Magellan Maestro 4250 Portable GPS Unit
The recent introduction of the Magellan Maestro 4250 navigational device is the unveiling of just one of the eight new models in this line being released by Magellan for 2008. The Maestro 4250 just happens to be the top-of-the-line model, so big things are expected out of this one – and for the most part, it lives up to these expectations.
In a lot of ways, the Maestro 4250 is not unlike most other portable GPS units – including its predecessor, the Magellan 4050. It does differentiate itself from other navigational devices in a few ways though. The most notable of these differences is the voice command functionality of the Maestro 4250.
This feature is somewhat new in devices such as this one. It works by allowing the user to speak a command rather than having to type that same command into the device via the touch-screen or keyboard. This is a great safety feature, which allows the user to keep their eyes focused on the road and their hands on the steering wheel, rather than having to fiddle around with the GPS.
he 4250 comes equipped with a built-in traffic receiver, which is located inside the 12V power adapter. Magellan is offering three months of the traffic service for free with the purchase of the 4250 (as well as many more of their models). After the first three months, traffic service will cost about $60 per year to continue the service. This cost is on a par with other models from Garmin and TomTom, although some manufacturers are offering free traffic subscriptions for life, such as Navigon.
The Magellan Maestro 4250 looks very sleek and stylish; its biggest asset is probably its thin body. This is one of the thinnest GPS devices on the market. Its overall size makes it ultra-portable. The overall dimensions of the Maestro 4250 are 3.2″ by 4.8″ by 0.7″ and it weighs approximately six ounces.
Despite this unit’s small size, it still manages to squeeze a 4.3-inch touch-screen into the front of the device. The nice-quality LCD display features 480 by 272 pixel resolution and approximately 64,000 colors. At 4.3″ in size, the 4250’s touch-screen display is on a par with other top-of-the-line GPS units on the market right now.
Looking at the rest of the Maestro 4250’s body, you’ll find an FM antenna input, a mini USB port, and an SD/MMC memory card expansion slot on the right side of the device. The top of the 4250 houses the power button, while the bottom sports the reset button for times when the device freezes up.
The back of the device offers a speaker and the external GPS antenna connector. All of the controls of the 4250, except for the power button, are activated by using the touch-screen interface. I like the fact that Magellan has kept the external buttons to a minimum, because it allows for a more sleek and beautiful-looking navigation device. And the Maestro 4250 is certainly that.
The included mounting arm for this device is nothing special. It can either be mounted on the dash with an adhesive disc or on the windshield with the included suction cup. The mounting arm will rotate horizontally or vertically in order to get the best possible view of the display.
In many ways, the Magellan Maestro 4250 has many of the same features as its competitors, but separate itself from other GPS units with its voice command feature. The Voice command feature allows the user to speak commands to the device rather than type them in on the touch-screen. This is a great feature to have in a portable GPS unit, because it helps keep your focus on the road and not on the GPS screen.
The voice command functionality in the 4250 is limited only to certain functions, which is the main drawback of this feature. For instance, you cannot use voice command to enter an address; this must be accomplished by typing it in. You can find POIs with the voice command feature, though, and that really comes in handy when you need to quickly find a gas station, ATM, or hotel while you’re on the go.
Speaking of POIs, the Maestro 4250 has a ton of them – about six million to be exact. You can also add your own POIs or edit existing ones. I came across conflicting reviews when looking into the POI feature in the 4250. CNet’s review of the Maestro 4250 claims that “while the database is extensive, we found some of the information to be out of date. For example,
we did a quick scan of the restaurants around the Marina neighborhood of San Francisco, and found at least half a dozen listings that had been out of business for at least a year.” On the other hand, PCMag’s review of the 4250 says, “I was pleasantly surprised to find that maps were up to date…The large POI database also came in very handy.”
The Maestro 4250 features built-in Bluetooth technology, which allows the user to pair this GPS device with compatible cell phones to make and receive calls. On most accounts, the Bluetooth feature works very well on the 4250, with a few minor drawbacks. This unit will not automatically synchronize your cell phone’s address book and call history. It also doesn’t automatically “find” your cell phone each time it’s within range. So that may cause a little bit of a hassle, but it shouldn’t be a deal-breaker.
Since this device is Magellan’s top-of-the-line model, it features text to speech functionality, which Magellan calls SayWhere. This feature gives the user turn-by-turn directions and spoken street names. In my opinion, this is an essential feature for a portable GPS device.
Navteq maps of the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and Alaska are preloaded into this navigational device. There is an SD/MMC memory card slot if you would like to add maps of other countries as well. Users can view maps in either 2D or 3D. There is also an option to view a split screen of the map and the directions.
By all accounts, the Magellan Maestro 4250 portable GPS unit is an excellent navigator. For the most part, this device is quick to pick up a GPS signal, and does a good job of holding onto it. It does have a few minor downfalls, but nothing major. CNet complained a little bit about the 4250’s touch-screen having lag at times and said that their unit froze up sometime and had to be reset. Another common complaint was the poor Bluetooth functionality (as I discussed in the “Features” section). Overall, though, the Magellan Maestro 4250 is a great GPS device with very few flaws – and the only flaws being minor.
What makes the 4250 shine even more is the price tag. This top-of-the-line is very competitively priced at $499. This price tag is about $200 less than Magellan’s former flagship model. The good-looks, bright screen, good price tag, and great features of this device make it a winner.
Tags: gps devices, GPS Guide, maestro 4250, magellan 4050, magellan maestro, navigational device, navigational devices, portable gps units, safety feature, touch screen, voice commandRelated posts
Posted on July 30th, 2008 by admin
Filed under: GPS Guide
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