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Shankopotamus
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- First reviewJanuary 19, 2010
- Last reviewJanuary 19, 2010
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- Average rating2
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Shankopotamus's Reviews
Navigate the United States and Canada with ease with this GPS that features free lifetime traffic updates, up to 1,000 waypoints and customizable points of interest for easy route planning. The "Where Am I?" emergency locator and travel assistant tools provide additional support.
Posted by: Shankopotamus
from Chicago, IL
Having owned and used 8 Garmin GPS products since the 90’s, I had high expectations for this device despite it’s diminutive price. I have an iPhone, and have been using its built-in maps for my navigation system for quite a while. I wanted a stand-alone device which would free up my phone so I could use it in the car, if necessary, without affecting my navigational capabilities.
The first thing that surprised me about the device was that it is ad supported. Nowhere on the description of the device can I find any indication that this is the case. I would not have purchased this product had I known that. I find the ads irritating. There is no way to easily dismiss them. They won’t pop up while you’re navigating somewhere, but that they’re there at all irks me—especially since it came as a gigantic surprise to me that they’re there at all.
Second, the point of interest search is just plain awful. It’s slow as molasses and doesn’t find what I’m looking for. I recently tested it by entering the name of a local ice arena. I literally drove the entire way there without receiving the results of the point of interest search—5 − 10 minutes. I saw a twirling hourglass the entire tiime. It has zero tolerance of spelling mis-matches. I’ve often searched for local restaurants or businesses and been shown ones that are many miles distant but not the one only a couple miles away. This is another gigantic disappointment. Fortunately, I almost always have my phone available & I can use it to find the address of where I want to go, but I find it inexcusable that Garmin’s implementation of this is so lousy. Again, had I known how bad this was, I would not have purchased this.
The traffic service has proved to be worthless. I get far more accurate & timely information on my phone.
The navigation itself is fine. Nothing exceptional, but nothing to complain about. I like that it tells me the name of the street I’m supposed to turn on.
A nit-picky gripe is that the navigation system will sometimes act as if I’m supposed to do something when no action on my part is required. For example, between home & work I drive on an interstate highway for about 5 − 10 miles. A couple miles into my trip on the interstate, the Garmin will tell me to go straight on the interstate, acting like there’s a turn coming up on a mile. There is none. The freeway is straight as an arrow, requiring no exit or turning on my part whatsoever. It’s just one of those little things that I find irritating.
Also, having had a number of other Garmin GPS solutions, I was expecting to be able to customize the screen and the information displayed on it to a greater degree. Not so. Customization is very limited.
So, all in all, I’m disappointed with Garmin and the Nuvi 255WT. If you’re considering it, beware of its serious limitations.
What's great about it: It’s a dedicated GPS device. It speaks street names.
What's not so great: IT’S AD SUPPORTED!!! POI search is terrible. Customization is limited.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Durability
3
Ease of Use
3
Features
1
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