GPS,
Magellan RoadMate 2200T GPS unit reviewed
By Darren Murph 
posted Dec 18th 2006 10:25AM
posted Dec 18th 2006 10:25AM
Let's face it, getting lost trying to find grandmother's house is no way to enjoy your holiday travels, but considering the coinage you're dropping to drive there, financing a GPS unit could be an issue. Enter Magellan's RoadMate 2200T, which provides a no-frills alternative to the fancy (and pricey) navigation units also out there. While the screen size and list of extra are both short of breathtaking, reviewers at GPS Magazine were thoroughly impressed at the value presented in this $400 device. Noted as a "strong performer," the crew admired the newly-revamped routing engine, and found that its Exit POI, Route Exclusion, and SmartDetour functions were all well implemented. Also, they found the actual map screen "among the best they'd seen," stating that it presented information in a useful and easy to read manner. However, a low-end unit typically drops the ball in at least a few areas, and the 2200T was found to have an "essentially useless" MP3 player, as it can only be used when not navigating your routes, a volume control "awkwardly buried in the menu system," and text-to-speech performance that doesn't live up to the TomToms and Garmins of the world. Regardless, the RoadMate 2200T was deemed satisfactory in the areas that matter most, and while we'd still eye a few other options before making any snap judgments, these folks felt it was simply "the best GPS in its price category."
I have this unit, and here is my review on it (from Pricegrabber.com).
Strengths: Very good navigation, Easy to use, Easy to see, Text-to-speech voice directions, Small, Changes color at night, SD card slot for storage, MP3 Player, Picture Viewer
Weaknesses: Slightly sluggish between some menus, No manual online/packaged yet, Doesn't appear you can listen to MP3s while using navigation, No AC adapter packaged (only cigarette lighter adapter), Only USB 1.1
Summary: I have now used the 2200T for about 5 days. Prior to this, I used a 2000. I went with the 2200T because I wanted the Text-to-Speech for street names. In my short experience with this unit, I have been very impressed. The directions are very accurate, and the voice prompts and turns are clear and precise.
The screen is bright and easy to read, even in the sunlight. At night the background switches from white to black automatically, so it is not as bright in the car. These colors are customizable. On screen while driving, your controls are as follows with one tap: Current position/Speed/Direction, Satellite status, Zoom in, Zoom out, Mute, Complete list of route instructions, Resay last command, Menu. I wish there was some volume control here, but that is accessed through a settings menu.
The MP3 player appears to work fairly well with a couple complaints. There is no volume control that I see on the player interface. Thus you have to go through several menus to get to the volume. I would have expected easier control for the player. Also, it does not appear you can listen to MP3s while using the navigation. This may be addressed in the manual, but it is not out yet. Hopefully it will be on their website shortly, as this product was just released. You store MP3s and pictures on an SD card, using the slot provided. However, the USB on this thing is only USB 1.1, so it is a little slow transferring. I have not played with the picture viewer yet. The software for transferring the files is easy to install and very easy to use.
The unit is fairly small, and fits in a man's pocket easily. It does not have the hump on the back, like some of the other brands have. It is flat on the back.
The suction cup mount holds firmly to my windshield and is fine in my car. However, if you have a fairly deep dash, the mount may be short for you. You can suction it to your dash (or a piece is included which uses adhesive to stick to the dash and then the suction cup suctions to it).
This is a little bit of sluggishness with this unit. I wish it came packaged with an AC adapter. It only comes with the cigarette lighter adapter. I may never use the AC adapter, but it would be nice to have. The battery life is supposed to be 8 hours, but I have not tested it.
Overall I am VERY HAPPY with this unit and would recommend it to anyone. It has the features that cost $100-$200 extra on some of the other units.
The exit POI finder is a killer feature. They need to find some algorithms that will let you find POIs on your route anytime though, not just on the highway. That's been the one big drawback I've found with my GPS. POIs are great, but knowing about a restaurant half a mile behind you (or otherwise off your route) isn't nearly as useful as knowing about a restaurant on your route 5 miles away.
Im kicking myself for buying a gps a year ago. It cost me twelve hundered bucks when i could have bought one now with more features for under five hundred.