Garmin Nuvi 250W - 2 things I miss from my Garmin 60C

[+axl1126]

I sent this to Garmin:

 

I always use my 250W in 2D mode. Two things missing from my Garmin 250W that I do have on my Garmin 60C: A directional indicator on the 2D map screen while I am navigating somewhere. I know there is an indicator for direction when the unit is NOT navigating, but to me, it is even more important to have one there when it IS navaigating. I can't believe that is missing. Can it be added back with a firmware update?

 

On the 2D map screen, whether navigating or not, I cannot see my custom waypoints (or favorites) unless I zoom in to the 300ft level. This is practically useless while driving. Can't this setting be configurable, like on my 60C? I'd love to see my custom favorites at a much broader scale than 300 ft. Can this also be added in a firmware update? Thank you.

 

Garmin response:

 

"The highest compliment a customer can give a company is to be concerned enough to offer suggestions for improvement of a product. We appreciate your comments and opinions regarding our products.

I have forwarded your e-mail to the design team, as they always welcome customer feedback. Many of the comments and suggestions we receive, such as yours, are evaluated for potential implementation in future Garmin products or software releases. While we cannot guarantee that what you have suggested will occur, we do appreciate you passing along your opinions. "

[MtnHermit]

Garmin response:

 

"The highest compliment a customer can give a company is to be concerned enough to offer suggestions for improvement of a product. We appreciate your comments and opinions regarding our products.

I have forwarded your e-mail to the design team, as they always welcome customer feedback. Many of the comments and suggestions we receive, such as yours, are evaluated for potential implementation in future Garmin products or software releases. While we cannot guarantee that what you have suggested will occur, we do appreciate you passing along your opinions. "

Great canned PR statement.

[Motorcycle_Mama]

The nuvi line was designed to be simple for the lowest common denominator of the market segment. I wouldn't expect this level of customization to be made available by Garmin. Particularly not on the low end models in the nuvi line.

[+axl1126]

The nuvi line was designed to be simple for the lowest common denominator of the market segment. I wouldn't expect this level of customization to be made available by Garmin. Particularly not on the low end models in the nuvi line.

 

True, but not being able to see your own waypoints on the map until you zoom into 300ft is pretty useless and ridiculous. And the direction indicator missing from the map screen while navigating is just plain wrong.

 

 

Oh well...

[+Renegade Knight]

Garmin response:

 

"The highest compliment a customer can give a company is to be concerned enough to offer suggestions for improvement of a product. We appreciate your comments and opinions regarding our products.

I have forwarded your e-mail to the design team, as they always welcome customer feedback. Many of the comments and suggestions we receive, such as yours, are evaluated for potential implementation in future Garmin products or software releases. While we cannot guarantee that what you have suggested will occur, we do appreciate you passing along your opinions. "

Great canned PR statement.

 

It is canned, but unlike most feedback you do know it went where it needed to go. It would be better to know something like "the majority of our suggestions are in line with yours and we are working to get it in a future firmware release. We can't commenet on when but we are working on it".

 

95% of the time though I only ever see a blank wall for feedback.

[SergZak]

Note that I am a long-time Garmin user from way back to the eMap and have owned/used -many- numerous Garmin units since so I have first-hand experience of seeing the most common GPS features being stripped out of the autonav units, starting with the nuvi line.

 

For automotive nav units, I currently own a Quest, a nuvi 350, a nuvi 750 and a nuvi 200. The Quest has a full (and I mean FULL) feature set including custom avoidances (selectable streets and entire selectable areas of the map) along with what zoom level to display/hide waypoints, configurable fields, etc, etc...basically the entire feature set of your 60C plus an auto navigation (including the avoidances I mentioned above) feature set. Personally, I think this dumbing down of units (the newer nuvi series) is bordering on ridiculous. Not having a North Pointer displayed on the moving map on the 2xx/7xx nuvi series is simply dumb. My nuvi 350 has it, it does not get in the way or clutter the screen and gives -useful- information. I simply don't understand why this was removed. It can easily be re-implemented but instead, Garmin choses to dumbify the units even further than they already are dumbed down.

 

As far as the waypoints being displayed on the moving-map (navigation screen), I believe this applies to the 2xx series only. I too have wondered about this omission...in fact, I thought there was something wrong with my unit, either a glitched firmware update or my waypoints being corrupted. I tried re-flashing to lower firmware versions to test, yet it still only displayed waypoints at 300 ft or below. I finally went to a Circuit City this past weekend and tried a display unit there to verify that this is in fact the way the 2xx series operates. My other nuvi units happily display my saved waypoints on the navigation screen at zoom scales up to 120 miles (nuvi 350) and 12 miles (nuvi 750).

