Table of Contents

1. Technical Specifications
2. Meet Maestro - Magellan's New Product Line
3. What's in the Box
4. Hardware Design: Maestro 3140
5. GPS Signal Strength: The Mighty SiRF
6. Mounting the Maestro 3140 in the Car
7. Maestro's New User Interface
8. Navigating with the Maestro 3140
9. Maestro's Updated Map Screen
10. Viewing the Maneuvering List
11. Canceling the Route
12. Using the Detour Feature
13. Using the Exit POI's Feature
14. Night Mode
15. Using the Address Book
16. Setting the Home Address
17. Current Location Screen
18. AAA Roadside Assistance
19. Finding a Restaurant
20. AAA Travel Information
21. Multi-Destination Routing & Route Optimization
22. Routing Engine Performance
    
23. Real-Time Traffic Information
24. Bluetooth
25. Configuring System Options
26. Pros
27. Cons
28. Conclusion

1. Technical Specifications

• Price: $399
• Display: 3.5" QVGA (320 x 240; 64,000 colors), anti-glare, touch-screen display
• Map Coverage: 50 U.S. States, Canada & Puerto Rico (NAVTEQ)
• POIs: 4.5 million searchable Points of Interest (POI's)
• Receiver: 20 channels, WAAS/EGNOS enabled - SiRFstarIII
• Battery Life: Up to 3 hours (assuming lowest screen brightness - actual battery life was more like 1.5-2 hours in my testing)
• Antenna: Integrated multidirectional patch
• Size: 4.29 (L) x 1.14 (W) x 3.48 (H)
• Weight: 6.5 oz
• Warranty: 1 year

2. Meet Maestro - Magellan's New Product Line

	Screen Size	GPS Chipset	Map Coverage	POIs	Text-to-Speech	Bluetooth	Traffic	Voice Command	Price
Maestro 3100	3.5" diag.	SiRF Star III	Continental US (48 states)	750k	No	No	No	No	$349
Maestro 3140	3.5" diag	SiRF Star III	50 States, Canada & Puerto Rico	4.5 million	Yes	Yes	Optional	No	$449
Maestro 4000	4.3" diag.	SiRF Star III	Continental US (48 states)	1.6 million	No	No	No	No	$449
Maestro 4040	4.3" diag.	SiRF Star III	50 States, Canada & Puerto Rico	4.5 million	Yes	Yes	Optional	No	$599
Maestro 4050	4.3" diag.	SiRF Star III	50 States, Canada & Puerto Rico	4.5 million	Yes	Yes	Included	Yes	$799

3000-series Maestros have the smaller 3.5" screen while the 4000-series Maestros enjoy the larger 4.3" (measured diagonally) display. Maestro 3100 is the most affordable Maestro, with an estimated street price of around $200. The entry-level 3100 doesn't have many of the bells and whistles found on the more expensive Maestros, but does deliver solid basic navigation at a bargain-basement price.

Maestro 3140 looks identical to the 3100, but extends map coverage to include all 50 U.S. States (48 lower States + Alaska & Hawaii), Canada, & Puerto Rico, boasts a much larger POI database of 4.5 million, has Text-to-Speech, Bluetooth, AAA TourBook data, and can be upgraded to use Magellan's optional TrafficKit for real-time traffic data (Magellan's TrafficKit sells for around $75 and includes 3-months of free service. After the complimentary 3-month period, a subscription service is requires and costs about $60/year).

If it's the wide screen display you crave, then you'll want to look at the 4000-series Maestros: the 4100 is almost identical to the 3100, but has a larger (4.3"), brighter display, and slightly larger POI database. The 4040 is virtually identical to the 3140 but has the larger 4.3" display. The 3140 and 4050 have an improved map display over the 3100 and 4040. Magellan plans to update the display on the 3100 and 4040 via firmware update, but as of this writing the 3140 and 4050 have a better map screen (more on this later in the review).

Maestro 4050 is Magellan's the top-of-the-line, adding traffic and voice recognition capabilities to the mix.

Notice that the 3140 and 4000 share the same suggested retail price. If you're willing to sacrifice the extra features of the 3140 in favor of a larger display, you can get the Maestro 4000 for the same price as the 3140.

All five Maestros are powered by NAVTEQ maps from 2007 (NAVTEQ is the leading mapping data provider in North America, and provides maps for Magellan, Garmin, LG, and most online mapping portals) and share the same routing engine.

3. What's in the Box

Figure 1: What's Included in the Magellan Maestro 3140 Box

The Magellan Maestro 3140 ships with the following items included in the box:

• Magellan Maestro 3140
• Windshield Mount
• Cigarette Lighter Adapter (12/24 volts)
• USB Data Cable
• Adhesive Disk for Dash Mounting
• Quick reference guide
• Manual on CD-ROM

Figure 2: Magellan's New Windshield Mount

All Magellan Maestro GPS units share the same windshield mount. Historically Magellan has had a tough time getting the mounting hardware right (older RoadMate units suffered from decidedly lackluster windshield mounts, and even the legendary 750NAV's mounting hardware was more of an afterthought than a well thoughout mount). So last year Magellan re-engineered their mounting hardware and now use the same updated mount on all Magellan GPS units (RoadMate 2000, 2200T, 3000T, 6000T, CrossoverGPS, and the new Maestro series units).

The mount consists of a large suction disc that attaches to your car's windshield (you can use the included adhesive mounting disc if windshield mounts are illegal in your State), and a dual-axis joint arm that can be articulated into the desired viewing angle. The two large knobs on the mount allow you to tighten the mount once its in the correct position.

Figure 3: Maestro's Windshield Mount, Extended

Once the mount is opened into the desired position, the tightening knobs lock the arm into place.

Figure 4: Maestro 3140 attached to the Windshield Mount

Maestro 3140 connects to the windshield mount by lining up the two tabs on the adjustable mount with the holes on the back of the Maestro, and pushing the Maestro down until it locks in place.

Unfortunately, I found this more difficult than one might think. For starters, there are no guides to help you line up the mount with the GPS, so you have to guestimate exactly where to position the GPS on the mount and fumble around a bit until you find the grooves. Second, the GPS I tested didn't "click", or "snap" into place on the mount, meaning you have to just press down until you think its on securely enough (this is reportedly a manufacturing bug that is being corrected on the units that will actually ship to stores).

Additionally, you cannot see the back of the unit when connecting it to the mount, so you find yourself fumbling around with the mount as you try to line up the mount with the GPS.

Magellan has long been plagued by sub-standard mounting hardware. I'm pleased to see progress being made, but Magellan still needs to refine the mount into a more stable, user-friendly mount. Also, given the relatively small size of the 3140, the windshield mount seems rather large. Still, the mount did hold the Maestro 3140 solidly in place while driving.

Figure 5: Included 12v Cigarette Lighter Adapter

Maestro 3140 ships with a RoHS compliant 12v cigarette lighter power adapter. RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive) basically just means the product is lead free -- I'm not entirely sure why it's worth advertising that on the sticker, but hey -- I'm all in favor of lead-free manufacturing!

Figure 6: Included USB Cable

Magellan includes a standard USB data cable for connecting the Maestro to a Windows PC.

