Route 66, Navigation 7 for PPC
Review By Tim Hillebrand | August 06, 2006
Category: GPS (eg, hardware and software)
The Route 66 Navigate 7 package is an exciting box to open because of all the goodies it contains. The CD ROM backup installation disk also holds a plastic case with an SD caddy for a 512 MB mini-SD card that contains the program and preinstalled maps of the US and Canada along with thousands of POIs.
There is a sturdy window mount/PDA holder that adjusts every-which-way.
I was amazed at the most diminutive Bluetooth GPS receiver I’ve ever seen with a hole for attaching the included lanyard for use while trekking. A car charger and an SD/USB adapter are included as well. In addition, there is a stick-anywhere plate to which the window mount’s suction cup can adhere. Route 66 seems to have included everything but the PDA.
Supposedly you just plug in the SD or mini-SD card, and the program automatically loads, connects with the Bluetooth antenna, and you can start navigating. Well, that’s the ideal world. I had troubles with the program from the start, and some of the issues are still not resolved. Unfortunately, I opened this package on the weekend when there is no customer support available.
Inserting the SD card failed on several devices, I finally erased the contents and reloaded the program and data from the CD. I got it to work fine on an i-mate KJam, but it would not accept the registration code generated for me. I never could get the program to work on my Treo 700W.
So, my testing thus far has been in the unregistered mode, and no one seems to be able or willing to resolve the issue for this user.
I tested the program for several destinations in Santa Barbara, CA where I happened to be when I received it. Then I gave it a test of several hundred miles driving from Santa Barbara to San Diego with waypoints in Torrance and Pasadena.
It performed well and chose reasonable routes for local destinations, but it did not know some of the routes I selected on longer jaunts and had a difficult time re-routing sometimes. It was amusing driving from Pasadena to San Diego. I decided to go over the 210 east to the I-15 south and then shoot into San Diego against the traffic and avoid the Los Angeles, Anaheim, Santa Ana, and Orange County traffic. All along the way, Route 66 kept trying to route me right into that morass of moving metal. Finally, a few miles from I-8, it got with the plan and guided me faultlessly to my destination.
I was disappointed in its lack of depth for POIs. For instance, in Santa Barbara, some of the major tourist attractions include the Queen of the California Missions founded in 1786, the Royal Spanish Presidio founded in 1784, the Museum of Natural History, and the Historical Society Museum. Route 66 contained none of these. Instead, it offered a plethora of wineries, perhaps inspired by the recent film Sideways.
Route 66 probably has the most colorful and pleasant presentation of any GPS program I’ve ever seen. You can even change the colors and display a day or night view.
It offers an array of useful information on the screen at all times:
• Zoom in/zoom out buttons
• Next street
• Exit information
• Highlighted route on 2D or 3D map
• Current turn/next turn
• Current street
• Arrival time
• Remaining travel time
• Remaining distance
• Distance to next turn
• GPS signal strength
Instead of the navigation panel, you can display a textual route description or GPS information with such data as heading, altitude, speed, and coordinates. You can also display a screen indicating trip data.
You may select a destination or multiple waypoints from a map, a list of favorites, your Outlook Contacts, or by Point of Interest.
Route 66 is a pleasure to use because it is so darn pretty and easy to work with. However, its lack of POIs is a drawback. I often had to resort to Google Local to find what I sought, but Route 66 won’t let you starve, run out of gas, or be homeless for a night. You just may not get your favorite brand of gas, or that Thai restaurant you’d been craving all day, or your preferred hotel chain with free high speed Internet.
With all the information available on the screen at the same time, I found it difficult to read it all while driving because of reflections and small type. I would prefer to display those information items I select even if I could not display them all at the same time.
You can select the language you want the program to use. Naturally, I selected American English, but it still needs some tweaking here and there. For instance, in selecting a route, you have the choice of car routes vs lorry routes. (There’s a green squiggly line under that last britism.) Indeed.
If I had to attach a grade to Route 66, I would give it a solid B. It is certainly a program that merits your serious consideration. It will cost you $299, which is a good value considering all that is included in the navigation kit. Check it out at www.66.com
Route 66 does not automatically work with all Windows Mobile 5 Pocket PCs, so make sure that it is compatible with your unit before you buy. Customer support has room for improvement too.
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