TomTom Carrying Case and Strap for the GO 720 GPS Review

Here's the case that is a MUST if you have the TomTom 720. It fits (as the saying goes "like a glove."The sides zipper, and the inside is orange with the inside sides having an elastic on themso that the case does not "flop" open all the way when unzipped.There is a lanyard included that can be put on the one end so enable the case to be carried on your wrist or such.
The case is hard, but not the what I'd call reinforced so that you could expect the case to hold up to several pounds of pressure on it.But it'sgood to protect against bumps and such, and is better than a soft case.
If you're going to spend the money for a portable GPS, then you need this protective case.
My only negative is that these necessary extras should be included as some other brands do (but with cost this is becoming less). The only other thing I'd advise would be is to purchase a pack of screen protectors (they usually come in a pack of 4 or 5 but you only need to use one then save the rest) and apply it to the screen to protect against finger grease and scratches.
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Garmin Dashboard Mount for StreetPilot c310, c320, c330 and c340 (010-10613-00) Review

Dash-Mount is much better than the suction cup.It moves easily from car to car (in our case, between the Astro-Van and the VW NB convertible).It's easy to remove from the dash by picking it up.Will not slide on dash unless you tip the car over.
I wish this mount was the standard mount and the suction mount was the optional.
PLUSes:
+ stays put
+ easily transfer from car to car
+ power cord stays attached to mount.
+ great price! here on Amazon.com
No minus
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Sony NVU73T 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator Review

So I am in the market to get a GPS unit for my car, so after reading some mixed reviews about the Sony NV-U73 I decided to try it out for myself.Now I am a Sony fanboy so I was hoping that this product would do very well for me, especially since it was on sale at the local Radio Shack.
Let me start with the good:
1. Beautiful display, bright with lots of contrast.
2. POI's come up on the GPS as their logo...ie If I was driving past a Citgo, the Citgo logo was displayed on the GPS...very cool.
3. The unit will tell you which lane to be in for complicated exits/turns on the highway.When you approach an exit, it goes split screen and shows you which lane you should be in to take the exit.
4. Fairly accurate to tell you when turns are approaching.
5. Displays your speed.
6. Mount is very stick and can move in 360 degrees.
Now the cons:
1. SLOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW...slow to pick up a signal, super slow to re-calculate a route, and tooth-numbing slow to calculate an initial route.
2. It can't handle hypens, ie if a house number is 28-44, your out of luck cause it can't find that.
3. Minor gripe, but the RDS antenna is not built in.
4. Takes forever to search POI's by name.
5. Mapping alogrithem is good, but not the best out there.
So, if this unit wasn't so slow it would be great.But it was taking about 3-4 minutes to acquire the GPS satellites, and another 2-3 minutes to calculate routes.Not helpful if you're in an unfamiliar location.
There are better units out there for the same price.Get one of those.
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Garmin Map Update 2009 for City Navigator North America NT Review

I bought my CD last week and have been visiting popular as well as remote places to see if anything's changed. For anyone who has to deal with space constraints and such (me, for example), the mapping data is about 1.4GB. Installation does take some time, presumably due to the increase in mapping data and time required to build increasingly diverse index files.
Sadly, NT2009 does not seem to be as big an update from 2008 as the latter was from NT8. There are quite a few major/popular POIs (like banks and restaurants) that are still not present. In fact, there is a BoA branch that's suddenly changed location in the '09 database. Over the past couple of years, there have been a couple of exit changes on I-84 but none of them are reflected in here. There are a couple of streets near my gf's house that were renamed a few years ago but have still not found their way into the Garmin DB (haven't checked NAVTEQ though). At the risk of belaboring my point, I'll stop right here. :)
YMMV though as many friends, relatives and members on online discussion forums have found solace with NT2009 in places such as FL and AZ. I will be in GA/ATL all through May and shall update this review in a couple of weeks.
Overall, if you're eligible for a free update, go for it. However, if you live in the N.E. and have to shell out $55-odd, I think your money is better spent elsewhere, assuming you have NT2008 already.
P.S.: If you have an older system (like the c3xx), you can fit the entire mapping data on an SD card. If you have a 1GB or smaller card, select the areas you most want via MapSource. For example, removing PR and Hawaii easily saves 70-odd MBs.
Edited on 05/28/08:
After spending a few weeks traveling through GA and NC, I can't find any location that isn't mapped in the latest version. One or two gas stations in the ATL suburbs (Alpharetta to be more precise) show up on the opposite side of the street (maybe it's bad interpretation logic in Garmin's hardware and has nothing to do with cartographic data) but hey, at least they aren't completely absent! Overall, the south-eastern U.S. seems better covered as compared to the north-east.
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TomTom GO 720 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator Review

