Garmin StreetPilot i2 2.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have had a Garmin iQue 3600 for over 3 years. I recently bought the i2 for my wife. We just used it in Phoenix for a few days and I must say I'm considering getting the i2 for myself. The suction cup works well and it is very compact and connects to the DC power via the mini-USB port. It makes for a very compact traveling companion.
At first, I felt that the hard button controls and no touch screen would make the interface difficult to use. To be honest, it works better in most cases! The thumb wheel/button works great and the back button is intuitive like a browser. It picks up the sats fast and gets great reception. The B&W screen is easier to see in sunlight and is pretty sharp and surprising usable for the small size. The voice is loud (and adjustable) and we had little or no issues. I like the 3D mode but you can switch to 2D if you like that better.
I agree with other reviewers about one way streets and occasional longer than needed routes. Also, U turns are a fact of life in Phoenix and it usually doesn't factor in U turns as a possibility so it takes you down and around instead. However, adjustments can be made in the settings to look for or avoid highways and not to ignore U turns, so look there.
I find that mounting my iQue is a pain so I use an external antenna and a sand bag mount. Having to haul all that on trips was a pain. I'll take the i2 from now on as it is all in one and very packable. I can see how there would be issues on windshield placement so think about that before you buy. I had no trouble on 2 different rental cars. Make sure you press solidly in middle of back before flipping lever and it wont go anywhere.
All in all, when you factor in the small size, nice usability and the price, this one is definitely top of the list! If you want a unit you will likely use in your own car all the time, I would suggest the iQue in a hard mount or the C300 series. These have touch screens and allow you to slide scroll and such. But they are twice the money!

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No larger than a baseball and priced with affordability in mind, the StreetPilot i2 GPS navigation system is a great fit for commuters, college students, and corporate travelers looking to experience the ease and enjoyment of satellite navigation for the first time. Don't let the small size fool you; the i2 boasts many of the same powerful functions as Garmin's premium vehicle GPS navigators.
The StreetPilot i2 features a unique and convenient click-to-enter scroll wheel and a back button that makes it easy to select a destination from the unit's menu-driven interface. It also offers voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions through a built-in speaker, and should you miss a turn, the i2 will automatically recalculate the route to put you back on course. And perhaps most conveniently, the unit moves easily from vehicle to vehicle thanks to the integrated suction cup mount, so you don't need to go through a cumbersome process each time you change cars.
To get you from point A to point B, the StreetPilot i2 includes a MapSource City Select North America NT DVD, which contains mapping detail of the entire U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. The DVD's nearly six million points of interest range from hotels and restaurants to gas stations and ATMs, along with local attractions such as amusement parks and museums. Simply load the City Select data onto the included 128 MB Transflash data card via a fast USB connection and you're set.
As an added benefit, you can now import customized points of interest with the help of Garmin's free POI Loader software. For instance, you can upload safety cameras or school zones, and then receive a warning if you are traveling too fast in these areas. In addition, an optional proximity-alert feature notifies you of upcoming custom POIs.
Maps are displayed on the i2's high-contrast backlit FSTN monochrome display, which includes a backlight for difficult lighting conditions. Motorists even have the choice of multiple perspectives--either a 3-D mapping angle or an overhead bird's-eye view. For added convenience, drivers can power the unit with either two AA batteries (six hours, typical use) or the included 12-volt adapter cable.
The StreetPilot i2 measures 3 x 2.74 x 2.15 inches (W x H x D) and is backed by a one-year warranty on parts and labor.
What's in the Box StreetPilot i2, America's Lite Routable base map, City Select North America DVD, PC/USB cable, 12-volt adapter cable, vehicle suction-cup mount, dashboard adhesive disk, 128 MB Transflash data card, setup guide, user's manual.

