Nokia Navigation Kit for Nokia N800 Internet Tablet - 0276822
Accessory Kit

I have had this kit for 5 weeks now. I have used other navigation proucts such as Garmin's C330 before. So, this review draws on my experiences with other products. Here are my observations. <BR><BR> PROS:<BR> 1. Extremely sensitive SiRF star III chipset based GPS receiver - I got a GPS fix indoors and in downtown Philadelphia and New York (even when surrounded by high rises). You can keep the GPS receiver in your shirt pocket and it works just fine.<BR> 2. GPS Bluetooth receiver pairs easily with the N800 and works with the included Navicore software as well as with "Maemo Mapper." If you download Google maps for the target area ahead of time using maemo mapper, this kit is an excellent device for navigating on foot. -- I used it to find my way around NY (Manhattan, Brooklyn) and Philly (Center City and historic district).<BR> 3. The included N800 mount is of impressive build quality. <BR><BR> CONS:<BR> 1. The spoken instructions are barely audible above the road noise, but to be fair, that's because of the N800's anemic speaker; it's not the Navkit's fault.<BR> 2. Whoever designed this thing needs to learn how to design an UI from Garmin. The touch buttons are tiny. Pressing the settings took me to a screen where the font is size 10! Same issue with the "find route" screen. Try reading this text with your N800 mounted an arm's length away on the dash, and in reflective sunlight. The icons accompanying the text are somewhat bigger, but until you get familiar with them, you have to lean forward, squint and read the text below. Even the OK, Cancel and Back buttons are tiny (8-point font).<BR> 3. Worst of all is the "search" function for POIs -- 8 point font with real tiny icons of the same size, and if you type in the business' name to search, it just locks up till it finds the name. You cannot do anything short of rebooting the N800 at this point. And did I mention that it can take upto 3-4 minutes to find most POIs? This search is not for the impatient!<BR> 4. Overall system response is way too slow. It sometimes does not respond to key presses immediately - so you get frustrated and try to press other keys - after that it decides to respond to all key presses at once. Not a happy situation.<BR> 5. Once when I was driving, the display shut off (it is not supposed to do that in full screen mode) and I had to keep tapping it every two minutes to reactivate it. Only a reboot at a stop light stopped this from happening again: very annoying.<BR> 6. The display is completely unreadable in bright sunlight, even when using the "bright sunlight" mode.<BR> <BR> VERDICT:<BR> If you already carry your N800 everywhere with you, it's great addition for the price, especially for street walking navigation. As an automotive GPS, it's only good as a fallback option (mainly because of the poor UI design), in case you are lost and have no other easy means to navigate. Don't expect this to replace your primary dedicated GPS (Garmin, Tom Tom or Magellan). If you want an automotive GPS, then buy a dedicated product (Garmin C540 or Nuvi, etc.)
 
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