TomTom GO 700 3.5-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The TomTom Go700 is great!I own a Garmin c330 (also phenomenal product), but this one is equipped with excellent new features that keep it bleeding-edge car navigation.

First off, the Bluetooth connectivity makes this product a winner in itself.The phone calls are crystal-clear with my Ericsson T637.Callers also say they can hear me perfectly.The connectivity is awesome, plus with web access on your mobile, you can collect current weather and traffic data from TomTom.The voices are loud and clear, and the 3D navigation outperforms the Garmin.

Navigation-wise, the product is also awesome.Route planning is easy and intuitive.If you don't like a certain route, you can select alternate routes on-the-fly.You can select from a large number of route views (text only, map, both, etc.), and route demos can be sped up or slowed down (unlike c330).

Other awesome features include tips and tutorials for learning the intracacies of the product.You can also download new voices to the device (such as John Cleese) for added customizability.This is so much fun!The features go on and on....

All in all, this is a significant improvement over the Garmin c330.It adds all the functions I wished were available on the Garmin.This is so greatly customizable and easy-to-use.I consider it the Mac version of GPS car navigation.

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One week later...

After owning the product for a week, I decided to return it.I had a few issues with the unit powering up; I needed to reset it several times.I also found a few annoyances with looking up points of interest.Unlike the Garmin, you must first select a category before searching for a POI.This made it impossible to search for Dry Cleaners, Banks, and many other very necessary locations!

Map data is also a bit outdated.Entering my office address didn't work on the unit.It only registered a certain range of "house" numbers, with mine not being one of them.TomTom also uses TeleAtlas maps, which (in my opinion) are not as nice as Garmin's NAVTEQ ones.They both work, but I find usability easier and more efficient on the Garmin.

Also, reading cell phone text messages via the unit was practically useless.Messages were encoded with a string of strange text before the actual body of the message.

Many fun features (such as Traffic & new POI's) are not yet available in the US, either.This product is a little bit of everything rolled into one.It's a really cool unit, with tons of features, but I think it's a bit flawed.I hope TomTom continues to support many of the features it advertses (Weather, Traffic, Voices, etc.).

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Product Description:
The TomTom Go 700 Portable GPS Car Navigation Systems is the smart, easy, and connected portable car navigation system. Featuring all the great navigation functionality of the original award-winning TomTom Go, the TomTom Go 700 is easier and more convenient to use than ever before.


Control your cell phone with the TomTom Go 700's integrated Bluetooth features.

Access points of interest along your route quickly and easily.

The unit's 3D navigation view is designed to make finding any address effortless. You won't find a smarter portable GPS navigation system anywhere, as the TomTom Go 700 not only speaks more than 30 languages in over 50 voices, but its user interface now also includes 18 languages. With the improved functionality, you can quickly access millions of points of interest and plot your quickest, shortest choice of road in no time at all. For maximum driver and passenger convenience, the TomTom Go 700 works with an optional remote control accessory (not included with product). The remote uses radio frequency so you won't even need to point it. Mount it anywhere you want, and do away with the need to touch the screen. A compass mode displays a compass on screen, giving you even more orientation while driving. Plus, with the volume of the device linked to your car speed, the volume of the unit's voice instructions will increase or decrease depending on the speed of your vehicle. An improved on/off switch means that you'll never turn the unit off by accident, and an antiglare screen ensures that you are always offered an optimal view, even in direct sunlight.
Just plug in your TomTom Go 700, switch it on and go. There's no need for any special installation or activation. A set of clear, accurate, turn-by-turn voice instructions and crystal-clear 3D graphics will help you to get where you need to go. The unit's simple design allows you to take the TomTom Go 700 with you from car to car quickly and easily. All the newest TeleAtlas maps are now installed on a 2.5 GB hard drive as one seamless map, allowing you to find your way to any address across all of the United States and Canada.
The TomTom Go 700 is USB 2.0-compatible for faster data transfers to and from your PC. Meanwhile, the unit's Bluetooth receiver allows you to download real-time TomTom Plus services through the internet connection on your Bluetooth phone anytime and anywhere. TomTom Plus gives you the real-time information you want on traffic congestion and weather conditions, plus extra downloads such as detailed city maps, additional voices, points of interest, and more. Note that some TomTom Plus services require a subscription fee. Also, TomTom Plus services require a GPRS ready device equipped with Bluetooth and a GPRS subscription with your mobile operator.

