Garmin nüvi 260 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
by Garmin
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Garmin nüvi 260 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
Customer Review: Nice unit that needs intelligent improvements
Summary: 3 Stars
This review was submitted to Garmin on December 22, 2008. No response has been received as of the posting date.
Amazon's shipping was excellent. The unit arrived in perfect condition and worked well.
However, there are several points prospective purchasers should know that are not covered well in other reviews.
First, the two calls to technical support were answered quickly and the persons I talked with were knowledgeable, spoke native English and seemed interested in answering my questions. They made absolutely no inquiry about who I was, where I had purchased my nuvi 260, the unit's serial number or my mother's maiden name. They just seemed to want to help. Their support rivals that of Canon which I consider to be the benchmark.
Second, some of the software lacks sufficient user consideration.
For example:
1. There are two ways of saving destinations, "Favorites" and "Recently Found". Individual "Favorites" can be easily deleted. "Recently Found" can't. To make selective deletions the entries in "Recently Found" must be moved to Favorites and then deleted. This is a somewhat thoughtless bit of non-programming.
2. The "World Clock" is not. With children in Berlin, Sydney and Detroit, only Detroit can be shown in the "World Clock". Amazingly, neither Tokyo nor London, both preprogrammed into the unit, can be recalled once deleted. However, Rio de Janeiro can be found! Is there a job opening for QC in the software department of Garmin?
3. The keyboard (A-Z and a-z) begs the question: Why upper and lower case? Shifting from upper to lower case requires a small mental exercise along with a visually smaller character set. Why not make the character set a user option?
4. The driving simulator works in real time which makes it virtually useless. The programmers should code a way to allow rapid simulation. Perhaps 10X with 100X on long stretches or increment with a +/- as is done with the maps.
5. It would be helpful if the device were able to compute both the fastest route and shortest route automatically and display the differences in time and distance facilitating an informed decision.
6. Most aggravating is someone's unthinking decision to hide the 4 digit security PIN number. When using this device the chance of someone trying to steal your PIN is about equal to zero. Garmin, please think! Some of us are old, our eyes are not excellent and our fingers are getting stiff. Is helpful feedback that hard to do?
On the software of the nuvi 260:
The unit should be updated from Garmin's web site upon receipt. They use specialized software (WebUpdater) that makes the task easier. However, again, seemingly thoughtlessly, they do not provide any explanation of the individual update files to enable the user to understand their function and decide intelligently which should be downloaded. For example, "Localization Data, XML file" or "Text, nuvi 2 series, All languages" are obscure identifiers to me.
The web site contains many FAQ's. I could not detect any organization to the FAQ's. When browsing the FAQ site it failed at random times, perhaps reflecting user load. Again, QC in the software department is lacking.
Other Comments:
Garmin does not tell the customer that the unit's battery can be charged with some cell phone A/C chargers. If the cell phone has a mini-usb connector and the output voltage of the charger is 5v DC, the cell phone charger will work.
The supplied manual is very limited. The downloaded pdf manual is 50 pages and not formatted for economical printing. The download manual, like most manuals, is not written with the "How do I do ....?" approach. Were Garmin to carefully watch new users learn to use the nuvi, they would be able to create appreciably better instruction manuals. The manuals are clearly written by people who are very familiar with the device but do not understand the educational process.
The 260 seems to be unable to find addresses on rural gravel roads. Apparently, there is problem with the naming of north and south portions of roads. (This seems a problem with Google Maps and MapQuest also.)
When I set my home location the nuvi supplied address associated with the location was in error giving a house number of 2598 rather than 2692. Inexplicably, there is no way to change the address to match the actual number. Thus the user is forced to use an erroneous house number or an erroneous location.
The Points of Interest failed to show my City Hall (pop. 50,000+) although it showed city halls in very small neighboring communities. It also failed to show the volunteer fire department that protects my home while showing other volunteer departments much further away. The city fire department location shown is on the east side of town while the west side is not shown.