Figure 7: Magellan's Adhesive Mounting Disc

If you happen to live in a State or country where it is illegal to mount anything in the windshield of a motor vehicle, you can use the included adhesive mounting disc to mount the Maestro on your dashboard instead.

I'm personally not a huge fan of this method, as it is a much more permanent commitment than a simple suction cup on the windshield. Nevertheless, local laws may dictate that you use this method, and Magellan includes it in case you need it.

4. Hardware Design: Maestro 3140

Figure 8: Magellan Maestro 3140, Front

The Maestro 3140 looks identical to the less expensive Maestro 3100. Both units have a 3.5" (measured diagonally) display, and are a little thicker than one-inch (1.14"). The case constructed out of black and silver colored plastic. The Maestro 3140 is lightweight (6.5 oz), and fits easily in the palm of your hand or in a pocket.

Overall the Maestro 3140 is a decent looking GPS, although I'd like to see a thinner border; compared to Garmin's nuvi product line, there's a lot of unused space around the display on the Maestro 3140.

Figure 9: Magellan Maestro 3140, Left Side

The left side of the Maestro 3140 is home to an SD/MMC card slot (used for loading optional maps) and the reset pin hole (located just below the SD memory card slot).

Figure 10: Magellan Maestro 3140, Back

Maestro has a single internal speaker, located at the rear of the unit. This Magellan is quite a bit louder than previous Magellan RoadMates; the speaker is loud enough that the unit can be clearly heard (distortion-free) even when traveling at highway speeds.

Figure 11: Magellan Maestro 3140, Right Side

The power on/off button, USB connector, headphone (3.5mm mini jack) jack, and power input are located on the right side of the Maestro 3100.

Figure 12: Magellan Maestro 3140, Top

Magellan's logo adorns the top of the 1.14-inch thick Maestro 3140.

5. GPS Signal Strength: The Mighty SiRF

All Magellan Maestros use SiRF's high performance SiRF Star III 20-channel indoor GPS receiver. This chipset is extremely sensitive and able to maintain solid signal reception even when driving in GPS-challenging situations, such as behind tall buildings, under bridges, through canyons, etc. In fact, during my testing, I was able to get a strong signal even indoors. The signal was so strong that I had to actually go into my basement and cover the top of the Maestro with tin foil before it lost GPS signal.

The integration of SiRF's chipsets into the latest generation of in-car navigation systems has been a watershed event for GPS navigation. Prior to SiRF, line-of-sight to the sky was required to receive GPS signals, resulting in poor GPS performance (or no signal at all) in many cases. SiRF's chipset has ushered in a new era of GPS performance, affording fast signal acquisition and precise positioning that is solidly maintained while driving. Make sure that any new GPS you buy includes SiRF's chipset; I'm always amazed that people buy GPS devices that are old and outdated (and sometimes cost even more than the newer devices with SiRF -- even from the same manufacturer).

I'm pleased to report that Magellan is using the more expensive (and highly effective) SiRF StarIII GPS receiver on the Maestro. Throughout my testing GPS reception was outstanding. The GPS quickly recognized my location, and reception was unflappable, even when driving in midtown Manhattan. I did lose reception when driving through tunnels, but the GPS quickly re-acquired within a few seconds once I emerged from the tunnel

6. Mounting the Maestro 3140 in the Car

Figure 13: Magellan's Windshield Mount, Attached to Windshield

Mounting the Maestro in the car is a simple process. First, locate an area on the windshield where you'll be able to see the Maestro but it will not obstruct your view of the road.

At the base of the mount is a lever that is used to tighten the suction cup to the glass, creating a firm connection. To properly attach the windshield mount, clean the area of the glass that you will be connecting the mount to (Magellan supplies an alcohol towelette with the mount), then hold the mount so that the suction cup is flat against the mounting area and push the lever down to lock it into place.

Figure 14: 12v Cigarette Lighter Power Adapter, Plugged In

The 12v adapter widens slightly at the base, so in my car I had to turn it upside down to clear the ash-tray lip.

Figure 15: Connecting the 12v Power Adapter to Maestro

The 12v cigarette lighter adapter connects to the right side of the Maestro.

Figure 16: Maestro Mounted in the Car, Left Side View

The windshield mount is long enough that the Maestro isn't too far away from the driver. Some other GPS devices ship with mounts that are too short, and place the GPS too close to the windshield.

To adjust the position of the Maestro, loosen the knobs on the mount and move the unit into the desired position, then tighten the knobs to secure it into position.

Figure 17: Maestro Mounted in the Car, Front View

The Magellan Maestro 3140 looks good mounted in the windshield. However, the AC power cord is unsightly -- and would be less noticeable (and more convenient) if it connected to the mount instead of Maestro's right side. Note that Magellan's optional TrafficKit (about $75) replaces the original mount and allows you to connect the power to the mount instead of the GPS).

7. Maestro's New User Interface

Figure 18: Magellan Maestro's Main Menu

Rumor has it Magellan spent $1 million dollars on the new design; the results are mostly positive. When Magellan initially released their updated interface on the Maestro 3100 and 4040, feedback was mixed. Magellan listened to customer feedback, and has made a number of important improvements to the 3140's map screen (Magellan is also planning to release a free software update that will upgrade the 3100 and 4040's Map Screen).

The new menu screens have bright, bold color schemes that are visually pleasing, and sport newly designed icons that clearly indicate their function. Tapping around the menus is intuitive and the 3140 is responsive and fast.

Unlike previous Magellan RoadMate devices, Magellan has decided not to include a photo viewer or music player on the Maestro 3140 -- a prudent decision since Magellan has never done a good job integrating either into the navigation application.

The three large icons on the top row are:

• Show Map - look at the map and view your current location, much like you would with a paper map
• Enter Address - start entering a destination address
• Points of Interest - search the POI database for a business

Two smaller icons appear along the bottom of the screen:

• Home - this icon is a one-touch button to start routing to your home (the first time you tap on this icon the Maestro prompts you to enter your home address)
• Tow truck - this icon brings up detailed information about your current location, useful for directing a tow truck (or emergency vehicle) to your current location

8. Navigating with the Maestro 3140

Magellan fans will be pleased to see that the basic process of entering a destination on the Maestro hasn't changed much from previous Magellan GPS units -- good news, since address entry has always been one of Magellan's strengths.

Figure 19: Entering A Street Address

Most of the time you'll likely be using a street address as the destination address, so let's test that process by trying to route to an address in New York City (135 Central Park West, NY, NY).

The first step in entering a street address is tapping on "Enter Address" from the Main Menu, as shown above in figure 19

Figure 20: Entering A Street Address, Step 2

Maestro 3140 provides a nice range of options for entering a destination street address:

• Enter City - This is probably the method you'll most often use. Tapping this option brings up a virtual keyboard that lets you spell the city name.
• Enter Zip Code - allows you to use a U.S. Postal code to set the destination city.
• Previous City - allows you to view a list of recently used cities
• my addresses - allows you to pick an address from the address book (saved addresses)
• intersection - allows you to enter two cross streets and route to that intersection (rather than a particular house / building number)

Magellan does a nice job offering a broad range of address entry options while still maintaining an easy-to-use interface.

