Asus R700t GPS - More Features and Performance

One innovative feature of the Asus R700t is its 3D maps. While other GPS devices have 3D maps, the R700t’s 3D maps show renderings of actual buildings and landmarks which are not only informative, but entertaining as well. If 3D is not your thing, there is also a 2D mode and day or night colors as well.

Yet another nice feature of the R700t is its Bluetooth capability. Using Bluetooth technology, you can pair your cell phone to the GPS to make phone calls through the device. Many of the points of interest on the GPS have listed phone numbers as well, and you can call them right through the unit itself.

The Asus R700t is not only a GPS. It doubles as a multimedia device. You have the ability to view videos, listen to music, or view photos through the R700t that are transferred via the microSD card. Most major media file types are accepted, such as WMV video files, MP3 and WMA audio files, and JPEG and BMP photo files. This is a nice plus to have on a GPS unit for long trips and provides added entertainment value to the unit.

Performance is not the strongest feature of the R700t, although it is manageable. Occasionally it takes a couple of minutes for the R700t to calculate your location depending on the weather or surrounding conditions, and the unit can freeze at times, causing you to have to reset it. This can be quite frustrating, especially if you are in the middle of driving. Route recalculation is not the best either; the R700t can send you in a roundabout direction if you get off track.

Multimedia performance was average as well. While the Bluetooth works well, listening to music through the weak speaker is not the most satisfying experience, and neither is watching videos. Then again, this is primarily a navigational device.

The Asus R700t is a quality product considering that it is a new venture into the GPS world for the manufacturer. The navigational features are great and highly customizable, the 3D maps and building renderings are good for reference, and it is a nice plus to have Bluetooth and multimedia capabilities built in. The performance is average at best though, and the lack of text to speech functionality is a mystery in such a diverse device. If you are looking for a GPS device that is moderately priced with a good amount of features, though, the Asus R700t might be worth a look.