Garmin GPS Receiver

This review is from: Garmin nuvi 200 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)

After using the popular TomTom One for six months (and being completely satisfied with it) I decided to give the latest in Garmin technology a try. Garmin’s newest line of Nuvi’s (the 200, 250, and 270) appears to be designed to combat the basic (and extremely popular) TomTom One, as they are designed with the utmost simplicity in mind. Garmin has finally done away with all the bells and whistles of their past GPS models and stripped down their latest releases to the bare essentials. But don’t let the simplicity of the Nuvi 200 fool you, it still packs quite a punch.

The first thing I noticed upon purchasing this product is it’s size…very, very small. The unit ways only 0.33 pounds (5.2 ounces) which I found very convenient. Also the Garmin Nuvi 200′s wallet sized dimensions, 3.8 x 2.8 x .8 inches (W x H x D) make for easy transport from car to pocket once you have reached your destination.. Because the Garmin Nuvi 200 doesn’t come with a carrying case I found the unit’s basic rectangular design very handy when searching for a protective case to envelop the unit when not in use. Basically any small camera case at any department store will fit this GPS unit nicely. I found one for $7.00, a real plus considering the unusual design of the TomTom One and it’s customized $30.00 carrying case, consumers (of course) had to buy separately.

The Garmin Nuvi 200 lacks the text-to-speech function of it’s big brother, the Nuvi 350 and also has no MP3 technology (remember this is a basic unit). However the unit has managed to shed the little flip-up antenna that Garmin owners have been used to seeing on older models, such as the Nuvi 350. Everything is now neatly packed away and internal giving the Nuvi 200 an even sleeker look.

Enough about what the Nuvi lacks, on to what is has. Although the unit is simple in design Garmin has managed to pack in a few extras for it’s customers. The Nuvi 200 has a JPEG picture viewer, a calculator, a currency converter, a unit converter, and a world clock just in case your wondering what time it is in Tokyo. Some users may use these features more than others, while others may find them plain redundant but hey…it’s always nice to have extras.

The battery life is excellent compared to the TomTom One’s weak 2-hour expectancy. The instruction manual brags it can last “up to 5 hours” so you won’t have to scramble for the vehicle power cable as often as with other units. The Nuvi 200′s 3.5 inch screen (with 320×240 pixel count) is beautiful, bright and detailed Very convenient for such a small unit.

Of course I have to mention the high-sensitivity WAAS-enabled GPS receiver that was able to locate it’s position in under 30 seconds on it’s first start up. I’ve even managed to get satellite signals while indoors, quite impressive.

The only fault I could find with the unit was (surprisingly) it’s maps. Although Garmin uses NAVTEQ maps I found them very lacking compared to the TomTom (Tele Atlas) maps I’m used to. The clichéd’ argument is that because Garmin is a North American based company their maps for The United States should be more accurate then the European based Tele Atlas maps which TomTom uses. This was quickly disproved by a simple drive around town. There were some streets in my home town which have been completed for over 5 years that still aren’t registered by the supplied NAVTEQ maps the Nuvi 200 comes with. I never had this problem with my TomTom One.

The Garmin Nuvi 200 gets a well-deserved 4 stars. Although it’s maps are sometimes lacking they were always accurate and managed to get me home safely. Garmin is a quality name in GPS and anyone looking for a simple yet powerful unit should give the Garmin Nuvi 200 a chance.

Here is what comes in the box:

- The Nuvi 200 unit that comes preloaded with maps of the lower 48 states (plus Hawaii and Puerto Rico)
- Vehicle Suction Cup Mount (instead of sticking this mount to the windshield, I break tradition and mount the suction cup to the driver’s side window down near the rearview mirror then just turn it towards me. I find it is much easier to operate and it doesn’t obstruct my view.)
- Vehicle Power Cable
- Dashboard Disc
- Set Up And Go Guide (not very detailed)

This review is from: Garmin nuvi 200 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)

I ordered the Garmin Nuvi 200 from Amazon and expected it would come with the new map software (City Navigation North America NT version 2008) as others had received, but unfortunately, mine came with the old map (version 8). I called Garmin support and they wanted $75 more for the updated map. I’m very disappointed at Garmin’s new marketing tactic because the last time I purchased the Street Pilot 2610, they provided me with the FREE update software within 30 days of the purchased date to bring my GSP to current map info.