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Magellan RoadMate 700 3-Inch Portable GPS Navigator Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)It was a battle between the Garmin 2610 and the Roadmate 700. My main criteria is ease of use and accuracy. Actually, I bought this unit for my wife who works as a home visiting nurse. She has been relying on Thomas Guide Maps eversince. So, I want a GPS receiver that is very user friendly, that even a grandma can use. I compared the 2 units side by side at Fry's. I researched the whole Cyberspace for the best car navigation system to date, and I found the answer in the Magellan Roadmate 700.
POSITIVE: Wow! The crisp display and big screen was one of the factors that attracted me to the Roadmate. The Garmin LCD has 256 colors while the Raodmate has a TFT with 32,000 color capability. The roads are more easier to look at because of the color rendition. You can even adjust color settings to make it look like the Thomas Guide Maps. We've been using the Roadmate for about 2 weeks now and so far the WAAS is always active. This results in greater accuracy. According to my wife once she is in front of her patients house, the Roadmate acknowledeges that destination has been reached. It also tells whether the house is in the left/right of the street. This proved to be very valuable since she doesn't have to look left and right looking for the house. It recalculates routes very fast in case you miss a turn or exit.
Another thing, don't worry about the flimsy aircon vent mount, just call technical support and they send you a windshield gooseneck mount which is very nice. Now that's what I call customer service! It grips very firmly to the windshield like your rearview mirror. I think it is better than the bean bag dash mount.
The LCD display is very intuitive. It automatically zooms in while your getting near your destination, and it also shifts to 3D when your approaching a turn. When you lose GPS signal while your in a tunnel, the display automaticlly goes to the turn by turn mode so you can still be guided. The touch screen is amazing. Those using the old GPS units with buttons will want this unit.
I also like the route exclusion feature. For example, I always want to avoid the 91 freeeway because of the terrible traffic. You can customize it to always exclude it or you can just touch the 91 route in the turn by turn display and tell it to disregard that freeway, and alas! you are directed to take another route.
The unit also assigns up to 3 users, each user setting is customizable, just like when you log in Windows. Within each user you can save up to 100 addresses. Previous destinations are also saved automatically. This is comparable to the waypoint feature in the Garmin 2610.
The voice guidance is all you need! No need to look at the unit while you are driving. As of this time, we have not been misdirected by the vocal guidance on any route. But I will update my review if we experience such. This equals to SAFETY while driving.
For those worried that having a hard-drive in a portable GPS unit might be bad, the internal harddrive that comes with this unit is similar to the microdrive in compact flash cards. The unit is made for rugged use, unlike the ones on PC's.
Roadmate 500 vs 700? I'd say go for the 700. The fact that you don't have to buy additional CF cards in the future justifies the $200 hundred dollar difference. Not to mention that you still have to pre-authorize CF cards for $50 prior to use, although your first one is free.
Another bonus, the unit can be used for off-road driving! I hav'nt tested it but the Magellan website says it is capable of that. I have to call tech support to confirm.
NEGATIVE: BAD! The one thing that really bothers me is that there is no post-office listings in the POI. How can they forget the USPS locations. I occasionally look for post-offices while I travel. There is a mention here that the documentation is bad. That is quite true. If you are a non-technical type of person, the manual will suffice. For example, I want to know how to update the firmware and maps, there is no mention of that in the docs. Even though the Roadmate 700 comes with an internal hard drive, it still has a compactflash port, there is no mention of that in the manual if it is operable or not. It does not come with a USB cord nor an AC adapter like the Roadmate 500. How come? This is the top of the line unit.
The waypoint feature of the Garmin 2610 is preferred by experienced GPS users over the previous destinations feature of the Magellan.
The price of the Magellan 700 is several hundereds more compared to the Garmin 2610 but I think it's features justify the additional cost. What I have listed here is the positives and negatives based on 2-3 week use of the GPS. Hey! The positives outnumber the negs. I also agree with the other reviewers that this isn't a perfect unit, but to date it's the best you can buy.

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This powerhouse GPS unit just keeps gaining in popularity. Recently bestowed the honor of being named one of "Oprah's Favorite Things for Holiday 2004" it's just getting better and better every year. With the previous version of the RoadMate 700 lacking in included accessories this years RoadMate 700 hits a home run as Magellan has wisely included in the package a windshield suction cup mount, a 12V DC vehicle power adapter, 110V AC power supply, USB data cable, universal cradle and of course a user's manual.
The Magellan RoadMate 700 offers a powerful dash-mounted navigation tool with turn-by-turn voice prompts, making it easy to get to new and unfamiliar locales anywhere in the lower 48 U.S. states and Canada (For a fee it can be loaded European maps using the Magallen web site and the included USB connection cable). It also features a bright color TFT LCD screen (2.25 by 3 inches), touchscreen input, WAAS reception (for 3-meter accuracy), and multiple ways to select your route and then view it on screen.

