adr5 wrote:For all of 30 minutes, which is how long the battery lasts. You would need to find another power source to go beyond that time.

Pedal Power, Man... Pedal Power!! You have it right there. Just hook it up

Is the mount supplied stick to the wind shield or only the mounting plate?

I bought two of these Magellan 7" GPS with Lifetime Maps from Wal-Mart a few years ago (refurbished on a black friday deal). They never worked properly. I returned to Garmin. These may be different since they are not refurbished.

Before you buy figure out where you will mount this monster without obstructing your view. Even a 4" Magellan is difficult to accommodate in a Prius.

Montana and Wyoming don't need no dang GPS. The horse knows where to go.

Bobalooo wrote:Pedal Power, Man... Pedal Power!! You have it right there. Just hook it up

Would you suggest hooking it up next to the baseball card in his spokes or the tire generator that powers his front light?

indus49 wrote:If you have a (modern) smartphone, there's absolutely no need for this device. Why have another gadget that needs charging?

Somebody posts a statement like this every time Woot has a GPS device. In many cases you're correct, but what happens when you're in a rural area, or in the mountains, or something like that, and lose your cellular data connection?

clhug wrote:Somebody posts a statement like this every time Woot has a GPS device. In many cases you're correct, but what happens when you're in a rural area, or in the mountains, or something like that, and lose your cellular data connection?

I agree. The Adirondacks, the coast of Maine, California's wine country... you're screwed without a real GPS. I don't keep mine charged, I just keep it in the trunk and plug it in when I might need it.

ParadisePete wrote:"Lifetime" of course meaning the lifetime of Magellan, not your lifetime (except perhaps for a few unlucky readers.)

That was macabre.

bluemaple wrote:Sweet big screen size - actually makes it an interesting option vs a smart phone unless you have one of those "phablets" that looks like you're steeling a lunch tray when it's in your pocket.

Since it does not appear to include a vent mount a concern I'd have: getting tickets for having it mounted above your dash. (Especially you folks in CA & MN where I understand you can get ticketed for things as small as radar detectors up in the windshield area!)

In any case seems like a good match for RV's as well.

No longer the case in MN. They changed the law in the last couple of years...

clhug wrote:Somebody posts a statement like this every time Woot has a GPS device. In many cases you're correct, but what happens when you're in a rural area, or in the mountains, or something like that, and lose your cellular data connection?

also worth mentioning is some people (myself included) refuse to pay the outrageous cellphone carrier monthly fees and choose the pay-as-you-go plan. this makes a gps is worthy investment

clhug wrote:Somebody posts a statement like this every time Woot has a GPS device. In many cases you're correct, but what happens when you're in a rural area, or in the mountains, or something like that, and lose your cellular data connection?

There are smartphone GPS apps that store all the maps on the phone, so all you need is a GPS signal.

I've got one of these. It picks up a signal fast and the OneTouch feature works great.
If you need to search for a POI, take a nap. Search is very slow, sometimes taking over 3 minutes to find something less than 50 miles away.
I miss my TomTom (kids stepped on it) and Apple Maps are still less than accurate, even for destinations like WalMart.

bluemaple wrote:(Especially you folks in CA & MN where I understand you can get ticketed for things as small as radar detectors up in the windshield area!)

Actually CA has a provision that DOES allow a GPS unit on the windshield.

"(12) A portable Global Positioning System (GPS), which may be mounted in a seven-inch square in the lower corner of the windshield farthest removed from the driver or in a five-inch square in the lower corner of the windshield nearest to the driver and outside of an airbag deployment zone, if the system is used only for door-to-door navigation while the motor vehicle is being operated."

I have one of these and although the big screen is a nice feature, the maps have some very serious gaps in them. Even some neighborhoods that have been established for a long time it draws a blank. And I keep the maps updated. I'm thinking of going back to Garmin or Tom-Tom.

Why do people still buy standalone GPS units like this, designed for use in a car? Virtually every modern cell phone has access to GPS, has more up-to-date maps via Google, and is already a gadget I carry.

I can see maybe having one of the handheld GPS units for hiking or whatnot where there might not be cell service, but I can't justify even $100 for something that's already built into my phone.

Scooley01 wrote:Why do people still buy standalone GPS units like this, designed for use in a car? Virtually every modern cell phone has access to GPS, has more up-to-date maps via Google, and is already a gadget I carry.

