# Garmin Nuvi 750 or Magellan 4250



## Sailor Bill

Has anyone actually purchased either of these units. gpsmagazine is very high on Garmin. They identified several weaknesses of Magellan's earlier 4050 but I have no way to tell if the new 4250 is just repackaged or if they have corrected some of the shortcomings. I you have purchased a Nuvi, can you direct me to who may have them available?


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## ttexas22

Bill,


I picked up a Nuvi 760 on Oct. 11th from CC. I'd be happy to answer any questions about the unit that you may have.


TTx


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## bfdtv

The Magellans have improved in this generation, but they still have a ways to go before they can match Garmin. At the moment, the 750 and 760 are really in a league of their own.


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## Sailor Bill

ttexas & bfdtv,


Thanks for the input. My problem is that I have chosen the Garmin 750 as the unit that I want to buy. I am leaving Nov 1 for an approximately 4000k trip and obviously want the unit before then. I discovered the 760 being available at CC but since I make few calls while driving, the extra cash for bluetooth doesn't make sense for me. I actually ordered the 750 from tigergps but they have not received them yet. I also am not sure they are not a company capitalizing on tigerdirect's reputation?? If anyone finds the 750 actually in stock, I would appreciate the heads up. Some of the sites like nextag have identified that places show in stock but when you go to the site, thye don't really have it.


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## ttexas22

Bill, CC is the only verified place that I know of that's currently stocking them. For what it's worth, the 760 also has the traffic piece. I'd recommend watching crutchfield.com, as their rep is impeccable, if sometimes overpriced. They provide outstanding customer service after the sale and have been around for a decades.


TTx


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## Gordon Shumway

My parents and sister have the new MAgellan Maestro's (4040 and 4000) and love them...I've used them and found them to be quite accurate and very handy...especially like having the AAA data loaded.


They just released a huge software update last month and it added more features and cleaned up some of the maps etc.


BTW..CC offers 10% all items in the store if you belong to AAA...


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## ttexas22

Bill, You might be in luck. SharperImage has the 750 in stock on their website. Good luck.


TTx


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## Sailor Bill

I ordered the Garmin Nuvi 750 yesterday at 4:30 PM and received it this morning at 10:00 AM from Gpsnow.com. They just received them yesterday. I paid the extra $28 to get it that fast because I need to assure that they were indeed in stock and I'm leaving for vacation on Nov 1. They have free delivery if you can wait or 2 day for $2. Haven't even tried it yet but wanted everyone to know where it can be found and that I received outstanding service so far.


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## ttexas22

Good for you, Bill. We expect a full report on your travels with the 750 upon your return. Happy trailing!


TTx


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## Gordon Shumway

Wow...that 750 is a pricey devil...plus no Bluetooth?


Wonder what makes it so special that it's priced so much more than machines that are costing less and offer more features? Brand name perhaps....


Heck the new widescreen Magellan 4040 and 4050 have more useful features (IMO)and is at least $150-200 less...has Bluetooth, Navteq maps (as does Nuvi), auto day-night, built in traffic (4050), built in AAA POI's, voice command, it doensn't have MP3 but who really needs that gimmick on a GPS machine....


Well I sure hope it works out for ya...still looks like a pretty solid machine....


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## jsellers

The nuvi 700 series will have multi-destination sorting as well as walking navigation back to your parked vehicle. Whenever you remove it from its rack, it will automatically notice where you are, thus you can find your car the next time you go to burning man no matter how zonked you are.


Also bread crumbs, and misc. software stuff.


Also the MSN features look nice if they work...I'm not sure how you normally get these...at least one on-line dealer gives you a free subscript...it seems to be something the MSN people says comes with the hardware.


With it in areas where it works, it is supposed to tell you gas prices and "now showing" at the movies....I believe the MSN stuff when I see it.


Garmin has a card you can get to be guided to cheap buys...but the reviews I have seen have been terrible...I wonder if the MSN is the same way or not.


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## ttexas22

The TMC traffic receiver looks to be more beneficial to me. If it proves to be so, then I'll sign up after the first 3 month free pass. Otherwise, I'll always have a rather advanced power source for the car. The Nuvi 7xx are compatible with MSN. It seems that Garmin is drifting away from their service and towards straight up TMC. But if MSN service for your area is beneficial to you, then it will work seamlessly with the maps. I just wouldn't get too much use from it. As for the discount program, I've read many comments that it greatly disappoints. Just the overhead of maintaining something like that would be a headache for a company to take on, unless it was already branded AAA or AARP, but I have no interest in this program.


TTx


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## rktcyntst

I just came home with 2 units. I intend only to keep one. My Sam's Club had the Nuvi 750 for five hundred, while BB had the the 4250 for four fifty.


I'm still undecided on which one to keep. If I open the 4250, I have to pay restock. Anyone have any practical experience with the 4250 vs. garmin's units?


Any help is appreciated. Sounds like magellan isn't as loved as garmin based on the info I've seen. Thanks!


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## asiparks

If you are a costco member, they'll have the 4250 on sale next weekend for about a hundred less than you paid for it, around three sixty. I just picked up a garmin 680 from there too, for four eighty, I'm going to run them side by side when i pick up the 4250 and just keep one. the MSN seems to work very well up her in Portland OR. I get gas prices and movie times and the traffic info seems to be ok, there hasn't been any major incidents to really test it though.


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## jefflins

Like the last poster, I picked up a nuvi 680 and maestro 4250 from costco and am running them side by side. Amazing how they so routinely plan different routes to the same destination. Not sure which is better though...common wisdom is Nuvi, but so far it's split 50/50. Haven't registered the 4250 as i'm not sure what costco will say about that if i return...so i haven't tried the magellans traffic...but the msn coverage with the 680 is....spotty at best...looks like there are a lOT of complaints on the msn service...


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## jefflins

Well, it sounds like costco won't be a problem if i need to return, so i'm trying to register with magellan so i can try the traffic feature. This is not looking good for magellan. After setting up a user account, I can't register the bloody thing. It keeps kicking me out and asking me to re-log in. When I finally got close it told me the serial number confirmation (type it in twice) didn't match...well, i quadruple checked, and it did match. Tried entering again, and...kicked me out to relog in again. This has been going on since before I sent my last message. Also have their support on the phone. Well, i'm waiting for the next "support engineer" to actually pick up the phone...sigh...


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## Laiser

Bought the Magellan 4250 on Saturday 11/17. I am taking it back today, 11/20.

No. 1 Complaint: Freezes all the time!!

It is running Windows CE 5.0, probably that is the cause...but i have not really researched to know what OS the other ones run. Sometimes it takes quite a number of tries to turn it on. You would push power button on, and nothing would happen for several times.


No. 2: Phone Menu completely locked Up....

Called Magellan Tech Support....and they suggest returning it for repair! (I will return to BB store!).


