Digital Age

Magellan RoadMate 6000T Review
The good:Bluetooth, traffic data, picture viewer with SD Card support
The bad:Build quality, graphics look naffy, maps very basic

Pocket-lint reviews the Magellan RoadMate 6000T and gives out”While the Magellan 6000T ticks all the boxes from Bluetooth for handsfree calling to traffic support via the RAC Trafficmaster Telematics service (although unlike other makers you’ll have to pay a subscription service each year of ￡27), the finish just isn’t there for us compared to other devices from TomTom, Navman, Garmin and Sony.”

Read more about Magellan RoadMate 6000T

Magellan RoadMate 6000T Review
The Magellan Roadmate 6000T is a 20 channel, general purpose global positioning device. Compared to other general purpose GPS receivers on the market, it is relatively expensive at around $600.

CNET reviews the Magellan RoadMate 6000T and gives out”A general purpose GPS receiver, suited for typical tracking and positioning tasks. Designed for use in land-based vehicles. Has an internal antenna which is desirable for activities where an external antenna would get in the way. This unit is somewhat heavy, weighing in at 0.5 lbs.”

Read more about Magellan RoadMate 6000T

Magellan RoadMate 2200T Review
The RoadMate 2200T can calculate routes based on four methods: shortest time, shortest distance, lease use of freeways, and most use of freeways. With all options, you can also instruct the unit to avoid toll roads.

CNET reviews the Magellan RoadMate 2200T and gives out”Bottom Line: There are easier-to-use products at the same price point. Trust your tires, but not your navigation, to the Michelin Man.The bad: Affordable. SiRF Star III receiver. Installation poster included. The bottom line: Difficult menu system. No manual.”

Read more about Magellan RoadMate 2200T

ViaMichelin X-930 Review
The good:Strong receiver for good signal, clear display page, information from the Michelin guide book
The bad:Poor mapping, poor instruction sets, poor Points of Interest listing

Pocket-lint reviews the ViaMichelin X-930 and gives out”Aside from the price, the biggest complaint here is the mapping and the unit’s inability to find any address you are likely to be looking for, which is strange considering the Michelin directions website is normally very good.”

Read more about ViaMichelin X-930

ViaMichelin X-930 Review
The X-930 has six front- panel hardware buttons, two on the left-hand side of the screen and four aligned vertically on the right-hand side. The buttons on the left control volume up/down.

PCmag reviews the ViaMichelin X-930 and gives out”Bottom Line: There are easier-to-use products at the same price point. Trust your tires, but not your navigation, to the Michelin Man.The bad: Affordable. SiRF Star III receiver. Installation poster included. The bottom line: Difficult menu system. No manual.”

Read more about ViaMichelin X-930

By MrMan (Houston, TX)

I bought this unit after shopping around for an entry-level GPS. I had seen this particular item in the UK (where it is extremely popular) and knew ViaMichelin were finally about to release a US version. For those who didn’t know, this product is from Michelin (yup, the tire company). It’s a great unit, and the price is unbeatable for what you get. First and foremost, this is a GPS unit - not an MP3 player, audio book player, storage hard-drive or picture viewer. It has been made to do exactly what it should do - give directions. I appreciate the other little ‘bonuses’ but is it really worth the extra cost?This unit has the usual 3.5″ screen which is very clear and anti-glare. The supplied windshield and dash mounts are very handy and well-designed, but I haven’t really needed to use them just yet - I usually just place it in a small storage area I have right below my console.

What is really nice about this unit is its size and weight. It is unbelieveably light and extremely portable. You can just slip it in your pocket and take it with you. I found this one of the nicest features since I wanted the option of taking it with me if I choose to - a great feature is being able to switch between vehicle and pedestrian modes.

There are four buttons on the side that let you choose options, and the volume button is the left. The software is simple and very easy to use, with just three main items on the home screen - no complicated menus here. Entry is via touchscreen and you can either use your finger or the provided stylus that conveniently stores behind the unit. If you have large fingers, it might be hard to input details without making mistakes.

Since the unit has an integrated antenna and uses the SiRF Star III technology, satellite access is extremely quick. Route calculation and re-calculation is quick and the voice direction is clear and loud. Plenty of information is displayed on screen, without being overwhelming, and you can choose 2D or 3D views. The unit DOES display street names (or street direction), you just have to turn them on in the ’settings’ area (mind you this is only on the 2D display map, not on the actual directions map). POI’s are great too, doesn’t seem to be missing anything major so far. I had no problems with the maps being that out of date in my area (despite extensive roadwork), but I did run into one area where roads had changed - the unit re-routes very quickly though.

The 1GB SD card that is included is all you need to get started since it has detailed maps of all 50 states (Alaska & Hawaii ARE included - to correct the Amazon review. To change to Alaska or Hawaii, you just select ‘change map’ under the ‘map’ icon under ’settings’), and the supplied DVD-ROM for Canada is useful if you end up heading that way. If I ever do that, I’ll probably buy another 1GB SD card and load the data from the DVD-ROM.

