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| Magellan RoadMate 2200T Portable GPS Navigator, Silver | 
 enlarge | Brand: Magellan
Category: CE
List Price: $549.99
Buy New: $154.00
You Save: $395.99 (72%)
New (2) Used (3) Refurbished (2)
Avg. Customer Rating:  83 reviews
Sales Rank: 9142
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Native Resolution: 320 x 240
Includes MP3 Player: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.1
Dimensions (in): 8 x 6 x 9
MPN: 980897-01
Model: 980897-01
UPC: 763357116014
EAN: 0763357116014
ASIN: B000IELOY4
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Basic Solid Unit September 15, 2007
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
Overview
The Magellan 2200 T is a compact model in the Roadmate series. If you are familiar with other Roadmate models you will instantly be at home with the primary color theme with boxy icons of the GUI. Although very similar in look, the 2200 has many subtle GUI changes from earlier models (like the 300 series) that enhance performance. It features a 3.5 inch touch screen that controls most functions. Like other Roadmates, the screen is very bright giving it an advantage over other brands in bright sunlight. Other unique properties include the fact that it is weather resistant and has an exceptionally long battery life (8 hour is listed on the box). These later facts could make it practical to use out of the car.
Routing
The reason that anyone buys a GPS unit is routing. You put in an address and the unit guides you there. Magellan's big break into the US market was by putting "Never Lost" systems into Hertz rentals, so it had to develop a system that could be used by someone without reading a 100 page manual. These characteristics have carried through to their consumer products.
Imputing an address is very simple and improved from the earlier 300 series. With the older series (which I have) I often felt that adding an address was like playing Sudoku. Which combination of letters would give me the address that I knew was inside the unit? The 2200T has some simple changes (like asking for a city first) that has made this process much easier and more efficient. For instance, I no longer have to dig through a dozen "River Roads" to find the right one. In conclusion: entering addresses is a snap!
Magellans always ask your route preference (shortest time, most use of expressways, least use of expressways, etc.) every time you ask it to plot a route. I never realize what a huge advantage this was until I used units from other brands which typically require you to change routing methods by digging around in menus. For instance, if you are traveling through a big city during rush hour you may want to avoid an expressway (which is routed when you pick "shortest time").
Roadmates are very good at giving your multiple, clear, auditory and visual indicators of your next maneuver. I have used other units (the Mio brand) where I couldn't even figure out what the maneuver icon was telling me (it looked like a letter from the Klingon alphabet). This has never happened using Magellan units (and I have used them for years). Roadmates will also tell you what side of the street your address is on, surprisingly, this is not a universal practice among all brands.
The 2200T has "text-to-speech" or TTS. This means that the unit will say something like: "Turn right in 500 feet, Washington Street" instead of "Turn right in 500 feet." Professional reviewers think TTS is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Personally, I think that it is nice, but the old audio cues worked fine too. Anyway, the 2200 has this feature.
In addition you get a number of routing enhancements in the 2200T. It is easy to exclude a part of a calculated route (perhaps you know the road is under construction). The 2200T will also sense and then signal you when you are traveling too slowly on an expressway. By pressing a button or two the unit will "detour" you off that expressway for the number of miles you prefer. The unit will also allow you to plan a trip that has up to 20 different destinations and it will then route you between those destinations. This feature could be useful for a delivery driver who needs to drop off at multiple sites.
Magellan units have a little function called "locate." By pressing a button the unit gives you your location, simple, but really useful. On an expressway it will tell you the next exit. On a rural road it lets you know what town (township) you are in. It will also approximate an actual address. Great if you need roadside assistance!
I thought that all of the Roadmates used the same routing engine but the 2200T seems calculate things a bit differently. When choosing "least use of highways" other units tend to go for the major streets where the 2200T will sometimes pick smaller (but perfectly acceptable) streets. This is more to my preference. The 2200T will get you where you want to go.
Points of Interest (POIs)
Routing is the most important function of a GPS unit, but POIs are important too. Combining the POI database with GPS capabilities can tell you (for instance) where the closest gas station is.
