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.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Magellan RoadMate 700 3 Inch Portable GPS Navigator

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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Magellan RoadMate 3055 4.7-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Lifetime Traffic Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The RoadMate 3055 is a decent GPS. The hardware is handsome, thin, and light weight. The software is showing its age and computer and car connection is just obtuse.

Every manufacturer of GPS devices has an awful problem right now; there are too many models with too many features, too many price points, and absolutely no logic to model names or numbers. Magellan is just as bad as any other vendor. There are a few features to consider when buying a GPS. First is screen size, bigger screens are more expensive, but not necessarily better or easier to use (4 inches is a pretty common size, anything bigger just gets in the way). Second is Text to Speech, if you want road names read to you, and then get a unit with Text to Speech (the 3055 does Text to Speech). If you only want the GPS to say, turn left in 5 miles, turn left in point two miles, turn left now, ding dong; and then don't spend money on Text to Speech. I find it critical that the GPS say the road name. Third is Bluetooth, a way to connect your cell phone to the GPS and make hands free calls while driving. To me, this is a pretty worthless option, the speakers are never large enough and the noise cancelling is never good enough. Fourth is traffic subscription. Lifetime traffic is a nice thing, but you will have ads scrolling on your GPS, they aren't annoying, but they are there. Almost all the GPS get their traffic information from the same place. It is extremely unreliable (I have about 4 years of experience in a major metropolitan area and travel in many cities), the traffic jams area almost never there, or someplace not reported. I would frankly never pay extra for traffic information (see lower in the review for how poorly this unit performed). Fifth are map subscriptions. This is very sticky. Lifetime subscriptions typically cost around one hundred dollars and give you four updates per year. One map update costs around sixty or eighty dollars. Lifetime map update included with a GPS is not a bad plan, but almost no GPS offers this. Magellan is no different; lifetime subscriptions are around eighty dollars. Sixth is choosing between road assist or not to road assist. With road assist, whenever the GPS thinks an exit will be confusing, a representation of the road and signs appears on the screen. This is very useful in major cities on highways, totally useless on rural roads or small towns. I'm not sure this is worth extra money.

Turned off, this is a very nice looking GPS. The border is gloss black plastic, fairly wide, and makes a great landing spot for your fingers while using the GPS. The back is nice looking silver. The unit is light weight. The pain starts after turning on the unit.

Magellan has chosen to do nothing significant with computer connection. There is absolutely 100% NO Mac support, you have to have a Windows PC for any firmware or map updates. The first step I did with this unit was to update the firmware. You must install Magellan's Content Manager Software to do anything with this device and a computer. The software only moderately inhabits your computer, by default it runs at start up. It does everything magically, with little user intervention. The firmware update was painless, except that the software warns that this might take hours to complete (Magellan is horrible at predicting how long anything will take, from software updates to Bluetooth pairing), it only took ten minutes to download. The updating was painful to watch, the GPS goes through blue screen after blue screen reminiscent of the blue screens of death on a PC. Each screen had ultra cryptic words that mean nothing. Fortunately, the update completed without a problem.

Virtually every single GPS on the market today (including the Mio's that nobody has purchased) allow you to transfer addresses from Google maps to the GPS. Magellan has chosen to not do this. This is a HUGE mistake by Magellan, the only way to enter an address is through their on screen interface or through your phone's address book (more on that abomination later). On a recent trip, I found the address on Google maps, verified with satellite images that it was indeed the correct address, transferred it through my MacBook Pro over to a Garmin Nuvi 765T GPS. On the Magellan, I spent endless time touch typing on the screen the city, the street name, and then the address number. I took off on my trip with both GPS's; the Garmin took me to the exact correct address. The Magellan took me to a place five miles up the road to a vacant corn field. Admittedly, this was a very difficult address to find, but with Google maps and Garmin, no problem getting there. Magellan couldn't find the location.

The screen is resistive touch (meaning you have to press kind of hard on the screen to make it do anything, but you could use a stylus or gloves to touch the screen). If you are used to using an iPhone or iPod Touch, you will hate this type of screen. It requires much more deliberate forceful presses to make it do anything. The screen was fairly responsive, but not always. There are very few options to customize the noises this thing makes. I absolutely despise the snap click sound this device makes every single time you touch a virtual key on the screen. There is no way to change that sound or defeat it, short of muting the sound. Just after start up, the GPS makes a strange loud ohhh hoooo sound that also annoyed me. And instead of the voice saying turn now, when it is time to make a turn, the device makes another annoying ding dong sound (that can be changed to other more annoying sounds). The Text to Speech voice is a pleasant female voice that is not changeable. The voice is a little less robotic than Garmin's.

