|
 |
|
Magellan RoadMate 500 Plus GPS Auto Navigatorx
  (5 reviews)
Best Price: $1,299.99
Magellan (Thales) (98265209) Magellan Auto Navigation System Features High Resolution, Color Touch S Imagine having a personal assistant in your car, guiding you turn by turn, with a friendly voice and visual signals, even when you don't know the address. That's exactly what you get with the Magellan RoadMate 500 Plus portable GPS auto navigation system. The unit comes with an extremely detailed map of the United States and major metropolitan areas of Canada on CD-ROM, from which you can select and load different regions to the included 256 MB memory card. With the RoadMate 500 Plus, you can download details for as many areas as the card will store, letting you pick and chose from regions that interest you (the RoadMate 500 limits you to 100 MB at a time). Lightweight and truly portable, the RoadMate 500 Plus goes wherever you go, from your personal vehicle to your business car, to your RV. Built on the same Magellan technology found in the Hertz NeverLost system (proven and road-tested by over 4 million drivers), the RoadMate 500 Plus makes your driving adventure easier and more enjoyable. The unit has access to over 2 million points of interest, making it a cinch to find your destination. Search by name or category for gas stations, restaurants, hotels, sights, amusements, and more, whether you're driving cross-country or to an unfamiliar address across town. Dynamic turn-by-turn guidance with TrueView 3D navigation and friendly voice prompting indicates when to make your next turn. The voice prompt tells you when to turn and you can confirm the direction at a glance. There's no need to watch the screen. The RoadMate 500 Plus finds your location and the map continues to move with you by tracking up to 12 GPS satellites simultaneously. Assisted by the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) and the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay System (EGNOS), the RoadMate is accurate to within three meters or better. You can select your route from one of four ways: by shortest time (an advanced algorithm calculates your route using shortest distance and speed-limit factors), by shortest distance (determines your best route by the shortest distance traveled), by the least use of freeways (calculates your route through city and side streets, letting you stay off highways when possible), or by most use of freeways (provides directions over freeways, highways, and interstates). You get three guidance screens: True View (shows a detailed view of actual road layout), Map View (a bright, high-resolution display with bold, easy-to read icons and text; choose your favorite from nine different color combinations), and Maneuver List (which details when and where to expect turns along your route). Want to avoid a certain road or maneuver? Simply press a "route exclusion" button, the Magellan RoadMate 500 Plus will find another route. It also automatically calculates a new route when you decide to take a detour because of heavy traffic or a closed road. QuickSpell intelligently sorts, searches, and checks spelling for rapid address entry with minimal keystrokes, accelerating your data entry by matching letters to available destinations. Store up to 100 personal or business destinations per user for a total of 300 addresses. Each user can even personally select their top three destinations to keep them handy. Instant Locate provides information about your present location so you can easily direct emergency services and roadside assistance. Best of all, the unit turns on when you start your car. Just turn it on and go. What's in the Box
RoadMate GPS, 4 CD-ROM map discs, a 256 MB Magellan-authorized CompactFlash memory card, a windshield mount, a 110V AC power adapter, a DC vehicle power adapter, and a user's manual.
MPN: 980652-02 - UPC: 763357109849
|
Customer Reviews
|
DO NOT BUY THIS ITEM! FREEZES COMPUTER! RETURNED!
By A27OD1VBMMQEY0 on 2004-06-06
*****(btw, the person above who posted "don't listen to the negative reviews of people who couldn't get it to work right because they were to impatient to read the manual" has no idea what he is talking about. I am a computer geek, and my problems had NOTHING to do with impatience or not reading the manual!!!! My software simply "stopped responding" while trying to load up the maps!!!! I spent 2 days trying to get this thing to work!!! The software is buggy beyond belief! BE WARNED!)*****I bought this item the other day, because I thought "What a good deal! you get the windshield mount and a 256MB card!!" Then 1 day letter I returned it! There are MANY positives...but they dont matter in the least bit if your machine DOESNT WORK! NEGATIVES:
1) BUGGY SOFTWARE FREEZES: The software that comes with the Roadmate 500 to load on the maps is BUGGY to say the least! Everytime I tried to load the maps in my region, It would get about half way done, then just freeze up. Then Id have to restore the corrupt card, and start again. I NEVER sucessfully downloaded the maps, and therfor I had to return the item. And this is on a BRAND NEW Pentium 4 Dell Desktop that WELL exceeds all of the system specs.
2) LIMITED AMOUNT OF MAP DATA: It is VERY decieving in that they tell you "You get 4 CD-ROMS with ALL maps from the US an and CANADA!! Just upload your maps and you're ready to go!!!" But what they DONT tell you is that you have 45 days to decide which regions you want, and then after 45 days your card locks up and THATS IT!! You can no longer download maps from the CD-ROMS unless you want to shell out more cash. This wouldn't be so bad, except for the fact that I live in NJ and I was UNABLE to fir all of NJ, NY, CT, and PA on the 256MB cards...and I travle to ALL of these states from time to time. This is NOT fair! I spend almost $900 and I cant even transfer additional maps after 45 days??? This is GREEDY to say the least!!!
3) CARD NOT BIG ENOUGH: The 256MB card DOES NOT hold that much data! Dont expect to hold more then 2-4 states on the card. But since the map of the US is broken down into "regions" you might be able to fit only 1/2 of one particular state and not the rest because it is in a different region and your card is full. YES...THATS RIGHT...Some states are split between 2 or more regions!!
4) LOOSE AC ADAPTOR: The AC adaptor is VERY loose and may slip out and cause it to shut off randomly.
