GPS review by Ron (1 Viewer)

Hi Ron,

I've sent you a couple of emails at your hometheaterforum.com address but they don't get delivered. Something about "the email address does not exist at the organization this message was sent to".

I just wanted to ask you about the GPS system you bought for your car a while ago. I tried doing a search but didn't find anything. That review was probably in the affected hard drive.
Do you still like GPS system? What's the model #?

I apologize if this is the wrong forum to post this on but I don't know how else to get a hold of you.

Thanks.

Andres

Thanks Ron.

I've done a little research and it can be had for about $850 on the internet. What type of warranty does the unit come with? How's customer service?

The review seems to be down. :frowning: Does it talk to you?

I guess I'm gonna have to take a risk. The difference in price between a retail store and an online store is pretty big. We're talking about $350.

Hopefully Magellan has a good manufacturer's warranty.

Is this unit still considered the best bang for the buck? I'm very seriously tempted to buy one. Any other choices?

Hi Ron,


I was just looking at your reveiw thread and I was wondering if there have been other updates that have eliminated any of the gripes that were mentioned in the thread. I believe the last post to that thread a long time ago.

Thanks for the reply,
George

Cool, Ron. Do you have the latest firmware? According to Ebay items, it is 4.32. Sounds like there are new maps and features.

I'll check out the Tom Tom as well. Thanks.

The TomTom Go 700 sounds like a nice unit. But, so does the Garmin 2610/20 and the Magellan 700! Any reviews I've seen on these units (excluding the TTG 700 since it isn't out here yet) are not on the updated models. Very frustrating.

Oh sure Ron, you've cost me thousands of dollars because of this site, and now you want me to spend more!

I'm definitely leaning towards the Magellan, but I want to research some more so I don't have buyer's remorse.

Ron,


Did you upgrade your unit to version 4? Is the upgrade free? Also, when you bought your unit, did you have to unlock any of the built-in maps before you were able to use them? From what I've read it seems that you get the entire USA and parts of Canada right out of the box, but a guy who works for Garmin said Magellan charges for unlocking parts of the USA. That didn't make sense, but I thought I'd ask anyway.

Also, when using TruView, is it 3D all of the time, or is it just 3D still close-ups when you arrive at a turn?

Have you had any problem with the built=in hard drive. I worried about vibrations and the shocks of driving over bumps in the road.

Anyway, I was able to play around with the Garmin c330 at Best Buy at it was really simple to use. It didn't have a signal though, so I was only able to enter a destination at watch it calculate. Plus, adjusting colors, etc., etc.

At CompUSA I played around with the Magellan, again without a signal, but it was rather simple to use as well. I especially liked the QuickSpell.

Two things that have me stuck are the POI's since Garmin has 3 million more than Magellan's, and the 3D view of the c330 (and the TomTom Go that is coming next month). I really like that view.

I know I want a GPS system. The main motivation is for when my fiance starts driving again. 3 years ago next week she came down with viral encephalitis. It took one 2 weeks of it to shut her down and put her in a coma for over a month. But, even out of the coma, it took her 2 and a half years to recover enough to come home. That's the short version of that chapter in out lives, but the result is that right now she has some short term memory loss. It isn't too bad anymore, she keeps getting better, but I'm still nervous. I'd feel a lot more comfortable knowing she had a GPS in the car whenever she drives somewhere without me. So that is the main reason. But, I also want it for the occasional road trip, and for normal "where's this restaurant, movie theater, gas station" type stuff.

Having said all of that, I need something easy to use for her, so I think that eliminates the Garmin 2620. I also like the HOME option on both the c330 and Roadmate 700. And I want something with enough options for the occasional roadtrip, like nearest rest stop, etc., and "what's around this unfamiliar city?". That's where the more POI's might come in handy.

I'm so confused! I thought shopping for HT gear was tough enough!

Thanks for the info as always!
George