Archives for November 2007

Magellan Tritons available but…

November 30, 2007 By Rich Owings 1 Comment

UPDATE: Read my Magellan Triton 1500 review.

The long-awaited Magellan Triton series is starting to show up at e-tailers and retailers, but there are good reasons to look before you leap. The Triton 300 is available at some Sportsmans Warehouse stores according to this report. Radio Shack is showing the 300 and 1500 as available, while NewEgg lists the 1500 as out of stock.

I received a Triton 1500 from NewEgg.com yesterday, but was disappointed to find that the USB cable, VantagePoint software and manual were missing. I wasn’t the only one to receive a 1500 without all of the accessories.

Please note that this problem may be limited to the 1500s, as the one report I’ve seen on a 300 said the cable was included.

Filed Under: Handheld/Sport, Hardware, Magellan, Magellan handheld GPS, The business of GPS

Magellan RoadMate 1200 review

November 30, 2007 By Rich Owings 1 Comment

The Magellan RoadMate 1200 seems like it was designed just to satisfy the market’s demand for a low-end, entry level GPS. It has only 1.3 million points of interest (POIs), a 3.5″ color touch-screen and comes pre-loaded with maps of the entire U.S. except Alaska. For an in-depth look at the RoadMate series, check out my hands-on review of the Magellan RoadMate 1412.

Filed Under: Auto, GPS Reviews, Hardware, Magellan, Magellan auto GPS

Ten new cities get live traffic coverage

November 27, 2007 By Rich Owings Leave a Comment

Clear Channel Radio has announced that its real time traffic network for GPS devices will now cover ten additional markets, bringing total coverage to 80 metropolitan areas.

The new regions include Baton Rouge, La.; Colorado Springs, Colo.; Des Moines, Iowa; Ft. Pierce, Fla.; Greenville, S.C.; Harrisburg, Pa.; Huntsville, Ala.; Lexington, Kent.; Madison, Wisc. and Tulsa, Okla.

Filed Under: Location based services

Magellan Maestro 3200 review

November 27, 2007 By Rich Owings 4 Comments

The Magellan Maestro 3200 is the entry-level device in Magellan’s thinner and lighter second generation Maestro line up. It has a 3.5″ color touch screen, preloaded maps of the entire U.S. except Alaska, and 1.3 million points of interest (POIs).

Step up to the Maestro 3210 and you’ll get maps of Alaska and Canada, six million POIs, and AAA TourBook info.

Filed Under: Auto, GPS Reviews, Hardware, Magellan, Magellan auto GPS

Navigon 2100 review

November 21, 2007 By Rich Owings 6 Comments

NOTE: Navigon has pulled out of the U.S. market and we are no longer recommending their receivers. Check out our auto GPS buyers guide for our current recommendations.

UPDATE: The new Navigon 2100 max updates the 2100 with a 4.3″ wide screen and the DirectHelp emergency screen.

The Navigon 2100 is Navigon’s entry level GPS device. Even so, it offers text-to-speech, so you’ll get “turn left on Oak Street” rather than just “turn left.” It also has the “reality view” feature for major highway interchanges, as shown above.

Filed Under: Auto, GPS Reviews, Hardware, Navigon, Navigon auto GPS

Magellan Triton delays

November 20, 2007 By Rich Owings 7 Comments

CORRECTION: I just received a correction telling me that Magellan will be rolling out units prior to the holiday season, but that review units probably won’t be available yet.

My bad. Unfortunately this means I have to buy one if I want to be an early tester!

UPDATE: Read my Magellan Triton 1500 review.

ORIGINAL POST: If you’re expecting a Magellan Triton under the Christmas tree this year, you might be in for a disappointment. Magellan’s PR folks are now saying there won’t be any review units until January, though there’s no officially updated timeline from Magellan. Originally targeted for a September release, these handheld units have excited geocachers and backcountry enthusiasts with their ability to display National Geographic TOPO! maps.

But that may be just what’s holding the release up. Rumor has it that there are problems with the software that sends maps to the units. This seems to be borne out by a report that National Geographic has been “scrambling to finish the interface.”

Filed Under: Magellan, The business of GPS

TomTom ONE 3rd edition review

November 20, 2007 By Rich Owings 3 Comments

UPDATE: This model has been discontinued. For a list of current TomTom models and their features, please see our TomTom comparison chart.

The TomTom ONE 3rd edition adds several new features to the original TomTom ONE. Most notable is Map Share, which allows you to update certain map inaccuracies. The 3rd edition also adds TMC traffic as an option.

Filed Under: GPS Reviews, TomTom auto GPS

Mio POI loader

November 19, 2007 By Rich Owings 2 Comments

Mio has posted a Mio POI loader that allows you to transfer .csv or .xls POI files to an SD card and have them show up under My POI on your Mio device.

The POI loader may work with newer devices beyond those listed. I’m currently testing a Mio C720t and it worked fine with it.

I’m adding a link to this on my custom POI resource page, where you can find lots of POI sources to use with your GPS.

Filed Under: Mio, Software

Is MSN Direct the best traffic service?

November 15, 2007 By Rich Owings 20 Comments

Is MSN Direct superior to TMC / TTN for live traffic info? Jack Yeazel of the well-respected site GPSInformation.net thinks it may be. He recently posted on the sci.geo.satellite-nav UseNet group:

"For a couple of months I’ve been comparing these two traffic sources in the Atlanta area with a nuvi 660 (TTN) and a 680 (MSN Direct)…

Well here, MSN Direct obviously uses more of the traffic monitoring stations than TTN, resulting in a more-detailed display of changing traffic conditions… As for "reality", MSN Direct also seems superior…

(Not to mention that you also get Gasoline Prices, Weather Forecasts, and Movie Schedules (not available with TTN) for $50 a year as compared to $60 for TTN)… And pardon for "beating this dead horse", you get one year trial subscription with MSN Direct as compared to three months with TTN."

Filed Under: Best of the boards, Location based services

TomTom GO 920/920T review

November 15, 2007 By Rich Owings 5 Comments

UPDATE: This model has been discontinued. For current recommendations, please refer to our TomTom comparison chart.

The TomTom GO 920 / 920T is TomTom’s new top-of-the-line GPS navigator. This one has it all — pre-loaded maps of the U.S., Canada and Europe, voice commands, FM transmitter, Bluetooth, text-to-speech, Map Share, remote control and an included traffic receiver. The TomTom 920 has everything except that the traffic receiver, which is available as an optional accessory.

The really hot new features on this unit are voice commands and what TomTom calls Enhanced Positioning Technology (EPT). This uses dead reckoning sensors to help keep track of your position when you lose satellite coverage (in tunnels, etc.).

Filed Under: Auto, GPS Reviews, Hardware, TomTom, TomTom auto GPS Tagged With: TomTom GO 920, TomTom GO 920T