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Garmin nüvi 260W 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator

Garmin's nüvi 260W combines the thinprofile and attractive price point of other nüvi 200-series GPS with directions in real street names and a wide screen that lets you see more of what's around you as you drive. Garmin's line on the device is that, "the nüvi 260W gives consumers the most sought-after navigation features, while eliminating many of the premium add-ons. The result is a PND that simply gets you from point A to point B – reliably, efficiently, and with style." As with all nüvis, you get Garmin reliability, the fast satellite lock of a high-sensitivity integrated receiver, a slim, pocket-sized navigator with a gorgeous display, detailed NAVTEQ maps that lets  you search by name for more than 6 million points of interest like stores, restaurants or hospitals, and an easy, intuitive interface.

Wider screen lets you see more of what's around. Compare these actual size views: 3-inch (diagonal) screen 4.3-inch (diagonal) widescreen

The nüvi 260W comes preloaded with maps for U.S., Hawaii, and Puerto Rico, and features an  ultra-slim design.

Text-To-Speech
The text-to-speech feature of the nüvi 260W means that device automatically calls out street names (saying "turn right on Main Street" instead of "turn right in 200 feet."). This feature lets drivers keep their eyes on the road while navigating through busy traffic and tricky roadways.

See More of What's Around
The 4.3-inch backlit widescreen touchscreen on the nüvi 260W gives you 70% more actual screen area than a 3.5-inch screen. Primarily this translates into a better view of the area through which you are driving. This is especially useful in showing you what parks, restaurants, ATM, gas stations, etc. are nearby, or in letting you know whether a detour is a good idea. Also, the device itself is larger, meaning controls on the screen are more widely spaced and somewhat easier to push.

Smart, Powerful Design
The nüvi 260W is built with a high-sensitivity GPS receiver for extreme accuracy, as well as an SD card slot for storing your media and additional navigation tools, and a USB interface for loading data.The nüvi display is touchscreen-enabled, making it a cinch to control the device with your fingertips. A rechargeable lithium-ion battery provides up to five hours of battery life depending on use.

Garmin Lock
Garmin's patent pending theft prevention system that disables the unit from performing any functions until the user types in a specific 4-digit PIN or takes the unit to a predetermined secure location

First Rate Map Data
The nüvi 260W comes preloaded with City Navigator NT North America--road coverage for the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico and nearly 6 million points of interest. City Navigator North America NT gives you everything you need to travel North America. Powered by NAVTEQ, a world leader in premium-quality digital map data, City Navigator brings you the most detailed street maps available so you can navigate with exact, turn-by-turn directions to any address or intersection.

Easy To Use Interface
Garmin's interface is a key to their success and one of the things that makes their devices such a pleasure to use. Simple controls and sub-screens make it easy to enter or search for destinations and get data about your trip.

Beyond Navigation

Browse your stored pictures with an easy-to-use JPEG viewer.

nüvi 260W accepts custom points of interest (POIs). View larger.

Navigation is just the beginning. nüvi 260W features travel tools including JPEG picture viewer, world travel clock with time zones, currency converter, measurement converter, calculator and more. It also comes with Garmin Lock, an anti-theft feature, and configurable vehicle icons that let you select car-shaped graphics to show your location on the map.

This device is compatible with optional content plug-ins available via SD card, such as the  Garmin Travel Guides and Garmin SaversGuide provide detailed data for attractions and information on nearby merchants offering discounts, so you can customize nüvi for your travel needs.

Garmin has also added the ability for customers to add custom points of interest (POI’s) from third parties such as school zones and safety cameras.

Trick Your GPS Ride

Custom vehicle icons let you ride in style, at least inside your GPS. See more icon option

Like all nüvis, the 260W supports configurable vehicle icons. These fun, customized car-shaped icons come in a variety of colors to add a personal touch to your vehicle's position on the map.

What's in the Box
nüvi 260W, preloaded City Navigator NT for North America, vehicle suction cup mount, vehicle power cable, dashboard disk, and quick start manual.

Visit Garmin.com to get the latest firmware updates for your nüvi to keep it current and performing at its best.

Note: Like most USB Mass Storage Devices, the nüvi is not compatible with Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows Me.

Which nüvi is Best for You?

Note: All nüvis come with detailed NAVTEQ maps containing more than 6 million pre-loaded point of interest locations.

