3.5-inch Touch Screen Navigation with Turn by Turn spoken Directions
Pre-loaded Maps for continental U.S., Hawaii, and Puerto Rico with 6.5 million searchable points of interest
FM Traffic or MSN Direct Traffic/Content compatible (with optional GDB 55 receiver)
Easy to Use Interface; slim, pocket-sized form factor; 4-hour rechargeable battery
3D terrain views, navigate to photo, and automatic time zone adjustment
Navigator GPS Portable 3.5-Inch 205 nvi Garmin
0ur opinion:
: With easy-to-use Touchscreen displays, the nuvi 205 can route to addresses, restaurants, hotels and more with turn-by-turn directions and voice guidance. nuvi 205 will say 'Turn right in 500 feet.' New appealing features include MSN Direct compatibility, HotFix, Garmin Connect Photos, digital elevation maps, automatic time zone updates and smoother map updates. nuvi 205 is compatible with an optional MSN Direct receiver (GDB 55). This optional MSN Direct receiver provides premium content such as traffic updates, weather, gas prices, enhanced movie listings, stock info, news, local events and a send-to-GPS feature for trip planning. nuvi 205 is the most affordable option, with mapping coverage of the lower 48 states, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. lt offers five million points of interest, including hotels, restaurants, gas stations, ATMs and attractions. The map data is provided by NAVTEQ, a world leader in premium-quality mapping. Bright 3.5 diagonal color display, 320 x 240 pixels, QVGA TFT display, with white backlight High-sensitivity GPS receiver for improved performance and reception Trip computer records mileage, max speed, total time and more Built-in travel kit includes features such as picture viewer, world clock, currency and measurement converters and calculator Configurable vehicle icons - allows users to select a fun, customized car-shaped icon; users can download additional choices 0ffers a three-dimensional mapping perspective or 2D overhead view Built-in lithium-ion battery - lasts up to four hours depending on usage Dimensions - Width 3.8 x Height 2.8 x Depth 0.8 Weight - 5.2 ounces
----May 7, 2008: Garmin's nüvi 2x5 models improve upon their 200-series predecessors by adding top-of-the-line features such as FM traffic updates or MSN Direct content capability to an entry-level line. But Garmin is also introducing some significant improvements with this new series, like a predictive technology that provides faster satellite lock, a redesigned screen with more information, terrain maps, and an exciting new photo navigation feature.
The nüvi 2x5 models sport the slim design that Garmin introduced with the 200-series last year, so they all fit comfortably in your pocket or purse, and a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that makes them convenient for navigation by car or foot.All of the models include useful travel tools like a JPEG picture viewer, world travel clock with time zones, currency converter, measurement converter, calculator and more.
Key Features/Benefits for all 2x5 Series Navigators
0ne of Garmin's key product philosophies is to make extremely complex technology easy to use for anyone right out of the box, and perhaps nowhere is that better exemplified than in the user interface for Garmin's portable navigation devices.
Garmin's interface is a key to their success part of what makes their devices such a pleasure to use. Simple controls and sub-screens make it easy to enter or search for destinations and get data about your trip. Simply touch the color screen to enter a destination, and nüvi takes you there with turn-by-turn voice directions, 2-D or 3-D maps and smooth map updates as you navigate.
This year, Garmin has redesigned its interface to include much more useful information.
Your GPS device locks onto transmissions from a dedicated network of Satellites in order to determine its position. Until the device gets a 'lock' on three satellites, it can't effectively navigate, so decreasing the time it takes for your device to get 'satellite lock' is always a goal of GPS manufacturers. With Garmin's new HotFix technology, your Garmin GPS remembers the position of all satellites it is tracking when you turn it off, and calculates their movements in order to predict where they should be the next time you turn it on. This gives the device an idea of where it should look for satellites, and dramatically decreases the time it takes for your Garmin to get its position and start navigating. HotFix can predict satellite positions for up to 3 days after the device was last turned off.
Using Garmin’s unique Web site — Garmin Connect Photos — users can choose from millions of geo-located photos provided by Google’s Panoramio photo sharing community and download them to the nüvi for a richer navigation experience using pictures as a guide.