I primarily bought it for phone function as well...since in DC they require hands free operation, and i hate bluetooth headsets. Paired it OK with my phone...which is listed as supported, and unit menu choice also includes it (Sony Ericsson W800). Now when i click on phone menu, unit simply talks back to me "phone, phone, phone..." but never gets into phone menu. Couple unit resets (thru pin-hole) with tech support did not help either. Interestingly, on their website FAQ....unit lockup/freezes procedures are listed. So they must be very much aware of the issue.


Other than that, unit is pretty accurate, and re-calculates route very very quickly. It also notices fairly quickly (i would say less than 5mtrs) if you miss a turn...and recalculates. Night mode is excellent. Excellent finish, fairly thin in construction. If it were not for the lockups, i would keep it. I was so fond of Hertz Neverlost system (based on Magellan), so i resisted temptation to go Garmin when it came time to purchase my own. BB had it for $499!! oucch, but good price on 4yr warranty of just $49.00. Based on the lockup defect...hopefully no-restocking fee!


I had previously bought a TomTom XL-S.....which i have also returned.

The TomTom XL-S was more feature rich than this Magellan 4250. Only problems i had with it was the fact that it took 5-7mins to acquire satellite signals when coming from powerdown, and the fact that its "bluetooth capable" feature did not include "hands-free calling" which is a must for me. Additionally, the TeleAtlas maps (used by TomTom) dont seems to be as comprehensive as the Navteq ones used by Magellan&Garmin. there were a couple of places i went to (around Irving, TX) that have been around for more than 5-6 yrears, and TomTom maps simply did not have them! A realtor i was driving around with had a Magellan, it had those maps.

The menus on it are very user friendly....you could even create an itenerary on your PC and transfer it to TomTom. While driving...the screen had lots of useful trip information all on the main screen....including current speed, ave. speed, distance to destination & time...and nicely tucked into place.

On the Magellan.....you need to navigate 2-3 menus dip to get to trip computer...and even then, it is limited info.


So now i am back into research....my upper limit is $500....i doubt i will be able to find a garmin with bluetooth, handsfree capable & widescreen at that price range. Hopefully with holiday shopping bargains, i might be able to accomplish something.


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## Gordon Shumway




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Laiser* /forum/post/12269938
> 
> 
> Bought the Magellan 4250 on Saturday 11/17. I am taking it back today, 11/20.
> 
> No. 1 Complaint: Freezes all the time!!
> 
> It is running Windows CE 5.0, probably that is the cause...but i have not really researched to know what OS the other ones run. Sometimes it takes quite a number of tries to turn it on. You would push power button on, and nothing would happen for several times.
> 
> 
> No. 2: Phone Menu completely locked Up....
> 
> Called Magellan Tech Support....and they suggest returning it for repair! (I will return to BB store!).
> 
> 
> I primarily bought it for phone function as well...since in DC they require hands free operation, and i hate bluetooth headsets. Paired it OK with my phone...which is listed as supported, and unit menu choice also includes it (Sony Ericsson W800). Now when i click on phone menu, unit simply talks back to me "phone, phone, phone..." but never gets into phone menu. Couple unit resets (thru pin-hole) with tech support did not help either. Interestingly, on their website FAQ....unit lockup/freezes procedures are listed. So they must be very much aware of the issue.
> 
> 
> Other than that, unit is pretty accurate, and re-calculates route very very quickly. It also notices fairly quickly (i would say less than 5mtrs) if you miss a turn...and recalculates. Night mode is excellent. Excellent finish, fairly thin in construction. If it were not for the lockups, i would keep it. I was so fond of Hertz Neverlost system (based on Magellan), so i resisted temptation to go Garmin when it came time to purchase my own. BB had it for $499!! oucch, but good price on 4yr warranty of just $49.00. Based on the lockup defect...hopefully no-restocking fee!
> 
> 
> I had previously bought a TomTom XL-S.....which i have also returned.
> 
> The TomTom XL-S was more feature rich than this Magellan 4250. Only problems i had with it was the fact that it took 5-7mins to acquire satellite signals when coming from powerdown, and the fact that its "bluetooth capable" feature did not include "hands-free calling" which is a must for me. Additionally, the TeleAtlas maps (used by TomTom) dont seems to be as comprehensive as the Navteq ones used by Magellan&Garmin. there were a couple of places i went to (around Irving, TX) that have been around for more than 5-6 yrears, and TomTom maps simply did not have them! A realtor i was driving around with had a Magellan, it had those maps.
> 
> The menus on it are very user friendly....you could even create an itenerary on your PC and transfer it to TomTom. While driving...the screen had lots of useful trip information all on the main screen....including current speed, ave. speed, distance to destination & time...and nicely tucked into place.
> 
> On the Magellan.....you need to navigate 2-3 menus dip to get to trip computer...and even then, it is limited info.
> 
> 
> So now i am back into research....my upper limit is $500....i doubt i will be able to find a garmin with bluetooth, handsfree capable & widescreen at that price range. Hopefully with holiday shopping bargains, i might be able to accomplish something.




Did you load the newest software to the 4250?


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## Laiser

Well, on their support site, the Maestro 4250 is not even listed!

I spoke to tech support as well and asked whether there are any updates i should be applying....and he said it just came out...no updates currently.


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## Gordon Shumway

Ahhhh...the 4000 and 4040 our family owns had a big update and it added a bunch of stuff and cleaned up some duplicate stuff they had in maps etc...if the 4250 just came out, then I bet it will be a bit before it gets it's first update.


We're still loving our Magellans though.


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## Laiser

Are all magellan's windows based? Garmins'? Anybody knows?

I tried to stay loyal to Magellan brand...maybe will give them a second chance and simply take a similar replacement unit.....hoping this was 1/1000 bad.


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## Gordon Shumway




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Laiser* /forum/post/12270372
> 
> 
> Are all magellan's windows based? Garmins'? Anybody knows?
> 
> I tried to stay loyal to Magellan brand...maybe will give them a second chance and simply take a similar replacement unit.....hoping this was 1/1000 bad.



The two Maestro's we have are WIndows....I think all the Maestro's are.


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## asiparks




> Quote:
> So now i am back into research....my upper limit is $500....i doubt i will be able to find a garmin with bluetooth, handsfree capable & widescreen at that price range. Hopefully with holiday shopping bargains, i might be able to accomplish something.



Costco has the Garmin 680 for less than $500 that pretty much fits those needs... none of my local costcos seem to have the 4250 in stock to try out yet....










Bluetooth connectivity on the Garmin 680 is excellent, it copied my phonebook across from my sony 810i so I can dial my contacts from the screen. Speakerphone clarity on the unit is very good, I managed to find a spot of fairly clear FM bandwidth, so now it comes through my car stereo quite effectively. Any POI with a phone number can also be dialed from the screen which is nice.


Grumbles... I haven't found a way for it to display POIs along my route, like my old palm TomTom could....sometimes I'm driving around looking and will be taken with an urge for coffee or an ATM and it's nice to see those displayed en route so you can just pull off whenever you feel like it, as opposed to having to choose a specific one as your destination...