I really love the 720. I have tried the Garmin Nuvi and just didn't like the software nearly as much as the TomTom. Entering addresses is really fast and you only see towns in the state you are looking in. This means no more having to scroll through 30 different Springfields to get to the one you are searching for. You can hide the keyboard to see a long list of close matches so instead of having to type out the full city or street name you can just hit the first few letters and then pick from a list.
Mapshare seems like it will be a huge advance in the world of automotive GPS devices. Is a street marked as open when it should be blocked? Just correct the error with a few quick taps on the screen and it's fixed. What's really the big advance though is the ability to share my corrections with all other TomTom owners. I connect the 720 to the TomTom HOME software and it downloads corrections that other users have submitted.
What you see on the screen can be fully customized so that if you want the status bar on the side then you can put it there or you can leave it on the bottom. You can also decide what information is shown in the status bar. You can show or hide the time of day, remaining time, remaining distance, current heading, and your current rate of speed. If you subtract items from the status bar the other items automatically get bigger to take up the remaining space. You can also select if you wantto show the current street you are on and the name of the next street you will be turning on to.
Text to speech quality is very good and will say the directions so for example it might say "in 250 feet keep right, then take the exit right, 204B towards Westview." Or "in 200 meters, turn right South West Madison Avenue." You can choose from multiple voices although I think the Dave voice sounds the best of the bunch. If you don't want to hear the "keep to lane" instructions you can disable this feature although I personally like to have it on. You can also record your own spoken instructions so for example you could have your kid's voice tell you to turn left in 200 feet. I haven't tried this though.
The screen is very bright and easy to see even when I have my sunglasses on. The 720 can be set to automatically turn the brightness down as it gets dark thanks to a built in light sensor on the front of the unit.
The mount is pretty clever and super easy to use. Just push it up to the windshield and it sticks right on. The 720 then just slides right on and is held solidly in place. You can turn the 720 in any direction to get it exactly where it's easiest for you to see.
With all the great features of the 720, I think what will really set it apart even more from the other GPS units out there is the Mapshare feature. Being able to fix your own map and download updates automatically to keep the map up to date is one of those things that is so fantastically great that you wonder why on earth it took so long to make to a shipping product. Whether or not it can live up to the expectations remains to be seen. Even if you took Mapshare away it's still the best car GPS I've ever used. With it, there's just no contest.
My biggest complaint is that there's no case in the box. You need to buy one separately although I've been using the plastic holder it shipped in so far which is OK.
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Garmin nuMaps Lifetime North America Map Updates for detailed maps of U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico Review

We have a 3 year old Garmin 350. We find the unit itself is very easy to use. Our problem is we used our fee update 18 months ago and it did not include much of the new road construction around us. We also found that the changing face of our city had many new, moved and closed businesses and our Points of Interest were also out of date.An update was imminent and it was going to cost us this time.I saw on the lifetime map updates on the Garmin site and thought I might find a bit better deal and that brought me here where one of the vendors had a great deal.
If you are unsure whether an update has the new features you are looking for you can preview the detailed US map on the Garmin shopping site.Be careful there are lists of "supported Nuvi units" on some of the vendors sites that are woefully incomplete.For instance our 350 was not on the vendor list, but after a search I was able to find a list on the Garmin shopping site that seems to list all the Nuvi and other units. The product page has a ton of information but you may have to dig around a bit to find it.
What you get in the mail is essentially a reward card size card with a scratch off code.My one gripe for all this is the shipping cost for this is almost unnecessary except the card is in a store theft control hard shell wrapper. If you upgrade at Garmin you will get the code immediately and therefore no shipping so be sure to factor this in the price.
The upgrade was pretty straight forward but took me about 3 hours.The download is almost 2GB so a good internet connection is very helpful, I am pretty sure though you can get it on DVD for shipping cost.
Bottom line, I really like the Garmin unit and the update will have paid for itself the next time I do it.It seems like a good investment to me.
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Magellan Maestro 4250 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator Review

