Yet another Windows CE-based GPS that is buggy, slow, non-responsive and crashes. Not surprising.

Yeah we have it so for the people who wish to have a voice command large GPS display with maps of Mexico, BT, TTS for only $350. It really is not a great unit but I guess if you never had a GPS before and if you are looking for all these features at a low price, this could be the unit for you.

Navigon's own 7100 is a better choice, with updated (and much faster software), an output for routing sound to your stereo system or FM transmitter (if you like), and a smaller footprint (sometimes a screen can be TOO big), and a much more competitive price. Navigon has so far proven to offer good customer support and unlike some of the major players appears to be more committed to keeping their products current with online updates at no charge or for a reasonable price.

I believe the 7100 also has a larger POI database, in the 4 million range, though to be fair no modern GPS holds a candle to the old Magellan 700/760, which had 12 million POI's and only very rarely failed to find the important ones. Even Garmin's top of the line GPS's often miss very major POI's along the midwest interstates I travel (as do the other current manufacturer's products).

Somebody once argued (I think it may have been GPS4me) that the older, larger POI databases contained many more inaccurate entries, but in years of use I NEVER had a problem with that - it's much more frustrating to watch the new ones completely miss lots of POI's than to worry about an occasional inaccuracy in the older databases.

Regards,

" I believe the 7100 also has a larger POI database, in the 4 million range, though to be fair no modern GPS holds a candle to the old Magellan 700/760, which had 12 million POI's and only very rarely failed to find the important ones. Even Garmin's top of the line GPS's often miss very major POI's along the midwest interstates I travel (as do the other current manufacturer's products)."

I believe Magellan RoadMate 700/760 only have 7M POI and not the 12M you have mentioned here.
Navigon has done a fair job in purchasing shelf space at stores such as BestBuy but they are also in trouble.
Mio and Navigon tried to penetrate NA with low pricing and now paying the price.
Mio after purchasing NavMan is again down to 10% of the PND market, they lost out on buying NavMan and the prices of PND will soon be down to $70 with TomTom, Garmin and Magellan fighting over who will get to zero profit the fastest.

It's an ugly game the PND business and it's getting harder as we speak.

Garmin stock drop almost 22% in one day yesterday and the company makes money and holds a 55% NA market share, I wonder what they have to do to earn their title?

"Somebody once argued (I think it may have been GPS4me) that the older, larger POI databases contained many more inaccurate entries, but in years of use I NEVER had a problem with that - it's much more frustrating to watch the new ones completely miss lots of POI's than to worry about an occasional inaccuracy in the older databases."

If you never seen POI data that routes you to the owner of a restaurants home address or route you to McDonalds at a residential address, you are not using your Magellan RoadMate 700/760 enough. These incorrect POI data was supplied to NavTeq by D&B and NavTeq had to re-verify all the POI data as they were worthless. So Info USA have outdated POI data and D&B have incorrect POI data, chose your poison?

GPS4me,

When I purchased my RM 700 from Sharper Image back around 2004 there was a sticker on the box that advertised "over 11 million Points of Interest," so my original guess of 12 million was pretty close. Perhaps they received a special version of the unit with more POI's ... I don't know.

What I DO know is that in years of using it I NEVER had a problem with garbage or incorrect POI data. I'm not saying it didn't exist, but I used the unit extensively in the midwest and NEVER found it to be anything but extremely accurate and helpful.

Say what you will, but I'd MUCH rather find an occasional problem with a POI than to constantly be driving past all sorts of mainstream POI's that today's GPS's (Garmin, Navigon, Tom Tom, etc.) simply don't see. What good is a POI database if it can't find the important ones? I'll answer that for you ... NO GOOD!

So say what you want about the old database, but if I could grab it and incorporate it into any of the new models I'd do it in a heartbeat - MUCH BETTER!

I think the biggest problem with current POI databases is that manufacturers have now aligned themselves with particular brands and CHOOSE not to show competitor's POI's. My call to Navigon recently confirmed this and it would seem that this has become standard practice. The older Magellan database, on the other hand, had a HUGE list of almost all the POI's out there, which is what somebody travelling in an unknown area needs to have available.

Regards,

Steve B.:
"When I purchased my RM 700 from Sharper Image back around 2004 there was a sticker on the box that advertised "over 11 million Points of Interest," so my original guess of 12 million was pretty close. Perhaps they received a special version of the unit with more POI's ... I don't know."

Well I DO KNOW and Sharper Image is notorious for having mistakes and error on their ads, I personal pointed out a few to Magellan and it was hilarious.

As far as the old software applications and search features on the older Magellan RoadMates! I am in agreement with you. I loved it when Magellan utilized the old Sdal format and the POI search on the older unit and it was excellent and better over all performance in with search features.

The problem is the cost of the older applications cost to much and it was way to high, if you remember when the MRM 700 was first introduced, it was in the $1,200 range and NO ONE today will pay anything close to that for a PND.

So Magellan like Garmin and TomTom had to produce a cheaper PND that is GOOD ENOUGH and still an affective PND device for 80-90% of the population and this has been the current challenge how to offer a great PND for almost nothing and still stay in business.

I would not bank on Navigon to long, they are as a GPS company in BIG TROUBBLE and buying shelve space and penetrating the NA PND market is only affective for a little while untill the unit show it's flaws and the review and returns start to happen.

Our thinking of what a PND should be is not that far apart as far as enjoying the older Magellan RoadMate product features and ability, it is just not possible at the current price they wish to sell them at and that's the REAL SHAME!

People will pay money for JUNK and I can tell you there are tons of them out there right now!

I have tried to push Magellan to have a top shelve MODEL of PND that is above the rest of the product they offer, but they have to make their applications function across the board and it will not be practical to have a premium product that functions superior to the rest because the ROI is not there.

What kind of junk you think will be available this Q4 when PND will be down to $70 each? I doubt there will be to many happy customers and the GPS manufacturers is racing to a zero profit margin line. What exciting times we live in.

I'll agree with you that it certainly is an interesting time in the GPS market.

It would seem, ironically enough, that the eventual answer to the problem lies with the "cheap" clones. Much as cheap computer clones, teamed with innovative third party software revolutionized the use of computers (and made them available to all at a reasonable price), the same is possible with GPS technology. When the major players (Garmin/Magellan/Tom Tom) get smart and open up their platforms, that's when other companies will start providing universally compatible software products that do "ALL" the things we want them to do smoothly on any of hardware units

There's a lot to be said for the power of "open source." It's already possible to run a variety of different software products on the WinCE based products, and many hackers already have improved upon the "over the counter" products with both functional and convenience improvements. Imagine how great it would be to take a great hardware product like the top of the line Nuvis and be able to improve them with 3rd party software or add-ons - then we'd have the best of all worlds!

...Just dreaming!

Regards,

Steve B

It is not that far away that these GPS will be available to the public for free like the Radio and TV shows we see. There will be ads as we drive with the navigation system but the service will be free.
It is just a matter of time when the PND will be the new Yellow pages.
As far as 3rd party application goes, it is currently being looked at my many venders and will be open source sooner than later.