Review on Motorola Motonav TN555: 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator – Navigate with Ease! by David Lesperance

If I had to rate this product having just received it I would give it 0 stars overall. After a few months of casual use, I'm actually starting to tolerate this plucky little device - or "PND" (Portable Navigation Device) as Motorola likes to call it. So what's not working?######################## #This device is trying to do too much. We don't talk about GPS anymore, remember? It's PND! He likes to think of himself as a little computer. The resulting screen is the busiest I've seen in a GPS - there are many small clickable areas all over the screen, which in turn lead to other clickable areas, endlessly. Trouble is, we're still dealing with a device that users will try to control with one hand while cruising down the freeway, in a 2-ton steel case. What works on a computer just doesn't work on a 4.3 inch screen. Worse, street names, highway numbers, etc. use extremely thin/thin fonts. This makes it quite difficult for me to read maps while driving. This is made worse by the fact that street names flash (especially if they auto-increment/decrement as you approach a navigation event) and that street names overlap streets giving the impression that they have been crossed out. I strongly encourage you to check this out for yourself before purchasing this device. Attempting to use voice commands also failed - it consistently failed to recognize my voice commands no matter how clearly I spoke or how close I held the PND. My children had similar results. However, it gave us an hour of good communication as they burst out laughing every time he misunderstood what was being said. The address entry idiom works the same as Google Maps. You enter a postal address and the device searches for options. I prefer my Magellan, which is more traditional and actually helps me reduce keystrokes with the appropriate auto-suggestions. This is another case where an interface that works well on a computer screen doesn't translate well to a GPS device. oops, sorry for pnd. A slight downside is that the buttons on the back are very sensitive, and if you're using them in pedestrian mode, pressing any button on the touchscreen will always bring up one of them. This is not such a big problem when the device is installed on the dashboard. Nit+2: Shows speed limits for highways only - unlike my Nuvi, which also shows them for local roads. - which I constantly have to convert into feet in my head. What works? ############ So what do I like about him? This device has a great display - with amazing colors and detail - simply the best map display I have ever seen. I've also started to get used to the font size and it doesn't seem to bother me as much as it did when I first started using it. Also, the voice navigation instructions are clear enough to reduce my reliance on the details on the display. The amount of information displayed on the maps is simply breathtaking. Nearby points of interest (including gas stations, hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, etc.) are shown with descriptive icons and the display updates dynamically. As you drive down the street, you'll get a continuous display of nearby POIs, including their distance and direction! This makes it easy to get a feel for your current surroundings. It is also without a doubt a dream device for those who love a lot of features in a compact device. This device shows you so much information and gives you such complete control over your ride that it's mind-blowing. PND allows me to re-route my driving for a single navigation event e.g. B. a specific highway exit. In addition, you can quickly view your progress towards your destination using the aerial view of your journey. MotoExtras is another cool addition: for an additional annual fee, you can get current weather, gas prices, flight info, and Google Live Search. - all delivered via voice call for information. While I think it's a good idea, I don't expect any interest in paying a subscription fee just yet. Traffic information is only available for devices with a "t" after the model number, therefore this device does not display real-time traffic information. Conclusion: ########## This device tries so hard that you feel somehow connected to it like a small engine that could (well, almost could). Although my affection doesn't quite reach the level of adoration, it's still enough for me to cautiously climb to 2 stars. Although I wouldn't recommend him to family or friends, I actually started consulting him more often than I was used to. Have fun navigating!