Sony NV-U83T
The Sony NV-U83T boasts a spacious 4.8-inch touch screen, and you can perform certain operations with the swipe of your finger. The in-car GPS also has text-to-speech functionality, integrated Bluetooth, and 3D views for complicated intersections.
Satellite acquisition time is erratic and route calculations weren’t the most efficient. Planning a trip on the NV-U83T isn’t as streamlined as other GPS devices we’ve tested.
At 5.6 inches wide by 3.4 inches tall by 0.8 inch deep, the Sony NV-U83T is larger than recent portable navigation systems but with good reason. The NV-U83T features an extralarge 4.8-inch touch screen (compared with the more standard 4.3-inch models of late), and with its 480×272 pixel resolution and 16:9 aspect ratio, maps are nice and easy to read on the unit. The display is also readable in various lighting conditions.
For the most part, the touch screen is responsive, though address entry isn’t a seamless process on the NV-U83T (see Performance section for more). To make device operation easier and safer, Sony does include a unique feature called Gesture Commands that enables you to perform certain functions by “drawing” symbols on the touch screen with your finger. For example, drawing an inverted V (like a rooftop) will automatically route you home from your current location, or you can change the scale of the map by making a clockwise or counterclockwise circle. Other commands include calling home and routing to two predefined favorite locations.
The system comes preloaded with maps of North America and 5 million points of interest (POI) on the device’s 2GB Flash memory. There are multiple ways to plan a trip; you can enter a specific address, an intersection, or search for points of interest. There’s also a My Places menu where you can choose a location from your address book, recent destinations list, or four predefined Favorites. The NV-U83T also supports multidestination trips, and the system can calculate routes with or without toll roads, ferry ways, and so forth. Other navigation features include route simulation, automatic route recalculation, and the option to add traffic updates. A TMC antenna is included with the package, and you get a 90-trial free trial with purchase, but afterwards you’ll have to subscribe to the traffic service.
Like some other in-car GPS we’ve seen, such as the Navigon 2100, the NV-U83T has branded POI icons for major businesses, such as Chevron, Rite Aid, and Econo Lodge. Of course, you get all the major POI categories, including lodging, gas, and banks, and more specialized interests, such as wineries, stadiums, and museums. In addition, you can search for restaurants by cuisine type. We scanned the system’s POI database and were impressed at how current it was, with fewer out-of-date entries than other GPS devices.
As we mentioned earlier, the address entry and pretrip planning process required more work and time than other systems. Unlike some other GPS devices, the NV-U83T doesn’t have predictive entry, meaning that as you start inputting letters for a city, state, or street, it doesn’t automatically cull likely search results. Instead, you have to type out the whole word and even then, it takes the system a while to come up with the results.
Tags: address entry, aspect ratio, car gps, flash memory, GPS Device, gps devices, inch models, lighting conditions, maps of north america, performance section, planning a trip, portable navigation systems, predefined, speech functionality, touch screenRelated posts
Posted on August 20th, 2008 by admin
Filed under: GPS Device
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