We've been big fans of Magellan's Maestro line since it came out inearly 2006. The Maestro interface is incredibly easy to use, even for those who are not completely comfortable with electronics. At the same time, Magellan was ahead of the industry with useful innovations like multi-destination routing and pre-loaded reviews for points of interest like hotels and restaurants (from AAA). With it's 3200 and 4200 series, Magellan has improved the Maestro line giving them a SirfStar III chipset that provides super-fast. satellite lock and making them thinner. In fact, at .7 inches, these are -- at the time of this writing (November 2007), the thinnest portable GPS navigators available.
Distingushing between models is also fairly easy. The 3200-series navigators feature a 3.5-inch screen, while the 4200s have a 4.3-inch widescreen display. The 3200 and 4200 offer great, basic navigation with turn-by-turn spoken directions, pre-loade maps of the 48 contiguous United States, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico, and 1.3 million POIs. The 3210 and 4210, add maps for Canada and Alaska, AAA travel information (see details below) and bump you up to 6 million POIs. The 3220 and 4220 add maps of Mexico. The top-of-the-line 3250 and 4250 add a host of other features, including text-to-speech directions that give real street names, bluetooth for hands-free phone calls, integrated traffic (with a free 3-month subscription), and voice command.
What Makes the Maestro 3200 Exceptional?
Easy To Use Interface
The intuitive user interface makes the Maestro series incredibly easy to use. Use the big icons on the 3.5-inch touch screen to search for your destination by address, intersection, or any of 1.3 million points of interest (POIs), including restaurants, hotels, airports, gas stations, and more. You can even touch an onscreen icon for a nearby destination, see name and address, and get an instant route. Turn by turn visual and spoken directions guide you every step of the way.
Auto re-route gets you quickly back on track whenever you make a detour or miss a turn. QuickSpell feature intelligently searches and checks spelling when you enter addresses. The 3200 offer multiple view options, including 2D, 3D, and TrueView that shows your upcoming turn using a 3D split screen. Maneuver List displays the full turn-by-turn details of your route. Auto night view adjusts color and contrast for easy night viewing
Take It Anywhere
The 3200 is super-thin, lightweight and fits easily into any pocket. The integrated rechargeable battery enables you to operate the Maestro 3200 away from your vehicle for up to three hours. The battery recharges while driving via the included vehicle power adapter.
Tons of Data
The 3200 comes pre-loaded with Navteq maps of the 48 contiguous United States, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico, and 1.3 million points of interest (POIs). POI data includes telephone numbers and addresses.
It also has an Address Book in which you can create and store POIs and addresses that you use frequently.
Flexible Routing
The 3200 provides a particularly large number of routing features relevant to its price point.
- Multi-destination routing: Select up to 20 destinations and choose the order that best fits your needs.
- SmartDetour: Prompts you to route around heavy or stopped freeway traffic.
- Customizable route methods: Choose between Fastest Time, Shortest Distance, Least or Most Use of Freeways, and Avoid Toll Roads
- Route exclusion: Select streets and freeways to avoid so you can get there your way
What's in the Box
Magellan Maestro 3200 GPS receiver, Adhesive disk for dash mounting, Basic cradle, Vehicle power adapter (12-24 watts), Quick reference guide and CD, Windshield mount
Optional Accessories
AC Wall power supply/charger, USB data cable
About Magellan
Magellan is a leader in the consumer, survey, GIS, and OEM GPS navigation and positioning markets.
Recognized as an industry innovator, the Company is the creator of the award-winning Magellan RoadMate series and the Magellan Maestro portable car navigation systems, the Magellan eXplorist and the Magellan Triton outdoor handheld navigation devices, and the Hertz NeverLost car navigation system, the best-selling single frequency GPS survey product line on the market. The Magellan Maestro series includes such unique features as built-in AAA travel information and voice command and control drivingâ€"which no other portable GPS manufacturer in the U.S. or Canada offers. The company is recognized worldwide through its Magellan brand and has experienced dramatic revenue growth as GPS technology has proliferated across a range of consumer and commercial applications.