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## rod_b

Anyone know if the new firmware update to the Maestros added the ability to add waypoints to a trip in progress? My Garmin based gps (Kenwood DVD\\Nav car stereo) lets me do this. My dad's 4040 that we used on a recent trip always replaced the final dest with the waypoint dest we were trying to add. I was actually looking into the 4250 for the wife's car. One thing I didn't like was the bluetooth not importing the phone book. Other than those 2 things, the 4040 worked awesome and the "Exit POIs" is really nice too.


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## Laiser

i took a look at Garmin 680 at BB when i returned the Magellan. i dont like the fact that one has to enter city before an address. i am in one of the places were "real" city name has changed more than 4 times over the years...so if you enter one city you might not get the street name. Magellan did it by zipcode...which is a perfect "primarykey" when it comes to an address. I wish Garmin had a menu to say enter address by a. zipcode b. city......


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## jefflins

The 4250 power adpter plugs into the unit itself, not into the cradle, so removing it is more of a pain than the garmin, but not by much as the clip in the mount itself makes it easy to remove...


The garmins display is just glare free...when the sun hit both units, the magellan faded a bit, but the garmin was just as colorful as ever.


The map data itself on the garmin is ugly, but by increasing the detail to make and giong to a 2d view, it cleans up...but i still prefer the magellan map style.


Bluetooth on the garmin 680 is great. Pairs well with my razor, loads the address book. Vastly superior to the magellan.


Menu system is great with the garmin. Just overall easier to use, though the magellan is pretty good and its entry of addresses is very nice.


Haven't tried the magellans traffic, and the MSN for the nuvi is a bit flaky, but seems to generally work, though accuracy and timlieness is questionable. I think thats true for all traffic...


I believe i'll keep the nuvi, and get an extra mount for my other car...popping it out and switching it will be very easy...


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## asiparks

Still haven't found the Magellan at a local costco, but..... just got their latest flyer, the tomtom 720 has gone down to three sixty nine and they'll be selling the tt920 from 11/26 for three ninety nine !! I'm going to order a tt920 and if I can find one, a 4250 to run next to the garmin.


I still like my Garmin other than I really would like to be able to select and display POI's in the map view as I'm driving, rather than have to go into the POI menu, pick a specific POI and then set a course for it. It would also be nice to have an arrow showing the distance to, and direction of, the next turn, instead of just "turn in X miles" as well as vehicle speed.


Other minor niggles...it would be nice to have the option of selecting some of the MSN functions from the map view, such as Gas prices or a phone icon so you could initiate a call without having to go into sub menus. It seems to take around 2 minutes each morning to lock onto satellites as I set off from home, might not be a big deal, but I come to 2 major junctions, one each way from my door, within that time...


I do like the maps though and the mount is very nice....


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## blackbull

i was thinking which to buy, garmin 6xx series or 4250 but i finally got the 4250. the unit so far so good. 2 comments : 1. the adaptor plugs to the unit itself, not the cradle (it quite bothers me). 2. i own a 6000t, but the tts of the 6000t is better than the 4250.


things that i like the 4250 over garmin: 1. the map view shows you the current street and the up coming street for your next turn. 2. the map view has POI icons. just tap it and the unit will route you there. 3. it has the "next turn arrow" showing on the map view. 4. some people always complain magellan models dont have eta, 4250 has it now. the unit acquire the signal very fast, can get it within 10 seconds even you are indoor but the re-calculating (after u miss a turn) is a bit slower (slower than my 6000t, 1 second delay maybe...).


it also comes with a "Optimiz" feature in the mutli-destination. anybody knows how it works? if i put 10 locations in a trip and optimize it, it will give me the route by using my current location as the starting point and minimize the total traveling time OR i need to choose one of the 10 locations as my starting point? do i need to pick a final destination? thanks


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## BilalAsmal

Hi

I am on a strict budget. I was thinking about buying a GPS for almost three years finally I came across few great bargains at costco 680 $479.00 and Best Buy 660 $ 399.00 so I bought both and now in a dilemma which on to keep. Can someone help me decide I am confused. I am on the road once or twice a year do I need a GPS that expensive, should I return both and just wait for these sets to fall below $300 mark.HEEEEEEEEEEllllllp

Ba


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## slickdjl

Laiser,

Im with you

I purchased a 4250 and stuck on "systems settings" . been like this for a day. typed a message to megellan, and they want me to call them.ho hum. I like what they have to offer, but wish it would work! going to try and take it back for another. if it doesn't work, back to Garmin. Will be back with info.


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## shellshof

Does anyone know if there is a way to set a starting point to a route on the Magellan 4250 or do you have to always start your route from where you are????? Thank You.


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## rktcyntst

I thought I'd follow up with my decision and share my experiences thus far.


I had both units, decided against the Garmin and popped open the 4250. This is our family's first GPS unit and our only other experience was a positive one using Hertz Neverlost.


PROs:

- As mentioned already, I'm a fan of the POI system on the Magellan and the fact that gas stations, ATMs, grocery stores, restaurants, coffee, etc show up as I roll by is appreciated. Easy to tap on an icon and get routed.


- POI alerts are pretty cool; I used the included SW to get red light cameras and speed traps and as you approach these areas, the unit will warn you that you're within your specified range of what ever it is. I let the wife take this on a business trip she went on and she regularly had the unit warning her of these types of things in an unfamiliar area.


- The AAA guidebook is actually pretty neat. Not only does it provide POIs, it further provides the AAA info such as a description of the place, typical cost, a rating, business hours, accepted forms of payment (cash, visa, MC, etc) and a phone number that you can simply tap on when paired with a BT phone. More info rarely hurts in my opinion.


- The voice recognition, while not perfect, is kinda cool. When rolling along, I can say, "Magellan", "Where am I?". The unit then presents me the trip computer (speed, heading, alt, etc) and states the road I'm traveling on. While that's kind of neat the first time, stating "Magellan, nearest coffee" and being presented options that I can vocally navigate to by glancing at the screen and selecting the number of the associated place, or moving to the next page by saying "next" or "previous" is more functional. You can also ask it things like, "nearest ATM", "go home", "nearest restaurant" to which you'll get a sub-menu you can work through (american, italian, etc.) or you can just get fancy and say "Magellan, nearest chinese restaurant" select one by number and have it route you without touching or looking (if you want to take whatever is closest) at the unit is neat.


- The unit is snappy in acquiring where it is (w/in 10 sec) and I can even get signals within my house. Maybe that's the norm today, but I didn't expect that.


- It's thin without any additional antenna to be extended. What you see is what you need. There is the FM antenna that runs with the power adapter if you're going to use the traffic subscription (I haven't tried this)


- Text to voice is nice. My wife was a big fan of having the unit speak to her in street names rather than being vague. I like it as well. Some names get butchered, but for the most part it's pretty good.


- My mobile phone (LG Muzic - Sprint) is not listed as supported, but it works for everything except the text messaging when paired with BT. I can find POIs, click on the phone number associated with the result and the unit calls the place. Speakerphone is okay and at times it is hard to hear with road noise. It's usable, just don't expect polycom quality.


