Rand McNally intelliRoute TND 500

Yes / Yes / and Yes.

And the screen is bigger. And it's louder. And that is right now. In about a week or so it's going to take another leap forward in terms of functionality, "bells-and-whistles" and mapping database from where it is right now.

 

I wouldn't trade in either unit for the other. Both have made improvements and continue to do so but they still have a lot of errors. I run them both side by side. I find that they cover each other pretty well. If one unit fails, the other knows what it's doing. It's really handy having two separate units too. You get two different map views, two sets of POI's, two sets of warnings, etc. It's more data available for you to see. One can hold the main route with the other routes to a POI.

Now if someone would partner up with Google to make a Droid Navigator, with the full power of Google's databases, search algorithms, and funding behind it, I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

 

I have
Toyota Camry
and
Porsche Boxster,
both are great. if i only allow to keep one, you know which one i will keep. I cannot drive them at the sometime though.

 

Obviously there are still lots of bugs and shortcomings that have to be worked out of trucking GPSs'. Do you think they will greatly improve the TND 500 and the 465t, or do we have to wait for newer models to come out to see vast improvements?

 

Do you have an TND?

Thanks,
Mark

 

I purchased the 465t about 2 weeks ago, so I'm within my 30 days and have the option to exchange it (probably for the TND) or return it and get my money back. It's been an experience - I both love and hate the 465t. I would probably keep it if believed Garmin would clear some more of the bugs.

 

DieselBoss has a very nice review of all navigation devices for trucks. I would suggest you take a moment and look at it.

thanks,
Mark

 

I can't speak to the Garmin question, but I can say that Rand continues to impress us with the "leaps" forward that each "major" release has brought. We have been poking on the release that will be available on the dock on Sept 30th and it is again no exception to the trend they have set for themselves and their customers.

By my reckoning, this will actually be the third major software revision to their brand since the original release. There have also been a couple of hardware revisions made, which is why you sometimes see Mark saying "T5B / T5C / T5E, etc." There have been MANY small updates - mostly road construction stuff and POI ratings, but this next one is another big jump again, like the 1573 that took place a while back. And this one will also contain a significant map update with it (unlike any previous updates you have gotten.)

With that said, once you have this next update, I don't feel that there is a "vast" improvement to BE made with this brand (with one exception.) Yes, there will always be room for improvement, and the road data is constantly changing throughout the country which will always be an issue for all of the GPS companies. We'd like them to improve the map resolution when zoomed out and the route calculation timing still. Plus there are value-add types of things like weather, traffic, etc. but this thing is getting very feature-rich as is.

The only "vast" improvement left after this (in my opinion) is improving the multi-stop routing once you get these new files installed. And even that issue only affects a percentage of the drivers because we have many that only use it to go to one destination at a time.

Next month will mark the 1-year anniversary since this brand hit shelves and I agree that there have been some pretty major "holes-closed" since day-1. Believe me when I say that I have felt the pain of early implementation with several of you here. I know where the skeletons are buried in ALL of the various brands and models we have tested. Kudos to Rand for actually listening and reacting to uncover those skeletons and remove them in what has been generally short-order.

- Don

 

Updates
Ver 1.0.81.0 of the TND Dock is available.
Ver 1760 is available
Maps are available.

Please when you download, say YES to the TND Dock update. This will allow you to get to the map updates.

If you do not have the time to download 2.6 GB (approx 4-12 hrs), then wait till you are at a high speed network.

Remember this will take up 1/2 of your bandwidth if you are on a 5 GB monthly allotment.

Thanks and happy updating.

Mark

 

Dead nuts wrong. The data in every single GPS is not up to the minute, sometimes it is months even years old. Hell almost every GPS I've used has Canadian map data that is decades old!

So in these cases multi-stop or true "via point"(with complete routing on the map plus mileage) is essential.

Or how about when the unit simply does not go the route you want?