Using Garmin’s unique Web site — Garmin Connect Photos — users can choose from millions of geo-located photos provided by Google’s Panoramio photo sharing community and download them to the nüvi for a richer navigation experience using pictures as a guide.
Choose from Panoramio's collection of photos from around the world.
Easy to use interface displays photos on Google Maps.
Search for photos by location name or map area boundary.
Transfer photos directly from Garmin Connect to device with the Garmin Communicator.
View photos in Google Earth.
Supports lnternet Explorer 6+, Firefox 2+, Safari 3+ on Windows and Mac.
Shaded relief terrain maps show you when to expect hills, mountains, forests and other natural features. Topographic terrain maps are viewable when using the 2D 'birds-eye' view.
tching to try out a new restaurant, or setting off on a road trip to locate the best toffee apples on the east coast? Now, it's easy to search for locations on Google Maps or Mapquest, then transfer the addresses directly to your Garmin GPS navigator.
Hook up your Garmin to the computer via it's USB port
Search for the location you want
Click the Send link in the info window for the address. That will bring up a popup 'Send to' form.
Pick GPS, then pick Garmin and hit the 'Send' button.
The address will instantly transfer to your Garmin device, The point will be saved as one of your favorites, and you can navigate to it or view it on a map just like with any other favorite.
With an optional receiver, you can access enhanced dynamic content from the MSN Direct service. Check the weather, avoid traffic backups, compare local gas prices, get enhanced movie listings, stock information, news and local events when you travel with your unit. Even plan trips from the convenience of your computer, via Windows Live Local, and wirelessly send custom to your nüvi.
Check out a full description of MSN Direct content features, or a coverage map for MSN Direct services.
A 3-month subscription to MSN Direct is included with the receiver. After that, subscription fees are $49.95 per year, or $129.95 for a lifetime subscription.
FM Traffic
With an optional receiver, you can get alerts from TMC Clear Channel about traffic tie-ups and road construction that might lie ahead on your route. All you have to do is simply touch the screen to view traffic details and you'll be ready to detour around any problem area. And if you end up missing a turn, or you're forced into a detour that is not relayed through the traffic receiver, the nüvi's sophisticated automatic routing will get you back on track in no time.
ln most areas, TMC Clear Channel traffic broadcasts are continuous — there's no waiting for scheduled traffic news updates or random alerts. Because traffic broadcasts are received via a 'silent' FM data channel, you can still listen to music or news programming on your car radio without interference from incoming FM traffic data transmissions.
A 3-month subscription to TMC Clear Channel's Total Traffic Network is included with the receiver. For more information on subscription fees, coverage in individual cities, and traffic data networks in the United Kingdom and Europe, check the Garmin website.
Where Am l?
0n any nüvi, just tap 'Where Am l?' to find the closest hospitals, police stations, fuel stations, nearest address and intersection. Also see your exact latitude and longitude coordinates.
nüvi accepts custom points of interest (P0ls). View larger.
The nüvi comes ready to go right out of the box with preloaded City Navigator NT street maps for the continental United States, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico, including a hefty P0l database with hotels, restaurants, fuel, ATMs and more. Simply touch the color screen to enter a destination, and nüvi takes you there with 2D or 3D maps and turn-by-turn voice directions. Garmin gets its map data from NAVTEQ, a world leader in premium-quality mapping.
ln addition, nüvi accepts custom points of interest (P0ls), such as school zones and safety cameras and lets you set proximity alerts to warn you of upcoming P0ls
lmportant note about map updates: Due to our high volume of sales, almost every Garmin portable GPS navigator sold by will come with the most recent map version. lf you ever do need a map update, you can purchase one from Amazon.com at our Garmin Store.
Garmin's patent pending theft prevention system that disables the unit from performing any functions until the user types in a specific 4-digit PlN or takes the unit to a predetermined secure location
Browse your stored pictures with an easy-to-use JPEG viewer.
Navigation is just the beginning. The nüvi 2x5 models features travel tools including a JPEG picture viewer, world travel clock with time zones, currency converter, measurement converter, calculator and more.
