Garmin nüvi 200W 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator Reviews

• Functionality and good price over fancy add-ons

  
  By A1MHWTX16UA7UF on 2007-10-27
  This is entry-level automotive GPS from Garmin. That means it lacks "advanced" functions as FM transmitter, bluetooth connectivity or MP3 player. However, in my opinion, a stand-alone GPS unit doesn't need any of that, and certainly not at a $200+ cost.
  
  Widescreen makes 200W/250W so much better than other 200 series models. Getting directions from the unit is the same, regardless of the screen size, but you will be able to see a lot more of what is around you as you drive with these units - places off a highway, gas stations, restaurants. It's also easier to use the touch screen, as icons are quite larger.
  
  Comparing 200W/250W with new the 700 series clearly shows these units as entry level, but again, the price gap is huge and I believe it's simply not worth it. One might consider 770 which includes European maps over 200/250, as buying them separately is quite expensive.
  
  

• Beautiful GPS...

  
  By A1L64KDYO5BOJA on 2007-11-03
  I wont bore you with what everybody else says about the 200W. It's a great unit and very easy to learn. I also own a Mio C220 GPS and as both GPS systems are similar, I would like to compare them.
  Ease of use... Nuvi by far the best.
  Picking up and holding satellites... Mio by far the best.
  Sound volume... Nuvi by far the best.
  Screen brightness... Nuvi by far the best.
  Routing... Both get you there but the Nuvi has better routing (Navtec) versus Mio (TeleAtlas).
  Although the Nuvi has a bigger screen it lacks two features the Mio has and I miss them very much. The Mio has an arrow that always points to North, the Nuvi does not. The Mio shows the next turn on the screen, the Nuvi does not, and you have to touch the bottom right part of the Nuvi screen to see the next turn in advance. You do see the turn coming as you get to that turn on the Nuvi but it's nice to know more in advance then the Nuvi lets you know. With such a large screen it's hard to justify not having these two items on screen as I find them important. The POI's are much harder to program in on the Mio but the Mio lets you categorize your POI's, the Nuvi lumps them all into one category. Via points are basically unlimited in the Mio but not easily programed in, the Nuvi allows only one via point but is easily programed into the trip. The Mio offers a "QWERTY" key board to input information while the Nuvi has an "ABC" keyboard. This isn't a big deal but why not a QWERTY keyboard as everybody uses on on their own computers, and finding letters is much faster. Both are great GPS systems, the Mio is "meat and potatoes" while the Nuvi is "pheasant under glass". My advice is that although the Nuvi 200W is about $100 more than the Mio C220, its the one to get due to the sound volume and screen brightness, routing and ease of use.
  
  

• Best Buy !!

  
  By A2MXF4KVD10UQN on 2007-09-24
  Garmin nüvi 200W Widescreen Automotive GPS Navigation System
  This unit is an outstanding value if you don't need Blue Tooth or any of that other stuff on the 600 series Garmin products. I just want to know where I am going and be able to see the screen easily. Garmin has a real winner in this product.
  
  

• good with few issues

  
  By A316IRTGU5L8VA on 2007-12-15
  Overall, it works well for the 3 weeks I owned it.
  
  Pro:
  The best part is bright screen. The voice instruction is clear. Touch sceen also works well. User interface is simple and clean. Easy to use.
  
  Con:
  Lost signal a couple of times in one trip I took. The directions aren't always correct. Once it lead us into circle. My wife wishes it has text-to-speech feature; especially in places where streets are close together. I wish it can tell you to turn earlier; the instruction for turns comes a bit too late.
  
  It is good but not perfect; slightly below my expectation after I read the review before deciding to buy it.
  
  
  

• Fantastic value!

  
  By A9ZIDBEE8MT6I on 2007-09-22
  This little guy has everything most more expensive Garmins do but for a lot, lot cheaper. The primary difference between this model and more expensive ones are that you don't get Alaska, Hawaii, or Canada maps. If these are important, look elsewhere. The much more expensive ($500+) models say the street names, this one does not. However, if those features mean little to you, pick this one up. The list of locations is staggeringly large and current, the maps (on the one I purchased) were dated 2008... I couldn't be happier.
  
