I just had to replace my GPS unit and I opted for a Magellan Meridian. I like the map feature and the reason I chose it over Garmin was the SD storage card capability. I purchased a card reader for it which allows me to download maps at USB speeds. I have the Mapsend topo software which is extremely accurate in my area, but I have heard that is not true everywhere. Their trail information is limited, but I like it for my whitewater boating because it has some rapids and even campsites. Garmin has a better interface, but they don't have a unit with storage card memory accept for the PDA combo, which makes me nervous from a battery life perspective. The Garmin Emap GPS has storage card memory but the storage is really expensive, non standard, and it is not very water proof (IPX2). The Meridian is "waterproof" to IPX 7 and it floats but I still use a soft case. Downloading maps are a breeze and only take a couple minutes. The Bluewater software maps Magellan sells is really bad. Bluewater software allows you can to upload one small chart at a time and you can only have 1 map on a storage card. If your heart is set on Bluewater maps Garmin is a better way to go. Hopefully Magellan will clean up their Bluewater issues. I bought the Marine version and the Marine database is pretty good. I really like my Meridian and I really like the map feature. If you want to read about it from a user's perspective take a look at this group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Magellan_Meridian/ They have some great hacks in their FAQ section, including one that will change the splash screen to your name and address. Good luck with your choice. -- MZ visit my website: http://www.mzuschlag.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Tue Jul 29 2003 - 09:35:27 PDT
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