Even with this year’s financial crysis there’s expectation for Black Friday Deals, and every American I know saves something for this special day. So watch out for special deals this months and tell us what will you be buying this year, maybe we’ve got a good deal for you.

And not to leave you with the eyes on in the sun check out some deals we’ve found online:

- Sony Blu-Ray Disc Player for $179.99 at Sears.
- Sharp 46″ 1080p LCD HDTV for $899.99 at Sears.
- Garmin Nuvi 205 GPS system for $124.99 at Sears.
- 7″ Digital Picture Frame for $59.99 at Ace Hardware.

The Garmin Nuvi 205/255 were announced earlier this year and are quickly taking their place as solid entry level units in the Garmin line-up. The Nuvi 205/255 offer a series of new features and upgrades that improve on an already top notch interface, making the Nuvi 205/255 my pick for Best Entry Level GPS Navigators. I would urge you to upgrade to the Nuvi 255 for its text to speech (TTS) capabilities, as I feel TTS is one of the best investments to make when purchasing a GPS - it makes the navigation simpler and easier to follow in an ever more complex world of driving.

The Nuvi 205/255 feature several upgraded features:

• New faster processor, making for a faster routing and map drawing.
• New shaded elevation maps.
• Now compatible with optional TMC traffic receivers, or MSN Direct service (Gas prices, traffic, local events, stocks, news, and weather.
• Garmin HotFix capability to automatically calculate and store satellite locations so that you will be able to turn the unit on and go a lot faster greatly reducing satellite acquisition time.
• Geolocated Picture capability - Download geotagged photos to the Garmin to be able to navigate to a loaded picture; works with Google's Panoramio photo sharing community and Garmin Connect Photos website.

The subtle changes don't sell themselves in any huge way as breakthrough innovations, but these changes add up to a whole lot more in use than the quick read might lead you to believe. Garmin clearly did some work here to make the interface better and easier to understand. The tweaks are another step on their continuous line of interface changes that make the units simple enough for all to use.

Let's take a look at what's inside and why these are worth the upgrade.

Design

The Garmin Nuvi 205/255 takes the thin design from Garmin's thin platform and offers a sleek and solid unit that is easy to pocket or store in a purse, briefcase, backpack, etc. The single slider switch on the top right allows you to turn the unit on with a quick flick of the finger, while also locking the unit so that it doesn't get turned on by mistake while packing it away. The power cord is a straightforward 12V power cord that comes with the unit, and plugs into the back of the unit with a 90 degree turn down allowing the unit to sit right down tight to the dash which can't be done with those units that have a cord coming out the bottom of the GPS. The mount is a single cam lever mount that offers my preferred method of mounting to the windshield or the disc that's included to adhere it to the dash. The Nuvi 205/255 itself snaps into a couple of clips on the mount and stays snug once attached. I also tested the Nuvi 205/255 on the Arkon vent clip mount as an alternative way to hold the unit at arm's length. The mount performed well, and kept the Nuvi 205/255 well positioned in an alternate location to the windshield mounting location.

Interface - Improved Nuvi Ease
The Nuvi 205/255 come with an improved interface that may seem like a subtle change, but I think that this is a big difference and keeps the Garmin Interface fresh, easy to understand and makes the Garmins more intuitive than their already excellent interface. The new look and feel is important; a simple update that makes the unit feel relevant but beyond the new skin there is some functionality that really makes sense. A lot of the information is concentrated down the left side of the screen. Distance to turn, turn direction, and speed limit when traveling on the roads that have them. The zoom in and zoom out buttons are along the right side which make it a lot easier to handle with one thumb, instead of switching from side to side in the old screen - (the older interface had the buttons in the upper left and upper right corners of the screen - making the action of zooming in and out more of a two thumb video game type experience.)

Data Fields - Speed on the left, and on the right, the driving direction (N, NE, E, SE, etc.) when driving normally, or the Arrival Time when actually navigating. A quick tap of the "Speed" readout, and you get a trip monitor screen, offering a data-hound's dream full of information. On a long road trip, This can be useful as a readout itself or something that is easy to quickly check as you are driving along. I like the overall average and the moving average that can tell you just how badly your average rate took a hit as a result of that extended stop for food and gas.