 

Another thing you'll find missing on the 2xx series is the map zoom scale indicator (on the moving-map/ navigation screen). Just one more thing Garmin thinks we do not need to see on our autonav units. At the same time, they've added (on the nuvi 5xxx/8xx units) nifty games (http://www.garmin.com/garmin/cms/site/us/services/games) you can play on your GPS. If they are playable while driving/moving, I do not know. I would hope not. I have enough trouble keeping away from the "drivers" here in Los Angeles yapping on their cell phones, text messaging, putting on makeup/shaving (etc, etc), while actually driving the vehicle is almost an afterthought.

 

Your best bet is to write Garmin (as you've done) and let them know. As far as them actually re-implementing some of these most common and rudimentary GPS displays back into the unit(s) is anyone's guess.

Edited April 3, 2008 by SergZak

[+axl1126]

Good post, SergZak. Thank you.

 

Actually, on my 250W, I do see the map scale indicator on the bottom left of the screen. Just an FYI. I'm not sure if that is specific to the 250W or not.

 

Like I've stated, these two GLARING emissions really both me, especially the custom waypoints not showing up on the map. I'm going to keep chirping at Garmin as long as I can.

[SergZak]

Actually, on my 250W, I do see the map scale indicator on the bottom left of the screen. Just an FYI. I'm not sure if that is specific to the 250W or not.

 

The map scale indicator is definitely not on my 200's navigation map screen but -does- appear on the map in panning mode. I seem to remember the map scale indicator being displayed on the nav screen in an early firmware version (out of the box) but I could be wrong. As you said, it could very well be an omission with the 200 only or you could be running an early firmware (unit software) version. If I'm not mistaken, the 250W is up to v2.60.

 

The thing that irks me is that these are such common and functional information displays, yet Garmin decides that we don't need to see/use them and simply removes them.

Edited April 3, 2008 by SergZak

[+Chuy!]

My Nuvi 660 also does not display customized POIs beyond 300 feet.

 

One step beyond what you are asking is being able separate the customized POIs from the regular POIs. On my Vista HCx, I can only view the C-POIs my the POIs (in other words, have to turn off declutter mode), and in an urban setting, anything beyond 300 feet clogs the screen with POIs and waypoints.

 

I had heard you can separate the C-POIs from the other POIs in the 60CSx; can anyone confirm that?

[SergZak]

My Nuvi 660 also does not display customized POIs beyond 300 feet.

 

Yes, this has always been the case for custom POIs...but not for user saved waypoints. I have been so used to seeing all my waypoints on the navigation map for years and years with all of my other Garmin units. On the 2xx series, user waypoints are indeed fully capable of being displayed on the map...it's not like it's a limitaion of the unit; when you touch the map and enter panning mode, they are all there, even at high zoom levels. Once you go back to the navigation map screen, they simply vanish...until you zoom in to 300 ft. As the OP stated, this is "pretty useless and ridiculous" and I fully agree. And why is it that the waypoints are visible on the 7xx series and high zoom levels while in navigation mode? Is it because we paid more for the 7xx and the 2xx series is considered a "low end model"? That's just plain silly.

 

I just wonder what Garmin's logic is in omitting -useful- and -helpful- status displays on GPS units, whether or not they are considered "navigation units" or "low-end units", even if they are fully capable of displaying these common functions.

Edited April 4, 2008 by SergZak

[AlunS]

I've got a map scale indicator on my nuvi 760, although I can't say I've ever noticed it before until I read this thread, so that goes to show how useful I've found it so far I've also never found any reason to know what compass direction I'm travelling in when driving either to be honest. When I'm out hiking though it's a whole different ballgame. Horses for courses and all that.

[+axl1126]

Well, I upgraded my 250W to version 3.60, and not only are the fixes I asked for not in here (I did not expect them), but now, my map scale on the bottom left corner of my map screen is now missing!!

 

Are you kidding me, Garmin???

[+axl1126]

Well, I upgraded my 250W to version 3.60, and not only are the fixes I asked for not in here (I did not expect them), but now, my map scale on the bottom left corner of my map screen is now missing!!

 

Are you kidding me, Garmin???

 

Edited it Add - Sorry for the double post!

Edited August 4, 2008 by axl1126

[MtnHermit]

Well, I upgraded my 250W to version 3.60, and not only are the fixes I asked for not in here (I did not expect them), but now, my map scale on the bottom left corner of my map screen is now missing!!

 

Are you kidding me, Garmin???

That is a bit surprising, here's a screenshot of a Nuvi 205W and it has the scale.

 

 

I've never tried the 3D mode, but I would assume no map scale in 3D.

