A Review of Magellan GPS Navigators

Quite a few of the top GPS device manufacturers are continually working to upgrade their GPS devices. The manufacturers are adding more convenient functions to make finding one’s way easier for travelers who use wheels, skis, or any other method of transportation possible. Even though these manufacurers are honestly intending to make most of the GPS devices accessible for the average consumer, the effect of all the technology housed in the unit will understandably be larger price tags. The best that these designers can do for those of us who can’t pay for all the new gizmos is to offer absolutely basic versions of the GPS devices that are affordable for mid- to lower-income drivers. A nice option is the Magellan Roadmate 1470 Portable GPS Navigator.

Magellan GPS devices are a bit distinctive because Magellan has always made their top-performing models to be affordable but also convenient. The negative aspect of affordability, naturally, is that the latest technology is not often available at affordable prices. Predictably, then, the quality of Magellan’s products has garnered mixed reviews. Magellan responded to this problem through several state-of-the-art versions for the most demanding GPS users.

Magellan Maestro

If you are looking for an affordable buddy for your dashboard, the Magellan Maestro series contains a number of devices made specifically for auto navigation. Magellan Maestro models are available in the 3000, 4000, and 5000 designations. All of the 3000 models are very affordable with a few including the Maestro 3100 priced at under $200 which is dirt cheap for a GPS model with 2-D and 3-D mapping capabilities. Probably their coolest option is the QuickSpell feature, made to facilitate simplified input for destination names.

Every other measurable quality, as well as the performance is under par and hanging is very constant. With the exception of a few of the 4000 and 5000 series devices, the Magellan Maestro is just not reliable, but the price remains reasonable.

Magellan Roadmate

As implied by their name, this collection of Magellan GPS devices were made for cars too. Although they are unlike their Maestro siblings regarding their appearance. Roadmates are constructed to be easier to carry, having a smaller shape but providing the same interface. The outcome of these improvements is the Roadmates are similarly easy to navigate with and even easier to keep than the Maestros. A great unit is the Magellan Road mate 1470 Portable GPS Navigator.

Regarding its performance, the Roadmate is somewhat improved with one or two styles such as the Roadmate 1212 offering the Centrality Atlas III Processor. If you enjoy navigating through the menus, you would observe a somewhat irritating pause as you are pressing the buttons. The battery capacity isn’t all that great either; it’s usable for somewhere near 3 hours until a recharge is necessary.

On the upside, the Roadmate is thought to be superior to many of the Maestro budget GPS units, logging far more POI’s as compared to the Maestro 3100 which has a meager 750,000 points of interest. The Roadmate gets even with competing manufacturers by providing more than 6 million points of interest. Text-to-speech, which is generally a handy feature, is also included in some of the affordable models. The price isn’t that steep either, which is notable for a slim device. A good device to look into is the Magellan Roadmate 1470 Portable GPS Navigator.

Even though there are merely two sets to pick from, they each have at least 10 models per group with many different price tags and abilities. The least expensive models aren’t that practical for frequent users on account of the occasional crashes, but above average models can do wonders and will be enough for travelers to be pleased with.