Hardware Archives - Page 4 of 33

Garmin Dakota 10 and 20

June 26, 2009 By Rich Owings 5 Comments

UPDATE: Read my hands on Garmin Dakota 20 review. I also have a dedicated Garmin Dakota 10 page.

Rumors have been showing up online for awhile now about a new handheld series, and today it’s official – the touch-screen Garmin Dakota 10 and Dakota 20 have been announced.

The Dakota series seems to be filling the eTrex niche. They are rated as having a 20 hour battery life (vs. 16 for the Oregon series) and they will not come with pre-loaded detailed maps – only a basemap. Screen size is 2.6” (diagonal) vs. 3” for the Oregon series. Both Dakota models support paperless geocaching, but not Wherigo cartridges. One interesting thing – they both will store up to 200 tracks compared to the Oregon’s 20!

Filed Under: Garmin, Garmin handheld GPS, Geocaching, Handheld/Sport, Hardware

Garmin nuvi 1490T review

June 16, 2009 By Rich Owings 221 Comments

UPDATE: This model has been discontinued. For current recommendations, please refer to our auto GPS buyers guide.

Hands on review of the Garmin nuvi 1490T

The Garmin nüvi 1490T offers a 5” wide screen and multi-destination routing, features not found on any of the nuvi 12xx or 13xx models.

UPDATE: Now available bundled with lifetime map updates as the Garmin nuvi 1490LMT

Filed Under: Auto, Garmin, Garmin auto GPS, GPS Reviews, Hardware Tagged With: Garmin nuvi 1490T

Magellan RoadMate 1470 review

June 1, 2009 By Rich Owings 246 Comments

The Magellan RoadMate 1470 is one of several new models introduced by the company in the spring of 2009. This 4.7” touch-screen unit offers Magellan’s new One Touch interface, AAA TourBook, Highway Lane Assist, exit POIs and multi-destination routing.

Filed Under: Auto, GPS Reviews, Hardware, Magellan, Magellan auto GPS Tagged With: Magellan RoadMate 1470

TwoNav Aventura is a lust-worthy GPS

May 27, 2009 By Rich Owings 15 Comments

I don’t often write about GPS receivers that aren’t available in the U.S., but I’m making an exception today with the TwoNav Aventura. For one thing, the company is on the lookout for a stateside distributor, so we may see it here yet. Another reason is it will accept just about any kind of map – more on that in a moment. The Aventura is a dual-use device, but it’s the handheld possibilities that excite me, so if you’re an outdoor type, I encourage you to read on.

Filed Under: Aerial imagery, Handheld/Sport, Hardware, Maps, Other handheld GPS

Garmin nuvi 465T review

May 10, 2009 By Rich Owings 7 Comments

UPDATE: Read my GPS for trucks page.

UPDATE 2: This model has been discontinued, although the nuvi 465LMT is still available.

The Garmin nüvi 465T is the company’s first GPS designed for long-haul navigation and delivery trucks. The 465T will support multiple truck profiles, selecting routes based upon restrictions such as height, width, length, weight and hazardous materials. Truckers will be able to enter their truck’s dimensions and load restrictions, with the nuvi adjusting many routes based on the customized truck profile and available map data.

Filed Under: Garmin auto GPS, GPS Reviews, Hardware Tagged With: Garmin nuvi 465T

Garmin Oregon 550 and 550T

May 7, 2009 By Rich Owings 30 Comments

garmin-oregon-550t

UPDATE: Read my hands on Garmin Oregon 550t review. I’ve also posted a page for the Oregon 550.

The Garmin Oregon 550 and 550T are being announced this morning, models that were first rumored back in March. The 550 series brings several new features to the Oregon line:

As expected, a camera (3.2 megapixels, 4x zoom, auto-focus) for snapping geotagged photos
A tri-axial compass, so you don’t have to hold it level when navigating
An “enhanced sunlight-readable touchscreen,” hopefuly improving one of the few negative characteristics of this high-resolution display series
Two-precharged AA NiMH batteries and a charger are included as well!

Filed Under: Garmin, Garmin handheld GPS, Handheld/Sport, Hardware Tagged With: Oregon

Garmin nuvi 1490T offers 5-inch screen

April 16, 2009 By Rich Owings 3 Comments

Garmin-nuvi-1490T

Update: Read my hands on Garmin nuvi 1490T review.

The Garmin nuvi 1490T was announced today, a 5-inch wide version of the recently unveiled 1200 and 1300 series units. This will be a relatively high-end model, with lifetime traffic alerts, lane assist / junction view and Bluetooth. It also brings something to the table not found on the 1200/1300 models – multi-destination routing.

Filed Under: Auto, Garmin, Garmin auto GPS, Hardware

Dual use GPS for road and trail

April 8, 2009 By Rich Owings 38 Comments

Dual-use-GPS

UPDATE: The Magellan eXplorist 710, introduced in the fall of 2010, is another dual-use unit worthy of consideration.

UPDATE 2: Garmin has a new dual use entry with their Garmin Montana series.

I want a GPS that does it all; this has got to be one of the most frequent requests I hear.

Several companies have tried to create GPS receivers that will work well on the road or in your hand — for backcountry use, geocaching or what have you. The latest example is the Garmin nuvi 500 series, pictured above at left.

Filed Under: FAQs, Handheld/Sport, Hardware

Magellan RoadMate 1340, 1440 and 1470

April 6, 2009 By Rich Owings 43 Comments

RoadMate-1470-OneTouch

UPDATE: Read our hands-on Magellan RoadMate 1470 review. I’ve also posted a page for the Magellan RoadMate 1440.

It’s official now; Magellan has introduced three new models – the RoadMate 1340, 1440 and 1470. Each of the new models offers their One Touch interface, AAA TourBook, text-to-speech, Highway Lane Assist, exit POIs and multi-destination routing.

Here are the details:

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

Magellan beefs up features on RoadMate line

April 6, 2009 By Rich Owings 2 Comments

Magellan-RoadMate-1470

UPDATE: Read our hands-on Magellan RoadMate 1470 review. I’ve also posted pages for the Magellan RoadMate 1220 and 1440.

Though there’s been no official announcement, Magellan quietly rolled out three new RoadMate units at CTIA last week, and one – the 4.7” Magellan RoadMate 1470 (pictured above) – is already available at Amazon.

The new models add features to the entry-level RoadMate series that were previously found only on the Maestro line. For example, the RoadMate 1470 includes Magellan’s new “One Touch” interface, multi-destination routing, highway lane assist, and AAA TourBook features.

I’ll post details on all the new models as soon as the info becomes available.