The list of commercial places for my town is strange. There are many omissions and inclusion of obscure and closed stores. Of the 4 stores listed on first screen of "All Shopping", 2 are NOT listed in the most current telephone book. The nuvi 260 found three of seven Subway stores and one of three McDonalds stores in town.
Given the above list of shortcomings there is considerable reason to wonder if the reliability and extent of the knowledge base of the nuvi 260 will be sufficient to make it useful when traveling to unknown places. Is there a system on the back of a napkin outlining how gps owners will be able to download updated and complete information for planned trips and not try to store the entire northern hemisphere in less than 2Gb? Garmin, Google...are you listening?
Customer Review: Easy to use. Accurate, but not perfect.
Summary: 5 Stars
I can't make any comparisons, since this is my first GPS. I purchased it from Amazon, which was a good experience. I ordered it on Sat and received it yesterday (Tues) I've probably read about 1,000 GPS reviews in the past 6 months, and I picked this model because of its price and TTS feature. I almost purchased the C550, because some comments said the Streetpilot is sturdier, but the Nuvi 260 isn't flimsy at all, and I don't need the Bluetooth or MP3 features. Actually, many of the reviews frightened me, but this is so easy to use, I can't imagine being able to operate a vehicle legally and needing instructions. Seriously, I am mechanically and technically challenged, but this is a touch & go product. For example, one review mentioned the lack of an external volume control and another said the voice was too soft or too loud. Changing the volume takes 2 seconds by tapping on the speaker icon. Another said there were no custom POIs and the first day I entered my home address, the supermarket, my bank, and more. One person wrote that it doesn't announce street names, but you just need to select a language/voice that indicates TTS next to it for that feature. None of this requires a manual, just common sense and a little patience. I'm sure there are many features I haven't yet discovered but will in time.
The signal - as soon as I plugged in the power it received a signal within a few seconds, not minutes. The TTS voice (English Jill) pronounces the street names clearly. Keep in mind this is not a human, so every pronunciation isn't perfect and neither are the directions, but they're close enough. For example, I asked how to get to Publix from my house. Although the directions were correct, I would have driven a little out of my way in the wrong direction and made a U-turn had I not known where to turn. So it apparently doesn't recognize traffic light turns into a mall or shopping center, maybe because there's no street name. (just guessing) Still, it's much better than using a paper map if you are in an unfamiliar area, and it will automatically recalculate the directions if you make a wrong turn. Sometimes that feature takes a few seconds. I tried to fool it by taking a back road, but it quickly found my location and recalculated the route. She even sounded annoyed at me!
This is my one BIG complaint. Maybe it's my ignorance, but the power cord is in such an awkward place that it's nearly impossible to place the unit in a good position without using a mount. Otherwise it would be very simple to put it in my cupholder or even sit it in the little change tray. For some reason, I thought a GPS needed to be facing the sky, but I can get a good signal when it's on the passenger seat or sitting in my center console. Last night I even had a signal inside my concrete block house! If the power cord was a little higher, it wouldn't bend so much and I'd be able to use it without a mount. Even with the included cradle & mount, it still bends and is always in the way!
Another minor complaint is that, although it seems inexpensive at $242 plus shipping, it doesn't even come with a cheap case - nothing! It also doesn't include an A/C cord or a decent instruction manual. I knew all of this before I bought it, but accessories add up quickly. So before you run out and spend more money, look around your house. I found at least 2 zippered cases in which the 260 fits comfortably. One held my mini binoculars which I haven't used in years and another is a small, zippered cosmetic case. Just make sure there are no rough edges that might scratch the touch screen. I lined the case with a microfiber cloth and it's perfect to stick in my pocketbook when I leave the car. I was going to spend another $30 on a bean bag mount, but last night I stuck the dashboard adhesive disk to the plastic cover that flips over the cup holder in my Camry. It's very secure and the suction cup sticks to it so tightly I have to pry it off. Since it's plastic, I "assume" any residue will come off with goo-gone.
