Magellan Maestro 3100: Obviously an entry level GPS
Written: Dec 15 '08 (Updated Nov 17 '09)
Product Rating:
Pros: it's a GPS
Cons: lengthy calibration periods, sometimes poor directions, lack of features, unresponsive touch screen, battery life
The Bottom Line: Let me make this clear: I only recommend this if you need a cheap, mildly effective GPS to get you there. You can do better for a little more.
livewire_13's Full Review: Magellan Maestro 3100 Car GPS Receiver
Make no mistake, Magellan's Maestro 3100 is a no-frills, entry-level GPS. Will it get you from Point A to Point B? yeah. Will it always choose the fastest way, play your tunes, connect to your phone and wipe your butt? Don't count on it.
I got this device as a gift, and my first GPS, so I'm reluctant to bash it extensively. I opened it up, plugged it into my car's cigarette lighter using the included car charger and pushed the power button. Programming it was simply a matter of choosing new route and entering the town and street name via touchscreen.
Most of the time, this works just fine and actually brings you within a block of where you're looking to go. However, I have noticed some issues, especially around my office in northwestern Suffolk County on Long Island. If you choose the wrong town along a border, this device may not believe your address exists. There's nothing more frusterating than trying to figure out a location you know exists doesn't come up.
Outside of that, my single biggest beef with the Maestro 3100 has to be the calibration times. Shut it down for more than a couple of minutes or move with it off, and expect to wait a couple of minutes for it to find the current location. Now that doesn't sound awful, but it's a major inconvinence when I'm rushing off to cover a story or dinner with the family. It's fairly stable when you establish the connection though.
The one other problem I have with this device is the occasional lag. For whatever reason, it becomes unresponsive anywhere from the opening warning screen to displaying the current map, and it does it without warning. I've sat there pounding a button over and over thinking I'm somehow missing it, only to have it come back to life 30 seconds later.
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