Customer Reviews

Intellinav One Portable GPS Navigation System

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I just received this GPS unit in the mail yesterday and the first impressions of it are very positive. The box is very professionally printed and packed, and the unit feels nice and solid and well constructed. The maps are preloaded on a 1GB SD card. After you charge it for about 2-3 hours and turn the unit it, it will take about 15-20 min to acquire a satellite signal and make sure that you are near a window. Afterwards, it usually takes about 30 seconds to a minute to re-acquire the GPS signal. I set my home location and i just started driving around. The screen is very bright and crisp, and the female voice guidance is sharp and clear. I started driving around and i told it to Go Home and then i tried my best to get lost. And each time i went past where it told me to turn, it only took about 5 seconds or even less for it to re-calculate another route home.

Honestly, you have got to have the Text to Speech feature. It makes a HUGE difference when the voice tells you to "Make a right in 200 ft at Randall Road" rather than "Make a right in 200 feet". The maps are very accurate, at least for the Chicago area and I coudl not be happier with this unit. It's a great deal and a must have, especially having the text to speech feature where it reads out the street names is simply wonderful. All in all, a great unit with great battery life and a very nice simple easy to use interface which anyone can get used to very quickly.

I was somewhat hesitant in the past to buy in into the whole "GPS in your car" idea. I figured, why pay for a GPS gadget when I can just go online to Google Maps, Mapquest, Yahoo Maps and download/print the information. Besides, I found the retail price for a Garmin or Magellan GPS to be totally outrageous. For the price of a good Magellan GPS, I could already fund an entire weekend vacation. Also, I don't think I can pay attention to the road while trying to figure out what the GPS is telling me. So I did a bit of research and I found the Intellinav One. I liked the features and the price seems reasonable enough. PC Magazine gave it a good review and only had a negative comment about its multimedia capabilities. I don't really care about the multimedia stuff because that's what I have my iPod for. The biggest selling point for me was the Text to Speech function which also tells me the exact street names. I found this feature to be very helpful. If the GPS told me "Turn right in 2000 feet", that doesn't mean anything to me. However, the Intellinav will tell me, "Turn right in 2000 feet on Forsyth Blvd." Then I can anticipate the turn. I've had this GPS unit for about a week now and I totally love it. Even with destinations I'm already familiar with, I would use this to make sure that I'm taking the most direct and quickest route. Hence, in a way, it also helps me to save on gas.

Just got this unit in the mail today but thought I'd get my thoughts on it down ASAP because there is so little information out there about it. All early indications are that it is a great unit- GPS is accurate, maps (at least in my area, East Lansing) are as well, and the interface is well designed. Took less than 5 minutes to acquire a signal the first time, and then almost instantly every other time I've turned it on. It is currently getting a full signal inside my home- the SirfStarIII chipset appears to be all it's supposed to. Unit is light but not so light that it feels cheaply made.

Only negative I have found thus far is that the map can only zoom out to a 10 mile radius. This prevents you from being able to see your entire route all at once, a la Mapquest. Text to speech is slightly robotic, but the fact that the unit has it at all is a plus, not a negative.

I have not tried out the multimedia elements (pictures or MP3.) I will note however that contrary to some reports out there, the MP3 player DOES have a shuffle feature. Overall, for just over $300, it seems like an excellent bargain.


***UPDATED- 2 WEEKS LATER***

I've now been using the unit for about 2 weeks. Some things I've noticed:

1. Touch screen is not always totally responsive. Unit doesn't freeze up, but you also have to push the same button multiple times on occasion.

2. Navteq maps have been excellent. Even on a trip to a remote part of northern Michigan it had every piece of data. Roads that aren't even named, that I had declared my personal secret shortcuts, are even in there.

3. Routing options are excellent. Avoid road, detour... all come in very handy. POIs are numerous enough to be sufficient- let's just say you won't have any trouble finding a gas station nearby.

