| REVIEW UPDATE:This GPS model has been discontinued |
You might be surprised to learn that Alpine is the #1 rated OEM GPS supplier in North America (I know I was). Many of you have asked me to review the Blackbird, so this week I took a look at Alpine' s flagship GPS, the Blackbird. When the Blackbird was first released, feedback on the unit was poor.
Alpine has re-worked the unit and issued a major software update that adds traffic data capabilities, improves route calculation speed, and improves vehicle positioning performance. They've also dropped the price to $499. Alpine's line of after-market car audio equipment is legendary, so I had high hopes for Alpine's high-end GPS unit.
I put the Blackbird through the usual rigorous in-depth review criteria and see how it stacks up against the competition.
Table of Contents- Features
- Specifications
- Unboxing
- Mounting the Blackbird in the Car
- Powering on the Blackbird
- The Main Menu
- Navigating with the Blackbird
- What, No SiRF?
- Viewing System Information
- Setting System Options
- Alternate Methods for Entering an Address
- The Trouble With the Blackbird's Address Entry System
- Routing Engine Problems
- Pros
- Cons
- Conclusion
- Turn-by-turn GPS navigation system
- Built-in maps of USA and Canada, Alaska, and Hawaii
- 6 Million POI (Points of Interest) database
- Mounting cradle with built-in FM modulator and amplified speaker
- USB 2.0 Connection for map database updates
- Centrality Atlas II ARM9 CPU with embedded 16 channel GPS
- 3.6" digital LCD with anti-glare touch screen and 16.7 million possible colors
- Remote control sensor
- Music playback from MMC/SD Card Slot
- Stereo audio jack for headphones
- MP3 and WMA Playback
- Size: 6.1” x 2.9” x 1.2” (145mm x 74mm x 29mm)
- Weight: 8 oz (227 g)
- CPU: Centrality Atlas II ARM9 CPU
- GPS: Embedded 16 channel GPS, Built-In Main Unit Antenna with Optional External Antenna Connection
- Storage: Built-In 1” HDD with Pre-Loaded Maps of US (including Alaska and Hawaii) and Canada and 6 Million Points of Interest Locations
- Card Slot: Secure Digital (SD) or Multimedia Card (MMC) for playback of
MP3 or WMA music files - Audio: Integrated speaker in main unit, amplified speaker in cradle,
stereo headphone jack, optional docking station audio output - FM Transmitter: Built-in cradle, up to 12 selectable frequencies
- RDS-TMC Tuner: Built-in main unit w/antenna in cradle power cable
- USB Interface: 2.0
- Battery Life: Approximately 2 hours of continuous use
- Operating Temp: 32° to 140° F (0° to +60°C)
- Storage Temp: -13° to 176° F (-25° to +80° C)
- Screen Size: 3.6" diagonal
- Screen Resolution: QVGA 320 x 240 pixels, 16.7M possible colors
- Screen Type: Digital TFT display with anti-glare touch screen
- Brightness: 200 nits
Figure 1: Alpine Blackbird Box
The front of the Alpine Blackbird box.
Figure 2: Alpine Blackbird Box, Rear
Figure 3: Everything that's included with the Alpine Blackbird
The Blackbird box contains:
- Blackbird GPS unit
- Windshield Mount (Cradle with Cigarette Lighter Charger)
- Permanent Mounting Adhesive Disc
- AC Adapter
- USB Cable
- Neoprene Protective Carrying Case
- 1200mAh Rechargeable battery
- Wiping Cloth
- Quick Reference Guide
- Owner's Manual
- Warranty Card
Figure 4: Alpine Blackbird GPS, Front
The Blackbird is "reminiscent" of the old Magellan RoadMate 700 series GPS. Alpine's unit is a bit sleeker, thinner, and overall more refined looking than the Magellan 760, but the form factor and layout is similar. With all the major GPS players moving to all-touchscreen designs, I'm slightly surprised that Alpine chose such an inefficient design: look how much space is wasted on the massive control dial on the right hand side. Alpine could have easily squeezed another 1.5 inches of width into the screen, or made the unit smaller by removing the control dial and relying on the touch-screen interface instead. Still, even though the Blackbird sports a slightly outdated design, I must admit I found the unit overall fairly good looking. It's slim, elegant, and looks, for lack of a better word, expensive.
Figure 5: Blackbird Layout
From left to right on the front of the unit, we can see the ambient light sensor on the top left (used to automatically dim the screen for "night mode" when it is dark outside). The battery charging indicator is located just below the light sensor (green=battery fully charged, amber=battery charging, red=low battery). The Blackbird has a 3.6-inch (measured diagonally) color touchscreen display. To the right of the display is a (large) control dial. I assume Alpine did this because they thought people would like having a quick way to use various features on the GPS. Personally, I'd prefer either a larger screen or a smaller unit. Using the dial you can zoom in or our (by pressing up or down, respectively), enter a destination address (by pressing left), or use the MP3 player 9by pressing right.
