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Motorola Motonav TN7xx & TN5xx Owner's Thread
WizeGuyDezignz
5 Points
Hey all, I thought it might be nice to start a thread where we can all gather to discuss Motorola's new Motonav GPS units that were just released within the last couple of days.
I am going to be receiving my Motorola Motonav TN765t within the next few hours from Amazon. Unfortunately I will be at work at the time, but I will definitely keep you all updated in this thread on my initial impressions and so on.
I have been looking for a successor for my Navigon 7200T for over a year now and I just couldn't find one. I also tried the Cydle T43H which was similar to the 7200T, but still not nearly up to par in my opinion.
With that being said, I hope my search has ended! I will keep you all updated.
Feel free to discuss these units, I will be posting in here often!
I am going to be receiving my Motorola Motonav TN765t within the next few hours from Amazon. Unfortunately I will be at work at the time, but I will definitely keep you all updated in this thread on my initial impressions and so on.
I have been looking for a successor for my Navigon 7200T for over a year now and I just couldn't find one. I also tried the Cydle T43H which was similar to the 7200T, but still not nearly up to par in my opinion.
With that being said, I hope my search has ended! I will keep you all updated.
Feel free to discuss these units, I will be posting in here often!
Comments
How is the detour function if there is one? That is one thing I don't like on my Nuvi 1690.
There is a bunch of different options for map updates. You can get just the U.S. $50 , the US and Canada $70, US Canada and mexico $90 plus many other maps from around the world.
http://motonav.early.demo.naviextras.com/shop/portal/home
Initial impression? WOW! This unit seems absolutely incredible. Before I even attempted to use the Google Local Search, this thing seems loaded with pre-installed POI.
That statement is coming from a Navigon 7200T user so I'm not used to a robust POI list, but man it seemed to find everything in this area. Then I tried the Google Local Search and that makes it pretty much limitless. Incredible.
As stated in gatorguy's review, the screen is absolutely gorgeous. Navigating menus on the screen is also a breeze and very smooth. I just can't say enough about this unit so far and I haven't even driven with it yet!
Everything seems to be functioning as advertised so far except that when I synced my phone it was able to pull all of my contacts and my recent calls, but not my text messages.
I have the LG enV Touch on Verizon so I don't know if this phone just doesn't play well with the Motorola or what, but everything else is working bluetooth wise. I just hope that maybe I'm doing something wrong or Motorola makes an update for my phone.
Other than that this seems like a keeper for sure. And like I said earlier, this is coming from a die hard Navigon 7200T fan.
Of course I will have to use it for what it's intended for first (driving) before I make my final decision, but all of the early indications are extremely positive.
So honestly I only used it to route from work to home which uses no freeways (I'm lucky). So I wasn't able to check out Lane Guidance or Junction View yet.
I will definitely use it more over the next couple of days and post my experiences.
With that being said, I have dug around into almost every feature that isn't navigation related. Let me just tell you that my initial impressions are extremely positive. If Lane Guidance and Junction View are decent, I am finally retiring my Navigon 7200T for good.
I'm not sure of the exact amount of pre-installed POI, but it found almost EVERYTHING in my area. It put the 7200T to shame. And if it didn't, a simple tap of the Google button brought up what I was looking for in seconds. It's truly amazing.
The only thing that isn't working as advertised is the text messaging. It must be that my phone isn't compatible or something. I'm sure a software update can cure that. I have Verizon and the enV Touch. Other than that, my phone works flawlessly on the unit. It synced all of my contacts and recent calls with no issue. I made a call to my girlfriend and it went very smooth. All while still viewing the map and routing.
Anyhow, I will definitely post a more detailed mini-review if you will within the next day or two. But as of now, I wouldn't hesitate to order one of these things, especially if you buy it from Amazon or somewhere with a good return policy. I pretty much have zero complaints thus far.
I'll also comment a bit on routing. So far the Motonav hasn't quite been the quality of either Garmin or TomTom. Overall, not really bad, but much more likely to use neighborhood roads unless you've requested Mostly Highways. But many times the TN765 will offer identical routes to Garmin and TomTom (who agree with each other more often than not). In any case, it's not as tho the Motonav-offered routing is poor, just not as efficient sometimes. Not a major gripe, but there's room for improvement IMO. In addition my Motonav maps may not be as up-to-date as my other devices. That could affect routing too. It would be more telling to compare with maps that matched my Garmin.
Re-routing after a missed turn is very fast. By the time my TomTom recognizes I'm off-route, the Motonav already has a new one plotted. Big plus for congested metros with street close together. At the same time it's much more aggressive about trying to put you back on the original track than either my Garmin or TomTom.
As for routing, I only used it a few miles to get from work to home, so I can't really comment yet.
From what I can tell, my unit came loaded with Q1 2009 maps. I thought Motorola gives a free update within 60 days of purchasing the item, but my Motorola Toolbox software isn't offering any update.
As far as I know, Motorola has Q4 2009 maps available, but I can't get a free update for some reason. Any thoughts?
I'm not sure the map is accurately reporting the date. There's a subdivison entry road near me, built over a year ago, that didn't appear on my Garmin Navteq map until 2010.3 update. (still not on my TA maps). But it shows on the Motonav, supposedly with early 2009 maps.
How does the Nuvi 1690 access the subscription features? I messed with a 1690 at a Best Buy and I prefer the Motorola.
Page 38 of manual
it’s good 2 text
If your mobile phone supports Bluetooth® messaging, you
can use your MOTONAV device to send and receive
messages. As of early 2010 about 20% of mobile phone
models in use in the US support this feature. To determine
whether your phone supports this feature, go to
www.motorola.com/bluetoothconnect.