How do you know which map version you have? Go to Tool>Setting>Map>MapInfo on the Nuvi 200. There is no info on the box or in the box to indicate which map software version a particular Nuvi 200 has. However, some people reported in GSP forum that the Nuvi 200 with serial # 14H06xxxx and 14H10xxxx have the old (version v8) map software, and the ones with serial # 14H15xxxx and 14H17xxxx have the new (version 2008) map software. My Nuvis 200 serial # is 14H10xxxx and I have the old map software. The serial # are printed on the outside of the box and also on the bottom of the Nuvi 200 unit. I checked my local BB last night and they had mostly Nuvi 200 with the new map, but a couple with the old map (based on the serial #). So be careful when shopping for the Nuvi 200. I heard the same situation is with the Nuvi 660 as well.

As an engineer I used to admire Garmin for their product and technical support, but I think their new marketing strategy is unethical and stupid (i.e. Garmin is trying to squeeze another $75 out of uninformed/unfortunate customers for map update).

Afer using the Nuvi 200 for a day, I would give Nuvi 200 four stars (missing the compass direction that I am used to on the 2610), and ZERO star for Garmin marketing policy. Thus 3 stars.

This review is from: Garmin nuvi 200 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)

This is a solid entry level GPS from Garmin. After a week of testing the Nuvi 200 with a similar entry level GPS from Magellan–the Maestro 3200, I had a hard time deciding which one to keep. In the end, I went with the Nuvi, not because one is superiorly better than the other, but down to more personal preferences. Here are some positive and negative factors for each device:

Startup and Satellites Acquisition:
In my car, the Maestro takes 40 seconds from startup to acquiring satellites, whereas the Nuvi takes 50 seconds. (Your results may vary depending on where you are.) Furthermore, the Maestro takes less than 5 seconds for the main menu to appear, whereas the Nuvi takes closer to 23 seconds from startup to main menu. So that on the Maestro, user is able to start inputing much sooner. Once satellites are acquired, both devices are able to hold on to the signal exceedingly well, even indoor.

Screens, Menus and Interfaces:
Both devices have a gorgeous 3.5 screen that is very bright and can be viewed from extreme angles. I do find that the Nuvi screen is more pleasing to look at though. Menus and interfaces are very intuitive and user friendly. Most users would not have to read the manual to start using both devices. All the important categories are represented by large icons and easily accessed by touchscreen. In term of layouts, fonts, and color choices, I prefer the Nuvi as the overall design is more inviting. Also, as you navigate between menus and input text, the Maestro would announce your every input such as “Back,” “Next,” “Cancel,” letters and numbers, which I find quite annoying. On the Nuvi, it just “beep” to confirm your entry.

Features:
Instead of comparing all the features for each device, I will just list those that I find important.

Both the Maestro 3200 and Nuvi 200 are preloaded with map of the lower 48 states, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. If you want map for Alaska and Canada, consider the Maestro 3210 and Nuvi 250. However, the Nuvi has the ability to add more maps such as Europe, Australia, and parts of Asia through SD card. As far as I know, the Maestro is not able to add more maps.

I love the usefulness and convenience of the “Points of Interest” database, and thus the more the better. The Nuvi has close to 6 millions compare to 1.3 millions on the Maestro. That means you would be able to find more businesses and attractions wherever you are on the Nuvi without looking up on a computer, phone, or Yellow Pages. For example, the Nuvi lists all the major retailers that do not appear on the Maestro. Both devices allow custom POIs from users to upload.

When searching by POI name, the Maestro is able to bring up the result(s) much faster though. I did a search for a restaurant that is 15 miles from my location and the Maestro took less than 2 seconds to display the result. Whereas, the Nuvi took an excruciatingly 48 seconds to find the result. However, finding businesses that are within a 5 miles radius to a user’s location will show up only slightly slower than the Maestro.