4. Suction cup mount holds perfectly. Has yet to fall off.

5. Signal acquires quickly, usually within 20 seconds or so.

6. Has a USB port on the side, but does not come with a USB cable to attach to the PC.

All in all, an excellent value. I did COUNTLESS hours of research on automotive GPS systems and can tell you that the Intellinav simply has more features than the Garmins, better maps than the Tom Toms, and the same great SirfStar III chipset and excellent software design. Can't beat this one for the money. Don't hesitate to buy- this isn't some off brand company. These guys MAKE the software for the big boy GPS companies- they were just smart enough to start producing their own units too.

Do not buy this unit. While it has many bells and whistles, it does not do what it was designed to do - give correct directions. The routes it gives are not the shortest - no matter what you do. It directs you on local roads instead of highways! I have contacted the manufacturer about this problem and they have actually admitted there is one, but they have not been able to fix it. It has been over a month. Buy a Garmin or Tom Tom. They will cost you more money, but they will actually get you to your destination in a timely manner.

I bought this unit about a month ago. Very quick response and recalculating route time if you go off route. Very fast boot up and excellent directions with actual road names being spoken which is very useful so you don't have to take your eyes off the road to see which street to turn on. Have not used the MP3 player or Photo viewer yet (have an IPod and satellite radio so I don't need the MP3). Many points of interest, including supermarkets, ATMs, gas stations, etc... SiRFStar III tracking is much better than any other tracking signal available and maps are very accurate. Much better than TomTom and Garmin high end models and about $400 cheaper too if you don't mind not having the Bluetooth.

I've owned the Intellinav One for a year now and it works great. When I first purchased the unit, I doubted the directions it gave me and ended looking like a fool. If your looking for a nice unit this is the one to have.

Tips on using a GPS unit.

*The unit is only as smart as the user. If you doing 60mph on a side street, don't be surprised if you passed up your turn. Intellinav will tell you "In 500' turn right onto ???". If you speeding at 60 mph you'll pass it before it's finished speaking.

* Remember to check your route settings. If your select Highway only, then it will calculate the quickest highway route instead of the shortest. Remember shorter isn't always faster.

I hope this helps all future buyers.

I previously owned a pocket PC with the iGuidance software on it, which is the same that is built in on this unit, and a Garmin nuvi 350. The software is what makes this unit great. Easier to use and more powerful than the Garmin. I found the maps to be a whole lot more accurate than the Nuvi. You can't go wrong purchasing the iGuidance software for your Windows Mobile Phone (not Smartphone ed.) or getting this unit. I returned my Nuvi and ordered this.

This unit was great to use right out of the box, finds satellites within seconds. Menus are very clear and self explanitory. Lives up to the magazine and online reviews. The street name feature alone makes it worth the price. The MP2 and photo viewer is basic but the GPS is very detailed. Definitely a great buy.

Purchased the Intellinav ONE back in February. Shortly after using the unit for business travel it continuously locked up and froze. Had to send the unit back to Intellinav for a new unit. The replacement unit failed on my first trip. Now Intellinav nor the company I purchased the unit thru will provide a refund. I spent a lot of time researching and thought I made a good purchase compared to other units on the market. Now I will look to buy a proven and reliable brand.

We bought the Intellivav (our first GPS) for our Seattle to PA (see a lot of national parks-6500 mile, five week cross-country with the kids) move this past summer. I was impressed that the unit took the baking it did-up on the dash in the sun in the desert-it became too hot to touch but kept working. We did need to reboot it every couple of weeks or so when the the screen froze up or the trip calculations stopped calculating, but it always came back up OK with destination and itinerary info. intact. Annoying part:touch screen beeps every time you touch it-should beep only on executed actions, however directions were very good. Even though it did send us to the wrong side of the river in Portland OR & got a bit confused on the park roads on the South Rim of Grand Canyon it always eventually recalculated and got us where we needed to go. Itinerary function needs some work. Bottom line: won't leave home without it.