5) NO PLASTIC COVOR ON SCREEN: Ok, not to be petty...but when I buy an electronic device with a nice color screen, I LOVE to peel off that nice sheet of adhesive plastic that protects the screen from scratches. The Magellin Roadmate 500 DOES NOT have that on its screen, and I mean, without it...it just doesn't feel NEW! POSITIVES:
1) NICE SCREEN: The screen looks great...nice and bright!
2) GREAT SATILLITE RECEPTION: This machine will locate a satillite in as little as 1 minute and no more then 4 minutes. Thats not too bad. And once it finds it it LOCKS on!
3) GOOD VOICE PROMPT: Both the woman and the man sound very pleasent. In conclusion, DO NOT BUY THE MAGELLAN 500 PLUS! If you are springing for this item, go the extra $150 and Buy the MAGELLAN 700! It has a 10 gigabyte hard drive in it with ALL of the maps from the US and CANADA already in there. It is "plug and play" which means you take it out of the bos, stick it to your car's windshield, turn it on, and DRIVE! No computer needed, no hassles, no computer crashes! DO NOT BUY THIS ITEM!!! PERIOD! GET THE MAGELLAN 700!!! Have a nice day :) -BRAD
Great product with a few shortfalls
By A75KFX0T9R2Y0 on 2004-06-30
This product is great but has a few shortfalls:PROS: * Clear precise voice prompts
* Large, clear display
* Excelent mapping and on-screen drawing of maps
* Quick routing and re-routing
* Night display mode is great CONS: * No EXIT numbers for Freeway exits
* No sub-categorization - say if you select a restaurant, it doesn't sub-categorize into types of restaurants, which the GARMIN does very well. Same goes for other categories.
* Couldn't find shopping centers like Best Buy or Home Depot
* The auto-contrast and auto-brightness doesn't seem to work too well, at night the display is too bright for comfort and you need to manually dim it
* Couldn't even find Showcase Cinema using POI
* Map is backdated - even my 2 yr old GARMIN seemed to have a more updated POI Customer Support is awefull by the way!
Very Good product but.....
By A21BRJ5ILJLNGU on 2004-08-03
............. but you can only download one region at a time on 128MB card (actual space available is around 100MB. Region of VT, NH and ME is only 25.7 MB while MA, CT and RI are 52.3 MB. You are lucky if you need this regions - it can fit on 128 mb Card. If you in Texas - NE part is 100MB while SW only 16MB but you will not be able to load both on 128MB card.
You can only use a certain brands of compact flash cards also. Look for SanDisk and Toshiba. Magellan will give you one unlock code for $50.00.
Now about "FREEZING ISSUE" and "buggy Software" that I've read in one of reviews here. I thought that I got the same problem. Every time I checked Task Manager on my PC it shows me that program is "Not responding". Magellan Support Service explained to me that I have to let it run for aprox 10 min and yes, even though it look like its froze its actually uploading.
Accurate mapping. User uploads areas of choice with unlimited access to change later. Voice directions allow driver to focus on road and mentions back to back turns to lessen confusion. Touch screen and spelling assist eases data entry. Unit quickly reroutes if driver deviates from original route. Crisp display with nice lighting layout to allow full use at night. Vent mount is quick and provides a clean looking installation.
I ordered SunDisk 512MB CF card for 60$ (plus 50$ authorization) and I can use all Atlantic coast region (from Maine to Florida) from single card.
I can't rate it 5 out of 5 just because Magellan charging money for extra CF card activation. It's a great product with great features.
Outpost.com selling it for 549$ and its a great price since they send you windshield mount kit.
Magellan has removed the 45 day trial !
By A2XWXUEJMP468 on 2005-02-12
After reading a review stating that you only have 45 days to load the maps and then you can't reload additional maps, I simply could not believe it. I bought the 500+ anyway. I read in the directions that I only have 45 days to load the maps and after 45 days I need select 100mb of maps that cannot be updated. I called Magellan and they confirmed that this is not correct. They original planned to do this, but scrapped the idea. They confirmed that you can buy up to a 1gig CF card and reload the maps as many times as you want without a time limit. You still have to unlock the card, but the first card is free and additional cards cost $50 to unlock.
I have used the 500+ for a week now and love it. The WAAS system has a better reception that the older models. The only times I have gotten poor reception was in the end of long tunnels and in my garage. The route configuration is right on and it loads extremely fast. The new firmware update has a split screen option for directions.
The common question is why not the 700. First and foremost, the 700 is more expensive. Second, the CF loads faster than the 700 hard drive.
Five stars from me........Good luck..,.
Dare to Dream!!
By AXYFQYPSVVQA1 on 2004-06-13
This product was excellant. I have used it for 4 months now and find very little at fault with it. I use the 500 for work and usully put in over 20 addresses a day, it always gets me there! It takes a little time to learn but it is like any other electronic device; to use it properly you must READ THE MANUAL. don't listen to the negative reviews of people who couldn't get it to work right because they were to impatient to read the manual.
|
|
Magellan RoadMate 500 Plus GPS Auto Navigator Accessories
|
|
| |
|
| Product Features |
- Auto navigation system that's ready to go, right out of the box--no wires to hook up or cards to plug in
- Turn-by-turn guidance with voice prompting helps you find your way, even when you make wrong turns
- Full-color screen automatically adjusts to the light conditions for easy viewing day or night
- Includes with 2 million points of interest across the contiguous United States and Canada
- Includes detailed map of U.S. and major Canadian areas on 4 CD-ROMs; download specific areas to supplied 256 MB CompactFlash card
|
|
|
|