I spent a lot of time researching a GPS unit to purchase. I "settled" for the Magellan 4250 because I couldn't justify the additional $100-200 to purchase a similar Garmin product and I stayed away from TomTom because a retail store rep mentioned that those units were returned pretty frequently.
I took this unit with me to Las Vegas and it got me from point to point without issues. Directions are clear and the interface is pretty straight forward. Entering addresses is quite easy, route calculation is reasonably fast. It has a day/night mode and is quite visible even in direct sunlight. My only complaint with the screen is that the unit is still too bright when in night mode and the brightness is set to the lowest level.
I used the Trip Planner to enter multiple destinations for my trip up to Vegas. This made going from one point to the next easy as I didn't have to make any address entries or search for a POI. I just click on Guide Me, select the destination from my saved Trip and I'm on my way.
POI was very useful. You can search POI by Name, Category or AAA TourBook and then search near you, in a city or near an address. I like the breakdown of POI Categories, very user-friendly. If you have a Bluetooth compatible phone, you can contact the POI if they include the phone number. Just select the phone number and you'll be connected via the built-in speakerphone, which works pretty well. A feature that I didn't think I would use is the ability to choose what POI icons (coffee shops, shopping areas, gas stations, atm/banks, etc.) appear on the map. I found this feature quite useful in searching for a nearby coffee shop.
AAA information is great, I actually used this to find a nice breakfast restaurant. It gave me the restaurant hours, diamond rating and dress attire. Additional AAA TourBook information include these categories: Accomodations, Restaurants, Destinations, Attractions and Events. I found the Events outdated, but I was told by a Magellan sales rep that AAA will be releasing quarterly updates. As of this review, AAA still has not released any updates, they hope to have it up sometime in late 2007. Looks like they are waiting up to the last minute.
AAA Members have additional benefits, see AAA's website for more details. One notable benefit is an extra year warranty.
The Voice Command feature is a nice extra, but it will most likely go unused.
Bluetooth was not compatible with my phone (Cingular 8125), however, I was able to test it using the Sony Ericsson W800 and it worked flawlessly. When you receive a text message an icon appears on the map and you can read the message directly on the screen. The same goes with phone calls. The only downside is that you can't import your contact list.
Live Traffic information is free for 3 months and it looks like $40 per year subscription, quite reasonable. When you have the unit plugged into the FM power/receiver, you'll see an icon on the bottom right hand of the screen indicating traffic status, or if there are any issues on the way to your destination. I have yet to determine how fast/accurate the traffic updates occur.
A nice feature with this unit is that once you have entered your destination, you can look at the direction list and if you see a street that you don't want to include (let's say because you know it has heavy traffic), select that direction/step and you can exclude this from your route. Nifty.
