magellan

Q: I will be going to Italy next month, and I am being told that the Budget Rental Car does not have a GPS option. I am very nervous about not having help on the Italian roads. Can you recommend the right mapping system for Italy? Does the Magellan Maestro 4040 work in Italy? Any help would be appreciated. I only have a very limited budget to purchase a device, and don't need anything fancy. --Michael, via e-mail

A: Hi Michael. Driving in a completely new territory, especially in a foreign country, can definitely be nerve-wracking so I think … Read more

With all the iPhone hysteria, I missed last week's Q&A--shame on me. Fortunately, the dust has mostly settled, so I'm getting back on track. And believe it or not, this week's question isn't about the iPhone 3G and its GPS capabilities--mostly because I haven't had the opportunity to try it out yet--but I could also use the iBreak. So let's get on with it, shall we?

Q: I need a unit that I can plug 10 to 15 addresses into and it will map out a route hitting all the addresses in … Read more

Paper maps are cheap and obviously prices for in-car GPS will never match their low cost. However, the cost for portable navigation systems is dropping considerably and nowadays, you can get your hands on one for $250 or less. Granted, you're only getting the most basic systems at this price but consider that for the money, you're also getting the convenience of having all your maps in one place, visual and voice-guided directions so you're not fiddling with paper while driving; and access to a large database of points of interest. It's a worthy investment if … Read more

At first glance, the Magellan RoadMate 1200 looks to be a good entry-level in-car GPS. It has a compact, no-fuss design that's perfect for first-time buyers, and you get the most essential navigation features for an affordable $199.99. Sounds good, right? Not so fast, once on the road the RoadMate 1200 tells a different story. It's sluggish to perform tasks, such as route recalculation, and lacks some of the functionality that similarly priced systems offer. That said, if you're in the market for a basic portable navigation system, we'd recommend the Mio C230, which also … Read more

One of the benefits of portable navigation systems is voice-guided directions, and if you've got an in-car GPS that has text-to-speech functionality, even better. Continuing along those lines, there's a new technology that's just starting to show up in devices now: voice commands. With this capability, you can perform certain tasks with the sound of your voice. Since this is an emerging trend, there are just a handful of units with this feature, including these three from top manufacturers TomTom, Magellan, and Garmin.

Click here to see GPS devices with voice commands.

Magellan is bringing its A-game to CES 2008. In addition to several other announcements, including the unveiling of the Magellan Maestro Elite 5340+GPRS, the GPS manufacturer debuted the Magellan Maestro 5310. The portable navigation system was designed to better meet the needs of baby boomers and features a larger 5-inch touch screen to increase map, menu, and image readability by 35 percent. "With 90 million baby boomers in North America representing $2 trillion in annual spending power, developing GPS products geared to their specific needs is critical to expanding the category," said Christian Bubenheim, vice president of … Read more

Well, well, looks who's stepping up its game? Today, GPS manufacturer Magellan announced its most ambitious in-car portable navigation system yet: the Magellan Maestro Elite 5340+GPRS. Scheduled to ship in March, the Maestro Elite 5340 allows you to use a GPRS connection to connect to the Web from the device itself and conduct real-time searches for local businesses, services, and events via Google Local Search. You will also be able to send addresses and notes wirelessly from your PC to the Maestro Elite 5340. Sound a bit familiar? Perhaps it's because it's somewhat similar to the … Read more

Santa himself uses a bit more advanced version, but this should get you over the river and through the woods to Grandma's house with no problem. The Maestro 3100 is a basic portable GPS system, offered today at a 50 percent price reduction--and free shipping--at BuyDig. This unit's sleek simplicity is one of its best assets, since you'll do all your interface on the touch screen, never getting distracted from the road by trying to figure out which of several buttons to push. The 3.5-inch screen, though not the largest on the market, is crisp, bright, … Read more

When you think of GPS, what brand name comes to mind? Would it happen to be Garmin? Because according to a new study by marketing research firm BrandIntel, Garmin is the most discussed portable navigation system and holds the best overall sentiment score with consumers. But it shouldn't get too comfortable or complacent, because TomTom, Magellan, Mio, and Lowrance are hot on its heels.

Based on an analysis of search results from "online consumer communities" (i.e., blogs, forums, and so forth) across the Web during July 2006 to August 2007, BrandIntel's GPS Navigation Systems Report … Read more