GPS Receivers Item ID: #527Garmin nüvi 260W 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator (Factory Refurbished)Product Information:
Item DescriptionGo wide with the ultra-cool nuvi 260W that speaks street names. This widescreen navigator is attractively-priced and simple to use. Like the rest of the nuvi 200-series, you’re just a few screen taps away from anywhere. Navigate With Ease Take It With You Go Beyond Navigation nuvi 260W : It’s a whole nü way to travel. Item Reviews5 Responses to “Garmin nüvi 260W 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator (Factory Refurbished)” |
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I prefer simplicity rather than multitasking in my gadgets. I have a Nextar GPS that I like so much that I decided I would like never to be without a GPS again. Thus I bought this refurbished one as a backup. The first nuvi arrived completely dead. I was immediately able to print out a return label and order a substitute from Amazon whose customer service is exemplary.
The second GPS arrived a couple of days later. It works fine. There is a volume control and a lighting control. Being a little hard of hearing, I set the volume high, and I found it very clear, although there were a couple of words badly mispronounced. I couldn’t see the screen at all in the light, but it was set at 50%. When I set it all the way up, I could see it in the brightest light. I imagine this might cause the battery to run down easily, but the cord that plugged it into the auto cigarette lighter was long enough so I could keep it plugged in without any tension. (This is not true of the Nextar which is stretched so tight when I put it in the only place where it doesn’t block my vision that it sometimes pulls out.)
The GPS is bare bones. If I want to update, I will need to buy some kind of memory to use for the transfer. I have not tried to register it which I gather will be a bit of a hassle. It does not have a way to charge the battery in the house. It does have a disc that can allow it to be fastened to the dash. I used the suction cup on the windshield.
Once when I went off the route to buy gas, it wanted to take me all the way back to where I “got lost,” but other route deviations it took in its stride and recalculated. Getting out of malls is difficult with all GPS’s, and I wish there were a way to improve it. Telling the driver to proceed to the nearest road is not helpful. I have not yet tried all the settings and will update when I learn how useful they are.
The Nextar has a useful “boink” at the turn, which this one does not, but it seems to speak urgently when the turn comes up. I do prefer the “boink” in the Nextar.
For the price, this is impossible to beat.
I have a Nuvi 270 which works fine but the map updates expired early 2008. I got an email offering to update my maps for $149. I see that this NUVI 260W (with updates thru the end of 2010) is only $89. Let me think about that??? New Nuvi with a wide screen and updates for at least a year or update my old NUVI for 50% more??? mmm, that is a tough one.
By the way, I like the Nuvi 260W better than the 270 simply because of the bigger screen. Other than that, it is functionally identical to the 270. I have learned to always check the route before I blindly follow it because sometimes the NUVI will go thru a town that will take a long time although physically shorter as opposed to simply taking a bypass around a town. Other than that, it is a great tool.
After many months of screaming at my old 3.5″ Magellan Maestro 3200, I decided it was time to upgrade to a larger, faster, and more reliable GPS. My biggest complaint was the time it took for the unit to acquire a signal after first starting up. Leaving a Hotel Valet in Downtown Chicago was not possible for sometimes 2-3 minutes. Not with the 260W! This thing is lightning fast and very accurate. It acquires signal in a much more reasonable amount of time. How about some Pros and Cons..
Pros:
Wide screen, text to speech(very cool!), speedy processor, acquires sat signal quickly, customizable vehicles and voices, long lasting battery, power cord is flat(not coiled) and has a 90 degree bend so there is no stress on the cord.
Cons: No Free Traffic(although from what I have read it isn’t worth it anyway. Not very reliable or timely), No Bluetooth/cell phone transmitter for hands free
Even though this was a refurb it came with a 1yr warranty just like a new one. It looked 100% brand new out of the box when I received it and had the latest maps and updates. Way to go Garmin on an excellent refurbished product.
I’ve been a Garmin user for over five years. I started with the Street Pilot I5 in 2005, and just recently purchased the 260W as a factory refurbished model. I have absolutely no complaints with this product, and would highly recommend it to anyone who is in the market for a GPS. It’s extremely user friendly, and packed with useful tools and available upgrades. The wide screen makes viewing very easy while driving. The touch screen is wonderful, and very easy to use also.
I received the Garmin 260w in a timely fashion. It took a little while to figure out the features and now I use it frequently. I am very happy with the 260w so far.