[-Oz-]

Actually the thing that bothers me most going from my 60csx to 250W is that I can't customize the navigation speed. I would much rather have my speed in the lower left corner (such as when I'm not navigating) and have to click a screen to see my arrival time.

 

As far as I can tell no customization of that screen is allowed at all. It is so much faster to navigate with the Nuvi though that I won't be going back to the 60csx; its now relinquished to hiking and such.

[SergZak]

That is a bit surprising, here's a screenshot of a Nuvi 205W and it has the scale.

Your screen shot is of the map panning mode. The zoom scale has always been in map panning mode. The zoom scale that has been removed with the firmware update was removed from the moving map navigation screen. Also note that the zoom scale was removed from the moving map in a recent firmware version. If you indeed still have it in moving map mode, then you are likely running an older firmware version.

I've never tried the 3D mode, but I would assume no map scale in 3D.

Correct. the map scale indicator is not available in 3D mode regardless of the firmware version.

 

This is just another example of Garmin simply removing a useful (to some people like the OP and myself) which was paid for in the purchase price of the unit, just because they wanted to remove it or feel that it was not needed or unused.

 

I made this analogy before somewhere but thought I'd mention it again here...it's like taking your car in for service (an oil change for example) at the dealer and getting it back with say, the digital clock removed because the dealer thought it was not needed for some reason, never mind if you used it or not.

Edited August 4, 2008 by SergZak

[SergZak]

Well, I upgraded my 250W to version 3.60, and not only are the fixes I asked for not in here (I did not expect them), but now, my map scale on the bottom left corner of my map screen is now missing!!

 

Are you kidding me, Garmin???

Please email or call Garmin and voice your dissatisfaction with their decisions to remove features that they feel we don't need or should be able to see/not see. Instead of simply removing these features, they should provide a simple on/off toggle...but of course they don't. They instead re-introduce the removed feature as a "new" feature on a totally new nuvi series, enticing the user to buy yet another unit.

Edited August 4, 2008 by SergZak

[MtnHermit]

That is a bit surprising, here's a screenshot of a Nuvi 205W and it has the scale.

Your screen shot is of the map panning mode. The zoom scale has always been in map panning mode. The zoom scale that has been removed with the firmware update was removed from the moving map navigation screen. Also note that the zoom scale was removed from the moving map in a recent firmware version. If you indeed still have it in moving map mode, then you are likely running an older firmware version.

Perhaps you mean these two screens. I'm still new to Nuvidom, the 2x5's have only been on the market for 6-weeks and I've had my 205W less than a month. Hence still has shipped firmware.

 

 

 

I will say that 3D and Topos sure looks weird.

 

Interesting that the "vehicle" is physically bigger in 3D. Would seem they'd have to store the bitmap in multiple sizes in addition to all 360 degrees?

 

Having a feature removed at a firmware upgrade is a bummer, one of the reasons I wait until the forum community blesses the latest and greatest.

[SergZak]

Having a feature removed at a firmware upgrade is a bummer, one of the reasons I wait until the forum community blesses the latest and greatest.

Your nuvi is a 205w. The original poster's (OP's) unit is a 250w. When I mentioned Garmin removing features from existing units, then re-introducing them in a new nuvi series, this is the exact situation I was talking about.

 

This is just one small example of how Garmin plays this bait and switch (or more like switch and bait) game with users...

 

1. The nuvi 2xx(w) (OP's unit) is introduced as a new nuvi series with a map zoom scale indicator available on the moving map screen.

 

2. The nuvi 2xx(w) gets several firmware updates, one of which removes the map zoom scale indicator from the moving map screen without warning.

 

3. The nuvi 2x5(w) series is introduced which re-enables the map zoom scale indicator that was removed from the 250w (and other units within the same series).

 

This tactic has been used over and over ever since the nuvi line was introduced with the nuvi 350. I sometimes wonder what feature already available on my own current models (200, 750 & 760) will be axed from them, then re-introduced with a new series.

Edited August 5, 2008 by SergZak

[Raymond Day]

I have a 205W now. Maybe they can't have some things because the CPU in them is to slow to display it all.

 

What wish it did was send it data out the USB so map and other GPS programs can use the track info live. To use with like network stumbler and I am sure there are other GPS programs.

 

I found a error when saving places from google map. With a plug in can say send it to my GPS. But then if you use Map source it errors! To fix Delete the google map saves and the gpx file and restart the GPS and it will make that file again.

 

I think it's neat that with Map source can say open in google earth and see it all in there.

 

It is bad they took out the pointer!

 

But now it has USB not old RS232. It gets and sends data fast. The old way was slow 9600 boud.