Garmin nüvi 265W/265WT 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic by Garmin
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Digital camera reviews of Garmin nüvi 265W/265WT 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic
Digital camera Review: 4.3 inch garmin nuvi 265 wt
Summary: 5 Stars
Was very easy to use. Loved the large display. Clear & easy to understand voice. Notified of upcoming traffic.Digital camera Review: A Fantastic Upgrade For Me !
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been using a GPS for several years. Recently it was time to upload more current maps and the brand ( not Garmin ) I was using wanted $80 for the map update. Given the age and technology of the unit I determined that a new GPS would be a better choice. After considerable research I chose the Garmin Nuvi 265WT. I am amazed at the much improved features and functionality of this Garmin. Given the abilities of this unit, its price is fantastic ! Access to the Garmin website allows for personalizing/customizing which makes the Nuvi distinctly yours and use of the website is completely user friendly ( not so much my experience with the previous brand GPS I used ).
So far, the 265wt has proven incredibly accurate and the verbal prompts are so on target that I seldom need to glance at the screen. I couldn't be happier with my Garmin...Quite the upgrade for me !
Digital camera Review: A GODSEND IN SOME WAYS, WACK CITY IN OTHERS
Summary: 3 Stars
I notice that discussion forums on this product are jammed with users concerned about whether their Garmin is really the 265WT or just a 265W. I got mine and started thinking the same thing--that it did not have the traffic feature because it was directing me INTO traffic jams. It was a week before its voice start alerting me, belatedly, with "traffic ahead" (the first time it alerted, I could already see the problem ahead.) That same day, a message appeared on the screen saying that it needed a traffic software update, so at that point I realized that it really was a WT. The traffic feature has not been particularly useful. It was also a week before any of the popup ads showed up; they are not obtrusive, however.
It is not as smart as Columbus, who knew that sometimes you have to go west first in order to go east. Sometimes the most efficient route is not the shortest, but the Garmin insists on taking the shortest route no matter how many red lights get in the way, even though I have it set on "Faster Time" instead of "Shorter Distance" (it also has a "Less Fuel" setting). The other day, I went over to the freeway before turning the Garmin on, then told it I wanted to go downtown, and, even though its map showed my correct location as being at the freeway, it wanted me to turn around and drive all the way back past where I had started, and have me take the annoying route that it always wants me to take from my house. Traffic jams will make it tell you to take an odd route; the problem is, you don't know if there's a traffic jam or if it is just being a Garmin. Garmin needs to hire someone with a genuine intellect to modify its routing algorithm. Way up there on the list of what it needs is to have would be a "NO" button, so you can decline its route suggestions and have it calculate an alternate route.
Its pronunciation takes getting used to. I had to change my post office entry "USPS" to "Post Office" because I could not understand--or stand--the way it was trying to pronounce USPS.
Its nomenclature is bizarre. It likes to tell you to exit on the highway you are already on instead of using the name of the exit. Instead of telling you to take the West Road exit, for example, it will tell you to take the Beltway 8 exit, which there are dozens of, so if you didn't know where you were, you would also have to look at the screen to make sure you were at the right place. There are times when, even when there are no ramps or exits, it will tell you to take the road that you are already on. When you get to your destination, it will tell you to "navigate off road," which is a strange way of putting it. For my residence in Houston, it has suddenly decided that I can get home directly off of a nearby major street instead of having to use the side street, which would technically be possible, but would involve driving through a parking lot, a fence, and a yard, so there are some glitches in its "maps."
You can trust its maps, but not its voice. When I'm going to the southwest side of town, it will tell me to take the US 59 North exit, when the actual exit ramp eventually splits into US 59 North and US 59 South exits. It never tells you to take the South exit; what it does is, after you have gotten on the split, at the last minute it will tell you to "keep right," which is correct, but if you had been listening only to its voice and not knowing where you were going, you could very easily have thought that you ought to have been on the left in order to get on 59 North.
It does lie sometimes. You have to know where you're going and have a sense of where you are to be able to know when to ignore it completely. I'm waiting to see in the news about court cases where the defendants will plead not guilty to traffic violations because their Garmins were telling them to drive over esplanades or go the wrong way on a street.
The user interface is non-intuitive, and takes a little getting used to. One annoyance is that there's no overwrite feature if you want to reset a favorite. I usually remove mine and take it into stores with me--(it attracts car burglars, since the burglars think it's a sign of wealth)--and if I forget to turn it on until the next destination, it will take a while to acquire the satellite data, which has resulted in me adding a new favorite with the wrong gps info, which means that to correct it, I had to re-enter everything later and save it a second time. That lag in acquiring satellite signal is also noticeable during driving, during inclement weather. It would be nice to be able to set a default city instead of having to re-enter the city, which is a little bit of a hassle, each time you want to select a new destination by entering an address. It would be nice to know whether it wants you to take a wacky route because of traffic or lights, or because the people who programmed it didn't do their jobs right.
It is a Godsend if you forget what the speed limit is, which can happen on long trips. Note that it does not update with school zone speed limits, so don't blame your Garmin if you speed through a school zone. It doesn't know all the speed limits, though, such as those on state highways in Arkansas that have been unchanged for decades. It is also a Godsend when you can't see the street signs or if there are no street signs: you always know what the road coming up is. It is also a Godsend if you are looking for a particular street so you won't have to annoy the people behind you by slowing down at each crossroad to wonder "is that it?" You will probably see traffic jams faster than your Garmin, and you can exit anywhere with confidence that no matter which way you turn, the Garmin will (usually) tell you how to get through. It's certainly more convenient than pulling over and looking at a map.
It is useful in the fog, which, of course, you don't want to drive in, but if fog appears, the Garmin is extremely useful to tell you which way the road is getting ready to curve.
Digital camera Review: A Hidden Feature - Route tracing
Summary: 5 Stars
In addition to everyone else's review, I just wanted to point out a hidden feature not documented anywhere. If you use 2-D display, it traces your path with a light blue line. There is no way to turn it off. The trace stays for 2 weeks. On a freeway, the trace is sided. If you go to a new place, very likely you can follow the trace back without having to ask it for direction. When you frequent a parking lot, you can also see the parking lot gradually being filled up with light blue (your trace). It's like a game encouraging you to explore new routes. Fun feature! Give it a try! I wish they have documented it!Digital camera Review: A MUST AT THIS PRICE
Summary: 5 Stars
It is simple to operate and it just works fine. What else can you ask for. A reasonnable price? This one is CHEAP. My opinion: GO for it!