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| Customer Reviews: | | Average Customer Review: ( 156 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
140 of 143 found the following review helpful:
 Great little entry-level GPS unit Jan 13, 2007
By MrMan
I bought this unit after shopping around for an entry-level GPS. I had seen this particular item in the UK (where it is extremely popular) and knew ViaMichelin were finally about to release a US version. For those who didn't know, this product is from Michelin (yup, the tire company). It's a great unit, and the price is unbeatable for what you get. First and foremost, this is a GPS unit - not an MP3 player, audio book player, storage hard-drive or picture viewer. It has been made to do exactly what it should do - give directions. I appreciate the other little 'bonuses' but is it really worth the extra cost?
This unit has the usual 3.5" screen which is very clear and anti-glare. The supplied windshield and dash mounts are very handy and well-designed, but I haven't really needed to use them just yet - I usually just place it in a small storage area I have right below my console.
What is really nice about this unit is its size and weight. It is unbelieveably light and extremely portable. You can just slip it in your pocket and take it with you. I found this one of the nicest features since I wanted the option of taking it with me if I choose to - a great feature is being able to switch between vehicle and pedestrian modes.
There are four buttons on the side that let you choose options, and the volume button is the left. The software is simple and very easy to use, with just three main items on the home screen - no complicated menus here. Entry is via touchscreen and you can either use your finger or the provided stylus that conveniently stores behind the unit. If you have large fingers, it might be hard to input details without making mistakes.
Since the unit has an integrated antenna and uses the SiRF Star III technology, satellite access is extremely quick. Route calculation and re-calculation is quick and the voice direction is clear and loud. Plenty of information is displayed on screen, without being overwhelming, and you can choose 2D or 3D views. The unit DOES display street names (or street direction), you just have to turn them on in the 'settings' area (mind you this is only on the 2D display map, not on the actual directions map). POI's are great too, doesn't seem to be missing anything major so far. I had no problems with the maps being that out of date in my area (despite extensive roadwork), but I did run into one area where roads had changed - the unit re-routes very quickly though.
The 1GB SD card that is included is all you need to get started since it has detailed maps of all 50 states (Alaska & Hawaii ARE included - to correct the Amazon review. To change to Alaska or Hawaii, you just select 'change map' under the 'map' icon under 'settings'), and the supplied DVD-ROM for Canada is useful if you end up heading that way. If I ever do that, I'll probably buy another 1GB SD card and load the data from the DVD-ROM.
I agree with the Amazon review that the main con is the lack of being able to backup and correct after entering a mistake, but it's not that big of a deal. The keyboard not being in QWERTY format actually made it easier for me. I only find that format handy on something you can use both hands to type. So, since that is really the ONLY negative thing I've noticed with this item, it deserves the five-star rating.
Overall, this item is an amazing little unit for the price. It has most of the features of more expensive units, for a fraction of the moolah. For anyone wanting to try out a solid GPS unit and do not mind not having (or paying for) the ability to play MP3's, etc., then this is the perfect unit for you!
66 of 69 found the following review helpful:
Very Impressed First Time GPS User Jan 19, 2007
By Jerome
My first impression is WOW! At $200, no tax and free shipping this unit is a steal. I ordered it on Monday and it arrived on Tuesday! I live in Philadelphia,PA and it shipped from somewhere nearby in Pennsylvania.
After I opened the box, I was surprised to find that the unit was already fully charged. I turned it on and inserted the smartmedia card. I was able to set it up and use it without ever opening the manual. The unit is very intuitive even to a first-time GPS user like myself. It has a simple menu system that you navigate by touching the screen. It was easy to set-up and save my first destination as one of my favorites.
While driving or walking (you can change this mode in one of the sub-menus), the display constantly shows:
* how far until your next turn
* direction that you are heading (N,S, etc.)
* distance to your destination in miles (or you can change it to kilometers)
* estimated time until you arrive at your destination
All the places that I used it for directions to tonight are places for which I already know the directions. However, I used the unit to get an idea of how it works so that I will be more familiar with it methodology when I am going somewhere that is new to me. The unit gave good directions. The voice was clear in announcing turns before and as I arrived at them. I also thought it recalculated my route fairly quickly whenever i decided to ignore its directions.
