Maestro: B+

Magellan's latest Maestro units (3200 and 4200 series) are very good GPS devices that deliver some unique features in an easy-to-use package. The routing engine is still slightly behind Garmin's, but in my testing the 4250 performed admirably and brought features to the table not available on other GPS devices. The first Maestro units (3100, 3140, 4040, and 4050) scored high marks for features, but fell short thanks to buggy code, and some basic usability issues. The kinks have been (mostly) ironed out and these older version Maestros can be updated with new firmware from Magellan's website.

CrossoverGPS: A-

It's a niche market, but if you're looking for a single GPS to pull triple duty in the car, outdoors, and on the water, Magellan's innovative CrossoverGPS is probably the best option available right now. If you're going to do more serious boating/hiking, additional maps can be purchased for greater detail. The CrossoverGPS is rugged, water resistant, and comes with a protective rubber jacket to keep it from getting damaged during outdoor use. A recent firmware update (available on Magellan's website) makes the CrossoverGPS an even better unit.

Magellan's Website: D+

Despite a recent design overhaul, Magellan's website (www.magellangps.com) remains a source of frustration for current Magellan GPS owners. Prolonged outages, delays in posting firmware updates, corrupt packages, missing sections of information, and downloads that can't be accessed drove some customers understandably wonky this year.

Customer Support: F

Where to begin: it feels almost wrong to give an F to someone who's trying, but Magellan's lackluster customer support is now a matter of public record, and would be difficult for anyone to dispute. Based in India, and currently in the process of a relocation to the Philippines, Magellan's tech support drove many loyal customers to other brands this year. My inbox alone receives dozens of cries for help every day asking for assistance in dealing with Magellan's support staff. It would be too inflammatory to re-print the most egregious complaints I've received, but let's just say Magellan needs to do some serious house-cleaning at its call center(s). Uninformed agents, long shipping delays, and simply not being able to reach anyone were by far the most common complaints voiced.

Overall Grade: B-

If I were grading Magellan purely on its product line, the grade would almost certainly be in the A range. Unfortunately, customer support and web-based self help are an important part of the product lifecycle, and if you're one of the unlucky who've been burned by Magellan's support this year, you probably feel a B- is generous.

Magellan has a long history of innovation and creating ground-breaking products. Let's hope 2008 is the year of improved customer support, and more regular/scheduled product updates. Oh, and a more reliable and complete website would be nice too.