Dont smash it... send it to me. But all of my friends GPS take about 30 sec - 1 min to connect to the 3 satellites (You need 3 to pinpoint your position). There are a few times it takes a little longer (which is annoying), but in general i feel its pretty fast. Maybe take it back to the store and see what they say. If its new then i would return it!
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Yes and No.

It's all relative. Sure, some GPS chipsets are better than others, but there are a plethora of factors that limit GPS connections. Including weather, availability, buildings, elevation, etc etc.

It is trying to hook up with satellites, it doesn't want to disappoint you - it's just having a hard time. Mine always locates me within 30 seconds, but it always takes 3-4 minutes for my roommates (who have a different device than I).

If your device has always done this, it may be worthwhile looking into a replacement with a good, current GPS chipset. If this is a new occurrence, then I would imagine that it is an environment problem.
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The time to acquisition is a very variable thing. Firstly, make sure the antenna on the unit has a clear view of the sky, some units are especially picky in this manner. Tall buildings, tree canopy, and rain clouds can all make signal reception more difficult. Also, at first, it helps to keep the unit stationary (not driving) and in its normal orientation for use, that will help position the antenna well and give the unit less variables to work with.

Also, it's probably cold starting if it's taking that long, which means it totally forgets where it last was and what time it is. This makes starting very long and could be because dead batteries or being off a long time without batteries in the unit.

So, try to give it some power to work with between uses. This will help it warm/hot start which should be in the 30-60sec range. In a warm/hot start it actually remembers its last known position which makes things go much faster.

If you are looking at another unit look for one with a SiRF III chipset and a decent antenna. The SiRF III is good at dealing with overhead obstructions and very quick at starting.
# Hot Start: 1 seconds typical
# Warm Start: 30 seconds typical
# Cold Start: 45 seconds typical
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The unit has to sync up with at least 3 satellites for Trilateration which might be affected by weather, terrestrial landscape, device chipset, antenna design, etc.

Not sure which model you are refering to. I would also try a firmware upgrade if available.

If you are still within the return period, you can return it and get the latest one. or contact the customer support.

or could be due to the current status of the satellites for that particular location.

Further to the recent fear about the future of the GPS satellites, USAF and Boeing released some comments. and below is the link for those comments on twitter
Source(s):
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2009/may/22/gps-air-force-twitter

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My TomTom, on average takes about 45-60seconds.  I've never used a Magellan, but I've tried 4 Garmin models so far and hated them all.  TomTom was the way to go for me.
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