Magellan RoadMate 700 Portable GPS Navigator

User Review: - Magellan Roadmate map update
If you own a magellan roadmate 700 or 760 you are probably going to need to update your maps on the unit. I found that if you go to [...] they have all the most current mapping out by magellan. I love my roadmate unit and since I spent alot of money on it way back, I would rather just update the maps and keep the same unit.

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User Review: - Magellan Roadmate 700
I have had this unit for over 2 years now. I works pretty well once it acquires the satellite signal. It takes about 1-4 minutes to lock on satellites.

I have had trouble with the power cradle as DC in pin somehow got bend and is now broken. It costs $70 for a new cradle, so I decided to get a DC jack and solder it. It seems I am not the only one with this problem, search google.

Would I buy this specific model again? No. Simply because their are newer, better and cheaper gps sets available now.

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User Review: - Do NOT buy from Magellan
We bought this 2 1/2 years ago for $800 because it was on Oprah's favorite things thinking it would be an investment and a quality product and we would have it a long time. Not even a year into owning it a couple of the tongs on the cradle got bent and we had to buy a replacement for $30 (since they've jacked it up to $70) because it would lose connection constantly. Well, after a year it kept asking us to update the map and we live in SA and didn't see a need since we weren't traveling outside of the city and we knew it well so we didn't. Then it starting stalling, freezing and basically malfunctioning. We were told to buy a map update by customer service for $99 and that would solve the problem. We bought the update and it seemed to work after that. Now since the cradle tongs are incredibly delicate (and we are careful with it) another tong has bent one the new one. The update map signal came on a couple of weeks ago and what do you know-the gps is malfunctioning again. It seems like Magellan has found a way to make a lot of cash by selling a unreliable product. First you have to pay $99 a year to keep the maps updated or else it will malfuction and if you bend the tongs on the cradle (and you will) you will have to sell out $70 for a new one. Also, it takes FOREVER to find you and sometimes you will pass right by the road you're supposed to take while it's deciding where you should go only to have to turn around a mile down the road. That has happened MANY times. I am extremely upset with Magellan since they don't offer to repair it-only map updates and a trade in where I'm sure they make money off you again since you already paid $800 for this one in the first place. And who's to say the second one they replace it with will be any better. Save your money and don't get ripped off by this scam they have going. It's a money pit and you're the loser.

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User Review: - way better than nothing
Only good thing about this unit is it is a lot better than nothing.
Here is a partial list of problems.
1 When you want a low numbered street ie 3rd, you have to scroll back from all the higher numbered streets in the hundreds to get to it.
2 There is a scroll bar on the right of the "touch" screen which should scroll but when it is untouched the display goes back to the beginning.
3 The corners of the touch screen are hard to get to respond when you have fat fingers or cold dry fingers.
4 If the map is outdated the unit will dump you at the last known address on the street instead of telling you it does not know.
5. When not using or needing to exit it tells you to keep to the left on a freeway instead of saying nothing. Why would I exit?
6. On the same point as 5 but in reverse it will sometimes not say anything when it should at forks etc.
7. When it says keep to the left sometimes there are more than one lanes on the left so at the next junction you will be too far to the left to take the right.
8. There is sometimes a delay in units response so you push it again and again but then it all of a sudden will catch up but way beyond.
9. On number 8 this will happen with the touch screen and the direct navigation buttons.
10. Only way I found to pre-program is to tell it you are going then cancel so it will be in previous destinations. Has no more than one stop. No way points.
11. Company non responsive for support or unable to help by upgrading.
12 Updates for map are currently late. No firmware updates to help these issues in foreseeable future.

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User Review: - Good GPS but has a weak spot. Do not buy
I have owned this unit for 2 1/2 years. Thought it was great. The unit receives its power from a cradle that it snaps into. It seems that these cradles have a tendency to fail and then the unit is useless until you buy a new cradle for $50.00. The failure rate is so high that Magellan was out of cradles for three months. This is a definate defect in the cradle and Magellan should replace all of the Roadmate 700 and 760's with a free unit of comperable features. I paid over $700 for my unit in May, 2005 and another $100 to upgrade it with new maps and firmware one year later. This is my biggest regret to date.

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