LG LN740 Portable Navigation Device

After reading mixed reviews I decided to give this unit a try. Coming from a Lowrance Iway 500c, I was looking for the newer sirfstar III receiver as well as faster routing and quicker satellite acquisition. The LG excelled at all three. - Great satellite acquisition times, about 5 min for the first cold start and then almost instantaneous for subsequent reconnections. The unit has a sleep feature which seems to keeps the unit on similar to that of a laptop without having to reload maps, the OS, etc. - Quick routing takes under 5 seconds for the initial destination. If you miss a turn, the unit reroute quick enough to make the next turn. Likewise, the logic of the system is pretty good, which will take to on a different route if optimal rather than trying to get you to U-turn back. - Very accurate location plotting compared to my old GPS. I was impressed by the system mapping me on which lane direction i was traveling (North vs South, etc) and the maps included even the small... more >>

I bought this unit when it first came out, because it has the TMC (FM traffic update) built in and a 4-inch screen for much less than the Garmin. Before this I bought the TOMTOM One. Overall, this unit has been good. It does what the box says it does... But here are my improvements... 1. The map is still 2006 even though it was released in 2007. (the TOMTOM had a newer map) 2. Points of Interest (POI) - lets you find spots by category, either near destination or current location. An option for along the route would be good. Also...sometimes it is hard to figure what category something is in. there is no general search by company name. (It does however have a nice feature that I can click on say Starbucks, and it shows all the Starbucks as I drive by them - kind of nice) 3. When in the menus, you have to keep backing out to get back to the map (sometimes several clicks while driving). It would be nice to have one button to go back to the map. 4. When it calculates... more >>

I purchased the LN740 for my wife about a year ago, and we've been generally pleased with the features and performance, particularly given the low cost - that is, until I tried to update the installed maps. When I took a trip to Pennsylvania last week, I found that the unit was directing me to exits, and would then "lose" the roadway, makeing it look as though we were driving off the road, as the highway system had been recently modified. Figuring it was time to update the map info for the unit, I contacted LG for info on how to update, expecting that they'd provide me with a web link to download updated maps. Instead, they e-mailed me a phone number to call, whereupon I was told that the only way to update the maps was to purchase a CD for $99! If you feel that kind of price for an update is warranted for a $200 navigation system, then I won't try to disuade you from purchasing an LN740. The next time that I'm looking for a portable nav system, though, the cost and ease of updating... more >>