Zoom Fields - Again, the location on the screen has changed. Previously the "+" and "-" buttons were spaced out on the corners of the screen bit they are now conveniently located together, allowing for easy one handed operation to quickly zoom out then back in when you go too far!

Speed Limits - The Nuvi 205/255 feature speed limits displayed on the unit's screen which is a relatively recent (but not new) movement for Garmin. Net - I think this is a good addition and a good time for Garmin to add it to their Nuvi line. The data is much more reliable and the potential for bad speed limit alerts has dropped dramatically. I have seen this on other units, where the database is plagued by bad data, and offered to have warnings alert you when you were speeding. With a bad database, the warnings are useless. The data captured by NAVTEQ for speed limits was really pretty good in my miles of driving. The speed limits were present on state roads and interstates; the speed changes were also accurate within a few feet of a newly changed speed zone. If you like the feature, the data was accurate. An added plus is that the display is very much like a Speed Limit sign making it an intuitive image to understand.

Faster Map Drawing - It's a subtle thing, but the Nuvi 205/255 have a softer interface that seems to draw maps faster by selectively drawing different layers and fading in detail overtime. So, major roads draw on a background, then minor roads, then interstate markers draw in finally accented by more minor road names and then any texturize detail to the map. It's cool to watch and offers detail at about the rate you can understand it, and internalize it without leaving you with the feeling of thinking ahead of the unit's ability to draw.... you aren't left wanting for a faster draw.

Navigation
Navigation continues to be very good with the Nuvi 205/255, and offers a variety of ways to select your destination, with a very complete POI listing of stores, businesses, and other municipal locations. The approximately 6 million POI's are broken down to 14 categories that make sense, allowing you to look at the category listing by closest proximity. If you had a specific location in mind, you can then search within that category by spelling out the name. Tap on one location and you can see the address, the phone number with the option to see the map of the location and then go there if you decide that's where you want to go. the Nuvi 205/255 also offers a quick way to get Home by programming in the location of your home. That makes things really easy - two taps off the main menu and you are heading home.

You can also search for things "Near" several locations - like "Where I am Now", A Different City", "[Along] My Current Route" and "My Destination". I like the last two where you can utilize the capabilities of the Nuvi 205/255 while on a road trip to find a place to eat, let's say, you can search at your destination, or along the route where the Nuvi knows not to lead you too far astray to find food.

The Garmin Nuvi 205/255 also allow you to search by addresses, remembering which state you are in (see right) so that you have an easier time limiting your search for a town and a specific address. You are able to search by intersection, which allows you to type in a road and the unit then offers you the cross roads as a place you can navigate to. The Garmin Nuvi 205/255 has the ability to navigate you to the city center via a stand-alone button, which is not under the "Address" button; easier searching to get to the center of a city if that's what you need. You can also navigate to a set of LAT/LON coordinates, which I think is very helpful, if you are navigating to a location like a trailhead where the coordinates may have been documented without an actual street address.

The Nuvi 205/255 do not display the current street name in the interface but to show the street you are turning onto at the top of the screen.

Faster Routing

Garmin has improved routing so that as you are selecting your destination, the route is already starting to plan in the background - very cool, very smart. A second or two after you select a POI, for instance the store below, the unit slides out a little tab of information from the "GO!" button showing what mode it is using - automobile, the distance and the time it will take. The Nuvi is calculating the route in the background and as a result, when the little tab shows, and you hit "Go" the route is already there - no more waiting. In my torture test of navigating from my house outside of Boston to Dodger Stadium, the Nuvi 205/255 calculated the route in about 12-16 seconds and displayed it on the screen. That's a bit faster than I have seen in other units, not earth shattering, but the impression is that due to this background calculation the obvious lag after you hit "Go" is long gone.

Overall the routing on the Garmin Nuvi 205/255 is very good and I have no complaints at all in this area; recalculations are quick when you miss a turn, voice commands are good, and the overall intelligence of the routing is well done. The Nuvi 205/255 do not play a "warning tone" ahead of a turn announcement, but do announce the turns in very appropriate intervals. I have always thought that the bigger names in GPS do the announcements "Just Right", while other newer and smaller brands struggle to deliver these announcements either "Too Few" or "Too Many"; sometimes leaving you wanting for more, or at the other end of things driving you nuts after the third or fourth announcements for an upcoming turn.

