| Magellan RoadMate 1700 |
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Last Updated
January 11, 2010 Editor's Rating 
 
If you don't like certain GPS navigational devices because of their small, unflattering screens, then the Magellan RoadMate 1700 is your solution. It offers a 7-inch screen that looks extremely beautiful and is completely touch-enabled, meaning you won't have any issues "touching" the right button if you have large fingers. This is a great choice for consumers that want the largest screened GPS possible without getting an in-dash navigation system. The RoadMate 1700 from Magellan measures 7.5 x 4.2 x 0.6-inches and weighs just over 10 ounces, which is pretty heavy, but that's due to its large size. Because of its larger size, using it in a smaller vehicle probably isn't best because it can take up a lot of dashboard space and create blind spots. Any larger vehicle, like a pick-up truck or RV, would easily accomodate the large footprint of the RoadMate 1700 with open arms. It comes with a mount that looks more like a small stand when assembled and it's decently sturdy too.
On the front, the 800 x 480 pixel 7-inch WVGA display dominates the front panel alongside a the small power button in the upper left corner. The screen is beautifilly vibrant and vivid in all lighting conditions, even in direct sunlight it is still reasonable readable. On the top there is a microSD card slot of map expansion and on the bottom there are three ports, a mini USB, the traffic data antenna port (more on this later), and an A/V port that allows you to use the display for another device. However, they don't include the A/V cable in the package. The main menu of the Magellan RoadMate 1700 is very clean and well-designed, making it easy to navigate for all users. This model is OneTouch enabled, meaning it has a favorites area that gives you one touch access to favorite routes, recent routes, and things like nearest gas station, ATM, etc. The map data loaded onto the unit by default includes NAVTEQ maps for the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. This data is accompanied by over 6 million points of interest, such as hotels, restaurants, gas stations, etc. as well as the AAA Tourbook. The RoadMate 1700 allows for multisegment route mapping and route management features, like choosing the shortest route, fastest route, etc. Data is entered via the on-screen QWERTY soft keyboard that appears on the touch screen. Because of the unit's large screen, the letter keys are very large and almost impossible to make a mistake. Data entry areas also have a word prediction feature that attempts to fill-in the rest of what you're intending on typing for quicker entry. Entering cities into the search feature makes it really easy by showing you a list of cities as you type, allowing you to select it before you completely type it. While in map mode, there is an icon in the upper right to access the previously mentioned OneTouch shortcuts. At the bottom, there are buttons for zooming and an area that shows you time, direction, speed, and elevation. While in route mode, this area shows data for distance to destination, estimated time of arrival, and time remaining. This model also features complete text-to-speech, meaning it will verbally announce both directions and street names. It does a rather nice job of announcing both easy and complex street names with only the occasional slight mispronounciation. As with most other GPS devices, this one features route recalculation that automatically on-the-fly adjusts your route if you miss a turn. It also provides lane guidance for highway travel to make sure you're in the proper lane for your current route. One big let down, however, is the lack of a live traffic subscription on this model. This mean you won't be able to know current traffic conditions or have route adjustment to get you around areas of traffic backups or construction. The unit does have a port for a traffic data antenna, but there isn't one can be used with this model.
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