Customer Reviews

Garmin nüvi 1250T 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I purchased this device because I have to travel from one city/job to another during rush hour on a daily basis. If I chose the 'right' route, and traffic was fine, I'd be on time. Otherwise... well, needless to say it was very stressful making the drive. Online traffic was obsolete within 15 minutes of getting out on the road.

This GPS is very easy to use. It checks the traffic very frequently (maybe constantly?). I haven't had it long but already it has sometimes directed me to get off the freeway and take an alternate route. Happily, it lets me know a change is needed before I am even aware that there is a problem up ahead. I no longer stress about traffic, straining to see what may lie ahead; I know I'm taking the best route available, so that's that!

The downsides- it automatically switches to a dimmer setting when it is night. It is too dim for me, and I have yet to figure out how I might stop it from doing that. I can change the brightness when it happens, but it's hard to do when I can hardly see the screen. In fairness, I have read NOTHING from the manual; just started using it out of the box, and this is the only problem I've had as far as working the device goes. It is very easy to use.

Occasionally, the device has lost satellite reception when there has been inclement weather. So far that has only affected reception for traffic, it has been very brief, and the map feature has still worked (the trip was already plotted). I still understand it as an indication that if I were to take a longer trip, it makes good sense to print a map from online (as a backup) before I go. For an extended trip, be aware that it gave a time of arrival, but not a day of arrival (unless I should have read the manual to learn to switch views or something).

Lastly, it does appear to consider the speed limit when calculating arrival time. However, I think that it does not consider traffic lights. Add in whatever minutes you anticipate needing for that purpose, as there seems to be a slight underestimation in travel time. It still gets me to work faster than I was getting there on my own, so overall I am THRILLED with this purchase. If anything happened to my Garmin, I'd purchase another one immediately. It has been well worth the price in stress reduction and making me look wonderful as the employee who is now always early!

UPDATE 2 months later: Well, the voice just went out on the unit. :( I finally opened the manual and it is under warranty for a year, through Garmin. I'm going to follow their directions to send it back, and I will update again here about what happens. I guess because the other reviewer had more problems, I won't be sad if I end up just getting a refund and getting a different Garmin unit, but the manual does state that it is the company's choice whether to fix it or send a refund.

The key to making sure you have a trouble free experience with this unit (or any other Garmin unit) is to purchase a USB linking cable such as the "Garmin USB Cable by Garmin" ( currently less than $5.00 on Amazon site) at the same time and as soon as you get the unit connect it to a computer USB port and let it charge up for at least 30 minutes. 30 minutes plugged into the port should make sure the battery is charged enough for updates since the unit will need to cycle off and back on under battery power when the GPS is updated.

Or, if desired, you can also purchased an A/C adaptor (not included in the box) and plug it into the wall for about an hour to charge the battery. The key is to make sure the battery is charged in some way BEFORE you do anything else. The only power cable in the box to operate/charge the Nuvi-1250t is a car adaptor!

Then log onto the Garmin website and register your GPS. When you register it and follow the instructions to hook up your GPS, the computer will link with your unit and tell you there is a SOFTWARE update available for your GPS. Actually, there are probably several. Perform the software update first even though it should show a free map offer update also. This might take a while depending on your internet connection but it's FREE and it makes sure you should not have problems later. The website does not tell you how many updates you need, it just keeps checking with your unit and tells you there is an update available after each check. Each software update will end with telling you to unplug the GPS, allow it to cycle off then back on, then waiting 30 seconds after reconnecting to the computer and clicking "complete". After this is done the first time it will probably still show AN update for software is still available. My unit had about 5 updates before it said my software was current. Don't make the mistake of thinking the updates are not working just because it keeps telling you there is AN UPDATE available for your software. Each time you follow the on-line instructions another update will be downloaded to your GPS. Keep doing it until it shows your software is current with no more software updates avaialble.

Then you will be offered a FREE update of the latest MAPS for your unit. Updating the Maps can take at least an hour so be prepared to spend some time when you chioose to do this ... but do it because it's FREE and will make sure you start out your GPS experience with the most current maps. The unit will work okay after the SOFTWARE updates are done, so if you don't have the time or want to update the maps right away you can use your GPS but the maps won't be current until you do.

There are a lot of other neat things on the website you might want to use, or at least make note of, for future downloads ... but update your software before you ever use the unit and get your free map update when you have an hour or so to kill.

