Product Description

Quick Features: - Full-color display - Unlimited memory expandability - 16 MB built-in maps - Rugged&waterproof - Accurate to 3 meters (WAAS/EGNOS) Magellan Meridian Color is the ultimate, top-of-the-line, GPS receiver and the first handheld to present all your positioning and navigational information in Full Color! The clear choice for the serious navigator, Meridian Color offers superior tracking and 3-meter accuracy, with an extensive, 16 MB, built-in mapping database that provides an easy way to view your location, heading and route on a large, high contrast, high color 120 x 160 pixel display. In attractive Champagne metallic, Meridian Color is rugged enough to go with you on any adventure, or just across town, designed to make getting where you re going a fun, easy and safe trip. The Meridian Color gives you all the great advantages of GPS in a full set of features: - Full Color See where you are and where you re going in vivid color in this full-color 120 x 160 pixel display. Color enables you to easily see your location and route, differentiating between roads, interstates, parks, waterways, airports and other points of interest. - Accurate Meridian Color finds your location by tracking up to 12 GPS satellites simultaneously. Assisted by the U.S. Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), the Meridian Color is accurate to within 3 meters or better. - Easy to use An intuitive interface and large keyboard provides direct access to key features, putting the power of GPS at your fingertips. - Built-in mapping of North America and unlimited expandability Start navigating right away with the extensive, 16 MB, built-in mapping database of North America, including highways, major roads, parks, waterways, airports, cities and marine navigation aids, such as buoys, obstructions, wrecks, lighthouses and more. Increase your mapping detail by downloading street-level maps on an optional Magellan SD memory card. - Full Featured Navigation Nine customizable graphic

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #47750 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: Magellan
• Model: 980598-18
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 2.75" h x 6.00" w x 8.75" l, 3.00 pounds
• Native resolution: 120 x 160

Features

• Full-color 120 x 160 pixel display; backlit for easy night-time use
• Uses WAAS technology for accuracy to within 3 meters or better
• 16 MB of built-in memory includes mapping of North America and unlimited expandability
• Rubber armored construction is impact resistant and waterproof
• Runs for up to 13 hours on 2 AA batteries; includes USB interface with cable

Amazon.com Review
The Magellan Meridian Color GPS receiver is just as at home navigating the highways and byways in your car as it is tracking through your favorite mountain trails. This top-of-the line GPS device features a preloaded 16 MB map database of North America, which can be augmented by detailed maps from optional CD-ROMs via the Secure Digital memory card slot. It also offers easy-to-read navigation screens, good-sized buttons, and a thumb directional pad on the front, and WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation Service) for three-meter accuracy.

Map screen. View larger.

Compass display. View larger.

Road-view mode. View larger.

The Meridian Color is versatile GPS device that is perfect for navigating the highway or the trails. View larger.

Compared to Magellan's Sportrak line, the Meridian is bulkier both in weight (8.5 ounces with batteries compared to the Sportrak's 6.1 ounces) and overall dimensions--6.5 by 2.9 by 1.2 inches (W x H x D)--making it not quite as pocketable (unless you have cargo pants). The bright color screen measures 2.2 by 1.75 inches and has a decent 160 x 120 pixel resolution with 16 colors. Compared with the staid monochrome screens of most GPS devices, the icons and mapping details jump off the screen. We found it to be nicely readable in the car and in most outside conditions, though it wasn't at its best in direct sunlight. As with cell phones in the car, you will have to be wary with your usage. The Meridian Color can be a bit distracting while you're driving, as you have to read the screen for turning instructions (though there are audible prompts) rather than hear a voice providing directions.

With a selected map region loaded into the memory, simply press the GoTo button and select either a new or previously loaded waypoint or a point of interest (such as an airport or sports arena) to navigate to via a street route. After a bit of calculating, the Meridian Color presented us with a turn-by-turn journey that we could follow while driving. As we neared each turn, the Meridian Color emitted a set of beeps to warn us of the upcoming direction change. The set of beeps elevated to an urgent level when we were right on top of the turn. We used this to plot a course to Seattle's Space Needle, and it produced acceptable results. However, if you're familiar with the terrain, you may have found your way in less time with better shortcuts. If you turn off the Meridian while following a route, you can return right back to it once you turn the device back on.

Magellan's Meridian series offers Secure Digital (SD) memory card expandability, which is a bonus for adding a large amount of map data, especially for long trips. However, we were disappointed at its placement within the device behind the batteries rather than in an external slot. This won't be a problem for most users, but it could be annoying if you had a number of maps spread across several cards.

