Nextar ME 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator

by Nextar

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 3.5 x 0.7 x 3 inches ; 1.6 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B001R4BTKI
• Item model number: ME
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #50,639 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description At only 0.7� thickness, the slim Nextar ME unit can be easily moved for use in multiple vehicles. The system comes pre-loaded with maps for the 50 United States as well as extras like MP3 playing and JPEG image viewing capabilities.

Maps from the 50 United states are pre-loaded and shown on the unit's 3.5-inch touch-screen display

The entry-level Nextar ME navigation system is easy to use, easy to move, and easy on the budget. With a sleek design it rides well and looks great in any make or class of vehicle. Whether for personal or professional use, it is an outstanding value.

Maps from the 50 United states are pre-loaded and shown on the unit�s 3.5� touch-screen display. Text-to-speech technology distinctly pronounces road names in English. Voice-guided directions with turn-by-turn voice prompts are clearly audible through a built-in stereo speaker.

The unit includes 1.6 millions of points of interest to make finding hotels, shopping centers, gas stations, and restaurants a snap. Planning trips, vacations, or cross town jaunts with the Nextar ME points of interest feature is easy and fun. A new route is recalculated instantly any time the driver misses a turn. Digital map data is supplied by Tele Atlas, a leading global provider of digital maps and dynamic content that power many of the world�s most essential navigation and location-based services.

Adjustable mount for your windshield or dashboard.

The Nextar ME measures 3.5-inch x 2.9-inch x 0.7-inch and weighs 2.2 pounds.

For entertaining while en route, the ME can play MP3 files and display JPEG images. Addresses for up to 300 favorite destinations can be stored. Other features include a built-in antenna that ensures signal reception. A lightweight, built-in rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery supplies power.

The Nextar ME measures 3.5-inch x 2.9-inch x 0.7-inch and weighs 2.2 pounds.

Features Found in the Nextar ME GPS Navigation System

• Touch-screen display: Provides interfacing capability while map is being viewed
• Built-in stereo speaker: Delivers navigational voice prompts as well as MP3 music in stereo; no extra wires or speaker to remember to connect
• Text-to-Speech: Safety feature that allows driver to keep eyes on the road while getting directions; clearly pronounces names of streets encountered during drive
• Points of Interest: Name or description of a specific location that user may find useful or interesting; generally indicated by an icon on the map
• Lithium-Ion Battery: Lighter weight, holds charge longer, and does not suffer from memory effect compared to similar batteries; recharging feature assures system stays active
• MP3 playing: Allows driver and/or passengers to listen to favorite MP3 files while in vehicle
• JPEG viewing: View photos and other graphics while in vehicle
• Route recalculation: Instantly changes route if driver misses turn
• Built in antenna: Ensures reception of signal without running additional wires
• Stylus: Allows user to point more accurately than using a finger to small areas on the display screen

What's in the Box
Nextar ME, AC/DC adapter, car adapter, USB cable, protection pouch, unique magnetic suction cup, and a stylus/touch pen.

About Nextar
Nextar in the categories it chooses to enter, the products that it develops and in the manner in which it goes to market desires and strives to be nothing short of Bold and New. Bold--the categories, products and retail avenues that are the most salient and relevant of the day. New--utilizing the newest technologies in dynamic, salient, relevant and yet affordable products and placing these products in the highest volume traditional and, as or more importantly, non-traditional consumer electronic retail.

Product Description

The Nextar ME GPS mobile navigation system assures that your days of getting lost are over. Finding an address or any one of 1.6 million points of interest such as the nearest gas station or restaurant is a snap anywhere in the U.S. Just enter information on the ME's 3.5 inch touch screen and let the voice prompt and detailed map guide you to the destination. The ME has a built in stereo speaker, high sensitive antenna and earphone output. The ME has Text-To-Speech navigation that clearly pronounces instructions including street names(English). Preloaded with USA map that includes Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico on 1 GB SD card. Also includes MP3 player and JPeg image viewer feature. Also includes AC/DC Adapter, Car Power Adapter, Suction cup, protection/carry pouch and USB cable.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars BUYER BEWARE! Avoid this GPS unit!, December 4, 2009

By 

B. Murphy (US) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nextar ME 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)

I purchased this GPS unit around August of 2009 at Target. Target had the units on sale for $89.99 at the time. It wasn't the best GPS unit in the world, but I was pretty happy with it. It did always get me where I wanted to go, however I often felt that my girlfriends Garmin took more sensible routes.

My feelings about this unit changed in November when daylight savings occurred. We fall back an hour but the GPS failed to do so. Instead the little Nextar unit can't decide what time it is anymore. It jumps around from between 2 hours ahead or behind the actual time and never stops. Me calculated ETA is never correct from this point forward. There apparently is no way to set time manually and turning off auto GPS time doesn't help. Nextar's solution of a hard reset also failed to do the trick.... great! I opted to hold onto the GPS unit a little bit longer as I needed it for a 5 hour trip, which is when another problem popped up.