Tapping on "Enter City" brings up the virtual keyboard, shown below.

Figure 21: Magellan's QuickSpell Text Input Feature

I've always been a fan of Magellan's "QuickSpell" technology, and I'm happy to report the Maestro 3140 maintains Magellan's excellent text entry system; as you type out the city name (or street name), Maestro uses information in its map database to only permit letters that would spell a valid city name, graying out the invalid letters so they cannot be pressed.

This is a great time-saving feature when entering city or street names, and also reduces the likelihood of accidentally tapping an adjacent letter with your finger. When entering a city/street name, you can press the OK button at any time to view all the cities that match the letters you have entered so far. If you continue spelling out the city/street name, Maestro will automatically produce a results list of possible matches once it has enough letters of the name that only a handful of matches exist.

Figure 22: Choosing A City Name From the Results List

Once enough letters have been entered that only a few possible cities match the letters that have been entered, Maestro automatically produces a list of matching cities to choose from.

Figure 23: Entering the Street Name

Next we'll need to tell the Maestro what street our destination is on. Spelling the street name is identical to spelling the city name: as you type, Magellan's QuickSpell feature only allows you to select letters that spell valid street names.

Again, this feature may not sound like a big deal, but it greatly speeds up the text entry process and you're much less likely to accidentally tap an adjacent letter by mistake.

Figure 24: Choosing the Street From the Results List

Once enough of the street name has been entered that the Maestro can produce a short list of possible matches, the results screen is automatically displayed. Note that you can force the Magellan to show you all the results at any time by tapping on the OK button (although this list will be quite long if you haven't spelled out enough of the street name).

My only complaint about this screen is that the scroll arrows only scroll one line at a time. Scrolling a page at a time instead of one line per tap would make more sense, and be more helpful for viewing longer lists.

I'm trying to route to an address of Central Park West in NY, so I'll tap on "Central Park W" and continue.

Figure 25: Entering the House / Building Number

Next we'll need to enter the house/building number of our destination address. Notice that Maestro displays several pieces of useful information on this page before we even start entering the house number:

• Street and city names are displayed in the blue box on the right side of the screen
• The valid range of house/building numbers for the chosen street are displayed across the top of the screen in the white bar (In this case, the valid range of house numbers along Central Park West in New York is 1-499)

This feature can be very useful if you don't know the exact house number of your destination but you know the street name. Knowing the valid range of house numbers allows you to pick an address on the street, even if you're unsure exactly which house number you're looking for.

Unlike the city and street address entry pages, you must press "Done" after entering the house number. I suppose this makes sense, since the Maestro might not know whether you're entering house #1, 10, or 100.

Figure 26: Choosing A Routing Method

With the city, street name, and house number successfully entered, Maestro asks how we would like it to calculate the "best" route. Like previous Magellan GPS units, there are four options for route calculation:

• Fastest Time - On previous Magellan GPS devices, this option was called "Shortest Time", and is the default selected method. I almost always use "Fastest Time", which chooses the route that will be fastest, even if it's not actually the shortest distance. For example, a winding series of back roads with lots of stop signs and traffic lights might be the shortest distance for a given journey, but definitely not the fastest way to go. Selecting Fastest Time in this case would take you a slightly longer distance (i.e. on a highway instead of the back roads), but would be a shorter drive time.
• Shortest Distance - forces the Maestro to calculate the shortest physical route, even if it's not the quickest way to go.
• Least Use of Freeways - forces the Maestro to avoid highways as much as possible
• Most Use of Freeways - forces the Maestro to choose highways over surface streets whenever possible

Additionally, there's an option to check the "Avoid Toll Roads" if you want to avoid tolls (note that this can add considerable drive time to the journey).

Once you've selected the desired routing preference, tap on the large red circle and the Maestro starts navigating you to your destination address.

While I love the fact that Magellan presents four different choices for calculating the route, I wish the estimated drive time was displayed next to each of the four options so you could make a more informed decision about which method to choose. Without the estimated travel time displayed, it's impossible to know how much longer/shorter a route each of the four options will produce.

Figure 27: Calculating Route

After selecting a routing preference and pressing the red "go" button, Maestro calculates the route and starts navigating. Route calculation on the Maestro 3140 is speedy: in my testing the average route calculation time was about 5 seconds.

Using the Maestro 3140 is zippy and responsive when navigating the menus.

9. Maestro's Updated Map Screen

Figure 28: Magellan Maestro's New Map Screen

Figure 29: Magellan Maestro's New Map Screen

Whether on a route or just traveling around town, the most commonly used screen will be the Map screen, shown abovein figure 29:

1. Direction indicator - Tap to view the Current Location screen where you can save your position into your Address Book
2. Zoom out
3. Current position icon
4. Next maneuver icon - Tap on this icon to display the Maneuver List screen
5. Distance to next maneuver - Tap to repeat the last voice command
6. Main Menu button - Tap to go to the Main Menu screen
7. ETA / Distance Remaining - Tap to toggle between distance remaining to reach destination, time remaining, and estimated arrival time.
8. Street name for next maneuver
9. Volume control - Tap to display the Volume Setting screen where the loudness can be adjusted or muted
10. Zoom in
11. Satellite Status - Optimal satellite reception when all four green bars are filled. Tap this icon to display the GPS Status screen
12. Street name currently on

Maestro's new map view is part of the new interface overhaul the Magellan developed for the Maestro series. Initial feedback on the Maestro 3100 was mixed, and many customers (myself included) felt Magellan had actually degraded the quality of the map screen rather than improved it.

Thankfully, Magellan listened to feedback and has significantly improved the Map screen on the 3140 to reflect the customer feedback

Figure 30: Maestro 3140's Improved Map Screen

Magellan has addressed customer complaints regarding the Maestro 3100's Map Screen, and made the following important improvements to the 3140's Map Screen (Shown Above):

• The font size has been increased for improved readability
• Zoom out / in buttons have been made less transparent, and are more easily seen on the map
• The ETA is (finally) displayed on the map. This is the first Magellan GPS to display the arrival time - hallelujah!.

Magellan deserves praise for responding quickly to customer feedback regarding Maestro 3100's Map Screen, and correcting those issues on the 3140's Map Screen.

Magellan will be issuing a free software update that will deliver these same map improvements to the Maestro 3100 and 4040.

Figure 31: Magellan's Excellent TrueView Split Screen View

Split screen is a fantastic feature unique to Magellan that makes it easy to see the next maneuver. Shortly before an upcoming turn, Magellan's "split screen" view is displayed and a chime sounds, letting you know that you'll need to make a turn soon.

Like previous Magellan GPS units, the Maestro 3140 does a good job notifying you of an upcoming maneuver. However, I did notice that Magellan has shortened the turn alert from the previous setting of 2 miles to the current setting of 1 mile before a turn. So instead of getting notification of the next maneuver 2 miles before the turn, Maestro alerts you just 1 mile before the turn, and then again 0.2 miles before the turn. For highway driving, I found these intervals too short, and would prefer to see Magellan return to the standard 2-mile notifications.