This device is compatible with optional content plug-ins available via microSD card, such as the Garmin Travel Guides and Garmin SaversGuide provide detailed data for attractions and information on nearby merchants offering discounts, so you can customize nüvi for your travel needs. For Accessory Map Cards and Travel Guides the Units Feature: a MicroSD Card Slot on the 3.5 inch Units, and an SD Card Slot on the 4.3 inch Units.
Garmin has also added the ability for customers to add custom points of interest (P0l’s) from third parties such as school zones and safety cameras.
Custom vehicle icons let you ride in style, at least inside your GPS. See more icon option
All Garmin nüvis support configurable vehicle icons. These fun, customized car-shaped icons come in a variety of colors to add a personal touch to your vehicle's position on the map.
Notes
0ptional software for language translation, detailed travel guides, and savings programs allow you to customize your nüvi to fit your travel needs
Like most USB Mass Storage Devices, the nüvi is not compatible with Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows Me.
MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with opt. receiver)
external battery only
Basic MSN Direct Content Features
Traffic Reports
Find the best route through traffic. Your GPS device uses MSN Direct traffic data to select the best route for you to avoid traffic congestion.
Check traffic flow. Know at a glance where to expect slowdowns in traffic.
Get accident warnings. Receive warnings about accidents, road closures, and construction in the area that may affect you.
Gas Prices
Compare local gas prices. See a list of recent gas prices in your area and an indication of how recently the prices were reported.
Find your way to the savings. 0nce you find the best price in your area, use your navigation system to guide you to the gas station.
Weather Reports
Stay on top of current conditions. View the current weather conditions in your area, including today's high and low temperatures, chances of precipitation, and more.
View the three-day forecast, Plan ahead by checking the three-day weather forecast for your area.
Check weather in other cities. See current weather conditions in major cities across the country.
Movie Times
Search for a movie. Find the theaters in your coverage area that are showing the movie you want to see.
See which movies are playing. View which movies are playing in your coverage area or at your favorite theater.
See show times and get directions. 0nce you find a show you want to see, check the show times and use your GPS device to guide you to the theater.
Enhanced MSN Direct Content
Web Favorites (Send custom destinations to your GPS with Live Search Maps)
Powerful trip planning: Use Live Search Maps on your computer to look up an address, search for a business, or plan a trip
Choose your favorite location, and then MSN Direct delivers the address, phone number, and more straight to your navigation system.
Visit Live Search Maps at http://maps.live.com.
Local Events
See what's happening near you. Find nearby events to see what's happening in your area.
Find the events that interest you. Browse events sorted by category.
Search for an event. Get details about a particular event.
Stock Quotes
Watch the stocks that interest you. Select stocks that you want to keep an eye on, and then see regularly updated stock prices and daily changes.
Get a little more detail. Touch a stock in your list to see daily highs, lows, and trading volume.
News Headlines
Browse the headlines at a glance. See breaking news and other major news stories of the day.
Read more details. Select a headline to read all the details about the news story on your navigation system.
Buyer's feedback: - * improvement over Nuvi 200 ...
I owned Nuvi 200 in the past. I had to part with it rather unexpectedly, and Nuvi 205 was the replacement I got for it.
It exceeded my expectations.
First on its predecessor Nuvi 200. A very good unit. Found directions well, had 95% accurate map, useful features and good layout to use them.
Nuvi 205 kept most pluses and expanded features.
Graphical interface was refreshed and looks smoother than its predecessor. Nuvi 200 was well laid out, this just puts it in a better wrapper.
It comes with NT2009 maps - newest maps! if you buy nuvi200 now, it may come with 2008, 2007. You'd need to register it and HOPE you get a free map update.
When you zoom out on a map now you will see all your saved locations! this is great, and was not available in nuvi 200.
I particularly like the "where am I", which shows where you are, your grid coordinates, closest address and intersection.
They added a tracker, so you can see what roads you traveled down.
I tried it on foot, and it was ok. Compass was hard to read and I went to reading the sun to figure out which was is North, but using the tracker I was able to approximate how far I went into the woods, where return trail and how far am I away from it.