the TomTom700 in action

What's in the Box
TomTom Go 700 portable car navigator, carry case, screen cloth, installation CD, AC adapter, cigarette lighter cable, USB 2.0 data cable, installation poster, quick start guide, product code card, TomTom GO accessory leaflet, and component parts of a suction-mount cradle.

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Magellan RoadMate 700 3-Inch Portable GPS Navigator Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)It was a battle between the Garmin 2610 and the Roadmate 700. My main criteria is ease of use and accuracy. Actually, I bought this unit for my wife who works as a home visiting nurse. She has been relying on Thomas Guide Maps eversince. So, I want a GPS receiver that is very user friendly, that even a grandma can use. I compared the 2 units side by side at Fry's. I researched the whole Cyberspace for the best car navigation system to date, and I found the answer in the Magellan Roadmate 700.
POSITIVE: Wow! The crisp display and big screen was one of the factors that attracted me to the Roadmate. The Garmin LCD has 256 colors while the Raodmate has a TFT with 32,000 color capability. The roads are more easier to look at because of the color rendition. You can even adjust color settings to make it look like the Thomas Guide Maps.We've been using the Roadmate for about 2 weeks now and so far the WAAS is always active. This results in greater accuracy. According to my wife once she is in front of her patients house, the Roadmate acknowledeges that destination has been reached. It also tells whether the house is in the left/right of the street. This proved to be very valuable since she doesn't have to look left and right looking for the house. It recalculates routes very fast in case you miss a turn or exit.
Another thing, don't worry about the flimsy aircon vent mount, just call technical support and they send you a windshield gooseneck mount which is very nice. Now that's what I call customer service! It grips very firmly to the windshield like your rearview mirror. I think it is better than the bean bag dash mount.
The LCD display is very intuitive. It automatically zooms in while your getting near your destination, and it also shifts to 3D when your approaching a turn. When you lose GPS signal while your in a tunnel, the display automaticlly goes to the turn by turn mode so you can still be guided. The touch screen is amazing. Those using the old GPS units with buttons will want this unit.
I also like the route exclusion feature. For example, I always want to avoid the 91 freeeway because of the terrible traffic. You can customize it to always exclude it or you can just touch the 91 route in the turn by turn display and tell it to disregard that freeway, and alas! you are directed to take another route.
The unit also assigns up to 3 users, each user setting is customizable, just like when you log in Windows. Within each user you can save up to 100 addresses. Previous destinations are also saved automatically. This is comparable to the waypoint feature in the Garmin 2610.
The voice guidance is all you need! No need to look at the unit while you are driving. As of this time, we have not been misdirected by the vocal guidance on any route. But I will update my review if we experience such. This equals to SAFETY while driving.
For those worried that having a hard-drive in a portable GPS unit might be bad, the internal harddrive that comes with this unit is similar to the microdrive in compact flash cards. The unit is made for rugged use, unlike the ones on PC's.
Roadmate 500 vs 700? I'd say go for the 700. The fact that you don't have to buy additional CF cards in the future justifies the $200 hundred dollar difference. Not to mention that you still have to pre-authorize CF cards for $50 prior to use, although your first one is free.
Another bonus, the unit can be used for off-road driving! I hav'nt tested it but the Magellan website says it is capable of that. I have to call tech support to confirm.
NEGATIVE: BAD! The one thing that really bothers me is that there is no post-office listings in the POI. How can they forget the USPS locations. I occasionally look for post-offices while I travel. There is a mention here that the documentation is bad. That is quite true. If you are a non-technical type of person, the manual will suffice. For example, I want to know how to update the firmware and maps, there is no mention of that in the docs. Even though the Roadmate 700 comes with an internal hard drive, it still has a compactflash port, there is no mention of that in the manual if it is operable or not. It does not come with a USB cord nor an AC adapter like the Roadmate 500. How come? This is the top of the line unit.
The waypoint feature of the Garmin 2610 is preferred by experienced GPS users over the previous destinations feature of the Magellan.
The price of the Magellan 700 is several hundereds more compared to the Garmin 2610 but I think it's features justify the additional cost. What I have listed here is the positives and negatives based on 2-3 week use of the GPS. Hey! The positives outnumber the negs. I also agree with the other reviewers that this isn't a perfect unit, but to date it's the best you can buy.

