I use my Garmin Nuvi 265 all the time, and really haven’t used a
map in several years. It has helped me
decide to go places and do things I don’t think I would have done prior to
GPS. I can get to specific addresses for
meeting people or to private homes with ease. Here is what I love about my Nuvi:
1.
It shows me the
speed limit on the screen, so I don’t have to look for highway speed signs
2.
It tells me
the arrival time at the destination –
not “how long I still have to drive”
That, to me, is the perfect helper.
I can call ahead and tell the person I am meeting a precise time of
arrival. And it is never off more
than a few minutes, often within 1 minute.
3.
It is perfect
when driving, alone, at night. I can’t
read a map and negotiate traffic in a dark car.
I used it on a recent trip to Florida,
and it found my hotels with precision, something I appreciate at 10
PM.
4.
It lets me choose
“places” not just specific addresses. Example: a WalMart or other store is in
the system and it will let me choose the one I wish to drive to, and then it gives me the arrival time and takes me there.
Helpful for finding many things, hospitals, banks, and many more commercial
or recreational locations.
5.
The subject of
this Blog is updates. Mine is an older unit, so I have a pay-for-download option. I
bought a lifetime of updates two years ago.
Tonight I downloaded the new maps.
I hooked the portable Garmin to my PC and through a multi-step process it
led me through complete updates. Allow 2
hours or more for such a process.
I know many readers use their
iPhones for navigation, but I haven’t gotten into that for several
reasons. Email if you want my opinion on
that. The iPad is better, than the iPhone (IMO) in that it
will show the car moving on a satellite map, but I am not convinced it is in
the same league as a real, Garmin, GPS. I
have used the iPad once or twice, but not while driving myself.
Once upon a time I had a GPS built into a car
I used to own. I didn’t like it nearly
as well as the portable Garmin. I can take the
Garmin in the house and program all my stops on an elaborate trip at
the breakfast table. Much easier than
sitting in the car. Also I think it
works better, has a better looking screen, and voice directions are better than
built-in units. I hear this from people
who own new cars with GPS. They don’t
like programming and features very much.
Overseas, I think Garmin is
even better than in the USA.
Hertz and others rent them at the airport pickup counter.
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