Garmin Nuvi 255
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Written by Kate on December 1, 2008 – 1:53 pm
With a price of $229.99, the Nuvi 255 is packed with features that, in the past, only the more technologically advanced and expensive GPS models had. The Nuvi 255 is small so it is not only helpful in a car, but also when you are travelling by foot. It is easy to travel with and has maps of all of North America and Europe to guide you to your destination.
Features The Nuvi 255 speaks the road names and directions to lead you where you want to go. With other models, you may only hear, “Turn right in 50ft.” On the Nuvi 255, you hear “Turn right in 50ft on Waverly Lane.” So you never have to take your eyes away from the road to read where you are going next. The Nuvi 255 also comes with maps for all of North America and even Europe. So no matter where you go, you can bring your Garmin Nuvi 255 and it will lead you to your destination!
If you want traffic reports, local gas prices, or special additional content about restaurants and hotels in the area, subscribing to MSN Direct is an option with the MSN Direct Receiver GDB50. Normally this type of content is reserved for the more expensive GPS models, but the Nuvi 255 includes it all!
The Point of Interest database of restaurants, gas stations, ATMs, hotels, and more is packed on this little Nuvi 255 to find whatever you need. Just in case something is missing, you can use the new software, POI Loader, to make custom POIs on your GPS through connecting the Nuvi 255 to your computer.
Another option with the POI Loader is to set alerts for certain POIs, so that you know when one is coming up. For example, if you love Chick-fil-A milkshakes, and you always want to know when the next Chick-fil-A is around. It is easy to set an alert so that every time you are within a few miles of the Chick-fil-A, the Nuvi 255 will alert you. The Nuvi 255 is part of the 2×5 series so it is small enough to take with you outside of the car. The battery life is 4 hours; therefore you can use the Nuvi 255 to lead you in the right direction without worrying about having to charge it. This can be very helpful in unfamiliar cities and with its HotFix™ satellite prediction, the Nuvi 255 will get you where you need to be no matter if it is by foot or car.
Not only does the Nuvi 255 work great as a GPS, it also has the option to upload your photos and see them on the JPEG picture viewer. It is a great way to carry photos of loved ones. (or your dog…lizard…snake?) So that you can see them whenever you like, When you are in your home town, on a business trip, or vacationing in Paris. Another great feature on the Nuvi 255 is that you can download Google™ Panoramio™ through the Garmin Connect™ Photos website. These photos you can use to associate with saved destinations. Basically, you can find a picture of a lawnmower and use it as the picture associated with your home. Then, every time you want to go home, the lawnmower will show up.
The Garmin Garage is part of the Garmin website and has a lot of cool free downloads for your Nuvi 255. There are a lot of different icons to choose from to download to represent your place on the map of the GPS. So, if you want to be a school bus or an airplane, there are a lot of choices for you to download. Along with all of the other features that make the Nuvi 255 different from just being a GPS, there are other options as well. There is a world travel clock with time zones, a currency converter, measurement converter, calculator, and more! If you choose to purchase a microSD card for your Nuvi 255, you can have access to travel guides and many other types of content.
Cons of the Nuvi 255 No Qwerty keyboard and sometimes the voices pronounce street names in a funny way. It is also hard to silence the Nuvi 255 while driving around due to the fact that you need to go through several menu options in order to stop the voice instructions. Why is this a problem you may ask? Ever tried talking on the phone while your GPS is talking?
Pros of the Nuvi 255 It is inexpensive with a listing price of $229.99. Plus it has a lot of awesome features that are not included on any other low priced Nuvi GPS. Some examples are: live traffic, voice prompted directions, MSN Direct, and personalization options. The Nuvi 255 has a lot for a low price. I highly recommend this product. Do you agree/disagree? Comment and let me know!
| Nuvi 255 | |
| Physical & Performance | |
| Unit dimensions, WxHxD: | 3.8W x 2.8H x .8D (9.7 x 7.1 x 2cm) |
| Display size, WxH: | 2.8″W x 2.1″H (7.2 x 5.4cm); 3.5″ diag(8.9 cm) |
| Display resolution, WxH: | 320 x 240 pixels |
| Weight: | 5.2 ounces |
| Battery life: | up to 4 hours |
| Waterproof: | no |
| High-sensitivity receiver: | yes |
| RoHS version available: | yes |
| Maps & Memory | |
| Basemap: | yes |
| Preloaded maps: | yes |
| Ability to add maps: | yes |
| Built-in memory: | internal solid state |
| Accepts data cards: | microSD™ card (not included) |
| Waypoints/favorites/locations: | 1000 |
| Features | |
| Voice prompts (e.g. “Turn right in 500 ft.”): | yes(internal speaker) |
| Speaks street names (e.g. “Turn right on Elm Street in 500 ft.”) : | yes (North America version only) |
| Speech recognition (navigate with voice commands): | no |
| Lane assist (guides you to the proper lane for navigation): | no |
| 3-D map view: | yes |
| Auto re-route (fast off-route and detour recalculation): | yes |
| Choice of route setup (faster time,shorter distance, off road): | yes |
| Route avoidance (avoid highways, tolls etc.): | yes |
| Custom POIs (ability to add additional points of interest): | yes |
| Hands-free calling with Bluetooth® wireless technology: | no |
| FM traffic compatible: | yes |
| MSN®Direct for U.S. compatible: | yes |
| XM®Navtraffic (includes basic weather) & Radio for U.S. compatible: | no |
| Where Am I? (find closest hospitals, police & gas stations, nearest address & intersection): | yes |
| Garmin Locate™ (marks position when removed from windshield mount): | no |
| Photo navigation (navigate to geotagged photos): | yes |
| Picture viewer: | yes |
| Garmin Garage™ (select car-shaped icons for map navigation): | yes |
| Current Location Icon Choice | no |
| World travel clock, currency & unit converter, calculator: | yes |
| Touchscreen: | yes |
| Qwerty or ABC keyboard (choose keyboard layout): | no |
| Remote control: | no |
| FM transmitter: | no |
| Garmin Lock™ (anti-theft feature): | yes |
| Motorcycle-friendly: | no |