I know this is already a long review, but I hope it will help by adding that I went a little crazy trying to get the plastic ball into the cradle. Just press firmly and don't worry about breaking it. I'm not strong and I was ready to give up. Now I can attach and remove it easily. I think it was just my fear of breaking it at first. Also, it's a lot easier to simply remove the cradle from the GPS when you take it with you than to take the mount apart.
The reason I was able to finally decide on spending the extra money for the 260 over the 200 or 250 model was by listening to a couple of demos on YouTube. People actually were nutty enough to drive around filming their GPS experiences, and I'm grateful to them! You can hear how much easier it is to follow instructions when street names are announced. Still, if you are on a tight budget, the GPS always shows the street name in large print at the top of the map, so it's easy to glance at it quickly. I feel the TTS is not only convenient, but adds a safety feature, since you're less likely to take your eyes off the road. Even if it's mounted in front of you on the dash or windshield, you still aren't concentrating on the road if you're reading a map.
In short, this seems to be a great little unit that's user friendly. So far it hasn't disappointed me, although it's only my 2nd day. I posted quickly so newbies like me would know that you don't have to be an expert or a gadget geek to use a GPS.
Customer Review: Salvation for direction-challenged drivers!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I received one for Xmas 2008 and I am delighted with it!
My only complaints are
1- that it was impossible to pick up a satellite signal on an airplane while a fellow traveler with a flip up antenna (old 300 series?) had a solid signal. I had looked forward to tracking our trip. (small complaint as it wasn't a serious flaw, just an inconsequential disappointment) The signal is quite strong out of doors and on the road.
2- A few street pronunciations made for profound amusement & rude jokes by youngsters in the back seat of my vehicle. Regina Avenue caused a hysterical laughing fit which nearly caused me to run a stop sign and quite a bit of begging for me to turn around to do it again... (small complaint, kids DO grow up some day & stop finding humor in rhyming words... lol)
3- The unit was off by .02 mile from my "home" base both in NH and in FL, insisting that certain addresses were not where they actually are. (small glitch, we got there from here without incident but I'd have preferred that it be 100% accurate so I could totally trust it without question- I am a direction-challenged individual)
4- The loud & clear voice I appreciate so much when it's giving directions also startles me when it suddenly speaks after several miles of driving in silence (I would rather have a loud & clear voice when I need to hear directions than turn it down so it doesn't startle me - I DO have the choice so it's not really entirely a negative)
Pluses?
Being a direction-challenged person, I appreciate the large, clear, direction arrows accompanying the directions to turn. Several times the visual turn LEFT saved me from turning RIGHT even though the voice did say turn LEFT. (you'd have to be a direction-challenged person to understand how that personal flaw works)
I also love the fact that it announces an upcoming turn a few moments ahead (in 50 ft, you will turn left on Main St) and then tells me to turn a moment before we reach it.
It quickly readjusts itself if I don't want to take a certain road, pull into a store abruptly, miss a turn, or are forced to take a detour by recalculating the directions in an instant so I don't have to worry about getting lost if I miss that one turn. Unlike some others, it does not insist I turn around, instead adjusting to me & the current situation.
Once entered, the maps include all my favorites and makes them visible when showing me the map to any nearby new locations. That makes it much easier to figure out approximately where a destination is as compared to a familiar one so I have some idea where it is before I get there.
It gives me approximate time of arrival as well as counting down the distance I will drive before making a turn. That does offset the startle effect of suddenly speaking after a lengthy silence as long as I am paying attention to the approximate distances.
The announcer's voice is loud & clear without any sharp or irritating or distracting accent or twang.
The unit fits easily in a back pocket when disconnected from the mounting hardware so I can take it with me when I leave the car.
It also sits securely in a cupholder below the dash so it's not in my window view or stuck on the dash or windshield, leaving a telltale sign of its existence in the car...
Favorites are easy to enter and offer plenty of options as well as room to enter telephone numbers & other important information.
Editing is quick and easy.
Learning how to use it is a breeze. No need to read large volumes of material to figure it out or to fret over bringing directions with you to keep up while on the road.
It has a searchable database to find a nearby restaurant, gas station, shopping plaza, etc that is convenient to use and very accurate. All but the most recently opened establishments (less than 6 months) were listed.
