Magellan GPS - sad to be leaving Magellan, but...

Author

sad to be leaving Magellan, but...

David Millen

2007-07-19, 12:33 pm

My ancient Magellan 315 has served me well, but it was time for a
change. So I emailed Magellan asking them a simple product question
about one of the Explorists. I know there has been speculation about
Mag not bothering with GPS units any more, and after a week of no
reply, I've come to the conclusion the speculation must be correct.

Anyone who knows differently, please say something before I press the
button on a Garmin H purchase. Anyone considering a Magellan
purchase, please think...
--
All the best
David Millen
Xativa, Valencia
www.fincacasablanca.com
please reply in group
if you have to email me, remove the obvious:
davidtheobvious@mill
en.com

Tumbleweed

2007-07-20, 4:33 am

"David Millen" < notdmillen@droptable
.com> wrote in message
news:513v93l9tfrfq7h
51kk0ic3cuktkvti4nf@
4ax.com...
> My ancient Magellan 315 has served me well, but it was time for a
> change. So I emailed Magellan asking them a simple product question
> about one of the Explorists. I know there has been speculation about
> Mag not bothering with GPS units any more, and after a week of no
> reply, I've come to the conclusion the speculation must be correct.
>
> Anyone who knows differently, please say something before I press the
> button on a Garmin H purchase. Anyone considering a Magellan
> purchase, please think...

LOL. If you you stopped buying products from companies that are tardy to
respond to email, you'd be down to a handful of companes within a few weeks.

--
Tumbleweed

email replies not necessary but to contact use;
tumbleweednews at hotmail dot com

David Millen

2007-07-20, 4:33 am

On Fri, 20 Jul 2007 06:11:05 +0100, "Tumbleweed"
< thisaccountneverread
@yahoo.com> wrote:

>
>"David Millen" < notdmillen@droptable
.com> wrote in message
> news:513v93l9tfrfq7h
51kk0ic3cuktkvti4nf@
4ax.com...
>
>LOL. If you you stopped buying products from companies that are tardy to
>respond to email, you'd be down to a handful of companes within a few weeks.

True, but most at least respond to sales enquiries - those that don't
tend not to be around for too long.
--
All the best
David Millen
Xativa, Valencia
www.fincacasablanca.com
please reply in group
if you have to email me, remove the obvious:
davidtheobvious@mill
en.com

Crabby

2007-07-21, 10:33 am

On Thu, 19 Jul 2007 18:14:35 +0200, David Millen
< notdmillen@droptable
.com> wrote:

>My ancient Magellan 315 has served me well, but it was time for a
>change. So I emailed Magellan asking them a simple product question
>about one of the Explorists. I know there has been speculation about
>Mag not bothering with GPS units any more, and after a week of no
>reply, I've come to the conclusion the speculation must be correct.
>
>Anyone who knows differently, please say something before I press the
>button on a Garmin H purchase. Anyone considering a Magellan
>purchase, please think...

Maybe they do not know what enquirie means.

David Millen

2007-07-21, 10:33 am

On Sat, 21 Jul 2007 08:36:56 -0500, Crabby <hjj4804@sbcglobal.net>
wrote:

>
>On Thu, 19 Jul 2007 18:14:35 +0200, David Millen
>< notdmillen@droptable
.com> wrote:
>
>
>Maybe they do not know what enquirie means.

They certainly don't know what utmost or asap mean:

Dear Customer,
We would like to acknowledge receipt of your message and we thank you
for your interest in Magellan products.
Please rest assured that Magellan is doing its utmost to respond to
your query and will be answering you as soon as possible.
Yours sincerely,
Magellan Customer Support

[from their autoresponse dated July 11]

They've got "rest" down, though. Still no reply.
--
All the best
David Millen
Xativa, Valencia
www.fincacasablanca.com
please reply in group
if you have to email me, remove the obvious:
davidtheobvious@mill
en.com

Ron Hunter

2007-07-22, 4:33 am

Crabby wrote:
> On Thu, 19 Jul 2007 18:14:35 +0200, David Millen
> < notdmillen@droptable
.com> wrote:
>
>
> Maybe they do not know what enquirie means.
>
I think many, if not most, companies these days don't pay much attention
to anything they get from consumers. Before you indict one company
about non-responsiveness, try sending a similar request to the other
company.

I have an eXplorist 400 (also a 315), and I have been quite happy with
both, although I DO wish I could have afforded the eXplorist 500 as
color is rather useful on this type of GPS. I understand that Magellan
has been in a state of flux for the last few years, and now seem more
focused on the 'add-on' type of automobile GPS units, but they do still
make hand-held models. Some claim the Garmin units are faster, but both
still have a lot of utility, and a lot of shortcomings.

