GPS Units Weighed Down by Buggy Features

The Magellan Maestro 4050 is bulky. (Magellan)

All three devices came with extensive directories of stores, restaurants, hotels and other attractions. The Nuvi threw in an MSN Direct database of gas prices and movie times, while the Magellan included a list of AAA-recommended establishments.

The next most valuable addition was the Bluetooth wireless on the Garmin and Magellan units, which lets you make cellphone calls safely while driving. But although both units linked with a BlackBerry 8300, an iPhone and a T-Mobile Dash, the Magellan served up cryptic and annoying alerts ("Please initiate the pairing process on your mobile phone, default key: no default key") and often appeared to freeze up at the end of calls.

The Magellan, unlike the others, can accept simple spoken-world commands like "nearest coffee." But the voice-recognition system didn't work unless I spoke from less than a foot away in a quiet room.

The Garmin and the LG don't have voice-recognition features, but include the ability to play music files and display photos -- though their minimal playback options mean that neither has a chance of replacing an iPod.

Only Garmin, however, provided a way to play music through a car's stereo; the Nuvi features a headphone jack and can be used with an optional FM transmitter. The LG offers none of those things, forcing the user to listen to a tiny speaker on the back.

The LG's best trait didn't emerge until it was unplugged from a charger: a battery life of just over four hours, even with the screen backlight turned all the way up. The Garmin managed three hours, while the Magellan battery expired after two.

The idea of a navigational tool that remains useful after you reach your destination holds a great deal of appeal, but only the Garmin unit came close to delivering on that promise, if at a painfully high price. The other two -- especially the sluggish Magellan unit -- have many more miles to go.

Living with technology, or trying to? E-mail Rob Pegoraro atrobp@washpost.com. Read more athttp://blog.washingtonpost.com/fasterforward/