The lane assist at first seemed really nice. Then I studied it carefully and compared it side by side to Garmin's version. Sadly, Magellan loses in this race. Instead of a replication of the real signs (color, relative size, and wording as Garmin has implemented it) Magellan has chosen to use green rectangles with highway numbers and comapss directions. This is pretty sad, these are generic rectangles and the highway numbering is accurate, but the words on the GPS never match the real road signs. In addition, Garmin has chosen to really represent the look of the highway with accurate lane count, and a big purple arrow that shows you were to go. Magellan, on the other hand, has chosen to do some very vague highway lines in green. It would be very easy to miss some complex exits with this particular system.

The Magellan screen is fairly cluttered. They have added about an inch to the width of the screen compared to other four inch GPS's. The top and bottom of the 3055 screen is consistent with the other RoadMate models - very simple distance to destination, zoom buttons, Menu, distance to next turning point, and the "one touch" button. On the left traffic delays are displayed. On the right there are two icons, one for volume and the second for stuff along the route (gas stations, rest stops, etc.). There is enough room to see the map or routing. The default view of the road is zoomed in very tight, almost too tight really.

The biggest crime Magellan has commited with this GPS is the whole mounting / charging arrangement. Included in the box is an awful simple suction cup mount. The GPS slides down a T slot into the holder. The supplied mini-USB to 12V adapter slides into a slot on the mount and provides power to the GPS. That adapter also houses the traffic antenna for traffic delay updates. This is cheap, crummy mount at its absolute worst. The charging arrangement is ridiculous. The GPS will take up to four hours to charge using the 12V adapter. The battery will last about two hours on a full charge. So this means a four hour car ride to get a full charge, because the "out of the box" experience is only with the 12V adapter. The manual does mention an optional AC adapter. After doing a bit of testing, the GPS requires fairly high wattage to charge. Any mini-USB cable will work to connect this GPS to an AC adapter or a computer. An iPhone charger will not work. An iPad charger and most USB ports on a computer do work to charge this. The biggest problem, it is impossible to figure out if the unit is charging, there is no light on the unit to show charging status. The battery level indicator on the unit is pretty worthless, I could not understand if the battery was dead or fully charged.

The next crime is synchronization with a cell phone. The iPhone is supported by this device. The instructions clearly state that your address book can be imported into the GPS. It also warns that it might take up to five minutes to pair via Bluetooth. In about a minute my iPhone 4 was connected to the GPS. I then responded yes to importing the phone book. About a minute or two later, all my contacts were imported. I was overjoyed; this was easy and seemed to work out great. I have the most basic contact list in the universe, maybe 150 contacts all entered via Outlook and using standard fields for the data. The darn GPS made 375 out of them, put them in random order, created a huge number of no title entries, duplicated a bunch of contacts, and then never got an address right so I could navigate to that address. That was about the most useless piece of garbage import I have ever met.

On a recent trip I pitted my Nuvi against the 3055, side by side navigation in the car. When I deviated from the planned route, the Nuvi spoke up with "recalculating" (that does get a annoying after a while) while the Magellan just redid the routing and never said a word (good job Magellan). Both units called out exits and turns equally well - Magellan a bit earlier than Garmin. Both pronounced or mispronounced words equally well. Magellan was very pessimistic about arrival time and updated often during the...Read more›

Click Here to see more reviews about: Magellan RoadMate 3055 4.7 Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Lifetime Traffic

Product Description:
The Magellan RoadMate 3055 offers something extra with an exclusive ultrawide 4.7-inch touch screen, Bluetooth, lifetime traffic alerts, highway lane assist, OneTouch favorites and Built-in AAA TourBook.
The Magellan exclusive, ultra-wide 4.7-inch touch screen stands above the rest at 17% larger than a standard 4.3-inch screen. Enjoy hands-free calling and a noisecancelling microphone with advanced Bluetooth technology.


Magellan has partnered with the most trusted name in travel--AAA. Only Magellan products include the built-in AAA TourBook with Diamond ratings and descriptions on AAA-approved places to stay, play, dine, and save.


Personalize your travel experience with the OneTouch menu of your favorite places and searches. Bookmark your favorite coffee shop, restaurant, gas station, or bank to find the nearest location, anywhere you travel!