The Company is headquartered in Santa Clara, California with European headquarters in Carquefou, France. |
|
 Maestro 3200 vs Nuvi 200 |
| Review Date: November 28, 2007 |
| Reviewer: Van T. Tran, Saint Petersburg, FL United States |
This is a solid entry level GPS from Magellan. After a week of testing the Maestro 3200 with a similar entry level GPS from Garmin--the Nuvi 200, I had a hard time deciding which one to keep. In the end, I went with the Nuvi, not because one is superiorly better than the other, but down to more personal preferences. Here are some positive and negative factors for each device:
Startup and Satellites Acquisition:
In my car, the Maestro takes 40 seconds from startup to acquiring satellites, whereas the Nuvi takes 50 seconds. (Your results may vary depending on where you are.) Furthermore, the Maestro takes less than 5 seconds for the main menu to appear, whereas the Nuvi takes closer to 23 seconds from startup to main menu. So that on the Maestro, user is able to start inputing much sooner. Once satellites are acquired, both devices are able to hold on to the signal exceedingly well, even indoor.
Screens, Menus and Interfaces:
Both devices have a gorgeous 3.5 screen that is very bright and can be viewed from extreme angles. I do find that the Nuvi screen is more pleasing to look at though. Menus and interfaces are very intuitive and user friendly. Most users would not have to read the manual to start using both devices. All the important categories are represented by large icons and easily accessed by touchscreen. In term of layouts, fonts, and color choices, I prefer the Nuvi as the overall design is more inviting. Also, as you navigate between menus and input text, the Maestro would announce your every input such as "Back," "Next," "Cancel," letters and numbers, which I find quite annoying. On the Nuvi, it just "beep" to confirm your entry.
Features:
Instead of comparing all the features for each device, I will just list those that I find important.
Both the Maestro 3200 and Nuvi 200 are preloaded with map of the lower 48 states, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. If you want map for Alaska and Canada, consider the Maestro 3210 and Nuvi 250. However, the Nuvi has the ability to add more maps such as Europe, Australia, and parts of Asia through SD card. As far as I know, the Maestro is not able to add more maps.
I love the usefulness and convenience of the "Points of Interest" database, and thus the more the better. The Nuvi has close to 6 millions compare to 1.3 millions on the Maestro. That means you would be able to find more businesses and attractions wherever you are on the Nuvi without looking up on a computer, phone, or Yellow Pages. For example, the Nuvi lists all the major retailers that do not appear on the Maestro. Both devices allow custom POIs from users to upload.
When searching by POI name, the Maestro is able to bring up the result(s) much faster though. I did a search for a restaurant that is 15 miles from my location and the Maestro took less than 2 seconds to display the result. Whereas, the Nuvi took an excruciatingly 48 seconds to find the result. However, finding businesses that are within a 5 miles radius to a user's location will show up only slightly slower than the Maestro.
The Maestro features a multi-point routing called "Trip Planner" that allows user to input multiple destinations and optimize for the best routes for the entire trip. So, if you do a lot of errands or plan a long trip with multiple destinations, the planner would come in very handy. On the Nuvi, you can only add one additional waypoint at a time while traveling to your final destination. To get around this, Nuvi user can first search all the destinations prior, as the addresses would automatically be put under the "Recently Found" folder or choose to save under "Favorites." Then as you reach each destination, recall the next address under each folder. It's not an elegant solution and your entire trip is not optimize like the Maestro.
The re-route and detour functions are available on both devices. So, if you miss a turn, both GPS will automatically re-calculate and get you back on track. I often find that the new route is generated before reaching the next block. As for detour, the Maestro has a much more robust feature. When using detour, user can specify 3, 5, 10 or custom miles from the main route. On the Nuvi, there is no user specification, just an option to detour.
Both have customizable route methods, such as "Fastest Time" and "Shortest Distance." The Maestro has additional methods of "Least" or "Most Use of Freeways." I find "Most Use of Freeways" to be a valuable option. During the time of day when there's little traffic, I can use this option even when Maestro recommends surface street under "Fastest Time." I prefer travelling on freeways rather than through all the stop lights and signs on surface streets. The Nuvi does not have this option. The Nuvi has an "Off Road" method that I doubt I will ever select. Under a sub-category, user can specify to avoid toll roads on both devices. On the Nuvi, user can further select to avoid u-turns, highways, carpool lanes, unpaved roads, etc.