The RoadMate 700 is one of the few GPS devices that's ready to go as soon as it's unpacked. Its whoppingly huge 20 GB internal hard drive comes preloaded with detailed road maps for all of the U.S. and the southern (most populated) section of Canada, so you won't have to fiddle with selecting map regions from a CD-ROM and having to transfer the data from a PC. If you keep your addresses on a PDA with IrDA capabilities then you'll enjoy the RoadMate's ability to upload the addresses wirelessly and point you right to your destination. In fact each of the 3 profiles that the unit keeps track of is allotted space for 100 addresses, making a total of 300 addresses available. Of course the most important address, home, can always be accessed with just a few clicks and from any menu and the RoadMate 700 will guide you back with ease.
If you are planning on using the RoadMate 700 with an older car--make sure it has a cigarette lighter power adapter, or leave enough time to charge it up in your hotel room or office with the supplied AC power cord. This also means that you won't be able to use the RoadMate 700 as a handheld device outside of your car. As for mounting, the included suction cup windshield mounting hardware is quite easy to use and allows you to mount the unit on any glass surface in your car. The RoadMate unit easily clips into the provided windshield bracket and can be tilted and turned with it's adjustable arm so you can see it easily and safely while you navigate.One of the benefits of the windshield mount is that because it's a suction cup mount you can move it in seconds from car to car with no problems at all. This newer suction cup based windshield mount is an improvement over the older three pronged mount that used to come with the RoadMate units. The older three-pronged mount was inserted into one of the middle air conditioning vents on your dash; the prongs are bendable to help you get the most secure fit, but never gave as secure of a fit as the windshield mount does.
But the RoadMate 700 shines as a virtual co-pilot. During our tests, it consistently acquired a satellite lock quickly (within a minute) and displayed our current position. From there, we searched through the vast library of POIs (points of interest) to find our destination (Seattle's baseball stadium). The RoadMate 700 has four different modes of getting you to your destination--shortest route, shortest distance, least use of freeways, and most freeways. Selecting shortest route got us to this venue using very practical directions that weren't far off from what we normally would choose.
If you're traveling to a destination that's not a widely known POI (such as a friend's home), no problem. You can enter the exact address into the RoadMate 700--using the touchscreen to tap letters and numbers into several search screens--to have it create a route. (You can also save 100 destinations in the address book.
The voice prompting was clear and audible (thanks to the two built-in speakers), and we were given ample warnings for upcoming turns. One of the RoadMate's nicest features is the Repeat button (which is smallish, but the only button found on the top of the device). If you miss a turn instruction, press it to repeat the previous voice prompt. Of the three view modes, True View was our favorite--it displays a 3D street-level view that helped us orient ourselves to our surroundings.
Overall, we were quite thrilled with the RoadMate 700's features: the color screen was bright and readable even in direct sunlight and the voice prompts were clear and not distracting to our driving. Best of all, the UI (user interface) screens are easy to navigate and--thanks to its large hard drive and map database--it's ready to go as soon as you open the box. While the price is not for the faint of heart, it will be a very valuable tool for many drivers (from business folk to parents) who need to get to unfamiliar locations quickly and smoothly. -- Agen G.N. Schmitz What's in the Box: RoadMate GPS, a windshield suction cup mount, a 12V DC vehicle power adapter, 110V AC power supply, USB data cable, universal cradle and a user's manual. Unit always ships with most current firmware.