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Product Description:
This powerhouse GPS unit just keeps gaining in popularity. Recently bestowed the honor of being named one of "Oprah's Favorite Things for Holiday 2004" it's just getting better and better every year. With the previous version of the RoadMate 700 lacking in included accessories this years RoadMate 700 hits a home run as Magellan has wisely included in the package a windshield suction cup mount, a 12V DC vehicle power adapter, 110V AC power supply, USB data cable, universal cradle and of course a user's manual.
The Magellan RoadMate 700 offers a powerful dash-mounted navigation tool with turn-by-turn voice prompts, making it easy to get to new and unfamiliar locales anywhere in the lower 48 U.S. states and Canada (For a fee it can be loaded European maps using the Magallen web site and the included USB connection cable). It also features a bright color TFT LCD screen (2.25 by 3 inches), touchscreen input, WAAS reception (for 3-meter accuracy), and multiple ways to select your route and then view it on screen.
True View 3D navigation shows you the actual road layout.
The RoadMate 700 is one of the few GPS devices that's ready to go as soon as it's unpacked. Its whoppingly huge 20 GB internal hard drive comes preloaded with detailed road maps for all of the U.S. and the southern (most populated) section of Canada, so you won't have to fiddle with selecting map regions from a CD-ROM and having to transfer the data from a PC. If you keep your addresses on a PDA with IrDA capabilities then you'll enjoy the RoadMate's ability to upload the addresses wirelessly and point you right to your destination. In fact each of the 3 profiles that the unit keeps track of is allotted space for 100 addresses, making a total of 300 addresses available. Of course the most important address, home, can always be accessed with just a few clicks and from any menu and the RoadMate 700 will guide you back with ease.
You can also choose a map view, or the maneuver list. If you are planning on using the RoadMate 700 with an older car--make sure it has a cigarette lighter power adapter, or leave enough time to charge it up in your hotel room or office with the supplied AC power cord. This also means that you won't be able to use the RoadMate 700 as a handheld device outside of your car. As for mounting, the included suction cup windshield mounting hardware is quite easy to use and allows you to mount the unit on any glass surface in your car. The RoadMate unit easily clips into the provided windshield bracket and can be tilted and turned with it's adjustable arm so you can see it easily and safely while you navigate. Quickly locate points of interest and amenities along your route. One of the benefits of the windshield mount is that because it's a suction cup mount you can move it in seconds from car to car with no problems at all. This newer suction cup based windshield mount is an improvement over the older three pronged mount that used to come with the RoadMate units. The older three-pronged mount was inserted into one of the middle air conditioning vents on your dash; the prongs are bendable to help you get the most secure fit, but never gave as secure of a fit as the windshield mount does.
But the RoadMate 700 shines as a virtual co-pilot. During our tests, it consistently acquired a satellite lock quickly (within a minute) and displayed our current position. From there, we searched through the vast library of POIs (points of interest) to find our destination (Seattle's baseball stadium). The RoadMate 700 has four different modes of getting you to your destination--shortest route, shortest distance, least use of freeways, and most freeways. Selecting shortest route got us to this venue using very practical directions that weren't far off from what we normally would choose.
If you're traveling to a destination that's not a widely known POI (such as a friend's home), no problem. You can enter the exact address into the RoadMate 700--using the touchscreen to tap letters and numbers into several search screens--to have it create a route. (You can also save 100 destinations in the address book.
QuickSpell minimizes typing. The voice prompting was clear and audible (thanks to the two built-in speakers), and we were given ample warnings for upcoming turns. One of the RoadMate's nicest features is the Repeat button (which is smallish, but the only button found on the top of the device). If you miss a turn instruction, press it to repeat the previous voice prompt. Of the three view modes, True View was our favorite--it displays a 3D street-level view that helped us orient ourselves to our surroundings.
Overall, we were quite thrilled with the RoadMate 700's features: the color screen was bright and readable even in direct sunlight and the voice prompts were clear and not distracting to our driving. Best of all, the UI (user interface) screens are easy to navigate and--thanks to its large hard drive and map database--it's ready to go as soon as you open the box. While the price is not for the faint of heart, it will be a very valuable tool for many drivers (from business folk to parents) who need to get to unfamiliar locations quickly and smoothly. -- Agen G.N. Schmitz

