13 out of 13 people found this review helpful.
A great GPS that is worth the cost
Date of Review: Jan 12, 2008
The Bottom Line: A good GPS, main flaws are with the company and not the actual device, no frills
I purchased the Magellan 4040 a month or so ago, and so far, it has been simply a great device. I did have some glitches with it over the first month, but those were fixed by updating the firmware.
As soon as I took it out of the box, turned it on, and gave it some sky, it found my location within seconds. The original device came with firmware 2.24, but I was able to download the newest version and install it (2.6 I believe). Unlike some other GPS devices, this one does not have a JPG Viewer or MP3 player, but it still does what I need it to do.
If I need a certain name of a location to go, I hit the Points Of Interest button, put in the information (general info or name of place), and location to search. With over 5 million points, chances are good your POI will be in there. You can then route fastest, shortest distance, most interstates, least interstates, and each can be with(out) toll roads. The only "glitch" is that sometimes, the POI is not where you actually are. For instance, I routed once to a local Sams Club, and even though I turned into the lot, it said the store was about 100' farther up. The reason I say "glitch" is because it happens with a lot of GPS devices, not just Magellans.
With routing, you can either do it by text or voice. I prefer text, simply because I don't want to be distracted. The voice is clear and concise, but may not be as loud as many may want. Thankfully, there is a headphone jack, so it can be hooked to a car stereo system (cassette adapter or Line-In - wires sold at many electronics stores). There is an option called "True View", which will show an exact direction as to the next direction. I don't use it, but it's available if the person wants it. At the bottom of the screen, it has a selectable view, where you can say how many miles left, how many miles since last reset, or estimated time of arrival (pretty accurate).
Say you're driving I-95 from Baltimore to Washington DC. You hit traffic, but you are near an exit. You can then go into the menu and reroute based on miles of your choice (how many miles you want to go out of route). On the other hand, you can simply not use the routing, and let the Magellan show you where you are and your speed.
When going into the menu, they have a trip counter, which you can reset at any time to check miles and times. If the time is not right, you can change your time zone and/or unselect "Daylight Savings Time". If you download the newest firmware, it comes with Voice Command, but you need to pay to get an unlock code. If you want the traffic addition, the service and extra antenna are extra.
Unless you tell it not to, during the day, it's bright and colorful; it'll go to dark colors at night. If you go into the menu, those colors don't change, so you might get blinded going from the dark map to the bright menus.
On a full charge, I've ran the battery down in about 2.0-2.5 hours, so it's best to use the cigarette lighter adapter when possible. The Magellan Crossover has longer battery life, but it is designed to be walked around. Also, the 4040 is for automobile use only, the company says it's best not to use it on a motorcycle.
The device also comes with BlueTooth, so certain phones can hook to it, allowing hands-free use. I have a Treo 650 Smartphone, and the Bluetooth does not work with this device, but I haven't heard any complaints with other phones. Once connected, the phone is mainly a carrier, dialing/addressbook is handled by the Magellan. This also helps if the driver has a breakdown, where they can hit a button that will tell them their exact location and can dial AAA roadside assistance. In addition to having AAA Roadside Assistance, it also has a listing from the AAA Tourbook. You can look up travel amenities rated by AAA and possibly offering discounts. AAA members can put in their membership info for easy lookup.
Whether you're driving or standing still, at the top left is a compass, tells you which way you are moving. If you touch it, you'll get your coordinates, city/state, elevation, and speed. Since I've never been to Death Valley, I never had the chance to see if it registers below-sea-level, but for the most part, it's relatively accurate. It uses WAAS satellites and triangulation to estimate elevation (true altimeters use air pressure), so satellite-based elevation is within 10 feet.
The device will also allow you to enter frequent addresses, good for work or family members or favorite POIs. When you enter any information, it's placed in "Previous Locations" under address book, so you can either delete or save.
I almost forgot to add, the Magellan has an SD-card slot on the side, for adding custom POIs and software. It's required if you upgrade the firmware, so you can take a small (15Mb minimum) card and just leave it there. I bought a 1Gb SD card for $15, that is more than enough for the device (not included).
Inside the box, Magellan provides a very strong window mount. It also comes with a plate so you can install on a dash, but when it says removing it may damage the dash, I will hold off on that. It also comes with a USB cord, AC cord, cigarette lighter cord, and a carrying case. The full manual is on the CD, printed is just for "Getting Started". Warranty is one year, but I suggest buying this from an electronics store and adding an extended warranty, as Thales/Magellan isn't known for spectacular tech support.
In all, I am very pleased with my $360 Magellan 4040!
