creeper
Richmond Hill, Georgia
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Joined: 12/22/2003
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Ron44 wrote:Budget isnt as important as features on the unit.
I would spend a little extra if it had features/capabilities that are useful.
But I dont want to pay for features I wont use. I dont need a picture viewer, or mp3 player. I want a GPS that is user freindly and dependable
So far, the Garmin 260W looks like it might be ok?
Then you might want to look at the Garmin 755T, it's a $150 more MSRP. It adds features that are very useful.
It adds lane assist, it adds more waypoints , tracks, locations.
It adds the ability to save routes, where as the 260w you can not save any routes.
It sorts multiple locations and routes for the shortest distance, very popular with realtors and delivery people. It's also great for sight seeing. You plug in all the things you want to see and it routes the shortest route for all the points.
It adds "where am I" which finds the nearest Hospital, gas station or police station.
It adds Garmin locate , which is great for finding your car.
And a host of other features. Well worth the $150 since budget is not an issue.
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creeper
Richmond Hill, Georgia
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Joined: 12/22/2003
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davelinde wrote:Ron44 wrote:
So far, the Garmin 260W looks like it might be ok?
I'm also leaning towards the 260W now. I'd decided on the 705 until I found out that the price I was expecting was from a bait/switch web site  so now I'm re-evaluating. I'd like to have a QWERTY keyboard option but it's not worth $100 to me. I think that's all (that I care about) that I give up.
I don't find the Garmin web site helpful at all and I don't find the product line very understandable. I'd have bought one already except that I get the impression there may be differences in the software on the 2xx and 7xx I may care about later. I was quite miffed that my 2610 could not use the POI loader, so Garmin has me a bit wary about what they don't document about what they don't support...
Did you go to Garmin's side by side comparison? It doesn't get better then that for helping to see the differences.
The 2610 was out long before anyone cared about upload-able POI. Changing the firmware on a discounted model is not very cost effective for companies.
I much prefer the software version and features of my 2610. If I want POI on my 2610 I just add them myself as Waypoints.
I've used a bunch of POI files made by well meaning people, but find their files with so many errors , it makes the files unusable.
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Bumpyroad
Virginia
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Fizz wrote:For what I needed the Nuvii 260W was the best buy. It all depends on your needs. I would not go lower on the scale than 250
I was thinking of the 250W myself then a friend that has a 200W pointed out that the only difference, other than cost, was the silly voice telling you to turn which I don't use on my current one.
somebody else pointed out that there was really no need for the "W" model, actually height would be more important than width, and I couldn't think of a good argument against that. 
Oh, whatever you get be sure that it takes standard XD or whatever chips so you aren't stuck with their proprietary ones. I just priced a 512K chip for my 276C and they wanted $200. I can buy about a dozen that size in any normal chip.
bumpy
* This post was
edited 09/06/08 05:58am by Bumpyroad *
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davelinde
Freehold, New Jersey
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Joined: 11/02/2003
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creeper wrote:davelinde wrote:I don't find the Garmin web site helpful at all ...Garmin has me a bit wary about what they don't document
Did you go to Garmin's side by side comparison? It doesn't get better then that for helping to see the differences.
The 2610 was out long before anyone cared about upload-able POI. Changing the firmware on a discounted model is not very cost effective for companies.
I much prefer the software version and features of my 2610. If I want POI on my 2610 I just add them myself as Waypoints.
Yes I've been on the Garmin site and third party sites. Actually there was a site I looked at a year ago that was pretty good at comparison... but somehow I can't find it now
So I'll admit I'm being a bit hard to please here - though I don't think it's unreasonable. Why should I have to read and read and read to figure out if there's a difference between full maps, full maps with City Navigator, Regional Maps, 1 Million POI, 6 Million POI...
And is it too much to want to know if the software (the only real differentiation after FM and BT) has common features? For instance other than the noted features (where am i, lane, etc) is the UI and base s/w the same on all units? Is there meaning to 2xx 6xx and 7xx? Meaning to x00 x05 x50 x55 and x60? Since this is not my first GPS (but only my second) I've got a good handle on what I want and what I don't care about. What I cannot figure is what I'm being offered that I MIGHT care about IF I understood it.
