Magellan Maestro 4250 Portable GPS Unit - Features
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In many ways, the Magellan Maestro 4250 has many of the same features as its competitors, but separate itself from other GPS units with its voice command feature. The Voice command feature allows the user to speak commands to the device rather than type them in on the touch-screen. This is a great feature to have in a portable GPS unit, because it helps keep your focus on the road and not on the GPS screen.
The voice command functionality in the 4250 is limited only to certain functions, which is the main drawback of this feature. For instance, you cannot use voice command to enter an address; this must be accomplished by typing it in. You can find POIs with the voice command feature, though, and that really comes in handy when you need to quickly find a gas station, ATM, or hotel while you're on the go.
Speaking of POIs, the Maestro 4250 has a ton of them – about six million to be exact. You can also add your own POIs or edit existing ones. I came across conflicting reviews when looking into the POI feature in the 4250. CNet's review of the Maestro 4250 claims that “while the database is extensive, we found some of the information to be out of date. For example, we did a quick scan of the restaurants around the Marina neighborhood of San Francisco, and found at least half a dozen listings that had been out of business for at least a year.” On the other hand, PCMag's review of the 4250 says, “I was pleasantly surprised to find that maps were up to date...The large POI database also came in very handy.”
The Maestro 4250 features built-in Bluetooth technology, which allows the user to pair this GPS device with compatible cell phones to make and receive calls. On most accounts, the Bluetooth feature works very well on the 4250, with a few minor drawbacks. This unit will not automatically synchronize your cell phone's address book and call history. It also doesn't automatically “find” your cell phone each time it's within range. So that may cause a little bit of a hassle, but it shouldn't be a deal-breaker.
Since this device is Magellan's top-of-the-line model, it features text to speech functionality, which Magellan calls SayWhere. This feature gives the user turn-by-turn directions and spoken street names. In my opinion, this is an essential feature for a portable GPS device.
Navteq maps of the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and Alaska are preloaded into this navigational device. There is an SD/MMC memory card slot if you would like to add maps of other countries as well. Users can view maps in either 2D or 3D. There is also an option to view a split screen of the map and the directions.
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