9. Pros

• Over-the-air updates means you'll always have the latest maps, Points of Interest, and Firmware
• Massive POI database (11 million stored locally, unlimited available via TeleNav's Connected Service)
• Nice looking hardware. Feels well made
• Sensitive touchscreen
• Good documentation
• Fuel Finder feature lets you find the cheapest gas at the pump
• Ability to wirelessly send addresses to the device
• Good looking map screen
• 24x7 customer support

10. Cons

• Poor routing engine (Shotgun didn't choose the best routes)
• Expensive connected service subscription plans ($11.99/month, $129/year, or $239 for 2 years)
• Annoying User Interface quirks
• Occasional software bugs (it crashed on me twice while driving, then couldn't get a signal for 30 minutes after rebooting)
• No way to disable the bright blue, and extremely distracting, blinking network indicator LED on the front of the GPS. Ditto for the charging indicator red LED
• No way to exclude a specific road from the planned route
• Glossy, highly reflective LCD screen can be hard to see in sunlight
• Map obscured during route recalculations (if you miss a turn, the "recalculating" pop-up window covers the map)
• Cheap windshield mount feels flimsy. Not much flexibility to adjust the viewing angle
• GPS receiver not as sensitive as some other devices
• Relatively short battery life (up to 2.5 hours)
• Internal speaker not nearly loud enough. Voice prompts sound muffled
• No Bluetooth (can't pair the GPS with a cell phone and use it as a hands-free speakerphone, or dial businesses you find via the internet-search capability)
• Cumbersome to adjust volume. No mute button.
• No lane guidance
• Typo-prone on-screen keyboard

11. Conclusion

TeleNav's Shotgun is a 2-way Internet connected GPS that provides real-time traffic service, local gas pump prices, and virtually unlimited POIs. Software and map updates are automatically delivered over-the-air. That means you'll never have to perform manual software updates, or purchase costly map updates. Provided you have an active subscription, you'll always have the latest firmware, maps, and software installed.

The Shotgun's biggest strength is its Internet connectivity, and the corresponding internet-connected search capability that lets you find address and phone numbers for almost any hotel, restaurant, gas station, wi-fi hotspot, or just about any other type of business you can think of. Even without wireless connected services, the Shotgun still has 10 million business listings (POIs) pre-loaded on the device. That's about twice what most other standalone GPS devices offer.

Subscriptions can be paid for monthly ($11.99 per month), yearly ($129/year - $10.75 per month), or a 2 year plan is available for $239 ($9.96 per month). The total cost of ownership for the Shotgun over a 2 year period is roughly $540, making the Shotgun slightly more expensive than most other non-connected GPS devices.

The TeleNav Shotgun is geared squarely towards the business traveler, and includes a number of handy features aimed at easing work-related travel. For example, a mileage tracking feature can log distances driven, and automatically upload the data to "My TeleNav" -- an online website portal that lets you download mileage reports for up to a 12-month period within the last 24 months. That same website also allows you to add or delete addresses from the Shotgun's address book, and send addresses to wirelessly to the GPS.

Restaurant ratings and reviews are also available, allowing you to make more informed decisions when browsing a list of possible places to eat.

Also included with the connected service is real-time traffic with traffic avoidance re-routing. When connected, the GPS checks traffic conditions every 5 minutes, and alerts you if there's a traffic slowdown that will impact the planned route. You can also view current speed and flow data along your route.

Although I enjoyed the Internet-powered search capabilities, I found it difficult to justify the Shotgun's relatively high purchase price and subscription fees, especially given that many competing GPS units now offer free lifetime traffic service with the device. Ultimately you'll have to decide whether Shotgun's connected features are worth ~$10 per month, but I suspect for many the answer will be 'no'.

Even more troubling was the laundry list of annoying bugs and usability issues I had logged after several weeks of using Shotgun. Generally speaking, the device made poor routing decisions. In side-by-side comparison tests in the car, the routes the Shotgun chose were consistently worse than those from Garmin, Magellan, and TomTom devices.

After receiving a wireless software update over the air (v.1.5), my Shotgun froze up several times while driving and had to be manually reset. After one such freeze up, I was unable to get GPS reception for 30 minutes, even after re-booting.

The ultra-bright, blinking LEDs on the front of the Shotgun are extremely annoying and distracting (more so at night), and cannot be turned off (one is a power indicator, the other is a cellular signal indicator).

I was also surprised at the Shotgun's lack of Bluetooth connectivity, especially since TeleNav is targeting the Shotgun at business travelers. Those users will likely want a GPS that can be paired with a cell phone for hands-free calling in the car.

TeleNav's Shotgun does indeed have some features that will benefit frequent business travelers. But core GPS navigation features are not up to par with competing GPS units, and the overall usability still needs further refinement.

TeleNav continues to improve the product, and says additional features and enhancements will be released over time. You might want to wait and see if Shotgun improves, or look elsewhere in the meantime.