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And a lot more almost any time of day. I've had this device since Feb 2008. I've regretted it ever since.I don't know which one did it, but it now picks completely asinine routes most of the time. That's a good chunk of the purchase price of a new unit.
There's no way I'm buying the updated 2009 maps for $[.]. bucks. I think there is one newer firmware upgrade, so I need to install that and see if it helps. I clicked on every option on the device and couldn't figure out a way to change the route indicator line.
Or go an exit short or further than it should and wind through obscure neighborhoods rather than sticking to main streets. However, if you have an address programmed, the line that indicates the route you are taking covers the traffic information so you can't see it at all--worthless. In Dec 2008 I signed up for a one year traffic subscription and did a firmware update. With the traffic subscription, it colors the road to indicate traffic volume (green for moving, red for stopped, etc).
Even in good traffic, that little detour will take 5-10 minutes. When driving on the freeway, it will tell me to get off then right back on. The favorite one I've run into lately is driving through downtown Seattle on a clear freeway with the "most use of freeways" option selected for the route: it says to get off the freeway, drive six blocks through downtown away from the freeway, make a right and go for one block, then another right and go the six blocks back to the freeway to get back on it.
That being said, some cons are that:1. Maybe someday.3. It gets me from place A to place B, which is great.
So if you aren't going to travel with it on all the time, don't expect it to be able to immediately pick up your location and help you reroute.2. Don't try to use this in hands-free mode - you can't speak without the machine thinking you're saying 'Magellan,' which is the keyword that makes the unit think you're talking to it. I haven't figured out the 6-mo traffic subscription yet.
The pros is that it works. This is a little longer than most GPS's I've used. This must have happened 5 times in half an hour in a car trip before decided we'd rather hit buttons.
I like the system, but I think the reason I buy things is because their defects are less defective than the next product. Sometimes it takes 2-3 minutes to initially pick up enough satellites to tell you where you are.
Only complaint is having to buy map update rather than included with original purchase, but. After the first unit was defective, the replacement unit has functioned well. Problem with trying to update maps, but will try again. I have had TomTom and Garmin GPS units. , the unit is the best I have had. The voice recognition really adds value for hands free, worry free driving. This is the best one I have had for actual navigation. The choice of fastest or shortest route is easy and is a bonus.
If I want to update the map to a new version, I have to pay extra money (about $90) It's ok. But the map of this GPS is an old version.
The AAA information is great, the maps are accurate, and the voice command option is very nice. Both the brightness and volume of the unit are excellent. The first thing I did when my unit arrived was upgrade to the most current version of the operating system. (If only I could get the kids to stop finding ways to use "Magellan" in a conversation) If you miss a turn the route recalculation is extremely fast. I would recommend this unit to my best friends. There were a couple of minor things I needed to try a few times before getting them right when using the unit. Reading the manual first would have been helpful, but after using this unit for a couple of days I'm hooked.
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