|
August 7, 2007
 Magellan Triton Handheld GPS 2000, 1500, 500, 400, 200
Wow, Magellan let a new line out of the bag (Triton 2000, 1500, 500, 400, 200), previously rumored here last week, and has a heck of a lot going for the new Triton line of handheld GPS units. I think if you keep reading, they might even have the kitchen sink in there too!
The big news is that the Triton GPS Line will feature National Geographic topo maps, as well as full color screen, a built in camera, and LED flashlight, and the ability to record and store audio files associated with waypoints. All this is wrapped up in a new interface; not surprising with all the new features, eh? Vastly different offering in the market.
The Triton series of six new units is the first line of rugged, handheld navigation devices designed with a new user interface flow and screen graphics making Triton easier to use and more accessible to a greater population of outdoor enthusiasts. The Triton series is significantly easier to use than previous versions of any outdoor GPS device, creating new opportunities to reach people who enjoy outdoor activities – an estimated market of 120 million people in the U.S. alone – but may not have used GPS in the past because of complexity, restricted features, and the limitations of available detailed outdoor maps. In 2008, more than 6 million outdoor GPS units are expected to be sold worldwide.
The full-featured Triton units offer full-color, touch-screen controls and the ability to record and attach audio to waypoint files. Other features unique to Triton include a built-in 2MB pixel camera, digital compass, barometer and built-in LED flashlight. All of these features are elegantly integrated and designed to create an overall experience not found in any handheld GPS today.
IPX-7 rated and water submersible, the Triton series delivers ruggedness required by even the most demanding outdoor enthusiast.
As a result of the alliance between Magellan and National Geographic, the Triton series is the first outdoor handheld to offer users access to downloadable National Geographic topographic maps. This alliance with Magellan marks the first time that National Geographic maps will be made available on a handheld GPS device.
Additionally, Triton is the first Magellan handheld GPS to feature the new, free map and content management application, VantagePoint™, which enables users to easily upgrade and share information to and from their Magellan units. VantagePoint will allow Triton users to download additional maps onto their devices, as well as upload stored treks, waypoints and other recorded media.
National Geographic Maps
Magellan Triton is the first device to offer full, onscreen compatibility, usage and display of National Geographic’s maps. National Geographic offers its 28 titles of TOPO! outdoor recreation mapping software titles (covering all 50 states), which include five layers of maps – from National Geographic Atlas maps to the most detailed U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) topographic maps.
In addition, Triton is the first handheld GPS that allows adventurers to download maps and waypoints from TOPO! and from National Geographic’s new Weekend Explorer 3D, which includes 21 titles for major urban centers and surrounding recreational areas.
Users can now have Magellan’s topographic maps and National Geographic maps layered on one device for a complete best-in-class mapping experience.
VantagePoint
VantagePoint from Magellan is the first desktop application that lets people manage and expand their GPS experience. This powerful, free tool lets users easily upgrade and share information to and from their Magellan units. VantagePoint will enable the Triton user to download additional maps onto their Tritons, as well as upload stored tracks, waypoints and other media information.
"The new Triton series of handheld receivers was designed to bring handheld GPS to a new and expanded audience with the kind of experience our team of outdoor enthusiasts have dreamed of – a rugged GPS navigation device with a full-color touch screen, friendly user interface, built-in camera and media recorder to capture visited locations, and for the first time ever, access to National Geographic maps on a handheld device," said Stig Pedersen, senior director of marketing for Magellan. "The Triton is the ideal backpack or tackle box companion for hikers and backpackers, hunters and fishermen, boaters, and geocachers. With access to free, downloadable VantagePoint software to sync together additional maps and multimedia applications, the Triton devices are the easiest and most versatile outdoor navigation solutions available."
The penetration of GPS devices in the core outdoor segments of backpacking, hiking and hunting remains at relatively low level of about 5 percent. With its improved ease-of-use, increased feature set and multi-media capabilities, Magellan Triton is aimed at increasing market penetration.