Garmin Nuvi 205 vs 255

Text To Speech - Says Street Names (Nuvi 255 only)

The Garmin Nuvi 255 offers text to speech (TTS) which says the street names as you approach them. The difference can be a big plus when you are navigating around town or in a semi-urban area where the roads are situated closer together. Not a big help when you are navigating on highways where the off-ramps are easy to see, and are simple straight forward exits from the highway. The real advantage is when the interchanges and roadways start to offer a couple of options and the Nuvi 255 is offering its point of view verbally where to go and which street to take. The result is more confidence and the ability to keep your eyes on the road - always a good thing.

Map Coverage - Nuvi 205 vs. Nuvi 255

The other difference between the models is that the Garmin Nuvi 205 has "regional" coverage which for a majority of my readers means 48 state coverage + Hawaii + Puerto Rico. When you upgrade to the Nuvi 255, you get all of North America, adding Canada and Alaska. It's really that simple.

Review Summary

The Nuvi 205/255 are really entry level units from Garmin, but hardly feel like it. THey have solid navigation, and with the added Text to Speech feature of the Nuvi 255, I think that its the best entry level unit on the market. Let's face it, at the base, you are buying into a quality brand with all of the makings that got Garmin to be the #1 GPS maker in the US. The routing is very good, the interface is better than ever and the prices are very reasonable. I believe that when you are considering a GPS, a top notch brand is worth the extra money; after that, invest in Text to Speech. The Nuvi 255 offers Text to Speech, and for me, the text to speech is a very worthwhile investment for almost everybody. This is sometimes only $30 - $40 more, and it is money well spent. You're going to use this GPS hundreds of times, across thousands of miles, and many thousands of turns; the added confidence that Text to Speech will cost you pennies a trip, it's worth it. If you are shopping for a Nuvi 205/255, you may want to consider upgrading to the widescreen versions of these; the Nuvi 205W/255W - bigger screens give 70% more screen real estate, a better view of the maps and easier data entry with larger buttons on the keyboard. Widescreen is a tougher case to make than upgrading to Text to Speech.

• Garmin Nuvi 205 - features above, including Maps of the 48 States + Hawaii + Puerto Rico
• Garmin Nuvi 255 - Adds Text to Speech and Maps of North America

What's in the Box - Garmin Nuvi 205/255?

• The Garmin Nuvi 205/255 Navigator
• Cam Action Suction Cup Mount
• Adhesive Disk for mounting on dash
• Power Cord 12V
• Quick Start guide

I recommend some upgrades as your budget allows, Text to Speech, and a widescreen in that order. Other additions such as Traffic, Bluetooth Handsfree, etc. are definitely nice to have.

Standard Screens - 3.5-inch

• Garmin Nuvi 270 - $159 - still a great price. - Has US and Western Euro Maps pre-loaded for the same price as the US only unit (Nuvi 200) No Text to Speech, but if you are heading to Europe and need a unit, this is a great deal.


• Nuvi 205 at Amazon - $149 - No Text to Speech, Continental US Maps, solid interface and routing. This is an updated version of the Nuvi 200 with faster satellite acquisition times and a better interface. For a more up to date unit, consider the extra $38 and look at the Nuvi 255. Faster Acquisition times and an updated interface.
• Garmin Nuvi 350 - Still $158 this week - very capable older unit that has an older interface. North American Maps, Text to Speech, and 5+ Million Points of Interest. Want Bluetooth? Get the Nuvi 360 that adds Bluetooth Handsfree, for a few bucks more at - $179


• TomTom ONE 3rd ed. - $138 and Free Shipping at Amazon; Entry Level TomTom with Maps of North America, no Text to Speech.


• Mio Moov 200 - $129 at Office Max - See my Full Review on the widescreen Moov 200 for an idea on how this works.
  