10. Viewing the Maneuvering List

Figure 32: Accessing the Maneuver List From the Map Screen

When navigating to a destination with the Maestro 3140, the "Maneuver List", or text list of all upcoming turns, can be viewed at any time by pressing on the turn icon in the lower-left corner, shown above. You can also view the maneuver list before you start driving.

Figure 33: The Maneuver List

The Maneuver List screen displays a text list of all upcoming turns. Each line in the maneuver list provides details about the maneuver in the order they are to be made, with the next maneuver at the top of the list. The bottom bar displays the distance and time to the next maneuver, as well as the total distance to the destination.

To exclude a particular road and force Maestro to find an alternate route that avoids that street, tap on the maneuver from this list and then tap "Exclude".

Figure 34: Magellan's Route Exclusion Feature

Magellan makes it easy to avoid a particular road or highway along your route - simply tap on the road you want to avoid from the maneuvering list (shown in figure 33), and then tap the Exclude button.

11. Canceling the Route

Figure 35: Canceling a Route

When routing to a destination, you can cancel the route easily by tapping on Menu from the map screen, and then tapping on "Cancel Route". It's nice to see this command easily located right on the main menu ( displayed only when navigating to a destination); some other GPS devices hide the cancel route function deep within the menu system.

Figure 36: Are You Sure You Want To Cancel the Route?

Tapping on Cancel Route from the previous menu brings up the cancel confirmation dialog screen, shown above. Tap on Yes to cancel the route and return to the main menu, or tap No to return to the previous menu.

12. Using the Detour Feature

Figure 37: Accessing the Detour Feature

There may be times when you encounter heavy traffic or a closed road and want/need to detour around the problem area. Magellan's "detour" feature allows you to do just that. Tapping on the Detour icon from the main menu (shown above) brings up the Detour screen, shown below.

Figure 38: Using the Detour Feature

The Detour page asks you to specify how far you want to avoid the road you are currently traveling on.

For example, if you're stuck in traffic caused by an accident not far from your current position, you may only want to avoid the current road for 3 miles or less. However, if the entire highway is closed due to flooding, or you know that the traffic extends for miles, you may want to take a longer detour of 5, 10, or any custom number of miles.

13. Using the Exit POI's Feature

Figure 39: Accessing the Exit POI Feature

Another excellent feature unique to Magellan is the "Exit POI's" feature. Exit POI provides a way of accessing commonly used POIs that are near an exit you are approaching while traveling on a freeway. Exit POIs include restaurants, gas stations, auto repair, shops, and hotels. Note that Exit POIs can only be accessed while driving on a highway (either en route to a destination or just driving).

To access the Exit POIs, tap on Menu from the Map screen and then tap the Exit POI's icon, shown above.

Figure 40: Using the Exit POI Feature

The Exit POI screen, shown above, displays a list of upcoming exits, along with the 4 categories of POIs: food, gas, auto repair, and lodging. To see the available POIs for a given category at an exit, tap on the category icon. For example, to see all the restaurants at a particular exit, tap on the restaurant icon for the exit you want to view, and the Maestro produces a list of all restaurants located at that exit (shown below).

Figure 41: Viewing POI Details via the Exit POI Menu

You can route to any POI found via the Exit POI by tapping on the POI from the results list, shown above.

 

14. Night Mode

Figure 42: Magellan's Night Mode

By default the Maestro 3140 automatically switches to "Night Mode" after sunset.

Note that switching to night mode is based on the time of day and not on ambient light conditions. Night Mode uses a darker palette on the map view to make night viewing easier on the eyes.

Figure 43: Magellan's Updated "Night Mode" TrueView Split Screen

Night mode looks good on the Maestro 3140. However, for some strange reason only the map screens get the "Night Mode" treatment. All the other menus remain in the regular bright blue theme, making them too bright in a dark car at night.

15. Using the Address Book

Figure 44: Accessing My Addresses (Address Book)

"My addresses" is where you store addresses that you want to keep as future destinations as well as access addresses that you have found to recently that may not be in your address book. The address book can hold up to 200 addresses (up to 50 of those can be marked as favorites).

To access the "My Addresses" menu, from the Main Menu tap the "Enter Address" icon, then tap on the "my addresses" icon.

From within the "my addresses" screen, you can view previous destinations, view addresses that have been marked as favorites, browse the address book, or create a new entry in the address book.

16. Setting the Home Address

Figure 45: Setting the HOME Address

The "HOME" address is a special address saved in the address book that makes it easy to quickly route to your home address. The first time you press the Home button, the unit prompts you to enter your home address.

17. Current Location Screen

Figure 46: Magellan's "Current Location" Screen

Accessed by tapping the direction icon on the map screen, the "Current Location" screen displays approximate address information, the next and previous cross streets, as well as your latitude/longitude. On the right side of the screen is a compass that points in your direction of travel, calculated elevation, and speed. The bottom bar displays the current date and time.

This screen also allows you to save your current location by tapping on the "Save" icon. This can be handy if you want to save a location that isn't in the POI database, for example, or a location that doesn't have an actual street address.

18. AAA Roadside Assistance

Figure 47: AAA RoadSide Assistance Screen

Tapping the tow-truck icon from the Main Menu brings up the "AAA Roadside Assistance Screen", shown above.

The "AAA Roadside Assistance" screen contains all of the information you will need to provide AAA Roadside Assistance emergency services to your current location. If you have a valid AAA membership, you can enter your membership # into the Maestro so that everything you need to call AAA is displayed on this screen (including the toll-free number to call).

19. Finding a Restaurant

In GPS speak, a "Point of Interest" is a business address saved on the GPS. You can think of the POI database as a pre-loaded yellow pages. Most modern GPS devices come pre-loaded with a Points of Interest database, allowing you to find nearby businesses, such as restaurants, gas stations, hotels, and more.

Maestro 3140 ships with a relatively large POI database of 4.5 million entries. While 4.5 million may not be the largest POI database available (Garmin's nuvis have about 6 million POIs, and some other GPS devices have as many as 10 million), the Maestro actually outperformed both Garmin and TomTom in my POI search testing, finding more local POIs in almost every category.

Magellan has always been stronger than most in the POI department, and the use of newly updated (2007) NAVTEQ mapping data makes their POI functionality even better. For example, when searching for local restaurants or gas stations in near my home, I found many more local POIs using Magellan's POI search than the Garmin nuvi. Garmin's mapping data is several years old (although Garmin is planning to release updated maps within the next month or two), and many newer business are not listed in their POI database.

Figure 48: The POI Search Menu

Maestro lets you search for a POI either by name or by category. So if you know you're looking for a restaurant, you would tap on "Search by Category", but if you aren't sure what category a particular item might be listed under, but know the name of the place, you can search the entire POI database by tapping on "Search by Name".

I'll test the POI functionality by searching for nearby restaurants, so I"ll tap on "Search by Category".

Figure 49: Choosing a POI Search Category

Scroll through the category list and tap on the POI category you want to search.

