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Features
Product Overview: The nüvi 255W
is a portable GPS navigator and entry-level personal travel assistant that provides automatic
routing, turn-by-turn voice directions, and touch screen control. In addition to
these navigation features, the nüvi 255W can display JPEG photos.
Internal Memory: The nüvi 255W
comes with an internal memory for storage of supplemental
maps and photos. When the unit is connected to your
computer, the nüvi 255W is recognized as an additional drive.
SD Memory Slot: The nüvi 255W
has an SD memory slot for additional map data from optional SD memory cards. The
unit
can also display photo images from an SD memory card.
Map Software:
The nüvi 255W comes loaded with City Navigator NT software, which contains
mapping detail of the entire United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. The maps
feature nearly 6-million points of interest (POIs), such as hotels, restaurants,
gas stations, ATMs and attractions.
Garmin Lock: Garmin Lock is an
anti-theft feature. You can set a 4-digit PIN and a security location (such as
your home or office). Every time the nüvi 255W is powered on, you must enter the
PIN, or drive to your security location.
Touch Screen Display: The unit
features a bright, 4.3" (diagonal) widescreen LCD with touch screen controls. The display
has a resolution of 480 x 272 pixels, with an aspect ratio of 16:9 and 64,000
colors. The screen has a manual brightness adjustment.
Custom Points of Interest: The
nüvi 255W will accept custom points of interest (POI) databases, available from
various companies on the Internet. Some custom POI databases contain alert
information for points such as safety cameras and school zones, and the unit can
notify you as you approach one of these points. To download custom POIs, you
will need the Garmin POI Loader software, available on Garmin's website.
MSN Direct: MSN Direct is an optional service that sends
traffic reports, gas prices and more to your navigation device through an FM
signal. MSN Direct is available in 100 of the largest cities across the United
States. Using an optional MSN Direct receiver (150GDB55) and a subscription service to
MSN Direct, you can check the weather, avoid traffic backups, compare local gas
prices and check movie times and locations when you travel with the nuvi 255.
Information Pages: The
information provided by the nüvi 255W is found on various display screens called
pages. The pages give you the following information:
- Map:
- Indicates real-time moving
map illustrating your current position and intended route
- Shows map scale and
geographic details such as lakes, rivers, highways and towns
- Allows you to zoom, pan, and
point using the touch screen controls
- When you are following a
route, your arrival time is displayed in the lower left corner, the
distance to the next turn (Turn In) is shown in the lower right corner
- When you are simply driving
while viewing the Map page (not following a route), your speed is shown
in the lower left corner, the direction you are driving is shown in the
lower right corner
- Trip Information:
- Shows current compass heading
while moving
- Indicates current speed,
average driving speed, overall average speed, maximum speed
- Calculates driving time,
stopped time and total time
- Displays overall distance
traveled (odometer) and distance to your final destination
- Current Route:
- Displays a list of
turn-by-turn instructions for your entire route as well as arrival
information
- Shows direction of each turn
and distance
- Next Turn:
- Shows the next turn on the
map and the distance and time left before you reach the turn
Where To? During navigation,
you can search for places by pressing "Menu", then "Where To?" You can select an
Address, Go Home, Points of Interest, Recently Found, Favorites, Extras, Intersections,
Cities, Browse Map, and Coordinates. You can also access Spell Name for direct
entry of your new destination, or browse the map. You can search for locations
near your present location (default), or select a different city, your current
route, or your destination.
Where Am I? The "Where Am I?" feature gives you instant access to
important information in case of an emergency. When you select "Where Am I?"
from the menu, you get the coordinates (including elevation) of your current
position, plus the nearest address and intersections. There are also buttons to
help you locate the nearest hospitals, police stations, or gas stations. You can also save the location for future reference.
Route Preferences: When
calculating a route, you can select the following preferences: faster time,
shorter distance, or off road.
Avoidances: You can program the unit
to avoid certain things that may be undesirable on your route. Examples of
things that can be avoided include U-Turns, Highways, Toll
Roads, Carpool Lanes, Unpaved Roads, Traffic, and Ferries.
