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Magellan Maestro 4350 4 3 Inch Portable GPS Navigator with Bluetooth and Integrated Traffic

User Ratings and Reviews

2 Stars One step back.
Decided to purchase this GPS after reading review at [...] and seeing Gold Box deal on Amazon. (Previous GPS is a Magellan Maestro 3100, which is almost 3 years old.)

PROS: Goes without saying, but display is much nicer and redraws faster, and thus better for complex navigation on local roads. Acquires signal and calculates (and recalculates) routes very fast. Symbol indicating where you are is NOT centered on screen, so more real estate devoted to where you are going (at least if you choose heading up).

CONS: Must update software before first use to eliminate high pitch buzz from speaker. Distance calculation seems to be off, leading to delays in instructions during freeway routing. During freeway routing, it does not tell you to exit, merely to “merge right.” Thus, instructions are often too late for driving at SoCal freeway speeds. Also, to notify you of an exit, it only states the number, not the name (at least not until after you exit, then it tells you to turn onto whatever street). Maybe this is an option that I can switch, but I did not bother to find out given its other flaws. Lastly, it does NOT tell you which side of the street your destination is on (even after several routes to different destinations to test this).

I am frankly amazed that the 4350 is NOT better in EVERY way compared to my old 3100, given that there were almost three years, and so many other Magellan GPS models released, between the two.

4 Stars Great unit. Needs routing help.
I have owned many a GPS…Garmin, TomTom, Navigon. I have recently tried the Magellan Roadmate 1470 and had high hopes. In many ways I prefer the 1470 to this unit, but the Meastro was more reliable

What I liked….

Fast start up. Easy to get to the main screen.

Traffic worked well. Got locked in quickly and detail was plentiful.

Lane Guidance was great. I liked it better than Garmin or Navigon. But the Roadmate 1470 had more signs available.

AC charger was included. Great and rare these days.

Voice instructions were great. Plenty of notice. And with the new software upgrade, and the turn chime being added, that makes a nice touch.

The AAA Tour Guide was absolutely awesome. Best feature ever.

The POIs during a search had the address listed on the search page. Very, very nice feature.

What I didn’t like….

The on screen POIs were hard to see. Their icons were very translucent.

Routing was so-so. My TomTom does it better.

The charging/traffic cables plug into the unit instead of into the mount. It’s on the side, so it isn’t all that bad. The unit powers up or shuts down with the ignition key if the DC outlet is powered on and off that way. Nice step saver.

Map was hard to read at times. Crisp text but color made it hard at times.

Traffic service after three months costs monthly. Everyone seems to be going the free route these days. But the traffic info was better than the 1470 I was using right next to it. (But my TomTom 740 beat the pants off both of them.)

All in all, a nice price for a unit that has a lot going for it.

5 Stars Fantastic!
What a fantastic GPS! Easy to use, elegant operation, terrific 3D effects, helpful with a fast refresh rate and the best I one I have owned or rented. I recommend the Maestro 4350 without hesitation!

Tim in Colorado

1 Star Won’t Charge & Won’t Work with Macs
I received from Amazon the Magellan Maestro 4350 yesterday. This GPS is now on it’s way back to Amazon just after 24 hours…

The Good: 1) Has a lot of features. 2) Easy User Interface. 3) AAA Handbook in one small device.

The Bad: 1) After being plugged in the wall for over 12 hours, the device still said that the battery is still low, and it would shut down. I also tried plugging it to the USB on my computer.

2) Can’t upgrade with a Macintosh. Even Parallel Desktop, running XP can’t even upgrade the Magellan. XP said it knows there is a device there, but it can’t load the needed drivers. Therefore, the Magellan software can’t do the upgrade. Why does it have to be so hard to upgrade the firmware and maps?

So I returned this item, and bought a Garmin 260W. Plugged it into my Macintosh, and it worked (Garmin makes software for the Mac). Garmin also allows a lot of user custom features, which the Magellan doesn’t allow. For example, you can add audio tours to the Garmin, so when you visit a site, you can listen to the Garmin to get a narrative about the area you are visiting (very nice feature).

I wish I could have used the Magellan Maestro 4350, but the Garmin 260W just works without all the extra bells and whistles.

If you are a Mac user, skip the Magellan products and look at the Garmin products. You will save yourself from getting a headache trying to get the Magellan to work on your Mac.

5 Stars Great, just one thing wrong.
This is the second Magellan I have owned and the first of the Maestro line. Although I have not taken a long trip using it yet we have used it for weekend getaways and found it to be a great product. I have set up the sound being broadcast through the car radio and that works great, just need to turn down the volume on the unit to make the voice clear. I also use the bluetooth connection to my blackberry and that works great, especially with the thru the radio sound. Routing is flexible and accurate. The only complaint is there seems to be no place to see the vehicle speed. Elevation, current location, and direction is available just not vehicle speed, strange. I have set up the traffic alerts but live in a small town so have not been able to test it yet. I have also downloaded the Content Manager and used it to upgrade the firmware in the unit as well as back up, works great. An all around great product.