Enjoy subscription-free, lifetime traffic alerts available at any time! Premium maps of the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico make this perfect for travel across the country or everyday commuting.


Perfect for the everyday commuter or business road trips! Travel with confidence using the top-of-the-line Magellan RoadMate 3055, an easy-to-use, premium navigator packed with features!

RoadMate 3055 Features

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Magellan RoadMate 1445T 4.3-Inch Widescreen GPS Navigator with Traffic Link Receiver Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Good thing Amazon provides a 30 day return policy. I bought this unit because I had great experiences with my 5 year old subscription based Magellan GPS.But right out of the box the Traffic Link did not work.I called Magellan's tech support to figure out the problem.After 90 minutes of trying to explain to someone across the globe that traffic coverage should be pretty solid in Los Angeles and I was getting no signal - only the message "acquiring signal" they agreed to replace the Traffic Link.About a week later it showed up via FedEx Ground.Once again, excited I plugged the unit in and headed for a 200 mile day trip in LA.NOT ONCE did it ever acquire the signal. I called Magellan and once again spoke to someone across the globe who apparently never heard of Los Angeles or the awful traffic here.They kicked me around for another 90 minutes to arrive at a supervisor who said I had two options - send it in to Magellan for repair - at my cost - or return it to the retailer I bought it from.
If the Traffic Link would have worked with either adapter I would have kept the unit.It's boxed and ready for drop off to return to Amazon.
Be very careful.If it doesn't work out of the box then return it immediately to Amazon.Do NOT mess with Magellan. I wasted 2.5 weeks of waiting and 3 hours on the phone with them. Don't you have better things to do?

Click Here to see more reviews about: Magellan RoadMate 1445T 4.3 Inch Widescreen GPS Navigator with Traffic Link Receiver

Product Description:

The premium 4.3-inch Magellan RoadMate 1445T GPS navigator boasts free, live traffic alerts and the exclusive OneTouch favorites menu. The included Traffic Link service provides free lifetime traffic alerts. Preloaded premium maps and six million points of interest for the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico make the Magellan RoadMate 1445T GPS product ideal for both business trips and vacations. Easy-to-use premium features give you confidence on the road and deliver an exceptional navigation experience.

FEATURES

Exclusive OneTouch Favorites Menu
Easily bookmark favorite destinations and searches with personalized bookmarks so you can find them anywhere you travel. Find your favorite café or restaurant in any city with a single touch. The Magellan RoadMate 1445T device definitely delivers "Your favorites at your fingertips."
Exclusive AAA TourBook Guide
No membership required... Invaluable to anyone who travels, the AAA TourBook guide information on all 50 states and Canada is built into your Magellan RoadMate 1445T and provides ratings and descriptions on AAA approved places to stay, play, dine, and save.
4.3-inch Touch Screen
The wide, ultraslim 4.3-inch color touch screen is perfect for everyday travel. Click to view full-size image.
6 Million Points of Interest (POI)
Easily find whatever service you need. Gas stations, restaurants, hotels, ATMs, and hundreds of other businesses are intuitively categorized and searchable from the built-in POI database.
Highway Lane Assist
Realistic highway signs point you in the right direction when approaching interchanges and exits, and ensure that you'll choose the correct lane well before your next turn.
Highway Exit POI Search
Search for gas stations, restaurants, hotels, and more near upcoming highway exits.
QuickSpell with SmartCity Search
Enter destinations with only a few touches. QuickSpell with SmartCity search helps you quickly enter addresses and narrow location searches, making destination entry easy.
Multi-destination Routing
Plan a trip with multiple stops in the order you want or optimize it for the most efficient route. Easily reorganize, add, or remove destinations.
Spoken Street Names
Hear street names and directions for a clear understanding of when to make the next turn while you keep your eyes on the road.
Premium Maps
Travel the entire United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada with all the maps you need, pre-loaded on your device.
*Lifetime Maps entitles you to receive up to four (4) map data updates per year, for the life of the GPS receiver or until Magellan no longer receives relevant map data. Visit MagellanGPS.com for complete details.What's in the Box
Magellan RoadMate 1445T GPS Receiver; Pre-Loaded Maps of United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico; Windshield Mount; Adhesive Disc for Dash Mounting; Vehicle Power Adapter; USB Cable; User Handbook; User Manual on CD-ROM