The only two degrades from nuvi 200 was the favorites. It now has two extra clicks to go through to get to them. When its rerouting instead of explicitly writing "rerouting" it shows nothing, which can be misguiding.
I would recommend it as a good GPS to people in US. for foreign service it does not have the maps and you may consider a different model that does.
Buyer's feedback: - Garmin Nuvi Excellent Choice
We purchased this product at a much lower ($30.00 less) price than anywhere else we shopped. We received it 2 days after purchase and use it for every expedition outside our normal driving area. While I've always enjoyed getting "a little lost" it's great to know that I can't get "too" lost.
Thanks
Buyer's feedback: - * great product ...
Great product, very easy to use. Requires downloading the update before use, takes 5 mins or less. Comes with eveything you need in the box.
Buyer's feedback: - NEW ORLEANS VACATION
My family and I visited New Orleans for the first time. We had just bought the GPS and are ecstatic. Don't know how we could ever have vacationed without it. We have bought 3 more for our extended family.
Buyer's feedback: - * Improvements over Nuvi 200 appreciated ...
I had to give the Nuvi 205 a 5-star rating because it's better than the Nuvi 200, which has an average of 4.5 stars at Amazon. All in all, I'm glad I got the 205 vs. the 200. Not in any order are the following improvements I appreciated most:
The faster screen refresh is noticeable. There's a YouTube video where the 205 is compared with the 200. You can see a huge difference.
The redesigned display is more intuitive with arrows vs. "left"/"right". Personally, I think the screen design looks better, too.
The ability to import addresses on the computer from Google map is very nice since entering the address via the touchscreen is a bit cumbersome.
BTW, the documentation is very, very light. There was no mention of how to use the map importation feature so I appreciated the Amazon product page including the link to download the plug-in. Also, I didn't know I could download more vehicles till I dug around the Garmin website.
About text-to-speech, which this unit does NOT have, I don't think I'm going to miss it. Usually I have the radio or iPod blaring, and my car is pretty noisy anyway, so it would be hard to hear the street names called out. In fact, I keep the volume down and rely on the very intuitive display. You clearly see the upcoming street name to turn on and even if there are a bunch of streets bunched up together, the main map would show them all and it would be easy to differentiate the one you want.
Small and light enough for a shirt pocket, Samsung's Helix YX-M1 is a one-stop audio entertainment center with an XM radio, a digital music player, and room for 50 hours of tunes, but it comes up short on battery life.
Set in Saudi Arabia, The Kingdom is a political action thriller with good acting and wonderful visuals. Its so-so script, though, at times meanders aimlessly until a good explosion jolts the viewer's attention back to the screen. Jamie Foxx stars as FBI special agent Ronald Fleury, who leads an elite team into Saudi Arabia to find the terrorists who attacked American employees working in the Middle East. He has been given the unlikely deadline of five days to infiltrate the compound, with just his wit and his crew, which includes forensics expert Janet Mayes (Jennifer Garner), explosives guru Grant Sykes (Chris Cooper), and intelligence analyst Adam Leavitt (Jason Bateman). It's unclear how helpful smarmy U.S. diplomat Damon Schmidt (Jeremy Piven) will be, but Fleury knows enough to surmise that the media-hungry Schmidt might not be completely trustworthy. Foxx and Garner have wonderful screen presence, but it's Bateman and Piven who get the best lines. Director Peter Berg peppers The Kingdom with actors he has worked with in the past. Berg, who guest-starred on Alias opposite Garner, casts Tim McGraw in a small role here. (The country singer also had a co-starring role in Berg's 2004 film Friday Night Lights.) And Kyle Chandler and Minka Kelly--two of Berg's lead actors from the Friday Night Lights television series, , make appearances in The Kingdom. The action sequences he creates are impressive and generate a sense of panic that The Kingdom producer Michael Mann (Miami Vice) undoubtedly applauds. While a tauter script would've rounded out the action nicely, the action in many cases does speak for itself. --Jae-Ha Kim