  
• Not fancy but well-built......
  By A1DJWGRWX6TNWO on 2007-11-23
  Just got my Nuvi 200W via Amazon (darn those prices - keep coming down so now I have buyer's remorse! Ah well..). Great little unit. Does have the 2008 maps but even they are at least 18 months out of date. (2008 probably doesn't mean the year 2008, I'll bet...). I don't miss the spoken street names like my son's Nuvi 350, but then I didn't pay $499 for that, mp3, and photo storage. Just the basic gps stuff with a wider screen is what I wanted. Nice display, easy functions. Only takes a few minutes of searching the menus to figure it out. Windshield attachment is superbly crafted.(I tried a Jensen NVX200 on sale at HHG for $99 and it's windshield attachment is basically a rigid pipe and will not work on the typical windshield tilted out. Old maps and NO upgrade capability. Took it back right away). Nuvi 200W has an Auto charger but no AC charger (darn..). My digital camera USB PC connector works just fine for the out of auto charging experience.. No slip case to protect it, but I'll use my Palm PDA case and it'll do just fine for traveling (without my Palm PDA, of course). Aside from some of these minor deficiencies, it does what I intended so I'm happy. Now, if the price drops another $50 I'll really have a bad case of buyer's remorse!! The market is being flooded with all types of gps this season. Must be some major upgrade or capabilities being introduced after January 2008 so inventories have to be cleared.Oh, one thing more, if you really want a lot of helpful information, go to GPSinformation.com and check out the forums. You will be directed to very helpful websites to complement your GPS. Want to get a fix on all the Starbucks, Costco, RadioShack's around the country, just go to the indicated website for a reasonably comprehensive list to add to your POI's. Ray
  
  
• Great Product
  By A2DC6L1KO7TY6J on 2007-10-04
  Everything on this product works as advertised. The wide screen is a big plus. The 2008 version of the map is also helpful. If you don't want bluetooth or many bells and whistles this is the product for you. Just a simple GPS that works very well.
  
  
• Great Product, Excellent Value
  By A3D1XX4GO1MGPH on 2007-11-01
  Just received and very happy with my purchase. Set up is quick and very intuitive.
  
  As others have said, if you don't want the extra bells and whistles of a MP3 player, bluetooth, and live traffic updates, I think this is the best product out there. Don't worry about the lack of text to speech, you won't even miss it. Voice clearly announces the upconing turns by distance, and the banner at the top list the street name of the upcoming turn anyway.
  
  Widescreen is great with the touchscreen very easy to use and navigate. Except for initial startup, satellite acquisition seems fast, and accuracy seems excellent with turns as indicated within 5 to 10 yards at most.
  
  I initially got interested in the Nuvi after a trip with a friend using the Nuvi 660. Looked at the Tom Tom I 3rd edition, and the Mio C220 in depth reading lots of reviews, and decided to go with Garmin Nuvi. I could not be happier with this selection, and heartily recommend the Garmin Nuvi 200W.
  
  
• Great unit with good features
  By A2YY8ZX8R5HYMF on 2007-11-13
  I have not owned the Lowrance iWay 250C, Magellan Maestro 4000, and Garmin nüvi 200W. I began with the Lowrance 250 but unfortunately it was stolen and I was forced to replace the unit. I bought the Magellan 4000 but returned it in a short period to purchase the Garmin 200W. In an attempt to summarize my thought on these units, I'll summarize my observations in a 'pro / con' format.
  
  As a summary of the following, I was extremely impressed with the Lowrance iWay 250C's dependability and price. The Garmin Nuvi 200W has good navigation tools and a clear, large display. Finally, the Magellan 4000 was built in a quality manner but lacked basic navigational functionality.
  
  Lowrance iWay 250C -
  Pros:
  1) Fantastic routing sequences. This unit has great navigational features and never misguided me at any time.
  2) Can add personalized POIs with symbols using street address.
  3) GREAT price for a solid unit.
  4) Voice and sound quality excellent.
  5) Overall very dependable unit with intelligent navigation and outstanding value.
  
  Cons:
  1) Slow to locate signal.
  2) Small 3.5 inch screen.
  
  Magellan Maestro 4000
  Pros:
  1) Audible chime to signify upcoming turns.
  2) Large 4.3 inch screen.
  3) Extremely solid construction with MANY accessories included (AC charger, etc).
  4) Large touchscreen buttons which allow for easy control.
  5) Voice and sound quality excellent.
  6) Clear display of menu funtions and user friendly.
  
  Cons:
  1) Hard to read maps and poor general map display. Most roads are displayed very small and the map background colors are poorly selected.
  2) Poor selection of routing preferences.
  3) Adding personal POIs requires separate interface using latitude/longitude only. It is impossible to add personal POIs with the simple use of street address.
  4) Several times this unit provided routes which were incorrect. Most errors occurred due to its inability to know that road medians have turning lanes.
  
  Garmin nüvi 200W
  Pros:
  1) Can add personal POIs with symbols using street addresses.
  2) Clear and large display.
  3) Large touchscreen buttons which allow for easy control.
  4) Clear menus displayed with intuitive and user friendly functions.
  5) Overall good unit with clean navigational tools and ease of use.
  
  Cons:
  1) Power connection in rear of unit can be frustrating to plug/unplug.
  2) No AC charger included.
  3) It is not possible to display the remaining trip mileage as the route is being displayed. The estimated time of arrival is shown but switching this to the remaining mileage is not possible.
  4) Some routing has been incorrect. These errors seem to occur due to its inability to know that road medians have turning lanes.
  5) Very short device for windshield mounting.
  
