digital compasses

I purchased a Magellan Roadmate 700 two weeks ago and returned it for the following reasons.

1. I sent two emails to product support and have in three weeks had no response. I will not purchase products from a company that does not support their products

2. The power failed twice for no apparent reason during critical parts of the drive, and I had to pull over restart the unit which was a considerable annoyance. For the price, the quality control is lacking and I won't buy a unit I cannot trust to function.I have seen others complain of quality control

3. Magellan should be embarrased by the speaker and recorded sounds. On a $1300 unit the quality of the sound is dismal ,scratchy and equivalent to that which comes out of my three year old's $10 toy that plays back pre-recorded sounds. The sounds generated when touching buttons and the keyboard are like a spring breaking or twanging and are jarring and highly annoying and cannot be disabled.

4. There is no ability to to add a current location to favorite addresses- what an oversight on a $1300 unit.

5. There is no identifiable way to update this product for future database changes or firmware changes. A huge oversight that guarantees obsolescence in one year. After paying $1300 I have no intention of paying yet more to buy 120Volt adaptor and USB connector if upgrades ever become feasible.Note no mapping CD is included, and one can bet that will be a big extra cost too if ever offered.

6. Again for the $1300 there is one poorly designed mount included. One promising mount, the friction mount,remains unavailable and the expectation is to pay $50 to buy additional functional mounts[although there is a discount coupon included for first purchase of an accessory]. Where is the friction mount promised for January? [It is now February].

7. The auto contrast function never worked - again a quality control issue.

8. In over two weeks of driving with the unit on the dash and under cloudy or clear conditions, flat or hilly conditions the WAAS [Blue]accuracy never appeared. Is this a malfunction or statement that the suppled antenna cannot get the reception promised [ie shell our more money for an external antenna]

9. The screen proved difficult if not impossible to view in sunny conditions due to reflections on the screen surface. Not very useful when the sun is out.

10 Search by cuisine would be helpful.

Overall for the quality of the product and its features/reliability it is way overpriced. It was released before thinking some options through and without even a full array of mounts for the unit probably for competitive reasons.

I bought mine at Harmony Computers for $1050 in January 2004, but they don't sell it that cheap anymore. I find this thing indespensible. I work in the film business at different locations all over Los Angeles, and we usually get directions to the location, but never back, and sometimes their directions are terrible. I can relax on the way to work knowing I won't get lost, and I just punch up my home address when I 'm ready to go home, and I easily find my way home. It's saves huge amounts of time and aggravation for me.

I called customer service and got the gooseneck windshield mount, and it functions OK, but I found a much burlier alternative suction cup mount at www.autonav2000.com that they make for the Magellan. I also purchased the external antenna, just so that I know I'm getting the best possible reception, and I almost always have the blue WAAS indicator on, even in downtown Los Angeles amongst the tall buildings.

The Positive:
-Easy input of addresses (I do it while driving sometimes. Really naughty, but easy)
-Fast route calculation and recalculation
-It tells you how long till you arrive, so if you're running late, you can give a fairly accurate estimate of arrival by phone.
-Easy to read display, even when the sun is shining directly on it
-Pleasant male voice
-TONS of color display options. I use white on black, so it doesn't light up the cockpit at night.
-Easy detachment of device when parking somewhere dodgy
-Easy to find the nearest gas station. DO NOT ENTER A STATION NAME (just press OK), and you will be given the list of all the different gas stations, starting with the closest one. Works with all points of interest.
-You can easily move it from car to car, and impress all of your friends and use it in rental cars all over the US and Canada.
-If you windshield mount it, the stock antenna works just fine.

The not so great:
-USB cable to update is not available yet, but there's a firmware update available on the Magellan site. Help!
-Occasional lock ups and delays in satellite acquisition. New firmware supposedly rectifies this.
-Saved addresses not automatically alphabetized. That would be a nice option.
-Proper vehicle mounting is going to cost you at least $100. Most of their mounting options for less are junk.
-Occasionally, the numerical address is off by 50-150 feet. Not much of a problem, unless you end up getting out in front of a Latino gangster's crack house looking for your white friend. Already happened once...

That all said, I LOVE this device. Everyone I show it to is amazed by its usefullness. With the external antenna, I've always got great reception all over Los Angeles and the surrounding areas. Even dirt roads with names are shown. I've saved so much time not trying to write down tedious directions over the phone, and it's nice always knowing what street you're on. You won't regret this device, if you get the external antenna and burly windshield mount. Also, just buy an AC cigarette lighter adaptor to use it in the house and input addresses at home. Do not buy the Magellan Roadmate Case for $45, it's a waste of money and it's stupidly designed.

My wife purchased the Magellan Roadmate 700. I have the Garmin Streetpilot III in my car. I was very angry with her for purchasing another GPS since we already owned one. She said it was easier to use than my Garmin. I took her Magellan GPS for a day to prove her wrong and had to eat crow. I really tried to make it worse, but it was just so accurate and simple to use. The Magellan Roadmate 700 came preloaded with the entire U.S. map. I had to purchase maps to download into my Garmin. Every time I go out of state I have to download the new area into my Garmin. The Magellan already has it loaded. The Magellan was very user friendly. The touch screen was a breeze to navigate with. It was just simple. Plug it in and go. Needless to say she wants her Magellan back. This is a great product. I had heard it advertised on the Glenn Beck radio show and it is everything they said and more. I highly recommend this GPS product.