If you are into customizable icons/voices, they are not built-in.
Overall, I am very happy with this purchase and would gladly recommend it to family, friends and strangers reading reviews on Amazon.com.
Job well done Magellan!
*** 2007-11-29 Update****
I've had the unit for about a month now. I have additional comments.
Auto Detour: If you are in traffic, the unit will suggest a Detour. I've only used it once, but it came in very handy.
Traffic: I've come to the conclusion that this is pretty accurate, though I wish there was an option to use the Auto Detour feature before actually hitting traffic.
Exit POI: While on the freeway, I can check to see freeway exit Restaurants, Lodging, Gas Stations and Auto Service Shops. The unit displays the distance to each Exit POI.
Voice Command: I didn't think I would use this much, but with proper annunciation, I found it more convenient to say "MagellanGo Home" instead of pressing the options on the screen.
Size: Since this is my first GPS unit, I may be taking it's size for granted, but I like that I can fit it in my jacket pocket.
Customer Support: When I first got this unit, I couldn't register the product, so I called Customer Support. They were very helpful in helping me register my product. I also had to call them a second time to get assistance in activating my Traffic Subscription, again they were very helpful and was able to resolve my issue.
My Complaints:
- At times the unit is a little slow to respond when an option is selected
- There is no quick/easy way to add a POI by name to the Trip Planner
- Text to speech doesn't always come off well (i.e. Los Angeles/CA-60 W is read "Los Angeles Forwardslash C A Dash Sixty W")
- Searching for a POI by name takes about 15 seconds
- I upgraded my phone to the AT&T Tilt, Bluetooth usage is limited to making and receiving calls
That's about it. I still recommend this unit.
*** 2008-07-30 Update****
I upgraded the firmware on my unit to version 4.60 and I felt the need to update my review. Magellan has improved quite a few things:
- Improved visual cues on the map makes navigation easier
- Bluetooth connection is now automatic, I was pleasantly surprised to receive a call from a friend without having the need to re-connect my Tilt. I was even more pleased when I was able to dial a POI phone number without re-connecting. (Still no SMS or Contact support for my Tilt, but that is probably an OS issue)
- Map scrolling is faster
- Re-route calculation is noticeably faster
- Magellan even fixed the text to speech issue I mentioned in my last update
One of the features I wish Magellan would improve is the time it takes to do a POI Search By Name. I use this feature quite a bit and waiting the 15 to 20 seconds to display a result set just seems too long.
I'm pretty sure there were other improvements that I haven't seen, but the fact that Magellan has released at least 2 firmware upgrades since I bought my 4250 states that they are committed to improving the user experience for their products.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, "Job well done Magellan!"
See more reviews about: Magellan Maestro 4250 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator

