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Garmin nüvi 255 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator

Garmin nüvi 255 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator

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Brand: Garmin
Category: CE

List Price: $249.99
Buy New: $110.34
as of 11/26/2009 23:26 CST details
You Save: $139.65 (56%)



New (83) Used (1) Refurbished (3) from $109.00

Seller: Zeeland Sales
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars 125 reviews
Sales Rank: 24

Media: Electronics
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: Yes
Native Resolution: 320 x 240
Display Size: 3.5
Includes MP3 Player: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.3
Dimensions (in): 3.8 x 2.8 x 0.8
nv:Condition: New
Type: Automotive
Waypoints: 1000
Display: TFT
Display: Backlight
Screen Size: 3.5"
Touch Screen: Yes
Voice: Yes (Voice Prompt)
Expansion Slots: microSD Card
Battery Type: Rechargeable lithium-ion
Battery Life: 4 hours
Maps Included: United States

MPN: Nuvi 255
Model: Nuvi 255
UPC: 753759077402
EAN: 0753759077402
ASIN: B0015F0AB8

Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

Features:
  • 3.5-inch Touch Screen Navigation with Turn by Turn spoken Directions
  • Pre-loaded Maps for all North America, 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; Video Power cable included;
  • Automatically Adjusts Your Time Zone While Navigating

Accessories:


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Editorial Reviews:

Product Description
For peace of mind on the go, nüvi 255 leads the way with voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions that speak street names and optional MSN Direct® to get you there on time and keep you informed. It's packed with millions of destinations and maps for North America. Like the rest of the compact nüvi 2x5-series, this portable navigator is priced right and ultra-easy to use.

Navigate With Ease
nüvi 255 comes ready to go right out of the box with preloaded City Navigator® NT street maps, including a hefty points of interest (POIs) database with hotels, restaurants, fuel, ATMs and more. It 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 nüvi takes you there with turn-by-turn voice directions, 2-D or 3-D maps and smooth map updates as you navigate. Its digital elevation maps show you shaded contours at higher zoom levels, giving you a big picture of the surrounding terrain. In addition, nüvi 255 accepts custom points of interest (POIs), such as school zones and safety cameras and lets you set proximity alerts to warn you of upcoming POIs. With HotFix™ satellite prediction, nüvi calculates your position faster to get you there quicker.

Take It With You
Like the rest of the nüvi 2x5-series, nüvi 255 sports a sleek, slim design and fits comfortably in your pocket or purse. Its rechargeable lithium-ion battery makes it convenient for navigation by car or foot. With its "Where Am I?" emergency locator, you always know your location. Simply tap the screen to get your exact latitude and longitude coordinates, the nearest address and intersection, and the closest hospitals, police stations and fuel stations.

Go Beyond Navigation
Navigation is just the beginning. nüvi 255 includes many travel tools including JPEG picture viewer, world travel clock with time zones, currenc


Amazon.com Product Description----May 7, 2008
Amazon.com Product Description----May 7, 2008 Garmin's nüvi 255 improvesupon its 200-series predecessors by adding top-of-the-line features such as FM traffic updates or MSN Direct content 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 255 adds complete maps for North America and Text-to-Speech, so you get turn by turn spoken directions with the real names of streets (e.g. "turn left in 50 feet at Nebraska Way", rather than merely "turn left in 50 feet").

The nüvi 2x5 models all 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.

Important Product Information: This device features a "screen lock" feature. This is a standard feature on all nüvi 2x5 and 7x5 Garmin units. If you slide the "Power" key to the right, it will lock the screen and prevent any accidental touches. Once the screen lock feature is engaged, the screen will go black/gray after about 15 seconds to save power on the device. To unlock the screen, just slide the "Power" key to the center position. This feature is really targeted for "Pedestrian" mode so that a user can put the device in his or her pocket/purse and quickly unlock the screen instead of powering on/off continuously. For more information, see page 5 of the product manual.

Key Features/Benefits for all 2x5 Series Navigators

  • New -- HotFix (Long Term Ephemeris Prediction) finds satellites faster (Learn more)
  • New -- Digital Elevation Model (DEM) Basemap shows 3D shaded terrain features (Learn more)
  • New -- Faster 333 Mhz processor offers faster, smoother map drawing and vehicle icon motion through turns
  • New -- Redesigned user interface offers more information (Learn more)
  • New -- Photo Navigation lets you upload geo-coded photos from a phone, geo-coding camera or photo site and navigate to them. (Learn more)
  • New -- Add Enhanced MSN Traffic and Content with the optional GDB 55 antenna and charger (Learn more)
  • New -- Send addresses directly to your Garmin from Google Maps or Mapquest (Learn more)
  • New -- Automatic Time Zone Transition
  • Text-to-Speech gives directions with real street names
  • Memory Card Slots so you can add maps and travel guides, or store photos (MicroSD card slot on 3.5-inch units; SD card slot on 4.3-inch units)
  • Preloaded Maps with Navteq data of North America + Hawaii + Puerto Rico, including 6.5 million searchable points of interest (Learn more)
  • Rechargeable lithium-ion battery for easy portability (up to 4 hours per charge)
  • Custom Vehicle Icons let you personalize your navigator (Learn more)
  • Integrated Antenna for a slim form factor
  • Where Am I? -- instantly shows you all of the emergency services nearby (Learn More)

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.