Widescreen Models

• Nuvi 760 - $269 - Down almost $100 this week - Thin design with Text to Speech and Maps of North America. Route Optimization - plug in multiple stops and let the unit optimize the route for fastest planning, adds Bluetooth handsfree and built-in TMC traffic. See My Full Review of the Nuvi 760.
• Garmin Nuvi 255W - $235 - Text to speech, improved interface, maps of North America. More Info - See my Full Review on the Nuvi 255W.

• Nuvi 750 - $262 - Down over $40 this week - Thin design with Text to Speech and Maps of North America. Route Optimization - plug in multiple stops and let the unit optimize the route for fastest planning. Doesn't have the Bluetooth, or the Traffic capability that the 760 has.


• Garmin Nuvi 780 - $439 Has MSN Direct 2, with traffic and gas prices sent to your GPS. See My Full Review of the Nuvi 780 for more information. A Special note (because this rarely happens) - BestBuy has a better price right now - $399 on the Nuvi 780.


• Garmin Nuvi 260W - Skip it and get the improved unit the Nuvi 255W (above) instead.


• Nuvi 650 at Amazon $199 - Down $20 in recent weeks. Older design with Text to Speech, North American Maps, See My Full Review - Nuvi 660, which is the same model with the addition of the TMC Traffic, which is the main feature not included on the Nuvi 650.


• Nuvi 200W at Amazon $158 - Entry Level Widescreen - I recommend skipping it and moving up to the Nuvi 205W for $20 more. The new interface is worth it. No Text to Speech, Continental US Maps. See My Full Review - Nuvi 205W.


• Nuvi 660 at Amazon $266 - Older Design with Text to Speech, North American Maps, TMC Traffic Capability included. See My Full Review - Nuvi 660



• TomTom ONE XL 330 - $199- the new Basic Widescreen for the TomTom line, Maps of North America, new Easy Port fold flat mount, and no text to speech - Move up to the TomTom ONE XL 330S for Text to Speech at $218 - well worth the extra $19;

• Garmin Nuvi 880 - $554 - Down over $90 in recent weeks. Has voice recognition and MSN Direct traffic, gas prices and weather data feeds. Let's you say your destination and it routes you there. Very cool; love the capabilities.

Refurbished GPS units - There are a lot of Rerubs out there for consideration. Amazon has a good selection. Magellan Maestro 4250 - $119 widescreen with lots of features, including AAA database of hotel and restaurant recommendations, or the TomTom ONE XL - Widescreen with no Text to Speech, a solid navigator at a great price ($99 no MIR!), or the TomTom ONE 3rd ed. for $79.

My picks:

- Super Mario Bros. DS package: $150
- Garmin nuvi 200W GPS: $120
- Westinghouse 26" HDTV: $300
- Guitar Hero World Tour (Guitar Kit) for Wii: $60
- and of course, the Hello Kitty Hide 'N Fun Elite Indoor Play Tent is on sale for only $14 (!!!!) [GottaDeal, thanks Carrie!]

Don’t be fooled by Costco’s “limited time” offer on this Garmin Nuvi 750. The last time I saw Costco discount a new … [visit site to read more]

Check out all of our Black Friday Best GPS Deals and Sales - 2008 and sign up for our Black Friday Shopping Guide emailed to you the day before Thanksgiving.

Circuit City

• Garmin nuvi 260 - $149 - More Info
• Garmin Nuvi 265WT - $249 - More Info
• TomTom ONE 125 - $99 - More Info - Full Review of the ONE 130 - same unit except the 125 has US only Maps

Computing
• Patriot Extreme Flash 64GB SSD for $155 plus free shipping (originally $229.99 - valid until 11/20. Use rebate form and coupon code EMCBBBECD for $20 off).
• Acer G24 Orange 24" Widescreen LCD Monitor for $379.99 plus free shipping (originally $653.13. Use coupon code EMCBBBEAB for $10 off).

Digital Picture Frames
• Polaroid 7" Digital Picture Frame with Wireless Weather Station for $34.99 (originally $159.99 - valid today only).
• Nextar N7-202 7" Digital Photo Frame for $39.99 plus free shipping (originally $99.99).