I agree with the Amazon review that the main con is the lack of being able to backup and correct after entering a mistake, but it’s not that big of a deal. The keyboard not being in QWERTY format actually made it easier for me. I only find that format handy on something you can use both hands to type. So, since that is really the ONLY negative thing I’ve noticed with this item, it deserves the five-star rating.

Overall, this item is an amazing little unit for the price. It has most of the features of more expensive units, for a fraction of the moolah. For anyone wanting to try out a solid GPS unit and do not mind not having (or paying for) the ability to play MP3’s, etc., then this is the perfect unit for you!

By Veronica Bennett (Wilmington, Ca United States)

This GPS system is the least expensive of its kind and it works. For basic navigation, it is adequate, however, after a 2500 mile trip, there are some concerns. As other reviews have indicated, some of the information is outdated. Also, this system has a tendency to stick to interstates when other routes might be more appropriate. The battery life of the unit is slowly diminishing. Of course, because of the price, this unit will not apprise you of traffic slowdowns or accidents ahead.The good things this unit provides are these features: distance traveled, distance and time to destination, speed and direction. Being able to estimate ETA has proved handy as I was able to tell those folks at the destination my estimated arrival time.

If you are looking for the basics, this is a good unit. If you are looking for more bells and whistles, you may need to spend more money.

Read More About ViaMichelin X-930

ViaMichelin X-930 GPS Plus Infor

This Post just index all the Plus information about ViaMichelin X-930 Gps on the Gps-Plus dot Net

ViaMichelin’s Portable GPS Navigation X-930 is the lightest weight product in its class, and has the latest GPS receiver technology (based on SiRFstarIII chip), plus a complete set of pre-loaded U.S. maps and points of interest.The X-930 is a full-featured GPS with optimized routing, user address book, flexible destination selection and useful points of interest.

Main Features:
* Latest GPS technology with integrated SiRF STAR III GPS Receiver
* Voice and text turn-by-turn driving directions with comprehensive street-level maps
* Preloaded with complete maps of US and Canada, and POIs Availability and price , Catalog # of European map.
* Built-in 32 MB RAM, 312 MHz processor, and rechargeable Lithium-ion battery
* Weighs 4.7 ounces, and measures 4.8 x 2.8 x 0.7 inches (W x H x D)

ViaMichelin X-930 Professional Reviews:

PCmag Reviews the ViaMichelin X-930 and gives out” Bottom Line: There are easier-to-use products at the same price point. Trust your tires, but not your navigation, to the Michelin Man.The bad: Affordable. SiRF Star III receiver. Installation poster included. The bottom line: Difficult menu system. No manual.”

pocket-lint Reviews the ViaMichelin X-930 and gives out” Aside from the price, the biggest complaint here is the mapping and the unit’s inability to find any address you are likely to be looking for, which is strange considering the Michelin directions website is normally very good.
”

ViaMichelin X-970 Review
The map view is fairly simple. At the bottom of the screen, there are large icons for the Main Menu and Navigation Actions. Above that the current street name is displayed along with the number of satellites currently tracked. Plus and minus icons let you zoom in and out.

PCmag reviews the ViaMichelin X-970 and gives out”Bottom Line: An awkward user interface makes the ViaMichelin X-970 difficult to operate. And for approximately the same price, you can buy Magellan’s Maestro 4050 or the Mio C520, both of which have bigger, 4.3-inch wide screens. The bad: SiRFStarIII receiver. Multisegment routing. Text-to-speech functionality. Predictive text entry. Green Guide for tourism. The bottom line: Awkward user interface and menu system. Lacks turn-by-turn list view.”

Read more about ViaMichelin X-970

ViaMichelin X-970 GPS Plus Infor

This Post just index all the Plus information about ViaMichelin X-970 Gps on the Gps-Plus dot Net

Smart & VersatileHigh performance technology (SiRF Star III)Bluetooth hands-free connectionMichelin travel guide contentFull coverage of the U.S. and CanadaText-to-Speech provides voice announced street names for each turnFits in the palm of your handUse as a driver or pedestrianSuper Smart Navigation from a Brand You Know & TrustPortable: an indispensable road travel companionSmall and light (5.47 oz), take it wherever you go.

Main Features:
* Bluetooth for hands-free calling
* Text-to-speech announces street names
* Real time traffic capable
* 64 MB Ram
* Preloaded maps of entire US and Canada

ViaMichelin X-970 Professional Reviews:

PCmag Reviews the ViaMichelin X-970 and gives out” Bottom Line: An awkward user interface makes the ViaMichelin X-970 difficult to operate. And for approximately the same price, you can buy Magellan’s Maestro 4050 or the Mio C520, both of which have bigger, 4.3-inch wide screens. The bad: SiRFStarIII receiver. Multisegment routing. Text-to-speech functionality. Predictive text entry. Green Guide for tourism. The bottom line: Awkward user interface and menu system. Lacks turn-by-turn list view.”

TomTom GO 300 Review
Top-notch design, slick GPS maps, fast lookups, and optional services justify the Go 300’s price.

PCWorld reviews the TomTom GO 300 and gives out”Slick design and good performance make the Go 300 a slam dunk, especially if you have a Bluetooth phone and are willing to pay for up-to-date traffic and other information–but local business lookups can be irritating. “

Read more about TomTom GO 300