We experienced good battery life during our test--Magellan boasts 13 hours of continuous use with two AA batteries. If you do plan on frequent use in your vehicle, we recommend either purchasing the optional cigarette lighter power cable or using NiMH rechargeable batteries, which typically provide a longer battery life, as well as minimized cost in the long run.

Overall, we were pleased with this portable hybrid car/outdoor GPS receiver. The Meridian's color screen definitely provides quick viewing details while out hiking or mountain biking, while the driving navigation features were indeed helpful in unknown locales. However, if you do plan on using your GPS primarily in your car, you should think about moving up to either Magellan's Meridian Color Traveler (which includes a street map CD-ROM, vehicle mounting bracket, and power adapter) or the Magellan Roadmate (with voice instruction). --Agen G.N. Schmitz

Pros:

Cons:

Note: All available screen shots were in black and white. The Magellan Meridian Color provides 160 x 120 pixel resolution with 16 colors on all screens and displays.

What's in the Box
Meridian Color GPS receiver, PC cable, 2 AA batteries, wrist strap, and user's manual (English/French).

Amazon.com Review
The Magellan Meridian Color GPS receiver is just as at home navigating the highways and byways in your car as it is tracking through your favorite mountain trails. This top-of-the line GPS device features a preloaded 16 MB map database of North America, which can be augmented by detailed maps from optional CD-ROMs via the Secure Digital memory card slot. It also offers easy-to-read navigation screens, good-sized buttons and a thumb directional pad on the front, and WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation Service) for 3-meter accuracy.

Compared to Magellan's Sportrak line, the Meridian is bulkier both in weight (8.5 ounces with batteries compared to the Sportrak's 6.1 ounces) and overall dimensions--6.5 x 2.9 x 1.2 inches (W x H x D)--making it not quite as pocketable (unless you have cargo pants).

The bright color screen measures 2.2 x 1.75 inches and has a decent 160 x 120 pixel resolution with 16 colors. Compared with the staid monochrome screens of most GPS devices, the icons and mapping detail literally jumps off the screen. We found it to be nicely readable in the car and in most outside conditions, though it wasn't at its best in direct sunlight. As with cell phones in the car, you will have to be wary with your usage. The Meridian Color can be a bit distracting while you're driving as you have to read the screen for turning instructions (though there are audible prompts) rather than hear a voice providing directions (a feature of the Magellan Roadmate).

With a selected map region loaded into the memory (such as from the Mapsend DirectRoute CD-ROM), simply press the Goto button and select either a new or previously loaded waypoint or a point of interest (such as an airport or sports arena) to navigate to via a street route. After a bit of calculating, we were presented with a turn-by-turn journey that we could follow while driving. As we neared each turn, the Meridian Color emitted a set of beeps to warn us (which elevated to an urgent beeping when we were right on top of the turn). We used this to plot a course to Seattle's Space Needle, and it produced acceptable results (though, if you're familiar with the terrain, you may know better shortcuts). If you turn off the Meridian while following a route (say if you take a coffee break), you can return right back to it once you turn the device back on.

Magellan's Meridian series offers Secure Digital (SD) memory card expandability, which is a bonus for adding a large amount of map data (especially for long trips). However, we were disappointed at its placement within the device behind the batteries rather than an external slot. This won't be a problem for most users, but it will be annoying if you've got a number of maps spread across several cards.

We experienced good battery life during our test (Magellan boasts 13 hours of continuous use with 2 AA batteries). If you do plan on using it a lot in your vehicle, we recommend either purchasing the optional cigarette lighter power cable or using NiMH rechargeable batteries (which provide a typically longer battery duration as well as minimized cost in the long run).

Overall, we were pleased with this portable hybrid car/outdoor GPS receiver. The Meridian's color screen definitely helps with quickly viewing details while out hiking or mountain-biking, while the driving navigation features were indeed helpful in unknown locales. However, if you do plan on using your GPS primarily in your car, you should think about moving up to either Magellan's Meridian Color Traveler (which includes a street map CD-ROM, vehicle mounting bracket, and power adapter) or the Magellan Roadmate (with voice instruction). --Agen G.N. Schmitz

Pros:

• Color LCD is very readable--routes and icons pop off the screen
• Controls well laid out, navigation screens are intuitive (especially for new users)
• Optional mapping software is easy to use and transfer

• SD memory card slot not easily accessible
• We recommend a power adapter or NiMH batteries for extended car use

Amazon.com Product Description
Early Adopters Pick: January 2003. The first handheld GPS unit with a full-color screen.