I can see maybe having one of the handheld GPS units for hiking or whatnot where there might not be cell service, but I can't justify even $100 for something that's already built into my phone.

Already answered.

http://www.woot.com/forums/viewpost.aspx?postid=5435569&pageindex=2&replycount=56#post5436089

are the map updates acquired via PC? I assume it is not compatible with Apple OS. I still have an old PC laptop I could use, if necessary.

One time I was driving north on I-25...There was a fire and traffic was being rerouted. One path west that was clear and well marked, but long. The other was east, shorter by quite a bit, but you needed to know your way because it wasn't marked. Took the short route. Five minutes off the highway cell phone wouldn't work... But there were 5 cars following each other so I followed them. 40 minutes later the lead car pulls into a remote driveway. The cars after him just stopped, me included. The guy laughed and said he knew everyone was screwed when he passed the right road. The best advice he had was to go back to the main highway and take the western route that all the cops had suggested.

[quote postid="5436315" user="coalman29"]One time I was driving ... 40 minutes later the lead car pulls into a remote driveway. The cars after him just stopped, me included. The guy laughed and said he knew everyone was screwed when he passed the right road. quote]

Funny. I've been one of those who's been caught up in a brilliant moment of, "Follow that car - they look like they know where they're going!"

I'm in for one. I'll add a $14 backup camera from Amazon to kill 2 birds with one stone.

I've owned this model for almost a year. It works well, although I wish I could customize the display a bit -- get rid of the speaker, show a North-direction arrow, etc. I suspect the CPU is a little on the slow side, but that's a problem with all GPS units. The only negative is that is is so heavy that the suction cup loosens during the winter, and the unit falls over. My wish is that a bigger suction cup was available for it.

cindihoward wrote:I bought two of these Magellan 7" GPS with Lifetime Maps from Wal-Mart a few years ago (refurbished on a black friday deal). They never worked properly. I returned to Garmin. These may be different since they are not refurbished.

That must have been a surprise for them!

indus49 wrote:If you have a (modern) smartphone, there's absolutely no need for this device. Why have another gadget that needs charging?

Oh ... and it's ironic that the image on the woot home page shows the GPS is "Acquiring Signal" ... in my experience you'll be seeing that a lot every time you use the device.

There are plenty of reasons. Some have already been mentioned. Another is that I'd find a phone with a seven inch display difficult to stick in my pocket.

It's worth remembering that there are people in the world who may have different wants and needs. A product that seems useless to you may be useful to others, and I'm sure you own things that I would find complete wastes of time and money. The difference is that I don't claim you are wrong.

I got this because my girlfriend said 7" is better than 4.3"

goldiesmarv wrote:Already answered.

http://www.woot.com/forums/viewpost.aspx?postid=5435569&pageindex=2&replycount=56#post5436089

Not really the best answer to refer to since it's very easy to download offline maps to a smartphone and use them without a cellular data connection. The GPS on a smartphone works exactly the same way that a standalone GPS unit like this works with maps that are stored on the device and no data connection.

I think this is the better answer, especially for this particular GPS unit:

craigthom wrote:There are plenty of reasons. Some have already been mentioned. Another is that I'd find a phone with a seven inch display difficult to stick in my pocket.

It's worth remembering that there are people in the world who may have different wants and needs. A product that seems useless to you may be useful to others, and I'm sure you own things that I would find complete wastes of time and money. The difference is that I don't claim you are wrong.

Personally, I'm thinking about picking up one of these for my parents. They don't have smartphones (and don't want them), but they'd definitely use a standalone GPS unit with a screen this large. The only thing holding me back is the thought that I could get them something like the Nexus 7 instead, which will work as a standalone GPS with downloaded maps (maps that will be updated far more often with better POIs). It could also do a number of other things easily, along with offering a better screen (resolution and touch). Sure it will cost a little more (refurbished ones can be found for around $150, although the price will drop whenever the new version(s) get announced), but it's a nice alternative.

