The Products Sold Today

Technical Details

• 3.5-inch Touch Screen Navigation with Turn by Turn spoken Directions
• Pre-loaded Maps for continental U.S., Hawaii, and Puerto Rico with 6.5 million searchable points of interest
• FM Traffic or MSN Direct Traffic/Content compatible (with optional GDB 55 receiver)
• Easy to Use Interface; slim, pocket-sized form factor; 4-hour rechargeable battery
• 3D terrain views, navigate to photo, and automatic time zone adjustment

The updated interface is very nice, though many of the changes are subtle in terms of functionality. The look and feel are definitely slicker, but there are also extra directional markers. In order to really access all the extra info, you have to change your settings to display "most detail." Either way, those who've used the 200 will definitely notice the improvements.

The main complaint that all GPS units have to overcome is the dreaded delay in finding satellites. All models and all brands have this issue to one degree or another. Now with the Hotfix, the 205 and other updated models do find satellites a little faster than before. You will still have issues locating satellites indoors, but under standard use outdoors you will see it find satellites faster.

The other feature that is aided by the update is pedestrian mode. This feature is not used too often. In fact, it's somewhat hard to find in the menu settings. But the problem that was often encountered with the older generation of products was that in cities like NY with tall skyscrapers, it was very hard to find and hold a signal long enough to use pedestrian mode. Now, it can still take a while but is noticeably faster and more reliable.

Some of the newer Garmin features like photo navigation and send custom location info to your GPS unit are really slick. You can go to the Garmin website to access these things and more. Still, those are all true extras. You don't need those things to enjoy the main function of this guy, which is to give you directions via GPS navigation.

You will also need to consider accessories such as the Garmin Portable Friction Dashboard Mount for Nüvi Series. The included window mounting suction cup may not be enough for your needs.

Garmin nüvi 205 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator

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