As for the navigation, routing, and map display screen, this is where I ultimately prefer the Nuvi. The Nuvi renders the 3-D map beautifully with bold outlines, excellent color schemes, sharp fonts, smooth anti-aliasing and shading, and polish appearance. Street name for next turn is clearly displayed on a horizontal bar on top, for example, "Turn Left on Main Street." By clicking the top bar, another screen will appear that display a turn-by-turn preview to your destination. As you approach a turn, the map will slowly zoom in with an arrow prompting a more detailed section of the turn. After the turn, the map will zoom out to the normal display. The whole process is very fluid and instinctive. On the left and right hand corners show "time of arrival" and "distance to the next turn" respectively. There is no option to customize the display such as showing time or distance remain to your destination. There is another screen that you can access for those info. When clicking anywhere on the 3-D navigation map, a detailed 2-D map will appear to give you more information and layout of your current location. Your arrow vehicle can be customize to show a variety of vehicles, from race car to even a tank. More choices can be downloaded on Garmin website. This might seems superfluous to some, but it just adds another level of user experience. After viewing Nuvi's 3-D map, it's difficult to go back to another competitor.
The Maestro's 3-D navigation map is not ugly by any standard, just not as refine comparing to the Nuvi. The Maestro's map display is more cluttered, but with more information available to the driver at a glance. For example, the horizontal bars on top and bottom will display the name of the street that the driver is on and the street for the next turn. There's also an icon to indicate the next turn and compass. User can also customize to display anything from "time of arrival" to "distance remain." On the Nuvi, driver would have to exit the navigation screen for additional info. I also really like that the Maestro will display selected POI icons, such as nearby gas and ATM, on the 3-D map. Furthermore, user can customize what POI categories will display on the map. However, the more categories are selected, the harder it will be to distinguish the icons on a busy street. Like the Nuvi, the Maestro also display a turn-by-turn preview to your destination. However, the Maestro goes a step further by allowing the user to exclude any of the street on the list. So, if you know a street is under maintenance or prefer not to travel on, just exclude that section and the Maestro will re-route when possible.
As for the 3-D rendering, the map outlines are a bit jagged but very detailed with sharp fonts. As you approach a turn, the Maestro will split the screen vertically and show a close-up of the section along with the normal view. Having tested the Maestro and Nuvi for a week, I find both GPS very capable in their routing algorithm. Both devices don't always give you the identical routes to your destination, but I can't really say one is better than the other. However, I observe that the Maestro tends to calculate routes with more turns. On the Nuvi, the voice guidance does indicate whether your arriving destination is on the right or left hand side of the road, which I find helpful. Both GPS have its quirks, such as sometimes calculating longer routes than necessary or the destination off by a block. However, for the most part, the routes on both are very accurate.
Another thing for me to consider when choosing a GPS is the battery life. Both the Maestro and Nuvi can be powered using the included vehicle cable. However, when driving around town, I prefer not to have the unsightly cable dangling from the windshield, especially if you have other devices that use the vehicle power, like an iPod. The Nuvi rechargeable battery is rated up to 5 hours comparing to 3 hours on the Maestro. Both do not come with an A/C charger, but can still be charged using USB to mini-USB on a computer or alternatively charging by car. The speakers on both are pretty loud, but I much prefer the voice on the Nuvi as it sounds more warm comparing to the very robotic pitch of the Maestro. I have yet required customer support, but from what I read from other users and reviewers is that Garmin gives better support to their products. For example, Garmin provides a free WebUpdater software that will automatically update the GPS with the latest software. When I purchased the Nuvi and ran the software, it automatically update my GPS system version from 3.4 to 3.5. That to me instill confidence that Garmin will continue to support their devices.
In summary, the Maestro 3200 and Nuvi 200 are excellent entry level GPS that I have no problem recommending. I decided on the Nuvi due to the excellent 3-D map, interface, large POIs, route calculation, overall design, and battery life. However, the Maestro has more features such as trip planner, a robust detour, faster search, and "Most Use of Freeways" option that some might consider more valuable. Prices are comparable and really come down to personal preferences. You can't go wrong with either one.