GARMIN 010-10314-00 Carrying Case Review

The Garmin Carry Case is a nice addition to the eTrex GPS.The case is well made and covers most of the unit with its protective material.The buttons on both sides of the GPS are exposed and easy to access and the click stick is also exposed and easy to access (contrary to another reviewer's comments).There is a belt clip and metal loop on the back to help fasten the unit however you want.Overall, if you're like me and prefer to keep your toys clean and unscratched, the Garmin Carry Case is for you.
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Garmin Suction Cup Mount (010-10936-00) Review

I received only the suction cup mount, but not the bracket shown in the picture, my order looks like item 010-10747-00 from Garmin, which is only the mount. This obivously makes the mount useless, since I'm purchasing this mount to replace one that was stolen. I'm still trying to figure out if it was a mistake from Amazon, or the item does not come with the bracket. I would rather have purchased this directly from Garmin, since now Amazon is giving me headache and money loss from having to return the item for refund.
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Garmin Etrex Venture HC GPS Receiver Review

Before buying this new Venture HC, I had spent many hours trekking with several of the original eTrex models over the years.I think it's fair to say that while the concept of the original eTrex was great, the execution was frequently disappointing.
It disappoints no more.The Venture HC is the eTrex perfected.It remedies almost every shortcoming that plagued the original models.The new high-sensitivity receiver is amazingly effective.Countless times I've stood in wide open spaces cursing my old eTrex because it wouldn't acquire a single satellite.Last night I turned on the Venture HC on the bottom floor of my two story house, and it locked onto 8 satellites...through the roof and the upper floor!No more "need a clear view of the sky" messages. Amazing.
The old monochrome display has become color, and the user interface is now substantially more intuitive, while adding even more functionality. The cable, which was serial on previous models, has been upgraded to USB, another welcome improvement.The case is somewhat wider than before, but the design bears a strong resemblance to the original eTrex.
A basemap is included but it's just that - basic.It shows the largest highways, bodies of water, and has some limited capability to display highway exit services.If you need turn-by-turn street directions, an eTrex is not for you.This is a GPS receiver true to Garmin's outdoor GPS heritage.
Promised battery life (14 hours) is near the bottom of the range when compared to the existing eTrex models, but is still perfectly adequate and has posed no problems.
One weakness that remains is Garmin's waypoint manager PC software.It has the feel and functionality of a software product released circa 1994.Garmin could certainly develop a better PC interface.For $49 you can buy ExpertGPS from Topografix, or download the free version (EasyGPS)from their website.Either is far more functional than the Garmin OEM software.
Still, the software criticism is a quibble.The Venture HC itself is great.It is a market changing product that renders all previous eTrex models (and many competitors) obsolete.Finally, an affordable outdoor GPS receiver that I can wholeheartedly recommend.

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Garmin eTrex Vista HCx Color High-Sensitivity Mapping Handheld GPS Review

If you are reading this and the other reviews of the Garmin eTrex Vista HCx then you are doing your homework and wondering if this GPS is as good as all the hype makes it out to be. The short answer is YES! I have an old Garmin 12 Map which has served me well, but was getting a bit long in the tooth. I wanted something a bit smaller, lighter, with color screen and was water tight. The Vista HCx meets all of these needs and so many more. It is small in size, but with a fairly big and bright screen (easily readable in the sun) for its size.
Every review I read touted the extra sensitive antenna and how it picked up and locked onto satellites inside of homes or buildings. Well I can honestly tell you that it does all this and does it quick. How this happens it Garmin magic. I was always told you had to have line of sight to pick up satellites, but not in the case of the Vista HCx, it can get them just about anywhere short of being in a bunker.
The menu is intuitive and easy to navigate, so much more that my old Garmin 12 map. The long story short, this little GPS is the one for everyone else to beat. If you are seriously considering a GPS purchase for hiking or navigating the back country, do not look elsewhere, this is the one to get!
The base maps in the Vista HCx are of course upgradeable through additional accessories purchases from Garmin (at substantial cost), but worth the money. How Garmin managed to pack so much into so little a package is a mystery to me. Do yourself a favor, stop reading the review and just buy one, you will not be disappointed.
BTW, I purchased mine through Amazon.com and took advantage of the free shipping. It arrived four days ahead of when it was scheduled to arrive which was a nice surprise. Amazon has a very good price and I have always been happy with my purchases through them. And no I am not getting paid to say these nice things about Amazon, I am just a very satisfied customer.
Dan...

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Magellan RoadMate 1470 4.7-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator Review

