I purchased this GPSr directly from Magellan at a discounted price after sending in our old eXplorist 210. I had some serious heartburn after making the purchase because the reviews aren't very good for the unit. However, after getting set up, I must disagree. This unit has met my expectations and is all that I needed.I have only had the unit for a short time so this is only a partial review.
The Vantage Point software and the general maps on the unit are pretty disappointing, but I knew that going in. I was able to find an internet company that sells a subscription to download maps on-line. This was very cheap ($7.50 US) and I get to download any map for a whole year. The maps provide topo, streets, and places (restaurants, gas, etc.). They detail is not as good as many of the other topos but it is just fine. The available maps are also limited, but I was lucky to find one for the state that I live in as well as all the states surrounding me. So I was able to solve the problem of poor detail.
The user controls are an improvement over the eXplorist joystick. Although, these are quite a bit stiffer so i could see myself getting carpal tunnel. Because of this, it's not as easy to manually enter data. It's not complicated or hard, just a little slower because the stiffer buttons. The directional arrow (circular button)is pretty small too and hard to get fingers in just the right place. I don't count that as a deal breaker since most cell phones are just as bad and one can get used to this. I mush prefer this type over the old joystick.
The menus on the unit are quite an improvement. On our old eXplorist, we could get lost trying to save and retrieve data. Once we saved anything, we could never find it. This new set up is much more user friendly and intuitive.
The set-up was quite the painful and frustrating process. The instructions included in the quick start up guide were incomplete and unclear. However, Magellan on-line FAQ cleared that up and the system worked just fine. I was surprised to need an update with a brand new unit. Magellan does not include a full owner's manual either. It must be purchased separately ($6.50 US/color or $2.50 US/black and white) plus shipping.
After the purchase and clearing some things up, I am pretty happy with the unit. It all depends on what you want to use it for. I plan to use it for way finding, geocaching, and off-roading. Magellan Triton 500 Handheld Navigation System
