New Magellans announced

[+Redwoods Mtn Biker]

Just announced - the Magellan RoadMate 2000, 2200T and 2500T.

 

Rich Owings

www.GPStracklog.com

www.MakeYourOwnMaps.com

 

“We were desert mystics, my friends and I, poring over our maps as others do their holy books.” – Edward Abbey

[+W7WT]

Looks like they have the features I have been waiting for. Wonder if Garmin will also come out with a hand held that is preloaded and has the same features of the Magellans.

[indygpser]

Below is a photo of the 2500T. The unit seems to be about the same size as a Garmin 350/360. This may be a little too large for my outdoor navigation needs.

 

[+SUp3rFM & Cruella]

What about "handhelds" like the Explorist Series with SirfIII (or more advanced)?

[+gpsblake]

What about "handhelds" like the Explorist Series with SirfIII (or more advanced)?

 

Wouldn't surprise me if Magellan just pulls totally out of the handheld market. For a while, they've really only been interested in the Roadmate series with the Explorist handheld series a distant 2nd. Profit margin probably higher in those anyway.

[robertlipe]

Citing a recent Businessweek article

TomTom has in one year gone from nowhere to a solid No. 2 in the market behind Garmin. Its retail share in June, 2005, was less than 7%, according to research firm NPD. A year later it was north of 25%. One rival—Magellan—lost considerable ground over the same period, falling from 44% to 8%, while Garmin nudged its share above 55%.

Now exactly which market they're speaking of is unclear, but since the article is oriented toward auto nav units, it's not unreasonable to assume that's dashtops. So I think they're on the run in that market, too.

 

Meanwhile, over a year after XL and 210 were released, not a single firmware update has shipped, even though a round of fixes were available for their close cousins last December. The first "real" update for DirectRoute since '03 has shipped and I can't recall reading a single review from an experienced user that considers it a Good Thing. It's not hard to see why some people describe themselves as "pretty happy to see Magellan on its own away from Thales who let it fall into ruin."

 

These products come too soon after the purchase to have been done solely under the Shah reign, so it's hard to know where to give credit, but let's hope that they get back on their feet. I wish them luck.

[+geognerd]

My two cents: I don't think these are going to be that hot for outdoor usage. Seeing the photo and reading the measurements (3.4 x 4.3 x 1.1 inches), the unit is more like a small tablet. Most handhelds are in a form that allows you to wrap your fingers around it and hold it with a firm grasp. These new RoadMate 2000s look like you would either hold it between your thumb and fingertips (likely to slip and drop) or wear it on a lanyard around your neck. But do you want something the size of a small paperback book bouncing off you?

 

I also have to wonder about the touchscreen. Will it be up to outdoor duty, getting wet and dropped on assorted hard surfaces? My hands can get pretty dirty while caching, so that dirt will get on the screen. A screen protector would be a must-have. You'd also need to have an easy-to-access lock button to prevent the screen from taking touch inputs when being carried around outdoors.

 

Good idea, but the form factor is all wrong for outdoor usage in my opinion. This is an in-car unit first, and an outdoor unit if you need one in a pinch. Not the killer auto nav/geocaching GPSr some people are looking for.

[+Jhwk]

Yeah, I read up on those units today also. Auto unit with ability to be taken out. Of course most of the info on the 2500T is TBD. questions like, sensitivity, loading poi's, routes, tracks, etc. Plus the whole "how many caches can I load" question. Unlike the 600, I will just wait and watch this time. And robert - it was nearly a year from release to "upgrade" of the original eXplorist line. Now it has been almost another year and still only one update. Yeah, the 600 is that good I just feel sorry for the XL folks, who have yet to see a real upgrade.

[robertlipe]

robert - it was nearly a year from release to "upgrade" of the original eXplorist line. Now it has been almost another year and still only one update. Yeah, the 600 is that good I just feel sorry for the XL folks, who have yet to see a real upgrade.

 

Yes, I'm pretty sure I recall you being pretty unhappy until yours was fixed. The 210/XL people are living with firmware of that very generation to this day. (USB lockup, no projection, no "mark found", etc.) We know the units share code across the board - they have the same bugs. So they've developed the fix and just not cranked out the x210/XL version. Sorry, but that's not productivity heroism to me.

 

If the 600 had addressed any substantial fraction of the things the Meridian owners had been howling about for years before 600 shipped, I might buy the "it's that good" position, but even with a smiley, I'm done cutting them any slack.

[adampierson]

Seems to me this unit is trying to compete with Garmin's Nuvi unit (a really slick unit BTW, but not suitable for caching).

[+Jhwk]

Seems to me this unit is trying to compete with Garmin's Nuvi unit (a really slick unit BTW, but not suitable for caching).

Or trying to merge multiple product lines to save mucho $$$

[Suscrofa]

I really believe the future will be in handheld PDA/tabletPC with GPS, Phone, TV etc... all integrated.

The rugedness and power source are the only real issue.

Such an equipment with a big screen is OK provided the tickness is small. In fact it would be better than a potato like GPS.

I like my 60CX but I know it is the last of its kind.

 

The big market is of course for car navigation then city nav on foot, not the outdoors.

[Ogre_fl]

If Magellan is sharp they will market these to the Adventure touring/Dual-sport motorcycle crowd.

The 2500T seems perfect for this use, assuming the unit can take motorcycle vibes.

 

I'll be keeping my eye open for the release of this unit.