For major roads and highways, the Garmin displays a speed limit icon as a warning for drivers approaching or exceeding the limit. The feature also provides quick links to the closest hospitals, and police and gas stations. The unit comes preloaded with seven vehicle icons, with dozens more available for download on Garmin's Web site. In addition to navigation-based features, the Nuvi W also features a picture viewer which displays photos stored on the internal memory or an inserted SD card , a world clock, a calculator, and a unit converter.
Performance Cold boot time for the Nuvi W was noticeably faster than the Nuvi that it replaces, with a much faster satellite-lock time, which means less waiting between flipping the power switch and hitting the road. Powered up and locked on, we searched for a few well-known points of interest. Nearby POIs are loaded quickly. The Nuvi doesn't support any sort of predictive text entry or autocomplete, but inputting a POI name or address is painless thanks to the Nuvi's responsive onscreen keyboard and fast search.
The screen seems to buffer inputs, so you can quickly type a name without waiting for the Nuvi to register your inputs. Our destination chosen, we hit the road and found the Garmin's routing of our test trips to be quick and, in most cases, identical to those chosen by the TomTom XL Because the Garmin doesn't have to process IQ Routes or MapShare data, routing on the move and rerouting after missing turns is noticeably faster on the Nuvi W. On the other hand, the Garmin doesn't benefit from learning better routes or free map micro-updates.
However, the Garmin is a much faster, simpler, and easier-to-use device right out of the box, making it a better choice for nontechnophiles.
We gave the Nuvi W high design marks for its intuitive interface and big, bright screen. Its feature set is limited, but adequate for an entry-level device, resulting in an OK feature score. Finally, the Garmin's speedy booting, routing, and data entry earned it a good performance score.
Antuan Goodwin. View Local Inventory. The Nuvi W's feature set is rather limited. Mounting cradle is bulkier than competing models and not very portable. As entry-level GPS navigators go, the Garmin Nuvi W is still one of the best choices available for users who want speedy performance without breaking the bank. Score Breakdown Design 7 Features 6 Performance 8. Battery done and maps way out of date. Is it worth bringing back to life, or should I send it to a museum and get a new one?
Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. Sunday, March 18, News Feed Comments. Discontinued Garmin nuvi models The following, older nuvi models have been discontinued, though many are still available online and are fully supported by Garmin. Canada 4. Canada 3. Canada 5. Canada Mexico 4. Canada Europe 3. Canada Europe 4.
Canada Mexico Europe 4. Here is a link to a coverage map. Most Garmin nuvis with a T following the model number have ad-supported traffic see reviews for screenshots.
Bluetooth for hands-free cell phone use — Generally speaking, the sound quality has gotten much better on recent models, but check the reviews the first column links to these as it does vary. Powered mount — The power cord plugs into the mount, rather than the GPS.
Multi-point multi-destination routing — A very nice feature, but not a critical one. Lifetime map updates — Garmin has started selling units bundled with lifetime map updates, which you can typically download quarterly.
0コメント