The screen shot map allows for an overview of the trip showing a large area all the way down to a closeup view showing road by road or even block by block. It is easily adjusted from one extreme to the other even while driving without having to take my eyes off the road for more than a split second.
There are few external working parts to break and it appears to be solidly made. I've dropped it twice and no ill effects to it.
The only things I would change about it are boosting the internal antenna for better indoor reception & to pick up a signal better on airplanes. Also to fix the apparent glitch in the mapping where both my home base in NH and my father's house in Florida are each .2 of a mile off where the address actually is. My home is in a very rural area with a lot of trees, accounting for the difficulty of the satellite zeroing in but my Dad's house is suburban and wide open. Number 332 came up insisting that number 32 was the correct address. Not too far off, but clearly a mistake.
Feeling 100% secure that it is right on target all the time would be a huge plus for me. HOWEVER, it is an understood that all GPS users must pay attention to the ground in front of them lest they drive into a ditch that used to be a road or turn into something other than a roadway just because a talking electronic device tells them to "turn here".
I'd rate it a 95 out of a possible 100. EXCELLENT product.
Customer Review: Wait!! GO WITH NUVI 360!!
Summary: 4 Stars
After reading the reviews and testing this nuvi 260 ( as well as many other brands and models) I must say there is NO reason to get the Nuvi 250 or 260 when you can get the 360 for the same price and with many accessories and far more features. To those who say the screen is better and brighter on the 260 then the 300 series, all I can say is NOPE!! They both have excellent screens. There is NO PROBLEM at all with the screen on the 360 model. It can be seen from any angle and in any type of sunlight. I have also heard people say they do not like the flip up antenna/receiver. Well, I love it. It can be set in any position and it isnt going to break off. The cool thing is the 360 is also a pda so you can easily flip the gps antenna down and it cuts off the GPS function giving you extremely long battery life if you are using it as a PDA. Furthermore, to whoever said this does not get a good signal unless you are outside or near a window I can only say WRONG again. At least where I am and yes, it is a major city and yes, plenty of large buildings and structures. But the 360 will pick up a STRONG sat signal no matter where I am....in my basement, sitting at my desk..in the office....I have yet to find anyplace I cannot get a good signal and when in the car this can be put anywhere and get a great signal. I like simply leaving mine either on my lap or on the center consol. Easy either way. Also when comparing the 260 to the 360, why not pay the same for the 360, get the same navigation features you do on on the 260, plus it comes with carrying case, ac adapter, dc adapter, usb cable ( which you WILL be buying seperately if you get the 260)dash mount, window mount and of course the 360 is loaded with many PDA features. The mp3 player works great. The bluetooth works amazingly well.....so much so that I keep the gramin with me at all times and even at my desk I use the bluetooth. It pairs easily and quickly with most any phone or PDA and whatever was on your phone or PDA will be on your garmin in seconds..... The voice commands work very well. never even have to touch this unit. Can say "DIAL" (you can customize your voice prompts)...say the name and it dials..say Hang UP and it ends the call.....a truly excellent feature....My opinion is pretty simple.....Even if you dont want a PDA with all the features the 360 has then simply dont use them. The navigation is the same as the 260 and again, the 360 comes with all accessories for the same price. I find the PDA Extras on the 360 great. But even if I didnt, after thorough testing, I would still get the 360 over the 260 and simply not use the extra features. The fact is the 360 cost the same as the 260 and comes with many accessories you WILL have to buy and again, it has far more features then the 260 and if you dont want to use them, then dont. I didnt think I would use the PDA features but I do. If I didnt, again, I would still stick with the 360 for all the reasons listed above.
