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Garmin's nüvi 255W is a perfect kind of GPS for people like me, who want to be able to plug it to the windshield and find the way to the babysitter's house, but also to stick it to the backpack and not get lost on a mountain trail.
The best part of this device is the Garmin's interface: big wide 4.3-inch (diagonal) screen, with great colors and resolution, very easy to use. Far cry from my first Garmin handheld GPS, which had a tiny black and white screen. The controls are simple, and sub-screens make it easy to search for destinations and get information about your trip. The nüvi takes you to your destination with turn-by-turn voice directions, which take some time to get used to. The maps are 2-D or 3-D and they updates as you go.
The device has built in complete maps for North America. I love the slim design and small size - it fits comfortably in my purse, and it is lightweight, what matters when you are packing your backpack for the hike. The rechargeable lithium-ion battery lasts for four hours, enough for an average trip or a hike.
Nuvi has a number of neat new tools, like a JPEG picture viewer, calculator, travel clock with time zones, currency converter, measurement converter, and much more. Digital Elevation Model (DEM) Basemap shows 3D shaded terrain features, very important for hiking. I also love the "screen lock" feature, which locks the screen you want to preserve with a slide of a power button. It also preserves the power. HotFix (Long Term Ephemeris Prediction)is also new - it allows the GPS to find satellites faster. Faster 333 Mhz processor ensures faster map drawing and the icon motion through turns . Memory Card Slots allow you to add maps and travel guides from the computer or internet, or store photos.
I paid for my nuvi $299, because I wanted the new one, but I saw that the refurbished ones are much cheaper on Amazon. I believe that what you pay is what you get.
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