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Magellan RoadMate 1212 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I purchased the 1212 from a big box store recently and so far I like it. It is very easy to use and the interface (Windows CE Core 5.0) is easy to use and the voice direction is clear and easy to understand. There are a few quirks though....
1. Sometimes the system lags when you press a button and you have to press it again or wait.
2. If you enter into a submenu from the map or route screen it is difficult to get back to the original map menu. Though the system seems to still keep you on track and let you know about turns etc...
3. The included software link and software on the installation package are not very useful. You get a standard PDF version of the user manual which contains a good amount of information on the operation of the product and was useful. The software POI (Points of Interest) editor allows you to enter additional points of interest and upload them to the GPS. Only one problem with this software. Unless you know the longitude and latitude coordinates of the place you want to add you won't be able to and the software is very basic in that you can only enter known information and there is no way to look it up or select it. Other software Vantage Point and Mapsend and mapsend manager are not for this unit and therefore do not work.
4. This may not be a problem with the routing algorithms of the software but it insist that I take a turn into a oneway street to get to my house which is not possible. On the upside is that if you turn around and go another direction the unit quickly calculates a new route for you. Same thing it does if you miss a turn. As a side note: the maps for this unit according to the magellan site are from 2007 and the site lists the unit as a new product and there are no updates for it. I have not contacted magellan asking them about an update but the other products seem to have one so eventually we'll see one for this one.
In the box:
The unit comes with a suction cup windshield attachment kit and a power cord to plug into your car lighter. If you want to connect it to your PC you will have to purchase a separate usb to usb mini cable.
Some other neat features it has..

-You can edit (from the unit) and add your own points of interest.
-The unit contains a SD card that you can backup and restore saved information on.
-the unit can be carried with you around town and so if you are walking it will tell you where you are, direction etc...
- the screen has "+" and "-" buttons to easily adjust the topview detail. again the lag sometimes hits here.
-It is sensitive to where I am moving and even vertical direction when moving around just inside my home office here.
-If you touch and drag your finger on the screen it will move the map accordingly though with a slight lag.

When purchasing this unit I also looked a the comparable Tom Tom 130, I chose this unit because the text talk (where it speaks the street, destination and road names). The tom tom unit had that as an add on for ~$100
All in all for the less than $200 that I paid for this unit I think I got my money's worth and I like the unit so far. Only time will tell if my needs out grow or the maps become dated too quickly.
I you are looking for a unit under $200 and are willing to put up with its little quirks then you will be quite happy using this little gem.

One thing you might consider before purchasing any GPS unit is to figure out where you want to install it. I have not found the perfect position but I am thinking that on the drivers side near the door on the windshield near the dash. So I would have to operate it left handed. But that seems the most out of the way. I also tried installing it way up by the rear view mirror but it seems a little close to my head to read easily. The windshield attachment is fully adjustable and is about 6 inches long fully extended.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Magellan RoadMate 1212 3.5 Inch Portable GPS Navigator

Product Description:
Affordable, thin, and amazingly easy to use, the Magellan RoadMate 1212 enables you to find virtually anywhere in seconds without reading the instructions. The sharp 3.5-inch color touchscreen adds pleasure to driving. See your position on the interactive map, plus distance to the next turn, distance to destination, estimated time of arrival, street names and more, all at a glance. The simple touch-screen menu presents easy options! Voice guidance offers worry-free driving with spoken turn-by-turn directions so you can keep your eyes on the road.

Clear 3.5-inch QVGA color touchscreen shows your position, POIs, route, ETA and more on the interactive map




Easily find your way around town with built-in maps of two North American countries and Puerto Rico. 6 million pre-programmed Points of Interest (POI) enable you to search and select nearby services, and recreation and business locations. Find gas stations, restaurants, hotels, ATMs and more. Phone numbers are included (when available) so you can call ahead for information and reservations.


The Centrality Atlas III processor and built-in high-sensitivity antenna provide the fastest position acquisition in the industry for reliable navigation. QuickSpellTM intelligently searches and checks spelling so you can enter your destination with just a few touches of the screen. SmartDetour prompts you to route around sudden slow traffic.


The integrated rechargeable battery provides navigation for up to3 hours when power is unavailable.


Thin, elegant and completely mobile; take your Magellan RoadMate anywhere for easy, accurate navigation.
Innovative easy-to-use interface makes it a breeze to find the route to your destination in seconds--without even needing to read the instructions.
Click to enlarge.


Adjustable mount for your windshield or dashboard.