Roadmates not only give you the distance to a POI but also the direction. It may be easier to go to a grocery store 20 miles ahead than to backtrack 10 miles behind. Surprisingly not all brands of GPS units give you this directional information (they just give distance).
The 2200T has a relatively small POI data base of 1.5 million. This will give you access to core POIs (gas stations, hotels, restaurants, ATMs, car services) and quite a few other categories (grocery stores, shopping malls, police stations, schools and many others). Still, at this small size categories that could be useful to travelers are missing (like campgrounds, pharmacies and cinemas).
All POI data bases (and I have used many) are incomplete and inaccurate. With that said, they are still useful. I tested the 2200T by searching various categories at my home location. Generally I found that it did list most (but not all) gas stations, restaurants and the like. Unfortunately, I found that the data base also had a lot of old data in it. When looking under grocery stores it listed one that had closed 15 years earlier. A major shopping mall had changed its name at least 5 years ago, but it was listed under the old name. I name searched for "Target" and it said that the closes one was in a different state despite the fact that I have two of them less than 10 minutes away from my house.
The 2200T has a category called "Exit POIs" which I have not seen in other brands. This is a very useful and clever feature. When you are traveling on an expressway it will search for core POIs and list them per exit(s). For instance it may say that the next exit is 20 miles ahead and there are gas stations and restaurants close to that exit. Touch the appropriate icon and you will get (for instance) the names of the restaurants.
You can also add custom POIs to the 2200T using an easy to use (and provided) program from Magellan. Using this program not only allows you to make your own POI data bases but to also convert the many that are available on the internet. In this way you can beef up your built-in POIs. There seems to be an endless supply of POI data bases that range from Target store locations to drive-in theater locations. The PC software has several data fields, but only the "name" field shows up on the GPS unit. This is unfortunate as there is space for at least one other data field which could provide additional info like a phone number. A simple firmware update could easily fix this problem. You can also set alarms to custom data bases. For instance, an alarm could sound when you enter a school speed zone.
Fluff and Stuff
GPS units are basically little computers and like any computer they are running an OS under the GPS program. This fact makes it easy (and cheap) to add little "value added" applets that may make a unit seem more desirable.
The 2200T features a basic MP3 player and a photo viewer. Personally, I can't see using my GPS unit to look at photos or listen to MP3s.
The 2200T is also "traffic upgradeable" which is a cool idea "in concept." You can buy a traffic receiver for the 2200T (not cheap) and it will send data to your unit. It will then alert you to bad traffic conditions an help you plan an alternative route around it. It is a great idea that is not quite ready for prime time. Only about 50 major cities have these traffic broadcasts and only on major highways. The function may be great if you do a lot of center city driving but it is certainly not very useful in the suburbs (unless you constantly drive into the center city) or outside these major markets. In addition, you have to pay a yearly subscription fee. At this point in time a good old traffic report on the radio serves much the same purpose and it is FREE.
The 2200T can be upgraded to also be used outside the car (adding topo maps). It then become a multi-purpose unit for both car navigation and outdoor activities like hiking. The problem is, I can't find the "upgrade" software anywhere, including the Magellan web site. If is was reasonably priced the upgrade may be a nice bonus. However, the serious adventurer would probably opt for a dedicated outdoor GPS device which would offer more specific features and a smaller size.
In conclusion: The 2200T is a basic GPS unit with some added features. It (like other Roadmates) does a fantastic job at routing to destinations. It is very easy to use and includes many convenience features not found on some other competitors (always asking for routing choices, telling you what side of the street an address is on, exit POIs, etc). Although still useful, it is a shame that it has a limited and aging POI data base. This is partially remedied by the ability to add custom data bases but again hampered by the inability to view a second data field on the unit (for data like a phone number). Other add-ons, like the traffic receiver, may be desirable to subgroups of users. You can now get the 2200T as a refurb for about $200. At this price point it is a great value and recommended.
 excellent system September 11, 2007
First I was little bit nervous after reading some negative reviews. But after receving my 2200T, I found it very useful. On the last weekend we went to Chicago downtown, and amzingly it worked so fine that for the first time in life, we enjoyed so good driving experience. Just forget all driving direction worries, this small unit will take care of everyting. I like the bell sound on the exact turn. Its a wonderful feature. Maps are good and POIs also okay. Overall me and my wife are happy to have this GPS. Its really a good roadmate.