I do agree that the Magellan has some great features I would love to see on the garmin...Multi Point Routing and especially the INTELLI-SPELL feature. Makes it very quick with the INTELLI-Spell entering in any information. A GREAT FEATURE!! And yes, the Magellan does give you more preferances in ROUTING then the Garmin. However, as much as I like the features on the Magellan, their awful customer service is a killer. I have heard far too many horror stories and have no intention of buying a device like this from a company that can not be counted on for anything other then giving you headaches if you do have a problem. So, the Garmin wins over the Magellan mainly due to the differance in customer service. And the 360 garmin over the 260 is simply a NO BRAINER. I can see NO REASON to buy the 260 over the 360 as long as they are priced the same. In fact, the 360 is cheaper if you figure in the cost of the accessories you WILL have to buy with the 260 and once again, the 360 is loaded with far more features that actually are very, very good...thought I would never use them, but I use almost all of them. IMO, of all models the 360 is the best for the money, especially at the current price of approx $230 and that does include all accessories. It's a no brainer to me. Buy the 360 over the 260...it is well worth it and I think many that get the 260 end up wishing they had gotten the 360 when they are busy buying usb cables, ac adapters, carrying case and etc.....and realize they could have had all of these accessories PLUS FAR MORE GREAT features for LESS MONEY!
Customer Review: Garmin nüvi 260
Summary: 4 Stars
Why did I choose this model?
I compared several models from different manufacturers in a shop; the Garmin interface seemed to be the simplest and most usable. (Tip: There is a demo mode where you can enter a destination and simulate a trip, all while standing in the shop.) I didn't need the MP3 player, radio and hands-free kit that some of the more expensive Garmin models provide, and was skeptical about the usefulness of the traffic information feature after reading some reviews. On the other hand, having a model that can pronounce street names (rather than just say "next right") is a good idea because the GPS can't always be accurate, and I want to be able to check the names of the streets I am turning into without having to consult the display. Finally, some Garmin models are a bit wider, but this didn't seem to make the display easier to read for me, plus the wider models don't fit into your pockets quite as easily.
How do I like it?
I've been using the nüvi 260 for several weeks now, and don't think I could live without it anymore! Following are some comments on various things I like (or that I think could be improved):
- After switching the unit on, the GPS is usually able to locate the satellites within a minute or two -- about the time I need to fasten my seatbelt etc and enter the destination.
- Compared to a small handheld GPS unit I own (Garmin Geko 301) the unit works fine with a much weaker signal, sometimes even indoors. The only place where I run into trouble is in downtown (Seattle) between tall buildings. Instead of just loosing the signal, the GPS goes off, and the unit starts telling me to turn etc even while I'm on the right way... I'd prefer if the unit gave some indication of the current accuracy (as the handheld unit does) and refrained from giving directions while the accuracy is below some threshold.
- The unit doesn't have a built-in compass (but uses the GPS signal to extrapolate the direction in which you are heading). Having a real compass would be useful when orienting yourself in a parking lot, when turning in complicated intersections, and of course when on foot.
- The map display is quite good. The only squabble I have here is that there is no indication of the current zoom level. I'd like to know if one inch on the screen is 100 yards or 1 mile!
- When you reach your destination, the unit will tell you if it's on right or on the left side, very useful.
- The maps are not 100% accurate. I have the most recent map, but ran into some cases where the unit told me to turn where I couldn't, get into a turn-only lane when I shouldn't, and, my favorite, to jump onto an overpass. It's a bit frustrating that I have no way to correct this.
- The unit has an excellent database of "points of interest" such as shops, attractions, parking lots, gas stations, you name it. However it doesn't know about my nearest Safeways (though it does find a smaller one nearby).
- One killer feature the unit lacks is Google Maps integration (as you get with some TomTom units).
- The unit is sold with maps for Canada, but apparently these are not detailed? I don't live too far from the border, so maybe one day I'll go investigate...
- The unit can be connected to a computer with a normal type-B USB cable -- no need to buy an expensive, proprietary cable. Once connected you can use the unit as a portable hard drive, and update the firmware (need to download some software from Garmin's website for that).
- Voices that can speak street names sound a bit robotic (and don't always get the pronunciation right) but are clear and still useful.
- The power cable plugs into the unit rather than into the mount, so some extra fiddling when installing or removing the unit is required. I haven't had any problems with the mount, so far.
- There doesn't seem to be a tracklog function. Would be cool for trips.