Key Features Include

SayWhere Text-to-Speech that clearly announces the street name of your next turn.
3.5-inch QVGA color touchscreen that shows your position, points of interest, route, estimated time of arrival and more on the interactive map.
Built-in pre-loaded maps enable you to navigate the Unites States, Canada and Puerto Rico.
6 Pre-programmed million of Points of Interest (POIs) make it easy to find gas stations, restaurants, ATMs and more. Search by name or category near your position or near any city.
Thin and stylish--Combines style and functionality in a pocket-sized design.
Innovative and amazingly easy-to-use, route to your destination in seconds without even needing to read the instructions.
Touch an onscreen interactive POI icon for a nearby destination to see name, address, phone number (when available), and get an instant route.
QuickSpell, predictive spelling, guides in you address entry by eliminating irrelevant characters as you type.
SmartDetour automatically prompts you to route around sudden slow traffic.
Centrality Atlas III Processor provides superior GPS performance and navigation.
Rechargeable battery lets you navigate for up to 3 hours when power is unavailable. Recharges while driving via the included vehicle power adapter.
Automatic re-route never lets you miss a turn and quickly get back on track whenever you take a detour.
Customizable route method help you select Fastest Time, Shortest Distance, Least or Most Use of Motorways, and Avoid Toll Roads.
Create and store personal Points of Interest for easy reoccurring trips.
Auto night view adjusts color and contrast for easy night viewing.
SD-card compatibility so you can back up your address book.

What's in the Box
Magellan RoadMate 1212 receiver, vehicle power adapter, adhesive disk for dash mounting, windshield mount, basic cradle, preloaded map on SD card, user manual on CD-ROM, quick-start guide, reference manual

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Magellan RoadMate 1220 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Competition is good and I am happy to see another respectful contender in the GPS navigation arena. But competition is competition, so for the purpose of this review I have borrowed my wife's Garmin Nuvi and ignoring other drivers raced eyebrows, drove around for several weeks with two GPS navigators.

First, what I really like about RoadMate:
- it is small and slick and fits into my shirt pocket
- it has three hours of battery life
- it has fast and very well organized user interface
- its address input feature is just great; in general I am able to enter a destination address in RoadMate two times faster than in Garmin.
- RoadMate shows exit services and has lot of useful location-sensitive information only a touch away
- it has a pretty loud speaker
- it finds satellites faster than Garmin and loses them less frequently
- when building the route, it allows you to select several travel options for that route (fastest, shortest, most highways)
- it understand multiple intermediate points and optimize the route among them

Now, things I am not particularly fond of:
- the screen is two times dimmer than Garmin's screen, but still perfectly usable
- it takes RoadMate 35 seconds to start up (Garmin's startup time is 20 secs)
- it never bother informing the driver when it lost satellite reception, conveniently freezing the display with no further directions
- it never informs the driver about missing a turn, recalculating the route in silence (now I appreciate Garmin's "recalculating" message)
- the map has bugs and is not yet upgradeable (I hope this is temporary)
- no maps for countries other than USA and Mexico are available (I hope this is temporary too)
- the so called 3D map is hardly 3D and has limited zoom capabilities
- the text to speech system suffers from chronic tonsillitis and is sometimes difficult to understand

Now for real problems:
It is sad when an almost perfect design is nearly destroyed by two drawbacks. Each problem may be relatively minor, but their combined effect is disastrous.
The first small, annoying bug: when the unit zooms into the map at an intersection, it never returns back to the original zoom. This means that after the first turn you get maximum zoom and unless you adjust it manually while driving, you have no clue as to what lies ahead.
This problem alone could be OK if not for numerous bugs in voice prompts. This is the part where improvements are overdue.
RoadMate voice guidelines software is way behind the competition. It may tell you to "stay on the current road" several times and then suddenly tell you to take exit. It may bother you with multiple advices to "stay on the current road" without any visible reason. At the fork it may or may not tell you whether to keep left or right. It may prompt you to take a "slight turn" just because road bends but sometimes it really means a turn. Even worse - if right exit happens to bend to the left, the unit sometimes tells you to take a "slight left turn".
To be frank, voice prompts are usually correct, but bugs mentioned above are too often. In the end I just want to see the next turn at the unit's screen.
It all boils down to the simple question - would you turn your attention to the road and rely on buggy instructions or start adjusting zoom level at 3.5 inch GPS screen?