Device	Screen Size inches (W x H)	Included Maps			Text-to-Speech (Directions in Real Street Names)	Traffic	Bluetooth	Media	FM Transmitter (audio through car stereo system)	Multi-Point Routing	Battery life (hours)
		Cont. U.S., Hawaii, and Puerto Rico	AK and Canada	Europe
nüvi 260	2.8 x 2.1							Photos			up to 5
nüvi 205	2.8 x 2.1					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 205w	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 255	2.8 x 2.1					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 255w	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 260w	3.81 x 2.25							Photos			up to 5
nüvi 265T	2.8 x 2.1					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 265WT	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 275T	2.8 x 2.1					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 285WT	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (receiver included; 9 months free);		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 465T	3.81 x 2.25					FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 755T	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)		Photos, MP3s			up to 4
nüvi 760	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 5
nüvi 765T	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)		Photos, MP3s			up to 4
nüvi 775T	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)		Photos, MP3s			up to 4
nüvi 780	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (receiver included; 9 months free); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 5
nüvi 785T	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (receiver included; 9 months free); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 4
nüvi 850	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 4
nüvi 855	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 4
nüvi 885T	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (receiver included; 9 months free); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 4
nüvi 1200	2.8 x 2.1					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 1250	2.8 x 2.1					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 1260T	2.8 x 2.1					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 1300	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 1350	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 1350T	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 1370T	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 1390T	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 1490T	4.4 x 2.5					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 1690	3.81 x 2.25					NAVTEQ Traffic, 2 years free (Garmin nüLink! service)		Photos			up to 3

$119.99

User Reviews about Garmin nüvi 260W 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator

The Garmin GPS is fine. It still takes to long to lock on the satellites. However, it is much better than the Garmin 205 I had before. It has some nicer features like: turns coming up, spoken directions and maps in one screen. Mostly I am impressed with customer service. It was shipped USPS. The mail person left the box, my mail and inserts on the front steps. We got home after dark and had no idea the box was there. Needless to say the dogs got it (along with the mail). Our Golden Retrievers promptly destroyed the mail, the GPS and everything in it. After checking credit card insurance and such I called Amazon. I was ready to explain my case. After the rep laughed (he apologized) he asked me to hold. About 2 min. later he came back on the line and told me he has a new one on the way. My arguments for replacement were not necessary. I am very impressed. Overall a good GPS, and great customer service. A loyal customer, thanks Amazon. -- Good Product, Great Customer Service

Purchased this to replace a previous Garmin that had outdated maps.

Was a bit surprised with this one that the map updates took 3 hours to download via the Garmin website on DSL. Had I known, I would have done it at my office where we have truly high speed internet.

Downloading seems to have been achieved without a glitch though.

I love the wider screen. My older one was the smaller screen.

Very pleased with this item.

-- Garmin Quality

I was able to use my new Garmin right out of the box. Size is great & it's not obnoxious like some GPS are. Good value for the money! -- Easy to use !

I've had the Magellan 2200T for a couple of years, and generally liked it, but found it was taking longer and longer to acquire a signal. It got to the point that I'd find my destination on my own before the signal synced up, so it was time for a new one. I decided to try the Garmin Nuvi. For slightly over $100, I thought it was a pretty good deal.

Overall it's a nice unit, and seems to do the job. The only thing I'm questioning is some of it's routing algorithms, which don't seem as efficient as the Magellan. I've tried some routes I know well just to see what it would do, and it takes some strange (unncessary) twists and turns -- probably not out of the way, but I wonder sometimes why it goes one route vs. another that seems easier to me. For example, on one route it took me down a state hiway that paralelled an interstate that probably was faster... But maybe it took me .2 miles out of the way to get to the interstate. That left me scratching my head.

But in most other ways, it is certainly comparable if not slightly better. I bought the Garmin Portable Friction Mount which is a neat way to display. I never had a mount for my Magellan and it is really nice to be able to glance at the Garmin, see speed, and the road ahead. The Garmin does have a much improved map with readable text for street names, etc.

Overall, for the price, it's a good solution. -- Generally on target, but...

This is the 3rd GPS unit that I have owned. My first was an older Garmin model. My second was another brand. I decided to buy the Garmin 260W because I liked the first Garmin better than the other brand.

I bought this unit online on a Monday afternoon and it arrived on Thursday which was two days before the scheduled delivery date. The unit worked great right out of the box. My wife used it immediately.

Since this model has been out for over a year it is VERY IMPORTANT to register the unit and update the maps. My unit came with 2007 maps which I updated to 2010 maps. The updated maps are free (one time update). I connected the unit to a computer and went to the Garmin web site. The registration/update process was easy (almost automatic). The unit's operating software (firmware) was also updated. The whole process took almost two hours (because the map file is large) but it was easy.

The 260W is a great unit. It is simple to use. Everything works just like it is supposed to. This unit is for my wife. She doesn't use features like bluetooth, mp3 or FM transmitter so this unit is perfect for her. We both like Garmin's the best.

From the Garmin website, I downloaded a couple of new voices and a vehicle that looks a lot like the one she drives.

I'm very happy with this purchase.

-- Very nice unit. Garmin 260W