The Maestro features a multi-point routing called “Trip Planner” that allows user to input multiple destinations and optimize for the best routes for the entire trip. So, if you do a lot of errands or plan a long trip with multiple destinations, the planner would come in very handy. On the Nuvi, you can only add one additional waypoint at a time while traveling to your final destination. To get around this, Nuvi user can first search all the destinations prior, as the addresses would automatically be put under the “Recently Found” folder or choose to save under “Favorites.” Then as you reach each destination, recall the next address under each folder. It’s not an elegant solution and your entire trip is not optimize like the Maestro.

The re-route and detour functions are available on both devices. So, if you miss a turn, both GPS will automatically re-calculate and get you back on track. I often find that the new route is generated before reaching the next block. As for detour, the Maestro has a much more robust feature. When using detour, user can specify 3, 5, 10 or custom miles from the main route. On the Nuvi, there is no user specification, just an option to detour.

Both have customizable route methods, such as “Fastest Time” and “Shortest Distance.” The Maestro has additional methods of “Least” or “Most Use of Freeways.” I find “Most Use of Freeways” to be a valuable option. During the time of day when there’s little traffic, I can use this option even when Maestro recommends surface street under “Fastest Time.” I prefer travelling on freeways rather than through all the stop lights and signs on surface streets. The Nuvi does not have this option. The Nuvi has an “Off Road” method that I doubt I will ever select. Under a sub-category, user can specify to avoid toll roads on both devices. On the Nuvi, user can further select to avoid u-turns, highways, carpool lanes, unpaved roads, etc.

As for the navigation, routing, and map display screen, this is where I ultimately prefer the Nuvi. The Nuvi renders the 3-D map beautifully with bold outlines, excellent color schemes, sharp fonts, smooth anti-aliasing and shading, and polish appearance. Street name for next turn is clearly displayed on a horizontal bar on top, for example, “Turn Left on Main Street.” By clicking the top bar, another screen will appear that display a turn-by-turn preview to your destination. As you approach a turn, the map will slowly zoom in with an arrow prompting a more detailed section of the turn. After the turn, the map will zoom out to the normal display. The whole process is very fluid and instinctive. On the left and right hand corners show “time of arrival” and “distance to the next turn” respectively. There is no option to customize the display such as showing time or distance remain to your destination. There is another screen that you can access for those info. When clicking anywhere on the 3-D navigation map, a detailed 2-D map will appear to give you more information and layout of your current location. Your arrow vehicle can be customize to show a variety of vehicles, from race car to even a tank. More choices can be downloaded on Garmin website. This might seems superfluous to some, but it just adds another level of user experience. After viewing Nuvi’s 3-D map, it’s difficult to go back to another competitor.

The Maestro’s 3-D navigation map is not ugly by any standard, just not as refine comparing to the Nuvi. The Maestro’s map display is more cluttered, but with more information available to the driver at a glance. For example, the horizontal bars on top and bottom will display the name of the street that the driver is on and the street for the next turn. There’s also an icon to indicate the next turn and compass. User can also customize to display anything from “time of arrival” to “distance remain.” On the Nuvi, driver would have to exit the navigation screen for additional info. I also really like that the Maestro will display selected POI icons, such as nearby gas and ATM, on the 3-D map. Furthermore, user can customize what POI categories will display on the map. However, the more categories are selected, the harder it will be to distinguish the icons on a busy street. Like the Nuvi, the Maestro also display a turn-by-turn preview to your destination. However, the Maestro goes a step further by allowing the user to exclude any of the street on the list. So, if you know a street is under maintenance or prefer not to travel on, just exclude that section and the Maestro will re-route when possible.

As for the 3-D rendering, the map outlines are a bit jagged but very detailed with sharp fonts. As you approach a turn, the Maestro will split the screen vertically and show a close-up of the section along with the normal view. Having tested the Maestro and Nuvi for a week, I find both GPS very capable in their routing algorithm. Both devices don’t always give you the identical routes to your destination, but I can’t really say one is better than the other. However, I observe that the Maestro tends to calculate routes with more turns. On the Nuvi, the voice guidance does indicate whether your arriving destination is on the right or left hand side of the road, which I find helpful. Both GPS have its quirks, such as sometimes calculating longer routes than necessary or the destination off by a block. However, for the most part, the routes on both are very accurate.

