A Look at the Magellan RoadMate 760

As the first GPS unit to feature text-to-speech functionality, the Magellan RoadMate 760 jumps ahead of its in-car GPS competition. This full-featured in-car navigation device builds on the success of its predecessor, the RoadMate 700. It comes with a 2.25-by-3.0-inch screen which is exceptionally bright and crisp. A small light sensor on the front of the unit allows the 760 to automatically adjust brightness and contrast depending on ambient light levels. It's a nice touch that helps you keep your eyes on the road instead of focused on fiddling with screen settings during your journey. The unit's controls are logically laid out, except, perhaps, for the volume and repeat controls. The volume dial is an awkward little thing that is placed inconveniently on top of the unit. Fortunately, this is mostly rectified by the 760's automatic volume system, which turns up the sound when your vehicle cruises above 45 mph. Meanwhile, the repeat button, which resides next to the volume dial and repeats the last voice command when pressed, is quite small and easy to miss, especially when you're driving. It would be nice if such an important control were more prominent. It also comes with a reasonably easy-to-use points of interest manager PC application. The software lets you add POI's to the unit's existing database and then upload them to the 760 via USB.