Figure 50: Choosing a POI Search Subcategory

Some POI categories have sub-categories. For example, if you tap choose Restaurants as the main category, you can then choose a cuisine as a subcategory, or search all restaurants by choosing "ALL SUBCATEGORIES". Note that only categories for available restaurants are displayed. For example, you won't see a category for "Greek Food" unless a greek restaurant is found within the search radius.

Figure 51: Setting the POI Search Area

After choosing a category (and possibly a subcategory), you need to tell Maestro where to search. You can search:

• Near Current Position
• New City (requires entering a city name)
• Near Address (requires entering an address)

Figure 52: Viewing the POI Search Results

After telling the Maestro what type of POI to look for, and where to look, the GPS produces a list of matching POIs, ordered by closeness to the location you specified.

Tapping on the top portion of the display shows detailed information about the highlighted POI in the list. The arrow and distance indicates the direction and distance in a straight line from your current position to the POI. Note that this distance is "as the crow flies", and not the actual driving distance.

Figure 53: Finding POIs via the Map Screen

Another nice feature on the 3140 is the ability to view POI information directly from the map view. You can configure which POI categories will appear on the map screen while driving. Each category is represented with a unique icon, as shown above in figure 50. Notice that the Restaurant POI is represented by the knife & fork icon. To view details about a given POI, tap on the icon. You can then route directly to that POI.

 

20. AAA Travel Information

Figure 54: Accessing the AAA TourBook

I have to admit that I wasn't excited about the AAA's "TourBook" data on the Magellan Maestro. After using the AAA TourBook information for a few weeks, I'm completely in love with that feature, and miss it whenever I use a GPS that doesn't have it. AAA TourBook provides detailed information and reviews on restaurants, hotels, tourist attractions and more.

To access the AAA TourBook, tap on "Points of Interest" from the Main Menu, and then tap the "TourBook" icon from the "Search by Category" screen, shown above. (Main Menu -> Points of Interest -> AAA TourBook

Figure 55: Choosing the AAA TourBook Category

This screen is the AAA TourBook menu. From here you can search the AAA Tourbook by tapping on "AAA TourBook Information". If you have a AAA membership, you can also tap on "Show Your Card & Save" to view special discounts available to AAA members, find authorized repair shops ("Approved Auto Repairs"), find the nearest AAA office ("AAA Branch Offices"), or search for AAA rated campgrounds ("Campgrounds").

Let's take a closer look at the TourBook:

Figure 56: Choosing A TourBook Category

AAA's TourBook includes five categories to choose from:

• Accommodations
• Restaurants
• Destinations
• Attractions
• Events

Figure 57: Selecting an Item from the AAA TourBook Results List

Figure 58: Viewing TourBook Information - Restaurant Review

I was surprised how much detail is available for each POI in the AAA TourBook. For example, when looking up a restaurant, you'll see a good description of the restaurant, the hours of operation, the parking situation, and what (if any) credit cards are accepted.

Figure 59: TourBook Information - Restaurant Hours of Operation

AAA's TourBook displays detailed information about each entry, such what hours the business is open, the parking conditions at the POI, and whether or not they accept credit cards.

Figure 60: TourBook Information - Restaurant Parking/Credit Cards

AAA's TourBook also includes detailed information about local events, festivals, parades, etc. You can search the TourBook to find local events happening nearby -- a great feature for exploring new cities/towns.

I found myself frequently using the AAA TourBook in place of the POI database whenever possible. The only downside is that the POI database and AAA TourBook are not linked, so you have to toggle back and forth to do a complete search of nearby restaurants, for example, take a look at the following comparison between AAA TourBook's data and Magellan's own POI information::

Figure 61: AAA TourBook Search vs. Magellan POI Search

Searching for restaurants in the same area shows slightly different results between AAA's TourBook data and Magellan's POI content.

I wish Magellan would integrate the two data sources into a single, unified POI search function - perhaps showing a AAA icon next to POIs that have AAA TourBook information associated with them.

Also, Magellan's QuickSpell text entry system does not work within AAA's TourBook database, so when you search the AAA TourBook POI database all keys on the keyboard remain selectable.

21. Multi-Destination Routing & Route Optimization

Figure 62: Using the Trip Planner

The Trip Planner is used to create a route with multiple destinations. Magellan calls this type of route a "Trip". To access the Trip Planner, from page 2 of the Main Menu, tap the Trip Planner icon.

Select New from the Trip Planner Menu to start creating a new multi-destination trip. Once a trip has been saved, you can start the trip by tapping "Guide Me", delete it by tapping "Delete, Rename", or change the trip by tapping "Edit".

Figure 63: Naming a New Trip

You'll need to enter a name for the trip. Like previous Magellans, Maestro only allow a maximum of 11 characters when entering a trip name, a limitation I found...limiting.

Figure 64: Adding A New Destination to the Trip

To add the first destination to the trip tap on "Add".

Figure 65: Adding a Stop to the Saved Multi-Stop Route

Stops can be added to the saved trip by one of four methods:

• Enter Address - Enter an stop using standard address entry
• POIs - Enter a stop by searching the POI database
• Address Book - Use a saved address or previous destination from the Address Book
• Intersection - Enter two cross streets as a destination

Figure 66: Ordering the Stops on A Multi-Stop Trip

Stops can be added, removed, and re-ordered until all the desired stops, or destination addresses, have been entered into the "trip".

Figure 67: Optimizing the Stops

Many Magellan fans were disappointed when the most recent RoadMate and CrossoverGPS units removed the route optimization feature that was so popular on Magellan's previous GPS units. Thankfully, Magellan has added this powerful feature back to the Maestro 3140.

Optimizing a route re-orders the stops in the most efficient manner, sorting each stop by distance so that you are not driving back and forth in circles. Maestro 3140 allows you to select a stop on the trip itinerary and tap "Optimize" to have Maestro automatically order the destination in the best order.

Figure 68: Activating a Saved Multi-Stop Route

Once all the addresses have been entered and are in the desired order, you can begin navigating by tapping on "Guide Me" from the Trip Planner Menu and choosing the saved trip.

Multi-stop routing with optimization capabilities are powerful routing features not typically found on GPS devices in this price class, and Magellan deserves credit for adding this oft-requested feature back into the Magellan offering.

22.Routing Engine Performance

The most common complaint I hear about any given GPS is that "the GPS made me drive on a crazy route that I would never have chosen and was not the best/shortest way."

One of the most critical components of any turn-by-turn GPS navigation system is the routing engine. The routing engine is the software on a GPS that decides which route the unit should select to get from point A to point B. Many people falsly assume that simply having the same maps on two GPS devices will result in the same routing choices. Not so, as there is a great deal of math and decision-making involved when calculating the "best" route.

Not surprisingly, this also one of the most difficult and complex aspects for GPS manufacturers to get right, and is the aspect of GPS navigation that is least well understood by consumers. Let's take a closer look at the Maestro 3140's routing engine:

Maestro 3140 ships with NAVTEQ mapping data from 2007, so that is already a major plus. Mapping data is typically several years old on any given GPS, so having current mapping data is a major benefit to the Maestro 3140.