Another thing for me to consider when choosing a GPS is the battery life. Both the Maestro and Nuvi can be powered using the included vehicle cable. However, when driving around town, I prefer not to have the unsightly cable dangling from the windshield, especially if you have other devices that use the vehicle power, like an iPod. The Nuvi rechargeable battery is rated up to 5 hours comparing to 3 hours on the Maestro. Both do not come with an A/C charger, but can still be charged using USB to mini-USB on a computer or alternatively charging by car. The speakers on both are pretty loud, but I much prefer the voice on the Nuvi as it sounds more warm comparing to the very robotic pitch of the Maestro. I have yet required customer support, but from what I read from other users and reviewers is that Garmin gives better support to their products. For example, Garmin provides a free WebUpdater software that will automatically update the GPS with the latest software. When I purchased the Nuvi and ran the software, it automatically update my GPS system version from 3.4 to 3.5. That to me instill confidence that Garmin will continue to support their devices.

In summary, the Maestro 3200 and Nuvi 200 are excellent entry level GPS that I have no problem recommending. I decided on the Nuvi due to the excellent 3-D map, interface, large POIs, route calculation, overall design, and battery life. However, the Maestro has more features such as trip planner, a robust detour, faster search, and “Most Use of Freeways” option that some might consider more valuable. Prices are comparable and really come down to personal preferences. You can’t go wrong with either one.

This review is from: Garmin nuvi 200 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)

I ordered a NUVI 200 for my son as he was planning on taking his car back to college. I have a NUVI 350 which is a great GPS system but I wanted a no-frills GPS that was less expensive – my target price was $250.

Although Amazon had the best price around I had to pay a little more than my target. The unit arrived within a few days and is a good no-frills GPS that is very compact.

One problem I had was the unit not being able to hold a battery charge. It worked fine on car power but the battery would go dead in under two hours and would charge over 2 of the five bars. I sent a note to Amazon customer service explaining the issue and I mentioned that we needed the GPS for a car trip in three days. Within the hour, Amazon notified me that a replacement would be sent out as using next-day service. They also clearly explained how to return the faulty unit. The next day at 10AM I had a new unit that worked perfectly – I sent back the faulty one with an Amazon generated UPS label at no cost to me – Amazon provided me feedback the next day when they received it. Amazon Customer Service also gets 5 Stars for this quality of customer care.

My son and I drove from CT to Charleston, SC and the NUVI 200 worked perfectly. We’re very satisfied with it.

This review is from: Garmin nuvi 200 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)

I bought this Nav system for my parents. Both of them are retired and like to take trips and visit friends. They would always ask me to print Mapquest directions for wherever they were going but now with the Nuvi 200 they don’t need to.

I went with the basic model because they are not very tech savvy and would not use the extra feature anyway. I guess the text to speech option would be nice for hearing the street names but they have found the device more than functional without it.

It is very easy to use and enter addresses into. This is important because if it wasn’t simple to use my mom and dad would have a hard time getting anywhere and it would have been a waste of money. If my parents can use it anyone can, as I have stated before they are not tech savvy people.

Getting a satellite signal outside or in the car has not taken longer then a few minutes even on overcast/cloudy days and calculating your route usually only take a few seconds. You may have trouble getting a signal inside your house. Sometimes I can but sometimes I have to go outside but I don’t think it was designed for that anyway.

Now I only had the device a week or so before I gave it to my parents but in that time I really enjoyed it and I am currently thinking about getting one for myself.

There are a couple of things I wish it had though. For one I wish you could enter a different starting location than where you currently are if only to plan ahead.

Also, I would be nice if they included an AC adapter in the package instead of just a DC car charger. You will most likely not be leaving the device in your car so it would be nice to bring it in the home and charge. If you want to do this you will have to purchase the optional AC charger.

