Garmin nuvi 250

Advantages Touch-screen, USB, Card-slot, Mapsource compatability
Disadvantages Bad maps, immediate next turn direction, no variable POI proximity,

...Edit: My review here is based on the Nuvi-250 (non-widescreen version). I bought one of these recently as my old ipaq-based TomTom is getting more outdated each day and there doesn't seem to be a reasonably-priced way to update it. I have to say I was expecting better. The manual is small because there aren't as many features as you get with TomTom. For example TomTom allows you to set the distance between your POI and it's alert sounding. This Garmin seems to sound the alert at it's own preset distance warning which you can't change from the menu system. It also seems to take a while to find the satellites. We went to our local park on saturday which is about a mile from home and we were practically on the car-park before it locked on. The worst part though was how innacurate the maps seem to be. On one trip, It didn't have... Read review

Advantages Cheap compared to other brands, small, easy to operate
Disadvantages no mains charger supplied

...I have been after a Sat Nav with built in European Maops for some time now as I am planning a road trip around Europe later in the year for my honeymoon. My first instinct was to go for a Tomtom as currently it is the most well known Sat Nav on the market and everyone you ask seems to own/recommend them. However I thought i'd try and save myself a few quid by taking a chance on one of the other manufacturers, and I stumbled upon the Garmin at a good price in Carphone warehouse one day. The first thing that struck me was at how easy the Garmin was to use - testament to this being an instruction book containing only a few pages which you don't expect when buying gadgets these days! Having owned and used the product considerably over the last 4 weeks I am very impressed, and to me is just as good as a tomtom and am sure it will get... Read review

Advantages So simple to use.
Disadvantages Easy target for thieves.

...... Garmin was one of the GPS devices I looked at when deciding which sat nav to go for. I actually went for the TomTom. As I compared several models I feel I am qualified to write a review on this Sat Nav. Garmin is well known for Satnav, but they also make Mobile phones, Laptops, PDAs, 2 way radios, and even dog tracking systems. They do echo sounders for boats, as well as chartplotters, fishfinders, and even radar sets. They are a "new" company (1989) and have a stong foothold in the navigation market. Garmin call this a personal travel assistant, this is an entry level job, but I tend to think that is just a marketing trick to make you want the next model. The device comes already pre-loaded with maps covering the whole of Europe. It has the usual touch screen and is of course very slim. The database is already loaded... Read review