Magellan will be donating a portion of the proceeds from Triton sales through December 31, 2007, to the National Park Foundation to assist in its efforts to help sustain the conservation, preservation and enjoyment of America’s national treasures. Additionally, Magellan will be donating 500 new Triton units to the National Park Foundation to use as needed to support its programs.
Triton 2000
The Triton 2000, available in North America in September and in Europe in October, was designed by Magellan’s product development team of outdoor enthusiasts to be the ultimate handheld device for any adventurer, from hiker to outdoorsman. Ready to use out of the box with built-in base maps, the Triton 2000 features a newly redesigned user interface with color, 2.7-inch QVGA touch screen that enables the easy selection of routes, waypoints and other features. It also includes a built-in 2MP camera, SD card slot, electronic compass and barometer, speaker/microphone and flashlight.
Additionally, the Triton 2000 features uploadable maps using VantagePoint software, pointer and compass screen, and is waterproof to IPX-7 standards. The unit will retail for $499.
Triton 1500
Similar to the 2000, the Triton 1500 is features a 2.7-inch QVGA color touch screen featuring built-in base maps, uploadable maps using VantagePoint software, SD card slot, speaker and microphone, flashlight, and is waterproof to IPX-7 standards. Ideal for sportsmen, the unit will retail for $399.
Triton 500
The more compact-sized Triton 500 features a 2.2-inch QVGA color screen, SD card slot to enable users to install and save maps and data onto a flash card, uploadable maps using VantagePoint software, built-in base maps, an electronic compass and barometer, and is waterproof to IPX-7 standards. The backcountry backpacker will appreciate the Triton 500, which will retail for $249.
Triton 400
Similar to the 500, the Triton 400 includes 2.2-inch QVGA color screen, SD card slot, built-in base maps, pointer and compass screen, and is waterproof to IPX-7 standards. The Triton 400 also features uploadable maps using VantagePoint software. The unit will retail for $199.
Triton 300
In addition to a 2.2-inch QVGA color screen, built-in base maps, waterproof to IPX-7 design, pointer and compass screen, the Triton 300 features uploadable maps using VantagePoint software and 10 MB of memory for map storage. The unit will retail for $149.
Triton 200
The Triton 200 is the base model in the series, and includes a 2.2-inch QVGA color screen, built-in base maps, waterproof to IPX-7 design, pointer and compass screen, and runs on two AA batteries. An ideal companion for the weekend hiker, the unit will retail for $129.
The Triton series is expected to ship to all major U.S. retailers in September and in Europe in October. Available accessories for Triton products will include bicycle and swivel mounts, vehicle mounts, and carrying cases.
Read More in: Magellan GPS News
Share this Article with others:
Related Articles:
Came straight to this page? Visit GPS Lodge for all the latest news.
Posted by Scott Martin at August 7, 2007 9:13 PM
I like the look of this GPS and the touch screen Hopefully making it easy to use for us technological challenged people. I have a old Magellan 300 but am looking to upgrade When will I find it in a Store near me? I live in Regina Sask Canada Who are the dealers for Magellan in my city Would like to see it in my hand and try it out as I have trouble figuring out how to use other GPS's Would like to look at it and try it out before purchasing one to see if I can figure out how to use it
any updates on the release date?
While the promise of the feature set on this product had me ready to switch from my Garmin, the implementation is horrible. I have been testing it for about a week now. Do not buy this unit until Magellan re-releases it correctly.
Areas of problem so far:
* Random crashes. Reminds me of WIN 98. It crashes often.
* SLOW!!! It is especially slow when you switch to the map screen, the main one you use.
* No street maps
* "Nearest cache/waypoint" feature does not work. For some reason, it consistently points me to waypoints/caches at a park about 5 miles away as the closest even if I move around to different locations within the range. Can see waypoints nearby (across the street in one test), but it ignores them.
* Interface with PC is slow. Loaded my Garmin side by side with the Magellan. Garmin took about 10-15 seconds to load 900+ waypoints. Same load on the Magellan took ~2 minutes.
* Magellan on-line help SUCKS! There support page does not even list the Tritons yet in many of the drop down lists. FAQ's are more marketing material then help.
