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Strengths: Very good value. Very accurate GPS receiver. One of the best displays I have ever seen. It is very user friendly.
Weaknesses: Once in a while it will choose routes that are not necessarily the quickest, even though it is the option selected. Timing of voice prompts does not adjust with speed of vehicle.
Summary: Out of the box, the unit is just adequate. It works, but the software that came with it had some bugs. However, Navman gives you a free update, which you will have to order through their website. It had arrived promptly, and with it came mapping updates of the whole continental US (which looked like it contained at least twice as much data as the OEM CDs), as well as a firmware update. Among the new cool features of the update is a 3-D "birds eye" view of the maps, seen most of the time in some of the best DVD-based built-in automobile systems available. Together with the nice high resolution TFT screen, this unit is one of the most pleasurable to look at.
That said, this update had one more bug and was not perfect yet. However, after downloading the latest software patch from their website, this unit is now as flawless as can be.
I had bought my unit from a company who apparently had one of the early units in stock. I would expect that the units with later manufacturing dates would have all these software updates, so that the owner will not have to do what I did. However, even if you had to, it is really not that difficult.
Besides the display, I like the speed and accuracy of the GPS receiver and processor. It only takes a few seconds to acquire the satellites, and when it does, another few seconds pass and your route is calculated. This compares to the 10 to 15 minutes it sometimes takes for the factory GPS system of my 2000 Lincoln Navigator to to even find itself on the map.
Another thing I like about it is that it uses readily available SD or Multimedia memory cards for additional mapping capacity. Most of the other units use more expensive proprietary memory cards, or none at all.
One of the things I would like to see improved, though, is route calculation. Even though it is correct and will eventually get you to your destination, it is sometimes not the quickest. Another area where it can be improved is the timing of the turn by turn prompts. I wish it adjusts with vehicle speed; i.e. that it would prompt you to the next turn earlier at higher speeds for more advanced warning.
It is not a perfect unit, but I am happy with it because it does its job more than adequately, and reliably. Other portable units have their quirks, too. But for the money, it comes highly recommended.
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