Samsung's Best HDTV's - Click HereMagellan RoadMate 1470
Manufacturer: Magellan Part number: RM1470SGXUC
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The Magellan RoadMate matches the competition's performance and ease of use, while providing a larger screen at a lower price.
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CNET editors' review
Magellan RoadMate 1470 price range: $141.00 - $249.99
- Reviewed by: Antuan Goodwin
- Reviewed on: 11/10/2009
The good: The Magellan RoadMate's OneTouch menu puts the most commonly accessed destinations and searches at a user's fingertips at all times. The smartly designed destination confirmation screen gives users a good deal of flexibility as to how they get where they're going. Large 4.7-inch touch screen gives users more real estate for maps and menus.
The bad: Poorly designed cradle interferes with power cable when mounting. The onscreen keyboard cannot be changed from its alphabetical layout to a more familiar QWERTY layout.
The bottom line: The Magellan RoadMate matches the competition's performance and ease of use, while providing a larger screen at a lower price.
The RoadMate 1470 doesn't deviate from the tried-and-true portable navigation device form factor. Measuring 3.3 inches deep by 5.2 inches tall by 7 inches wide, the RoadMate's thinness easily makes this unit one of the most pocketable devices in its class. Like nearly all PNDs, the majority of the RoadMate's visage is occupied by a color touch screen. Most units in this price range make due with a 4.3-inch screen, but the 1470 is equipped with a massive 4.7-inch unit. And we appreciated the extra real estate when viewing turn-by-turn directions out of our periphery at highway speeds.
The screen features a matte finish that does a good job of diffusing glare which, along with the bright backlighting, keeps the unit usable when viewed in direct sunlight.
Along the unit's top edge is the power switch. This slider returns to a neutral position when actuated and powers the device on or off. When powering off, the user is presented with a 5-second countdown and the option to cancel or shut down immediately. If no option is chosen, then the shutdown is completed. A similar countdown timer is displayed when the device is disconnected from its charger, but the length is increased to 30 seconds.
Along the bottom of the unit is a microSD card slot and the Mini-USB port for charging and connecting to a computer. On the back is a speaker and the connection for the windshield suction cup mount.
The 1470 ships with a Mini-USB/12-volt charger to keep the vehicle powered when used in a car, and a suction cup windshield cradle, which attaches to the 1470 with a tongue-in-groove type connection. In the box, you'll also find an adhesive disk for dashboard mounting, a Mini-USB cable for connecting the 1470 to a PC, and a user's guide.
One of our major issues with the RoadMate 1470 is with its windshield mount cradle and the way it fails to play nice with the vehicle charger. The charger connects to the base of the 1470 with a 90-degree Mini-USB connector. However, the connector interferes with the sliding motion that is necessary to attach the device to the cradle. As a result, you have to mount the device and then attach the power cable. This would be a minor issue, but the bottom-facing location of the USB charging port makes attaching the power cable a frustration, requiring a good deal of fiddling and wiggling. If that weren't bad enough, the suction cup isn't very secure and is prone to falling off of the glass while you're fighting with the charger.
Once you've gotten the knack of attaching the RoadMate 1470 to the windshield, the user experience gets better. However, considering the well-designed cradles from TomTom and Garmin, this is an area where the RoadMate has tremendous potential to improve.
Interface
The main menu's home screen is reminiscent of the interface of the Garmin Nuvi line. Where the Garmin presents a pair of icons and an option bar, the RoadMate presents three--Go To, View Map, and Local Options--and a bottom bar that contains the settings menu, where more advanced options are located, and a cancel route icon.
Go To takes users to the destination selection menu, where they are given a choice of address entry, points-of-entry (POI) search, or address book browsing.
Entering an address or searching for a POI is quick, thanks to the 1470's responsive touch screen and QuickSpell system, which attempts to predict what you're typing and blanks out invalid letters and numbers to prevent mistyping. However, the keypad screen's alphabetical layout slowed our inputs considerably and doesn't offer an option to switch to a more familiar QWERTY layout.
