Introduction
For the user interested in transatlantic unit, which functions in both North America and Europe, that also functions just as well as the Nuvi 200 counterpart, the Garmin Nuvi 250 is that choice to make. Featuring everything any user would want from their navigation device, the 250 will make a strong impression whether you are in Europe or North America, both locations will be no problem for the 250 to handle.
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| Figure 1: The Nuvi 250 is small yet power travel assistant. |
Design
As expected, the Nuvi 250 GPS is very sleek and compact, designed to be portable for the consumer that is on the go. The small dimensions (3.8″W x 2.8″H x .8″D) makes the unit very easy to pocket and to bring along with you, whether in your purse, pocket, or bag. Especially when it weighs in at 5 ounces, this makes it incredibly simple to take out the car and recharge as needed. The 5 hour battery life is also quite sufficient for the most lengthy of trips on the road, though it could use a few more hours to improve. The Nuvi 250 also features an attractive touch screen that does work very responsively, as well as appear to be bright and easy to see even in a bit of sunlight. It’s also found to be quite easy to mount, whether by dash or utilizing the suction mount, both has its advantages, though the suction mount is much more preferable as it allows a higher mounter position that suits the head level of the user better.
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| Figure 2: This model features a redesigned streamlined and rounded casing to further reduce size and bulkiness. |
Interface
The interface on this product has been quite impressive, with clean and large buttons that has nice and sharp text, there’s no problems in getting around with the functions. The keypad to type through the touch screen is also a simple task. Garmin did design this with user friendliness in mind I’m sure and it does show, the Garmin Nuvi 250 is very easy to use right out of the box with a minimal difficulty learning curve. There isn’t really anything that’s out of place either with the interface, it’s very intuitive and does not have any excess clutter, making it very easy for the user to quickly do what they need to get things running. An excellent job done in making this simple.
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| Figure 3: All typing is quickly inputed with the simple typepad. |
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| Figure 4: Many options are available to the user, such as day or night mode to improve readability or functionality. |
Navigation
The highlight of the Garmin Nuvi 250 is of course the navigation. It’s a beautiful art almost, just by defining your destination, you’ll get a pre-calculated path that you’re guided along, by both visual map and voice, and you’re pretty much on your way. The maps are very easy to see, they’re quite vivid and streamlined. An optional feature is that the maps could be toggled to a 3D map view. Using the maps themselves is also an easy task. With the GPS system constantly calculating your position, a little car icon will be positioned on the map according to your actual location. The voice does come pretty clear and understandable, coming from the Nuvi 250’s own internal speakers. With the unit giving you a calculated path, there’s almost no way to get lost towards your destination. Even if you do have to take an unexpected detour due to traffic or construction, the Nuvi 250 will quickly take your current position in mind and produce for you a new path. Very automated and works flawlessly.
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| Figure 5: Beautiful color maps are pleasant and easy on the eyes to use. Possible to toggle between 3D or 2D mode. | Figure 6: The Nuvi 250 is a powerful navigator that is designed to ensure the user maximizes value from it. |
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| Figure 7: Statistics and other information can be displayed to better inform the user of current trip. | Figure 8: Turn lists can be even brought up to show all important points in the projected route. |
Other Features
The Garmin Nuvi 250 does come with all the traveler’s essentials, including world clocks, currency and measurement converter tools, calculators, and an anti-theft feature. The Nuvi 250 was designed primarily for just helping the user to get to his desired location without getting lost, and a couple of tools to help along the way should you need. The 250 does not feature some of the more luxurious functions of Garmins higher line of Nuvi’s, but the 250 does do its job perfectly. Another little handy feature on the 250 is that you can set custom points of interest on your maps, which also can be set to warn the user should you come near that point, or other points you set.
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| Figure 9: Points of interests can be brought up to quickly help the user in locating their needs. |
Conclusion
For the consumer who is interested in a GPS navi working in both North America and Europe that does not desire any extra gimmicks, the Garmin Nuvi 250 is one of the finest choices available on the market. There isn’t much competing units that has the same attractive visual and functional appeal as the products from Garmin. Because it is also very user friendly in function, the Nuvi 250 is also very much suitable for even a novice user. With a beautiful and highly responsive touch screen, the unit is simple and easy to use, there is no hassle of typing on small physical keypads or anything of the like. Having a GPS device not only brings you peace of mind, knowing that you won’t get lost, but it also helps you in taking shorter distances or quicker arrival times which saves both time and money in the long run. This is a highly recommendable product that’s quite well priced for how much it really does.
