The color display of the Magellan Meridian Color GPS receiver is like the cherry on a sundae. You may not really need it, but it makes the whole thing complete. And this handheld continues the solid construction and performance of previous Meridian models for go-anywhere reliability.

Adding color to the display of the Magellan Meridian Color creates a third dimension to a two dimensional map. The amount of information you can show on its 1.75" W x 2.2" H screen is limited, as with any handheld, but color makes the map details stand out. And the high-contrast LCD screen, along with the keypad, have adjustable backlighting. So you'll be able to navigate day or night.

Stored in its 16 MB of memory, the Meridian Color contains a basemap of North America. The map includes major roads, waterways, parks, airports, cities, and marine navigation aids. For navigating within cities, you can get optional street-level maps loaded on a Magellan Secure Digital (SD) memory card. The maximum card capacity is 128 MB, which allows for an extensive, easily replaceable map collection.

Good maps aren't worth much if you don't have an accurate GPS receiver to use with them. And the 12-channel Magellan Meridian Color doesn't fall short. Its regular position accuracy is off by less than seven meters. But with Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) enabled, it reduces the error to less than three meters. The receiver updates your position every second which ensures the reading you get will be exact for your current location.

There are seven user-configurable navigation screens with the Meridian Color. The Map Screen shows your position, direction, path taken, and two data fields. The data fields display trip information of your choice, such as speed or distance traveled. The Compass Screen has a compass image with your heading, direction to your destination, and two selectable data fields. And four fields of custom trip data are available with the Large Data Screen. Your position information and a trip odometer are on the Position Screen. A moving image of the road ahead is shown on the Road Screen along with your direction and four data fields of your choice. The Speedometer Screen has a speedometer image, a trip odometer and four selectable data fields. You can check GPS satellite signal reception with the Satellite Status Screen. It shows the satellites accessed, their position, and their signal strength.

Your choice for navigation information goes beyond which screen to use with the Magellan Meridian Color. You can select from 12 map coordinate systems, 76 map datums, and 9 languages. A track log records your path with up to 2000 track points and when your trip is over, you can convert the track to a route and save it. And should you ever get stuck on how to use one of the receiver's functions, there's a built-in help database with step-by-step instructions.