7. AAA TourBook Data

Figure 67: AAA TourBook

Built-in AAA TourBook gives you instant access to AAA approved and rated lodging and restaurants, recommended attractions, and special AAA discounts.

At first I wasn't sure of AAA's TourBook value, but after spending some time with the RoadMate 1470 I've come to love the additional information it provides.

For example, when searching for a restaurant, AAA provides a short review of the restaurant, complete with approximate cost information, parking details, whether they take credit cards, hours of operation, and more. Having this information available makes it much easier to figure out where you want to eat, sleep, or which tourist attraction you want to visit.

To access the AAA TourBook, tap on Main Menu -> Points of Interest -> AAA

Figure 68: Choosing the AAA TourBook Category

This is the AAA TourBook menu. Most of the time you'll use the TourBook Destination option, but there are additional options available on this screen:

• Approved Auto Repairs - Lets you search for AAA authorized repair shops
• TourBook Destination - Search AAA's TourBook for places to eat, sleep, and have fun
• Campgrounds - Searches for AAA rated campgrounds
• AAA Branch Offices - Finds the nearest AAA offices
• Show Your Card & Save - If you're a current AAA member, this option displays special discounts available to AAA members.

Let's take a closer look at the TourBook guide data. I'll tap TourBook Destination to search for a AAA rated restaurant.

Figure 69: TourBook Destinations

AAA's TourBook includes five categories to choose from:

• Accommodations/Travel
• Attractions
• Destinations
• Events
• Restaurants

I'm searching for a restaurant, so I'll tap Restaurants to continue

Figure 70: AAA TourBook Search Results

AAA TourBook search results look similar to regular POI search results, but notice the diamond shaped ratings on the right, indicating the food quality rating.

Figure 71: TourBook Information

AAA provides a considerable amount of additional information. For example, when looking up a restaurant, you'll see a relatively detailed description of the restaurant, estimated cost, the hours of operation, the parking situation, and what (if any) credit cards are accepted.

Magellan doesn't specify how many AAA Points of Interest are included, but I found it quite exhaustive in all the areas I tested.

Navigon recently began including Zagat guide data on some GPS models. While Zagat's reviews are generally higher quality than AAA's, AAA provides reviews of many more places than Zagat.

AAA's TourBook data also includes information about hotels/motels, attractions, events, and destinations.

Overall I was pleased with the quality of AAA's information, and found it a significant benefit.

8. OneTouch Menu

Figure 72: Accessing the OneTouch Menu

The OneTouch Menu is a customizable menu that provides quick access to your most frequently used destinations and POI searches. The OneTouch button is available from any screen, including the Map.

Touch the OneTouch icon in the upper-right corner of the screen to access the OneTouch Menu.

Figure 73: OneTouch Menu

The OneTouch Menu is pre-configured with the following shortcuts already defined:

• Home - Begins navigating to your saved Home address
• Previous - Lists previously found places
• Local Info - Displays the Local Info screen
• Gas - Searches for nearby gas stations
• ATM/Bank - Finds nearby ATM's / Banks
• Emergency - Displays your current location and nearby emergency services (police, hospital, tow truck, etc.)

The remaining 4 shortcuts are unassigned, and can be used to store addresses of POI searches of your choosing.

Also displayed is the GPS satellite signal strength and battery life.

Tap one of the unassigned buttons to assign an address or POI search to that icon, or tap Edit to change buttons that have already been assigned.

Figure 74: OneTouch Menu

If you're navigating to a destination, the OneTouch menu displays a shortcut to cancel the trip.

Figure 75: Assign OneTouch

OneTouch buttons can be assigned a specific address, or a POI search, such as "Starbucks", or "Nearest Coffee Shop", or "Nearest McDonalds".

9. Traffic

Figure 76: Traffic Settings

The unit I tested didn't include the optional traffic receiver, so I couldn't fully test the traffic service. Though I did notice that the RoadMate 1470 now includes a traffic setting that allows you to decide whether you want to see traffic alerts only along your planned route, or all traffic alerts in your area (below).

Figure 77: Traffic Settings

The "Show All Traffic Events" setting will display all traffic alerts received in your area -- not just those along the planned route. This can be handy at times when you might want to take a route other than the one the RoadMate suggests.