Angus

2007-07-28, 12:33 pm

"David Millen" < notdmillen@droptable
.com> wrote in message
news:7gq0a3hj5dtqp6c
e800u202e2o4utacphc@
4ax.com...
> On Fri, 20 Jul 2007 06:11:05 +0100, "Tumbleweed"
> < thisaccountneverread
@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>
> True, but most at least respond to sales enquiries - those that don't
> tend not to be around for too long.
> --
> All the best
> David Millen
> Xativa, Valencia
> www.fincacasablanca.com
> please reply in group
> if you have to email me, remove the obvious:
> davidtheobvious@mill
en.com

Does this mean you've tried the same 'test' with Garmin?

Product support of any type seems to be a dying art. I don't know why
companies even bother with telephones and email servers. Think of the money
they could save but not having them.

nemo

2007-07-29, 12:33 pm

On Jul 20, 1:11 am, "Tumbleweed" <thisaccountneverr...@yahoo.com>
wrote:
> "David Millen" <notdmil...@droptable.com> wrote in message
>
> news:513v93l9tfrfq7h
51kk0ic3cuktkvti4nf@
4ax.com...
>
>
>
> LOL. If you you stopped buying products from companies that are tardy to
> respond to email, you'd be down to a handful of companes within a few weeks.

Yes, but if everyone did the same, we would be down to a handful of
companies that provided good support and service and were the only
companies left in business! Companies sell what we are willing to
buy. So if we buy crap from crappy companies, we will continue to get
more of the same.

I have two Magellan GPSrs and I don't think I will ever buy another.
If you go to geocaching.com and check in the forums there, you will
find that the Garmin users are nearly ecstatic about their purchases,
service and support while Magellan users are sitting around wondering
what the hell happened to Magellan.

I think you can make some comparisons between CPU makers and GPSr
makers...

Intel = Garmin
AMD = Magellan
Via = Lowrance

except that AMD is trying very hard to be a better number two while
Magellan seems to be shooting for third place.

David Millen

2007-08-09, 3:33 pm

On Sat, 28 Jul 2007 13:37:19 -0300, "Angus"
<angus.black@_REMOVE_gmail.com> wrote:
>
>Does this mean you've tried the same 'test' with Garmin?
>
>Product support of any type seems to be a dying art. I don't know why
>companies even bother with telephones and email servers. Think of the money
>they could save but not having them.
>
I followed your sensible suggestion, Angus, also made by another
poster.

Garmin replied after eight days - still a long time IMHO, but a full
and polite response. No sign of Magellan whatever. Garmin product
now bought and paid for.
--
All the best
David Millen
Xativa, Valencia
www.fincacasablanca.com
please reply in group
if you have to email me, remove the obvious:
davidtheobvious@mill
en.com

willshak

2007-08-09, 10:33 pm

on 8/9/2007 2:51 PM David Millen said the following:
> On Sat, 28 Jul 2007 13:37:19 -0300, "Angus"
> <angus.black@_REMOVE_gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I followed your sensible suggestion, Angus, also made by another
> poster.
>
> Garmin replied after eight days - still a long time IMHO, but a full
> and polite response. No sign of Magellan whatever. Garmin product
> now bought and paid for.
>

Garmin also replied to my question within a week.

--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
To email, remove the double zeroes after @

2007-11-14, 4:33 am

All the Garmin lovers should stick to the Garmin newsgroup or are they here
because all the Magellan users are bombing the Garmin group with pathetic
problems?

"Ron Hunter" <rphunter@charter.net> wrote in message
news:qPCdna4AR7eIhD7
bnZ2dnUVZ_jWdnZ2d@gi
ganews.com...
> Crabby wrote:
> I think many, if not most, companies these days don't pay much attention
> to anything they get from consumers. Before you indict one company about
> non-responsiveness, try sending a similar request to the other company.
>
> I have an eXplorist 400 (also a 315), and I have been quite happy with
> both, although I DO wish I could have afforded the eXplorist 500 as color
> is rather useful on this type of GPS. I understand that Magellan has been
> in a state of flux for the last few years, and now seem more focused on
> the 'add-on' type of automobile GPS units, but they do still make
> hand-held models. Some claim the Garmin units are faster, but both still
> have a lot of utility, and a lot of shortcomings.

nemonow

2007-11-17, 10:33 pm

I'm not sure what you mean by "Garmin lovers". I own two Magellans,
so I read and post in this group. But from the total lack of support
from Magellan, I have decided I will only buy handheld GPS receivers
from Garmin in the future.

However, the GPS market may be in for a paradigm change over the next
year or two, perhaps similar to the change in the PC market over the
years. The hardware is necessary, but is rapidly becoming secondary
to the software. For many users, they can get as much functionality
in a PDA coupled to a bluetooth receiver, or even their cell phone.
Of course anything tied to a cell phone is done in a way to generate
recurring charges to the cellular companies. But still, I think the
dedicated GPS receiver may be on its way out at some point, not unlike
the dedicated PDA is being threatened by cell phones. BTW, does the
iPhone come with a built in GPS receiver? I think all cell phone are
in essence required to have them now.