- The estimated arrival time is nice. In my experience, I've seen it overestimate the amount of time needed by a couple minutes. However, it does update as you approach your destination and I've not yet exceeded the arrival time. I'd much rather have it work this way than be too aggressive with arrival time.


- When routing, once I've selected an address either by city, zip code or whatever that other option is that I can't remember at the moment, it gives me the option of selecting the parameters for routing (examples are shortest distance, fastest route, most use of highways, least use of highways) and an option to avoid toll roads. I can either just hit 'go' or update my parameters before hitting go. Again, maybe this is standard, but I like these options.


- Also, the ability to exclude roads is nice. Once a route is selected, I can hit the next maneuver arrow to pop up the manuver list. From there, I can tap on a road and tell the unit to exclude the use of that road to reroute. Handy when construction/traffic is an issue.


- It came with a travel pouch. Nice touch when throwing the unit in a bag.


- AC adapter was included along with the car adapter. The Garmin I got only had the car adapter. Weird.


- Reroute is fast. Drive past an instruction and within a few seconds, the unit calculates a new solution. If you're moving enough, I've run into scenarios where the reroute computation start is fast, but takes a bit to figure out the actual route.


- Wife acceptance factor was good. She's not a tech guru, but is happy with this unit. It's intuitive for her to use and she told me it significantly reduced her stress when she had to drive in So CA on business having the unit with her.


- Adaptive keyboard is nice. As you type a city or street name, the unit removes invalid letters that aren't associated with the correct spelling of a street name. It's minimized fat fingering a wrong letter and speeds up typing since you can be a bit sloppy. Additionally, it does the same thing when selecting street number to allowing you to chose only valid house numbers for the street you've selected.


Cons:

- No support for waypoints on a multidestination route such that the unit moves onto the next destination uppon arrival of the previous destination. The 4250 does allow you to plan a trip and enter multiple destinations, but it won't advance to the next destination without me telling it that I'm ready to do so. More of an annoyance to me than anything since I can get to the next destination within a few clicks.


- As mentioned previously, the power button doesn't always behave. I've held it on for 10-15 seconds with no response and didn't get one until I pushed it repetitively, held it down and did a number of other various things to get it to turn on. In the 2 weeks I've had it, I still don't know what the magic trick is to get it to turn on when it decides to act up.


- Routing gets a little wonky giving me some questionable directions at times; I have confidence the unit will get me where I need to go, but am not always certain that it selects the best way to get there; for instance, yesterday it essentially told me to take an offramp and then take the continuing onramp in lieu of having me just continue on the original road. Although technically, I guess it may have been the shortest route for the roads given. Still....


- While voice is cool, the unit is sometimes hard of hearing and you may need to issue commands multiple times to get it to respond. Some have reported false voice activations (radio or something else triggers it to turn on). I've had this happen only once when others in the car were speaking. There is an option to disable voice recognition.


- BT with mobile phone doesn't pull in my contacts. I can use the phone to dial using the contacts and the GPS unit handles the call; it'd be better to me if the GPS could see my contacts


- My GPS and phone don't 'see' one another when in the vicinity of each other; I've not had BT devices before, but I expected the units to pair automatically if they saw one another. Instead, I have to manually connect the phone to the GPS if I want to use it. Kind of a pain - maybe because my phone isn't supported?


- Unit hasn't woken up on a few occasions when connected to car adapter power. It usually comes on automatically when I turn on my car. There have been times that I've needed to play the power button roulette game unit it comes on. I've not picked upon a pattern of when this occurs. I was going to exchange the unit, but am unsure now if I will after hearing this isn't an isolated thing - I'm guessing SW bug is involved.


- Can't enter addresses via PC or trip plan. I think someone said tomtom can.


Those are the main things that I can think of. Overall, I'm fortunate to have gotten a unit that works for the most part and am happy with the features it brings for the price. There are some nice things that Garmin provides, but when it came down to it, having BT in this feature packed unit seemed to make more sense for me than the more expensive (when comparably equipped) Garmin 750. Garmin units are nice, but I haven't yet felt the need for MP3s (I have an iPod and a music phone), pictures, a translating dictionary or other stuff I'd likely not use. For me Magellan was the right choice and I'm pleased to have it as my first GPS unit. There's plenty of POIs, the AA guide book is a nice touch and taking to the unit is neat. Hopefully this helps someone else that's looking to make a decision.


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## blackbull

hi rktcyntst,


may i know how to activiate the red light camera feature in the 4250? it seems like very useful esp when you are in an unfamiliar area....


i have the following feedback:


1. ETA- yes the 4250 has eta feature now. however, i think the eta is calculated by the distance of your route, not by the speed of your travel time. let me give you an example, i usually take bus to work but i drove to work with the unit in order to test it last week. it is about 25 miles from my home to office. without traffic, it only takes you about 35 mins to go to work. however, it takes almost 1.5 hrs everyday since my office is in downtown. i left home at 8am, the gps told me the eta was about 8.35am. however, i think the unit should have given me an eta of 9.30am , instead of 8.35am. 9.30am as eta would make more sense to me since i was stuck in traffic traveling about 20m/h. so the default setting in my 4250 is distance to destination, not eta. i dont know if garmin is like this or not?


2. multi-destination - i think the 4250 comes with the "optimize" option which previous models didnt have. it will rearrange all your stops in your trip but i dont know the logic behind that, by shortest distance or by shortest time? too bad you cant choose your starting/ending point...


3. power botton - i have this experience for couple times too. sometimes i need to press it for 2-3 times in order to turn it on. also, it doesnt have the indicator (the green/orange little light) to tell you the unit is fully charged or being charged. it quite bothers me....


4. routing - i have this problem too. i know i am supposed to make a left in the next street. however, the unit asks me to make a right, then an immediate U turn. since i am familiar with that area, i just ignore that guidance and make a left at the beginning. it is weird to me....but so far this is the only time i have this problem....


5. BT- i dont use this option since i have my own motorola h700 as my BT. even you have added/paired your phone to the gps, you still need to connect that everytime you want to use it. same as my bt, i have added 3 different kind of bt into my cell phone. whenever i want to use it, i also need to tell my cell phone which bt device i want to connect. this is how it works. it wont connect itself automatically once you turn on you bt.


if more expensive unit = better unit, then garmin for sure is the best since they are the most expensive ones in the market. however, like what you said, i dont use photo viewer, mp3 or even bt, why bohter to pay $2-300 more for the features that you will never use. one thing magellan needs to improve is their customer service. all the world knows it sucks!


----------



## rktcyntst




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *blackbull* /forum/post/12395782
> 
> 
> hi rktcyntst,
> 
> 
> may i know how to activiate the red light camera feature in the 4250? it seems like very useful esp when you are in an unfamiliar area....



blackbull,


sorry if my message was a bit misleading, but the feature is actually associated with the custom POIs and isn't an embedded feature. Whenever you add a custom POI, you have the ability to set alert parameters on those POIs. For instance, you can set the range that the alert will go off (i.e. sounds alert if within 3 mi., 2 mi. whatever it is you choose) and set the approach angle for the alert to sound. It doesn't have to be speed traps or red light cameras, but can be anything, even wal marts! As an example, my wife works in health care and often travels between clinics. For convenience, I added each of the clinics in the area as a custom POI. Without knowing it, alerts were set up and she mentioned to me that whenever she'd be in the area of one of her clinics, the GPS would state "Kaiser Permanente". Took me a second to realize that the unit was doing this due to the custom POIs I entered.