  
• A Big Step Forward
  By A2XENKM69BVIA5 on 2007-11-24
  This unit is truly user friendly. The wide display is legible in most light conditions. The software is simple and intuitive. The unit locks on satellites quickly and holds them under most conditions. The spoken instructions are easy to hear and understand, and the map displays are easy to read. We fooled it once when we made a u-turn because of traffic and backtracked; the unit thought we were going in reverse, I guess, as the "next turn" kept getting farther away, and didn't recalculate until we made a right-angle turn off our previous course. This is a low-cost unit with limited features and map coverage, but if that fits your needs it's an excellent choice. I'd change one thing: I'd add a backspace in the text input so you don't have to start over if you hit the wrong letter.
  
  
• Great unit with one flaw
  By A2EU7F9KL9RXZ0 on 2007-12-13
  Recently went on 3300 mile road trip with the 200W. Without exception the unit was spot on accurate and worked great. ONLY problem is initial startup/acquisition time to locate satellites which ranged anywhere between 1 minute to 5 minutes. May not seem like much but when you're sitting in the car waiting to get going it often seems much longer. The 200W has the most recent Navteq 2008 maps for North America. Unit is very slim and light making it easy to stick in a pocket or use just walking around a new city. Point of Interest database was very helpful finding fuel, groceries, etc nearby and was very intuitive and simple to use. I would give the unit 4.5 stars if I could as the startup issue, while sometimes nagging, isn't that bad considering the overall value and functionality this unit offers. The unit does not speak street names, rather "turn left" but you're saving $$$ for a feature which seems of little added value.
  
  
• Takes TOO Long to Acquire Satellite in Hawaii!!
  By A1W7P67KSKMEHO on 2007-11-19
  I bought the 200W a week before my wife and I went to Hawaii (Oahu). It worked fine here in California. But in Hawaii, I was about to throw it out the window. After arriving in Oahu and getting my rental car, I turned on the device. It took 20+ minutes for the 200W to acquire a satellite signal on a sunny day! It did this everytime during a cold start. One time, we were lost because the 200W couldn't acquire a satellite signal in busy downtown Waikiki. On another day, we were looking for Long's Drug and it took us to a residential area after announcing "arriving at destination on right." I could understand that the maps may need updating but my main complaint was the annoying "acquiring satellite" which took a very long time. I don't know if other products (TomTom, etc.) are the same but I only recommend the 200W if you can stand the waiting game when the device is turned on. I'm only keeping it because it works here in CALI!! If you're headed to Hawaii, Google maps will work better.
  
  
• Great GPS
  By AJ953WGCD9T1 on 2008-04-12
  I'm actually a professional navigator (aviation), so this is what I do and I've used many, many GPS for all different purposes over the years, including various automotive GPS.
  
  My first comment is a GPS is just an aid, like everything else. If you expect to turn it on and turn your brain off you're going to have problems. But if you use it properly as an aid to your own good judgment it's an incredible tool.
  
  For example, sometimes in your local area that you know like the back of your hand it won't take the optimum route. I've found that 75% of the time that's because the GPS is 'set' wrong--it's set to optimize long cross-country trips, not inter-city zigging around. So of course it will tend to sometimes take you 'the long way' around using major roads.
  
  Why this is a problem for people who already know where they're going I'm not sure, and if I'm in a city/area I don't know, I don't really care that much if it takes me 15 minutes to get somewhere I could have gotten in 10 with perfect local knowledge. And in fact, in those situations I think I'd just as soon be on 'main roads' anyhow.
  
  Secondly, no GPS company creates its own map data--they all go out and buy them from a third party. In this case Garmin uses Navtec (I believe). You could switch to a Lowrance GPS and guess what? You're still going to have Navtec map data. Personally I haven't seen a whole lot of difference in the quality and detail of the data--there are only two companies that do it, Navtec and somebody else, and there just isnt' a whole lot of difference. It is true that each GPS will use different routing algorhythms, but whatever difference there is has always seemed to me to be quibbling about 98 vs 96% 'relibility.' There may be a difference, but it's not much, and as long as you're staying on top of hte 'big picture' it wont' make much practical difference.
  
  I'm not saying the data's going to always be perfect and updated and have all the roads--but if it's not in navtec on your Garmin it's not going to be in navtec on your Lowrance, and that's just the way it's going to be, unfortunately. But at least with Garmin you can update your POIs, and you can't do that will all companies.
  
  HOWEVER, you DO have to 'unlock' the data on your 200W to get the full detail that's there, and nowhere, unless I missed it, does the manual tell you to do that. So if you haven't gone to the Garmin website, found the 200W page, hooked up your GPS to your computer via USB and 'unlocked' your data you're not getting the full detail that's actually there.
  
  Fair enough, you can 'blame' Garmin some for not making that clearer, but again, in the end the map data is the map data--you're not really going to get any better from another company.
  