I've been a Magellan user for several years - have owned four of their GPS systems, and always appreciate how they have improved their products. This unit is my 5th, and replaces a Magellan 4040. After using it for a while I've confident in saying this is the best one yet!
The most visible change is the actual size of the unit. The screen size has been increased, but the unit is thinner and lighter. Very sleek appearance, and the screen is a real joy -- sharp, clear graphics even in the sun, and bigger on-screen buttons for easy use. The mounting system has also been streamlined, and looks and works well. It mounts very easily on a NavMat holder (basically a bean-bag system that I got on Amazon. I'm a huge Navmat fan - makes it a snap to hide the GPS with narry a trace. Best accessory by far for any GPS).
The power connector was not well throughout, however. You have to connect it to the GPS unit AFTER you mount it in the holder. They should have moved the connector it a wee bit to the side to avoid that.
The only button is a slide-type power button on the top. Boot-up time is OK -- not speedy, but not a huge delay either. It does not have a "sleep" mode, so you have to do a cold boot every time. Not a problem in real world use - by the time you get situated in your car, the unit is ready to go.
Voice is clear and easy to understand. Not as natural sounding as a TomTom, but understandable.
Pretty much any recent GPS unit will get you where you want to go. I've found the routing on the Magellans to be very similar to Garmins - could be because they both use the same mapping set (Navteq). The Magellan shines, however, in features that I find helpful. The direction of the next turn is always visible regardless of how far away the next turn will be. Up until recently, Garmin did not offer this (they do now on some of their units). Sounds like a small issue, but I find it very helpful. The Magellan also allows you to very easily exclude a route (or portion). That's a fairly standard feature nowadays, but Magellan allows you to do it in a snap.
In terms of routing, Magellan offers four options (fastest, shortest, most use of freeways and least use). You can see all four options on the map (as a summary) at the same time so you can pick the best one for your needs. Perfect!!
Love the AAA Guidebook, which is a unique Magellan feature. Lets you get details about restaurants and other points of interest just like the paper version from AAA. I used it a lot in my 4040, especially when traveling out of town.
Other unique Magellan features I appreciate is the "ding dong" sound right before a turn (incredibly accurate!) and the fact that the software reminds you to "stay on the current road" when you encounter major exits. Some find that to be nagging, but it has saved me from inadvertently exiting on more than one occasion.
A new feature for Magellan is the lane guidance. Very nicely done. I've used this feature on Navigon units, and found it rather unhelpful. Magellan's implementation is far more useful, with better, clearer graphics. However, lane guidance is not available for every road.
The software is also nicely done - very logical to use. If you're a past Magellan user you can pick this up and use it in a second. If not, there's a short printed user's guide in the box (plus a CD-ROM with more in-depth info) that gets you up to speed quickly. The box also includes the mount, power connector for the car, and a USB cable. It does not include an AC adapter.
OK, now for the bad news. When it comes to customer service, Magellan has been horrid. We're talking so bad it's almost funny. I'm hoping this situation will change - the company was bought by Mitac late last year, and perhaps this will signal a change for the better in terms of customer support. Lord knows, they couldn't get any worse.
The leader, in my opinion, for customer support is Garmin. They are nice to deal with on the phone, answer emails promptly, and offer regular firmware updates. Whenever I buy a GPS as a gift I always buy Garmin since I don't want to saddle the recipient with the miserable service that Magellan offers. It's a shame, since Magellan offers some real benefits over Garmin, and more value for the money. Tom Tom is also decent when it comes to support, but they use TeleAtlas maps which are less complete than NavTeq (sp?).
Bottom line -- if you're looking for a straightforward GPS at a good price, this should be on your short list. It lacks features such as Bluetooth and an MP3 player, but for me, I want a GPS to offer guidance and not entertainment. This has a very robust feature set, great screen, and well-designed software. It also has traffic capabilities -- did not test that feature out, so I can't comment on it.
The "safe" bet continues to be Garmin. You'll pay a bit more, and get less features, but you can be assured of solid support. Whether Magellan's new owners will put them back on the right track (if you'll excuse the horrid, but unavoidable pun) in terms of customer service is not yet clear. I hope so -- they make a great product!

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Garmin GPSMap 60CSx Handheld GPS Navigator Review