This is a very good deal for a unit this large - not even a refurb. I've liked Magellan for several years, but I like my older unit better than my newer one with lifetime maps. Their old maps are ridiculously expensive to update, but the new maps are from a different source and simply don't look as good. Less accurate, too - my 5-yr-old unit knew the correct town for my home address, the newer one doesn't.
Don't like the newer interface either: there are several irritants; for example, there's no way to keep your current speed on the display for more than just a few seconds (GPS speedo is more accurate than my car's speedo). From the woot! photo, my guess is that this 7" unit probably has the same dumb user interface as my 5" model.

What about Off road use? I live and go to places where there are no paved roads. Can the GPS and mapping features keep up with me when I'm off on a trail somewhere?

While stand alone GPS Nav units clearly have taken a hit from Smartphone growth, those folks poking at the usefulness of them should look at the numbers...

Smartphone market penetration is less than 60% of mobile phones.

Aside from people who simply don't want to burn Smartphone data bandwidth on Nav functionality, 40+% of mobile users don't have Smartphones.

Furthermore, there is some evidence that Smartphone growth is reaching the saturation point.

http://www.comscore.com/Insights/Press_Releases/2013/5/comScore_Reports_March_2013_U.S._Smartphone_Subscriber_Market_Share

brianwech wrote:I'm in for one. I'll add a $14 backup camera from Amazon to kill 2 birds with one stone.

Which backup camera did you get and will it work wirelessly?

[quote postid="5435976" user="indus49"]If you have a (modern) smartphone, there's absolutely no need for this device. Why have another gadget that needs charging?

Because many actually use their phone as a phone??? Or even MP3 player etc.

And how many phones have a 7" screen, much more easily visible

sjwentzel wrote:Which backup camera did you get and will it work wirelessly?

I bought a simple wired camera from Amazon ($14). Connecting it to this GPS unit requires some knowledge and additional cables/connectors.

Magellan sells a wireless camera, but it costs about $140 from Amazon.

bjh18 wrote:Personally, I'm thinking about picking up one of these for my parents. They don't have smartphones (and don't want them), but they'd definitely use a standalone GPS unit with a screen this large. The only thing holding me back is the thought that I could get them something like the Nexus 7 instead, which will work as a standalone GPS with downloaded maps (maps that will be updated far more often with better POIs). It could also do a number of other things easily, along with offering a better screen (resolution and touch). Sure it will cost a little more (refurbished ones can be found for around $150, although the price will drop whenever the new version(s) get announced), but it's a nice alternative.

I had a similar idea, and an inexpensive 7" GPS-capable Android tablet would have probably done the job for my Mom, but I wound up getting her a 9" Magellan GPS unit instead. At first she was concerned that it would be too big for her car, but now she loves its big, easy-to-read display and the live traffic feature. $99 @ Big Lots.
EDIT: Forgot to mention, she also likes the QuickSpell feature & the QWERTY keyboard -- much easier to enter addresses on the Magellan than on the TomTom unit she had been using.

While the tablet would have been a more versatile option, I think the simplicity of the GPS suits my Mom just fine, as she doesn't have a smartphone and might have gotten lost in all the bells and whistles of a tablet OS. Sometimes less is more.

Anyone else order one of these and got four? Um thanks?

Now waiting on a reply from customer service about what to do with the extras.

lrgraham14 wrote:Here's some more info about the lifetime maps:
http://www.magellangps.com/Map-Upgrade-Lifetime-Subscription-UC

Also info about the content manager software:
http://www.magellangps.com/contentmanager


[MOD: Just note that Lifetime maps are already included with this GPS.]

You are saying that I do not have to pay the $99.00 to get the current maps downloaded on my GPS?
Lifetime Maps is included when I purchased this unit???

UGH!

I now own a GPS that will not accept MY OWN address! I tried my current address (given when we added 911 service to this area) and my previous address (same house - just changed the address) and this unit says both are invalid! I am updated. I did the save this spot and it is giving me a road I have never heard of. HEAVY SIGH!

I think I just paid good money for a paperweight...and not a nice one at that.

ThunderThighs wrote:That's strange. Have you contacted Magellan for assistance on figuring out the problem?

I used "contact us" from the website and received a reply to "please" add any addresses that are not in their system. This is a process that involves multiple web pages, adding several product identifiers from the device being used, and a slow verification procedure.

It looks like Magellan is VERY far behind in the mapping business. My address is in Google Maps and Garmin, and has been for a couple years. I am not holding my breath.

Lifetime Maps is wonderful, but not if they are that far behind in reality. "sigh"