Magellan Maestro 4250 Navigation System

In this article "Price Comparison GPS, Garmin, Magellan, and Tom Tom," I'm going to talk regarding what you may get from these three manufacturers and approximately how much it's going to cost you.

I'm likewise focusing wholly on after-market, automotive GPS receivers-not the kind you take hiking, but the kind you see mounted on people's dashboards. To get started, let's talk with regards to GPS systems in general first, so you perceive what they do, what their basic features are, and what further and added features you may upgrade to.

What GPS Systems Do

GPS schemes (or receivers) are electronic widgets that show you where you are on an electronic map and tell you how to get where you want to go thru some sort of voice instructions.

All GPS receivers also have a database of Points of Interest (POIs). These are pre-programmed emplacements of gas stations, restaurants, state parks, hospitals, well-known buildings, etc. Basically these are public destinations.

GPS receivers also all come with the following:

• A touch screen interface
• A choice of "views"-either 2d, which looks just like a map, or 3d, which looks a little more realistic
• All of these appliances auto-calculate your route to your destination. Usually you may choose amongst shortest or quickest route
• Come pre-loaded with maps. Even most of the base price units have maps of the lower 48 states

Upgrades

Popular upgrades are:

• A wider screen, 4.3 inches diagonally as opposed to 3.5 inches
• Saying the names of the streets, rather of just saying "turn here."
• More maps
• Bluetooth integration for hands-free calling
• Real-time traffic and weather
• Millions of POIs, rather of a few hundred thousand
• Multiple route calculation

Price Comparison GPS

GPS schemes range in price from around $150 for base units to $1,000 for Garmin's top of the line Street Pilot 7000. You may get a lot of bells and whistles for $200 to $300.

Magellan's Maestro line presently runs anyplace from with regards to $150 for the Maestro 3100, which has a 3.5 inch screen, maps of the lower 48 states, and when it comes to 750,000 POIs. The top of the line Maestro, the 4250, presently runs more or less more than $250. With the 4250, you get a 4.3-inch screen, maps of the U. S. and Canada, 6 million POIs, real-time traffic capability and Bluetooth.

Garmin's GPS receivers are comparatively priced. Their initial model, the Nuvi 200 does when it comes to the same thing as the Maestro 3100, and runs with regards to the same amount of money. Their top of the line Nuvi 770 presently costs more or less less than $600, but it has each feature imaginable-4.3-inch screen, more maps, huge POI database, says street names, real-time traffic and weather, Bluetooth, and much, much more.

The other main manufacturer, Tom Tom, has less models to choose from, but they make a great product and their prices are in line with Magellan's and Garmin's. Their base model, the Tom Tom One, runs more or less more than $150. Their top of the line model, the GO 920 has a 4.3-inch screen and all of the other features.

To learn more, your next step needs to be finding an informative website where you may actually browse, look at pictures, and compare models.

This is a refurbished GPS. Refurbished in general means that the unit has been returned to the manufacturer, who brings the navigator back to like new conditions. Some GPS may comprise cosmetic blemishes.

Designed with the driver in mind, the Maestro 4350 features a 4.3-inch widescreen anti-glare touchscreen, Bluetooth, Real-Time Traffic updates, and 2-D and 3-D maps of the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico, all packed into a streamlined design that will add a bit of flair to any interior. But good looks and fundamental principle you'd suppose from any progressed portable navigation aren't all this PND has to offer. Take vantage of the customizable OneTouch menu, or maximize your driving time with the media player and wireless FM transmitter. And talk in regards to resourceful; the 4350 even has the power of AAA travel office pre-loaded into it is 2GB of memory.

Customize the OneTouch menu for quick access to your favored features. Click to enlarge.

3-D landmarks and buildings offer visual cues to your surroundings for bettered guidance.Click to enlarge.

The Maestro 4350's huge icons and easy-to-use menu makes accessing main features a snap. The OneTouch menu is always accessible in the top right corner.

