0ur opinion:

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Go wide with the ultra-cool nuvi 260W that speaks street names. This widescreen navigator is simple to use. nuvi 260W comes ready to go right out of the box with preloaded City Navigator NT street maps, including a hefty points of interest (P0ls) database with hotels, restaurants, fuel, ATMs and more. lt even announces the name of exits and streets so you never have to take your eyes off the road. Simply touch the color screen to enter a destination, and nuvi takes you there with 2D or 3D maps and turn-by-turn voice directions. nuvi 260W sports a sleek, slim design and fits comfortably in your pocket or purse. lts rechargeable lithium-ion battery makes it convenient for navigation by car or foot. Navigation is just the beginning. nuvi 260W includes many travel tools including JPEG picture viewer, world travel clock with time zones, currency converter, measurement converter, calculator and more. lt also comes with Garmin Lock, an anti-theft feature, and configurable vehicle icons that let you select car-shaped graphics to show your location on the map. The optional SD cards slot lets you add additional features. High-sensitivity receiver RoHS version available Built-in memory - lnternal solid state with SD Card slot Waypoints/favorites/locations - 500 Voice prompts Speaks street names 3D map view Auto re-route (fast off-route and detour recalculation) Choice of route setup (faster time, shorter distance, off road) Route avoidance (avoid highways, tolls etc.) Custom P0ls (ability to add additional points of interest) Configurable vehicle icons (select car-shaped icons for map navigation) World travel clock, currency & measurement converter, and calculator Unit Dimensions - Width 4.8 x Height 2.9 x Depth 0.8 (12.2x7.4x2.0cm) Weight - 6.1 ounces (172.93 grams)

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Garmin's nüvi 260W combines the thin profile and attractive price point of other nüvi 200-series GPS with directions in real street names and a wide screen that lets you see more of what's around you as you drive. Garmin's line on the device is that, 'the nüvi 260W gives consumers the most sought-after navigation features, while eliminating many of the premium add-ons. The result is a PND that simply gets you from point A to point B – reliably, efficiently, and with style.' As with all nüvis, you get Garmin reliability, the fast satellite lock of a high-sensitivity integrated receiver, a slim, pocket-sized navigator with a gorgeous display, detailed NAVTEQ maps that lets  you search by name for more than 6 million points of interest like stores, restaurants or hospitals, and an easy, intuitive interface.

Which nüvi is Best for You?: Click here to see a quick, simple comparison of features for all Garmin nuvi GPS navigators.

Wider screen lets you see more of what's around. Compare these actual size views of a 3-inch (diagonal) screen and a 4.3-inch diagonal widescreen

The nüvi 260W comes preloaded with maps for U.S., Hawaii, and Puerto Rico, and features an  ultra-slim design.

Text-To-Speech
The text-to-speech feature of the nüvi 260W means that device automatically calls out street names (saying 'turn right on Main Street' instead of 'turn right in 200 feet.'). This feature lets drivers keep their eyes on the road while navigating through busy traffic and tricky roadways.

See More of What's Around
The 4.3-inch backlit widescreen touchscreen on the nüvi 260W gives you 70% more actual screen area than a 3.5-inch screen. Primarily this translates into a better view of the area through which you are driving. This is especially useful in showing you what parks, restaurants, ATM, gas stations, etc. are nearby, or in letting you know whether a detour is a good idea. Also, the device itself is larger, meaning controls on the screen are more widely spaced and somewhat easier to push.




Smart, Powerful Design
The nüvi 260W is built with a high-sensitivity GPS receiver for extreme accuracy, as well as an SD card slot for storing your media and additional navigation tools, and a USB interface for loading data. All this is wrapped up in a package that measures 4.8 x 2.9 x 0.8 inches (W x H x D) and weighs just 6.6 ounces. The nüvi display is touchscreen-enabled, making it a cinch to control the device with your fingertips. A rechargeable lithium-ion battery provides up to five hours of battery life depending on use.



Garmin Lock
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



First Rate Map Data
The nüvi 260W comes ready to go right out of the box with preloaded City Navigator NT street maps, 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, the nüvi 260W 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.







Easy To Use lnterface
Garmin's interface is a key to their success and one of the things that 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.





Beyond Navigation

Browse your stored pictures with an easy-to-use JPEG viewer.

nüvi 260W accepts custom points of interest (P0ls). View larger.

Navigation is just the beginning. nüvi 260W features travel tools including JPEG picture viewer, world travel clock with time zones, currency converter, measurement converter, calculator and more. lt also comes with Garmin Lock, an anti-theft feature, and configurable vehicle icons that let you select car-shaped graphics to show your location on the map.




This device is compatible with optional content plug-ins available via SD 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.




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.








Trick Your GPS Ride

Custom vehicle icons let you ride in style, at least inside your GPS. See more icon option

Like all nüvis, the 260W supports 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.

What's in the Box
nüvi 260W, preloaded City Navigator NT for the continental U.S., Hawaii, and Puerto Rico, Alaska, and Canada, vehicle suction cup mount, vehicle power cable, dashboard disk, and set up and go guide.


Note: Like most USB Mass Storage Devices, the nüvi is not compatible with Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows Me.

