I have a Magellan Maestro 4040 and notice even in my town there are new addresses it is not finding. Do you have to buy updates to maps? I guess that from searching. I guess I go to the Magellan website? and download new firmware?

On Garmin's the onetime map update cost is $49. If you purchase a "lifetime" of free updates it is $89. not sure what it would be for a Magellan.

When buying a GPS sometimes you can pay a little more to get it bundled with the free Lifetime maps update.

But in general, yeah, you have to pay for map updates.

Seems like a racket given the proportion of the cost of a new GPS unit these updates represent.

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Jem
Seems like a racket given the proportion of the cost of a new GPS unit these updates represent.

I think the maps and the software that calculates the routes, etc. is where the cost is. GPS receivers are useless without maps and I don't think the receiver part itself is that expensive anymore.

Everything Jem said I'll second. Basically, if a GPS I have doesn't have lifetime updates bundled with it when I bought it, I give it to one of the kids or a friend after a couple of years and buy a new one at Costco or on Black Friday for not much more than the price the update would be. I figure after a couple of years there ought to be enough new technology to merit an upgrade, and the old one is living on borrow time. And yes, if you want to update you go to the Magellan site.

I went to the Magellan site and it is a mess IMO. Not user friendly. I think the advice to just buy a new one is practical because the updates I note cost 99.00 and up. Thanks. Good tips.

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zeppo2
Everything Jem said I'll second. Basically, if a GPS I have doesn't have lifetime updates bundled with it when
I bought it, I give it to one of the kids or a friend after a couple of years and buy a new one at Costco or on
Black Friday for not much more than the price the update would be. I figure after a couple of years there
ought to be enough new technology to merit an upgrade, and the old one is living on borrow time.
And yes, if you want to update you go to the Magellan site.

Someone had a Garmin with lifetime maps and traffic for a little over $100 in one of yesterdays ads.
We're still using our 2 year old Garmin 255W with the original maps and then I have my iPhone too
so we're pretty well covered.

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Grateful11

Grateful11, do you have any idea of who had the unit for $100?

I think buy.com had a Tom Tom for $100 with lifetime maps.

It was a cnet cheapskate deal.

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I have to have the one's that talk because my old eyes just can't function on those small screens. I priced a lifetime maps (just one model) Magellan at 199.00. Wow...I don't know if at my age "lifetime" maps is worth it!

it's the age old razors/blades, and printers/ink carts.

If you go the the Magellan website, you would see that an update isn't available for your GPS. So, if it's outdated you will need a new gps.

check this site
[www.easygps.com]

FREE GPS Software for your Garmin, Magellan or Lowrance GPS

EasyGPS is the fast and easy way to upload and download waypoints, routes, and tracks between your Windows computer and your Garmin, Magellan, or Lowrance GPS. EasyGPS lists all of your waypoints on the left side of the screen, and shows a plot of your GPS data on the right. Use EasyGPS to back up and organize your GPS data, print maps, or load new waypoints onto your GPS for your next hike or geocaching adventure.

EasyGPS works with every popular handheld GPS receiver, and it is 100% FREE!

EasyGPS runs on Windows XP, Vista, and 7.
New features were added to EasyGPS 4.29 on July 20, 2011

EasyGPS works with hundreds of GPS receivers, including all Garmin nüvi, eTrex, Colorado, Dakota, GPSMAP, Edge, Montana, Oregon, and Rino models, Magellan eXplorist, Meridian, and SporTrak GPS receivers, and Lowrance iFinder, Endura, HDS, LCX, and LMS GPS chartplotters and fishfinders.

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Quote
samintx
I have a Magellan Maestro 4040 and notice even in my town there are new addresses it is not finding. Do you have to buy updates to maps?

looks like the newest map update AutonavDirect has was 2009
[www.autonavdirect.com]


the instructions there will show you where to look on the 4040 menu for your current version to see if you even need to upgrade

For $60.00 I think some of the above advice regarding putting the money towards something newer makes a lot of sense.

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Quote
decay
check this site
[www.easygps.com]

FREE GPS Software for your Garmin, Magellan or Lowrance GPS

EasyGPS is the fast and easy way to upload and download waypoints, routes, and tracks between your Windows computer and your Garmin, Magellan, or Lowrance GPS. EasyGPS lists all of your waypoints on the left side of the screen, and shows a plot of your GPS data on the right. Use EasyGPS to back up and organize your GPS data, print maps, or load new waypoints onto your GPS for your next hike or geocaching adventure.

EasyGPS works with every popular handheld GPS receiver, and it is 100% FREE!

EasyGPS runs on Windows XP, Vista, and 7.
New features were added to EasyGPS 4.29 on July 20, 2011

EasyGPS works with hundreds of GPS receivers, including all Garmin nüvi, eTrex, Colorado, Dakota, GPSMAP, Edge, Montana, Oregon, and Rino models, Magellan eXplorist, Meridian, and SporTrak GPS receivers, and Lowrance iFinder, Endura, HDS, LCX, and LMS GPS chartplotters and fishfinders.

Neat, but I don't think that it will update maps.