Windows Phone Thoughts: Road Trip Revolutions: The MyGuide 500 Navigation System Reviewed

Product Category: GPS/Navigation Unit
Manufacturer: OnCourse Navigator
Where to Buy: BuyGPSnow.com
Price: $499.00 ($599.00 - $100 instant savings)
Specifications: See Technical Specs tab at BuyGPSnow.com

Pros:

• Built-in GPS receiver;
• Controls and overall design optimized for a navigation system;
• Default landscape mode;
• Controls oriented for landscape mode;
• Volume control hardware buttons;
• Screen orientation hardware button;
• Seamless map for entire USA;
• Excellent navigation software;
• Great value when compared to dedicated portable navigation units.

Cons:

• No Bluetooth or Wi-Fi;
• Single memory card slot;
• Limited RAM headroom.

A Pocket PC with a built-in GPS receiver and bundled navigation software is nothing new; we’ve reviewed several such units over the past couple of years. In the past, such units have been mostly traditional Pocket PC designs, with at most only an antenna to distinguish them in appearance from their “non-navigation system” counterparts.

The MyGuide series changes all that. With its landscape design and specialized navigation controls, it looks much like the dedicated navigation systems marketed by such big names in the GPS world as Garmin and Magellan.

The MyGuide 500 has the right look, but does it have the right stuff to go head-to-head with those purpose-built units? Read on to find out!