Miss Direction

(Credit: Magellan)

On Monday, Magellan Navigation Inc., entered into a definitive agreement to sell its consumer products division to Taiwanese-based MiTAC International Corporation and expects the transaction to be finalized by January 2009, though no specifics were given about the financial terms. As part of the package, MiTAC, which also owns Mio Technology, makers of the Mio Knight Rider GPS and the the Mio C520, will inherit the Magellan RoadMate and Maestro series of portable navigation devices and the Triton series of handheld GPS.

Though Magellan still has a decent retail presence in the United States and comes in third to Garmin and TomTom, the company has been slow to come out with new products and hasn't been able to keep up with the big two in terms of features, innovation, or support. Meanwhile, Mio has struggled with brand recognition in the States. Just how the two companies will integrate remains to be seen, but GPS Business News believes that MiTAC will do away with the Mio brand and build on Magellan's name and customer base. This would probably make the most sense, but either way, it's going to be an uphill battle.

(Official press release: Magellan)

Magellan Maestro 4350

(Credit: Magellan )

It's been a little while since we've seen anything from Magellan, but on Thursday, the GPS manufacturer revealed its latest in-car GPS, the Magellan Maestro 4350 series. Consisting of the Maestro 4350 and the Maestro 4370, both portable navigation devices feature a new user interface called OneTouch that gives you quick one-click access to your favorite destinations.

Basically, you preselect your favorite businesses (restaurants, banks, gas stations, and so forth) and addresses and then the GPS will provide a single page where you can just tap on the appropriate icon to navigate to the destination from your current location. There's no need to go through several menus or manually enter addresses since they're all in one place. You can also add applications, such as Bluetooth or multimedia to the OneTouch interface.

Shared features on both PNDs include text-to-speech functionality, integrated traffic receivers, Bluetooth, and lane guidance. The difference between the Maestro 4350 and the Maestro 4370 is that the latter has a higher-resolution touch screen and is available only at Best Buy. Both models cost $499.99, though Best Buy is having a sale on the Maestro 4370 where you can get it for $399. We should be getting our model next week, so check back soon for a full review.

Magellan Maestro 3100

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)

Q: 1. Is there any in-car GPS that allows me to review the route from start to finish without driving, once I input destination address in the device? If yes, which portable navigation device (PND) lets me review the route before actually driving? - Wize Chap via e-mail

A: Dear Wize Chap, turns out you have a lot of choices. Most in-car GPS offers route simulation or fly-over simulation (the name varies by manufacturer) that provides a running demo of your route from a bird's-eye view. It's useful in that it gives you an overall idea of what you'll be encountering along your drive before even hitting the road. That said, the tricky part can be finding the feature on the device, since it's often buried in the submenus and you may also need to turn the capability on in the settings menu.

On most systems, once you enter your start and end points, the PND will present you the map screen and start navigation. From there, you can typically find various review options, including a list of text-based turn-by-turn directions, whether you want to find an alternate route, add a waypoint, and so forth. It's usually in this submenu that you'll find the route simulation. I'm not sure what your budget is, Wize Chap, but if you're looking for high-end, the Garmin Nuvi 880 is a good choice, or the Magellan Maestro 3000 series or the TomTom One series for more low- to mid-range models.

This week, not one but two reader questions. Woo--getting crazy up in here. I kid, but hopefully, you're finding these posts helpful, and if you've got a question about your own, feel free to hit me up at bonnie.cha@cnet.com. That said, on with the show.

Q: Starting to look at GPS navigation devices, and don't know much about them. One of the vehicles that I may be using it in, does not have cigarette lighter. Since I have seen handlebar mounts for bicycles, I am wondering if these units are like cell phones and MP3 players in that they are rechargeable, since I always see them plugged in as dash-mounted units, I assumed that they needed to be plugged in to work. --ndhelp001 via CNET forums

A: Most of today's portable navigation devices (PNDs) come with rechargeable lithium ion batteries, so like today's cell phones and MP3 players, once fully charged, they can operate untethered for a number of hours.

The capacity of the battery varies by GPS model, but typically, you can get anywhere from 2 to 5 hours of use on a single charge, so provided that you're not going on any long road trips, it's possible to use one of these PNDs in your car that does not have a cigarette lighter. That said, I'd really try to keep that to a minimum. There are a number of other factors that can affect battery life, such as screen brightness and other radios (e.g., Bluetooth), and in testing these systems, I've found when not plugged in, the battery drains pretty fast so I wouldn't want you to driving in unknown territory and have the GPS die on you.

Something else to note: a number of GPS manufacturers only include a car charger in the box, so make sure to check the list of packaged accessories to see if you need to buy an extra AC adapter or not.

Magellan Triton 2000

(Credit: Magellan)

Q: Why don't you review GPS that are not for car use? Say review them for hiking ... or maybe geocaching. There are a number of new models out that can be carried on a person. All I ever see is GPS for cars. Just wondering. --Wolf via e-mail

A: Hey Wolf. Good question. Handheld GPS, whether it be for hiking, running, or geocaching, is definitely something I would love to review more of but unfortunately, it's just been hard to find the time. When I'm not reviewing in-car GPS, I'm tinkering with all the latest smartphones, so that keeps me busy most of the time. That said, I'm looking to expand to the other types of GPS and in fact, I just got in the Magellan Triton 2000 so be on the look out for that review as well as others. Also, if there are any products in particular that you want to see reviewed, let me know!

