The Garmin Nuvi 1200 is really a multifunction GPS. It is primarily an automobile GPS made to guide you to your destination with its map display and spoken street names.
However, once you reach your driving destination, put it in your pocket and strike out as you navigate on foot. Using the Nuvi 1200 is not the equivalent of hand held units like the Garmin GPS 60CSx or the DeLorme Earthmate PN-40. These hand helds are made for hiking the wild canyons of the west. The Nuvi 1200 is made for hiking the urban canyons of cities.
Garmin made the Nuvi 1200 thinner and lighter than previous models so it easily fits in your pocket or purse for city navigation. It will navigate for you with the preloaded maps, but if you really want an advantage in your urban navigation, download a new Garmin map feature called cityXplorer(TM).
cityXplorer(TM) allows you to download maps of specific cities in North America and Europe that provide what Garmin calls "enhanced pedestrian navigation capabilities". These capabilities will guide you around a city and tell you how to reach your destination using a combination of foot and public transport. The 1200 will tell you where to catch the bus or subway and how long it will take you to get to your destination.
In some cities, you can download transit schedules, such as subway or bus times and routes.
As of the date of this article, there are maps for 28 cities in North America including three in Canada and 35 cities in Europe. The coverage of European cities is surprising with Riga, Latvia, Tallinn, Estonia, and Vilnius, Lithuania on the list.
The Garmin Nuvi 1200 is the entry level model of the Nuvi 1200 series. The Nuvi 1250 and the Nuvi 1260T both have more capability than the Nuvi 1200 if you want a higher end unit. However, they all offer the cityXplorer(TM) benefits.
For a wider screen version check out the Nuvi 1300 series.
Just be aware that Garmin does not ship a USB/mini USB cable with the unit. This is the major complaint from customer reviews. However, you can buy a cable for approximately .00 if you don't already have one.
If your travels take you to the big cities, you might seriously consider buying a Nuvi 1200 or 1300 series GPS to make your life easier.
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