Rand McNally intelliRoute TND 500

We stopped in a ts today and I was messing with the demo models waiting for a fax to come in. My loader drives off and on so I was showing him some features and stuff since the truck units weren't out yet the last time he drove. Garmin has been quietly updating their unit. They've caught up on the POI's and now it looks like the unit can be interlinked with a phone, possibly a smart phone. That was going to be my next suggestion for Rand. I got a droid recently and was thinking with all the features it has and the open platform it runs on, it'd be useful if the TND could be linked to it. It looks like garmin is already going in that direction. This is turning into a pretty heated race between the various units.

 

I am just sitting back in the background and quietly waiting for the update for my 500, that I paid as much for as that massive 700 that has the updates.

 

RM has been working on both. The TND 700 got QA'd first. The new version which is the same version number as the TND 700 is almost done in QA. The two versions could not be just released at the same time as the hardware is different for the TND 700 and the TND 500. Both the TND 700 and the TND 500 have to go through QA with each new version.

Thanks,
Mark

 

I have the RM tnd 500 & so far it looks like there is no way to update it using my mac .. does anyone have an answer for me or is it a just waiting game for RM to finally support the mac? Thanks

floridaboi

 

Hi mark can you tell me when the updates for the 500 are coming out and also new 2010 maps.the thing that i dont get when you come off the interstate for fuel when you come back to the interstate i want to go south but rand wants me to go north to next exit to come back south very strange this happens alot.in canada on the whole very good except in edmonton alberta want to send me through town instead around the 216 ring road which is quicker going through town is more direct but alot slower thx clint

 

If you E-Mail me, I will add you to my Mac list. Rand does have a way to update a Mac. I will need your serial number off the back though as I need to get you the correct Flash updater.

Thanks,
Mark

 

I will need to contact RM to get a more firmer date on the next version and mapping database.

As far as going past an exit to come back to the exit, could you please give us more details as to freeway, direction, exit, state or providence,, It would seem their is a exit issue with the database.

Thanks,
Mark

 

Hey Mark, I just exchanged my Cobra GPS for the TND700 and I am very impressed! I think Rand McNally has outdone themselves on this one! One question though... there is a plug in on the side marked traffic. Is there a way to get up to minute traffic reports for major metro areas? Or info on backups due to accidents or anything?

 

Sorry, but I cannot think of anything worse than having my GPS try to keep up with road restrictions, spring weight limits and "no-truck" routes.

I have a nice little Tom Tom 340 XL, it has all the Pilots/TA/flying J's and so on...as well truck and tire repair shops, Peterbilt dealers etc etc!

The way these things work, they don't ALWAYS pick the correct route...maybe they ask you to exit too soon, or too late and loop back, as has been stated. They are a rough guide that work 99% of the time.

I just would NOT trust any GPS device to be 100% accurate on weights and clearances, and can't think of anything worse than driving along a road with the #### thing showing a "false positive" without saying WHAT the restriction is. Furthermore, half the time the official "truck route" is not necessary and would take you the loon nnnggg way around, when a non-truck route would do.

No, I paid $149.99 for my Tom Tom 340 XL, and that's about what vehicle GPS should cost. These $500 units are the EXACT same piece of hardware, with a tweak in the software that route you around low bridges, (probably) avoid weight restriction roads (hopefully) and give trucks the shortest legal route (doubtfully)....except they have "truck" written on the box and cost 3 times the price...

Most of us drive the same, or similar routes throughout the US and Canada...and it's pretty easy to avoid low clearances and restrictions in our daily routine, isn't it?

And for those that actually go off-route, like movers and farm-haulers etc...you gonna trust these things for accurate up-to-date info? Trust it not to route you way out around Robin Hood's Barn to follow a "truck route"?

If it don't say "no trucks" it's a truck route! Those "truck route" signs are there half the time to route you through the "main" thoroughfare...it's the "preferred" truck route, not the ONLY one.

ANY GPS will get you there...if there's a low bridge, there's always a go-round, and the GPS will recalculate when you take it...

Save your money until the hyper-inflated prices come down to Earth.

I say the extra few points in the database and the tweak in the software are worth maybe an extra $50-$100, that's it.