In comparison, Garmin unfailingly starts prompting you for any turn enough in advance to let you make any necessary changes, and keeps reminding you of the turn. It almost never makes mistakes in voice instructions. It always tells you whether to keep left or right. Also, Garmin always zooms out to show the next turn (unless the next turn is a few hundred miles away).

Well, RoadMate is not a terrible GPS system, but in light of other choices, I would not necessarily recommend this one.

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Product Description:
The Magellan RoadMate 1220 device boasts the acclaimed OneTouch menu, a 3.5-inch color touch screen, and a pocket-size design. Preloaded maps and points of interest for the contiguous 48 United States, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico make the RoadMate 1220 ideal for around town and vacations. Easy-to-use features give you confidence on the road and deliver a rewarding navigation experience. Turn it on and go!


Turn it on and go! Click to enlarge.
OneTouch favorites menu affords instant access to your personalized bookmarks of favorite places and searches anywhere you travel. Click to enlarge.
Multi-destination routing with route optimization lets you plan your trip with multiple stops in the order you want or optimize a trip for the most efficient route, helping you save time and money. Click to enlarge.
QuickSpell with SmartCity search narrows your address and city searches, making destination entry easy. Click to enlarge.
Preloaded maps give you information and directions as you travel the contiguous United States, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.
The Magellan RoadMate 1220 includes many premier features, starting with Magellan's exclusive OneTouch favorites menu, QuickSpell with SmartCity search, and highway exit point of interest (POI) search, to name a few. Magellan's attention to detail delivers a superior user experience.
Intuitive and robust navigation
The RoadMate 1220 lets you bookmark your favorite destinations and searches with the OneTouch favorites menu so you can access them anywhere you travel. With a single touch, find your favorite cafe or restaurant when you're traveling within any city.
QuickSpell with Smart City search help you quickly enter addresses and narrow your address and city searches, making destination entry easy.
Multi-destination routing with route optimization lets you plan your trip with multiple stops in the order you want or optimize a trip for the most efficient route, helping you save time and money.
Safety first on the road
You can keep your eyes on the road as you drive because spoken street name guidance announces the street name along with audible turning cues.
Ready to roll
You're ready to travel with preloaded maps and points of interest for the United States and Puerto Rico that make the Magellan RoadMate 1220 ideal for both business trips and vacations.
With millions of points of interest at your command you can easily locate gas stations, restaurants, ATMs, coffee shops, and much more.
When you're traveling down the Interstate and need to find gas, food, or lodging in a hurry, touch the highway exit POI icon to see which upcoming highway exits have the services you need.
Do you often find yourself tied up in traffic? The RoadMate 1220 is Traffic Link compatible, offering live onscreen traffic-incident reports. (The Traffic Link accessory is sold separately).
Turn it on and go!
The Magellan RoadMate 1220 is loaded with premier features you'll need to get you where you want to go.

Magellan RoadMate 1220 Features

OneTouch favorites menu affords instant access to your personalized bookmarks of favorite places and searches anywhere you travel. With a single touch, find your favorite cafe or restaurant when you're traveling within any city.
3.5-inch color touch screen provides powerful navigation that's easy to view and use.
Spoken street names and directions so you can hear and see where you need to turn next.
QuickSpell with SmartCity search narrows your address and city searches, making destination entry easy.
Multi-destination routing with route optimization lets you plan your trip with multiple stops in the order you want or optimize a trip for the most efficient route, saving you time and money.
Preloaded maps give you information and directions as you travel the United States and Puerto Rico.
Millions of points of interest (POIs) help you easily find gas stations, restaurants, ATMs, coffee shops, and much more.
Highway exit POIs search shows you gas stations, restaurants, hotels, and more near upcoming highway exits.
Branded POIs display your favorite coffee shops, restaurants, and more by their respective logos.
Traffic Link provides live, onscreen traffic notification updates. (This accessory is sold separately).
Customizable route method lets you select the shortest distance, fastest time, most use of freeways, or least use of freeways to customize your route.
Address book enables you to create and store contact information.
Auto night view adjusts your screen's color and contrast for easy night viewing.
Automatic re-route lets you quickly get back on track in case you missed a turn.
Plan route on map by simply touching a destination on the map screen and then directly routing to it.
Rechargeable battery gives you the freedom to drive wireless or plan your trip when your vehicle's engine is turned off.

What's in the Box
RoadMate 1220 GPS receiver, Pre-loaded maps of the contiguous United States, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico, Windshield mount, Adhesive disc for dash mounting, Vehicle power adapter, User handbook

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