Towards the end of November the sound started to go on my GPS unit. At first the voice simply cutout or got scratchy every once in a while. As time progressed the sound the voice commands became incomprehensible and then sound stopped working all together on the unit. Nextar's solution? A hard reset, which obviously failed to fix the unit.

The unit is under warranty and Nextar agrees to take it in for service. I think everything has gone quite well and am pleased with the service I received over the phone. A few minutes later I receive an e-mail from Nextar detailing how to send the unit back to them. The e-mail asks that I include a money order or cashiers check for $25 with the unit for return shipping and handling!!!!! So, I have to pay to ship it to them, and I have to pay them to ship it back to me? What kind of warranty or service is this? I've dealt with a lot of companies and none of ever asked that I pay a return shipping fee on an item in warranty. Realistically, it would cost me $4-$5 to ship it to them, but they need $25 to do the same? That's more than 1/4 of what I paid for the unit in the first place.

I ended up taking the unit back to Target and exchanging it for a Garmin. Lesson learned. I would have considered a Magellan except for the fact that Target doesn't carry that brand.

I'll admit the Nextar wasn't all bad. It does have a lot of advanced features for the the price. You would pay a lot more for features like lane guidance and multi-point routing if you bought a Garmin or Magellan. However, I don't feel the Tele-Atlas maps are as good as the Navteq maps after now experiencing both. What could be a decent little GPS is very much let down by the horrid service Nextar provides and the apparently poor build quality or quality control of the company.

If you were to ask me, I'd recommend pinching a few extra pennies so you can pick up a Garmin or Magellan GPS unit.

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GPS running iGO 8 navigation sowtware! Wow!, October 9, 2009

By 

G. Hatos (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nextar ME 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)

To be honest, the name Nexstar does not mean anything to me. The only reason I bought this GPS, because it runs iGO 8 navigation software. Anybody who is familiar with that piece of marvel knows what I am talking about. IGO 8 have won the second time the Vision Mobility Award of Excellence. They hold the "Best Navigation Software" title for two years in a row in Europe. That means something. So, what is this Nexstar ME do? Knowing iGO 8, I took a gamble. There is very little information about this "black sheep" GPS on the Internet. Even on the Nexstar homepage say almost nothing useful. The package came with all the necessary hardware pieces that are standard for today's GPS package. After turning the unit on, it scrolled through a very long fine print. Using my finger I touched to accept the agreement button and I found myself in a menu where I had a choice to go navigation, music, photos or to a setup area where you can fine-tune your unit, like time and date, brightness, volume, alignment etc. I picked navigation and the unit vent into loading mode. It took a long time to load up the navigation software. That indicated that the hardware must equipped with slower CPU. It runs CE 5.0 by the way, which is no surprise. The plus side was however, and I was a little bit surprised, when the application finally loaded up, the unit already hooked up with the navigation satellites. My previous experience with Mio P550, which was a PDA with navigation build in, - separate SiRF III chip, and also was running iGO 8, left me regularly waiting five or more minutes to find the satellites. So, this was good. Later, I found out that hooking up with the satellites is no problem for this unit and it is always full strength. As far as navigation goes, it is very stable, accurate and no sign of slow CPU. The interface is fantastic and joy to use the finger touch. There are two modes to pick, simple and advanced. The default is simple. Simple mode is OK, but want to learn and get into advance mode is better. The GPS voice is clear and loud, came as default. I have no problem to hear it even in my old noisy car. It does TTS (Text-To-Speech), but you need to pick that option in the voice setup. For those who wish to push the limit of this GPS, I am happy to announce it is also a "geeg heaven". Matter of hours I was able to add different languages and voices to the unit, and I am sure adding other maps, like countries of Europe are no problem either. Although on the Nexstar's website says, no other maps are available. Right. Interesting to know for example that iGO 8 has single-handedly the most accurate and detailed maps of Eastern Europe. Anyway, I think I will like this GPS. The fast satellite hookup, the marvelous interface, loud and clear voice, stable navigation are all good ones. There are really no negatives about this unit yet. Sure it is missing bluetooth and other fancy features like FM radio and transmission, but you always have to compromise performance, quality and price. For example this GPS have MP3 capabilities, but do I care? No. So, the question always is, what is important to you. Good luck.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars when it works, it works great...too bad it's not often, December 28, 2009

By 

A. Jacobs (Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nextar ME 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)

i couldn't give it 1 star because it does do a good job...when it actually works! i had this unit for 2 days before deciding to return it. it freezes almost EVERY time i turn it off...so i have to reset it...then re-enter the time and re-calibrate it before navigating. That's a few minutes wasted and a total PITA! plus the unit doesn't even keep the time! if it actually doesn't freeze when i turn it off...the time is still never right. it also has a much harder time finding a signal and often freezes in the process. my boyfriend has a garmin and my roommate has a tomtom...neither have been anywhere near as troubling as this system-and i've used them many times.