Once a destination is chosen, the destination confirmation screen gives users the option of simply hitting a large GO button to start their route or, through a route options menu, comparing a variety of potentially different routes. Available options include Fastest time, Shortest distance, Mostly freeways, and Least use of freeways. Users are presented with estimated times for each of these routes and can even compare all four routes on the same route screen. Typically, these granular routing options are hidden deep in the menu structure. We like that the RoadMate makes them easily accessible.
The second button on the main menu is the View map button. The RoadMate's map screen features a volume icon on the right side, which brings up a volume slider. Along the bottom is a bank of soft keys, one of which is customizable to display current speed, current time, elevation, time remaining on route, estimated time of arrival, and direction of travel. There are also buttons for zooming in and out, and a menu key.
Tapping anywhere on the map screen puts the map into an exploration mode. Here you can change between 2D and 3D views, zoom in and out, touch and slide to move around the map. Tapping a location in this mode drops a pin and displays an address along the top of the screen. Subsequently touching the icon next to the address chooses that point as a destination and takes you to the destination confirmation screen.
Getting back to the home screen, the third option is Local options, a submenu that displays the device's current position as a street address--complete with nearest cross streets--and as GPS coordinates. Here users are also able to browse a database of events, attractions, restaurants, gas stations, and destinations near the current position. Attractions, events, and destinations feature descriptions and contact information.
Features
The RoadMate 1470 hits enough bullet points to make it competitive with PNDs in its price range.
Text-to-speech turn-by-turn directions enable the unit to read street names and exits aloud. Three languages are supported out of the box (English, Spanish, and French) with only one voice per language. Graphic lane guidance helps with navigating complex freeway interchanges by displaying a representation of the intersection and highway signs, while indicating what lanes are valid for the current route.
Maps and POIs are provided for all 50 United States, plus Puerto Rico, Canada, and Mexico. In addition to the millions of POIs in Magellan's database, the 1470 includes a AAA database of approved auto repair shops, AAA branch offices, TourBook Destinations, and POIs that offer discounts to AAA members. If you're a AAA member, the RoadMate 1470 can also help to get you in contact with Roadside Assistance, but without a Bluetooth hands-free connection built in, we presume you'll have to do the dialing yourself.
One of the most useful features--and one that is, as far as we can tell, unique to the RoadMate series--is the OneTouch menu. This is a customizable shortcut menu where users can store up to six quick links to commonly accessed searches and locations. For example, we were able to store a link to the CNET offices and a search for our favorite fast food restaurant. In addition to the six user-customizable links, the OneTouch menu also features permanent links to Home, Previous destinations, Local Info, GPS status, and Emergency services.
On most of the map and menu screens, the OneTouch icon lives in the upper right-hand corner. Tapping that icon causes the OneTouch menu to slide down.
The unit doesn't include traffic monitoring out of the box, but can be upgraded with an add-on FM receiver.
Performance
Starting with a cold boot and a clear sky, we powered up the Magellan RoadMate 1470. It took a scant 30 seconds from the flip of the switch to the display of the home screen. Selecting View Map and waiting for our position to be confirmed took another 34 seconds, which is rather impressive.
Searching for a destination, we settled on a fast food restaurant a few miles away. Within 5 seconds, we were presented with the GO button and an ETA of 12 minutes. This is where we first noticed the Route Options button. After a quick press and a 5-second wait, we were greeted by four potential routes, each with their own ETA. Clicking the preview map button in the bottom right-hand corner, we were presented with four color-coded routes overlaid onto the same map. That the RoadMate could calculate four routes in the time most units calculate one is impressive in its own right, but the level of flexibility this feature affords the driving enthusiast is quite cool.
After taking into consideration that the fastest route was only a minute quicker than the shortest route and that the shortest route looked more interesting on the map, we chose the short route and locked in our destination. That this whole search and deliberation happened over the span of about 2 minutes is a testament to the speed and efficiency of the RoadMate's interface.