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Garmin StreetPilot i3 1.7-Inch Portable GPS Navigator Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I received this unit yesterday and have played with it for a few hours. Prior to this unit I have used a Magellan Sportrack for Geocaching and for my car I have used my Dell Axim pocket PC with Ostia mapping software which is terrible, and more recently I have been using Microsoft Streets and Trips 2005 on my laptop. Streets and Trips is excellent however it does not have voice prompts for turn-by-turn directions and viewing a laptop while you are trying to drive can be tough.This Garmin I3 has excellent routing capability, very similar to MS Streets and Trips and has plenty of points of interests( POI). The screen is small but it is readable in both daylight and night. The suction mount holds very well on the windshield.
The voice prompts are loud and clear.
There is not much detail shown on the screen because of it's size, such as some street names and no POI's. The map will zoom in more as you are nearing your turn and the voice prompt's will tell you you need to turn in .5 to .3 miles and 400 to 500 ft before the turn.
On the display is also shown the distance to your next turn and an estimated arrival time to your destination. The unit will automatically re-route if you take a wrong turn.
Satellite acquisition time is pretty quick, and the manual states that you should keep batteries in it so that it will find satellites faster. The unit also comes with a cigarette lighter adapter. I do not think that the unit will recharge batteries though, and the battery level indicator is located on the "where to" screen only.
The only controls are a scroll wheel that doubles as a button and a back button and a power button. It is fairly simple to use and easy to figure out.
The included 128mb transflash card is more than adequate for my needs, I fit all of NJ, NY and PA and still had plenty of room.
You can store places in your favorites by adding them in your address screen, or you can store your current position simply by pressing and holding the scroll wheel button in.
Some cons to this unit is that it does not show the total distance of your trips, it just shows distance to the next turn.
If you want to add a stop on your destination it only allows 1 via point, after you visit that point you have to add your next via point. As I mentioned before there isn't too much detail on the screen but it does show you where you need to go.
I would highly recommend this unit above a pocket pc navigation, at least with Ostia software anyway.
For the price of this unit you really can't complain about the cons. This is a simple GPS unit that does what it is supposed to do, get you from point A to point B.
********update 6/15/06***********
Nearly a year and I still love this thing - navigation works great. Now that I am an experienced user I want a fancier touch screen, the scroll wheel is a pain in the neck. I also want a unit that you can put in multi-routes, like if you want to go to garage sales you can put in all the addresses and let the unit decide the best route. However, I will keep this unit longer before I thrown down a few hundred more for an advanced model.
I still haven't found the need to get a larger memory card, I've driven in New Jersey, New York state, Pennsylvania and Washington DC, and Connecticut.
[...]

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No larger than a baseball and priced with affordability in mind, the StreetPilot i3 GPS navigation system is a great fit for commuters, college students, and corporate travelers looking to experience the ease and enjoyment of satellite navigation for the first time. Don't let the small size fool you; the i3 boasts many of the same powerful functions as Garmin's premium vehicle GPS navigators. The StreetPilot i3 features a unique and convenient click-to-enter scroll wheel and a Back button that makes it easy to select a destination from the unit's menu-driven interface. It also offers voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions through a built-in speaker, and should you miss a turn, the i3 will automatically recalculate the route to put you back on course. And perhaps most conveniently, the unit moves easily from vehicle to vehicle thanks to the integrated suction cup mount, so you don't need to go through a cumbersome process each time you change cars.
To get you from point A to point B, the StreetPilot i3 includes a MapSource City Select North America NT DVD, which contains mapping detail of the entire U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. The DVD's nearly six million points of interest range from hotels and restaurants to gas stations and ATMs, along with local attractions such as amusement parks and museums. Simply load the City Select data onto the included 128 MB Transflash data card via a fast USB connection and you're set.
As an added benefit, you can now import customized points of interest with the help of Garmin's free POI Loader software. For instance, you can upload safety cameras or school zones, and then receive a warning if you are traveling too fast in these areas. In addition, an optional proximity-alert feature notifies you of upcoming custom POIs. Maps are displayed on the i3's 32,000-color, sunlight-readable TFT, which includes a backlight for difficult lighting conditions. Motorists even have the choice of multiple perspectives--either a 3-D mapping angle or an overhead bird's-eye view. For added convenience, drivers can power the unit with either two AA batteries (six hours, typical use) or the included 12-volt adapter cable.
The StreetPilot i3 measures 3 by 2.74 by 2.15 inches (W x H x D) and is backed by a one-year warranty on parts and labor.
What's in the Box StreetPilot i3, America's Lite Routable base map, City Select North America DVD, PC/USB cable, 12-volt adapter cable, vehicle suction-cup mount, dashboard adhesive disk, 128 MB Transflash data card, setup guide, user's manual.

