Nuvi 350 vs Nuvi 260

 

Is the 350 a better buy than the 260? I belive that the 350 was one of the first nuvis made. Is it ready to be replaced? Is the chip set the old type? The flip out antenna better than built in? Besides the mp3 player and a few other items is there any reason to buy the 350? I know that the 255 will be coming out sometime later, but I need one by the 2nd week in April. TTS is very important to me. Maybe I should be looking at a different nuvi.

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Paul..... Nuvi 765T

All I can say is that...

... at this time I wouldn't trade my 260 for any other unit I've read about. I've been a regular here for 3 months now, and I've seen comments, both good and bad, on every Nuvi there is, and I still prefer my 260 over any of the others.

I say this with the qualifier that I have no interest in mp3, Bluetooth, traffic, or any of the other add-ons. Mine gets a signal quickly, and holds it well, and it gets me where I want to go. Like any other unit available, it doesn't always use exactly the route I might choose, but it does a good job none the less. And by using waypoints I can force it to navigate a path that I want if there is a reason for it.

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Rick - Nüvi 260 - eTrex Summit HC

I love my 350!!! I am not

I love my 350!!! I am not ready to replace it, if I were, it wouldn't be because it doesn't do what I need. It has the latest chipset. Some say that the flip out makes it better, some say that they haven't seen any difference. If you can find it for a decent price, I personally would go with the 350.

For me, having the mp3 is big. Not to play mp3s, but for custom alerts. Also, I DEFINITELY want a line out so I can hook it to a stereo in the car.

EDIT: rapriebe got the post before I did, but now you have two different opinions (please don't think that I think the 260 is a bad unit, it isn't)

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Charley - Nuvi 350 - Bel STI Driver - Cobra 29 w/ wilson 1000 - AIM: asianfire -

Everyone to their own ....

pcatch135 wrote:

Is the 350 a better buy than the 260?

According to the Garmin website, the nuvi 350 also has a headphone jack, the 260 doesn't ... can't hook external amp/speaker to it. I agree with asianfire, the mp3 (and audio books) are indispensable. Also, for the extra cost, the nuvi 350 comes with the AC adapter, case, and USB cable. I'm sure the pricing is cheaper elsewhere; but for comparison http://newegg.com has the 260 for $239.99 and the 350 for $249.99. For the slight difference in cost, I'd go with the nuvi 350.

RT

--
"Internet: As Yogi Berra would say, "Don't believe 90% of what you read, and verify the other half."

Yes, it has a headphone jack

Yes, it has a headphone jack (which I referred to it as a line out). Technically it is a headphone jack, you can actually use headphones with it. With a line out jack you couldn't do that.

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Charley - Nuvi 350 - Bel STI Driver - Cobra 29 w/ wilson 1000 - AIM: asianfire -

On second thoughts

I'm the happy owner of a 260 and so far have lived up to expectations.

If I had to do it again I would choose neither, IMO the mp3 and BT I can live without but wish I have gotten one with routing capabilities to take advantage of MapSource and be able to manipulate routes.

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Garmin 38 - Magellan Gold - Garmin Yellow eTrex - Nuvi 260 - Nuvi 2460LMT - Google Nexus 7 - Toyota Entune NAV

nuvi 260

Gotta love my nuvi 260.

--
http://uss-silversides.com

TTS voice

asianfire wrote:

For me, having the mp3 is big. Not to play mp3s, but for custom alerts.

Ditto. And from what I remember (too lazy to look up), mp3 is required for speaking street names.

--
nüvi 750 & 760

Nuvi 260 vs 350

If you put POI custom alerts on the the 260 do you hear the alerts?

--
Paul..... Nuvi 765T

Comparison at ....

Don't have one, so can't say for sure; but Garmin's comparison at:
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/compare.do?cID=134&compare=compa...
shows Headphone jack/audio line-out on the nuvi 260 as 'NO'. Several on-line reviews also show the 260 as 'No'. Can someone who has a nuvi 260 please verify?

RT

--
"Internet: As Yogi Berra would say, "Don't believe 90% of what you read, and verify the other half."