  In the way that tivo liberates you from the clock, a GPS liberates you from 'navigating', and errors that would have been a huge problem before just don't matter anymore. With a GPA there's no such thing as a 'mistake'--there's only an infinite number of points from which an optimum route to your destination can and will be planned. So if you 'miss a turn' or something, don't worry about it--just relax, let the GPS calculate the new 'optimum' route and go from there.
  
  So I think all the worry about routing is somewhat overblown--with a GPS you're talking about the difference between 20 and 25 minutes in getting there, as opposed to 20 minutes and ever getting there at all, or stopping and asking directions 3 times, or making 14 turns to double back to where you were 'supposed to be' to start over with a map or written directions. So sort of mentally ditch all the old mindset about navigating and realize you're always on your way and you're never 'in trouble'--errors and imperfections just don't matter like they do with maps, so don't give them the weight you're used to.
  
  USE THE MAP! It will help you with your overall situational awareness and help you catch situations where maybe the GPS routing, for whatever reason, isn't optimal or what you want it to be. If you want to do something else, just point the car in that direction and let the GPS start calculating. Simply use the moving map as a moving map-you'll always be in the center, keep 'aiming' the car where you want to go, and you can pick up following the voice commands anytime you like. Remember, you own the GPS, the GPS doesn't own you!
  
  If you're going on a 1200 mile trip, don't just plug in your destination and go. You can do that, but everytime you miss a turn, get off for gas, food, etc, then it will have to recalculate the entire 1200 mile route, and yes, depending on the complexity that could take 3 or 4 minutes. And those 3 or 4 minutes getting from Burger Doodle backl to the interstate are the only ones that matter--the next 2 hours cruising down I-95 or whatever you don't need the GPS. So pick an arbitrary point along your way only 150 miles away, as you approach it just pick another one, and so on. A lot of times I'll just 'poke' a point along my route and tell it to 'go there'--doesn't matter if it's really exactly on the road or not because I'll be jabbing another point 200 miles down the road 15 minutes before I get it. That way it can always recalculate quickly and easily--and recalculating quickly and easily is the name of the game because by definition when its recalculating is when you need the help. So help it help you--don't tell it to go from Miami to Los Angeles and expect it to calculate quickly!
  
  Finally, although you may not know it, the 200W has TONS of extra screens and commands never mentioned in the 'manual'--to be generous to that booklet! For example, press and hold the satellite 'tuning' bars on teh menu screen. After a few seconds it will pop you into a satellite detail screen listing the individual satellites, azimuths, etc. Get on a Garmin forum and scroll around and you'll find lots of these--shortcuts, etc, instead of having to back out screen by screen, for example.
  
  Personally I'd say don't ever use that 3-D view, and I know maybe it's different for me since I live in the world of charts and maps but if you can, use the north-up vs track-up view. That way, when you're not moving dead north/south you have the benefit of the wide screen out in front of you and you can see what's coming--and you're just generally more aware of what's going on that way anyhow so that you can sort of be doublechecking the GPS as you go. I personally can't deal with my frame of reference moving everytime I turn and stay oriented, if you can then go for it!
  
  I'm kind of a 'Lowrance guy,' btw, but I think the 200W is a great little GPS and for the money I think it's as good a value as I've seen. Just remember to use it as an aid (even if it's your 99% aid, which it will be) and with a little common sense and you'll wonder how you ever lived without one!
  
  Update to add--I simply don't have the time delay getting the satellites. Maybe AT MOST it's taken 2 minutes--generally for me I'd say 30 seconds.
  
  
  
• I'll never be lost again!
  By AZD6FQKS8QDS9 on 2007-10-27
  'tried 1, then bought 4 more! Now my kids and friends have no more excuses for getting lost whether in little 'ol Roseville or in the big city! And I found the perfect surface to mount it on...on the screen of my Lexus Nav System because it's much better. No kidding!!!
  
  
• How did we live without this?
  By A4PBGP8QUAAO1 on 2007-12-07
  Wow! After using this on a long vacation I can't imagine not having it. Just get in the car, plug in where you want to go (takes about 30-60 seconds) and you're off! Even going to places we know, it shows us the the secret back roads and short cuts which is ideal when you're not a local and move around a lot. The kids love tracking where we are, when we'll arrive and which way to turn next--this was totally unexpected. My wife, who usually hates anything electronic, now uses it to go on errands and find new places--even a skeptic is sold on it! After reading all the reviews and talking with a friend who has a 660 I decided on the Nuvi 200 Widescreen. It has only what we need and not all the other stuff we don't like maps of Canada, bluetooth, traffic updates that don't work, and MP3, and the 200 doesn't have the annoying flip up antenna. It recieves a signal from the backseat and while getting passed around the car by the kids or even from under the seat when you thought you turned it off. A nice feature is that the location directory lists the address AND phone number of each business or location so you can call for a reservation or ask questions. And since the directory sorts by proximity to your location its better than a yellow pages! You can easily adjust the volume from loud to mute and adjust the amount of prompting before a turn. It recalculates course changes in less than half a block. I also recommend the Garmin friction mount which is rock steady on the dash and allows for quick removal while parking or transering it to another car--wish it was included. Amazon had the best price for the Nuvi 200W and shipping was free!
  
