So...you know how the global economy has been going straight down the crapper lately? Turns out Magellan's much-delayed $1299 Maestro Elite 5340 isn't looking like such a hot idea, and the company is halting all development of the GPRS-connected device.
Why is magellan calling us cheap if they also admit that the econmoy has been tight? They're just mad that all that engineering and planning had to go into the 5340 and now nothing comes out. Plus, even if the economy was good, I wouldn't pay $1,300 for a nav system when I can get a built in one for that much.
Why is magellan calling us cheap if they also admit that the econmoy has been tight? They're just mad that all that engineering and planning had to go into the 5340 and now nothing comes out. Plus, even if the economy was good, I wouldn't pay $1,300 for a nav system when I can get a built in one for that much.
Lets just say what is moving is the lower end PND with Garmin, TomTom and Magellan, so we get what we wish for cheaper PND units with no extras at a $99-$199 price point.
There is not enough people buying units over $1K to make it worth while for any company to invest to develop a feature rich PND unit like the Maestro 4350.
GPS use to sell for $3,200 for the Magellan or Rockwell PathMaster, and more than $2,399 for the Magellan 750 Nav Fletch is talking about and guess what folks, those units still function till today with no issues.
At the $99-$199 price for these disposable cheap PND units now being offered by most manufacturers, I can't understand people complaining about their cheap unit failing and not working when they paid almost nothing for them, you get what you paid for. I suppose if you pay $3,000 for a brand new car you are going to expect it to function the same way as a $30,000 car also. Consider these low end PND unit like a disposable camera, would you use one if you have a special event you wish to take pictures of with it?
Enough said, Magellan is having the same problem as all other GPS manufacturers and because they are a much smaller company than Garmin and TomTom, it is hitting them much harder.
If we lose Magellan brand, we will truly lose a company that was one of the innovator in portable GPS and made it what it is today.
Connective GPS will be part of our future for sure, but more will be available in wireless cell phone device than PND since the whole industry is going by way of cell phones and smart phones and PND maybe around and popular for a few short years more. With DASH going out of the hardware PND business and Apple iPhone, Google Android phone and next year the new Nuviphone, I think most PND manufacturers understand which direction this is all heading to. Service providers and paying monthly service fees is going to be the way of the future.
With current economy, the best selling PND is $199 or less so I guess you can call everyone cheap or just out of cash. So GPS manufacturers is focusing on PND products for less than $149 and still make a profit while offering it at this price.
You can all thank Mio for lower the price, everyone should buy a Mio since they are the ones that introduce to cheap PND prices while making the hardware for Magellan. To bad...
Don't see anyone selling or paying the $800 mentioned. When I see Garmin reburbed 680s w new maps, latest software, and a 1 yr full factory warrant, delivered for under $200 from the likes of Amazon- bought one- it works great, let's face it the days of the $500 GPS, let alone the +$1000 units is a dead techno marketer dream. $200 is the reality