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TomTom GO 700 3.5-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The TomTom Go700 is great! I own a Garmin c330 (also phenomenal product), but this one is equipped with excellent new features that keep it bleeding-edge car navigation.
First off, the Bluetooth connectivity makes this product a winner in itself. The phone calls are crystal-clear with my Ericsson T637. Callers also say they can hear me perfectly. The connectivity is awesome, plus with web access on your mobile, you can collect current weather and traffic data from TomTom. The voices are loud and clear, and the 3D navigation outperforms the Garmin.
Navigation-wise, the product is also awesome. Route planning is easy and intuitive. If you don't like a certain route, you can select alternate routes on-the-fly. You can select from a large number of route views (text only, map, both, etc.), and route demos can be sped up or slowed down (unlike c330).
Other awesome features include tips and tutorials for learning the intracacies of the product. You can also download new voices to the device (such as John Cleese) for added customizability. This is so much fun! The features go on and on....
All in all, this is a significant improvement over the Garmin c330. It adds all the functions I wished were available on the Garmin. This is so greatly customizable and easy-to-use. I consider it the Mac version of GPS car navigation.
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One week later...
After owning the product for a week, I decided to return it. I had a few issues with the unit powering up; I needed to reset it several times. I also found a few annoyances with looking up points of interest. Unlike the Garmin, you must first select a category before searching for a POI. This made it impossible to search for Dry Cleaners, Banks, and many other very necessary locations!
Map data is also a bit outdated. Entering my office address didn't work on the unit. It only registered a certain range of "house" numbers, with mine not being one of them. TomTom also uses TeleAtlas maps, which (in my opinion) are not as nice as Garmin's NAVTEQ ones. They both work, but I find usability easier and more efficient on the Garmin.
Also, reading cell phone text messages via the unit was practically useless. Messages were encoded with a string of strange text before the actual body of the message.
Many fun features (such as Traffic & new POI's) are not yet available in the US, either. This product is a little bit of everything rolled into one. It's a really cool unit, with tons of features, but I think it's a bit flawed. I hope TomTom continues to support many of the features it advertses (Weather, Traffic, Voices, etc.).

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The TomTom Go 700 Portable GPS Car Navigation Systems is the smart, easy, and connected portable car navigation system. Featuring all the great navigation functionality of the original award-winning TomTom Go, the TomTom Go 700 is easier and more convenient to use than ever before. You won't find a smarter portable GPS navigation system anywhere, as the TomTom Go 700 not only speaks more than 30 languages in over 50 voices, but its user interface now also includes 18 languages. With the improved functionality, you can quickly access millions of points of interest and plot your quickest, shortest choice of road in no time at all. For maximum driver and passenger convenience, the TomTom Go 700 works with an optional remote control accessory (not included with product). The remote uses radio frequency so you won't even need to point it. Mount it anywhere you want, and do away with the need to touch the screen. A compass mode displays a compass on screen, giving you even more orientation while driving. Plus, with the volume of the device linked to your car speed, the volume of the unit's voice instructions will increase or decrease depending on the speed of your vehicle. An improved on/off switch means that you'll never turn the unit off by accident, and an antiglare screen ensures that you are always offered an optimal view, even in direct sunlight. Just plug in your TomTom Go 700, switch it on and go. There's no need for any special installation or activation. A set of clear, accurate, turn-by-turn voice instructions and crystal-clear 3D graphics will help you to get where you need to go. The unit's simple design allows you to take the TomTom Go 700 with you from car to car quickly and easily. All the newest TeleAtlas maps are now installed on a 2.5 GB hard drive as one seamless map, allowing you to find your way to any address across all of the United States and Canada. The TomTom Go 700 is USB 2.0-compatible for faster data transfers to and from your PC. Meanwhile, the unit's Bluetooth receiver allows you to download real-time TomTom Plus services through the internet connection on your Bluetooth phone anytime and anywhere. TomTom Plus gives you the real-time information you want on traffic congestion and weather conditions, plus extra downloads such as detailed city maps, additional voices, points of interest, and more. Note that some TomTom Plus services require a subscription fee. Also, TomTom Plus services require a GPRS ready device equipped with Bluetooth and a GPRS subscription with your mobile operator.
the TomTom700 in action
What's in the Box TomTom Go 700 portable car navigator, carry case, screen cloth, installation CD, AC adapter, cigarette lighter cable, USB 2.0 data cable, installation poster, quick start guide, product code card, TomTom GO accessory leaflet, and component parts of a suction-mount cradle.

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