cafzali

To me, though, the key question is what am I missing? When it comes to what many people use, the Edge 800 has most everything you care for, unless you want live tracking/cell phone linking.

We forget that the biggest reason many of us became regular technology adaptors was the previous generation stuff just didn't work. Once technology matures and becomes reliable, you'll see fewer people considering it a need. I still ride with a 705 and am perfectly happy with it, although I've acquired a new bike with which I primarily use it with since I got the 705. Only issue I've ever had was a battery that needed replacing, but I ordered one online, replaced it and that's that. Certainly didn't need to send it back to Garmin for a $100 battery swap.

Mansram01

Well GPS devices aren't new anymore and for cycling the technology has matured since the 605/705. What's missing is that companies like Garmin & Magellan need to thoroughly test their products before releasing them to the market. Both were flawed but there's a rush to market. But I definitely do welcome the competition. Why else did Garmin all of the sudden allow uploads to Strava? Because Magellan allowed uploads to Strava that to start with. Garmin released the Edge 1000 with bugs as did Magellan with the Cyclo 505. We're the test guinea pigs here. But we're also paying for a larger screen/maps, better resolution, better tracking, quicker satellite acquisition, Wifi, Bluetooth connectivity, etc.

If you're content with the 705, you don't need to upgrade, right? As for me, I like technology BUT I do tend to skip generations/models. As for live-tracking, there are apps that can download for Android/Apple that can provide this functionality for you. As much as I wanted live-tracking for the Magellan, it wasn't a deal killer since some of my riding is outside of cell signal reach therefore rendering the cell phone based live-tracking useless. Although I should add "live-tracking" to me list of pet peeves...

One more thing, I loved the Edge 800. It's rock solid but the mapping is very crude by today's standards. But having to purchase lackluster maps from Garmin after purchasing their Edge products wasn't cutting it for me. OSM maps (at least in the US) provide more detail for cycling.

Added item that Garmin gets right (and Magellan is missing):

cafzali

You've never had to purchase Garmin's maps with any of their devices that will accept a card. Many, many people have burned their own maps from the day they bought an Edge or updated them using OSM maps. As far as uploads to Strava, I have no idea whey they enabled it. Could be the reason you cite or the fact that Garmin Connect has generally sucked since it was rolled out -- another thing that truly baffled me. Offering a service like that just isn't that difficult from a technology standpoint and should have been done right from the get go.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying there are no useful features that have been added in the new devices. All I'm saying is that features on devices like an Edge are like apps on someone's smart phone -- the vast majority of people pay for capabilities they think they will use, but use very seldom, if ever.

Can you elaborate on what you mean by "crude mapping." Maps are maps and haven't changed in ages, for the most part. Now, it's certainly possible that advances in processing power/cost have enabled the new devices to update turn-by-turn faster, etc. I haven't found the speed to be an impediment on the 705. What does sometimes go "awry" is using .GPX or .TCX files that someone else creates and uploads to MapMyRide, etc. I find those sometimes work as advertised, sometimes not.

Mansram01

When the 800 came out, I don't recall OSM being all the rage at that point. By crude, I mean that most bike routes and trails were/are not present on the Garmin maps. If the mapping is limited so is your navigation. When I bought the product at the time, I went with what the vendor was supporting and not a crowd sourced third-party alternative. Since I still have my Garmin, I might try loading an OSM map on it now.

I agree with your statement on the features. If you're not going to use them then think twice before spending that hard earned cash.

BNB

I just ordered and immediately returned my Magellan Cyclo with great disappointment because it is not compatible with Mac computers (I really dislike Garmin)! Unbelievable. Apparently there is some make-shift software you can download but reading reviews online it sounds like a nightmare. The other big turnoff is that Magellan told me, via their online "help", that I cannot order additional bike mounts from them. A third, minor disappointment, is that the power adapter that came with the unit did not work.

I just received my garmin 800 and will keep my fingers crossed it works better than other garmin products I have owned. So far the interface seems more intuitive than in years past but that might be because I've learned a little how garmin thinks.

Jarrett2

Someone asked about the battery of the Edge 1000. I did a ride Friday that had an elapsed time of 5:16:47 and the Edge's battery was 56% at the end of the ride. I'm using GPS+GLONASS, auto brightness, backlight timeout stays on, etc.

bmcphx

I've gone on two short rides using the Garmin 1000 and my initial impression is that it's a very nice machine. I do not use the phone features (I don't need to think about who is texting me while I ride my bike) or any of the wifi/Bluetooth stuff, but the maps are really nice and the screen is really really nice. 2 hour ride and I had about 78% left. That's a fairly big drain compared to my old 510.

GuyDebord

The Magellan is 100% compatible with Macs, I have updated the software and done all the stuff you need to do in my MacBook Pro running Yosemite

BNB

You shouldn't "need to do" anything. I was told I had to download software and it certainly did not come with the Magellan, nor any instructions. I had to read all over the internet what to do to get the Cyclo to work on my Mac. I read a review where it took the reviewer "hours" to get this software to work. This was a complication and headache I wasn't willing to endure. Honestly, I am no fan of Garmin but I returned the Magellan Cyclo, bought my 800, plugged it into my Mac and it worked. So far, so good, with the Garmin. I do hate to put in a plug for Garmin after years of terrible user interface and flaky devices, but the 800 does seem to be working well.

GuyDebord

Well, it took me 2 minutes. Strange how much misinformation there is out there.... It could be an old software issue or simply someone wanting to vouch for the Garmin. Whatever. I hope you are enjoying your garmin.