Not Really

spider_elliott wrote:

And from what I remember (too lazy to look up), mp3 is required for speaking street names.

The 260 has TTS, but not mp3 capability.

--
Nuvi 660 -- and not upgrading it or maps until Garmin fixes long-standing bugs/problems, and get maps to where they are much more current, AND corrected on a more timely basis when advised of mistakes.

I love my 260. I don't need

I love my 260. I don't need mp3 or blue tooth, just a solid GPS performer. It has TTS and I can make my own POI with Mapsource or by geocoding with Google.
Other units have lots of features but they are only of use if you need them, if you do, fine but for just GPS the 260 is hard to beat.

--
Nuvi2797LMT (2) Nuvi260,Ford Sync3 Navigation. Captain Cook was a Yorkshire man too.

correct

retiredtechnician wrote:

Don't have one, so can't say for sure; but Garmin's comparison at:
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/compare.do?cID=134&compare=compa...
shows Headphone jack/audio line-out on the nuvi 260 as 'NO'. Several on-line reviews also show the 260 as 'No'. Can someone who has a nuvi 260 please verify?

RT

You are right RT, my coworker has one and she doesn't have a headset jack.

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Charley - Nuvi 350 - Bel STI Driver - Cobra 29 w/ wilson 1000 - AIM: asianfire -

Nuvi 350 Miserable screen

pcatch135 wrote:

Is the 350 a better buy than the 260? I belive that the 350 was one of the first nuvis made. Is it ready to be replaced? Is the chip set the old type? The flip out antenna better than built in? Besides the mp3 player and a few other items is there any reason to buy the 350? I know that the 255 will be coming out sometime later, but I need one by the 2nd week in April. TTS is very important to me. Maybe I should be looking at a different nuvi.

As far as I am concerned if you intend to depend on the screen in bright sunlight they both stink. Get a bean bag mount so you can maneuver the unit as you drive. I have learned to depend only on the sound.

--
"Ceterum autem censeo, Carthaginem esse delendam" “When governments fear the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny.”

No...

pcatch135 wrote:

If you put POI custom alerts on the the 260 do you hear the alerts?

.... and I don't really care to. The default tone combined with the info on the red bar is all the alert I need.

--
Rick - Nüvi 260 - eTrex Summit HC

interesting

Double Tap wrote:

As far as I am concerned if you intend to depend on the screen in bright sunlight they both stink. Get a bean bag mount so you can maneuver the unit as you drive. I have learned to depend only on the sound.

i've had my 350 for just over a year and i've never had any kind of complaint about the screen, day or night. is screen quality an inconsistent feature for units in this model?

--
"is it possible to found a party for those who are not sure they are right? that would be my party. in any event, I do not insult those who are not on my side. that is my only originality." — albert camus

still like my 350

I know my 350 gets a little washed out when it gets hit with direct sunlight. So I have to tilt it down a little to get a better view.

Regarding MP3, I think if you would like to have custom alerts, you will need to have mp3 capability. Suppose its just personal preference.

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HarveyS - Nuvi 350

When I bought mine...

The 260 didn't exist when I bought my 350 so I didn't have to go through this dilemma!

Proof

Freddie40 wrote:

The 260 didn't exist when I bought my 350 so I didn't have to go through this dilemma!

What greater proof of a merciful God could there be!

--
Nuvi 660 -- and not upgrading it or maps until Garmin fixes long-standing bugs/problems, and get maps to where they are much more current, AND corrected on a more timely basis when advised of mistakes.

Reflection, not wash out

I don't have a problem (usually) with washout, but rather reflection of my arm, face, etc. So I have to tilt my unit up or down to cut it down.

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Charley - Nuvi 350 - Bel STI Driver - Cobra 29 w/ wilson 1000 - AIM: asianfire -

Buy on price

If you are looking for basic point A to point B routing both units will more than meet your needs and buying on price might be your best bet.

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Garmin Nuvi 750 & c530 with RT's vol. mod., Vulcan Nomad

My .02

I don't have experience with the 260, but I like my 350. The flip-out antenna can be a little cumbersome, but I like how it turns the tracking off when you close it so I can browse the map or look up addresses without consuming extra battery power.