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Magellan 3200 VS TomTom LE
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| Review Date: November 26, 2007 |
| Reviewer: J. Alfonso, |
I purchased both the TomTom LE and the Magellan Maestro 3200 and was undecided as to which unit to keep. So, I decided to open them both and try them out. After reading numerous reviews/opinions from owners of these two devices online, I finally decided to keep the TomTom LE. My
reasons for this are:
1. Customization...I feel the LE is more customizable. What I mean by this is it had more options such as itinerary planning, changing guidance voice, `help me' features, display features, etc. I just felt after using both that the LE had more options/features compared to the 3200. I like being able to have as much control of my GPS as possible and being able to alter multiple settings which the TomTom proviced.
2. Mapshare...In my opinion, this is one of the best features of the TT LE. Allowing you to edit the map and share/get updates from others is a wonderful tool because it allows you to keep your map current. The other nice thing is that the LE comes with a USB cable already, while the 3200 does not. You may have the USB cable needed for your 3200 at your house already, but if you don't, it'll set you back a couple more dollars on top of your $169.99 price tag.
3. Navigation...When I took both units out to test, they both navigated me to multiple places equally well. There were times when the 3200 took me to a faster route as opposed to the LE, but for the most part, both were able to find locations in an equal manner. I found that the TomTom was able to reroute just as fast if not a little faster than the 3200. What I do like about the 3200 is the fact that it tells you what side your destination is on when you are about to arrive; the LE does not have this feature from what I've noticed. Another feature that I liked better about the 3200 is the display while navigating. It seems more organized and better overall compared to the LE; for example, right before a turn, the Maestro goes into a split screen type of mode. I haven't downloaded the newest TomTom map yet, but in terms of routing and navigation, both worked great. Picking up satellite reception wasn't a problem with either unit as well. I was able to get strong signals indoors and outdoors.
4. POIs...After searching through the POIs in both units, it seemed like the LE had a more extensive selection. There were a lot of POIs I found in my LE that I wasn't able to find in the 3200. Both units show information of the POI such as the name, phone number, and address. However, I believe the 3200 did a better job of organizing the POIs. If you're missing a POI, or if you need remove a POI, it is much easier to do this on the LE.
5. Customer service...While I have not had to call either companies yet, I have read a lot of negative comments regarding Magellan's customer service. This is one of the most important aspects to me when I buy a product because I always want to make sure that my problems will be resolved quickly and professionally if they ever arise. As for TomTom, I read negative comments as well, but not nearly as many as Magellan. In terms of customer service, my research has lead me to believe that in terms of customer service:
Garmin=Excellent TomTom=Average Magellan=Poor
To sum it up, I chose the TomTom LE because it seemed to offer more for my money. While it did provide Teleatlas maps as oppose to Navteq, both the 3200 and the LE seemed to be equal in terms of navigation/map accuracy. To be honest, I felt the 3200 was more user friendly. The menu is easier to navigate through in my opinion, and is better suited for a first time GPS user (The menu icons looked better in the 3200). I also think that the 3200 came with a better suction mount than the LE. The Maestro is slimmer than the LE which makes it look a little nicer, but that's just personal preference and not something that was really much of a factor for me. Both units have a pretty short battery life when compared to the Garmin units (3200= 3 hours; LE= 2 hours). In my opinion, if you want something that gives you a lot of freedom to customize and you're pretty good with technology, go with the LE. If you want something a little simpler to use, go with the 3200.
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Updated Maps and POI's
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| Review Date: November 25, 2007 |
| Reviewer: DSKYZD, Virginia |
I had the opportunity to do an in-car hands-on comparison between this unit (3200) and a slightly older Magellan Roadmate 2200T. The 3200 is smaller and has an updated look to the interface and map screen. It also responds more quickly to inputs.
The feature I like most is the ability to tap the position triangle and then scroll around the map. When you are zoomed in to closest 2 or 3 zoom levels you can scroll around the 3D map this way. On the 2200T I found I had to be in 2D map view to be able to scroll the map. Very handy feature! Also, on the 3200 the 3D view seems to be at a slightly higher angle and maybe further back. This made road curvature seem less dramatic and often gave a better view of nearby POI's.
The ability to adjust the brightness was nice at night. The unit switches to night mode automatically (but you can disable this) where the background becomes black. When dimmed to the lowest brightness and in night mode the unit gave off no annoying glow to the interior of the car. The 2200T also had the ability to choose different color schemes in addition to adjustable brightness.