It has lots of points of interest already saved in the unit like restaurants, parks, hotels, etc. You can search these categories based on your current location (as calculated by the unit), city, etc. It also has lots of sub-menus for you to adjust features like display (2d or 3d), brightness, language, etc. for those of you who like to customize things but it also works fine out of the box.
I waited over a month to find a unit at this price point without a rebate. My wait is over and I'm very happy with my purchase!
32 of 32 found the following review helpful:
Good, not Great Jul 22, 2007
By Veronica Bennett
This GPS system is the least expensive of its kind and it works. For basic navigation, it is adequate, however, after a 2500 mile trip, there are some concerns. As other reviews have indicated, some of the information is outdated. Also, this system has a tendency to stick to interstates when other routes might be more appropriate. The battery life of the unit is slowly diminishing. Of course, because of the price, this unit will not apprise you of traffic slowdowns or accidents ahead.
The good things this unit provides are these features: distance traveled, distance and time to destination, speed and direction. Being able to estimate ETA has proved handy as I was able to tell those folks at the destination my estimated arrival time.
If you are looking for the basics, this is a good unit. If you are looking for more bells and whistles, you may need to spend more money.
32 of 33 found the following review helpful:
A Keeper Jan 18, 2007
By Jorge
"The gadgets man"
A real steal for $200 with free shipping and no sales tax. This unit sells in England for 500 dollars. Got it overnight with their free shipping (ships from Pennsylvania). I have been using a TomTom GPS for two years, this one is for my wife.
Pros: Price, reliability, ease of use. You can place it anywhere in your car (and in my bedroom) and still gets the signal, even under bridges (did not say tunnels). Uses Michelin database, a world leader in travel charts. A big plus is that if you turn it off once you reach the highway, it remembers where you are trying to get to after turning it on again and will resume the directions from where you are now.
Cons: A bit slow to calculate and recalculate routes (remember, it is looking at the whole country's map unlike the TomTom that looks just at a region).
I was reluctant at first for the price (really) but now it is a keeper.
24 of 25 found the following review helpful:
 Worth $179... Feb 07, 2007
By Alex Lee
"AlexPARLee"
This is my second GPS. The first one I bought is from Delphi and I paid $700 about 3 years ago. Since then the GPS technology improved so much and the price has come down a lot. I have also used in-car GPS system on my friends' Honda and my father's Acura so I have compared this Viamichelin to the other two much more expensive ones.
It's very light and portable. It's so light that it almost feels cheap.. but the screen is very bright and colorful. It has some sort of plastic protective film over the screen, it is a bit too glossy. I will have to find some non-glossy protective film.
It finds GPS signal very quickly and when you turn it on, it comes on quick and is ready to go (my delphi took a while). It has an internal battery so you don't need to connect the power while you are driving (unless you are on a trip that is more than 3 hours). I like its mounting device. Very well designed but you cannot change the "tilt" angle. you can swivel side to side, but not the tilt angle.
Voice guidance is okay but the speaker quality is not as good as other ones I tried. But what do you expect from a PDA? Basically this is what it is. It is based on Windows CE platform. Speaker is loud enough that you will not miss turn. The navigation is not as smooth as others. it feels like the refresh rate is lower than the other devices. So it lags behind just a bit. But remember, the other ones I am comparing to cost x4 or x10 more than this device.
Some people complain about POI, but as long as you have the main ones(hospital, stadiums, shoppingcenters..etc), you will be okay.. It is not possible to keep up with every restaurants and all the small businesses, specially in a big cities. So I guess Michelin decided not to put too much effort in it. However, it does have major parks, golf courses, and other POI.. but not as extensive as other GPS devices.
Keyboard layout being non QWERTY was a big concern for me before I bought it, but after trying it out, it was not so bad.
If you live in a area where there is a lot of road changes, it will not have those new roads.. Most the GPS systems would not have them either.
Since this device uses NAVTEQ maps, I am sure you can buy and upgrade maps later if it really becomes obsolete. Some have proprietary maps so
upgrading may not be so easy.
I wrote a lot but here is my one line review:
"Definitely worth $179+"
See all 156 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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