Reviewing Garmin's Feature-Packed Nuvi 205W

The portable nuvi 205W boasts a 3.5 inch wide touchscreen interface that includes many upgrades from Garmin's previous 200-series GPS models that only had 2" x 5" displays. These improvements include faster satellite reception, a more user-friendly touchscreen, available terrain maps, and a photo option that allows you to upload your own pictures to the unit in order to customize locations.

The 205W is not designed for navigating your way through the mountains and trails, but instead is designed for driving as it's very proficient at choosing the quickest and/or shortest route. It lets you select whether you want to take the shortest distance, the quickest time, or the most use of highways. By default, it is set to take the shortest distance so make sure that you change it to the "quickest time" setting if you plan on using freeways to get to your desired destination.

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Even if you don't choose the option to display the nearest points of interest, icons will be displayed on the map so you can see what is available while you're driving so you know what's coming up in the next highway exit.

The Garmin 205W can also guide you to the nearest Police Station in case you're in trouble. You can select the "Police Stations" option from the "Where am I" screen so you can find you way.

Thanks to Garmin, it is relatively easy to update the Nuvi 205W. Read the second page of this article to find step by step directions on how to update maps and system versions on the unit. The GPS unit uses a standard 5-pin mini-USB connection that you can use to plug in to your laptop or computer so you can connect your Garmin device to your computer. Keep in mind that Garmin does not always update maps, but if you've purchased a GPS device in the past, there may be an available update that will help you get the latest maps on your Garmin device.

If you're looking for a cheap yet solid GPS unit to help you navigate to specific addresses, the Garmin Nuvi 205W is a good option. There may be more expensive units that have more features, but when the 205W can be purchased for under $130, there isn't much to argue about. On Black Friday, Best Buy sold it at cheapest price yet for only $99. You might still be able to catch it on a $100 special on sites like Amazon, BestBuy.com, or eCOST so look around to get the best price.