New Rand McNally 85

I’ve had TND 85 for about 3 months now and the reviews are not off. The routing is absolutely horrible in comparison to my old RM 720. Many of the features that are on the old device have been oddly removed... it’s as if they rushed the product to make it for 2019. The device is very bulky, heavy and lacks google store support, so using it as a tablet isn’t really great.

I’ll make a formal detailed review when I get a chance and add a few screenshots of the ridiculous routes this things suggests. Despite having same profile settings as older model this thing will have you doing u-turns on residential roads and have you pass your exit just to come back to it on the other side miles away, LMAO!! That’s just naming a few issues.

It’s so sad because I’ve used RM for many years along with Garmin. I wish I could have returned mines but other things came up so I basically just run it alongside my old device.

 

I just can't imagine how a long-standing, respected company can get things so wrong.

 

I ain't entirely disappointed with my garmin but would really like to have a 2nd opinion, so to speak, beyond the atlas and Google maps. But man, it just doesn't seem like it's worth another 500 bucks for what appears to be a lesser unit all around.

 

Both my old TND 730 and my current 740 almost never put my destination on the left. Both even go so far as to ignore other prohibition settings, "No U Turns" for example, to avoid doing so. I've always kinda assumed it was because maybe it didn't actually know that a left turn was possible at any given location. That assumption is then undermined by the fact that it will also tell me when to make a U turn and half the time that's not physically or legally possible where it's telling me to do so. It's also been an assumption of mine that given how frequently it happens to me it must similarly happen to everyone else.

So much for Routing 2.0.

 

Bought a RM tablet to upgrade from my old 7-series. It lasted a week. Quit accepting a charge. I should have read more reviews...would have saved myself some frustration. Returned it to a Loves and got a Garmin.
I really...really prefer the layout and user friendliness of the RM, but the Garmin hasn’t quit.

 

I went to a Garmin from the 730. I liked the layout and ease of finding truck stops with the Rand better than the Garmin, but the Garmin hasn't let me down. Routing is good and traffic is way better than the Rand(IMO).

 

Looks like they have released updates to the TND740 and TND540 as well, using this new software:

Truck GPS | Rand McNally

An edit to avoid confusion: I am talking about new 550/750 using the new 2.0 mapping engine.

 

Wait... that link shows a 550 & 750 option... when did those come out?

is there a software upgrade coming for the 540/740?

 

Not seeing any updates on my 740 other than the normal Driver Connect updates which means nothing to me.

haven’t seen a map database update in forever.

 

Guys, sorry if I was unclear. What I meant was that the new 550/750 were updates of the 540/740. Judging by reviews of the Tablet 85, these will not work well.

 

I got the email today.




I had a feeling that new models were due out soon when PFJ heavily discounted the 540 & 740.


I’m still not willing to shell out the money until there are rave reviews on the new units. I’ll just use the Hammer if necessary.