  
• Great, Simple GPS
  By A1SAQB40R8C44A on 2007-12-11
  This is a great GPS! I use it in my patrol car as a Deputy Sheriff. I enter and navigate to well over a dozen different addresses every day. I have only found a few instances where the map showed a road thru that wasn't there and those were recent road changes ( <6 months since the change).
  
  The reasons I didn't give it 5 stars:
  
  1. The on screen keyboard is permanently stuck in ABCDE format. I really wish it could be changed to QWERTY style since thats what most people are used to. The TomTom's can do this and so can the really high end Garmins. Seems like a relatively simple software update.
  
  2. The distance to turn seems a little off. For example, it will say "turn in 90 feet" while I am two car lengths back from the intersection. Not sure if this is a deficiency of the GPS receiver or the software. Its not really a big deal most of the time since roads are geneally separated by enough distance that its obvious.
  
  If you are considering the significantly more expensive nuvi 350, then I suggest you determine how important the speaking of street names and the 'traval assistant' stuff really is. For me, it wasn't worth the extra couple of hundred dollars.
  
  I don't think you'll be disappointed with the 200W.
  
  
• Strongly recommend 200W
  By A1F8CEJFBBP4U0 on 2007-11-14
  This is my first GPS. This is also my first review ever for anything. I've learned so much from all other reviews, so I feel to write something here, hopefully useful to new buyers. Thanks for all other reviews.
  
  Here are some questions one may ask before buying a GPS: 1) Do I need MP3, even video capabilities? Well, they are nice to have, but if GSP part does not work, why care about MP3? I read many other GPS reviews that have MP3 etc, less expensive than 200W, there are always complains on GPS. The GPS part on 200W works great; 2) Do I need picture viewer on GPS? Well, it is nice to have: 200W does have this capability, just put your pictures on an SD card, it will see them; 3) Do I need 250W for Canada maps now? If you ever need it in future, you can buy new maps on SD card later: you get updated maps at that time; 4) Do I need Text To Speak capability? I was not so sure, but after I read one review here, I decided I am OK without TTS: as other reviewer said, don't care TTS to much, if you ever need to know the road name, it is clearly shown on the top of the screen. The font is very big and easy to read.
  
  The other good thing: the charger interface is the standard USB type. Although the package does not include the optional USB cable, you can use most USB cables from digital cameras: to copy pictures to 200W's internal memory or SD card. You do not need other SD card writer. Once plugged in computer using USB, Garmin shows two drives: one is the internal memory, one is SD card (the internal memory has only about 32M free though). Although, not documented, I guess the USB cable should also charge Garmin when connected to a PC.
  
  Map version is 2008. Do not know if there will be free map update available in future.
  
  Overall, consider the features and price of 200W, I strongly recommend it. As other reviewer said, this is not only a GPS, it is a great yellow page also. Now wherever I go, I do not have to print directions from internet anymore. 200W has an option to show turns in a format that looks like exactly printed.
  
  
• Good price however one con makes me rethink the decision to buy
  By A22FFKD0MRXF4T on 2007-12-05
  Garmin 200W became operational in 15 to 20 min. and was used the same day it arrived. It was just great to have this in the car. I wanted to visit five locations in two hours and Garmin 200W just smoothed my way.
  
  The biggest complain is about acquiring/establishing satellite connection. It takes over seven to ten minutes. This is really unacceptable. For example, if one travels through a tunnel and when one gets out at the other end, it would have lost the satellite connection and it will remain unoperable for next seven to ten minutes. If I am in NY City will that be acceptable? Of course not. And none of the review talks about this con. I am going to return Garmin 200W.
  
  The Garmin 200W instruction manual confirms as follows for acquiring satellites;
  1. Go outdoors to an open area, away from tall buildings and trees.
  2. Turn on nuvi. Acquiring satellite signal can take few minutes.
  
  Do I have to go to the central park every time to acquire satellite? And central park does have trees...Huh did I miss something?
  
  
  
• Trouble Aquiring Satellites
  By ABXANRX4GPYRZ on 2008-01-01
  I picked this up as a second basic GPS at Dillards of all places for $150 today.
  
  It is very slow at acquiring satellites. Takes a long time. My other unit that I own which is a TomTom acquires them immediately, even when inside buildings.
  
  It is very basic unit. No frills at all.
  