The TomTom GO 930 maps North America and Europe.

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)

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 it's a great idea to have GPS as reinforcement. You have two options: 1) you can buy a unit with maps of Europe already preloaded on the device; or 2) you can get a standard, domestic model and purchase regional maps to load onto your portable navigation device.

The model you mentioned, the Magellan Maestro 4040, ships only with maps of North America, and unfortunately, the company doesn't provide the option to add European maps. I'd suggest taking a look at the Garmin Nuvi 200 series. Not only can you add European maps ($149.95 additional), you can also get other travel tools, like a language guide. However, as you can see, the maps cost quite a bit, so it can add up. It's worth looking into the models that come with all the maps (North America and Europe) installed on the device, so you don't have to deal with transferring maps to the GPS. The Garmin Nuvi 270 and TomTom GO 930 may fit the bill. Hope that helps, and safe travels!

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 the most efficient and orderly manner. Am I dreaming? --Annette via e-mail

A: 'Tis no dream, Annette. There are quite a number of portable navigation systems that support multidestination routing, even up to 15 stops. All the major manufacturers, including Magellan, TomTom, and Garmin, offer models with this functionality. Typically, there are two methods for creating these multistop itineraries. First, you can plan a trip from point A to point B like you normally would and then go back and add "Via Points" to that route. Alternatively, some models offer a Trip Planner (or Itinerary Planning--the name of the tool differs from brand to brand) where you can input all your stops at once and save and name your trip for use later.

As for routing, Magellan and Garmin offer route optimization, which should give you the most efficient course, but I'd double-check the directions before taking off. I've read that some systems are smarter than others. Unfortunately, TomTom does not have this feature at all. Keeping that in mind, Annette, here are several product recommendations. I'm not sure what your budget is for buying a new GPS, but I've tried to give you a good range here.

Garmin Nuvi 760
Magellan Maestro 4250
TomTom GO 720
Mio C520

I'd also invite the readers to pass along any suggestions. After all, you guys use these devices day in and day out, and I want this to be an open forum. Also, keep those questions coming!

You heart Garmin

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)

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 found that Garmin made up 42 percent of the 7,000 consumer mentions, while TomTom was a distant second with 15 percent. Magellan garnered 13 percent of the results; Mio had 10 percent; Lowrance scored 5 percent; and 12 percent went to other vendors. However, the competition gets fierce when it comes to customer sentiment scores. Once again, Garmin took top honors with a 3.9, while Magellan, Mio, Lowrance, and TomTom were all close with scores of 3.7, 3.6, 3.6, and 3.5, respectively.

Garmin lead the pack for its functionality, features, ease of use, and appeal, but price seemed to be a sticking point, which I can understand. I find that even its entry-level models, such as the Garmin Nuvi 200, are overpriced for what they offer, especially when you compare them to the competition like the Mio DigiWalker C230. Speaking of which, Mio as well as Lowrance got kudos for their displays and touchscreen functionality. Other findings of the study reveal that map software, Bluetooth, and MP3 compatibility are all key features consumers consider when buying portable navigation systems.

I found several points of this report interesting. First, it really doesn't surprise me that Garmin and TomTom are the two most discussed GPS companies. They have the brand recognition, offer some of the broadest range of in-car GPS, and are the most aggressive in terms of advertising. Meanwhile, Magellan and Lowrance have a loyal following of customers but seem to rely more on word of mouth for advertising and discussion. And I've said this before, but in my opinion, Mio is an up-and-comer that could give the big boys a run for their money. Yes, Mio's presence and reputation for customer service in the States isn't the strongest, but it's ramping up those efforts. More than anything, though, the company offers solid products with a good set of features at an affordable price--yeah, it's that simple.

TomTom

(Credit: TomTom)

What I found particularly surprising is that TomTom was at the bottom of the list for consumer sentiment. I've always found TomTom's GPS easy to use, sleek, fairly priced, and capable navigators. Plus, I like that the company concentrates on bettering the navigation functions, rather than adding superfluous features. And while we're on the topic, MP3 compatibility? Really? You want this on your GPS device? I just don't see the need.

So with all that said, I'd love to hear from you. Who is your favorite GPS manufacturer and why? Which features are on your ultimate wish list? Why is TomTom not feeling the love? Let me know!

Magellan Triton 2000

(Credit: Magellan)

Magellan must be one happy camper, as the veteran GPS manufacturer has teamed up with National Geographic for its new line of outdoor handheld GPS devices. The Magellan Triton series includes five models--the Triton 300, 400, 500, 1500, and 2000--and are compatible with National Geographic's topographic maps. Prior to this, you could only download waypoints and routes to the company's other handheld GPS devices, but now you can get full-color maps. Just be aware that these are sold separately by National Geographic, though the Triton quintet comes preloaded with Magellan's topographic maps. Other highlights include touch-screen controls, an electric compass, built-in LED flashlight, and the ability to record and attach audio to waypoint files. The flagship model, the Magellan Triton 2000, even has a built-in 2-megapixel camera. Ooo-la-la...fancy! The Triton series will be available starting in September.