Device
Screen Size inches (W x H)
Included 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 205 2.8 x 2.1
MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)
Photos
up to 4
nüvi 205w 3.81 x 2.25
MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)
Photos
up to 4
nüvi 255 2.8 x 2.1
MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)
Photos
up to 4
nüvi 255w 3.81 x 2.25
MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)
Photos
up to 4
nüvi 260w 3.81 x 2.25
Photos
up to 5
nüvi 265T 2.8 x 2.1
MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)
Photos
up to 4
nüvi 265WT 3.81 x 2.25
MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)
Photos
up to 4
nüvi 275T 2.8 x 2.1
MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)
Photos
up to 4
nüvi 285WT 3.81 x 2.25
MSN-enhanced (receiver included; 3 months free);
Photos
up to 4
nüvi 465T 3.81 x 2.25
FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)
Photos
up to 4
nüvi 755T 3.81 x 2.25
MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)
Photos, MP3s
up to 4
nüvi 760 3.81 x 2.25
MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)
Photos, MP3s
up to 5
nüvi 765T 3.81 x 2.25
MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)
Photos, MP3s
up to 4
nüvi 775T 3.81 x 2.25
MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)
Photos, MP3s
up to 4
nüvi 780 3.81 x 2.25
MSN-enhanced (receiver included; 3 months free); FM (with optional receiver)
Photos, MP3s
up to 5
nüvi 785T 3.81 x 2.25
MSN-enhanced (receiver included; 3 months free); FM (with optional receiver)
Photos, MP3s
up to 4
nüvi 850 3.81 x 2.25
MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)
Photos, MP3s
up to 4
nüvi 855 3.81 x 2.25
MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)
Photos, MP3s
up to 4
nüvi 885T 3.81 x 2.25
MSN-enhanced (receiver included; 3 months free); FM (with optional receiver)
Photos, MP3s
up to 4
nüvi 1200 2.8 x 2.1
MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)
Photos
up to 4
nüvi 1250 2.8 x 2.1
MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)
Photos
up to 4
nüvi 1260T 2.8 x 2.1
MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)
Photos
up to 4
nüvi 1300 3.81 x 2.25
MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)
Photos
up to 4
nüvi 1350 3.81 x 2.25
MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)
Photos
up to 4
nüvi 1350T 3.81 x 2.25
MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)
Photos
up to 4
nüvi 1370T 3.81 x 2.25
MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)
Photos
up to 4
nüvi 1390T 3.81 x 2.25
MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)
Photos
up to 4
nüvi 1490T 4.4 x 2.5
MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)
Photos
up to 4
nüvi 1690 3.81 x 2.25
NAVTEQ Traffic, 2 years free (Garmin nüLink! service)
Photos
up to 4

Basic MSN Direct Content Features
traffic reports 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 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. Once you find the best price in your area, use your navigation system to guide you to the gas station.
Weather Reports 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 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. Once 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 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 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 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 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.


MSN Direct Coverage Map

Get detailed info for your Zip Code at the MSN Direct website
.

MSN Direct Coverage Map



Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 125
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5 out of 5 stars Nice little GPS :)   November 22, 2009
Douglas Meadow (Concord, CA USA)
I remember the days of fumbling over maps and trying to find my destination, fumbling over a route and then trying to find the address when you get there. Those days are over...

This Garmin is small but super useful! Its fast, its easy to navigate and its compact. I use it in the car and on my motorcycle in my tankbag where I use to have a map.

PROs
- Small! Screen is 3.5 inches but easy to see and read. For those who wear glasses, you might want to opt for the larger screen.
- Fast calculating - especially if you turn of the programmed route, it calculates a new one for you quick.
- Easy to understand... the myriad of voices it has doesnt sound like Jabba the hut.
- Great price... if you buy it you can still afford to buy maps to show the next generation "see we use to have these things.."

CONs
- Not many, I wish it came with the Traffic receiver built in, but no a big problem.

Enjoy!



5 out of 5 stars Great entry level GPS   November 21, 2009
Eve G. (Upstate New York)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

My love affair with GPSes.
I owned a nuvi 200 3.5" GPS, which worked perfectly well. My GPS mainly functions as a paper map substitute. I don't use any of the other features, like Points of Interest, traffic reports, photos, currency converter.

