[Glad Hand]

Originally Posted by Malaki86

omg - would you be so STUPID and IGNORANT to follow the directions the device gave if it told you to go down a road with a 9' bridge? would you follow it if the road had a 10 ton limit? If so, that's the most idiotic thing I've ever heard. Almost as bad as some of the stories you hear about 4-wheelers wrecking because the gps told them to turn.

A GPS is a reference tool - it's not a damn autopilot - you DO still have to use your brain just a tad...

As for devices that don't work 100% each and every time they're sold, let's see what else there is:
Trucks - I've had trucks with 100 miles on them that had to go directly to the garage because the factory forgot to install the heater
Cars - I've seen a Cadillac with 3 miles on it that the transmission fell out of because the factory put 2 bolts in the transmission bell housing
Computers - I've pulled brand new computers out of the box that failed to even power on
Software - Vista, XP, Windows 98, You name it - they have problems

I want to throw another piece of software out there - CoPilot Truck Laptop v11 - You want garbage? You want software that ALK KNOWS is screwed up but REFUSES to update? Cheap? Ya - $250 - real cheap. At least Rand-McNally is actually DOING the updates. Would you prefer something like CoPilot that they refuse to update? Myself, with all the updates RM is doing makes me consider buying it even more.

Dude you are shooting the messenger again because you don’t like the message. Nevertheless, if you want to spend $500 on a defective unit that you know about beforehand for the privilege of becoming a glorified beta tester and possibly at the same time putting your truck-driving career at stake, then by all means please be my guess. Don’t let me stand in your way!

[Malaki86]

I paid $1,200 for my laptop. The day I paid for it, brought it home and plugged it in for the first time, it needed well over 50 updates. Did it make me mad? No. Why? Because it meant that HP, Microsoft, ATI, etc have worked to make the product better. It's just the way things are.

Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, will ever be 100% perfect the first time around. As I said before, I'd rather have them releasing updates instead of doing the ALK route and ignoring the people that paid over $200 for a piece of software that won't even run.

As for the GPS putting my driving career at risk, let me ask you this hypothetical question:
A bridge crossing a river is struck by a loose barge. Because of the damage caused by the barge, the bridge is shut down for a short period, say 3 months, for repairs. During that shutdown period, you get a load that would normally take you across that bridge. You've crossed the bridge 100x before and your gps has always told you to go that way. Now, your gps is telling you to go across that bridge. What do you do? Follow the detour or crash through the barrier and go across the bridge anyway, because that's what your gps says to do?

A gps is a reference tool - it's not a 100% perfect device in any way shape or form. Roads change DAILY in the country, and as a driver, you know that. If you ignore a sign or local regulations to go into an area you shouldn't be, that's 100% on you, and you should be ridiculed because of it.

[Glad Hand]

Originally Posted by Malaki86

I paid $1,200 for my laptop. The day I paid for it, brought it home and plugged it in for the first time, it needed well over 50 updates. Did it make me mad? No. Why? Because it meant that HP, Microsoft, ATI, etc have worked to make the product better. It's just the way things are.

Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, will ever be 100% perfect the first time around. As I said before, I'd rather have them releasing updates instead of doing the ALK route and ignoring the people that paid over $200 for a piece of software that won't even run.

As for the GPS putting my driving career at risk, let me ask you this hypothetical question:
A bridge crossing a river is struck by a loose barge. Because of the damage caused by the barge, the bridge is shut down for a short period, say 3 months, for repairs. During that shutdown period, you get a load that would normally take you across that bridge. You've crossed the bridge 100x before and your gps has always told you to go that way. Now, your gps is telling you to go across that bridge. What do you do? Follow the detour or crash through the barrier and go across the bridge anyway, because that's what your gps says to do?

A gps is a reference tool - it's not a 100% perfect device in any way shape or form. Roads change DAILY in the country, and as a driver, you know that. If you ignore a sign or local regulations to go into an area you shouldn't be, that's 100% on you, and you should be ridiculed because of it.

Like I said, if you want to plunk down your $500 to play and become a glorified beta tester for Rand McNally then by all means go for it, and more power to you! :lol:

[Malaki86]

Have any detailed reviews on this yet?

[DieselBoss]

Originally Posted by Malaki86

Have any detailed reviews on this yet?

Yup. 6 weeks of testing so far on the books. I have revamped the entire GPS comparison chart to reflect our tests, including a huge software update yesterday from Rand McNally. If I had to boil it into one statement it would currently be: "We love the features (there are more than any other unit so far and this will raise the bar for all other truck GPS makers and ultimately be better for the driver/customer. The routing is still being tweaked and is not as "truck-accurate" as the newer PC Miler units in our tests, but it is decent. The screen and usability (ease of use) looks great in almost all categories. The POI information and ability to update it via a computer are superior to all other units at this time. We believe that early-implementers will love it (being that they understand that early implementation takes less "hand-holding" and the ability to update via computer more often than 2nd or 3rd generation of a particular technology) and that those wanting a lower price and more immediate route stability would rather a PCM brand, but again, Rand is doing very thorough "listening" to the actual drivers and the investment is solid at this time in our opinion."

The new (and basically only accurate) review and chart of the "top-3" is here: Truck driver GPS review comparison and rating features - Garmin, PC Miler, and Rand McNally TND



<insert opportunity for Glad Hand to promote Streets and Trips and the truck stops add-on into another portable device thread here>
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[geeshock]

I can see that being my next gps, it sounds like it's a good tool overall. Of course nothing beats old fashioned research

[Glad Hand]

Originally Posted by geeshock

I can see that being my next gps, it sounds like it's a good tool overall. Of course nothing beats old fashioned research

Right on cue:

Yeah the sales literature sounds really awesome, that is until you read the actual user reviews that all read like horror stories. In any event, if you like a tool that consistently crashes on a regular and routine basis and always at the most inopportune times, that can't even find truck stops when they are located right across the street, that regularly tries to route you down roads with restricted routes and low clearances, that regularly stops functioning on roads that are legal for trucks because it thinks they are not legal for trucks, that likes to send you down narrow back-roads not made for trucks, and if you also like spending all of your available spare time uploading and downloading data to Rand McNally and being a glorified beta tester for which you had to pay $500 for the privilege, then I guess it is a pretty good device, if you like Chinese torture.

In any event, since most truck companies today already supply their drivers with a legal truck route at the time of dispatch, there isn't any GPS solution on the market that is even remotely worth $500. Give me Streets & Trips any day and it does a 10 times better job and without all the hassles, problems, brain damage, and time, and for only a whopping $28, which is what I paid the other day at Sam's for my 2010 version. Add the Truck Stops Plus template to it, which unlike the TND 500 can actually find the truck stops and super wal-marts I want to go to and route to them with pinpoint accuracy and also lets me confirm my routes do not contain restricted routes and low clearances from my laptop screen, then you actually have a solution that really works and for a tiny fraction of the $500 price Rand McNally charges and without all of the brain damage, hassle, and frustration.

[Fredog]

if they want me to test thier product, shouldnt they give it to me?

[DieselBoss]

Originally Posted by Fredog

if they want me to test thier product, shouldnt they give it to me?

Actually they will if you bring enough to the table in terms of constructive feedback...

[Joe_Diamold]

I have tested this unit for over two weeks and it seems to track pretty well. Doesn't offer any of the issues that I had with the world nav units. A buddy of mine has the new garmin nuvi456t and he really likes it.

We're gonna swap for a week or so and compare results. I like garmin, always have. It wasn't available yet when I picked up the RM unit. Guess we'll see soon if I made a mistake or not.

I picked up my truck gps at 12volt-travel.com - The Online Truck Stop