On Sale Navigon N100 LOOX Sport GPS
Navigon N100 LOOX Sport GPS Review
Navigon N100 LOOX Sport GPS Feature
- Brilliant, 2.8-inch QVGA display with a color-transmissive TFT LCD touch screen provides stunning 3D maps
- Pre-loaded maps of the entire US and Canada, with predictive text, lane indications, speed information and brand icons
- Includes a digital music player, photo viewer, video player and retro games for entertainment
- Integrated SiRFstar III GPS receiver, built-in mini SD card slot, and rechargeable lithium-ion battery
- Weighs 3.9 ounces, measures 3.5 x 2.4 x 0.6 inches (W x H x D), and is backed by a manufacturer's limited 2-year warranty
Navigon N100 LOOX Sport GPS Overview
Other GPS units say they're pocket-sized. Meet the first serious navigation device that makes good on that claim. The brainstorm of Fujitsu-Siemens and navigation software pioneer NAVIGON, the top-rated Pocket LOOX® N100 delivers powerful navigation in a sharp, ultra-compact package that weighs 3.8 ounces and measures a diminutive 2.4 x 3.5 inches. Best yet, it offers souped-up features that heftier units can't touch: an intuitively easy-to-use interface, stunning maps with 3D graphics, lane guidance, automatic speed warnings and more. Intelligent integration of MP3, video player and photo viewer capabilities make Pocket LOOX an outstanding value.Navigon N100 LOOX Sport GPS Specifications
If keeping your gadgets small and pocketable is important, and you need a capable GPS device that also boasts some slick media functions, then the Navigon N100 from Fujitsu-Siemens deserves a look. The Navigon GPS Navigator is compact and strikingly elegant in design. View larger. View Navigon software demo - View device in 3D. |
 Robust 3D maps make it easy to see where you are going at a glance. |
 The user interface is easy to navigate. |
 Load up your music and jam out. The device supports MP3, WMA, and AAC music files. |
 Have some fun with the included games. |
One of the N100's most impressive features is its size. Measuring just 3.5 x 2.4 x 0.6 inches (L x W x H), it fits easily in the palm -- quite impressive when you consider how much is loaded into its diminutive package. The bright, 2.8-inch touchscreen offered great clarity indoors, but was quickly washed out in bright sunlight. A small slot on top accepts MicroSD media, and the included 2 GB card contains complete mapping and points of interest data for the U.S. (including Alaska and Hawaii), Canada, and Puerto Rico.
A mini-USB port on the side of the N100 does double duty for charging and data connectivity, making it simple to upload music, photos, and videos to the device from your PC. Other highlights include a removable battery that lets you carry a spare when you're away from an outlet for extended periods, and a small (perhaps a bit too small) stylus that's tucked away in the rear panel.
Navigation
Powered by the latest SiRFstar III chipset, which is designed to improve communication with GPS satellites for smoother, more accurate navigation, as well as a 300 MHz processor, the N100 has all the right muscle--at least on paper--to provide a great handheld GPS navigation experience. The rubber really hits the pavement, though, when you evaluate how well the hardware interacts with the software on a GPS device.
Fujitsu-Siemens has chosen to go with Navigon's MobileNavigator 6, which has a slick, relatively easy-to-use interface, clear mapping details in 2D or 3D, and voice guidance. Our gripe with the software, though, was its rather sluggish performance on this device. Menus opened slowly, screens were slow to refresh, and some actions froze the device entirely, forcing a rather lengthy reboot process.
With a destination entered into the N100, the Navigon software does a passable job of getting you there, although it can struggle to quickly attain your direction of travel when you're first getting started, which can lead to bad directions and missed turns. Voice aids are handy, as is the N100's "lane advice" feature, which suggests which lane of a highway you should enter to be in the best position for the next maneuver. The N100's points of interest system is robust, offering easily recognizable company logos for common destinations -- now you can have the Golden Arches on your GPS screen, too!
Multimedia
The N100's small size makes it a perfect multimedia companion. Fill up a MicroSD card with all the music, video, and photos it will hold and you've got a great little entertainment center in your pocket. The applications that power the N100's media functions are a bit simplistic and unrefined, but they do the job. One big plus is the N100's support for a wide range of music formats, including MP3, WMA, and AAC. Video support is less robust; only WMV-format videos are supported. A world clock and calculator are included, along with two games, Bricks and Smart Pixie. The latter is a Pac Man reproduction that is sure to please.
At the end of the day, the N100 is a well-designed device that suffers from sluggish performance and a lack of polish when it comes to integrating hardware and software. However, if size is your chief concern when looking for a fully-featured GPS device, this one might be just for you.
Pros
- Small and pocketable
- Robust points of interest database
- Good multimedia features
- Sluggish and unresponsive at times
- User interface could use some refinements
Navigon N100 Pocket LOOX handheld navigator, AC power adapter, 12-volt vehicle power adapter, USB cable, headphones, windshield and dashboard mount, changeable cover, 2 GB mini SD card, user's manual and quick-start guide.
Customer Reviews
*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Aug 29, 2011 20:44:08
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