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: - * Good unit. ...
First I tried a Navagon 7100. It couldn't find it' way out of a paper bag. Had me going South when I needed to go North! It had alot of "bellss and whistles", but who cares if it can't navigate. The 260W is a nice basic unit without alot of frills. It does its job, it gets you from point A to point B correctly.

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Buyer's feedback: - Great bang for the buck!!!
The new Nuvi 260w has an improved user interface as the one shown in the pictures.

- In less than 30 seconds(!) and trust me I've tested it while driving (also when alternating departure locations)it just finds satellite signals in 10-20 seconds.

- Recalculation of the route is almost instantaneous and in most cases you'll be corrected on time.

- You can save as many favorites as you like. Nuvi will mark them on the map while driving with a customized icon of your choice.

- POI database is just great, not perfectly accurate but much better than others (e.g. TomTom's)

My only complaint is the TTS, while very useful, the quality of the speaker/sound circuit is pretty low and thats annoying. if you set the volume of Samantha-US English above 70% the sound is squeaky. I set it to UK-English voice since it sounds better, but it switches to Yards instead of feet.

To summarize, if you don't need the useless Bluetooth, the MP3 player or questionable traffic capabilities save $100 bucks and buy the 260W. (I was considering the 760)

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Buyer's feedback: - * Decent, but could be better ...
Garmin nüvi 260W 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator

This is unit is not bad at all, in that it does what it's supposed to do. The screen is wide enough, clear enough and has both 2D and 3D options. It automatically switches between day and night when the light level reaches certain points.

The matter at hand is, how well does it do it?

Almost everything about it is very good with a few small exceptions.

1. The woman's voice on this unit is broken-up, grating and it actually sounds like it has an attitude. I could get this from my wife without having to pay $200 plus. There's no option to change it either. Mute works quite well however.

2. The detour function is a mess. While needing to take a detour from the highway, it directed me off, drove me in a circle and sent me right back on again. Another time it wanted me to turn left when it would have been illegal to do so.

3. It doesn't have a list of area hotels, gas stations or restaurants for your given location. This would have been a very useful extra that other models have.

4. The mounting unit only attaches to glass so if you have a car where the windshield is not within easy reach you'll need some other option for mounting this unit. They provide a sticky pad which they claim is almost impossible to remove once attached to your dash, however mine fell off within a couple days of being in the sun.

As said, it's not bad. It definitely works, as it should. If the price is not much over $200 I would recommend it, however for more than that there are better options.

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Buyer's feedback: - 99% OK
It's response is great except for those times when it can't find the address Using Map Quest, I can find the location, whereupon leaving the address it couldn't find, it can lead me home from that address. Quirky or normal from other GPS units? Other than that, it's great. I woulod recommend that a bean bag type of holder for the unit be purchased to avoid that round stain on the windshield.

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Buyer's feedback: - * Garmin 260w - As difficult to set up as all other Garmin ...
I recently purchased a Garmin 260W. Although I was frustrated by earlier Garmin purchases, I still considered the device to be useful enough to buy another. I own a Garmin Edge 305, a Garmin E-Trex Vista Cx, and the Garmin City Navigator North America Map Data. Here is the frustrating part. It seems that no matter what product you buy; it needs to be registered on-line at the Garmin Web Site. Not only that, but also you will also discover that the internal software is not up to date, or that the maps are not up to date and then you must go to the 'Updates & Downloads' page on the Garmin site in order to refresh whatever you have just bought. This is where your problems will begin. When I bought my first Garmin device, the download procedure actually disabled the Garmin software on my computer as well as the device itself, making both unusable until the following Monday when the help desk opened. Of course, the person at the other end of the help desk was able to get everything going again, but it did take almost an hour. When I purchased the second device, the same issues occurred. It seems that Garmin is so paranoid about having someone steal their maps that they purposely introduce files onto your computer that prohibit any modification or change to any of their products, making the ones that were previously installed unusable without calling the help desks.

I originally thought that if I stayed with Garmin devices that I would be able to exchange data between the devices, that if I purchased City Navigator I could use it to update the maps in my Edge or E-trex. That is true, but instead of using a common folder for each device, Garmin creates a new folder for each one. This means that if you want to use the City Navigator map data for each device, it will have to be copied into each device's folder. That's about 2 gigabytes of data. In my case, one folder for the Edge, one folder for the E-trex, and one folder for the City Maps. 2 gigabytes times 3 equal 6 gigabytes of my hard drive used up and not available for something else. When I got a message that my hard drive was nearing capacity, I first un-installed all of the Garmin devices in order to free up some space. After I cleaned up the rest of the system, I decided to re-install the E-trex. Guess what? I am locked out from doing that. Evidently there is some little gremlin security file in there to protect Garmin's precious software data. Looks like I'll be on the phone with India again. By the way, if Garmin support is outsourced to India, why is it then limited to the hours of 8 AM to 7 PM, Monday through Friday?

OK, now back to the story of the Garmin 260W. I brought it home and hooked it to the computer so that I could register it. Guess what? I was told that the maps on the unit that I had just purchased were the 2008 version and that a 2009 version was available either by download or by ordering a DVD. I elected to order the DVD. Although both of my computers are running Windows XP, neither will open the DVD that Garmin sent. So I guess that I will have to call the help desk again in order to get this thing running. Of course, I bought the device knowing that I had problems with earlier purchases, but like an idiot, I went ahead. How frustrating!

I would not recommend that anyone purchase any Garmin devices. Maybe the others are just as frustrating, but I have never run across such difficulty with any other computer-based equipment.