The two largest mapping data providers are NAVTEQ and Tele Atlas . NAVTEQ is more accurate and complete in North America, so it's preferable to buy a GPS that uses NAVTEQ rather than Tele Atlas (as of this writing). (for more detailed information on both NAVTEQ and Tele Atlas, check out "NAVTEQ vs. Tele Atlas, Which one is Better?")

However, there is a lot more to a routing engine than just the mapping data provider. How a given GPS will determine the "best" route is the result of not only the mapping data, but also how many additional data points, or attributes, are factored into the equation. For example, are certain roads closed after hours or on the weekend? What is the average rate of speed for a given road? Statistically speaking, more accidents happen when making left turns as opposed to right turns -- is the GPS unit factoring that into the route? Each company takes all this data and compiles it in different ways, making unique decisions about what data is more important than others. The number of attributes used varies depending on how much money the manufacturer is willing to spend on their mapping data. For example, a full NAVTEQ map database that includes all available attributes can cost the manufacturer twice as much as a basic set of attributes.

To test the routing engine on the Maestro 3150, I input 3 different start and end destination addresses of varying distance in different geographic regions and compared the results to the TomTom ONE XL, Garmin's nuvi 660 (note that although the nuvi 660 is more expensive than the Maestro 3140, all Garmin nuvi units (and StreetPilot c5xx units) share the same routing engine and mapping data, so this is a fair test of Garmin's routing logic), and Yahoo Maps. Take a look at the table below to see how Maestro's routing engine stacked up against the competition.

ROUTING TEST #1
WINNER: Garmin
Start: 14 Oak Tree Road, Southbury CT. Destination: 135 Central Park West, NY, NY
Maestro 3140	Garmin nuvi 660	TomTom ONE XL
è0.1mi Main St S è0.1mi US-6/Main St N ì0.1mi W I-84 é14mi W I-84 ì4.1mi W I-84 ì6.6mi Exit 20/White Plains/I-684/NYC ë0.1mi White Plains/I-684/NYC é10mi South I-684 ë16mi South I-684 ë9.1mi W Cross County Pkwy é2.4mi W Cross County Pkwy é0.3mi W Cross County Pkwy ë2.1mi Exit 2/NYC/Saw Mill ë0.2mi Saw Mill River Pkwy South ì2.0mi S Rt-9a/Henry Hudson Pkwy ì10mi Exit 79 St 0.1 Roundabout W.79 St è0.3mi Broadway ç0.3mi W. 74 St è0.4mi Central Park W * 0.1mi Arrive at 135 Central Park West	è300ft Main St S è300ft Mian St N ì0.1mi Keep right onto I-84 W to Danbury ë14mi Keep left on I-84 I-84 W é4.1mi Keep right onto I-84 W to NY State ì6.5 Exit 20 right to I-684 to New York City/White Plains ë0.1mi Keep left onto I-684 to New York City/White Plains é28mi Exit 1 left to Hutchinson Pkwy to Whitestone Br é9.1mi Exit 15 left to Cross County Pkwy to George Washington Br é2.7mi Keep left on Cross County Pky W é2.0mi Exit 2 left to Saw Mill Pkwy South to New York City é0.2mi Keep left onto Saw Mill River Pkwy South é2.0mi Keep right onto Henry Hudson Pky South ì10mi Right to 79 St Boat Basin ì500ft Take roundabout to 3rd exit ì400ft 3rd exit to 79th St è0.2mi Right on Broadway ç0.3mi Left on 74th St è0.4 Right on Central Park W è120ft Arrive at 135 Central Park W on right	è40yd Main St S è100yd Main St N (US 6) è240yd 84 WB ë14.1M Bear left onto 84 WB ì4.1M Bear right onto 84 WB ë3.2M Bear left onto 84 WB è3.4M Rt. 20 White Plains ç250yd 684 SB è10.9M Saw Mill Pkwy é0.55M Continue Saw Mill Pkwy ë13.2M Bear left Yonkers è4.7M 22 Thruway ç250yd 87 SB ç0.35M 87 SB è16:5M 7 Trenton ç400yd 95 SB to 1 è0.50M 95 SB to 1 Lower Level è0.55M H Hundson Pkwy ç210yd 9A SB Downtown è0.40M H Hudson Plwy è4.6M Exit Boat Basin ♦220yd - Roundabout W 79th St è275yd Riverside Dr ç0.35M W 72nd St ç0.60M Central Park West ♦130yd - Arrive 135 Central Park W
Total: 80 miles / 1hr 29 minutes	80 miles / 1 hour 19 minutes	79.2 miles / 1 hour 30 minutes

Magellan, Garmin, and TomTom all get us to our destination address, but the Garmin nuvi chooses a slightly faster route, provides more detailed navigation instructions, and is also the only GPS to announce what side of the street our destination address is on.

TomTom's ONE XL faired the worst in this test, routing us in such a way that the destination address is actually on the left side of the street. We would then either have to make an illegal U-turn or go around the block to arrive at 135 Central Park West on our right. TomTom also has less detailed navigation prompts than the Magellan Maestro 3140, despite having a larger screen. TomTom also uses yards instead of feet, which is impractical here in the Units States.

Yahoo! Maps (not shown above) chooses a route identical to Garmin's route, but estimates the trip will take 3 minutes longer (1 hour 22 minutes) than Garmin estimates.

So far Garmin's engine appears to be the best. However, sometimes a GPS that routes perfectly well in one area can perform terribly in another region. Our first test was approximately 80 miles in length and took us along the Northeast from Connecticut to New York City. For our second test, I started out at Fry's Electronics in San Jose, California and entered a destination address at 300 Grove Street in San Francisco (about 46 miles in distance).

ROUTING TEST #2
WINNER: Garmin
Start: Fry's Electronics, 550 E. Brokaw Rd, San Jose CA Destination: 300 Grove St., San Francisco, CA
Maestro 3140	Garmin nuvi 660	TomTom ONE XL
é0.7mi San Francisco/US-101 N é6.7mi N US-101 é17mi N US-101 é8.6mi N US-101 é7.3mi N US-101 James Lick Fwy ë3.0mi N US-101/Central Fwy é0.3mi N US-101/Central Fwy è0.9mi Market St ç0.2mi Franklin St è0.3mi Grove St *Arrive at 300 Grove St	ì0.3mi I-880 S to Santa Cruz é0.8mi Exit 4C right to US-101 N/San Francisco é0.2mi Keep right onto Old Bayshoe Hwy to San Francisco ë0.3mi US-101 N to San Francisco é25mi Keep left on US-101 N é8.6mi Keep left onto US-101 N to San Francisco é7.3mi Keep left onto US-101 to Bay Bridge/Civic Center/Silver Ave é3.0mi Keep left onto US 101 N to 9th St-Civic Ctr/Fell Street/Mission St é0.3mi Keep left onto US 101 N to Golden Gate Bridge/Mission St ì0.7mi Mission St ç0.6mi Grove St ì500ft Arrive at 300 Grove St on right	è0.4mi 880 NB Oakland é12.1mi 880 NB é1.5mi 880 NB é6.8mi 880 NB é4.9mi 880 NB é2.4mi 880 NB é2.6mi 880 NB é6.4mi 880 NB é2.4mi 880 NB San Francisco é1.0mi 880 NB é210yd 80 WB é0.40mi 80 WB ì0.35mi Mission St é0.65mi 101 Mission St Mission St San Fran... è300yd 101 Mission St Mission St Mission St ç0.60mi Grove St *180yd Arrive 300 Grove St
Total: 45 miles / 46 minutes	47 miles / 43 minutes	49.3 miles / 52 minutes

Again Garmin chooses the best route, Magellan chooses the second best route, and TomTom chooses the worst route. While Magellan and Garmin both route us along the 101 highway from San Jose to San Francisco, TomTom instead chooses highway 880 North to 80 West -- an odd choice that adds around 4 miles ( 6 minutes) to the journey. Even worse, TomTom again has us arriving on the wrong side of the street, with our destination address on the left.