Great GPS Navigator for the price that does the job well September 4, 2007
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
I recently acquired the Magellan RoadMate 2200T driven by the recent price drop to about $180 and the fact that I have used Magellan products in the past. In fact this unit replaces an old Magellan RoadMate 300 and is quite similar in operation. If you are comparing this product or other products from Magellan to Garmin (e.g Nuvi series) my opinion is that the software that comes with the Magellan is far superior. The first nice thing about the Magellan RoadMate is that the main screen at all times tells you the name of the street or highway that you are currently on along with the direction of travel. Nuvi unfortunately does not provide this basic status/location information on the main screen and I found that to be a major downside of using a Nuvi after having gotten used to the RoadMate main screen. The other great thing about the RoadMate software is that once you set a destination you can always preview the route along with a turn-by-turn list of maneuvers; you cannot do this with the Nuvi. This is a really nice feature because it lets you validate the proposed directions, a nice ability in areas that are unfamiliar or being travelled for the first time. The one irritation I discovered with the 2200T compared to the RoadMate 300 is the removal of the "general direction of destination" arrow. Once you set a destination on the RoadMate 300 an arrow is displayed on the main screen which at all times points to the general direction of travel that you will have to pursue in order to make progress towards you intended destination. This is a really useful feature because it always reassures at all times that you are making progress towards your destination, especially if you have to take an unexpected detour. Unfortunately, the display of this arrow has for some inexplicable reason been removed from the software for the Magellan RoadMate 2200T. Why, Magellan, Why? Why remove a perfectly nice feature that only serves to annoy your long time users and customers? The preloaded points of interest databases for Magellan RoadMates compared with Garmin Nuvis are comparable in that they seem to be both equally deficient. I had purchased a non-skid dashboard mount in the aftermarket for my RoadMate 300 which I was able to reuse with the RoadMate 2200T since the mounting interfaces are identical. The dashboard mount is a tripod like device that has heavy, non-skid feet that just sit on the dashboard. I have found this to be superior to using the suction cup mount provided. This information may be useful to those who have the non-skid dashboard mount tripod since this compatibility is not mentioned anywhere else. If you are looking for a basic unit that works out of the box this is a good one to get hold of.
Love it! September 2, 2007
15 out of 15 found this review helpful
After waiting a rather long time, we decided to finally buy a hand-held GPS navigation unit. What better time than to buy it just before our Labor Day weekend vacation?
After comparing products by Tom-Tom, Garmin and Magellan, I decided to buy the 2200T. I weighed Tom-Tom One and the Magellan 3100 Maestro and for kicks, the Mio C220. Both the Tom-Tom and the Mio products didn't my ONE essential feature you should look for - text-to-voice. This feature alone is a time and stress saver if you are driving alone and say you see three streets ahead and the unit says 'turn right 200 yards'. When you are new to Manhattan and you need to make turns fairly quickly with all the bumper-kissing traffic behind and incredibly over the speed limit, you do not want the unit to not say the street name. I say the one feature, because I was looking at a unit costing less than $200 and at
this range you will have some basic plus features built-in such as portability, voice directions, pre-loaded maps, easy-to-use interface, maybe the sirfstar III chip, etc. The 2200T I ended up buying was a refurbished unit and with speed shipping cost me slightly over 190.
I can state all the features of the unit which would be mere repetition. So, I will stick to what struck me most.
After it arrived, the unit wouldn't power on. After some frustration, my wife realized that it was because the battery wasn't charged. So plug in the unit with the supplied power adapter. Look for the adapter being part of the package, some units only have the car adapter.