I got a reply back on my post to their support email. It took them three days to respond.
* Issue: Triton is not listed on their support drop downs. Response: It is a new unit and they have not updated the web page. "Wait for some time until this unit gets updated" (Last I checked, that would be a one day job for a competent programmer.)
* Issue: "nearest" function not working on geocaches. Response: please call tech support regarding this issue. (Call to tech support number refers you back to the web page.)
* Message from tech support was obviously from someone who stuggles with writing English. Grammar errors and typos.
The Magellan Triton is a major disappointment. I tried talking to the tech support but found a bunch of human, non-american robots at the other end. I'm sure good people, but not acceptable for such a techno product. I am having a problem with connecting the unit to my PC - it doesn't. I paid almost $500 for the thing and am not impressed. I will look at Garmin for the next product
This was my short experience with the Triton 400.
I bought it on Saturday and returned it Monday.
I had a few issues with it. First it was not as intuitive and user-friendly as it claimed, and a very poor user manual did not help. It did not seem to have some basic tracking functions like average time moving that I am used to on my old Gecko. Also the software did not install from the CD. according to the written instructions but had to be downloaded but there was other demo mapping software hidden on the CD. But the biggest problem was that I could not get it to interface with GPS Trackmaker or Google Earth, which was really simple with my old Gecko.
I purchased the Triton 500 prior to going on vacation in Kauai, HI. I wanted to go hiking on some of the many trails. After I purchased it, I found out that it had no topos pre-loaded. Why would one buy a handheld GPS without topos. I live in the SouthEast, so I purchased a Southeast set and a West set of maps found out that they were keyed only to that unit S/N). I downloaded the maps to the Triton and it worked for the first day (of 9 days). The next day, during a hike, the Triton lost the maps including the street maps that were preloaded. That night, I attempted unsuccessfully to re-load, then to get help from tech support, but no response. It was useless the rest of the vacation. My son had a Garmin and we used it. When I got home, I returned the unit for a refund and attempted to get a refund on the map packages. Magellan refused, even though it could only be used on that unit. I did not trust the unit, so I didn’t exchange it for another Triton. I finally did what I should have done in the beginning. Do a cost comparison and check the ratings. I found out that the Delorme PN-20 bundle had topos for the whole US for about the same price as just the naked Triton. If I got the equivalent topos for Triton it would have cost me 5 times the cost of the Triton. I decided to take the loss on the Magellan software and purchase a Delorme. In summary, someone would be crazy or down-right stupid (like I was) to have purchased a Triton. I won’t purchase another Magellan product. There is too much quality competition out there.
Oh Eric, I feel your pain. I bought a Triton 2000 in May '08 after waiting until they allegedly fixed all the problems. Well, the unit is STILL a poorly designed piece of junk, even after downloading all the updates. Due to my lack of foresight, I am unable to return the thing. I am stuck with the unit, car mount and charger, external antenna AND the National Geographic software. The Triton simply quit working one day and is now supposed to be on it's way back from being repaired. Maybe they have installed some new guts that will make it work as claimed. I have too much invested and can't afford to buy another one, but WOW do I wish I'd gone with a Garmin! Magellan used to be a great company, but clearly those days are gone. I based this purchase on my experience with a Magellan Meridian Platinum, which was a GREAT handheld GPS. I don't know what's happened to them. Tell everyone you know to avoid Magellan.
I bought a Triton 400. But have trouble with it. It can not load tracs to my PC via the vantagepoint.
When I try to switch it on, a clock picture is shown and stay it there forever...! Only vay to switch it on is to open the back and remove the batteries.....
I have an old Magellan GPS350 that has served me well for a decade. It was great for it's time, and did everything it's then-state-of-the-art features could do with no trouble whatsoever. I thought I would be a dedicated Magellan user forever. However, experiences since with a Magellan Crossover, which was returned, and the resulting customer service calls, led me to Garmin. I purchased an Etrex Venture HC, loved it, and ended up purchasing a Nuvi 260 for the car.