The unit itself is fantastic for the price. This is my second Garmin GPS (first was a Nuvi-350 which I paid $400 for) and as expected in the electronics world, this unit is much faster, much more accurate and should be more than adequate for anyone who is looking for a GPS with traffic, but doesn't need Blue-Tooth or voice activation.

One thing about ALL Garmin products is that you WILL NOT get a complete owners manual in the box ... ever!! You can view the entire manual on the Garmin Website and/or download it to your computer and print it out, but all that is in the box is a "quick start" pamphelet. The menus are pretty easy once you learn them but if you are new to the world of touch-screen GPS you will need to "read the instructions" on the website and maybe print it out if future internet access will not be easily available. Quite a lot of electronic products are going to on-line manuals only so a computer with internet will be a neccesity shortly.

The good news is that the A/C adaptor, USB computer cable and car adaptors seem to be universal, so they should fit any Garmin GPS should you decide to puchase another Garmin later. Most likely the trend to only provide a car adaptor/charger on some Garmin units will continue.

I highly recommend the Nuvi-1250t and Amazon has some pretty good GPS deals if you watch for them.

I received this product as a Christmas gift. I had read the past reviews on Amazon about software problems and the screens going out so I was a little worried about using it.

Immediately after opening the box, before I even turned the unit on, I connected it to the computer, went straight to the Garmin website and downloaded all of the firmware and software updates (there were many) right to the unit. After doing that I downloaded the maps - give yourself plenty of time to get through all of this.

I have been using the device frequently over the past 3 months (and in many different states) and it has been extremely helpful and convenient. The device is very small and easy to carry, and I have not had a single glitch with the software or screen. I even downloaded extra voices and vehicles and such. Perhaps the other reviewers who had problems with their units didn't download the software/firmware updates right away, but I guess we can only speculate on that.

Just a few extra things about the device:
It takes a few uses to become familiar with the menus and navigating your way through all of the different options.
The directions have been accurate every time thus far.
The unit doesn't get a strong signal indoors, but outdoors it has been fine.
The speaker volume is sufficiently audible, except if I'm playing loud music.
The traffic device functions correctly, but I haven't run into a lot of bad traffic to see if it's accurate.

Regarding accessories - the portable friction mount is very useful if you don't want to deal with a windshield mount. I also suggest a screen protector.

Overall I am very satisfied with the product and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a GPS unit that works well and is compact.

Just returned this unit. There is a software problem with the new Garmins. It freezes and goes Black screen. No Good! I went back a model year and purchesed the Nuvi 255wt. So far so good.

I have used a Garmin Nuvi 360 for many years and liked it very much. In recent years, it kept bugging me to upgrade the map. I thought for not too much more than the price of a map upgrade, I might as well upgrade to this model as it is slimmer and newer, and it gives me the latest map. I now regret that decision.

Granted, it is slimmer and easier to carry. But this unit comes with one of those tiny power button that is very hard to press, or very hard to notice whether you have pressed it or not. That would not have made much difference if it comes on every time you press that button. The problem is, many times it just does not respond to that button. So you end up keep pressing it, and wondering whether you pressed it, or pressed at the right spot. Many times when I needed to use it, it just did not power on. I just came back from a road trip where I really could have used a GPS. Many attempts to get it to power on over 5 hours were unsuccessful. I tried it with the power cord, and without the power cord.

One week after I returned home and no longer needed it, it mysteriously powered on easily. So I cannot even return it to Garmin for service.

I think I will use this as a paper weight. I will not count on it for my next trip. I will use my old Nuvi 360. It does not have the latest map and the other bells and whistles, but it works.

7/2/2010 - This is an update to my earlier review, to reflect Garmin warranty service issues. I used the machine on my next trip. It worked perfectly for the first two hours, then suddenly turned itself off. No amount of trying can get it turned on since. I tried to return it to Garmin for warranty work, that was when I found out from Garmin's website that you cannot request a RMA number online. This is despite I already set up an online account with them and registered the unit. The Garmin website states that you need to telephone their technical support to obtain a RMA number. Sounds easy enough. Except that when I do call, there is never someone to pick up. It seems every minute during the hours they are "open", they are always "experiencing unusual high volume of calls" and the wait is "more than 30 minutes". I called in the morning, at night, at noon, gets the same busy excuse every time. What a creative way to avoid providing warranty service.