First off, the unit (Lynn as I called her or sometime M.J. both together rhyming with Magellan!) gives easy options to override a route. This is handy if you know which route to take best at the start of your journey, like from home to the nearest entry to the freeway. Whenever, you don't follow the displayed route, M.J. re-routed fairly quickly, almost within 3 seconds, due to the advanced Sirfstar III chipset.
The unit reminded us about 2 miles and again in 1/2 mile in advance of a turn, which is nice, especially in unfamiliar territory. Over the 800 miles we drove, it missed this only once, but it wasn't a big deal as the road (I-95) veered off the right after splitting into another route, something I didn't miss due to the clear markings. Along with the warning, it tells what the next turn would be preparing you in advance. For e.g., 'Exit number 123 in 0.4 miles followed by a slight left turn'. At exactly (almost) the point where you turn or veer-off, the unit emits a ding-ding sound that assures you are on the right track (or just missed the turn, for e.g.).
As I was driving, I almost never looked into the unit as my wife or my son were keeping track more than I was. But the voice was pretty clear to follow, if I were to use it on my own. The voice lacks intonations and the words can sound funny sometimes and not clearly comprehensible, but seeing the road signs ahead I could make out what was meant. The unit is pretty light weight and though a bit more than desirably-slim, can fit into a pocket or a purse. But the coolness factor was not my priority.
There were times when the road name wasn't recognized correctly. It kept repeating 295 for 395 around Washington D.C and similarly in another area in Maryland. But, don't expect this or any GPS unit to be perfect. You can't forget to look out a bit for yourself, lest you want to enslave yourself to the unit, however enticing!
The best part was, and the whole price I paid was worth it, when we were entering the Harbor tunnel in Portsmouth and there was over 3 miles of back-up. The yellow flashing image on the left side of the unit, when pressed, showed us an alternate route. Not wanting to wait over 30 minutes, we decided to act as directed. And, lo-and-behold, in an area we have never been in, it guided us through to the other side over a close-by bridge. This feature (alternate route), comes on when it senses the speed of the vehicle to have slowed down considerable (like 10mph) due to traffic, for example. Time and stress saver, right here! It saved us more when we were again stuck in traffic at 9 PM and guided us through back-street Norfolk to our hotel.
Now for another great feature - We were easily able to find an Indian restaurant in the vicinity and arrived there without any problem at all. Without the unit, we wouldn't even have ventured to drive 7-8 miles after dark! This gave us so much confidence that we tracked down another restaurant to our liking the next day.
We couldn't find a Wal-Mart close by when we wanted to, but we found an outlet mall easily. Again 2 million points of interest (POI) is a lot but not enough to cover every conceivable store/doctor you would like to find in a vacation place.
As I write this review, we all feel that M.J. or Lynn (still being debated) is already part of the family and we are eager to explore more with it. Did I say that the display was clear and that Consumer's Reports rated the 2200T as a best buy? If you are on the line with the 2200T, I am confident you will love it as we do.
[...]
 Not WORTH it!!!! August 21, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
My Magellan is less than 3 months old and freezes up. It's extremely hard to update as well. But that's not the problem, I could deal with those things. It's the customer service that is HORRIBLE!!!! All the customer support is out of India and they have set scripts which they use to answer your questions. If you want some real fun, start asking off the wall questions...they won't know what to do. I sent my unit back for repair by UPS, insured. It's been over 11 days and they state they have not received the product though I have the proof they did. But it doesn't matter because you will never find anyone that is actually in America to answer your questions. I finally called the company headquarters in California and spoke to Accounting so they could patch me in to someone in AMERICA!!!
I still don't know if I am getting my unit back. They are very shady. There is no upper management to speak to, no seperate email addresses, no alternate numbers. I sent the unit to the Repair Center in Fort Worth, TX. I can't find a number to the address. I even called the 411 in Fort Worth. They provided me with a phone number to the address my unit was shipped to. Guess what? No answer. The worst thing of all is that I have to drive across country in 3 weeks. Forget this GPS system. When purchasing a new one I will be sure to ask if the customer support is based in the USA.
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