  Many of the POI's are incorrect and many missing. The POI database is very frustrating to use because of the inaccuracies and there is no way to make edits or updates to the existing POI's on the unit like I can do on my TomTom. You can also not create custom POI's on the fly on this unit like my TomTom allows. No MapShare feature like TomTom has, so you are stuck with inaccuracies in the map and POI's until Garmin releases a new map in a year or two and then you have to pay $69 to buy it.
  
  Map detail is quite basic on this unit. My TomTom shows much greater detail with color shading of terrain and building footprints in many areas. This unit also only includes the continental USA, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. If you want full coverage including Canada and Alaska, you should buy the Garmin nuvi 250W for just a few bucks more. Routing is slow and you must have patience. I have no idea what speed and type of processor this thing has and the Garmin Website specifications tell you nothing about the real specs like this including how much memory it has. It must be a pretty slow processor based on the performance. Map drawing is slow too.
  
  The form factor is pretty nice. Fairly slim and trim. The unit is kinda of slippery and it would be easy to drop. Garmin gives you no case, that is $20 more ! You better buy one before your new toy goes sliding across the concrete sometime and really gets messed up. The SD card slot is handy to put some photos of the rugrats on or for those extra maps you might buy that are not included.
  
  If you want a basic GPS and you have to have Garmin I would recommend spending the few extra bucks and going for the Garmin Nuvi 250W with better map coverage.
  
  I think I will play with this a couple of weeks and return it ( I have 30 days ) as I can tell right away even at the low price I paid it disappoints me since I have gotten spoiled by my TomTom.
  
  Not recommended.
  
  
• OK, but not great
  By A1VTGZK4C5BO7F on 2007-11-29
  I bought this GPS for about one month and I've taken it on the road a few times. In the meantime, I compared it with the Cobra 3500 which I have used it for about two years. Compared to the Cobra 3500, this unit has a lot more "features". There are three features which I like, and the rest I can care less:
  1. Smaller form factor, yet 4.3" display is good enough
  2. Runs on battery
  3. View / change the route in advance
  However, when it comes to navigating, the Cobra does a better job:
  1. The Garmin gives a worse route than the Cobra
  2. The interface is not as simple as the Cobra
  
  In general, this is a good unit, butit has a lot of space for improving.
  
  
  
• Awesome little co-pilot
  By A1DFWVA82KU4FT on 2007-11-09
  This thing is easy to use right out of the box. It's ready to go! I haven't taken a long trips lately but the places I've been to like a wedding, a resturant, it took me there with no problem! I've actually learn a few short-cuts just in my neighborhood! :) I don't know why I didn't get this sooner.
  
  
• EXCELLENT GPS FOR THE PRICE
  By A364UZM2GEWFSZ on 2007-11-16
  I purchased this machine after moving to Costa Rica and needed a detailed and accurate map, to stop getting lost. I can order a beer, pay a bill, but getting lost in the little towns is a whole different story, when your Spanish is not up to speed. I got tired of getting directions like "go past the banana tree, hang a left, go 400 meters then hang a right at the church" What church? They forgot to tell me it burned to the ground 4 years ago! Such is life in the tropics.
  
  Anyway back on subject....I brought this machine because Garmin has a Costa Rica Map, and I did a machine by machine comparison on their site of the Nuvi line. I determined this was the best value for money. I believe I made the right decision. The machine is simply, in a word, "wonderful". The screen is very bright, no problem in bright sunlight. The voice is clear and the 3D mapping makes it easy to get around. Considering the price of this thing, you are definitely getting your money's worth. Yesterday I brought another Nuvi for my wife's car. I went with the Nuvi 650 as oppossed to another 200W.
  
  The 650 has an external, flip antenna and costs a bit more, but I am hedging my bets that the flip antenna will have slightly better reception in cloudy conditions.
  
  That is the only reason I went with the 650. I love the Nuvi 200W machine. It is super easy to figure out, a 10 year old could use it in 10 minutes. Definitely worth the money!
  
  You will be pleased with this machine. There are others, far more expensive out there, but dollar for dollar, this one, in my opinion, is the best.
  
  
• Good GPS unit with some major drawbacks
  By A2TJXL10FUAY8I on 2007-11-17
  I bought the Garmin Nuvi 200W on-line after carefully going through available reviews and testing similars units b other manufacturers. The Nuvi 200w is very attractive to look at with clear,bright display. The route planner has a simple interface with selection of address input or pre-selected points of interest. The points of interest are classified into different categories that is not completely accurate. The voice guidance system has a major flaw. When the road changes from divided to undivided section the voice guide tells you to make a left turn and an immediate right turn when you can look ahead and clearly see that there are no turns available on the road!. I called Garmin about this and some guy at their tech dept. told me to turn off the the voice guide! The mapping is fairly accurate for most part. The unit gets you from point A to point B without much fuss.Vehicle selection can be customised. Route calculation is very fast and it re-calculates alternative route if you miss a turn accidentally. Map is slighly out-dated and garmin allows to to check in their web site for updated maps. Cold start takes about 2 minutes to lock into available satellites and rest of the time its very quick.You can use the web updater to update the software and also create customised points of interest using programs like POI editor. Cost to benifit ratio is very good if you can buy this unit for under 250 dollars.
  
