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42 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Directionally Challenged Rejoice, November 4, 2002
If you have been looking at $2,000 (and up) factory-installed GPS systems, this device will look like a bargain. If, however, you are looking for a hiking-and-biking GPS device, it will seem weirdly expensive. Think of this as an in-vehicle unit that can can be used as a portable if necessary.Factory-installed units typically feature bigger screens, don't intrude on your personal space, and don't leave a power cable hanging off your dash. However, this device has one huge advantage over them: It can be swapped between cars and taken on trips for use in rental cars. At the low end, there are many cheaper GPS units more suitable for the outdoorsman. This unit is best used an in-vehicle GPS -- its battery drain and weight might be an issue for hikers. Test-driving this device for the first time on a commute or a trip to the grocery store, the suggested route may seem odd, crossing and then rejoining a street for no apparent reason. But it can also find shortcuts even in familiar areas. The real value, however, is in driving in unfamiliar territory, where getting lost could cost time, gas, patience, and may even be dangerous. It can find the nearest gas station, restaurant (Italian, fast food, etc.), shopping, airport, hotel, public library, and many other categories of locations. When I broke down on the side of a highway recently, I used it on battery power to find several service stations (it gives phone numbers) within a few miles. When I called one, I was able to tell them my exact distance from which exit, and direct the tow truck to my disabled car. It is also valuable on trips when you rent a car. Just remember to download the maps for your destination and surrounding area -- this should take about 5-10 minutes if you're using a USB cable. A WORD ABOUT SPEED
This GPS calculate routes less quickly than expensive in-dash systems, which should be no great surprise, given that it can run on batteries and costs less. Unlike a calculator that gives you the right answer in the blink of an eye, this unit is more like a chess computer. It seeks the best route (e.g. fastest time, shortest distance) among perhaps thousands of possible solutions for getting from Point A to point B. Deep Blue took some time to beat the best chess player in the world, but nobody calls it slow. What does processing time mean for the average driver? Well, if you take a wrong turn or miss a suggested exit, it announces: "Off route; re-calculating." If you do something unexpected a second time or third time while it is number-crunching, it may re-calculate again. At such times, you may become frustrated that it can't "keep up" with the split-second decisions traffic sometimes requires. This can be annoying, but nine times out of ten you'll probably prefer the tradeoff its designers opted for. The voice prompts are clear and sound more human than robotic. You can adjust the volume, which is helpful especially if you have chatty passengers. These prompts also let you keep your eyes on the road, which is a major safety and convenience advantage over units that don't speak. The color screen is large and easy to read in all but the brightest direct sunlight. It calculates what time the sun sets and can automatically go into night mode (more black background) so your eyes can adjust to the lower light outside -- a nice touch. You can zoom in or out on a map to see as much detail as you need, or you can let it pick the zoom level for you. This lets you strike a balance between over-frequent screen refreshing (if you are driving 65 and zoomed way in, for example), and seeing where you are relative to certain highways or exits, which you might want to zoom out a bit to see. On multi-lane highways, as your exit approaches or lanes divide, it will tell you to keep left or right, which can keep you from getting needlessly into exit-only lanes or from having to cross several lanes. Lest you think this is a complete rave review, there are a few shortcomings. Battery life is fair-to-poor, depending mostly on how bright you want the screen. However, if you use the power adapter and use the battery power as backup, this should not be a problem. You will notice from pictures that there are not many keys cluttering up the front of the device. This was a sound choice from a safety and design standpoint, but it means that you have to flip between screens and scroll to enter addresses, zipping through numbers and letters and entering each -- much the way you might enter your name or initials on an arcade game. It assumes a certain degree of patience and willingness to learn. If your directionally challenged spouse has not yet entered the computer age, this may be more technology than she (or he) is ready for. BOTTOM LINE
Because of some minor quibbles, I give it 4 1/2 stars, but will round that up to 5 because it offers such good value compared to factory-installed in-dash units. Unless the extra money is a huge issue, or unless you rarely travel far from home, spring for the deluxe version and save the headache of buying additional maps, upgrading memory, etc.
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