Magellan Maestro 4050 + TrafficKit
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Written by Kate on November 1, 2008 – 12:22 pm
The Magellan Maestro 4050 has a lot of cool features, including Voice Command and Control, Live Traffic, and AAA Tourbooks. They all help make driving in a new place, or just driving around town, a little less stressful.
Features
There are A LOT of features on the Magellan Maestro 4050 + TrafficKit and there is a summary chart at the end of this post. Some of the features are much better than others. We are a big fan of the AAA Tourbooks (available upon request with the AAA membership) whenever we travel. So, needless to say we were thrilled to find out the Magellan Maestro 4050+Traffic Kit includes Points Interest (POIs) from the Tourbooks! With the Maestro 4050 + Traffic Kit, next time you want to find a cool place to eat, or maybe a bar to go to while you are on vacation, you can easily find one recommended by the AAA Tourbook!
Another of favorite feature is the Bluetooth functionality. Basically this allows you to make phone calls and answer calls through your GPS! So no more trying to balance your cell phone on your shoulder while driving, changing music, and looking at your GPS causing a sore neck…now you only have to worry about Taco Neck…
An awesome addition to the Magellan Maestro 4050+TrafficKit is the TrafficKit! Before you decide to take a highway that has bumper to bumper traffic for 3 miles (and causes you to be late for your meeting), you get a warning from your TrafficKit and an alternate route from SmartDetour, a feature that leads you to your destination via the quickest route.
If you blow a tire and are stuck in the middle of nowhere, have no fear, you can touch the tow 
truck icon on the Magellan Maestro+Traffic Kit to instantly connect you to AAA member Roadside Assistance, and they will take care of you! The GPS will show you the nearest AAA Roadside Assistance center and you just push a button on the Magellan Maestro 4050+TrafficKit and it will call AAA for you!
There are 6 million POIs from restaurants to grocery stores to gas stations. Also, you have the choice to choose the types of services or amenities you are looking for on your GPS and interactive POIs pop up to make it super easy to figure out where you want to go. You can see the address, see the phone number, and instantly you have a route to your destination! This is great if you are going to a crowded restaurant. No more costly 411 costs to try to call ahead for last minute reservations or find out wait times for a seating.
Exit POIs conveniently show you what food, lodging, and fuel stations are at each exit along the freeway. Some of our favorite quick stops along the freeway are Dairy Queen and Chick-fil-A, and we are always looking for billboards on the side of the road to see if the exit has one. This feature makes driving a little easier by helping you find the correct exits for your favorite restaurants, gas stations, and hotels.
What we don’t like about the Magellan Maestro 4050+TrafficKit
As with every product, there are a few negatives to this GPS. What we see as a big drawback to the Magellan Maestro 4050+TrafficKit, as with most of the more advanced GPS products, is the cost does not end with the price of the product. In order to take advantage of the better features on the GPS you have to pay for service fees and accessories. The Magellan Maestro 4050+TrafficKit gives you 3 months free for the TraffitKit subscribtion, but in order to get traffic reports after the three months is over, you have to pay an annual fee of $39.99. Another negative is that the voice recognition only supports a few commands and therefore is not very convenient to use. You can not enter an address by voice nor are you able to get back to the map view by voice. The TrafficKit is an extra bulky piece on your windshield separate from the GPS, which could be distracting. It is also a little sluggish and the TrafficKit does not always bring up the traffic for some reason.
What we like about the Magellan Maestro 4050+TrafficKit
The traffic services are relatively lower in price than others out there and all of the other features are included in the Magellan Maestro 4050+TrafficKit. It is lower in price than any other GPS that you can control by voice. The AAA Tourbook is a unique addition that no other brand has and can really assist you in finding the right restaurant, hotel, bar, or even the nearest member roadside service company.
| Features: | TomTom 930T |
| Physical & Performance |
|
| Unit dimensions, WxHxD: |
3.3” x 4.7” x 1.0” |
| Display size, WxH: |
4.3″ widescreen |
| Display resolution, WxH: |
480*272 pixels |
| Display type: |
WQVGA |
| Weight: | 7.75 oz./0.49 lbs |
| Battery: | rechargeable lithium-ion |
| Battery life: |
up to 5 hours |
| Waterproof: | no |
| High-sensitivity receiver: |
yes |
| RoHS version available: |
|
| Maps & Memory | |
| Basemap: | yes |
| Preloaded maps: |
yes |
| Ability to add maps: |
yes |
| Built-in memory: |
|
| Accepts data cards: |
SD™ card (not included) |
| Waypoints/favorites/locations: | |
| Features | |
| Voice prompts (e.g. “Turn right in 500 ft.”): |
yes (internal speaker) |
| Speaks street names (e.g. “Turn right ON ELM STREET in 500 ft.”) : |
yes |
| Speech recognition (navigate with voice commands): |
yes |
| Lane assist (guides you to the proper lane for navigation): |
YES |
| 3-D map view: |
yes |
| 3-D building view (displays buildings in 3-D): |
no |
| Auto sort multiple destinations (provides most direct route): |
yes |
| Auto re-route (fast off-route and detour recalculation): |
yes |
| Choice of route setup (faster time, shorter distance, off road): |
yes |
| Route avoidance (avoid highways, tolls etc.): |
yes |
| Custom POIs (ability to add additional points of interest): |
yes |
| Hands-free calling with Bluetooth® wireless technology: |
yes |
| FM traffic compatible: |
yes |
| TomTom Mapshare compatible: |
yes |
| Help Me! (find closest hospitals, police & gas stations, nearest address & intersection) |
yes |
| MP3 player: |
yes |
| Audio book player: |
no |
| Document Viewer |
yes |
| Picture viewer: |
yes |
| Current Location Icon Choice |
yes |
| World travel clock, currency & unit converter, calculator: |
no |
| Touchscreen: | yes |
| Qwerty or ABC keyboard (choose keyboard layout): |
yes |
| Remote control: |
yes |
| FM transmitter: |
yes |
| Headphone jack/audio line-out: |
yes |
| Motorcycle-friendly: | no |