Which nüvi is Best for You?


Note: All nüvis come with detailed NAVTEQ maps containing more than 6 million pre-loaded point of interest locations.

	Screen Size inches (w x h)	lncluded Maps			Text-to-Speech (Directions in Real Street Names)	Traffic	Bluetooth	Media	FM Transmitter (audio through car stereo system)	Multi- Point Routing	Battery life (hours)
		Cont. U.S., Hawaii, and Puerto Rico	AK and Canada	Europe
nüvi 200	2.8 x 2.1							Photos			up to 5
nüvi 200w	3.81 x 2.25							Photos			up to 5
nüvi 250	2.8 x 2.1							Photos			up to 5
nüvi 250w	3.81 x 2.25							Photos			up to 5
nüvi 260	2.8 x 2.1							Photos			up to 5
nüvi 260w	3.81 x 2.25							Photos			up to 5
nüvi 270	2.8 x 2.1							Photos			up to 5
nüvi 350	2.8 x 2.1					FM (with opt. receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 8
nüvi 360	2.8 x 2.1					FM (with opt. receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 8
nüvi 370	2.8 x 2.1					FM (receiver included)		Photos, MP3s			up to 8
nüvi 650	3.81 x 2.25					FM (with opt. receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 7
nüvi 660	3.81 x 2.25					FM (receiver included)		Photos, MP3s			up to 7
nüvi 670	3.81 x 2.25					FM (receiver included)		Photos, MP3s			up to 7
nüvi 680	3.81 x 2.25					MSN (receiver included; 1-year free); FM (with opt. receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 7
nüvi 750	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with opt. receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 5
nüvi 760	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with opt. receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 5
nüvi 770	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with opt. receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 5
nüvi 780	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (receiver inc.; 3 months free) receiver); FM (with opt. receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 5
nüvi 850	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with opt. receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 4
nüvi 880	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (receiver inc.; 3 months free); FM (with opt. receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 4
nüvi 5000	4.5 x 2.7					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with opt. receiver)					external battery only

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Testimonials

Average Buyer Rating:

Buyer's feedback: - * It does the job, eventually.... ...
Having used this unit for 2 months, there are things I do and don't like about it:

Likes:
1. The screen is gorgeous! Especially when you turned it on for the first time.

2. All the POI are sorted into different categories (unlike the TomTom One my girl friend has), so searching is much easier.

3. Gets me from A to B. Afterall, that's what the GPS is for.

4. Good windscreen mount. Much better than the mount my girl friend's TomTom came with.

5. Very simple to use.

6. The speakers are loud enough to hear clearly.

7. Password protection just in case the unit is stolen.



Don't Likes:
1. Slow starting up. Is there really that much stuff to load?

2. Often find it difficult to get a satalite fix. I have found myself wondering around for 5 minutes before the unit picks up the signal and start guaidance. It could just be the area I'm living in (Pittsburgh).

3. Some of the POI are out of date. I was seaching for a gas station one day and found that 4 out of 5 nearest gas stations were either closed down (a long time ago) or non-existance

4. Some of the map is out of date or wrong (and yes I'm using the latest version of maps). The unit has told me, in several occassions, to drive into one way streets with oncoming traffic.

5. No MapShare like the TomTom, so road works and other road changes can't be shared with other people.

6. Low battery warnings and Poor signal reception warnings gets in the way. These warning messages blocks the entire screen so you wouldn't be able to see the map. Quite frankly, an icon blinking in the corner would do, quite why they had to cover the entire screen I really don't know.

7. The TomTom has your current speed, current time, ETA all in display. In the case for Garmin, it's "either-or", so you can have the ETA but not the current time etc (it could just be me not finding the correct settings, but still)

8. Not as many languages as the TomTom


So in summary, this unit does work. I personally prefer the TomTom, but it really is a personal preference. Like all GPS units, it's not perfect. You need to get used to it and set it up the way you want it. It can be a little slow at times, it might be lacking one or two features, but when you take the price and everything else it does well into account, this unit should at least be on your consider-n-compare list.

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Buyer's feedback: - Amazon Sent Us Not One, But Two Used Garmins
The first unit we received was not packaged in plastic or secured in the box, and some of the documentation was missing. We could tell it had been used, so we returned it for a new one. The second one we received, I am almost certain, was the first one we returned. It was packaged the same exact way and the same documentation was missing. So, we returned the second one and bought a new one at BJs, which was packaged appropriately and contained all of the documentation.

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Buyer's feedback: - * How do I get there? ...
Good basic GPS with essentials, Big clear screen, street names, voice commands points of interest, when you make a wrong turn it re-calculates to get you back on the proper route. I used it to explore beautiful residential areas in Hampton Beach, NH without the GPS I would of never ventured off path. Ready to go out of the box. Signal may take a minute to acquire but relax, then go. Some french street names sound funny when pronounced by the unit, but you get the idea anyways.

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Buyer's feedback: - Garmin 260w
The Garmin 260w is simple to use but has all the features one needs to navigate the streets. Not a lot of extras, but the basics work well.

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Buyer's feedback: - * Easy to use ...
This GPS has worked great! The screen is nice and bright and it is so easy to use all of the features.