Then I saw the Triton 1500 on sale at Wal-Mart. Some reviews claim it has a built in baraometer and electronic compass, but turns out it has neither. Why Magellan would put those features on the 500, skip the 1500, and then have them again on 2000, is a mystery to me. The unit start up and satellite search is way slower than the Garmin, even with the immediate software upgrade available through the internet. The National Geographic maps that came with it are good on the computer screen, but are pretty lousy on the Triton's screen. Blurry to begin with, and blurry to the point of unusability at full zoom. Maybe the National Geographic Superquads that can be downloaded (first 25 come with, $1 each therafter) from the internet are better, but I havn't tried yet. The screen's backlight is pretty dim, probably to save batteries, but in the sun, the screen can barely be seen, and then only after alot of tipping and tilting to get the reflected light just right. The combination of touch screen and buttons make no sense, as a lot of functions require pressing both..so why not just have one or the other? The data available on the various screens seems incomplete after using the Garmin Venture. Having a built in flashlight is ok, but not at the expense of real GPS features, and not for the extra price. Decent LED flashlights are ten bucks. The voice recorder, and MP3 player functions could be useful..but again, at what price?
Overall, pretty dissapointed. At full price of $449, I would be really angry. At clearance price of $199, I'm only mildly disgruntled. Unless I find something spectacular about it soon, it's going to go back before Wal-Mart's return period of 15 days is overwith. The Venture HC is light years ahead in features and function..and it's considered the entry-level color screen mapping GPS from Garmin.
I bought the Triton 400 W NG topo maps to use on trails while riding our quads. I have had zero problems with it. It works as it should and has helped me find my way back from some fairly extensive trails on National Forest land. Magellan has some unusual ways of doing things with the software but for the most part it's not difficult to use. If I have a complaint, it's that the thing eats batteries pretty fast. I resorted to using rechargables until I got a 12v adapter that I can plug into my quad.
Thursday, July 09, 2009-Triron Complaint
I purchased the Triton 2000 June 8, 2009; before that I had the SporTrak Map and was very happy for several years.
I wanted more features like the built in camera and microphone for recording and attaching to a specific waypoint. Upon receiving the Triton 2000, I put it through the test and here is what I found:
1 The pictures were pretty good.
2 The video recording was pretty bad.
3 The audio recording for both the video and audio recording did not work. After saving and trying to replay, the audio portion could not be heard through the built in speaker or the plug in earphones. This was with the volume set to max and the speakers set to max.
4 I too had problems with Vantage Point and National Geographic State mapping programs.
5 The instructions for all of these and the Magellan Triton series are in my opinion terrible. Trying to correlate the Magellan, the Vantage Point and National Geographic Maps together was a nightmare because of the very poor Technical Instructions on all three. ( I have written technical manuals before, and these people have no clue as to how to instruct a beginner in using their products)
6 Technical Support- what a joke!
Magellan: Manila: 800-707-9971- you cannot talk to anyone in the USA.
National Geographic: 800-962-1643-you will be referred to topo@ngs.com and will have to email them your problem. I am still waiting.
7 I am currently (July 9, 2009), on my third (3rd) Magellan Triton 2000 unit, which I just received yesterday. Manila Tech Support assured me the unit would be tested out before shipment. While, guess what? It does not work either. Frustrated!! You bet.
I tried to tell them the problem and even wrote a four-page letter explaining everything but I have no one to send it to. Try to get a hold of a CEO at that Company. TRY!!
If I take the SD card and record directly to it from my computer with music, voice, pictures and place it back into the Magellan, guess what? It works. Sounds like the problem is with the built in microphone.
I asked that a real Electronic Technician or an Engineer call me and maybe we could work out the problem on the phone. Maybe it is something very simple that is not being explained in the poorly written instructions.
This is where I am today. I will have to call the Manila Tech Support again and see what they tell me next.
Frustrated Bill
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Update to Magellan Triton 2000 third unit- Audio Problem:
12:30 PM pst
Called Tech Support in Manila (800-707-9971) Xavier 20153- on hold while someone tried to duplicate problem with same unit in Manila. They came up with exactly the same problem. They did not know what to do and transferred me to the “Resolution Team” talked with Ashley-30016, tried to convince me that was normal for the Triton and would not be as good a quality as the computer.
