Magellan RoadMate 700 - 3.8 in. Car GPS Receiver
- Form Factor: Fixed
- Map capabilities: Internal, Download maps
- Receiver Type: 12 Channels
- Enhanced accuracy: WAAS enabled, EGNOS enabled
- Screen Size: 3.8 in.
- GPS Type: Automobile
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Fearless driving at last!
Pros
Reasonable price, user-friendly, good tech support, accurate directions, built-in flexibility
Cons
Needs more point-of-interest categories.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
I wholeheartedly recommend this product for the peace of mind it gives you while driving.
I bought mine for 4 reasons: (1) road signage in Wisconsin is awful; (2) I get very anxious when I get lost; (3) the price has dropped down to around $300; and (4) most of the reviews have been very positive.
When I got the unit, I plugged it in and was disappointed to find it wouldn't power up. Called tech support (after checking to make sure it worked indoors, using the AC adapter) and they rushed a replacement car adapter to me. Guess what! Turns out I just wasn't pushing the adapter into the "cigarette lighter" hard enough. So, not their fault.
When I first played around with the unit to learn how to use it, it thought I was in San Dimas, CA, which is amusing, because that's where Bill & Ted's excellent adventure began! I called tech support back (fwiw, I got through right away both times), and he talked me through resetting it for my location. Apparently, if it's unused for a stretch of time, it forgets where it is, but it's quite easy to reset.
I've had no trouble using it, and I find it does exactly what I expected. It gets me to places I would otherwise have trouble finding, the screen has lots of useful information on it, not just the map and the turns, and it was easy to learn to use. One of my favorite features is that it recalculates the route automagically if you miss a turn (e.g, the exit ramp is closed) or take a shortcut.
All in all, I'm delighted with it and much more relaxed when I have to go somewhere I'm not familiar with. Someone asked why spend $1,000 (the unit is no longer anywhere near that expensive) when you could use a $10 map. A map doesn't give nearly as much information at a glance AND you either have to study the map really, really well before you go OR read the map while you're driving (risky) OR bring someone along to read you the directions. With the GPS thingy, I'm focused on the road, not a map. When you use a map, if the road sign you need is missing or covered with snow, you're screwed. When you use a GPS, it doesn't need to see the road signs.
When I got the unit, I plugged it in and was disappointed to find it wouldn't power up. Called tech support (after checking to make sure it worked indoors, using the AC adapter) and they rushed a replacement car adapter to me. Guess what! Turns out I just wasn't pushing the adapter into the "cigarette lighter" hard enough. So, not their fault.
When I first played around with the unit to learn how to use it, it thought I was in San Dimas, CA, which is amusing, because that's where Bill & Ted's excellent adventure began! I called tech support back (fwiw, I got through right away both times), and he talked me through resetting it for my location. Apparently, if it's unused for a stretch of time, it forgets where it is, but it's quite easy to reset.
I've had no trouble using it, and I find it does exactly what I expected. It gets me to places I would otherwise have trouble finding, the screen has lots of useful information on it, not just the map and the turns, and it was easy to learn to use. One of my favorite features is that it recalculates the route automagically if you miss a turn (e.g, the exit ramp is closed) or take a shortcut.
All in all, I'm delighted with it and much more relaxed when I have to go somewhere I'm not familiar with. Someone asked why spend $1,000 (the unit is no longer anywhere near that expensive) when you could use a $10 map. A map doesn't give nearly as much information at a glance AND you either have to study the map really, really well before you go OR read the map while you're driving (risky) OR bring someone along to read you the directions. With the GPS thingy, I'm focused on the road, not a map. When you use a map, if the road sign you need is missing or covered with snow, you're screwed. When you use a GPS, it doesn't need to see the road signs.