The suction cup mount is nice but for me than only place it will stick to is my window and nowhere else. It will not stick anywhere to the dash or center console in my Durango. I have tried both the suction cup and the sticky disk mount. Maybe I use to much armor all or something but I can only stick mine to the window. This is actually the best spot for it when you don’t need it plugged in but if you do need it plugged in having a wire hanging from your windshield is kind of a annoying.

All that being said I really like this Nav system and would purchase one for myself without any hesitation.

This review is from: Garmin nuvi 200 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)

I bought this for my wife. (She has found my long love of gps units a little baffling until now, but she LIKES having this in her car now.)

I have owned five Garmin gps over the years: aviation, hiking & car.
While the nuvi 200 doesn’t have many of the detailed options the older 2650 has, it does have 95% of the functions most people would want & use in their car.

Plus side:
It’s small, light & has a great, bright screen.
Has ALL of USA maps & points of interest like food & hotels
Very simple navigation menus & option menus
It announces turns (but cannot pronounce street names)
It has a good battery, to use on foot for a while.
It has a very good antenna built inside. (on my 2650, I added an external wired antenna to my roof for fast satellite acquisition; no need on the 200)
Maintains reception on wooded Atlanta streets.
It routes fast and recalculates fast; looks up addresses fast; Seems about as fast as a more expensive unit.
You can save waypoints (favorites) of all your special places you go or might go.
The windshield mount works great (has never come close to loosening up)
You can send it waypoints using Garmin mapsource software or g7towin software, but it’s not as obvious. It’s almost like they downplay this capability so you buy a fancier model? You can backup waypoints (favorites) to computer.
Can add photos.
It has 5 “map detail” settings.
It does have a pedestrian mode, which I liked when I took it hiking.

Doesn’t have:
It doesn’t pronounce street names (must buy fancier model for that)
You can’t customize data displays at the 2 bottom corners. While navigating to a place, it shows arrival time & distance to next turn in the corners. Then their is a pop up to announce specific turns. (Fancier units allow you to display other things, like total distance, etc., and control when pop ups happen) While not navigating it shows speed (Fancier units can display the road you are on, and the next cross street- useful sometimes at night, but I suspect most owners would not bother with all the option menus to get this set up on their fancier unit)
Can’t attach an external antenna (doesn’t seem to need it)
I don’t think you can put Garmin topo maps onto it, but I have not tried.

This review is from: Garmin nuvi 200 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)

(Revised 11/20/07 — new notes at bottom)

Not flawless, to be sure, but a what a world of difference it makes! And the few flaws it has, I strongly suspect, are shared by other units, both Garmin and competition. There’s little in the upscale units I’d pay another $50 for, much less an additional $150 or $250 or more. This one will get you there just as well.

First of all, it has pretty much everything you need for a basic GPS. I HAVE an iPod, I HAVE a Bluetooth headset, and for traffic reports, I HAVE a radio (remember, the traffic options for the 300 series are subscription-based AND per city). And the display clearly shows the name of the upcoming turn, so do you really need the synthesized voice trying to pronounce it? Do you NEED Canada maps? If so, go for the 250, if not, this one’s great.

First, the interface is simple, elegant, and amazingly quick to learn. It requires no setup, no calibration, no nothing. Turn it on and go. It knows where you are, where you are going, how to get there, where to eat, shop, or whatever; either nearby, where you are going, or along the way. It will get you there. Sometimes, not the most effective way, particularly if you’re familiar with the area and know where the stopsigns are, and what roads clog during rushhour, and which ones are just more pleasant to drive on, but then you don’t need a GPS for YOUR neighborhood now, do you? You need it for navigating through unfamiliar territory. And an inefficient turn or two between friends, particularly when it will guide you there with sureness, what’s a couple minutes lost?

Faults: Occasionally chooses a path that is not the best. I suspect whichever map base a GPS uses, there will be some of that. Playing with toolkit preferences will help to some degree. Searching POIs in other locations may require repeated input of city, etc.

Strong points: Easy to use, bright display, clear (albeit somewhat cartoon-like) maps, with your route shown in bright magenta, quick recalculating, small size, excellent windshield mount.