A new series!
I considered upgrading when I found out Garmin redesigned some of the screens on the 2x5 units. I was tossed between the nüvi 205 or nüvi 255. The 255 has spoken street names. I didn't want the Wide versions, because I heard those don't show more map area; they're just the same amount of map stretched on a larger screen. The 3.5 screen is plenty big for me, and small enough to be conveniently portable in a bag or a pocket.

Reconditioned snobbery.
I bought a factory reconditioned nuvi 255 for the price of a new 205. If it weren't for the white box (the new units come in a black box), I could not tell the reconditioned unit apart from a new one. It was pristine and worked perfectly, and came with the normal accessories. Based on this experience, I would not hesitate to buy another Garmin reconditioned item.

The new screen interfaces are a nice improvement over the old one. Go to Youtube and check out some side by side comparisons, if you're interested.

Things that seemed to improve from the 2x0 to the 2x5 models:
- 255 fixed on satellites much easier indoors. The 200 used to not find satellites when I turned it on inside the house.
- 255 satellite acquisition time is much faster, within 10 seconds. The 200 used to take upwards of a few minutes.

Features I like:
- I thought I wouldn't need it, but having spoken street names is nice.
- "where am I" feature shows me my long/lat and nearest emergency services.
- Garmin Garage. Free download from Garmin. It's a stupid cutesy thing, but I can modify the little vehicle to one that suits my mood.

Features I don't care for:
- There is no quick mute button. It takes at least three taps to mute sound.
- I can modify a path, by adding a waypoint, but I can't easily force it to take the road I want.
- On the 200 it was "Where To" - "Favorites". On the 255, Favorites got demoted to the next screen, and needs an extra tap. It would be nice if I could change the order of my frequently used functions.

Features I don't use/don't need:
- music
- bluetooth
- traffic reports
- maps outside of North America. I'm not a jetsetter.
- currency calculator
- Ecoroute

Feature I would like, if I won the lottery:
- Lane assist, it's in the spendy nuvi models.

One free map update.
I bought this reconditioned unit in 10/2009. It came with map version North America NT 2010.10. I downloaded their program then loaded the unit with the new map. My update to the latest version NT 2010.20 took about 1.5 hours total, and not several overnight hours I've read about. Maybe mileage varies with internet connection speed.

Neoprene case.
This isn't a review of the unit, but I thought I'd throw this in to help anyone looking for a suitable case. Ever since my first nuvi, I've searched for a proper fitting neoprene case. Garmin's official case is leather, open on one side, and spendy. This camera case fits just right.

Dolica SM-98305BK sold at the big O for $4.99 plus shipping. Internal dimensions are 4.1"x3"x0.8". External dimensions are 4.6" x 3.3" x 1.45". This will fit all of the 3.5" 2xx and 3xx series nuvis.

Mount.
I don't know anyone who owns a Garmin, use the sticky disk supplied in the package. Sticking the disk permanently to my dash is out of the question. I recommend the HandStands Sticky Pad GPS Dash Mount. Sleek, low profile and moveable.



5 out of 5 stars Great Value - Easy to use - Highly recommend   November 19, 2009
rharris788 (Indiana)
I purchased this for my 19 year old March 2009 and she loves it. It was very easy to use. She loves that it speaks the streets and directions while driving. She keyed in the hotel location in Chicago and it took her directly there and she was not distracted worrying about when to turn. This makes a great gift for traveling even in your home city. You will not be disappointed with this GPS. Great value.


5 out of 5 stars Great GPS at a good price   November 14, 2009
Chris, Florida
I love this GPS. Purchased a couple of months ago, and recently took on a trip to Orlando. Worked flawlessly! Directions were accurate, it got me to my various destinations with no problems, and the text-to-speech feature is fantastic! It's real easy to operate. The only problem I had initially was downloading the updated maps off Garmin's website. That took a couple of tries before I got it done, however, the Nuvi 255 is excellent and has worked flawlessly ever since. I did some research before I bought this and am glad I went with Garmin. Some think the screen size is a bit small ... it's fine. With text-to-speech, who looks at the screen that much anyway ... I'm able to keep my eyes on the road and follow the voice directions ... that's a lot safer after all ... isn't it?

Go get one!



2 out of 5 stars Poor Navigational Features- Constanaly loses Satelite Reception   November 13, 2009
LLB (Seattle, WA)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful

I was very disappointed with this product. I purchased this item to replace my Tom Tom that broke. My biggest complaint is that it does not let you avoid specific parts of your route until you are actually at the part of the route that you want to avoid. Living in a high traffic urban area this is an issue. I also live near many ferry routes and would like to avoid ferry charges if at all possible which this does not let me do. My next complaint is that it loses satellite reception about every ten minutes in areas that my 3 year old tom tom had no problems with. I would not recommend this product.

As far as hardware, it only comes with the GPS and a car charger. No USB cable or wall charger is included, so if you are still going to buy it I recommend buying those separately.


Showing reviews 1-5 of 125
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