Lots of people are expecting this GPS to be the perfect GPS. I really like it so far and I don't have any complaints. Most of the complaints you'll see are people comparing the features of this GPS to the 60CS. The issues most people are complaining about are really minor.
Icons: Ok the new icons are more cartoon like. None of them are hard to tell what the function is which is the point of an icon. It's an artistic style choice some people will like it and some will not.
No alarm: I have about 10 devices with an alarm clock on them I don't see where not including this feature is such a big deal.
No barometric trends while off: Garmin has stated this is a limitation of the new hardware. Useful if you're in the back country and can't get a weather radio broadcast. Otherwise a mostly unused feature.
Expectation of indoor reception: I can personally get reception in my house. This is not going to hold true for everyone. It's still a GPS and needs a somewhat unobstructed view of the sky. The new receiver is a HUGE improvement over the old one though and gets a lock much faster and holds it better in terrain that is tough for a GPS to work in.
Over-Expectation of accuracy: People keep forgetting that this is still a consumer GPS and is limited as to the accuracy it can get. Just because the GPS says it's got 3' accuracy doesn't mean it's correct. The 60CS and the 60CSx calculate their accuracy differently.Since the 60CS claims it is more accurate people fully trust the number the GPS is reporting and claim the 60CSx is less accurate. This isn't the case however in real world tests in clear skys both units have similar accuracy. However in challenging reception situations the 60CSx get better signal and is then "more accurate".
GPS "Walking": The 60CSx tends to walk around when stopped for a while causing the stopped time and distance traveled to be inaccurate. Garmin is aware of the problem and has stated it will be fixed with a firmware release.
Mini SD Card issues: This is the first offering by Garmin with a removable memory card. There are a few limitations however compared to other brands. First the cards are ONLY used to store maps. No waypoints, tracks, routes, etc. are stored on the cards. It would be nice to have these features but it doesn't seem that this is something that will (or can??) be changed with a firmware update. People also complain that there is no way to view information about the memory card (Space left, file listing, etc.) since there is no way to add data without having the GPS hooked into MapSource this is a non-issue. You can't write to it so why does it matter how much space is left? Oh and if you haven't seen a Mini SD card in person, wow they are really tiny about the size of a fingernail. People without good dexterity might have issues changing the card.
This is a really great GPS. If you have a 60CS already you need to carefully weigh your decision to upgrade since this unit will really only add increased reception(not accuracy) and the removable memory card. If you're upgrading from something other than a 60CS you'll love it, I sure do.
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Case Logic GPSP-2 Professional GPS Case for 4.3-Inch Flatscreens Review

I purchased this case for the Garmin 760. I'm not sure why the other reviewer mentioned it did not fit the 760
but my brand new Garmin 760 fits perfectly inside with extra space! There is 1 inch of extra room on the top and 1/4" on each side. and plenty of room on top to close the zippered lid. All this while slipped into the mesh screened pocket inside.
It came with a soft cloth and wrist strap with a swivel clasp to connect to the case.
This is an awesome case with a little extra room for a memory card and protective shields.
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Magellan Maestro 4250 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator (Factory Refurbished) Review

So after reading a ton of reviews on Amazon, I realized that a lot of the reasons people rated something positive or negative was because they were comparing their new GPS to an older one.So to be fair, this is my first GPS, so I have nothing to compare it to.First off, it arrived from Amazon in three days using their free standard shipping, which was great.It looked brand new and included every accessory you would need, AC and DC chargers, USB cable, travel case, window mount and dash mount adapter, along with some software to help get you started.
Like some of the other reviewers, the first thing I did was upgrade the firmware to v.4.60.It took me about 10 minutes which included registering the unit with Magellan, which is required to download the upgrade.Since I didn't use it before the upgrade, I can't really speak to the benefits, but I haven't had any issues with the unit freezing up or crashing.I also signed up for the 3 month Traffic Service trial online.
Overall, the menus are very intuitive and easy to use and for the price, really can't be beat.Comparable Garmins seem about twice as much.The unit starts up fast and is quick to determine routes and re-routes.The only negative thing I've noticed is it does take longer to start up after parking the vehicle in a garage as opposed to on the street, either way, 30 to 45 seconds vs. 10 to 15.The traffic service is surprisingly accurate and updates constantly.The accuracy of the maps and POI's seems to be about 2 to 3 years off, which from what others say is about average for units of this price.Mine came loaded with S/W version 29.Magellan is selling an upgrade to version 31 on their website for $80 and calls it their 2008/2009 map.So I'm guessing this is the 2006/2007 map.
The Bluetooth syncs up fairly easily to make and receive calls, but I could not get it to sync up my phonebook or text messages with either of two different Motorola cell phones.The volume is pretty weak and call clarity is about what you could expect, but in a pinch, it makes a decent hands-free device.Can't really be used with the windows down.Overall, for $129 with free shipping, I think this is a great little device and have had no issues with getting it refurbished, although be aware it does only come with a 90 day warranty.Hope this helps.
See more reviews about: Magellan Maestro 4250 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator (Factory Refurbished)