Both the Magellan Maestro 3140 and Garmin nuvi arrive with our destination address on the right side of the street, but only the Garmin actually tells us what side of the street our destination will be on. Garmin's maneuvering instructions are also by far the most detailed. It's not shown in the table above, but the angle of Garmin's turn icons actually vary to indicate the upcoming turn angle, a feature not found on either the Maestro or the TomTom ONE XL. Garmin wins routing test #2.

For the third test, I chose a short, 3-mile trip from Boston to Cambridge, Massachusetts:

ROUTING TEST #3
WINNER: Garmin
Start: 1200 Beacon St, Boston MA Destination: 5 Cambridge Center, Cambridge MA
Maestro 3140	Garmin nuvi 660	TomTom ONE XL
è0.1mi Beacon St è0.1mi Carlton St ç0.3mi W US-20/Commonwealth è0.1mi RT-2 ì0.2mi RT-3 S ç1.5mi Wadsworth St ç0.1mi Amherst St è0.2mi Ames St *0.3mi Arrive at 1200 Beacon St	è400ft St. Paul St è0.5mi Commonwealth Ave ì0.3mi Keep right onto Hwy 2 to Cambridge ì0.1mi Mountfort St ë0.4mi Take roundabout to 1st exit ì200ft Brookline St to Cambridgeport/Central Square èMassachusetts Ave ë300ft keep left on Main St ç0.7mi Arrive at 6 Cambridge Ctr on left	è80yd Saint Paul St è0.55mi 20 to 30 Commonwealth Ave ì0.30mi Mountfort St è0.40mi RT-3 to Memorial Dr ç300yd Vassar St è1.2mi Cambridge Ctr *160yd Arrive at 5 Cambridge Ctr
Total: 2.8 miles / 6 minutes	3.0 miles / 5 minutes	2.8 miles / 8 minutes

Again the results are consistent with the previous two tests: TomTom's ONE XL chooses a route that's about 30% longer than Magellan's Maestro or Garmin's nuvi. Garmin chose a route that's slightly longer in distance than Magellan's Maestro, but is actually a shorter drive time. It's interesting to see that routing results for all three units were very different even on such a short trip of less than 3 miles.

The routing engine on the Maestro 3140 produced solid results, soundly beating TomTom's new ONE XL unit, and closely matching Garmin's routing engine. Garmin edged out Magellan in all three tests, choosing slightly more efficient routes with more detailed turn instructions and shorter drive times.

TomTom's ONE XL unit performed poorly in all three routing engine tests, producing the longest routes in all three tests, and putting us on the wrong side of the street at our destination address.

Only Garmin's GPS unit announced what side of the street our destination address was on.

Throughout my testing I noticed that if I strayed off course, although the Maestro would almost instantaneously "re-calculate" the route, it would keep trying to route me back to the original path instead of accepting the change and re-routing on the new road. In some cases this added 10 miles to the trip and had be doubling-back in circles instead of just re-calculating the route going forward on the new road. In a side-by-side comparison along the same route, Magellan's routing engine had me doubling back (adding 15 minutes to the trip) while Garmin's nuvi GPS simply re-routed me along the road I was currently driving on (although the Garmin did make me wait a nail-biting 30 seconds before it finally figured out I had missed the turn).

In summary, Magellan's routing engine isn't quite as good as Garmin's, although it does come in close 2nd place, and TomTom's routing engine is a distant 3rd place.

23. Real-Time Traffic Information

Figure 69: Maestro's Traffic Alert Icons

Maestro 3140 supports Magellan's optional TrafficKit, a special docking cradle that includes an integrated TMC traffic receiver. TrafficKit sells for around $75 and comes with a complimentary 3-month subscription, after which you'll need to activate an annual subscription (about $60).

Real-time traffic information enables Maestro to evaluate current traffic conditions along your route and choose an alternate, faster route if appropriate. If a traffic event along your route will cause a delay, Maestro will alert you to the problem and ask if you want to route around it.

Figure 70: Traffic Options Menu

The Traffic Options screen allows you to enter traffic subscription information, view the status of the traffic receiver, and specify what actions that Maestro should take when it detects traffic events along your planned route.

Figure 71: Traffic Selection Menu

This screen allows you to specify whether or not Maestro should automatically choose an alternate route if there is a traffic-related problem along your planned route. It also allows you to enable or disable the traffic feature altogether.

24. Bluetooth

Figure 72: Bluetooth Main Menu

The Bluetooth function of the Magellan Maestro allows you to use the Maestro as a hands-free device for a Bluetooth enabled mobile phone. You can answer and dial your phone by using the Maestro's touch screen.

To access the Bluetooth menu, tap on the telephone icon from the Main Menu.

To pair a device with the Maestro for the first time, you'll use the "Pair Mode " icon.

Figure 73: Pairing Maestro with a Bluetooth Enabled Phone

Tapping on "Pair Mode"initiates the pairing process between Maestro and your cell phone.

Figure 74: Entering the Bluetooth Passkey

Before Maestro can complete the pairing process with your cell phone, you'll need to enter the Bluetooth passkey to your cell phone.

Figure 75: Maestro, Paired with a Bluetooth Enabled Cell Phone

Once Maestro has successfully paired to a Bluetooth enabled cell phone, the connected phone will be shown on the bottom of the main Bluetooth screen, as shown above.

Figure 76: Using Maestro as a Hands-Free Speakerphone

Once paired with a cell phone, you can access the cell phone's address book, place and receive phone calls using Maestro as the speakerphone, and dial POI's from the POI database.

Using Maestro as a hands-free speakerphone in the car had mixed results. When parked in a quiet cabin, sound quality was good and both parties could hear the conversation well. However, when traveling at highway speeds, I found Maestro's internal speaker too quiet to hear the phone conversation, and people I called complained they could hear their own echo.

Figure 77: Using Bluetooth to Receive SMS Messages

If your phone supports SMS, you can view incoming SMS messages on Maestro via the Short Message screen.

Figure 78: Accessing the Call History via Bluetooth

Once successfully paired, Maestro can access your cell phone's call logs.

Figure 79: Maestro's Bluetooth Manager

Bluetooth connections are managed via the Bluetooth Manager, shown above. From here you can remove the link between Maestro and a paired device, copy over the phone book from a paired device, and access the call history on your cell phone.

