|
| Magellan RoadMate 300 GPS Portable Navigator | 
 enlarge | Brand: Magellan
Category: CE
List Price: $349.99
Buy Used: $75.00
You Save: $274.99 (79%)
Used (5) from $75.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  64 reviews
Sales Rank: 10599
Media: Electronics
Memorabilia: No
Number Of Items: 1
Tracks: 20
Batteries Included: No
Native Resolution: 320 x 240
Includes MP3 Player: 0
Shipping Weight (lbs): 9999
Dimensions (in): 10.3 x 7.8 x 3.5
Array:
MPN: 980668-02
Model: 980668-02
UPC: 763357109337
EAN: 0763357109337
ASIN: B0002Y22VE
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
|
| Customer Reviews:
 Good luck setting it up December 11, 2005
15 out of 15 found this review helpful
Wasted over three hours trying to get it to work. Out of the box, it had no detailed maps for anything. I spent 2 hours 'uploading' maps onto an SD card which you have to 'authorize' first. How can anything take TWO HOURS to transfer to an SD card?!? The supplied software is remarkably bad. Anyway, after all that, the unit refused to initialize maps and would only beep obnoxiously anytime a button was pressed. 'Turn it on and go' is their slogan. Turn it on and go where? Back to the store to return it.
Doesn't work in Seattle November 6, 2005
35 out of 38 found this review helpful
I bought Magellan's NAVTEQ-powered roadmate product and returned it 3 days after I got it, because it suffers from the same problem as several other Nav systems I've tried. (probably navteq powered, I guess) Their streetname database for Seattle SUCKS! Many streets, such as 48th ave NE, to pick just one, cannot be keyed in by address, despite the fact that the street has been there for 50+ years. In fact, their map's street name inventory only contains about 20% if the streets in this major US city. It's astounding.
The problem is that their "intelligent" address-entry limits one to the streetnames in the database, which lack the necessary prefixes and suffixes. So one can't enter the correct streatnames. Frustration incarnate!
Navteq has no concept of how we use directional suffixes and prefixes in Seattle. Seattle is divided into 9 quadrants, NW, N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, and downtown, which has no directional indicator. Each street outside of the core downtown financial center has a directional prefix (ie: "NE 85th St.") and the avenues have a suffix (ie: "49th ave NW"). These prefixes and suffixes instantly tell the seattle native wether the street is south of downtown, in west seattle, or in north seattle. It can take 1/2 an hour or more to get from 40th ave S to 40th ave NE, since the roads are not contiguous due to all the hills, lakes and bridges one has to deal with around here. Their maps confuse the issue terribly. The screen view gets the street names correct only about 70% of the time, and when trying to enter addresses directly, using the keypad, one simply cannot enter most of the street addresses, because in 80% of the addresses I tried, their database does not contain the prefix or suffix. It's maddening!
For the price of this unit, one should expect that a major city like Seattle would be well mapped.
Yahoo maps, mapquest, google and many others comprehend these subtleties perfectly. Why do their maps suck? There are 3,000+ real estate agents in this town, and all the ones I've talked to lament the fact that none of the nav systems "get" seattle. It's a standing joke. Please let us know when you figure this city out.
Lost in Seattle....
 Garmin C320 outperforms this unit...here is why.. September 26, 2005
36 out of 38 found this review helpful
I initially was not happy with the Garmin C320 due to its screen..and still not crazy about it on sunny days... .Roadmates screen is better....but here are its downfalls. Cumbersome map loading...Not that you do it often..but cumbersome. I put both units side by side....both gave directions to the location but as I got closer...the Roadmate was telling me to turn left when I clearly needed to go right...The Garmin was dead on. Coming home the interstate was backed up..so I took known back roads. The Roadmate kept telling me to make a U-turn to get back on interstate...The Garmin instantly recalculated a new route...and the one I actually would have taken. I do not expect these units to know all the back road short cuts..but the Garmin did...Magellan was confused... Finally got to with in a block of my home.. The Garmin told me to go straight through the intersection to destination on right..which was one block. The Roadmate told me to turn right...had me go 6 blocks out of my way when my house was in sight a block ahead. The Roadmates buttons also felt very cheap...and did not always respond..nor did the touch screen. The roadmates mount held tight but shook a lot, making screen hard to see..but the Garmins mount does not hold suction too well all the time..and falls. The roadmate does have a more detailed screen..but for me I found this a distraction.. After comparing the two units...I am much more happy with the Garmin despite my problems seeing the screen on sunny days...It is legible..just hard to see.. The roadmates goofy directions was the clincher for me...Was not as easy to use as the Garmin...which is so easy you do not need the manual.
Flawed by its maps September 23, 2005
13 out of 13 found this review helpful
I tried the Roadmate 700 first which only differs by having a hard drive with all of the U.S. street level maps on disk. The 300 allows for regional maps stored on SD memory cards or an ample 80 MB built into the unit. As you can create any regional map from the supplied CD, the 300 is a much better deal.
In addition, I think that you can copy the base European roads maps from the supplied CD into the 300 and use it for major highway routing in Europe. I found that after receiving a defective unit and had to figure out how it worked.
My major problem is that the street level regional maps are either very accurate, or ridicuously wrong. If the underlying map is accurate the unit works fine although it does some perculiar routing directing you around town.
If the underlying maps are off, you will be become hopelessly lost so take the street level directions with a grain of salt.
I spoke to Magellan and I was offered updated maps for $99. What a deal!
On balance, a work in progress.
 Excellent investment September 7, 2005
13 out of 18 found this review helpful
Great investment for those who travel. Easy to use, transportable, and you will NEVER get lost. I travel for work, but have found that I used this product for recreational purposes many times. Would recommend the 300 vs. the 700. Living in the northeast ... 99.9% of my travel is in the northeast. Buy the additional computer chip for the northeast and you save $500 by not purchasing the 700.
|
|
|
Copyright
©
2006 Adminpal LLC | |