For the original example, there are folks that maintain POI databases that you can import into the 4250. If you locate one you're interested in (google 'red light poi' and you'll get a number of hits), you can download it (for a price) as a custom POI and use the alert functionality. Additionally, school zones and the like are out there from folks assembling and maintaining the data. I've seen it range from $25/yr to making a $5 contribution to getting their version of the file. Once you get it you just need to use the included SW to load the data into the GPS. Hope this clarifies things.


By the way, thanks for the info on BT. My brother has a new Camry and was able to talk to me from his apartment. Upon entering and turning on his car, it automatically transfered to the car. I just thought this was the way that BT worked. Good to know that he's probably the exception. Also, thanks for the info on the other nits you mentioned. I'm just going to keep this unit since it sounds like the bugs are there and a new unit won't necessary solve anything.


Like you said, no need to pay more for junk I won't use. That's the reason I have an ipod, mobile phone, etc. It's designed to perform that task and do it well. I don't expect my GPS to make me coffee, but I do expect it to guide me to coffee!


----------



## blackbull

hi rktcyntst,


for the power botton issue, did u try to reset the unit? i got a reply from magellan tech support (i got the reply the same day, not bad). they asked me to reset the unit for this problem. they said it may help on the routing problem as well. pls let me know does it help if u decide to reset the unit. thanks


----------



## sstrawsb

If anyone is interested, I have a brand new in the box, Garmin 760. Ive used the unit before at work and its very easy to use. Bought the unit for a christmas present, which I dont need anymore.


email me at [email protected] if interested.


----------



## rktcyntst




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *blackbull* /forum/post/12412340
> 
> 
> hi rktcyntst,
> 
> 
> for the power botton issue, did u try to reset the unit? i got a reply from magellan tech support (i got the reply the same day, not bad). they asked me to reset the unit for this problem. they said it may help on the routing problem as well. pls let me know does it help if u decide to reset the unit. thanks



I'll give it a try... can't hurt, right? (Famous last words.....) I'll report back with results soon.


----------



## rktcyntst

Tried the reset. No change in behavior. I didn't think it'd do anything...


----------



## Feirstein

I just tried out a 760 and the only issue I found is that I just pass a road or street and the 760 display shows that I am not yet at the road or street. It is off by about 20 feet or so. Wonder if this is adjustable?


Richard


----------



## muahman

I also bought a Nuvi 760 and Magellan 4250.


I returned the Nuvi 760. The Magellan has the more important features and I got it at Costco for $349. The Nuvi was $700, so it was double the price. Neither are perfect but the features I thought were more important were on the Magellan. The Magellan gives you a few more turn warnings, which is helpful, especially on the highway. A couple of times the Garmin was like your turn in a 1/2 mile, and I'd be in the left lane. And it was actually like 1/4 mile. The Magellan tells you at 2 miles and then at 1 mile, 1/2 mile, and then gives you a nice "DING" when you are suppossed to turn.


Since I drive on the highways alot the Exit POI's are HUGE for me. The Garmin doesn't offer that at all. I don't think the Garmin shows the POI's at all on the map actually. Maybe it can be configured to do that.


Entering the addresses on the Magellan is easier for sure. You don't have to know the exact spelling of the streets like you do on the Garmin. The Magellan makes suggestions from all the available streets in the zip code you are entering. It's totally sweet.


I also like the voice commands on the Magellan. The Garmin doesn't have voice at all.










The things I liked better about the Garmin 760 were the BT implementation. It transfers your contacts automatically. But I drive a jeep in FL so the top is never on it so making phone calls BT or not is impossible which rendered the feature useless.


I like the finish of the Gamrin better and the mount is slight better because power plug plugs directly into the mount.


Supposedly the routing engine is better on the Garmin but, since I use it for mostly highway driving and some rural stuff I got the exact direction 99% of the time.


The Magellan came with a AC adapter and Car Charger. The top of the line Magellan only comes with a car charger. The Magellan also comes with a nice little case. COME ON GARMIN for double the price add the adapter and case you cheap bastages.


Anyway. Hope that helps. I wish I could combine the best features of both. I also wish I had tried the Tom Tom 920t. Happy shopping.



Oh yeah. For those having trouble with the power button. It's the one issue i've had. You just have to make sure you are pushing the button down right. As in all the way. Like you can you push it to the right or left. I don't know how to describe really. Just push it in firmly. The slider power switch on the Garmin is better.


Really a tough call as too which one is better. In the end price and Exit POI's made the difference for me.


----------



## leahcar25

I am running the Magellan 4250 and the Garmin 750 side by side, trying to decide which to buy for my husband for Christmas. I have a couple questions. It seems that the Garmin sat. reception is not as strong. I pulled into my garage and lost the signal. The magellan was still at full strength. Anyone else find a weak signal in the garmin? Also, BT vs No BT... would that just be phone capabilities? Is BT good for anything else?

We do a lot of off-road camping, are there any maps I can download? I was on the phone with the rep from Magellan and they said that their device was only good for automobile streets. He said no off-road maps were available but that I could purchase a hand held device.









Does anyone know if I can download offroad maps to the Garmin? Ok, just one more question, is the garmin really worth the extra $


----------



## bhealey

leahcar25, look here:

http://www8.garmin.com/cartography/ontheTrail/


----------



## streethunter45




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *rktcyntst* /forum/post/12454133
> 
> 
> I'll give it a try... can't hurt, right? (Famous last words.....) I'll report back with results soon.



The delay with the power switch on the Magellan 4250 is not a malfunction, this is just a characteristic of Magellan GPS units. I own a Magellan Roadmate 760 which has the same characteristic. You simply have to hold the power switch down until the unit powers on or off. I also own a new Magellan Maestro 4250, I press and hold the power button down until the unit powers on or off whichever one I desire at the time. It works perfectly everytime. It is just the way Magellan has designed the power switch.


----------



## Jonesky

I bought the Garmin 650 from Costco for 300$. Features, performance, ease of use, and price included does anyone think I can do better?


It seems to be a very functional GPS only device. I guess it does not have bread crumbs, though. I wonder how useful that will be?


Any and all input appreciated.


----------



## kcuf




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *ttexas22* /forum/post/11996952
> 
> 
> Bill,
> 
> 
> I picked up a Nuvi 760 on Oct. 11th from CC. I'd be happy to answer any questions about the unit that you may have.
> 
> 
> TTx



I bought a 750 but I can't seem to get to the calibration menu. The instructions say to turn off then on and move the switch to the right and hold your finger on the screen for 30 seconds.


