I bought this unit a year ago, and it did decently. However, it tended to recommend routes that really didn't make sense at times. After my son's recent usage to navigate home from his honeymoon destination he complained that it needed updating. Soooooo, armed with access to the Magellan web site I set out to update my unit. There are two updates available: a free download to update the firmware, add points of interest (POIs) and add Hawaii and Puerto Rico maps. There's also updated North American maps available for a cost of $79.99 ($67.99 for AAA members).

Here's where the fun began. First--the free update only works with Windows XP (according to Magellan's web site). I'm running XP, so no problem. And, it's massive (over 900 MB) takes a long time to download even with fast DSL, dialup--FUGGEDABOUTIT!!!

I connected the unit with the USB cable and the fun began. The added hardware wizard in XP never seemed to run quite properly. Made it seem like I had two new drives hooked to the computer. Onward, I slogged.

When I started the update program (which I had previously unzipped) it then started to uzip itself even more. SHEESH

It hit the POI update file (a monstrous 898MB) and took 20+ minutes to upzip it.

I then got several error messages that stopped the whole update process.

Oh, it also erased the unit's firmware. I now had a big fat paperweight.

A quick Google search found several sites warning folks about doing this update.

Luckily, I stumbled across a site with instructions on how to manually update the unit. Three hours from when I started I finally had an updated unit.

I can hardly wait until the map update arrives!!!! More to come---

i bought this unit it was fine at first but in some areas it looked like i was in the middle of a field, so i bought the new maps try to load them and guess what, it locked up so i sent it back to megellan and i had to pay shipping one way but they gave me new one, but once again tried to load the maps and again it locked up again so i called again ,payed to have it shipped again but here i sit waiting for it to return maybe this time with the new maps put in for me, but something tells me that that may never happen so be careful when buying these units it may or may not work for you Magellan Maestro 3100 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator

I purchased this GPS for my fiance last Christmas. Living near Boston poses its directional challenges (Big Dig, anyone?), but to add to that, I sometimes think the boy might have trouble finding his way out of a paper bag. I tend to have a better sense of direction, but even so, a GPS is one of those things that you never really realize how much you would need it or rely on it until you have one.

It was a great price, and it was perfect - just a GPS that gets you from point A to point B, with voice commands and a touch screen. No camera or phone or any other crazy contraption imbedded in it to make it more complicated or unnecessarily expensive. It tends to have trouble with city streets because buildings block the signal, but overall we've both been really happy with it. I snag it when I can if I need to go somewhere new. It was the best gift he didn't even realize he wanted!

This product has been helpful on several occasions already. I tried it around town first to make sure it knew the best/quickest ways to get around and it passed with flying colors. It's built in avoid system is very nice for when you're low on cash and can't afford tolls. Very easy to use right out of the box. Screen is large enough to view from the farthest point on your windshield. The change from light to dark streets at night is an amazing feature, it tones down the brightness so your not binded everytime you look at it while driving down those dark streets. The sound quality is good, however if your like me and like listening to fairly loud music, you might need to check the screen more often to make sure you dont miss a turn. If you do miss a turn the GPS quickly gets you back on track the easiest way it can. I have taken it on long and short trips and hasn't let me down yet. This is a Great buy!! I'm now getting two more for my parents.

DO NOT PURCHASE THIS UNIT !!!!! I WAS TOLD I WOULD RECEIVE 1 FREE UPDATE WHEN I PURCHASED IT !! WHEN THE UPDATE CAME OUT THEY TOLD ME IT WOULD COST ME $80. I E-MAILED THEM AND TRIED TO EXPLAIN WHAT I WAS TOLD AND THEY REFUSED TO HONOR THE UPGRADE. THE POINTS OF INTEREST ARE VERY LIMITED. MY WIFE HAS A GARMIN AND IT IS GREAT!!! 6MILLION POINTS OF INTERESTS AND 1 FREE UPDATE. I TELL EVERYBODY TO STAY AWAY FROM THEM AND BUY A GARMIN. THE ONLY REASON I PURCHASED IT WAS THE FREE UPDATE. THE MAPS ARE 2006 AND IT WAS A GOOD PRICE. i WILL NEVER BUY A MAGELLAN AGAIN!!!!