Most importantly the street maps on the 3200 are updated from the 2200T. In my local area, a major highway interchange was reconfigured a few years ago, the 3200 shows the new traffic pattern where the 2200T showed the old one. Streets in my newer development did not show, nor did a new street at a new shopping center, but the 3200 did list some restaurants in that shopping center. They showed up at a nearby intersection. Even though the 3200 has fewer POI's (1.3M?) than the 2200T (1.5M?) they are more current. I've searched for a couple of shopping centers for my wife and neither unit was very helpful, I had to resort to navigating to a nearby restaurant. I suspect shopping centers are difficult POI's for NAVTEQ to keep up with. Wal-Marts were sometimes found under "Grocery" where the "Shopping" category found shopping malls. Maybe the pricier units with 6 million POI's show these businesses better. The 3200 showed gas stations, restaurants, and hotels well enough to please me.
There is no Text-To-Speech on the 3200. However the voice prompts were identical to the TTS enabled 2200T except the 2200T announced the street name or Interstate number at the end of the maneuver. "Slight right turn in 2 miles" vs. "Slight right turn in 2 miles on I-77" Considering the additional cost of TTS enabled units I am pleased with the 3200.
Being physically smaller, the 3200's speaker was smaller than the one in the 2200T and the unit had 5 volume levels and a mute where the 2200T had 7 volume levels and a mute. Hearing the voice prompts from the 3200 was never a problem though.
The mount worked well and seems quite solid. It is not very long however. If you place it low in your window and your window has a long slope, the unit may feel far away. I found I could actually flip the mount upside down and place it higher on the window. The mount and the unit were both small enough to be unobtrusive.
The power cord has a coiled section to keep things tidy. I found the length to be perfect without having any of the coiled section extended.
The included CD-ROM has a .pdf manual and a software utility for creating your own POI's. I have not used that software yet.
There is no PC cable included. Ever buy a printer? You don't usually get them with printers either and this is an entry level unit. I have several cables already that work with this device. The small USB connector (also used for the DC power adapter) is the same as many digital cameras.
Overall I am very satisfied with this purchase. |
Does What It's Supposed To
|
| Review Date: December 6, 2007 |
| Reviewer: King Bob, Lansdale, PA USA |
| Picked up the Maestro 3200 a few weeks ago and have been trying it out locally. Seems to work really well. It's a very compact unit and easily stores in the glove compartment. It acquires GPS signals much better and faster than previous GPS units I've owned - it even acquired GPS signals from inside my house. It has an automatic night mode which is also nice. The internal maps seem to be relatively new - the Magellan website says March 2007 - and it shows new businesses (POIs) correctly. It does, however, show some gas stations, etc. and not others, even when they've been around for years. The menus are fairly straightforward, but like with most products there are some menu items that are not totally intuitive. And of course, it doesn't play MP3's, have Bluetooth, or other extras. It just gets you to where you're going. Overall, I'm very pleased with the unit. |
Very Easy
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| Review Date: November 20, 2007 |
| Reviewer: OSU OH IO, |
| Charge it and use it, The 3200 is very simple and awesome to use. This is my first unit, it is thin and easy to pocket. The window suction cup mount is the best. It comes w/lighter socket power adapter and internal battery. |
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Revolution Aroser GPS in the car. Today, drivers must reside at the wheel of their cars have no idea how to reach their destination. GPS (Global Positioning System) navigation systems for cars can clearly demonstrate exactly how to reach their desired position, and a lot of systems could also describe the sound.
A handy MP3 player lets you play songs stored on SD memory cards.
nüvi 250W accepts custom points of interest (POIs). View larger.
Plug & Go--Works right out of the box. 
Preloaded Points of Interest--Easily find millions of gas stations, restaurants, hotels, and more on your route. 
30-Day Latest Map Guarantee--Up to date, off the shelf. 
TomTom Map Share--Modify your own map and benefit from others' verified changes with TomTom Map Share. 
Help Me! Emergency Menu--Easily access local emergency providers, such as police, fire stations, and hospitals. 
TomTom HOME--Always up to date. 
Traffic Ready--Optional RDS-TMC traffic receiver accessory keeps you up-to-date on traffic events to minimize potential delays. 
Fuel Price Service (optional)--Know more, pay less. 
Easy to Use 
Best Maps 
Best Routing 
Leader in Safety 
TomTom has its own mapping company! 