Waypoint and POI is a good example. When I bought the 2610 I THOUGHT I understood waypoints and when POI's came out it seemed there should be no reason you could not translate. Well... in fact I CAN translate them in a multistep process that Garmin could have done too without 2610 FW changes but didn't. Yes, I understand that they offered POIloader as a free feature and wouldn't get more $$'s from me - fair enough.
Back to now... using standard expandable memory is a nice feature - I think? If I've understood correctly (from a non-Garmin site) in some models that memory is restricted in what I can load there! Well, I think I want to load additional maps and POI's there. The Garmin site is not clear and the comparison only shows if you can add memory or not - no mention of restrictions in use or differences in use between models.
I don't mean to sound like I'm arguing with you since I'm really frustrated with Garmin and I actually APPRECIATE you and the others knowledgeable folks here who share info with those of us who ask the repetitive questions when WE get around to buying what you already have 
Dave Lindemulder
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RicJones
So. Cal.
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davelinde I agree with you on many of your points. What frustrates me is that many of their units don't have a manual, just a "Quick" guide. Most features have to be either discovered while playing with it or find discussed on some non Garmin website. I think Garmin puts out a good product, just not good documentation. I guess they feel most people will just use the basic features so why bother.
I have a Rino 120, a 60csx and now a Nuvi 255. When I bought the Rino I learned that to know the unit I had to spend A LOT of time playing with it since there were many thing not covered in the manual.
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wa8yxm
Wherever I happen to park
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Joined: 07/04/2006
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I would suggest the chepeast they have with data-out, then a nice laptop such as a Leveno THINKPAD with a good maping software
or just skip the Garmin and get the bundled USB dongle
Nothin adds excitment like something that is none of your business
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Bumpyroad
Virginia
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this AM I noticed that walmart has the 200W for $218, I suppose cheaper elsewhere. I was thinking of upgrading to another Garmin, but if I can't transfer my topo maps and lake maps, there is no reason I have to stay with Garmin.
bumpy
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RicJones
So. Cal.
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Quote:but if I can't transfer my topo maps and lake maps
The memory card from my 60csx plugs into my Nuvi 255 and the maps work just fine. You can get a blank 1 gig micro sd card for around $6 if you shop around.
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Arborist
Tacoma
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Joined: 03/08/2006
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One of the main sticking points with 3 rd party applications is that almost all of the software files for the Garmin products are encrypted. So transferring routes, etc is problematic.
"If hard work were such a wonderful thing, surely the rich would have kept it all to themselves." - Lane Kirkland
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davelinde
Freehold, New Jersey
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wa8yxm wrote:I would suggest the chepeast they have with data-out, then a nice laptop such as a Leveno THINKPAD with a good maping software
or just skip the Garmin and get the bundled USB dongle
BTDT
So... I said the 2610 was my "first GPS". Actually it was the first GPS I found useful - I have had several including PC based and two handhelds (fun for hiking but not for RV navigation).
In my view the GPS must stand alone and work well. I still remember the discussion of "where is that?", followed by "oops the PC is hibernating, uh no it's booting now, uhhh oops I think the battery is dead - who has the inverter?" then "oh crud, why isn't this working - I think the GPS cable came unplugged, hmmm... do we need to reboot now?"
Made paper maps seem downright convenient!
But... I do concede that (for now) the standalone GPS have some weaknesses that a PC can fix. Screen size makes picking a destination off a map with the touch screen torture and the search algorithms on the map database are so poor that way too many initial searches come up "no match". We have a nice Lenovo and aircard and I'm hoping that with some simple tools (maybe resort to cut/paste) we can find things on google maps, get the lat/long (they have a tool), then push it to the GPS with a label (POI or Waypoint) and route to it without much trouble. They SHOULD support Bluetooth object-push for this (but they don't) so I'll settle for the cable this time around.
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