Magellan eXplorist Line Launches with 3 New Handheld GPS Units

Handheld GPS units really aren’t anything new and people rarely get excited over them anymore, however, Magellan recently launched an updated line of eXplorist model units that’s are pretty impressive, if you’re willing to fork over the cash.
The eXplorist 510, 610, and 710 all feature the same basic configuration.  Physically there are sporting 3 inch touch screen displays and 3.2 megapixel cameras with a snazzy autofocus feature which is handy and unexpected on a non-camera device.  There’s also a built in speaker and microphone so you can catalogue your adventures with voice recordings and audio notes.  All are waterproofed and fairly shock resistant but I wouldn’t dropt hem off the side of a mountain and expect them to survive.

The units come preloaded with detailed maps of the entire world built right in so you don’t have to waste time or bandwidth downloading anything.  Unfortunately, Magellan decided to play it a little hinky when trying to differentiate its units and create a consumer response in the face of rather large price tags.
The maps on the 710 come with the most detail and it and the 610 both have a built-in three-point compass while the “stock model” 510 is pretty much left out of the running.  That’s truly unfortunate considering the base model 510 starts at $349!  Is that extra map detail and compass worth another $200 on top of that?  Maybe, but only if you’re a hardcore outdoorsy type.