----------



## blackbull

i now press the power button all the way down firmly and it seems ok. thanks guys!


however, i have been experiencing another problem of the 4250. while it was navigating, the VR menu suddenly pop up and asked me to "say a command". it happened to me serveral times. does anybody have this problem too? anyone knows how to solve it? thanks and merry christmas!


----------



## richiet1959

I have just recieved t he 4250 for a Christmas gift and seem to have trouble with set up. Things seem to be going well through the first couple of screens until I got to the warning screen. It seemed to freeze and thats as far as it went. I tried to reset it several times and a couple of times it went to the next screen with buttons containing "time zone" and 5 or 6 other selections. there was a next button a (?) button and a back arrow. The touch screen wasn't responding and the unit seemed to just restart itself after 5 minutes or so. After everything I hear about this unit on this forum I am excited with this model but a little bummed I am having this trouble. Is it possible I have a defective unit??? Any input will be appreciated.

Richiet1959


----------



## klsohn




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *richiet1959* /forum/post/12587574
> 
> 
> I have just recieved t he 4250 for a Christmas gift and seem to have trouble with set up. Things seem to be going well through the first couple of screens until I got to the warning screen. It seemed to freeze and thats as far as it went. I tried to reset it several times and a couple of times it went to the next screen with buttons containing "time zone" and 5 or 6 other selections. there was a next button a (?) button and a back arrow. The touch screen wasn't responding and the unit seemed to just restart itself after 5 minutes or so. After everything I hear about this unit on this forum I am excited with this model but a little bummed I am having this trouble. Is it possible I have a defective unit??? Any input will be appreciated.
> 
> Richiet1959



I have the same issue with the 4250 I got for Christmas - in addition, it will just reset itself randomly and for some reason, keeps popping from the map screen to the routing screen at its own will...it's going back for an exchange today (Costco).


One thing I did notice in the couple of days I played with it - when I was stuck in traffic it seemed to rely more on elapsed time than satellites...it told me I had arrived at my destination when I was still about 15 miles out!


I'm hoping it's just a buggy unit and the exchange will fix the issues.


----------



## batdude

I have the Magellan 4250. It was bought in Florida while we were on vacation because I couldn't take my TomTom another second. So far I have had no problems whatsoever. I was pretty excited when I left the store, popped it out the box and turned it on. It already knew where it was! My old tomtom could take as long as 1 hour to "settle down" and start working properly. So going from that to the Magellan has me dancing in the street. To date it has not skipped a beat - very impressive!


The voice feature is kind of cool but sometimes hard to use. You have to talk loudly and clearly. Doubt I will use it much.


What I like best is that the unit comes with over 6 Million POI's so we have been able to find pretty much anything we've been looking for. The clear bright screen is also a treat.


On the downside I have found locations where the map is out of date. I know of one street that was closed several years ago but my Magellan always wants me to turn there. Gets a bit annoying...


But overall I would give this unit a 10/10.


----------



## batdude

By the way, the Magellan 4250 is $349 at Costco right now.


----------



## RenoGuy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *batdude* /forum/post/12633754
> 
> 
> By the way, the Magellan 4250 is $349 at Costco right now.



If you can wait until March 17-23 2008, you can get the 4250 at Costco for $250 using their coupon book that I just got in the mail. That's a pretty amazing price for a GPS with all those features. And their current $350 price is great as well.


I have an older Magellan 2200T which I updated on their website to a Crossover. The road navigation, menus, and map display of the Crossover is pretty similar to the 4250.


Anyway, I like the features quite a bit, although several things are lacking. But I have been very happy with it for the most part so I do plan to get the 4250 in March, unless a much better deal comes along.


One concern I have is that Magellan makes no promises for future map updates. They just say check our website! I'm worried they will not support the current models in the future, and just want you to buy a new unit every year or two to get the latest maps. Hope I'm wrong, but Garmin does seem to supply yearly map updates (for a price, about $69 on sale).


I picked the Magellan over the Garmin 660 because the Garmins do not have the multiple destinations (called "Trip Planner" on the Magellan). Plus the Garmins cost a lot more. The trip planner is great if you do deliveries, or want to view/visit multiple homes (as in real estate). You can enter 20 destinations for each trip, and it will optimize the trip for you. And you aren't just limited to 20 destinations, because you can have multiple trips. I've set up about 10 trips, and haven't run out of memory yet.


Someone asked about the optimize feature on the Magellan. Here's how it works. Whenever you select optimize, it will sort all the destinations you've stored in your Trip Planner in the best order from your CURRENT LOCATION. And that's what it should do. But it is kind of wierd in that it tells you to go to the place furthest away first, and then work back from there. But I guess it doesn't really matter because the total distance would be the same anyway if you went from first to last instead? Anyway, it's a GREAT feature, if you need it. And none of the Garmins have it unless you get the 700 series. And I don't know if the 700s are better or worse than the Magellan for this feature. But they cost twice as much.


I did look at a 4250 at Best Buy and noticed one other thing, which I'm not sure is good or bad. It appears to have a plastic, rather than glass screen. When I press on it to do a touch command, I can see it flex, and I can see the LCD colors fade a bit near when I press. The nearly identical Magellan 3250 (same as 4250 but not widescreen) seems to have glass because I don't see the flex. Anybody else notice this?? On one hand, you can argue the plastic is better since it's lighter and won't break. Then again, maybe it will scratch too easily?


----------



## dshlapak

...I have two issues with it--one is merely a quirk, while the other may be fatal.


* The quirk is that it seems to plot perverse routes over long distances. Drove back and forth from my home to DC this weekend, which I do practically as a commute so I'm really familiar with the different routes. From here to there, we asked for "shortest distance" and it not only tried to take us on a circuitous path, but kept insisting that we circle back and use it. Finally, as we neared the Beltway, it seemed to say, "Oh, I get it" and locked onto our program (and simultaneously advanced our ETA by over an hour!). On the way back, using "shortest time", it got the course right until the very end, when it wanted us to leave the Turnpike one exit too soon and kept telling us we would arrive home hours after we actually were going to.


The good news is that it was flawless in the city, which is where we really needed it. But I'm curious as to whether this sort of routing mishegas is typical of all GPS units or if one or another brand has a better reputation.


* The possibly fatal flaw is that Magellan apparently does not provide Mac OS compatible versions of their software. Am I correct about that? I'm assuming that that would mean that I will have no way of updating the 4250's software/firmware or maps, or managing my own POIs. Is that right? Are there viable workarounds? I know that TomTom supports Macs, and I believe Garmin recently started to...


Any thoughts/advice/comments would be appreciated.


Cheers.


--- das


----------



## batdude

I have had my Magellan 4250 for 2 weeks now. I have noticed 3 quirks:


1. Sometimes, while driving, it will suddenly flip over to the "Do you want to continue on battery power" blue screen for just a moment, then just as quickly it flips back to the map.










2. On two occasions I have had the lockup (hang) problem. I have found two solutions. (1) just wait awhile, sometimes it wakes up again or (2) press and hold the power button for a long time until it shuts off, then just turn it back on again.










3. I have an exit nearby that I must take each day. Magellan NEVER announces the exit but shows the exit on the map. Weird.