So I think that at some point, GPS makers will become software
companies providing the software and the maps to the people who make
the hardware. And of course, at that point there will be *NO* support
other than web accessible knowledge bases...

Rick

On Nov 14, 4:54 am, <hogeysher...@hotmail.com> wrote:[color=darkred
]
> All the Garmin lovers should stick to the Garmin newsgroup or are they here
> because all the Magellan users are bombing the Garmin group with pathetic
> problems?
>
> "Ron Hunter" <rphun...@charter.net> wrote in message
>
> news:qPCdna4AR7eIhD7
bnZ2dnUVZ_jWdnZ2d@gi
ganews.com...
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

Ron Hunter

2007-11-18, 4:33 am

nemonow wrote:
> I'm not sure what you mean by "Garmin lovers". I own two Magellans,
> so I read and post in this group. But from the total lack of support
> from Magellan, I have decided I will only buy handheld GPS receivers
> from Garmin in the future.
>
> However, the GPS market may be in for a paradigm change over the next
> year or two, perhaps similar to the change in the PC market over the
> years. The hardware is necessary, but is rapidly becoming secondary
> to the software. For many users, they can get as much functionality
> in a PDA coupled to a bluetooth receiver, or even their cell phone.
> Of course anything tied to a cell phone is done in a way to generate
> recurring charges to the cellular companies. But still, I think the
> dedicated GPS receiver may be on its way out at some point, not unlike
> the dedicated PDA is being threatened by cell phones. BTW, does the
> iPhone come with a built in GPS receiver? I think all cell phone are
> in essence required to have them now.
>
> So I think that at some point, GPS makers will become software
> companies providing the software and the maps to the people who make
> the hardware. And of course, at that point there will be *NO* support
> other than web accessible knowledge bases...
>
> Rick

Magellan is a company in great transition. I hope that they will regain
their early position as a leader in the industry before they were bought
by a French company, but the market is getting rather crowded, and is,
as you mentioned, likely to change even more.
As for Garmin, why tie yourself to looking at just one company as there
are many who now make very capable GPS receivers. Look at ALL of them,
then make the best choice.

Jack Erbes

2007-11-18, 7:33 am

nemonow wrote:
> I'm not sure what you mean by "Garmin lovers". I own two Magellans,
> so I read and post in this group. But from the total lack of support
> from Magellan, I have decided I will only buy handheld GPS receivers
> from Garmin in the future.

That is just the insecure mumblings of someone that is afraid they may
have not bought the right brand. I shifted from Magellan to Garmin a
little less than two years ago and have no regrets. And it was all
based on the factoids of hardware, software, and optional mapping
packages. Magellan was simply no longer competitive. Garmin is not
perfect and when reality so dictates I'll change brands again.

I just got a flyer from West Marine, they have the GPSMAP 76Cx on sale
right now for $299.99 and the 76CSx (built in compass and barometer) for
$50 more. Those are arguably the best handhelds on the market and
that's about as good as the prices get.

> However, the GPS market may be in for a paradigm change over the next
> year or two, perhaps similar to the change in the PC market over the
> years. <snip>

The primary area where PDAs and cell phones lose out to the handhelds
for me is on navigation related capabilities and features (type of
cartography available, multiple destination routing, track histories,
etc.). Then they can't compete as far as ruggedness, waterproofing, and
simple power schemes (two AA cells a day) when away an AC or DC external
power source. I

I've got four Magellans in my museum, GPS 300, MAP 330M, Meridian
Marine, and Meridian Color (sigh...).

Jack

--
Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA - jackerbes at adelphia dot net
(also receiving email at jacker at midmaine.com)

Jay

2007-11-25, 4:33 am

"Ron Hunter" <rphunter@charter.net> wrote in message
news:CrydnVw5- bgAY6LanZ2dnUVZ_g2dn
Z2d@giganews.com...
> nemonow wrote:
>
> Magellan is a company in great transition. I hope that they will regain
> their early position as a leader in the industry before they were bought
> by a French company, but the market is getting rather crowded, and is, as
> you mentioned, likely to change even more.
> As for Garmin, why tie yourself to looking at just one company as there
> are many who now make very capable GPS receivers. Look at ALL of them,
> then make the best choice.

I would avoid both Magellan and Garmin right now. I have an explorist 500
and although it's pretty good in terms of sensitivity, the user interface is
archaic. Magellan's customer service is the worst. Trying to get the
discounted software advertised when I bought the unit took an hour's worth
of phone calls to their 'English-isn't-my-first-language' service
department. It wasn't just their poor English, it was the fact that they
lied to me about availability.

As for Garmin, their customer service is really good but their GPS units are
so unreliable! I've had 4 Garmins in the past 10 years. 2 are dead beyond
repair, one I managed to repair myself (replacing broken wires and keyboard
connectors) and one is still going as long as I replace the internal battery
every year (not trivial as its soldered in).

I have a TomTom for the car now and so far it works well (PC software is a
bit flaky but you don't really need it).

Jay.

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