Buy/More Info

It seems that the days were people chose a mobile phone based on factors such as price plan and functionality are long gone and instead, more and more people seem to base their choice primarily on looks and style. You just need to look at how many girls and young women now sport pastel pink mobiles and while most of these mobile still have great features and top class functionality, their owners chose them for a very different reason. Even the sim-free mobiles have now become fashion accessories, along with all the many other available handsets.

To a great extent, this trend is quite understandable, given that we live in a society which is tremendously fashion conscious. In fact, in many cases, unless you and your accessories are in fashion, many people will actually go as far as to look down on you.

When you go out to purchase a sim free mobile phone, what is the first thing that you consider? You most likely want one that suits your aesthetic interests to begin with, and then the features and ease of usage come next, right? People nowadays would be more interested in a chrome pink mobile phone that offered internet, the latest games, and compact style than those that were long-lasting, durable, and easy to use. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, one should take a bit more time in making a selection for a mobile phone. After all, these things can become quite costly, especially if you are one who buys a new one every year. And believe it or not, there are people who actually take that route and spend a lot of money on their mobile phones with only looks and style of the phone in mind.

When one sim free mobile phone goes out of style, folks get to their nearest mobile phone distributor as soon as possible to purchase the next phone craze. What is even worse is that some of the features are never even used! So clearly, it is all about style and street credit. Have you found that you are one of the millions who are using mobile phones for fashion and style? If so, then you are not alone. The mobile phone has been made for so much more, but luckily we are able to get the benefit of calling them a fashion accessory as well.

It seems to have become completely acceptable for people to head to the nearest mobile phone shop, the minute their existing phone is deemed to be out of fashion. Most astonishing of all is, the vast majority of people never even make use of all the features they so desperately want when they buy the phone, and if they do, it’s usually only during the first couple of weeks. The bottom line is, mobile phones are nowadays more to do with fashion and style, than they are with usability. So, are you one of the millions in search of the latest fashion accessory, commonly known as a mobile phone? If so, don’t feel bad because you’re certainly not alone. Instead, simply try to enjoy your phone as much as possible and take time to learn all about the various functions it has to offer – you may just end up being surprised.

Ferdinand Magellan was the first explorer to circumnavigate the globe. He did so under the Spanish crown in the 16th century. Since that time, the name Magellan has stood for navigation far and wide. Is it any wonder that there is a firm for global tracking services, therefore, named Magellan? Is it any wonder that the Magellan Roadmate series includes prime features for easy navigation and easy use?

The Magellan Roadmate series is a line of handheld GPS devices to help clients navigate North America, including the United States. Each unit is easy to use with interactive displays that are intuitive and simple to understand. It’s so you easy that you almost don’t need to read the directions! While Magellan offers various models, all of them share some common features, including six million points of interest (POI). These points allow you to click on an icon for the location you’ve chosen, and the GPS system will provide detailed instructions for arriving at your destination, including freeway exits and other useful information. There are a wide variety of POIs, including fuel stations, hotels, and cash machines, and POIs can be searched by name, city, category, or location closest to your position.

See below for other shared features. The home icon allows you to set any location to be your home base. QuickSpell is a capability of the Magellan Roadmate GPS system that lets you check spelling while you type, and it quickly and easily searches POIs and addresses for you. SayWhere is a feature that uses text-to-voice technology to give you street names and turn-by-turn instructions to get you to the next stop on your journey. Auto re-route and SmartDetour are two of the greatest features of the Magellan Roadmate. These help you avoid congested traffic due to accidents, road construction, or other factors. Your route will be re-assessed, even as you turn off in other directions to avoid heavy traffic. Auto NightView is a very useful feature that automatically resets the LCD screen settings for brightness, color, and contrast for ease of navigation in low light situations. Address Books come standard on each of the Roadmate GPS systems. You can save information for use on future trips, and avoid having to look up the same POIs over and over again.

There are plenty of other great features available, though they don’t come standard on all models. For example, the Roadmate 1430 has a handy tow truck icon that displays your exact whereabouts so tow trucks can locate you easily in an emergency. On the 1200, 1400, and 1430 models, you can take advantage of 2D and 3D screen view options. And, every Magellan Roadmate comes with detailed maps of each North American country, in addition to Puerto Rico and Hawaii. Your position will be located to within 3 meters of your actual location in real time, and the unit’s rechargeable batteries last for three hours before needing a recharge. The Magellan Roadmate GPS makes customizable routes a reality, and some units have the ability to load up to twenty locations at once!