Otherwise, this unit works very well and I really like the AAA tour book, the database of over 6 million POIs, and the little POI icons you can turn on on the maps. I'll be keeping this unit despite the minor glitches. I am sure Magellan will fix the software over time.


----------



## Supermans

I have been using the Garmin NUvi 750 (piano black) for about a month. I have to say, it is the best GPS I've ever used. I owned a Tom Tom which was great for its time, however not very accurate at times) I don't know anything about the Magellan 4250 to compare, however I have had zero problems with the nuvi 750 and the touch screen is amazing. The Nuvi 750 got every address that the Tom Tom missed by a few hundred feet which included my own house. Many features that are useful.. This is an excellent device..


My friend bought a Navigon 7100 for more than what I paid for my 750, and within a week he returned it and bought a Nuvi 650 which was on sale and cheaper than the 750. In either case, stay away from navigon products as they are poorly responsive to the touch (touchscreen is utter crap) and they lockup frequently.. The Nuvi for example is lightning fast to the touch and the many features are so easy, even a monkey can figure it out.. Speaker is loud and clear, and the "Where am I" feature is excellent since it gives you easy access to the nearest emergency facilities if needed..


Here are some good reviews of the 700 line of garmin products...

http://www.gpsreview.net/garmin-nuvi-760/ 

http://www.gpslodge.com/archives/014480.php 

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=7958703 


Walmart has it in stock for $462.. Cheapest I've seen at a B&M while Best Buy has it for $499.


----------



## richiet1959

I have just recieved the latest coupon book from Cosatco and in March the Maestro 4250 will be priced at $249.00 I am waiting to purchase until then and with Costco policy it can be taken back anytime. Just wanted everyone to know this.

Richie T


----------



## srthomas21

When your press on your screen does it make other parts of the screen go funky? Especially in night mode when I press on the screen other parts of the screen get distorted. After I'm done touching it the screen goes back to normal.


For instance I could be toching the upper right corner of the screen and then it makes the lower left get distorted.


My dad has the 4050 and his screen doesn't do that at all so I'm just wondering if my is a defect or if that is just how the screen is on the 4250 since it's slimmer.


Also does your touch screen seem pretty responsive?


Mine can be a bit slow especially pressing the back button.


Thanks for your help


----------



## gizmo321

Is there a way to make the volume louder while using Bluetooth or is there a way to connect the 4250 to my car's speakers. Anyone????


----------



## Jazzy

Can you add Europe maps to the 4250?

And how is that done?


I know you can add Europe maps to the Nuvi's, by

getting the DVD and transfering the maps to a SD card.


----------



## richiet1959

I have tried the nuvi 680 and the maestro 4250. I have to say I am leaning towards the magellan. The nuvi keeps telling mt my house in on the right and it's on the left. The meastro seems easier to use and I like the AAA tour guide with the 6 million points of interest. Garmin is nice but still isn't perfect, and for the price savinge and returm policy with costco I think a I will take my chances with the magellan.


----------



## rod_b

Do you need the coupon book to purchase the 4250 for $249? And if so, is it limited to just 1 per coupon?


----------



## hacker-pschorr

Buy.com has the Germin 750 for $399 right now


----------



## MacFlash




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *rod_b* /forum/post/13060479
> 
> 
> Do you need the coupon book to purchase the 4250 for $249? And if so, is it limited to just 1 per coupon?



yes and yes


----------



## batdude




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *slickdjl* /forum/post/12367099
> 
> 
> Laiser,
> 
> Im with you
> 
> I purchased a 4250 and stuck on "systems settings" . been like this for a day. typed a message to megellan, and they want me to call them.ho hum. I like what they have to offer, but wish it would work! going to try and take it back for another. if it doesn't work, back to Garmin. Will be back with info.



Very odd. I have had the 4250 for quite some time now. It froze a couple of times. There's no way this is a Windows CE problem - I work in the software industry and work on Win CE displays. More likely a "board support" issue or Magellen's software. Anyway, when this happens, simply cycling power fixes it. With software this complex, a minor nuisance like that is understandable. I'm very happy with it. I'm sure they'll fix the glitches with a firmware update sooner or later. If not, shame on them.


----------



## memphis87

i have the 4250 and it works great, never freezes for me


----------



## NetGroups

Just bought the Magellan 4250 for $249.99 from onsale.com


This is my first GPS and so far I think its pretty cool. Haven't had any problems so far and it seems very acurate when it comes to maps and detail route plans. The bluetooth hooked up with no problems and the voice command is limited but cool to use. It did come with the traffic alert and I joined for the free membership trial without any problems. The display screen is bright and looks great. SO far so good... This really has helped me learn better and shorter routes -that I would think after a year or so this will pay for itself in gas savings. Garmin seems to be a leader in the GPS arena but I must say Im very happy with my purchase of the 4250.


MIKE


----------



## Flavius

Well, I recently evalutated the 4250 Magellan vs the 700 series Garmin at BestBuy for a good long while.


I chose the Magellan for under $300 shipped from Amazon. My reasons:


Magellan had a much more responsive touch screen.

Magellan had much better speech/voice. The Garmin voice sounded too warbled/robotic.

Magellan had AAA integration and I just became a member.

Magellan had more warnings before turns, a better turn indication system, and a nice ding as the turn was being made, which I found helpful.

POIs were visiable on the Magellan map and it has a nice "Exit POI" feature.

Magellan came with AC adapter for home use/charging AND a storage bag, both of which Garmin lacks.

Magellan had voice commands, which I don't think Garmin did.

Magellan had built in traffic receiver.

Magellan picked up a real GPS signal in the store, the Garmins could not!?

A lot of times on the Garmin, the car icon ran off the road! Never happened on the Magellan.

Magellan was quite a bit cheaper.


Honestly, the only things going for the Garmin were a better trip computer, MSN Direct integration, FM transmitter, and more fluff features like MP3 playback. I don't see why everyone buys a Garmin?!?


Let's hope I don't find out why when it arrives!


----------



## alanmacdougall

This thread was very helpful. I used a Megellan in a hertz car and loved it. I decided to purchase a Magellan 4250 on online at broardwayphoto.com. WARNING, do not buy anything from this website. They send me a e-mail to contact them. When I called they tried to make me purchase a "high speed" SD card for 49.95$ said it was "special" High speed and the unit will not work w/o it. Wrong, SD is basically a industry standard, you can buy one for much less and I believe the unit will work w/o it. Then he said the unit has 2006 maps and for $49.95 he would upgrade to 2008 maps. I believe the 4250 maps can be upgraded on line at Megellan for free. Is this correct? Anyhow, I felt like I was being scammed so I cancelled the order.


----------



## Flavius

Don't you know you should never buy anything from NYC online electronic stores? Anyway, I got mine at Amazon, very low price.


----------



## ttexas22

Good choice, Alan. I've purchased from NYC electronics stores before, you've just got to do your research before committing the bucks. I hope you find another vendor to pick up your GPS.