The Magellan Meridian Color is the first handheld GPS receiver to feature a full-color screen. Find your way with superior tracking and accuracy to within three meters, a built-in mapping database, and a high-color, high-contrast, backlit, 120 x 160 pixel display. The Meridian Color finds your location by tracking up to 12 GPS satellites simultaneously, and is also assisted by the U.S. Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), so it's accurate to within three meters or better.

The Meridian Color is ruggedly constructed and is waterproof, so you can take it anywhere, whether you're navigating the streets or hitting the trails. It features nine customizable graphic navigation displays including a map, compass, and speedometer, and text readouts that show heading, bearing, speed, direction, ETA, and more. You can choose from 12 built-in coordinate systems and 76 datums including latitude/longitude, the Universal Transverse Mercator grid, and the Military Grid Reference System.

The Meridian Color features 16 MB of built-in maps of North America--including interstates, highways, major roads, waterways, cities, airports, and more--that you can also expand by downloading onto an optional Secure Digital memory card (not included). You can store up to 20 routes, 500 waypoints, and 2,000 track points, and the Save Track-to-Route feature allows you to convert complicated track files into easy-to-follow routes. Magellan MapSend software, available separately, lets you save hundreds of routes to your PC.

Other features include NorthFinder technology, which shows your direction even when standing still; sun and moon positions, which shows you when the sun will rise and set and the phase of the moon; a fish and game calculator, which shows you when the fish are likely to be biting in any location; and satellite status, which monitors the GPS satellites in view and gets information about their status.

Customer Reviews

A wonderful GPS worked great!
Just returned from a trip to Europe, and I have to say this GPS is stellar. I read some of the other comments below and let me offer some advice that clears up some of the problems.

The backlight is adjustable, there is Bright, Dim, and Off. You change from one to the other by holding the power key down for a few seconds.

There is a work around for the maps. I was able to download all of german, netherlands, italy, most of poland etc. You need an SD card programmer to do it, and either 128 mb or 64 mb cards. I needed 192mb total to store what I wanted. Each "Region" that you want to store has to be under 16mb. You can store up to 4 regions in a "Map". You can store as many maps as you want to the SD card, but you will need to rename them from "Region00." to "Region01", "Region02", etc. In this way you are able to store multiple 64 mb "Maps". You can change which map you are using by going to card utilities->select map. Waypoints and routes are stored in the GPS, so they will be sticky if you switch cards.

Using this method you can download all the maps you could possibly need during your trip, and not have to lug a laptop or any software around with you, maybe a couple of postage-stamp sized sd cards. Also note that you'll want to load at least 16mb of the European basemap onto each sd card if you will be using it in europe.

Be sure to format your SD cards before using them!

I think the unit would work with 512mb sd cards, but I don't have a 512mb card to test with.

Another important note is that magellan is releasing Turn-By-Turn software for this GPS this Month! It will retail @ 149.99 and if you do a cost comparison between the magellan and the garmin software, the magellan will now work out cheaper AND provide turn by turn routing with voice prompting (This is just a fantastic software upgrade, I can't believe it can be done without buying a new GPS. I will have to see how well it works when I receive my copy however.).

Some items that keep this from getting 5 stars:

Non-intuitive user interface for loading multiple maps (workaround described above)

Battery life - I went thru about 4 2100 maH AA batteries a day. I had the backlight auto-off set at two minutes, but wanted the gps on all the time to get accurate routing. I remember by GPS V goes for a couple days on one set of batteries, although it uses 4 batteries instead of two.

No compass - this makes it kind of tricky to navigate if you're walking. The directional arrow is frequently inaccurate, so you have to cross check the street that you are on. I'd love to see a screw on magnetic compass attachment for this unit. The sport-trak color has the compass, but only allows 10 or so MB of built in maps.

No built in auto routing - was kind of dismayed to find it didn't have this originally, but with the promised software upgrade, it should be good. I do feel that this should be built into the unit, as a I think every user out there would want it. $150 is a bit much to pay for software that should really be included with the unit.

Annoying alarm when battery reaches critical - There are some times that you don't want to advertise that you are carrying around an expensive device, and having the alarm go off in the middle of a subway or something could be dangerous. Didn't fully investigate if this can be turned off.