I agree with that there must be something wrong with this model. I got this model as a birthday gift in August, and the screen's frozen more times than it works. It sometimes shuts itself off, sometimes it won't turn off even if pressing the power button, and sometimes won't turn on...get another model than this one. Generally speaking Garmin's are great...no clue what happened with the 1250T

Purchased mine at Best Buy during an unadvertised clearance. So far, knock on wood, mine has been fully functional and I have not experieced the problems the other reviewers have mentioned. This GPS will get you to your destination with ease and is very user friendly.

The only cons I can see with mine is that it appears to have only 1 voice setting and the speaker volume is very, very low. If you go above 60% it starts to distort. The max you want to go in volume on this unit is 70%.

Overall I would recommend this unit if you are searching for a budget GPS that offers Text to Speach and Traffic.

Additional Notes:

2 months into using this unit I experienced it randomly powering down and the screen going black when in use. Also the maps started blinking prior to this on a long trip. Highly annoying! Further research on Garmin's support section showed that you need to d/l the "Web Updater" app and check to see if there is a new verison of software for your unit. Apparently these need a software update right out of the box as there appears to be a known bug so I would recommend that anyone who has this unit check for a software update as soon as you start using it. It should also be noted that they do not give you a USB cable for the unit but a standard mini USB cable will work.

[...]

I had the Garmin Nuvi 360 for 2-3 years and it worked great. I never ever had a problem with my Garmin Nuvi 360. Was time to upgrade the maps on it and decided to purchase the 1250T model so I get could new maps and traffic support. I do have a few issues with the 1250T though.

Cons:
1. You will be driving and the unit just powers off or reboots on random occasions. Very frustrating when you are navigating foreign areas. Note, I have the latest firmware and I still experience these problems. I have tried the unit in multiple cars and still experience this problem. Will call Garmin support for RMA info.

2. Sometimes the 1250T does not give advanced voice warning when it's time to exit from the highway. This makes for some sudden / tricky lane changes in order to make your desired exit.

3. Virtual Keyboard is not "QWERTY" but "ABC" rather.

4. Map upgrades are expensive.

5. Included suction cup mount will lose suction and unit will fall from some windshields (Purchase the bean bag mount instead. It works much better.)


Pros:
1. Free traffic support is nice.

2. Nice looking user interface.

i could not believe Garmin can sell this defective unit. i can't enter more than one letter when searching for city or state or street name. connected to PC and updated all the software for more than 90 minutes. still no use. can't enter more than one letter.. i had Magellan before, i am going to buy Magellan. i should have read all the reviews before buying this crap from Garmin.

I already own the Garmin Nuvi 660 and Nuvi 350, which I have reviewed on Amazon; I also have a built in GPS unit on one of the cars that I own; and I have Magellan Roadmate on my iPod Touch. I like this unit better than any of them. Here is why.

1. The Nuvi 660, the Magellan Roadmate (which has to be used with an external receiver) and to a greater extent the Nuvi 350, sometimes having difficulty getting a signal in cloudy or stormy weather. But the 1250T got a signal right away under these conditions. That is a big plus.

2. This unit is compact and light. You can easily fit it into your shirt pocket. This is important if you want to use it in pedestrian mode, such as when you are walking around a strange city. It also makes it easier to take with you when you leave the car to avoid the possibility of theft, such as when you park in a public garage.

3. The controls are very simple to operate. If you have owned a gps before, you will probably not even need to look at the manual. If this is your first gps, you will find it easy to figure out.

4. I used to think the larger the better for a gps screen, but over the years I have decided the smaller the better. Why? Because a smaller screen gives you all the information that you really need, and makes handling the unit easier for storage in the car or removal altogether.

5. With direct sunlight hitting the screen and with my sunglasses on, I was still able to see the display, though not as bright as on the Nuvi 660. But given the convenience of the smaller 1250T, the extra brightness would not be a factor if I were choosing between the two.

6. It appears that there were quality control issues with this unit when it first came out, but I have not experienced any of the problems so far in the two weeks that I have been using this unit every day.

7. Shop for price. My wife got this at a one day sale at an electronics store for $80.

Bottom line: For ease of use, convenience, and accuracy I recommend this unit.