  
• 100% Satifaction
  By A2N40KK4IY5ONI on 2007-11-20
  I have been searching for a GPS unit for a while but never purchased one because of the high prices. i found a few units recently that have been under $300 and the Nuvi 200w seemed to be the best bet. i am glad i chose this because within 5 minutes of taking it out of the box i wondered how i have ever lived without it. I have already told numerous friends how much i like the Nuvi 200w and would suggest it to anyone looking for a quality GPS without spending a ton of money. Note: it does not include all the frills such as bluetooth and mp3 capability but last time i checked all i needed was a GPS unit. if you want it all buy something else for $500-700 if you want a no frills, easy to use gps all at a reasonable price then this is the item for you.
  
  
• Great Purchase
  By AT22IJQGY7SDI on 2007-11-28
  This is my first GPS. I purchased it because of its size and the price. The Amazon price was a deal too good not to pass up.
  
  It is about twice as thick as my company-issued Motorola Q phone and not much bigger in width and height, making it ideal to pack for trips. Testing it out of the box, it worked like a charm. Very intuitive user interface and very responsive. I had it in my cup holder and it had no reception problems.
  
  Issues: I thoguht the packaging was barely acceptable as the face of the unit is flush with the bottom of the box, i.e. no screen protection beyond the bottom of the box and the image cling. The manufacturer could have included an AC adapter for charging the unit. My understanding is that GPS units are magnets for theives so why would I want to leave it in the car when I'm not in it? That means I would want to charge it up in my hotel room. Other than that, I think it's great!
  
  
• Perfect for basic gps navigation
  By A1G7R06Z33OCTZ on 2007-12-17
  I purchased and compared several "entry level" gps systems and tried them out. I compared the Mio C230, TomTom one LE, Becker 7934, and Maxx Digital PN3000 to the Nuvi 200W. Obviously the screen on the Nuvi is larger than the others (except Becker) so the display is easier to read. My real concern was the function of the unit and the preinstalled POI database which I find important. I don't need an mp3 player, movie viewer or anything else. Just a reliable GPS. First the C230
  
  Mio has a great product in the C230. The MioMap software seems very good. The screen is very easy to read and the unit can be extensively customized to suit you taste. Navigation is fairly straight forward but takes some getting used to. Not as easy as TomTom or Garmin. The C230 uses a Sirf III chipset and tele altas maps. The C230 acquired a signal in less than 30 seconds every time I used it. Even inside my home. I used it to route to locations I was familiar with and about 90% of the time the Mio chose the route I would have taken. I found the accuracy to be spot on and the detail on the screen is among the best of the bunch. My only complaints, whichare the reasons I returned the Mio is the POI database is pathetic, and battery life too short. Mio claims they cut the database down to save memory space, but the POI databases take up little room and could have easily been added as they are on the C220. Had the database been included the Mio is a winner. There are forums claiming you can upgrade the POIs but they seem difficult to do and I have read that it slows the unit down significantly. Pre installed is the way to go.
  
  TomTom One LE. I bought this from best buy. The unit uses a "Hammerhead" chipset and teleatlas maps. I found this unit to be very well built. The Hammerhead chipset locks on to a signal faster than any of the others. The interface is easy to use and offers a lot of options. The screen is easy to read and offers good information about speed, distance to objective, direction of travel etc. One thing I did not care for was that the maps look very cartoonish. Especially compared to the Mio. Now for the negatives. Battery life was terrible. Maybe an hour and a half. not a big deal in a car with power, but if you like to have the unit while walking a bit city it is not good. The routing engine used was not very good. It would take me on routes that were neither the fastest nor shortest distance and would frequently require u-turns. In fact while navigating to one location (Staples), the LE had me make a u-turn before I reached the store. This I am sure is due to the mapping software which I found to be not as accurate as units using Navteq maps. The LE has a decent number of POIs, even better when the maps are updated to the 710 version. The inaccuracy of the maps was the deciding factor. It also seems slow to process some things, the processor is 266Mhz and it shows.
  
  The Becker won't take long. The interface is difficult to navigate. The screen is large and nice, but the color scheme was terrible. I tried it a couple of times for navigation and found it not worth spending the time trying to learn how to use it. I would not recommend this unit.
  