Waypoints: You can manually
mark and name any map position as a waypoint for later recall. Up to 1000
waypoints can be saved into memory.
Map Orientation: You can select
one of three map orientation displays:
- 2D Track Up:
two-dimensional map that constantly displays the route from top to bottom on
the screen
- 2D North Up:
two-dimensional map that constantly displays North at the top of the screen
- 3D Track Up:
three-dimensional map that constantly displays the route from top to bottom
on the screen
Screen Color Mode: You can
select one of three color modes for the display screen:
- Daytime: has a lighter,
brighter background
- Nighttime: has a black
background, easier to see at night
- Auto: display
automatically switches between daytime and nighttime at sunrise and sunset
Indoor Use:
When indoors, you can activate the built-in simulator and practice using the
unit. This turns off the GPS receiver so it's not searching for satellites.
Vehicle Icons: The default
on-screen icon representing your vehicle is a blue sports car. In the menu, you
can select a blue 4WD pickup truck, a blue compact car, a blue 3D arrow, a pair
of boots, a large bird, or a rolling beach ball. You can also download other
vehicle icons from the "Garmin Garage" website, such as "Big Daddy" tractor
trailer, "Lil' Buddy" blue compact, "Lil' Missy" pink compact, "Snacktime" pizza
slice, "Phantom" roadster, "Steponit" taxi, "Medic" ambulance, Garmin #19 stock
car, "Domino" foreign sedan, or "Recess" school bus. Other downloadable vehicles
are available in the Holiday bundle, Pirates of the Caribbean bundle, or Service
Vehicles bundle.
Picture Viewer: The nüvi 255W can display photo images (JPEG files).
The image files must be stored on
an optional SD memory card or transferred to the internal memory.
World Clock: The world
clock allows you to display the current time for four locations throughout
the world. You can also display a map of the world showing which portions
are in daylight and which are in darkness.
Unit Converter:
You
can convert area, distance, speed, temperature, volume, and
weight.
Calculator: The calculator
allows you to perform simple arithmetic.
Panoramio: The Panoramio website provides photographs that include
location information called geotags. These photos can be downloaded into the
nüvi 255W or SD memory card, and the unit can route you to the location.
Power Requirements: The nüvi 255W operates on your vehicle's battery using the included 12-volt cigarette
lighter power adapter, the built-in Lithium-Ion batteries, or household current
using an optional AC adapter. The Lithium-Ion batteries provide up to 4 hours of use,
and require a 4-hour charge to full capacity. Stored data, such as waypoints or unit settings,
are not lost when the unit is disconnected from a power source.
Antenna: The unit has a built-in antenna
in its top panel. In order to obtain an optimal signal, the unit must have a
clear, unobstructed view of the sky. It the unit is mounted in a vehicle with a
coated windshield or an in-screen heating system there may be difficulty in
obtaining a good signal.
Mounting Options: The unit should be securely installed when
used in a vehicle. The unit comes with a mounting bracket that includes a
suction cup. The suction cup can be used to mount the unit to the windshield or
to the dash (using the plastic mounting disk). Once the nüvi 255W is mounted, it
can be adjusted on the ball-and-socket bracket for best visibility. The unit
must be installed where it has a relatively unobstructed view of the sky.
Optional Pro.Fit G3 Vehicle Specific Mounts: The Garmin nüvi
GPS units are directly compatible with the optional Pro.Fit G3 series of Vehicle
Specific Mounts (VSMs). The G3 Series mounts have a ball-and-socket mechanism
that perfectly fits the nüvi mounting cradles, giving you a custom mount
designed for your vehicle. Please check the Crutchfield vehicle
selector to see if a G3 Series VSM is available for your vehicle.
Interface Capability: This unit
can be connected to a PC via USB cable (not included). This interface allows you
to download additional map information to the unit's flash memory. The unit has a standard Mini-USB Version 2.0 jack.