In sum
The RoadMate 1470 matches (or exceeds) the performance of the competing TomTom and Garmin units when it comes to basic functions (such as routing, booting, and positioning), and we can really appreciate the extra interface real estate provided by that huge 4.7-inch screen. However, while the RoadMate gives driving enthusiasts and map geeks a good deal of granular control over their routes, Garmin and TomTom both have systems in place that automatically find the fastest or most fuel efficient route with no tinkering involved.
This isn't to say that the RoadMate is difficult to use. Its interface features large icons for the most commonly used functions; and the OneTouch menu allows users to make the interface even easier to navigate.
Compared with, for example, the TomTom XL 340S and the Garmin Nuvi 255W, the RoadMate 1470 represents about a $20-$40 savings on the MSRP. So for less money, you get comparable core functionality and a bigger screen. If you can deal with the wonky car mount, this Magellan unit is a pretty good deal.
User reviews
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RoadMate 1470
by iLinux on August 7, 2009
Pros: Large & very visible 4.3" screen, great short cuts in main menu, speaker volume is very good, includes latest map version, satellite signal acquired in less than a minute, lots of warnings before turning (bell sound a warning right before turning)
Cons: Hard to plug power cable to the unit, location is too close to the holder and it is hard to feel your way around. My suggestion, place the unit on the holder first, plug the power cable and then fix the entire assembly to the windshield, it works...
Summary: If you want bluetooth connection, MP3 capabilities, and a talking unit that does not understand your spoken commands, then spend more money and buy a Magellan 4700 series or the ...
Summary: If you want bluetooth connection, MP3 capabilities, and a talking unit that does not understand your spoken commands, then spend more money and buy a Magellan 4700 series or the Nuvi 800 series. However, if you are looking for a reliable (well, as reliable as these things get anyways as every manufacturer has their issues) that will take you from point A to B with ease of use and a 4.3 inch screen, then the RoadMate 1470, or the 1475, is a very good choice for the money. Currently, for approximately $170 in Amazon, you can get one of these units. For that price, you won't be able to get a Garmin Nuvi or a TomTom unit with a 4.3 inch screen. I've been using this unit for over a month in the Los Angeles area. So far it has performed beyond my expectations. The unit has a very good & friendly menu system with quick shortcuts to addresses, points of interests, local stuff like ATMs, restaurants, entertainment, and AAA suggestions that come in very handy when traveling to unfamiliar places. My favorite function is the "bell sound" it makes right before making a turn; a very handy tool in case you can not read the road sign. The lane assist signs are not as fancy as the Garmin products, but they have been very accurate for the Los Angeles metro. In case you pass you exit, the unit is quick to re-calculate and re-route you to your destination. This unit accepts an optional traffic receiver to get free traffic reports in major metro areas. The traffic receiver I purchased did not work out of the box, I order a replacement and will update on it... but the GPS unit works just fine without it so it's not a big deal for me. The unit has a software update available for download from Magellan, I did not see any major difference with the update, but it is supposed to improve the overall performance of the unit, so can't hurt. Acquiring the satellite signal averaged under a minute for me, other people have reported 3+ minutes in the Amazon comments, I guess it depends on your location and if you have clear & open access to the sky. The screen brightness was very good, even in sun light. Overall, this is a great value for the money. I also considered the Garmin Nuvi 265WT, which is also a very good unit, but decided on the RoadMate 1470 because the screen is bigger and it has the AAA traveling book included in the software. The Garmin will give you a bit more bells & whistles with its software, but the screen is smaller and you'll pay a bit more also. As far as map accuracy, don't expect any GPS unit to be 100% accurate all the time as they rely on the accuracy of the maps and it is close to impossible for the map company to keep up with every single road & neighborhood change/updates. Therefore, keeping this map issue in mind, the RoadMate 1470 does perform extremely well in comparison to previous generation and the current competing GPS units from Magellan, Garming & TomTom (stay away from the Navigon brand as they are no longer servicing the US market, too bad those units were OK also). In conclusion, if you are cheap like me and demand getting the most for your hard earned dollar, and bluetooth and MP3 connectivity is not a priority, then the RoadMate 1470, or 1475, unit is a great choice. I would certainly recommend it. [Review by an engineer, very picky about electronics..] Hope this review helped you !
