Garmin Nuvi 205W Reviews
I have owned a Garmin C320 for a few years ago and was looking for some new features, such as the coordinates and altitude. First bought the TomTom XL 330, which is a catastrophe. After much investigate, I bought it and took it. Here is the long list of advantages and disadvantages:
Advantages:
1st The best route. (See cons) This may be one of the main reasons Garmin dominates the U.S. – a excellent route. Of course, I wish there was more to the brain and could reckon of traffic lights and general traffic in particular areas at particular times (not the real traffic report), but I reckon I have a excellent brain.
2nd Where am I? (See cons) This is a list of the nearest road address. This screen also shows the coordinates and altitude.
3rd Simpler access to a broad map. I C320, you had to dig through menus to find the huge map, so that could affect the areas on the map and go. The 205w, you can just touch the map while driving, and take the wide map. Then tap an area in which you want to an intermediate point and to change the route that way.
4th Speed Limit sign. You can set up to show the current speed limit on the screen. So far, the exact moment the super-speed driving real change. If the signal is missing from the screen, we also know that they do not really know how to calculate the arrival time on the road. You may want to use this information, or to dodge the way for the next trip.
5th Extremely compact. My C320 is much larger, so it is super small.
1st Touch screen. This may change the way I use it, but the touchscreen is not, if you are nearly as sensitive as my C320. That is quite touching to hard. It shows fingerprints much worse than the ancient GPS unit.
2nd Ball mount. This gives a better range of movement, such as the hill on C320, but I like to push very hard for my GPS to get it to snap to it can vary with age.
3rd Keyboard speed. When I am typing on a city road, etc., the keyboard QWERY a full keyboard, which is a step forward in my C320 (I reckon ABC is optional keyboard), but there are two things you do not like: 1) there is grace period, if the type of which shows that if the type quick, you do not see what your typing, if you make a mistake, you can not see if very quick, 2) a small space, and the road to the right, while the lower middle of the silly menus – very annoying !
4th Charging cord. My C320, charging cord plug would be on the mountain, and there was no charge jack, a GPS unit as well. That was nice, because it could leave the power cord from the mountain all the time, and take the GPS with you – never had a plug, just clip the GPS, and off. Now, the power cord does not stay with, and falls out of the door, etc., because it needs to be attached to the rear of the GPS. I reckon the mount is so, it is not possible to have a jack in the mount, and GPS, but I reckon you have to work on it.
5th Existing road. The TomTom XL 330 showed what is on the way now, and what was the turn onto the next road. Garmin only shows the next road name.
6th Routing pet peeve. Sometimes I do not want to go the route, because I know a better way. Infer you turn off the usual route – it is recalculated and a shorter time than was earlier visited. What is this? Why not take me that way to start?
6th Routing decisions. I do not like the fact that I can choose the fastest time or shortest route. I reckon that some time, the best route would be between the extremes.
7th Missing POIs. Only that’s the case I will be looking for a touch, and this is not the Garmin – even the shops and restaurants open for years. I know that all this will be a GPS unit, but the # 1 seller in the U.S., they can not figure out a way to get the user’s part? How about incentives for users to fix problems online, and give them a reduced map updates? If you have the best maps and POIs far, why would anyone buy another company?
8th Tinny speakers. I am not impressed with the speakers, it sounds much worse than the deep C320, but it can be heard. It’s just not pleasant.
9th Signal options. It would be excellent to choose a voice, but I do not see this option, unless they choose another language.
10th Nearest intersection. This is the ‘Where am I’ on your menu. This may be useful in an emergency to the nearest intersection, the nearest address. But, we found that to be labeled that, ‘random intersection a few miles.’ This point is usually a huge intersection, and sometimes ignored dozens of small nodes closer to a much more favorable to the police, fire, ambulance, etc.
11th Volume. I despise that they have the volume set. The C320 was the wheel side of the unit – this is the best. TomTom, a place were the main leaders of the screen, I touched and went the volume slider. This 205W, press Menu, volume, motion, and then back, then the Map View. This is just dreadful. I want a Mute button, the screen and driving in a separate volume button there. This widescreen after. I hope this does not cause an accident, because I reckon it is. When you answer my phone, I want quick access to mute!
12th Need customization! Let us choose a 3 shortcut buttons for driving map. So I can place Where am I, quantity, and the POI on the main screen. Please! I also want to change the path of light is red instead of purple.
13th POI choices. This is a touch I have never found a GPS that this is how I want. If I’m looking for gas or food, it is usually a long journey. If you want to go to quick food, say (this can not happen!), I want to choose a restaurant, quick food. It shows all the restaurants, which are far from me now. This is not what I want, so I choose around … the current route. This is closer to what I want, but still shows how far away from where I am now. I want to show, but also how long should I depart from my router.
[UPDATE 6/5/09] 14 The battery life. The battery is just terrible in my unit. It is possible that over the past few hours, and if you do nothing for a few weeks, it’s nearly dead. My C320’s battery was much better. I by now do, because it was new. I estimate I was incorrect ..
Overall, this is an brilliant device, and I buy it again, because I reckon the pros outweigh the cons, and not even a competitor beat it.
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