb port from your computer too so it's not a big issue but if you're the forgetful sort, perhaps a replaceable battery model is better for you.
This is not a unit you'd really use in the back-country. It's designed for highway use and works great for that. There are other more costly units that more effectively marry the needs of sportsman and the occasional traveler.
It does nicely link up with Google Earth via your computer (you'll need to latest free version of Google Earth). It does not appear to provide a real-time GPS position signal to your computer (my 7 year old Garmin V does though) so if you're looking for that capability this doesn't appear to be a solution for that specific problem. However, if you are traveling and wish to save the addresses / places that you visited it easily imports that information and it's pretty cool to see those points overlaid on Google Earth.
You can add an SD card and put photos and stuff on it like you might on a USB memory stick but I don't think many people use that sort of capability.
You can easily download different icons to show your position. I downloaded the tank. The tank rules. It's a gimmick but it shows the folks at Garmin have a sense of humor.
You can view your route in the traditional overhead routing or 3D; both work really well.
The provided suction cup mount works very well. It uses a ball mount that allows for infinite positioning. If you want a really rugged mount I'd strongly recommend the Ram-Mount systems available online. I bought one for my ATV and it's amazingly stout and simple. I digress.
If your primary need for a GPS is a very simple, plain and effective unit for over the road travel, this will exceed your needs and your expectations in an easy to use package.
Digital camera Review: A great entry level unit
Summary: 4 Stars
I think the Garmin 205w is a great entry level GPS unit. It doesn't have advanced features like bluetooth, or text-to-speech (which announces street names) so instead of saying turn left on main st, it says turn left in .2 miles. I don't really care either way. The only thing I care about in a GPS is clear, understandable, accurate directions, and the garmin does a great job on that.
There are a few negitive things, but they are minor.
1. The estimated time usually optimistic. With traffic, you will almost never make the projected time, but its not that far off.
2. Directions are not always the best. There are some routes where it tells me to turn, when obviously there is a better route. The difference is often minor, so its not a horrible problem
3. The posted speed limits are sometimes wrong. This is also a minor issue, just don't 100% trust whatever the GPS tells you the speed limit is.
Although not perfect, I doubt you will find a better unit for under 200.00. Unless you need maps of Canada/Europe or advanced features, this is probably the best GPS out there. I don't know how I got by without it.