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Black & Decker StormStation All-In-One Rechargeable Power Source/Radio/Light #SS925 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)One of the previous reviewers misunderstood the directions for the Storm Station.The Storm Station is designed to be left plugged in.

The confusion comes from the directions themselves.Here is what they say: NOTE: AFTER THE MAIN BATTERY IS FULLY CHARGED, SWITCH THE MAIN POWER SWITCH TO THE OFF POSITION AND REMOVE THE AC ADAPTOR IF YOU ARE NOT GOING TO USE THE STORM STATION RIGHT AWAY.ALWAYS REMOVE THE AC ADAPTOR DURING STORAGE, TRANSPORTATION OR DURING PERIODS WHEN IT IS NOT BEING USED.

Apparently, though, that means that you should only unplug it if you don't want to use it as a backup power source (i.e. if you are simply storing it or transporting it).

A better clarification comes from the Black and Decker Web Page itself: To be prepared for a power outage, keep the Storm Station plugged into an electrical outlet to maintain 100 percent of its charge. That way when the power goes out the Storm Station will have all of its battery power to help you during a power outage.

So leave it plugged in!I got mine on Christmas Eve and we had a power outage on Christmas at 10pm.The kids were scared, and I simply grabbed the Storm Station (the Find Me Light had already activated), turned on the High Powered Room Light, lit a kerosene lantern, turned off the High Powered Room Light, and charged my cell phone.We used the rechargeable flashlight as well (the other flashlight by our bed died within 5 minutes).I then called the power company to report the outage.After the power came on an hour later, I plugged the Storm Station back in.I'm going to keep it plugged in and rely on it again!

I'm very happy with the Black and Decker Power Station.Thanks to my girls for giving it to me!

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Product Description:

Power electronics, small appliances.When storm emergencies hit, it's good to have electricity, light, and a radio. It's even better to have all those things together in one place and easy to find when the lights go out. Black & Decker gives you all the emergency essentials in one handy StormStation.How it Works
This portable unit is equipped with a weather radio, power inverter, and detachable flashlight. When the power goes out, the StormStation's "Find Me" light automatically turns on. Use its 25-watt inverter to power small, essential appliances, like a clock or a cordless phone to keep lines of communication open. Or charge your cell phone via the 12-volt recharging port.


Tune in news on the unit's radio.Listen to the built-in radio to stay informed about civil and natural emergencies--it tunes in AM, FM, TV1, TV2, and weather frequencies. Or remove the flashlight to help see in your darkened home.
All of these features run off the StormStation's 12-volt rechargeable battery. To be prepared for a power outage, keep the StormStation plugged in to an electrical outlet for a full charge.The StormStation is covered by a two-year warranty from Black & Decker.What's in the Box
Black & Decker StormStation 25-watt inverter with AM/FM/TV1/TV2/weather radio and detachable flashlight, 12-volt charger

Get 30% OFF

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