Triton, Oregon and PN-40: compare by numbers

[aud78]

Goal

 

It is very hard to learn anything objective about how leading outdoors GPS units compare by amount of complaints and problem reports. Here is my quick attempt to get relative numbers of user complaints about Garmin Oregon, DeLorme PN-40 and Magellan Triton units.

 

Method

 

I used Google search to estimate how many times each of the three units was mentioned on web and what portion the pages mentioning the unit included keywords "problem", "issue" or "bug". First I put "DeLorme PN-40", "Garmin Oregon" and "Magellan Triton" in the "all these words" box in Google Advance Search screen. Then I repeated the same three searches but with "problem", "issue" and "bug" added in the "one or more of these words" box. Then I calculated ratio between the first and second result set to estimate what percentage of pages mentioning specific unit may be related to the complaint.

 

Results

 

Magellan Triton: 728,000 total, 117,000 complaints, complaint ratio: 16%

Garmin Oregon: 5,130,000 total, 561,000 complaints, complaint ratio: 11%

Delorme PN-40: 39,100 total, 8,670 complaints, complaint ratio: 22%

 

Conclusion

 

Of the three units compared, users are complaining least about Garmin Oregon. Triton accounts for 45% more complaints than Oregon. PN-40 triggers complaints twice as often as Oregon and 37% more often than Triton.

 

Limitations and further research

 

There could be some noise in the results because of phrases like "encountered no problems" or "had no issues". As vast majority of results are from web forums, there might be discrepancy due to the fact that once a user reports a problem, others tend to reply "yes, I also have this issue" on the same topic page rather than starting new one; in this case many reports of the same issue are counted as single issue. GPS units with liberal return policies might have lower number of complaints on web because people may just return them instead of complaining.

 

Also, this research ignores the fact that user complaints might differ a lot per area of application. For example, unit perfect for geocaching might have lots of complaints about maps. Repeating research with "Magellan Triton geocaching", "Magellan Triton maps", etc. instead of generic "Magellan Triton" would be more useful for people with narrower GPS applications.

 

Volunteers to both verify my results as well as expand them by adding more units and specific application areas are more than welcome.

 

Aud

[+Pax42]

That may be one of the most unscientific science projects I've ever seen. You're drawing conclusions comparing "apples and oranges" data. Unless you knew how many so called complaints there were for the garmin and magellan when google search brought up only 39,100 entries for those, the comparisons are meaningless. The PN-40 came out at the end of November 08. I have no doubt that any new consumer product would have a higher percentage of complaints early on but the complaints begin to dramatically drop once the initial "bugs" are resolved. The garmin and magellan have had time to reach that phase. There are other problems with your conclusions but I'll let others voice opinions as well.

[NordicMan]

So,, If I owned "Brand X" GPSr and posted a note stating I love it, I have absolutely NO complaints to report whatsoever.. yada yada..

 

Your scan would detect my post and log it as a negative? LOL. Yea you acknowledge the scan you do is too vague, WAAAY too vague lol

Edited April 12, 2009 by NordicMan

[+Hrethgir]

There is some "noise" in those results, kind of like a Boeing 747 taking of. Besides it just being based off a keyword search off of Google, it doesn't take into account how long the units have been out, and the longer a unit is out, the more complaints people will have. Also, this doesn't specify a problem with a new unit, a problem cause by misuse, or a problem that is just user error. Those numbers are really pretty much completely meaningless. Although I do appreciate the effort you put into at least TRYING to sort through all the stuff you hear.

[+Rockin Roddy]

I wondered if I was the only one who thought this "scientific" project was screwy at best.

[+SkellyCA]

Everyone needs a hobby.

 

For the record...I have absolutely NO complaints about my Triton 400

[+billandlore]

Everyone needs a hobby.

 

For the record...I have absolutely NO complaints about my Triton 400

 

I have NO complaints with your triton either.

[+Maingray]

This COULD get you a PhD.

[+RRLover]

"You are probably right!"

 

Norm

[+Team CowboyPapa]

"You are probably right!"

 

Norm

Quick on the uptake, Norm.

[+RRLover]

"You are probably right!"

 

Norm

Quick on the uptake, Norm.

Good throttle and brake control keep 'slack action' to a minimum.

 

Now, all in unison, . . . say : HUH? . . . . ;^)

Edited April 13, 2009 by RRLover

[+julianh]

Everyone needs a hobby.

 

For the record...I have absolutely NO complaints about my Triton 400

I hope you do realise that you have just boosted the "complaint count" for the Triton by one, for anyone who cares to repeat this "experiment"!

 

(Oops - my reply makes that two - someone better close this thread down quick, before this gets out of control!)

[+SkellyCA]

Everyone needs a hobby.

 

For the record...I have absolutely NO complaints about my Triton 400

I hope you do realise that you have just boosted the "complaint count" for the Triton by one, for anyone who cares to repeat this "experiment"!

 

(Oops - my reply makes that two - someone better close this thread down quick, before this gets out of control!)

 

Yeah but if you read these forums, you will see far more threads about people having problems with the oregon and PN-40 than you do with the Tritons.

[NordicMan]

Everyone needs a hobby.

 

For the record...I have absolutely NO complaints about my Triton 400

I hope you do realise that you have just boosted the "complaint count" for the Triton by one, for anyone who cares to repeat this "experiment"!

 

(Oops - my reply makes that two - someone better close this thread down quick, before this gets out of control!)

 

Yeah but if you read these forums, you will see far more threads about people having problems with the oregon and PN-40 than you do with the Tritons.

 

.. well, you have to forum time-travel back about a year or so, to get to a time when the Triton hate-mail was really thick

[+Rockin Roddy]

Everyone needs a hobby.

 

For the record...I have absolutely NO complaints about my Triton 400

I hope you do realise that you have just boosted the "complaint count" for the Triton by one, for anyone who cares to repeat this "experiment"!

 

(Oops - my reply makes that two - someone better close this thread down quick, before this gets out of control!)

 

Yeah but if you read these forums, you will see far more threads about people having problems with the oregon and PN-40 than you do with the Tritons.

 

.. well, you have to forum time-travel back about a year or so, to get to a time when the Triton hate-mail was really thick

 

That's a fact...and you'll probably come to the realization that not too many out there own the Tritons since the history of Maggie has been so spotty! I know how well I liked my Maggie, but when it came to discussions, I was well in the minority and ridiculed as well.