OneTouch Interface
Customize the Maestro to work for you. Magellan's OneTouch interface puts you in control with a customizable quick-access menu for the Points-of-Interest (POIs) and categories you need most often. Make general trips into the city? Set up the OneTouch to give you easy access to parking locations, banks, ATMs and "home". Going on a road trip? Swap out your favorites for shortcuts to search for nearest ATMs, rest stops, and restaurants. All of your favorites are effortlessly accessible with a quick finger-touch to the top right corner of the screen.

Mapping Made Easy
The 4350 comes pre-loaded with maps of the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico, all available in 2D, 3-D, and street-level depending on how much detail you need for your drive. Lane guidance makes highway driving a breeze with arrow indicators directing you into the rectify lane when approaching highway junctions, intersections, and exit ramps so you won't miss your turn. Even if you do miss your turn the 4350 offers re-route capability to get you back on track.

Improved street-level mapping with integrated 3-D landmarks and buildings translate what's on the screen with your actual surroundings. When the sun goes down, Maestro 4350 switches into night mode, with soft contrasting colors for better low-light visibility that's easy on the eyes. The 4350 even works on foot. Undock the unit from your car and take it with you. The built-in rechargeable battery offers three hours of portable pedestrian navigation.

Thanks to big icons and an intuitive interface, you may speedily search for destinations, specific intersections, or any of the six million points of interest, including restaurants, banks, parks, hotels, airports, and a lot of more. A big intensified on-screen keyboard makes destination entry and points-of-interest searches hassle-free, and QuickSpell intelligently searches and checks spelling while you enter addresses. In map mode, POIs are also displayed with interactional onscreen icons and a quick touch suggests name and address with an option to route to the location. Once a route has been calculated, the 4350 displays and continually updates distance to destination and approximated arrival time right on the screen.

Integrated Real-Time Traffic and SmartDetour
There's no need to worry when it comes to getting stuck in traffic because the Maestro 4350 has an integrated RDS traffic receiver that displays real-time traffic conditions with on-screen color-coding to indicate congestion levels. A free 3-month traffic service subscription is included and makes avoiding accidents, congestion, road closures, and severe weather a non-issue. The 4350 will recalculate your approximated time of arrival based on current road conditions and if an alternate route is available, SmartDetour kicks in and quickly offers an alternate route when available.

AAA at Your Fingertips
With the use of an integrated AAA Tourbook Guide, you may locate and route to thousands of AAA-approved restaurants, lodging, and other approved AAA services. There's even a database of AAA-approved fellow member discount emplacements - a perfective associate for road trips. AAA members may even take vantage of the intensified Member Roadside Assistance. Should you run into disturb along your journey, the Maestro may provide precise emplacement selective information and a phone number for the nearest service. Use the Maestro's built-Bluetooth with your mobile phone to quickly contact help.

Bluetooth Hands-Free Calling
Mobile phone hands-free laws are getting more mutual each year, and it's speedily getting illegal to use a mobile phone while driving without a hands-free or speakerphone kit. The Maestro 4350 features a built-in microphone, speaker, and Bluetooth capability, turning this powerful portable into a commodious speakerphone system for your car. Store or sync your contacts into the Maestro's memory for quick access and make or receive phone calls effortlessly by way of the touchscreen interface.

See the Difference in the Details
The 4350 also offers a media player and SD card reader. Load up an SD card with your bestloved music, audiobooks, or images to make your time on the road more enjoyable. The Maestro's built-in speaker is more than adequate for most, but the 4350 also features a built-in FM transmitter that may stream your audio and route directions right into your vehicle's radio for convenience.

What's in the Box
Magellan Maestro 4350 GPS, AC power adapter, 12-volt vehicle power adapter, windshield mount, RDS traffic antenna, USB selective information cable, adhesive disc, protective carry pouch, basic cradle, quick-reference guide, and CD-ROM manual