Limitations: No music player, no text-to-voice street names (though street names are displayed clearly on screen), no Canada maps, no upgrade path to traffic reports. I can live with these. I’m told that the gps receiver is different from the one in the 300 series. Maybe so, but this one is very good.

Comments: I had read that this unit, unlike the 300 series, cannot plot a path from a location other than the current location of the device. So, for instance, you couldn’t get directions from the LA airport to Aunt Sadie’s house in Woodland Hills. Not true! The system allows you to program one WAYPOINT along a route, so what you can do is set a course from your home to Aunt Sadie’s with a waypoint at LAX, or better yet, the car rental place at the airport, and ignore everything before the waypoint. Doesn’t matter if you live 2000 miles away, it just takes a moment to calculate the whole trip. Ignore directions prior to the waypoint, and you can easily find route, estimated time, and mileage.

By the way, mine came with the 2008 maps, but prior to my purchase, via e-mail communication with Garmin Customer Service, I was told that they would send new maps gratis for buyers who purchased units with outdated maps. Check before buying.

(Notes from 11/20/07) After using for a month or so, I’m still very happy with the unit, but some of its flaws are becoming more apparent.

1. Searching for POIs other than where you are often requires inputting the city name (again), a selection of the state it’s in (which for some reason is neither exactly alphabetical (actually, it’s sorta alphabetical, listing alphabetically, the states it missed in the first go-through), nor listed by distance. Remember not to back up to the main menu, or you’ll have to enter the city and state again. A “last lookup” selection would be good, in addition to the choices in the “Near” submenu.

2. Acquiring satellites is usually pretty quick, but it can take several minutes.

3. Teaching the unit a preferred route would be great. For example, I know there’s construction on Lake-Cook Road, and that it’s hell to get anywhere on it. I’d rather take Dundee, which moves better and has no tollway access to muck it up. I’d love to be able to teach that to the GPS. But she keeps telling me to take Lake-Cook.

I DO find myself arguing with her quite a bit, but it’s still a remarkably useful device.

This review is from: Garmin nuvi 200 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)

I’m really glad Garmin offers this GPS only model and cuts out all the other junk I would never use. I’ve had it for a month now and really can appreciate it. My model had the latest maps installed, and it was nice to find Garmin now supports Mac computers with their update software.

I tested it out on a couple of my normal routes, and while it doesn’t have every back-alley and short-cut in it’s database, it would get you where you are going, even if it’s the long way around. It’s actually found a quicker route for me on a trip I was regularly taking. I also love how you could tell it to not use highways or tollroads, and stick to normal city streets only.

It’s points-of-interest database is very up to date, and very extensive. I was surprised to see a lot of my neighbor’s running small businesses out of their house and show up on the map. All that info packed in there!

I knocked it down one point because the first thing you have to do when you get this is run out and buy the carrying case for $30 at Bestbuy, why couldn’t they include it in the pack? If that was included I would have given it 5 stars for sure.

I also bought the in-house charger AC power cord, but I find I don’t use it as the Nuvi is able to get a charge when I hook it up to my Mac’s USB port, so you could probably skip that.

In Summary – Highly Recommended!

This review is from: Garmin nuvi 200 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)

In a nutshell:
- Easy to use right out of the box.
- Touch screen is a blessing. The thumbwheel on the StreetPilots was fine, but the touch screen on these Nuvi’s is much faster.
- Even this entry-level unit has a great database of points of interest.
- Excellent volume. Very loud.
- Very compact. Very portable.
- If you have vision issues, opt for a model with a larger screen.
- It would be nice if they supplied a carrying case. You might want to purchase a small, hard-cover case for it.
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This review is from: Garmin nuvi 200 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)

The GPS sent me to a resturant, the Boathouse, in Lindenhurst, NY that closed down in April 2005; a library in Camp Hill, PA that closed down over 5 years ago and to a dead end street in Sleepy Hollow for something else! Several times it would tell me to make a turn and when I would turn, it would say “recalculating”. I called Garmin about this and they said that this sometimes happens. I wish I knew all the details of the GPS, I might’ve gone for the upgrade which allows you to choose scenic route vs highway. When the GPS works on your behalf, it can be fun.