Flash Memory
• Kingston 2GB Micro SD Card with Adapter for $2.59 (originally $9.99 - valid today only).
• Lexar Platinum II 8GB Memory Stick Pro Duo for $39.99 plus free shipping (originally $61.99).
• Corsair 32GB Flash Voyager USB 2.0 Flash Drive for $60.99 plus free shipping (originally $103.99 - valid until 11/15. Use rebate form).

Home Entertainment
• Philips HTS3544/37 Home Theater System for $119.99 plus free shipping (originally $229.99).

Navigation Systems
• Magellan Maestro 4250 GPS System for $119.99 plus free shipping (originally $299).
• Garmin Nuvi 760 GPS System for $239.99 (originally $599.99 - valid today only).

Portable Devices & Accessories
• Sandisk Sansa c250 2GB MP3 Player for $14.99 plus free shipping (originally $199).
• JBL On Stage II Speakers with Remote for $39.99 (originally $99.99).

Stocking Stuffers (Movies, Etc.)
• Snapfish 8x11 Custom Photo Book for $0 (originally $29.99 - valid today only).
• James Bond Ultimate Collector's Set for $89.95 (originally $289.98 - valid today only).
• James Bond Six-Pack Movie Collection on Blu-Ray for $64.95 (originally $179.96 - valid today only).
• Resident Evil Trilogy on Blu-Ray for $49.95 (originally $89.95 - valid today only).

Radio Shack has some good deals, and some not so good - You can get a Garmin Nuvi 255W for about $6 more online right now.

Check out all of our Black Friday Best GPS Deals and Sales - 2008

Best Buy

Garmin Nuvi 205 - $119 - More Info

Garmin Nuvi 260W - $189 - More Info

Garmin Nuvi 780 - $349 - See My Full Review

TomTom GO 720 - $249 - See My Full Review

Radio Shack

Garmin Nuvi 250W - $169 - See My Full Review

Garmin Nuvi 255W - $229 - See My Full Review

Mio Moov 300 GPS - $129 - See My Full Review

Motorola TN20 - $149 - More Info

Motorola TN30 - $249 - More Info

TomTom ONE 125 - $99 - More Info - Full Review of the ONE 130 - same unit except the 125 has US only Maps

TomTom ONE 130S - $199 - See My Full Review

Radio Shack has some good deals, and some not so good - You can get a Garmin Nuvi 255W for about $6 more online right now.

Check out all of our Black Friday Best GPS Deals and Sales - 2008

Best Buy

Garmin Nuvi 205 - $119 - More Info

Garmin Nuvi 260W - $189 - More Info

Garmin Nuvi 780 - $349 - See My Full Review

TomTom GO 720 - $249 - See My Full Review

Radio Shack

Garmin Nuvi 250W - $169 - See My Full Review

Garmin Nuvi 255W - $229 - See My Full Review

Mio Moov 300 GPS - $129 - See My Full Review

Motorola TN20 - $149 - More Info

Motorola TN30 - $249 - More Info

TomTom ONE 125 - $99 - More Info - Full Review of the ONE 130 - same unit except the 125 has US only Maps

TomTom ONE 130S - $199 - See My Full Review

TVs
•LG 42" 1080P 120Hz LCD HDTV - $1299.98
•LG 47" Class 1080P 120Hz LCD HDTV - $1499.98
•Panasonic Viera 50" 720p Plasma HDTV - $899.99 720p? Really?
•Samsung 40" Class 1080P LCD HDTV - $799.99
•Samsung 42" 720P Plasma HDTV - $699.99
•Samsung 46" Class 1080P LCD HDTV - $1099.99

Other
•Garmin Nuvi 260W GPS System ($190)
•Toshiba AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual-Core Notebook Computer w/3GB Memory, 160GB Hard Drive ($380)
•Samsung BD-P1500 Blu-ray player ($200)
•Western Digital 1TB My Book Home Edition External Hard Drive ($150)
•Transformers Blu-ray ($10)

TV deals are okay—nothing fantastic, but not too shabby. Still, overall, them pickins are-a-slim, like your wallet. Check the whole list over at Black Friday, but it's mostly a wasteland of stuff that's cheaper on Amazon right this second. I don't think their newfound emphasis on customer service is gonna help, either. [Black Friday, Image: bdjsb7]