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- Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 22 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
4.5 stars
"Great Item for the price (used Magellan RM 760 for comparison)"
Pros: Great performance at a great price / picks up sat signal quick / performed as well, if not better, than the more expensive Magellan
Cons: Screen is a bit too small / Entering data with the wheel is a bit more cumbersome than a touch screen
Summary: Overall I'm very pleased with this purchase. I had been using a Magellan Roadmate 760 purchased by my employer, and really liked it. However, I'm changing jobs and moving to a new city, and the new boss won't be providing me a GPS, so I went in search of one to purchase myself.
I decided to try the Garmin i2 solely based on price, thinking I would be making a huge sacrifice. However, I found it to be a couple of small sacrifices, to save a great deal of money. For me the monochrome is not a big deal, the maps are easily readable in that format, and color would not be a big enough advantage to justify an added $100 in price.
Set up was a bit more involved than the RM 760, but not a big deal. I updated the system and mapping software, and that was easy too. The .pdf user?s manual could use a little more detailed explanations of some features, but it definitely provides all the necessary info to set up and use the device.
Unlike the RM 760 you can?t load the whole nation with the included memory card. However I was able to load 8 states worth of data on the 128MB flash card, with room to spare. I have seen 512MB microSD cards advertised for approx $45, so expanding the memory would be cheap, but I don't know if it's necessary, especially if you travel with a laptop.
The only thing that is really a problem is the screen size. A slightly larger screen would make it easier to read the display when driving. However, that is a compromise I decided to live with based on price.
Entering data with the scroll wheel is a bit more cumbersome than the touch screen on the Magellan RM 760, but after a few days I got quicker, and the price increase to get the touch screen on other models is not justified by the minute advantage in data entry.
If you plan on using batteries, rather than the car power adapter make sure you carry spares. I tried it on batteries, and it goes through them quickly.
THE KEY THING THOUGH IS THE PERFORMANCE: The Garmin locates satellites and starts working, in areas of my current city, that the RM 760 was lost. When both are working the Garmin i2 worked just as well, and in a few spots better, than the RM 760.
At a fraction of the cost this is a great unit, if you are willing to put up with the small screen. My girlfriend will be moving too, and I'm going to get her a Garmin i3 for her birthday, since she's worried about getting around in a new city. I would have gotten the i2 also, but the color screen would be a big deal for her.
Where to buy
Garmin StreetPilot i2:
$263.57
| store | price | in stock? | rating |
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Amazon.com Marketplace
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$263.57 | Yes |
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