25. Configuring System Options

Figure 80: User Options Menu

The User Options menu allows you to customize some aspects of the Magellan Maestro, and is accessed by tapping on the Configuration icon from the Main Menu.

Figure 81: Select Region

By default the Maestro 3140 ships set to use the "Lower 48 States" map of the United States. If you need to use the Maestro in Canada, Alaska, Hawaii, or Puerto Rico, you'll need to manually select an alternate map from the "Select Region" options screen, shown above.

Figure 82: System Settings Menu

The System Settings menu allows you to set the parameters shown in the screen above. Note that tapping on the back arrow in the lower-left corner from any of the User Options screens will cancel the changes. This screen also allows you to check the battery life by viewing the battery life indicator in the lower-center portion of the screen.

Figure 83: POI Selection Menu

The POI Selection screen allows you to customize what POIs will be displayed on the map. In some areas the map can become cluttered with too many POIs displayed, making it difficult to see (for example in cities). Checking a POI category on this screen will cause POIs of that type to appear on the map screen. Unchecking a category will remove it from being displayed on the map.

Note that you can still search for POIs of any category, regardless of whether they are being displayed on the map.

Figure 84: Address Book Options Screen

The Address Book options screen allows you to clear the saved address, favorites, and recently found addresses.

Figure 85: Map Options Screen

The Map Options screen allows you to specify whether you want to view the map in 2D or 3D, show the map as "north up" or "heading up", show the TrueView split screen when approaching a turn, and whether you want the Maestro to automatically switch to night view based on the time of day.

Figure 86: Detour Preferences Menu

The Detour options screen allows you to customize the time required before the detour icon will appear on the map. When traveling slower than expected along a given road, by default after 1 minute of slowness the Maestro will display the detour icon, allowing you to re-route using an alternate road.

In my testing I found the default detour alert was too fast. Sometimes just slowing down to pay a toll caused the detour icon to appear. You may want to set this to a longer time (i.e. 5 minutes).

Figure 87: Simulator Mode Menu

The "Simulator Mode" offers the option of simulating movement on a route. This is handy if you want to get to know the features of the Maestro BEFORE you get in the car. I really like having this feature and I wish more companies would include it. It's a great, safe way to learn how to use the unit.

Figure 88: Using the Simulator

Once enabled in the setup options, Maestro will ask if you want to simulate the route after you input a destination address or POI. Tapping on Yes starts the simulation. Tapping on No starts navigating normally.

Figure 89: Tone Options Menu

Just before a pending maneuver the Magellan Maestro will beep, letting you know you need to make the turn. This sound can be changed from the default bell sound to a chime or beep. Personally I like the default "Bell" sound best.

26. Pros

• Newly updated NAVTEQ 2007 mapping data
• Ease of use - Improved user interface over previous Magellan units
• Multi-destination routing supported with route optimizatin feature (route optimization orders the stops based on distance, so you visit each stop in the most efficient manner rather than driving back and forth wasting time and gas)
• Loud built-in speaker
• Four routing methods to choose from (although I wish the Maestro would produce estimated drive times for each of the four methods so you could make a more educated choice about which method to select)
• Magellan's handy "Current Location" screen allows one-click access to your current location, time of day, speed, direction of travel, and also provides an easy way to save your present location into the address book for future use.
• Magellan's unique "Exit Authority" feature is great for long trips / highway travel.
• Magellan's excellent QuickSpell text entry system
• Ability to tap POI icons directly from the map screen
• Solid routing engine performance
• SiRF's high performance StarIII chip
• Strong GPS signal reception and fast position fixing
• Improved Map Screen's is easier to see and larger fonts are easier to read
• ETA is now displayed on the Map Screen
• AAA TourBook data
• Bluetooth for hands-free speakerphone
• Fast CPU makes navigating menus and entering text zippy
• Fast route calculation (typically a few seconds)

27. Cons

• Shorter than average battery life
• Clumsy process to mount / un-mount Maestro from the windshield mount
• AC power cord connects directly to the GPS rather than the mount
• Miss a turn and Maestro keeps insisting you double back and take the original route instead of plotting a new course on the new road
• Long street / highway exit names are truncated, making it hard to read the upcoming maneuver
• Only the Map Screens observe "Night Mode". All other menu screens remain in the same, bright "Day" mode, making them blindingly bright in a dark car at night
• Pastel color scheme on the map hard to see in bright sunlight
• No way to search for a POI along a route (you can use the Exit POI feature if you're on a highway, but you cannot, for example, search for a McDonalds along your current route)
• QuickSpell text entry feature does not work when searching AAA's TourBook data
• No way to scroll around the map
• Slow to zoom in or out on the map
• Occasional bugs. Maestro 3140 froze twice during testing (note that I was testing pre-release beta code and the final firmware code may be more stable)
• 4.5 Million POIs is almost 2 million less POIs than Garmin offers on similarly priced units (even Garmin's entry level nuvi 200 series has 5 million POIs)
• No linkage between Magellan's POI database and AAA's TourBook data (you have to search each one separately)

28. Conclusion

If you ever needed proof that Magellan listens to customer feedback, look no further than the Maestro 3140. Many of the original customer complaints regarding the Maestro 3100 and Maestro 4040 have been corrected in the 3140, and Magellan has delivered a feature-rich GPS that offers solid GPS performance in an easy-to-use package that will please novices and experts alike. Maestro 3140 is the only GPS in it's price class to feature multi-destination routing with route optimization, Bluetooth, and text-to-speech (the GPS speaks actual street names).

Maestro 3140 includes AAA's TourBook data (a resource I found extremely useful for exploring new areas), and supports Magellan's optional TrafficKit for real-time traffic information (sells online for around $75 plus $60 annual subscription fee). I have to admit I found myself using AAA's TourBook data more than I expected; the information AAA provides about local restaurants, lodging, and tourist attractions proved invaluable when exploring new areas, and was much more informative than a typical POI database (although I did wish Magellan would integrate the AAA TourBook data and the POI data so you could search both in one place).

Magellan's routing engine performance was solid, though not quite as good as Garmin's, producing acceptable routes that were significantly better than TomTom's ONE XL. Maestro did exhibit some difficulty accepting the fact that I wanted to take an alternate route, and occasionally even suggested I double-back as far as 10 miles rather than continue forward (the more logical choice). There is no MP3 player of photo viewer on the Maestro 3140 - both now commonplace on most new GPS devices, and I did notice a few bugs in the pre-release beta version I tested (hopefully these will be worked out by the official launch date).

Magellan's decision to include multi-destination routing with route optimization is especially good news, as this oft-requested feature isn't found on most new GPS units. Text-to-speech quality on the Maestro 3140 is on par with Garmin.

Overall Magellan's Maestro 3140 does a nice job offering a broad range of features while still maintaining an easy-to-use interface. The rich feature set combined with current, 2007 NAVTEQ maps, AAA's TourBook data, and several useful features unique to Magellan (QuickSpell, Locate, Exit Authority) make the Maestro 3140 a distinctive GPS that stands out in a sea of GPS devices now flooding the market. If you're looking for a good all-around GPS that combines solid navigation, multi-stop routing, Bluetooth, and text-to-speech, it's hard to beat the Maestro 3140.

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