Users love the flexibility and grand detail received in using these sleek little compact GPSs, especially since you can take them anywhere! You can also attach it to your windshield or dash with accessories that comes with. There is a volume adjustment so you can hear around noisy situations, and the level will come back down when it becomes quieter. Additional maps are available for download for the UK and European countries, as well. For everyday life, excursions into traffic or your own little epic adventure, the Magellan Roadmate GPS is a fantastic buy!

The rapid technological progress in todays world has enhanced our way of living and added convenience to our lives. In the earlier times, you could not think of exploring an unknown area or a foreign land on your own lest you get lost. Now a days with the invention of handheld GPS receivers you can go wherever you want and yet you wont get lost. Initially these kinds of satellite navigation systems were used for the military and were developed around the 1960s.

This Handheld GPS is a tiny machine that resembles a radio or a wrist watch which is made up of a Global positioning system (GPS) technology.This Handheld GPS can be used to do approximately everything.It can be used for all types of exercises like hicking, fishing , hunting and so on.There are various types of Handheld recievers which are use for a variety of things.The hunting Handheld GPS for example is complete with a camouflage and a compass.These machine has an up to date purpose which is upto 2000 weight point storage and is very insubstancial.

Another important this before getting a GPS is to know what you want to do with it. A simple track tracing GPS may cost you just $100 but a more complex one can be more expensive having functions like: Map database, voice activated GPS,WAAS technology, Reflection-less screen, Theft prevention fuctions,personalized screen icon,MP3 capability.

You may be wondering why you should procure a Handheld GPS? In the paragraphs below you’r being given the advantaages of using Handheld GPS.

-A person who gets lost in an area where he or she can easily speak the language can trace his or way out by simply asking or calling for help. In a situation where a stranger finds himself in a strange place where he does not speck the language, a handheld GPS will just be the necessary tool to get you to where you want.

-The handheld GPS will help you trace out the shortest route you can take to get to a place in case you are late for and appointment.

-In a situation where you may find yourself in a new town, the GPS receiver can help you trace out the emergency point in which you can get help such as a doctor. It will spare you the trouble of going around and asking for help.

-This device just has the greatest advantage of being portable. Incase you lost your way around you will easily locate yourself and find your way back home.

5.When you are traveling with your kids and family then you need to know the emergency services and the way to get to them. Carrying and scurrying for a car or map in your purse is time consuming. With this device all you need to do is to strap it to your wrist and find out the required information!

For these reasons with a handheld GPS receiver, you will always be secured every where you are.

The rapid technological progress in todays world has enhanced our way of living and added convenience to our lives. In the earlier times, you could not think of exploring an unknown area or a foreign land on your own lest you get lost. Now a days with the invention of handheld GPS receivers you can go wherever you want and yet you wont get lost. Initially these kinds of satellite navigation systems were used for the military and were developed around the 1960s.

A handheld GPS receiver is a small device which looks like a wrist watch or a radio and is equipped with Global positioning system (GPS) technology. You can use these handheld GPS receivers for almost everything. You can use them for all kinds of sports like fishing, hunting, hiking, biking and a lot more. There are different handheld receivers for different uses such as a hunting handheld GPS receiver comes complete with compass and camouflage. These devices are quite lightweight and have all the modern functions like up to 2000 weight point storage, 10 to 50 retraceable paths and graphics for all the locations.

For those who merely require a GPS handheld receiver in order to find their way home, basic models can be found for about $100 but for those wanting something more, there are of course models offering features such as:

Personalized icons Map Database MP3 Built in Anti-Theft WAAS technology Voice activated GPS Non-reflection screen

So why would you need a handheld GPS receiver at all? Here are some of the reasons why it is a good idea and why people are using it:

1) Proving those around you can speak your language; you can always ask for help should you get lost. Alternatively, you could phone for help but if you have a GPS receiver, you eliminate this problem altogether.

2. If you are late for somewhere and you want to reach on time, you need to find the shortest and quickest route available. The handheld GPS receiver can help you to find the best and shortest route possible.

3) You’ve relocated to a new area or even a different country and all of a sudden, a medical emergency crops up. With a GPS receiver you’ll be able locate a doctor or hospital in seconds.

4) The days of getting lost and not being able to find you way are a thing of the past, thanks to the small size of receivers and the fact that you can take them anywhere.

5) Should an emergency take place while you and your family are traveling, searching for a suitable map can waste a huge amount of time, not too mention the fact that you may not be able to make sense of the map in the first place. In such a scenario, a GPS handheld receiver could quite literally be a life saver.

Hence with a handheld GPS receiver, you will always be safe wherever you go!