I still think my Navigon with 7300 update and terrain view can't be beat with any of the systems on the market. However, it is nice to keep on eye on the alternatives.
Any news on how to get the free map update? I can't seem to find how to do it unless it is something they are working on.
Is their a way to see what the updates were? One was a software update and the other was a Bluetooth update I think but it doesn't say what was fixed, added, updated, ect.
Keep in mind that I didn't have the left slide out panel open with ETA, distance traveled and all of that good stuff.
I also think the 7200T with the 7300 update would be great, but this GPS just does so much more. And for my needs, the limitless POI and robust feature set is just too hard for me to pass up.
Also, this unit doesn't seem to post nearly as many speed limits on the screen so far than the Navigon. But that also isn't a deal breaker for me and it's something I'm hoping that Motorola can update.
So of course the Navigon is going to have its stronger points. But overall, I would choose the Motorola over the Navigon in a heartbeat. And that is coming from a die hard Navigon fan. I just think this device has so much upside (now) and potential (future). And it does everything well from what I've experienced so far.
can you post some more screenshots of the gps?? and how do you like it so far? my wife told me i can pull the trigger on it if the proce drops to around $250..*sigh*...JR has it for $299..so let's see!
I understand the traffic info is ad-supported. How obtrusive is it? Do the ads pop up at certain times? Is traffic info received through HD or "standard" TMC?
Is there an "audio out" connector?
Are map colors configurable, i.e. presets?
Does the "over speed limit" warning have a verbal warning or a "ding" sound, etc.?
Do you have any specific requests for the screenshots, or just various stuff?
Oh man, you should talk to your wife! :wink:
As far as it going down to $250, I'm surprised J&R is even selling it at $299 for the amount of features this thing has. I'm not saying that it might not go down to $250, but you might be waiting a long time.
But who knows, if these start selling slowly out of the gate then they might want to sell it at a great deal to break in like Navigon did. But I have a feeling that they might offer more free subscription months for the MotoExtras before they drop the price too far down.
As far as pop ups on the actual map while in route, I haven't noticed any.
As far as HD or standard, I would guess it's standard. I don't know for sure, but I haven't heard anything about HD. But, it updates really quickly and it's very detailed. I have no complaints about the traffic yet. And it connects and updates a whole heck of a lot faster and more reliable than the Cydle did. And to top it off, there is no extra wire to plug in and spread along the dashboard. It's built into the cradle and you can't even see it.
There is no audio out connection. I think Motorola is pushing their add on kit that can wire everything through your car including your iPod. But the speaker is plenty loud for me and I have no interest in running it through my speaker system. But if you wanted to, it is available. For $199 I believe.
Map colors are configurable, but in a different way than the Cydle. The 3 options that the Motorola has is "Vibrant", "Smooth" and "Minimal". Each of those makes the map a different color.
"Vibrant" makes the map a sand color, maroon-ish color and green. Among other colors, but that's the most of the map. The "Smooth" setting makes things more grey-ish sand, mustard-green and lighter green. And "Minimal" makes everything pretty much grey.
So it's not nearly as drastic as the 3 Cydle settings, but it does make a noticeable difference.
For night mode, "Vibrant" is dark grey, burnt orange and dark green. "Smooth" is medium grey, mustard color and lighter green. "Minimal" is mostly all grey.
If you go over the speed limit, the speed limit sign gets a red frame around it and she verbally announces that "warning, you have gone over the speed limit", something like that. I think there is a ding as well. Of course, you can turn those options off I believe, but it's really cool!
And papa, no disrespect to the Cydle because it was a really good first effort, but the TTS is night and day difference from the Cydle. It is crystal clear, mostly accurate and much more detailed. It is really top notch.
That's interesting about the map button, I will definitely check that out tonight.
gator, what is the best way to contact Motorola about this device? I have a few questions that I would like to ask them.
I haven't used a Magellan so I don't know how this compares, but I'm sure you'll love it!
Last night when I clicked on the "Food" category, it just started listing all of the food places from nearest to furthest away from me. It wasn't broken down into types.
However, an easy way around that is just to type in "Pizza" for example in the destination screen. It starts pulling all the pizza places up. It's really great actually the way it works. Or you can type in "Mexican", etc.
I will definitely search more into it tonight when I get home.
1. Do you get a free map update with purchase of the unit? If so, where do you get it?
2. Do all models (765, 565, 555) have Lane Guidance, Junction View and TTS?
3. Can more speed limit info be added with an update? Speed limits seem to only show up on major highways and freeways.
4. Is text messaging phone related or gps related? Text messaging doesn't work on my Verizon enV Touch.
5. Can you search POI restaurants by food type?
6. With an update, can the street you are currently on be added to the map screen? The only thing that shows up is the next street in your route but not the one you are currently on.
I think that's about all I can think of right now. Thanks gator!
excellent set of questions, I especially would love to see the current strret in the display as well, I dont know why many GPS companies choose not to display it..it would be HUGE if Motorola can add that at least as an option.
Owner's manual
The support page
"When traffic service is on, ads pop up on the map. You can also access these ads by tapping the map, then tapping Main Menu > Offer Inbox. Tap the ad to see the offer and find nearby locations."
Just wondering if they pop up when you've come to a stop, while traveling, etc., if they pop up on the actual map, and how long the ad stays on without user input.
I do like some things on the 765 better like how the map and you postion always shows on the screen and I really like the info box on the left side you can open and close and change what info is shown. The 765 has more map detail and shows poi's on the screen when zoomed out a ways. On the 1690 when you zoom out a little the poi's go away and as you zoom out streets start to dissappear. Mostly I like how wide the screen is so you can open the info box on left and still have a good amount of map area showing.