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Customer Reviews:
Alpine Blackbird B100T
I bought an Alpine Blackbird because of the rep Alpine has, and for its good looks. I admit that I didn’t do the homework I usually do online before the purchase. At first I was extremely disappointed because it seemed to route me on wierd pathways. I even exchanged it at the store for another because I was convinced there was a problem with the unit I bought.

After sitting down and “playing” with it for several hours, I finally understand that the routing you choose (there are four: shortest, quickest, and minimize, or maximize,use of interstates) makes a HUGE difference. Pick some local places you are familiar with, sit in your most comfortable chair, and choose different routing methods to the same place, using the demo feature. You’ll soon learn how this device works, and then you will truly be able to enjoy it for what it is–a great piece of equipment.

It’s beautiful to look at. The windshield-mount cradle is sturdy and doesn’t allow it to vibrate around. It’s easy to see the screen, and the only real quibble I now have is battery life–about two hours on a full charge. I plan to use it on my motorcycle, and I don’t want to add the wiring to my bike, so I’ll buy a second battery and change it out when necessary.

Overall, I rate this product highly. The main thing is to take some time to really understand how it works. There may be systems out there that are more intuitive, but once you get a handle on this machine, I think it is a very good one. It retailed at close to 500 d’s until the new “200″ model came out, so you can get some great near 200 d deals on these B100T’s right now. I’d say, do it.