Difficult to tell which button you're pushing if it's in your pocket - a little bump on the power and enter buttons would help for unseen operation.

External connector is slow to connect disconnect - you have to turn a screw to connect the external car power or PC interface cables, which takes 60 seconds or so, maybe 30 when you get good. Very difficult to accomplish while driving.

Annoying alarm when external power lost in car - my car connector kept turning off when bumped with the hand, and then this alarm would go off. A single beep would suffice guys!

External power should turn off backlight saver automatically e.g. the backlight should stay on. (or better yet, seperate backlight saver mode for battery and external power). Ditto the auto-off functions although I wasn't using those.

Display - the display was pretty good, and the color definitely helps to clear up the map. Street names are a bit difficult to read and certain zoom levels, the detail level/zoom level threshoulds might need a bit of adjustment.

Antenna - Definitely works better when the gps top is pointed up. This is only my second GPS but it seemed a little less sensitive then my GPS V is.

Cursor - cursor didn't track correctly when entering in a street name where the second word of the street name caused it to wrap to the second line; the cursor remained on a blank square - annoying, no big deal.

German streets - geez, the first 17 characters are the same, can someone figure out how to do the UI so it is easier to get to the right street? I think using the up/down arrows to scroll thru the possible repeat characters would be much easier then the current methods.

color display too dark
I bought one of these because it had a color display. After I received it I noticed the display was practically impossible to see unless the backlight was on high. I drove around with it a little and it tracked where I went very well but I had to leave the light on all the time and it ran the batteries down in about four hours. I was using Duracell 1800 nimh rechargables.
I returned it the next day and got a Meridian platinum for less money and it has a barometer and thermometer. The display is visible in the day and you only need the back light on at night.
Unless you like changing batteries often get a Meridian platinum or a Meridian gold.

Meridian COLOR vs. PLATINUM
Display:
The COLOR has no-light/dim/bright, as does the PLATINUM. But the COLOR it is only usable with bright lights in daylight and dim during nighttime, with no lights you don't see anything. The Platinum w/o light has still an acceptable display and runs for about 8 hrs, the COLOR on bright runs slightly over 4 hrs (1.850 mAh).

Functionality:
The colored display is very helpful together with Topo Send. You can easily distinguish between different graphics by the color; like arroyos and dirt-roads, specially marked arreas and lakes, etc.
What is missing on the COLOR compared to the PLATINUM is the baro, thermo and the build in electronic compass (not gps dependent). I thermo and baro I found fun to play around with but never really found a serious application. The compass needs constant alignment and is often considerably off. For all those applications there is way better stuff out there.
The COLOR has the better software wich might be due to the fact that I downloaded the latest software to it (v. 5.12). After v. 5.xx there is supposed to be a street navigation function to it, which I haven't found yet- maybe only works with MapStreets.

Durability:
As I pointed out in my earlier review on the PLATINUM this unit is extremely rugged and highly reliable in the field. I figure so will be the COLOR.

Deficiencies:
The backtrack function is higly deficient. When you wanna walk back you have to hit every single point this function created on the way back. Often you don't do that because you do a shortcut. Neither one of those units does allow you to bypass one single point and from now it desperatly points back to the one point you might have missed by a couple of feets.

Map-Download:
has certain limitations which are discussed in some other reviews on this side. Even with the latest software I was only able to download 3 regions to one map, but 4 maps alltogether with a total of 120mb over my PDA (Card-Reader might be even better) by doing the following:

1. Without connecting your Meridian to a PC, begin the map Upload process (click Regions; then Upload to GPS).
2. When the map data conversion process is done, MapSend will display a message that it cannot find your GPS receiver to perform the download.
3. Stop the process here by selecting "Cancel".
4. Using Windows Explorer, go to Program Files/Magellan/MapSend/Export and locate the file called "maps.img".
5. Copy this file to the SD card using USB card reader. Do not create any folders within the SD card where you place this file. Your Meridian will always looks at the top, or "Root" level within the card.
6. Rename the file "XXXXXX.img" - Example (SO California.img).
7. Remove the card and place it in your Meridian. You can use your Meridian as you would normally from here. (If you have at least software version 3.12 loaded on your Meridian, you will be able to select a map image to use from the Card Utilities menu - Press MENU to find Card Utilities)

Verdict:

I do recommend both units, but do personally prefer the COLOR for its more consise display even considering the extra functions on the PLATINUM. Because of certain flaws in the software I give both a 4 out of 5.