Please note the screen size is 4.7" not 4.3" (sorry about that). I had a chance to test the traffic receiver for a second time, and it still does not work in the Los Angeles area which is one of the metro areas serviced by traffic reports. However, the unit it self continues to work very well ... so I do recommend the Roadmate 1470, but I would advice against the option traffic receiver.
Updated on Aug 14, 20094 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Ok for short routes. Unit resets when the route is long
by ey_7355 on August 15, 2009
Pros: I have 2 garmins Nuvi's and decided to try the RoadMate. It's a very nice unit. Good features and display. I very easy to enter addresses and find POI. I like the turn now bell.
Cons: Unit is useless on long routes because it reset's whenever you try to enter one. Not talking 1500 miles either. Sometimes just 35 miles resets the unit. Mfg is aware and was supposed to have a S/W fix by May. I updated my S/W mid Aug, still resets.
Summary: If they can fix the glitch it will be a decent unit. It does some things (not all) better than the garmin. I'd stay away from this unit until ...
Summary: If they can fix the glitch it will be a decent unit. It does some things (not all) better than the garmin. I'd stay away from this unit until they get it working though. Check their website. http://www.magellangps.com/support/faqdetail.asp?faqid=654&prodid=2177
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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death trap
by schwabby6 on October 10, 2009
Pros: big screen. nice features on paper. not so good in real life use
Cons: routes to lots of unnecessary exits off of major highways. much too short notice to cross mulitple lanes for left hand exits
Summary: routes to every mile long bypass off of the DC beltway, causing us to have to re-enter heavy traffic. gave very little notice (.5 mile) to cross 4 lanes of ...
Summary: routes to every mile long bypass off of the DC beltway, causing us to have to re-enter heavy traffic. gave very little notice (.5 mile) to cross 4 lanes of traffic for lefthand exit. no info in the manual as to making adjustments and rotten customer support.
1 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Was a great GPS unit Magellan released Firmware Update
by Rjw on February 4, 2010
Pros: Large display, easy to enter addresses, can add AAA ratings and information
Cons: Magellan releases untested Firmware Updates which corrupt units
Summary: Was a great GPS and I was very satisified. Unfortunetly, Magellan released an untested Firmware Update which corrupts the 1470, turning it into a paper weight. Customers must pay for ...
Summary: Was a great GPS and I was very satisified. Unfortunetly, Magellan released an untested Firmware Update which corrupts the 1470, turning it into a paper weight. Customers must pay for shipping to send corrupted units back to Magellan. In return, Magellan sends the customer a refurbished replacement, which in some cases does not work upon receipt. The Customer Service policies are enough to NOT recommend anything from Magellan.
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They must have fixed the complaints from the review
by jobycom on December 21, 2009
Pros: Large QWERTY keyboard, some control over map display, lots of POIs including vegetarian restaurant searches, easy to use and to see. They fixed keyboard and power cable/mount issue.
Cons: Slow to calculate long trip routes, odd routing choices especially when a route is altered, won't show ETA and trip distance at the same time.
Summary: Good unit. Lots of options in routing and POIs. Good for long trips but a little slow calculating the trips. One flaw of this and most GPSs I've used ...
Summary: Good unit. Lots of options in routing and POIs. Good for long trips but a little slow calculating the trips. One flaw of this and most GPSs I've used is the insane way in which they route. For instance, from Austin to Biloxi gives me only three choices--the same route is used for "Fastest" and "Shortest." It doesn't take into account that this route has several small towns with 30 mph speed limits whereas a couple of other routes have faster highway speeds. When I try to force it to learn these routes by excluding part of the highway it routes me down, it takes a strange convoluted route rather than the obvious. Similarly, the "Less Freeway" option routes me halfway to Dallas rather than the obvious state highways just north of Houston and Baton Rouge. If there were an easier way to force it to take certain highways, it would be more useful.
Some good news--the keyboard has a QWERTY option, and the power cable does not interfere with the mount. It looks like they changed the mount from the video so there is no interference now, at least on the unit I just bought.
