Global Positioning Shocker: Magellan rolls out ten new RoadMates for Spring
By Donald Melanson 
posted May 19th 2010 4:46PM
posted May 19th 2010 4:46PM
Looks like Magellan isn't messing around with its new Spring lineup of RoadMate navigation units -- and by not messing around, we mean not changing things very much. Totaling ten units in all, the company's new lineup features models with 4.3-inch, 4.7-inch and 5-inch touchscreens, and seemingly similar specs across the board otherwise, with the biggest difference being the inclusion of lifetime maps, lifetime traffic, and Bluetooth on some models. Look for the whole lot to start trickling out to retail over the coming days and weeks, with about half of them already available on Amazon and directly from Magellan for between $169.99 and $299.99.
[Thanks, Rich]
[Thanks, Rich]
I would really hate to be in the GPS device business right now.
@feeble11 Thats why companies need to be in the consumables/updates/upgrades business.
@feeble11 Why? Do you know what happens when you go from Minneapolis to Chicago and there is that 40 mile, then 10 mile, then 5 mile, etc area where its roaming for EVERYONE. Sprint, Tmobile, ATT, etc? Do you know what happens to maps on a phone?
but i have bing maps with free turn by turn... why do i need an expensive GPS device?
@SteveyAyo
Hmmmm....... I could give ya many , but let's just say I'm
having a serious conversation with a business associate.
Probably not to "cool" to say "Hey wait a minute and let me see where i'm at" -----
Your A-I-O phone-gps-thangy ain't ever gonna replace the stand alone
GPS for some folks.
@SteveyAyo
CNET's review wasn't too high on Bing Maps...too many errors in comparison to Google Navigation.
@ChillyCat Um, whenever it gets to the point where all the free services can store everything on-device when they have ample memory, there will be absolutely no reason to have a stand-alone unit if the screen on your smartphone is large enough to satisfy you.
@ChillyCat
It's called bluetooth telephony via car stereo. Shouldn't disrupt your GPS app. Hell some cars (Mercedes) you can now text from the radio!
@gerrrg works fine for me... and i have a 4.3 inch screen. But i also have a turn by turn app that comes standard and free from my provider so... idk im good with my phone
@billobob
That's a key issue...screen size.
I'd think the standard 4.3 inchers would be minimum. I couldn't
imagine getting rid of my TTom720 for a phone combo. Too many
times i've been engaged in conversation when the topic is location specific. Commercial drivers will always need a stand-alone GPS device. You'd have to be a commercial driver to get a grasp of what i'm getting at. Those driving the same route to work every day at the same location would account for prolly 95% of all GPS users. When they actually need mapping assistance, a phone is prolly adaquate
@Almo
Almo, using bluetooth is not an option in noisy vehicles.
It drives people nutz when i've tried. Plus, there's times
when you have occupants with you that shouldn't be
overhearing the discussion.
Wow, yet again nothing ground breaking. When I did my research to buy a GPS a few months ago, Magellan didn't even make any of my cuts...
My two cents =
-Garmin pay more up front and get great product with free traffic for "x" period of time
-TomTom pay less up front, but get raped for traffic and such fees
Hello, Engadget.
I challenge you Educational Kombat.
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa has never used a GPS system. Ever. I wish to absorb the SOUL of such a device, but am unsure where to start. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated, and I don't like monthly fees.
@CaryHiroyuki Tagawa
Garmin Oregon, and load it with the OpenStreetMap maps.
It'll give you turn by turn directions, even on trails.
Wow, 10 different products within a $130 price range, that's a lot of overlap.
Magellan is what you buy if "features" scare you.
Rock solid devices with decent routing, but a complete and utter lack of any "oomph".
This will probably be my next GPS device. TomTom's wares are for shit. I swear to god the thing crashes once every 3 days, when I shut it down there is something like a 1 in 20 chance it will spontaneously reboot on shutdown, the map updates delete all my bookmarks (It took me a bit to figure out where the hell TomTom stores their bookmark file.), when the thing resets it turns the audio back on that I want off, etc. It has the be the most unstable buggy piece of shit software I have ever seen on a device. And yes everything has been updated. from day one when I got the device it was updated and has been kept up to date. I will never buy another TomTom again.
Hey, there are some of us that have given up the cell phone and need a GPS unit. I'm always around a land line and have no use for a cell phone.
My old Magellan is about to get replaced, but it probably won't be another Magellan. I'm getting tired of being directed thru mall parking lots as part of the shortest route and being sent circling around the destination as the shortest time.
@LarryL My old Magillan Roadmate 760 was a killer machine... great directions, never crashed. Control buttons and dials all over teh place + touch screen made it easy to use.
I replaced it when it finally died with a Magellan 4250 and a 5310. Crazy routing around the DC area. Needs to be reset about once a week. All touch screen... not even a volume dial. meh. Not as impressed.
Why does everyone think touchscreen is the end-all-be-all of controls on an electronic device? Dedicated hardware buttons are easier to find/use when you are trying to dodge 18 wheelers on thefreewway.
@tmarks11
I agree. My old Roadmate 2000 has just a power button. I quickly discovered that you better have everything set up just right before you even get on the road. It's very hard to do anything on that screen while driving, including the volume control. I needed a passenger along to handle it all during a trip. Maybe voice commands will be the next big thing, if they can get it to work right.
Some people seem to have trouble with Tom Toms, but they look like they have some really nice features. All the stuff I wish Magellans had.
"free" lifetime traffic only COSTS infliction of LIFETIME ADS
put down the crack pipe, magellan