I told her that the advertisement indicated that you could tag your waypoint with audio and video with audio and what good would it do if you could not hear it. She did not know but would check it out with ????? and get back to me via email within 2 business days.
I forgot to ask her where she was located.
All the units are the same and they think that this is acceptable. I do not.
Does anyone else experience this problem?
How do I send an email to the CEO of Magellan here in the USA?
More Frustrated,
Bill
Up date from July 9th (Triton 2000 recording problem)
July 10, 2009 9:17am
Called Mitac USA (510-252-6900) who took over Magellan and they gave me the tel.# 909-394-7041 of Frank Sadler- sadler@magellan.com
Called him, left message with my phone number and also sent him a 4 page detailed letter.
Just waiting now!
7/12/2009 4:25 PM
Email was no good and no return on phone call.
Here is what I found out from a retailer and a few other people:
The retailer received 6 triton 2000 units and 3 of the 6 were bad, had the same problem and also the compass would not calibrate and unit would freeze up. He did get them replaced with good units. He stated, you should check your Serial # which is under the battery cover and if the Serial # is below 0138 0236 -----, you will probably have a problem of one sort or another.
They made a software update called S2 and below that number was not corrected.
If you own a Triton 2000 unit, check your Serial number immediately and run the tests on:
1 Record audio and play it back. You should be able to hear it with no problem and even be able to adjust it wit the + and – Zoom controls.
2 Record a video and talk into the microphone on the bottom right ( a very small hole), you do not have to yell. Play it back and you should be able to hear and adjust the volume on this as well.
3 Check the compass calibration by running it and also check for true North. It should calibrate with no problem.
4 If your unit freezes up, that is another problem.
This is what I have found out in the last 30 hours. If anyone has more input, please send it to me. I hope that if you have this problem, this material will help you.
Don’t let Magellan Corp. get away with their shoddy handling of customers. I still need to resolve my problem. I still have the third (3rd) defective unit. By the way here are the Serial numbers of the ones I had and have now:
1st unit 0138 0098 52655
2nd unit 0138 0150 14597
3rd unit 0138 0128 42735
In hopes of an end,
Bill
7/13/2009 9:08 AM-update
8:20am- 8:54am called Technical Help in Manila at 800-707-9971
Talked with -------#20407, explained everything that I learned about their product in the last 40 hours from the Internet and dealers. (See above)
Transferred me to Aaron #30014 of the Resolution Team in the USA, explained everything to Aaron, who was very nice, and who is sending me return info. With RA# and will send out a new unit. (Hopefully this one will work)
I will let you know what the results are in a few days.
Maybe this time,
Bill
Unfair Treatment from Magellan
7/17/2009 8:53:51 PM
I need someone’s help! I purchased a Triton 2000 directly from Magellan on the Internet and received three bad units that would not record and play back audio in the record mode or the video record mode. I am waiting for the 4th unit to arrive as at present.
I bought the 1st unit on June 8th, 2009 and this is now July 17, 2009 and I still do not have a good unit.
What you are reading now is the most resent up date:
7/17/2009 8:08 PM
I just checked my checking account and to my shock, Magellannav 800-707-9971ca, withdrew $499.99 from my account. They now have a total of $850 of my money, and I still have the third defective Triton 2000 in my possession waiting for the 4th new unit to get here.
Does anybody know how to resolve this problem? I bought the first unit directly from Magellan on the Internet, so I didn’t buy it from a dealer, although, now I wish I had, then I could return it and get my money back.
I am retired, living on Social Security and cannot afford this much money disappearing from my account. Is there anyone out there with legal experience that can advise me?? Please! This is really getting out of hand!
Bill
wborze123@comcast.net
Even if I do get the new T2000 and it works, what kind of problem am I going to have in getting back my $499.99? More importantly, whom do I contact? Manila help support?? Ha! Ha!
Bill
|
Mailing List
Subscribe - RSS
