The Magellan Roadmate 2000
By: Jess Ross Grogan
November 30, 2006

(Actual Size Shown Above)

    The 2006 Magellan Roadmate 2000 is a touch-screen GPS navigation unit for use in any car. It is the simplest of the Roadmate Series products in relation to it's big brothers the 2200T, 3000T, 3050T, and the 6000T. It is equipped with a color touch-screen display, built-in battery, turn-by-turn visual and voice guidance, built-in maps, Sirfstar III chipset, pre-loaded points of interest, detour features, and multiple destination routing. The 2000 calculates your estimated time to destination, speed, your long/lat, elevation, time to your destination, and information on the satellites to which your system is linked. It allows you to set the volume of the voice guide, the brightness of the screen, the strength of the zoom on the map, or switch the units of measure between miles/feet and kilometers/meters. You may mark your current destination, route to a specific address or intersection, to your "Home," or to points of interest near your location such as schools, gas stations, restaurants, hotels, ATMs, and airports, to name a few. By touching the GPS icon on the map page, you may see to which satellites you are linked, their positions, and strenths. The Trip Computer feature tells you the average speed, total trip time, drive time, and total trip distance. The Trip Planner will route you between several addresses in sequence if you like to plan out your trip in detail.

Unit at a Glance



On the right side, there is a headphone jack as well as the outlet for the power source. The left side (pictured above) has
a data card slot, a reset switch, and a hold button, which allows you to temporarily disable the touch screen during a route.


Installation



 The installation consists of attaching the suction cup of the custom mount and finding a place to attach it on your car.
Pick a spot where it does not block your vision of the road and provides good access to the unit. Once the mount location is
determined you need only to route the power cable from the cigarette lighter to the unit and it is fully ready to go. It can also be
used as a portable unit with its built-in battery but it is too large to be a reasonable handheld.


List of General Features








Features at a Glance

Routing - routing to any position or address is very easy to do. After choosing your destination using the above features, the Roadmate 2000 asks you how you would like to route yourself there. You may choose from: Shortest Time, Shortest Distance, Most Use of Freeways, or Least Use of Freeways. It will even route you around any toll booths along the way if you so choose. Furthermore, if you make a wrong turn or if you know of a "shortcut," etc... it will automatically re-route you to your destination in relation to where you strayed from the course it chose for you. For example, if you are on course to go to a museum in Atlanta but you want to stop at a gas station or a restaurant on the way, the Roadmate 2000 will compensate for your choices with it's SmartDetour technology.
Cancelling a Route - to cancel the current route which you are on, simply press the Menu button and select "Cancel Route" from the on-screen options. This is a feature, which, strangely enough, is not an option on some of the higher end models of the Roadmate Series. You may also select "Re-Route" if you would like to add another Point of Interest or take another path to your destination.
Marking Your Position - you may mark your current position and name it as you like by touching the horizontal, light-blue bar located at the top of the Map screen. This will show you your direction, speed, long/lat, and elevation. The 2000 will then store the address in your Address Book for use at a later time.
Accessing the GPS Information Screen - by touching the GPS icon located at the top-right of the Map screen, you may access the strength and position of each of the satellites in your area.



(Above: The GPS Status Screen can be accessed by touching
the satellite signal in the upper right corner of the screen.)


Options

    There are many options on the Roadmate 2000 which allow you to customize the way you view the screen, the way you use the unit, and so forth. Listed below are the elements which can be changed. Making the changes is quite simple and self-explanatory, so I will not go into great detail on how to perform the actions step-by-step. (If you have trouble with any of the options of the Roadmate 2000, please see the links at the bottom of the review which will link you directly to the Magellan website.)



    As you can see above, the menu screens which allow you to change the options are easy to use and understand. Listed below are the menu headings and what elements of the Roadmate 2000 they allow you to alter:



System Settings

The System Settings screen on the Magellan Roadmate 2000 gives you the following options listed below from which to choose.
There is also a "?" symbol present in the lower left-hand corner of the screen which directs you to a "Contact Us" button
that displays Magellan's contact numbers in the United States, Canada, and even Europe. Their website is listed here as well.
Criticisms and Suggestions

    This unit works quite well and is generally very easy to figure out in no time. The simple on-screen icons and instructions are very basic and understandable. And although it is a bit bulky in size, it easily snaps out of its holster for portable use. Setting the unit up in your car can be troublesome as well, as the suction cup and arm which holds it in place is quite large. (If you live in California or Kansas it is illegal to attach the unit to your windshield.) It is possible to mount it onto or into your dashboard, but I decided against it since there is not much free space in my car's central console. The satellites linked up pretty fast and as expected took a little bit longer when I powered on the unit in a new place or if I was moving while it was searching for the satellites. A manual for this product is not included with the purchase and must be downloaded from the Magellan website.

    The audible directions are pleasant and do a great job of describing the road ahead, but the routes that it creates aren't always totally reliable. For instance, I was routed thirty minutes out of the way when I took a trip to see my friend because the road which makes for the quickest route wasn't a part of the Roadmate 2000's pre-loaded maps. But overall, the routes are great, especially if you are in a downtown city setting, as the unit will display the names of even the smallest side-streets--that is, if you are in the right city. The rural roads are not as detailed, as stated above, so the routes are not always the "shortest time" or "shortest distance" to your destination, but it gets you there nonetheless. The Points-Of-Interest features work great as well when you need to find a gas station or a restaurant, but because of new store openings and changes in certain roads, the list becomes limited. It also shows you the fastest routes between familiar places and works fantastic in areas with which you are unfamiliar. However, all of the optional accessories are quite expensive, with none of them being available for less than $50.

Visit the Magellan Website: www.MagellanGPS.com

Visit the FAQ page on the Magellan Website for the Roadmate 2000 (very informative): FAQ Page

Questions: Visit the gpsinformation.net Forum

Comments? Corrections? Suggestions? Email Jess Grogan

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