Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Worth taking a shot at sale price, December 14, 2007
Text-To-Speech - Bluetooth Integration (w/Phone book import capability) - MP3 Player(Support SDHC cards too), 4.3" screen for $200 (at FRYs and similar price at Staples) was too much to pass up even though I could not find any information on the web regarding the device. This is what prompted me to write this review.
Let me start with reviewing the additional features of the device.
**Music Player**
Pros:
-- Has standard 3.5 mm stereo jack to connect to aux output of car stereo (or to a FM transmitter)
-- Can use SDHC cards - this was big since I don't have to lug my iPod along on trips anymore with a 4gb card.
-- Can be used while using the GPS navigation functions and the unit mutes the song when giving out Navigation Instructions.
-- Audio quality is excellent for mp3 and wmv (haven't tried wav)
Cons:
-- Can play only mp3, wav and wmv formats WIHTOUT DRM.
-- Does not show album art - very basic interface.
**Bluetooth Handsfree**
Pros:
-- Quick connection to my Nokia E61/Motorola V551 (but connects to only one at a time - limitation of Bluetooth technology)
-- Imported phone book from both devices without any problems (sweet!)
-- I connect the unit to my car stereo through the audio jack so now I can hear the phone conversation through my speakers.
-- Very clear on both ends of the conversation.
-- Can call POIs from the unit.
-- Can search contacts on touch screen and dial.
Cons:
-- None so far.
Now I'll dwell into the Navigation capabilities of the device. Just to give my background with GPS devices -- I've used the Garmin NUVI 350 which you can call the reference implementation of a GPS device - yes NUVI 350 is that good.
**General Features**
Pros:
-- Large 4.3" widescreen - bright touch interface. No problems viewing in daylight even with sun shining on the unit.
-- Auto night mode - uses a different softer color scheme for night mode and switches to the mode automatically using the time of day and longitude.
-- Sturdy mounting base - also very easy to install. Unit clicks into the mounting base firmly and is very easy to mount and unmount the unit as well as the base. Base can be mounted on windshield or dashboard.
-- Solid construction of unit and compact form factor. No flimsy plasticy parts and no flip out antenna. Just like carrying a pda in the pocket.
-- Good volume of speaker on the unit - although I dont use it much.
Cons:
-- Mounting base cannot be tilted up or down - only swivels sideways. This may be a problem for some but did not find it inconvenient in my Jetta or Ford Escape.
-- No AC adapter included or available as add on(weird!!).
-- No dedicated buttons for volume control - need to use touchscreen and tap through menu to adjust volume (Not a problem for me since I hook it up to the car speakers.)
**Navigation Features**
Pros:
-- Uses Navtec Maps so its 99.5% accurate in routing.
-- Does Text-To-Speech using a female voice and is spot on speaking out street names most of the time.
-- I would rate it 8/10 on ease of use - comparable to Garmin and TomTom units I used. Very intuitive interface and could get away with performing all the functions on the unit without reading the manual for 2 weeks.
-- Manual is precise and makes a quick reading (I like it this way)
-- Shows POIs along the route - also has ability to call POI when connected to a phone.
-- Very fast in acquiring a signal - better than most and comparable to the best. Averages 35 sec from cold start and 10 sec from standby mode.
-- Does route recalculations fast (10 sec on avg) and avoids u-turns (Only time I was asked to make a u-turn was on a dead end street).
-- Text-To-Speech instruction similar to ones on Garmin unit (same frequency and repeated twice for each turn).
-- Excellent sensitivity to signal and also good accuracy. Reacquires signals from tunnels within 4-6 sec (also on par with best unit on market).
-- Can zoom in and out of map (similar to NUVI 350) and drag around the map to look around using the touchscreen.
Cons:
-- Less POIs than leading GPS units on market (only 2 million compared to 6 million for Garmin). Although I never felt a difference - I would always find what I was looking for.
-- Only one voice selection for text-to-speech navigation (female) - I could care less but still most unit have a selection.
-- Does not announce the side of street the destination is on.
Conclusion - no regrets so far and does everything I got this for quite well AND at a steal of a price.
|
|
|
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Pretty good..., May 17, 2008
I have had the Sanyo NVM-4050 for a couple weeks now, though I have used it on a longish trip only once (I live just 2.5 miles from work!) In my limited experience:
What it does well:
- Gets a fix on your position quickly (very well)
- recalculates routes rapidly (very well)
- announces turns 2-3 times by the time you have to (except for really short sections - a block or so)
- once you start typing names, only "valid" characters can be selected (avoids spelling mistakes)
- "human" guidance - the unit says "keep going on US36 for a while" :-)
- Nice, bright screen; clear voice
Other notes/features I haven't used:
- No AC adapter, but I use either my laptop's USB port, or the car's cigarette-lighter (adapter included)
- appears to have lots of good features (bike/scooter/pedestrian/etc., 2D/3D, voiceskin options)
- you can search for an address using either the city or zip code
- bluetooth, music player, 2GB built-in memory + SD slot
What it doesn't do well: Hmmm.... No real deal-breakers here (thus far).
- It plotted a route from home to work that was a slightly longer distance (3 miles compared to 2.5), but about the same time. Maybe I have to fiddle around with the settings.
- I also had to read the manual to figure out the difference between the TWO power buttons - one (at the bottom) is a "hard OFF" that resets the clock, and the other (also a physical button but on the face of the unit) just turns the unit off, but keeps settings intact. Battery drain equates to a "hard OFF."
- On my longish drive, the unit said "keep left... turn left." Actually, the street curved left, while there was a distinct, much sharper left turn as well. I took the sharp left... Then I realized my error. The unit recalculated and sent me back on my way.
Next month, I will be going on much longer drives - we'll see how it holds up. I bought it on sale from another online retailer. Even if I had to pay full price, knowing what I do now, it would be a close call between this Sanyo and (based on reviews/reputation) TomTom/Garmin units.
|
|
|
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good Content, September 5, 2007
The Sanyo NVM-4050 is great. There is so many PND's on the market these days, but what sets this apart is the software and content on the hardware. The included information or points of interest are great. They offer so much more detailed than your standard yellow page information, and actually can direct you to the right place to eat, or when a museum is open or closed. The touchscreen is easy to use and I would recommend this to anyone looking for a PND. The price is good as well here on Amazon. I looked on a bunch of etailers before I bought here.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
Saving...
