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(More customer reviews)This GPS does a nice job, but getting to the point where it does that can be trying. It's a 4+, because I sense there's a little more Magellan can do in terms of ergonomics.
I guess the first thing I noticed was the screw-on USB and power adapter could go two ways, up or down. I had to look through the manual to find how to attach it, and even then what I was looking at did not turn out to be right. Oh, well. There's a sheet of paper that shows how to attach it. I guess I was not alone in this. Some say a screw-on USB is dumb or non-standard, but consider the water proof rating and a normal USB port.
Next, I have a large collection of waypoints. Since this is a new model, it didn't appear in any waypoint manager software. Eventually I could convert my old Mapsend waypoints with gpsbabel, a free program. This took time. The color really shows the waypoints.
I decided I like this GPS a lot when I got the Directroute. That's the new Mapsend, and it will route. Alas, to use DR, you have to have one of the CD's in the computer. Again, though, this is mitigated because you can upload almost 'everything' to a 256MB SD card. So, basically, I assume I don't need the CD's very often. To upload the maps is complicated. You can't just cut them and then move the files. You have to 'convert' them, a second time, and then they are easily moved to the card. I have an SD card slot in my Dell. It is very easy. But, if you didn't know to convert, it will slow you down.
On balance, the DirectRoute software is an improvement over the old Mapsend Streets. The maps are 'filtered'. I travel on a lot of backroads. While the DR shows fewer roads, it seems to be very good at showing the ones that matter. Plus, they are labeled better. The main advantage of the DR is routing, but everyone should be buying it with this in mind. I haven't done any tough routing, so check other reviews.
I think the color screen is nice. The problem with a mapping GPS is scale. If you are on a tiny road, the road shows up when the scale is very small, say .2 mile. At .2, you can't see the surrounding area, so you can't tell where you are. The color screen is better, and the scrolling is pretty smooth. A zoom out is quite quick. You can find a road with this unit, scroll up it like you are driving, and figure out where it goes. You can't ever see a minor road at a wide scale, so you end up doing this. You can place waypoints while driving up the road, but this unit routes.
The physical size small, but thick. It holds a bunch of territory with one cheap card. All of Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado fit in about 70 megs. It shows a lot of roads, though it might not be up to date. Some commands are not obvious. To change the waypoint file you have to go to Preferences --> Active Setup. This did not seem obvious to me. The manual has a lot of info, but it's not easy to find a specific answer to a question. You can download it at the Magelllan site, and get a headstart.
Magellan uses a very complex file system. Some may not like it. Still, you have the internal GPS memory plus cards, and the file system makes it easy to find something. If I upload a route where the roads don't really show on the detail maps, I can put a lot of them in one file, say 200. Now I just find the waypoint file and tell the GPS to make that the active POI (it calls waypoints 'points of interest'). I really like this, because there is no limit to how many waypoints could be on a card, each neatly filed away. If I don't want waypoints cluttering the screen, I get rid of any active file of POI's.
So, Magellan did a lot with this unit, and I give them credit for it. The micro joystick is a little hard to get used to, but it really speeds entering text. It scrolls pretty well on the diagonal.
The unit is small, and pleasant to hold, at least for me. The buttons are limited in number, but getting to all the commands is easy enough.
The GPS has a learning curve, but it seems like something will be useful for a long time. Plus, with all the maps on a card, you have what you need without needing a PC. The lock is pretty good, even in the house. Magellan uses the Esc button to change pages.
Quirky, but this unit works for me.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Magellan eXplorist 500 Water Resistant Hiking GPS
Outfitted with a 16-color display, a high-speed USB data port, 8 MB of built-in maps, and an additional 8 MB of usable memory, the Magellan eXplorist 500 North America includes all the tools you need to navigate throughout the U.S. and Canada whether in the car or on foot. The device is rugged and lightweight, with a waterproof, impact-resistant plastic housing that stands up to almost every adventure, including whitewater rafting and hiking. At the same time, its pocket-sized chassis, which measures a mere 2.2 by 4.7 by 1.3 inches (W x H x D), is loaded with convenient features, such as detailed, built-in maps of North American roads, parks, waterways, and airports; the ability to save five track log files, 20 routes, and 500 points of interest; and an area calculator that determines the distance between saved points of interest--an ideal function when mapping out hiking trails. Other cool and convenient add-ons include a fish/hunt function that mentions the best fishing and hunting times for a specific coordinate and a similar tool that displays the rising and setting times for the sun and moon.
Should the built-in maps and extra memory prove insufficient, users can load additional map data onto Secure Digital (SD) memory cards using Magellan's MapSend software (sold separately), which is available via CD-ROM and, in some cases, online (your computer connects to the GPS through its USB port). There's no limit to the number of cards you can use, giving users access to everything from detailed street maps to topographical layouts to lake charts showing bottom features and boat ramps. Fun seekers will also delight in the Geocache Manager, which invites individuals and families to download geocache coordinates from specific Internet sites and use them on such adventures as treasure hunts and coordinated community projects. The manager employs a PC-style file system to keep geocache navigation easy.
Adding to the simplicity are the intuitive keypad and joystick controls, along with the one-button access for particularly important features. Unlike with many GPS systems, it doesn't take an expert to start navigating right away. The full-color display also helps first-time users, as it's easier to differentiate between different map features and data.
Additional features include multilingual communication (choose from English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Swedish, Finnish, Portuguese, Dutch, or Norwegian); four navigation screens for viewing speed, direction, distance to destination, and more; and a rechargeable lithium ion battery pack that keeps the eXplorist 500 working for up to 17 hours. Conveniently, users needn't remove the battery to charge it; simply plug the charger directly into the receiver and it renews itself.
What's in the Box eXplorist 500 GPS, rechargeable lithium ion battery pack, warranty card, user's manual.
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