A staggering portrait of arrogance and incompetence, the documentary No End in Sight avoids the question of why the U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003, choosing instead to focus on the war's aftermath--and meticulously examine the chain of decisions that led Iraq into a grotesque state of lawlessness and civil war. Drawing from interviews with top generals, administration officials, journalists, and soldiers who were in the thick of the war itself, No End in Sight lays out a gripping story, as suspenseful as any Hollywood movie, accompanied by terrifying footage of firefights and explosions more vivid than any special effects. Unfortunately, there is no happy ending. If the documentary has a weakness, it's the shortage of voices trying to defend the administration policies (perhaps unsurprisingly, policymakers like Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, and Paul Wolfowitz declined to be interviewed). But the testimony (presented by administration insiders and officials in Iraq, both military and civilian) argues that, despite contrary analysis and experienced advice against its actions, the top brass of the Bush administration made decisions (that aggravated already existing problems and created devastating new ones. No End in Sight builds its case one voice at a time and avoids the grandstanding that undercuts Michael Moore's work; instead, the gradual accumulation of simple facts--presented with weary resignation, earnest outrage, and restrained anger--results in a compelling condemnation of one of the worst blunders the U.S. has ever made. --Bret Fetzer
Fans of Oliver Stone's J.F.K. will recognize the opening moments of writer-director Eugene Jarecki's Why We Fight, in which outgoing President Dwight Eisenhower warns of the pernicious and growing influence of what he called the "military-industrial complex." But Stone's movie, which uses the same footage, was a work of fiction. While those who disagree with the decidedly leftist point of view in this documentary will probably consider it the product of paranoid liberal fantasy as well, there's enough credible material, much of it supplied by the targets of Jarecki's criticisms, to make Eisenhower look like a prophet and everyone else uneasy about the dark confluence of politics, money, and war that controls the country's fortunes. The message here is that while there may be some who sincerely believe that America's various military engagements (in Iraq, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, and elsewhere) since World War II are the product of our God-given duty to spread freedom and halt the influence of evil ideologies around the world, the real reason we fight is that war is good business. This is hardly a bulletin; anyone who is surprised by allegations that politicians pander to defense contractors, or that Vice President Dick Cheney helped secure huge deals for Halliburton, the company he formerly headed, simply hasn't been paying attention (Politicians lie? How shocking!). In fact, the principal drawback to Jarecki's film is simply that there's nothing particularly revelatory or compelling about it. Only when he takes a personal approach does he go beyond the obvious; the story of a retired New York policeman and former Vietnam veteran whose son died in the World Trade Center, who wanted revenge, but who became seriously disillusioned when Bush admitted that the war in Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11, adds some much needed human interest. Still, Why We Fight, which includes a director's audio commentary track and a few other bonus features, serves as a grim reminder that the world's most powerful nation has strayed far from the principles of our founding fathers, a development that does not bode well for America's future. --Sam Graham
In her snowy home state of Utah, Marie Osmond serves up a warm cup of holiday cheer with Marie Osmond's Merry Christmas, her very first Christmas special. Mixing traditional songs and carols with modern melodies, Marie presents a sentimental hourlong program (originally aired on television in 1989), blending music with short sketches. The show features Kirk Cameron, then-teen heartthrob on Growing Pains; Candace Cameron, his sister and star of Full House; country singer Lee Greenwood; Sally Struthers and daughter Samantha, ice dancers Judy Blumberg and Michael Siebert, and the Osmond Boys.
Marie opens the show with an outdoor rendition of "We Need a Little Christmas" and then moves into the studio where Kirk Cameron arrives on a snowmobile (fresh from rescuing a trio of blonde snow bunnies) to read "The First Christmas Story." Lee Greenwood performs "Christmas to Christmas" and later a duet with Marie. "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" is sung by Sally Struthers and daughter with help from the Osmond Boys--six stepping stones ages 4 to 12 who have the senior Osmonds' moves down pat. The adorable award, though, goes to Marie's 5-year-old son, Steven, who performs a rockin' version of "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" (clapping on the off-beat nearly the whole song).
Marie has a good, strong voice, but many of the songs are overproduced and melodramatic. This, most likely, is a product of the big, pouffy '80s (her hair and outfits are also bigger-than-life) rather than a reflection of her talents. The closing number, "O Holy Night," sung by Marie alone, is quite lovely. --Dana Van Nest