Chris Leckness

Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd., today announced the next
evolution of the nuvi 200 series, the entry-level favorites in Garmin's
popular nuvi line. The low-priced nuvi 2x5 models, a family of new products
introduced at CeBIT, improve upon the features of their 200-series
predecessors while providing the opportunity to add top-of-the-line
features such as improved mapping and routing features, faster satellite
acquisition, navigation by photos, FM traffic updates or dynamic content
from MSN Direct.
"The nuvi 2x5 products allow us to meet and exceed the basic needs of
the budget-minded consumer while giving them further opportunity to expand," said Dan Bartel, Garmin's vice president of worldwide sales. "By
making traffic and MSN Direct content accessible with our most basic nuvi
models, the choice is truly in the buyer's hands. Pick a price, and there's
your nuvi."
As portable and powerful as ever, the nuvi 2x5 models are available in
vibrant 4.3" or 3.5" screens with an all new shaded elevation mapping
display. Using Garmin's unique Web site -- Garmin Connect Photos -- users
can choose from millions of geo-located photos provided by Google's
Panoramio photo sharing community and download them to the nuvi for a
richer navigation experience using pictures as a guide. The nuvi 2x5 series
features a fast 333 Mhz Microprocessor which greatly enhances the map
drawing and routing capability. In addition, satellite reception is even
faster than before thanks to Garmin's new HotFix(TM) feature which
automatically calculates and stores critical satellite information and can
use that information to quickly calculate a position without waiting for
data collection from the satellites.



The nuvi 255 and 255W will be available in versions that include
comprehensive coverage of North America, Europe, Australia or New Zealand. The nuvi 255 and 255W models for North America, Australia or New Zealand announce street names in their voice prompts, advising you to "Turn right on Walnut Street" rather than just saying "Turn right in 500 feet." The nuvi 205 and 205W will be available in versions that offer mapping choices such as the contiguous United States, Canada or regional sections of Europe.
In addition, each nuvi 2x5 comes standard with the popular "Where am I?" feature. At any time, with a single tap of the screen, drivers can display their exact latitude and longitude coordinates, the nearest address and intersection, and the closest hospitals, police stations and gas stations.
When used with an optional receiver, each nuvi 2x5 can display important updated information from Traffic Message Channel or MSN Direct. The enhanced dynamic content from the second generation of the MSN Direct
network includes updated information about traffic conditions, fuel prices,
weather reports, movie listings, headline news items, stock listings, local
events and custom locations sent directly from Windows Live Local. After
the introductory trial period with MSN Direct, owners can re-subscribe for
$49.95 a year, or a one-time charge of $129.95. For more information on MSN Direct services and coverage areas, visit http://garmin.msndirect.com.
For information about pricing and availability, go to http://www.garmin.com and http://www.garmin.blogs.com.
Source: Garmin press release... Thanks for reading this article, to comment on it, please click here...