Good unit. Lots of features for the price range, and so far I've had none of the problems listed in the first couple of reviews. -
Great unit for the money
by elvisfan on November 19, 2009
Pros: Predictive typing of towns and streets and numbers. Fast calculations of reroutes since the firmware was updated. Larger screen. Easier to get to types of routes. 1 touch Icons.
Cons: Mounting of USB plug. Still quirky directions sometimes. Inconsistant routing. Could use something called "Simple route". It should take traffic lights into account when calculating routing on surface streets.
Summary: This is certainly a great unit for the money. I think it is better then the other brands out there. The predictive typing is great. Once you have put in ...
Summary: This is certainly a great unit for the money. I think it is better then the other brands out there. The predictive typing is great. Once you have put in the city, You can not misspell the street. Once the street is entered, it only allows valid adresses. The 1 touch is not available on any other unit. Puts all your favorites 2 touches away. Since the firmware update, you have a choice of keyboards and you have more then twice as many 1 touch icons. It also recalculates missed turns much better. The only thing that is lacking is judgement. When it is calculating fastest time and the fastest time involves surface streets, it should take into account that you may have to stop at traffic lights. I calculated 1 route and fastest time was 4minutes shorter then most use of freeways. However, fastest time was on surface streets and involved 6 turns and probably at least 15 lights. Most use of freeways was a straight shot and very few lights. With 15 lights, you know you are going to stop at at least 10 of them for 1 minute each. In other words, there is no way to make the time estimated on surface streets. This should be taken into account. I don't know of any unit that does that. Outside of that, Magellan has always had the best interface and user experience.
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shervin travel map
by shervinaz on December 12, 2009
Pros: fain every mobile number plays in map and show where is Mobil number now in map (Thailand-Iran)
Cons: I don't like error and not fond
Summary: it's good for may Beninese and I like this
www.shervintravel.com
Updated on Dec 12, 2009
Updated on Dec 12, 2009shervin travel mapSummary: it's good for may Beninese and I like this
www.shervintravel.com
Updated on Dec 12, 2009
Updated on Dec 12, 2009shervin travel map0 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Love it more every time I use it
by patdice on July 28, 2009
Pros: Tells you when to turn next as soon as you make a turn and rings a bell to tell you are there, the large screen, AAA features, announces street names.
Cons: it's not a Con, but funny, that it pronounced a street name differently.
Summary: I am so happy with the Magellan GPS system. I was worried about picking the right brand. Buy it!
Summary: I am so happy with the Magellan GPS system. I was worried about picking the right brand. Buy it!
0 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Magellan
- Part number: RM1470SGXUC
- Description: The Magellan RoadMate 1470 device boasts the acclaimed OneTouch menu, a 4.7-inch color touch screen, and an ultra-thin design. Preloaded maps and points of interest for the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico make the RoadMate 1470 ideal for both business trips and vacations. Easy-to-use, premium features give you confidence on the road and deliver a powerful navigation experience.
General
- Width 5.2 in
- Depth 0.7 in
- Height 3.3 in
- Weight 10 oz
GPS System
- Recommended Use Automotive
- SBAS WAAS, EGNOS
- Accuracy Position - 3 - 5 m ( With WAAS ), Position - 3 - 5 m ( With EGNOS )
- Connectivity USB
- Voice Navigation instructions, Street name announcement
- Antenna Built-in
- Features Preinstalled POIs, Automatic day/night mode
- Supported Memory Cards microSD
- Maps Included USA, Canada, Puerto Rico
Built-in Display
- Type LCD
- Diagonal Size 4.7 in
- Color Support Color
- Features Touch screen
Connections
- Connector Type USB
Battery
- Battery technology Lithium ion
- Mfr estimated battery life 3 hour(s)
Miscellaneous
- Body material High-impact plastic
- Included GPS accessories USB cable, Dashboard disc, Car power adapter, Automotive windshield mount
Manufacturer info
- Magellan
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Magellan products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.magellangps.com/
- Address:
960 Overland Court, San Dimas, CA 91773 - Phone: 1-800-707-9971