TTx


----------



## batdude

Hi Alan,

You were definately being scammed. You don't need an SD card but if you want one pretty much any card should work. And the Magellen 4250 just came out so it has the latest maps and there has never been an upgrade available (at least the last time I checked). They were completely lying to you.


----------



## alanmacdougall

Thanks for the feedback, After trying to deal with another NYC scammer (techondigital.com), I ordered it from circuit city ($314.95 total). CC will deliver it for free or you can pick it up at a store near you. Can't wait to get it. I have to travel all over CA, I hope this makes my life easier.


----------



## batdude

I own a Magellan 4250. I bought it in a hurry while on a trip and the price was 1/2 the cost of a Garman Nuvi at Costco. I had a chance to travel with a friend who has a Garman Nuvi unit so I can do a comparison of the two. I would take the magellan in a heartbeat.


1. Nuvi 750 was (not sure if still is) twice the price of the Magellan 4250.

2. Sometimes the Nuvi gives unclear directions. Things like "Turn left in 400 feet". How the heck should I know how far 400 feet is?? The Magellan gives clear and concise instructions that annouce the exit number etc starting 3 kilometers away and then counting down. Both units announce the street name but it seemed that sometimes the Nuvi only gave distance as you approached a turn.

3. The magellan then double-beeps (ding-ding) when you hit the spot where a turn is required. I REALLY missed that when using the Garman. Love that feature.

4. The Garman kept getting lost with instructions like "turn left, turn right, turn left" and losing the satellite signal. I have owned the Magellan 4250 for about 6 months now. It has never, not once, lost the satellite signal or given incorrect or confusing directions.

5. The garman's start-up time was much slower. The magellan seems to have the satellite signal even before you turn it on.

6. We kept taking wrong turns with the Nuvi due to unclear or incorrect directions (due to poor satellite reception I assume). I just don't experience that with the magellan. At one point we got lost using the Nuvi for about 20 minutes while we kept driving around in circles taking wrong exits and turns.


These are my humble opinions after having used both units. I am no expert. Some of the above information may be incorrect due to my lack of experience with the Garman unit over a long period of time.


I have to agree with Flavius. Why do people buy the Garman units???


----------



## alanmacdougall

Thanks for the great feedback on the Magellan. I recieved the unit and it works great so far. No problems with setup, on/off or function. I wish it had more recent map data, my street isn't shown and its been around for ~2yrs. Next week is the big test in S CA.


----------



## CHP_VR

Just an FYI for those looking for the Nuvi 750.. I picked mine up at Sam's Club yesterday $299.22.


----------



## vili

Anyone found any good deals on the Magellan 4250? I've decided on getting this unit and the best price new I can get is from a merchant on amazon for $284 after shipping and $225 for a refurb from onsale. Thanks


----------



## Douglas-K

I'm looking at buying a Magellan 4250.


When you buy Garmin, you get a free update to make sure your maps are current. Is this the same with Magellan?


Reading this forum has been very helpful in making my purchase decision.


~~Douglas


----------



## batdude




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Douglas-K* /forum/post/14573163
> 
> 
> I'm looking at buying a Magellan 4250.
> 
> 
> When you buy Garmin, you get a free update to make sure your maps are current. Is this the same with Magellan?
> 
> 
> ~~Douglas




Yes. In fact the 4250 has a map update coming right away.


----------



## Real




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *batdude* /forum/post/14576139
> 
> 
> Yes. In fact the 4250 has a map update coming right away.



Just bought a new 4250 from Amazon with firmware in the 2's (current is 4.6) and map data/POIs that is 2 years old. Firmware update is "free". The new updated map data from Magellan is not free. They want $80. I would say buy the Garmin with the free map update. This is certainly a better business model. I will be returning this.


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## navychop

Thanks to all for the informative posts. It started me looking for which unit to get. I boiled it down to Magellan, the 5310 or the 4350. The 5310 has a 5" screen, but only 480x272 resolution. The 4350 has a 4.3" screen at 800x400. The 5310 has been out longer and it's maps are a few months older. Plus the 4350 has BT, voice command and can be carried around with you and used. The 4370, I am told, will offer better visibility in bright light, when it is released.


I'll be ordering a Magellan 4350 tonight.


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## saucywonder

I've had both for about a week now and this is my pro and con list they both end up pretty equal. Sorry about the format it is cut and paste from excel


Garmin 750


Pro Con


(8) can add via points (1) trip planner has some glitches

fm transmitter takes a long time to turn on

(4) better navigation

pedestrian function (geocaching)

media player/picture viewer/calculator/currency converter/unit converter/language guide/ world clock (probably won't use these)

qwerty keypad

headphone jack

(5) better window mount

more voices (British, etc)

map screen has better graphics

you can choose what your car looks like

You can add POIs? - I haven't done this

screen can dim more

displays the speed limit on map screen


Magellan 4250


Pro Con


voice commands (3) Can't add via points

blue tooth capable

(7) can avoid specific streets

(10) smart spell function

(6) more route preferences

less expensive

separate charger for wall

AAA guide book

default to streets and turn screen if satelite reception is lost

(2) I like the trip planner better

turns on faster

(9) More info on map screen

with subscription you can get traffic updates

battery life appears to be longer?







(1) if you are going to a strip mall or some place with a large parking lot sometimes it doesn't register that you've made it to that destination so when you head to the next destination it tells you to make a u-turn because you haven't made it to your first destination. There is probably a better way around this but it isn't intuitive.

(2) you enter several addresses and when you have reached one you can just choose the next destination

(3) you can only add exit POIs while you are heading to a current destination which means that unless the change you want to make is in the next few exits of a freeway you can't add it to your trip unless you cancel your trip and create a new trip with the new destination entered from the beginning.

(4) Often recalculates faster than the magellan and recognizes faster routes than the Magellan but only marginally faster (a couple of minutes)

(5) smaller, easier on and off and easier to adjust

(6) Fastest time, least use of freeways, shortest distance, most use of free ways vs. faster time, shorter distance, off road

(7) when you see a specific street in the street name view you can just touch that street and the magellan will avoid that street (handy if you know a certain street is traffic ridden) vs garmin you can only avoid u-turns, highways, toll roads, traffic (if available), ferries, carpool lanes, unpaved roads

(8) with the garmin you can make adjustments to your route while you are in route to a destination compare to #3

(9) Map screen on magellan names the current street as well as the next street and displays an arrow describing the next turn. It also has a volume control on the map screen and it has small icons for gas, atm, etc that you can touch for more info.

(10) as you spell your destination city, and street name the keyboard will shade and deactivate letters that would not follow which helps you type faster and not hit the wrong letters


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## any1have1




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *vili* /forum/post/13975124
> 
> 
> Anyone found any good deals on the Magellan 4250? I've decided on getting this unit and the best price new I can get is from a merchant on amazon for $284 after shipping and $225 for a refurb from onsale. Thanks



Try Tigerdirect, Newegg, or eBay - they tend to have some good deals, particularly if you don't mind a refurb.


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## gbherson6

You guys convinced me to buy the maestro. But I think you could have convinced me to shave my balls just as easy so whatever.


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