  Maxx digital was purchased at Office Depot for $99.00. How can you go wrong?. Actually this is not a bad gps. It uses Navteq maps and the interface is easy to use. It uses a Centrality Atlas II chipset with an integrated 300 Mhz processor. If offers an mp3 player and picture viewer. These were not selling points for me as I want this just for GPS. The routing was pretty good. It chose longer routes a couple of times but its processor is pretty slow. It takes longer to acquire a signal then the LE and NUVI and loses the signal nore easily. The biggest downside in my opinion was the POIs again. Pretty small and support for this unit is non existent. I sent emails, called and left messages and never heard from them. Not a good sign for a new GPS system. It may work for some at the $99.00 price, put I would rather spend another $50.00 and get something better.
  
  Now the Garmin. This one is a keeper for me. The screen is bright and easy to read. The navigation is the easiest of all of them. The POI database is extensive, over 6,000,000 entries, but it could use better search features. The signal acquired in a reasonable amount of time, usually less than a minute. Not as fast as the Mio or TomTom. The navigation has been almost flawless. I have read that Garmin excels in this area and I have to believe this is true. The routing was much better than the others, Mio is close, and the Navteq maps are much better IMHO than tele atlas. The Nuvi offers more detail on the map. It would be nice if Garmin would allow POIs to be seen on the map like the TomTom and Mio. They have icons which appear as you approach different locations. The battery life has been excellent. At least twice as long as the others. Obviously the wide screen makes for a better display, but the small screen Nuvi 200 has all of the same features and has mostly excellent reviews as well. I have not been able to find info on which chipset and processor the Nuvi uses. I hope to find this out but so far the Nuvi has performed very well.
  
  Not a very scientific review but I hope this helps. If you want a navigation device that is accurate and easy to use it is hard to beat the Nuvi 200W
  
  
• of course there are some cons ...
  By A18HNBTML46LCL on 2007-11-27
  I am very happy with this GPS but made me angry that it doesn't show how many miles are left till your destination . I can't find a way to find how much time I will be driving either . I would think these are basic features that GPS should have. So far I still use google maps to find how far is my destination and how much time I will drive. I thought I wouldn't have to do that after I got my GPS.
  I noticed too that when I am on the parking lot it thinks I am on a street thats close to the parking lot . I tells me to continue on that street instead turn right or left into that street.
  
  
  
• good interface - however takes too long to acquire satellite
  By AE0TPNNFQIW6E on 2007-11-29
  high marks for product design and usability. however it takes unnervingly long to 'acquire satellite'. twice, i've turned it on, started inching my way out of the driveway and have reached a fork in the road while still waiting for the nuvi to 'acquire satellite'. so i take a path (the one less travelled? :-)) and of course i get directions from there but I'm left to wonder whether it was the optimal path i took.
  
  separately even though i thought i knew the neighborhoods well, the nuvi helped me find quicker routes vis a vis my usual. so, it will pay for itself in hard dollars (gas saving) and in time as well.
  
  
• GREAT GPS!
  By A2CFE1TJM5Y86V on 2007-11-29
  This is a great GPS! It's small and very lightweight. Our previous GPS was a Lowrance IWay 500C, and it was heavy and ran hot. The Garmin nuvi has a large clear color easy touch screen. The voice commands are clear and easily understood. The Garmin nuvi is simple, clean, easy to operate and has just enough bells and whistles to keep us happy! After trying the Garmin out for a few days, we immediately sold our IWay! Highly recommend.
  
  
• A picky and happy owner...
  By ABM12A5WRGIF7 on 2007-11-29
  This is my first GPS. I was looking for a reasonably priced GPS from an established brand name since last couple of months. As a GPS unit, it serves the purpose - very clean and simple design and interface. It has only one slide switch to on/off the power; everything else is controlled through the touch screen menus. I also like to see a dedicated button to easily control the volume (of course, you can control it through the touch screen) while driving. The wide screen is very readable from driver's seat and is bright enough to view in bright light.
  
  I now enjoy driving to new places without worrying about getting lost and strongly recommend those who are looking for a standalone GPS that has no other features like MP3 player, FM transmitter, Bluetooth etc. (well, when would one use these extra features while driving to an unknown place?)
  
  If you buy one, also consider spending an extra $15 for a thoughtfully designed Garmin carrying case - I like it as much as my nuvi200w.
  
  
  

• Solio Universal Hybrid Solar Charger (Silver)
• Solio Universal Hybrid Solar Charger (Pink)
• Solio S224-C41U Magnesium Edition Hybrid Charger
• Solio S323-B36T Hybrid 1000 Universal Charger for Mobiles, Ipod and Cameras
• Solio Universal Hybrid Solar Charger (Black)

• Garmin 010-10723-02 Carrying Case For Nuvi
• Garmin Carrying Case for nüvi 660 Portable GPS Navigator (010-10823-01)
• Garmin Portable Friction Dashboard Mount for Nüvi Series and StreetPilot C5XX Series GPS Navigators (C530, C550 and C580)
• Garmin A/C Power Cable for nüvi Portable GPS Navigators (010-10723-00)
• Garmin Vehicle Power Cable for nüvi Portable GPS Navigators (010-10723-06)