Pros & Cons
-
- Relatively small size.
- Built-in battery.
- Pedestrian Profile makes it possible to use while walking.
-
- Awkward menu and keypad data input.
- Difficult to use.
Dual XNAV3500 Specs
| 3D Lane Assistance: | Yes |
| Built-In Speakers: | built-in |
| Dimensions: | 3.5 inches |
| Display Type: | TFT |
| Display Type: | Touch |
| Flash Memory Type: | Solid State |
| Hard Drive: | No |
| Power: | Adapter |
| Preloaded maps: | Yes |
| Turn-by-turn: | Yes |
| Type: | Automobile |
| Waterproof: | No |
The in-car GPS navigation systems on the market today have a lot in common. Most systems use the NAVTEQ location database and have at least a 3.5-inch touch screen. And all GPS systems use radio signals from the same satellites. This means that what really differentiates navigation systems is the quality of the user interface and routing algorithms. Unfortunately, the XNAV3500P from Dual Electronics misses the mark on both.
With a list price of $999, the expensive XNAV3500P uses SD memory and has a 3.5-inch, 320-by-240 TFT touch screen. In our test drive, we found that the 3.5-inch reflective screen, like others on the market, was difficult to view in bright sunlight. The unit doubles as a multimedia device and will play audio (MP3), video (.AVI), and display picture (.JPG) files. The included 1.0GB SD card comes preloaded with map data and 2 million points of interest (POIs). A DVD with map data and a CD containing Microsoft Activesync are included with the package.
Upon powering up, the main menu appears with its eight icons spread across two pages, six on the first page and two on the second. On the first page are menu selections for Navi (Navigation), Music, Movie GPS, and Brightness. The remaining two icons are used to set the time and to calibrate the touch screen.
The NAVI icon loads the navigation software and the map you used last. Here's where we start to see how far this device is behind units like the
Once you overcome this initial hurdle, you can choose between a 2D or a 3D display from within the Show Map mode. You can also set the map's orientation by choosing whether your course is displayed "up" on the screen or if north will always be "up." A hand icon allows you to navigate around the map by dragging it, and a "center" icon redraws the map centered on your current location.
The XNAV3500P has two modes of operation: basic and extended. In basic mode there are fewer options to confuse you, whereas extended mode will leave you awash in every feature available. There are a lot of features you can configure through the Settings menu. Routing options include profiles for slow, standard, or fast car. There are also profiles for Motorcycle, Heavy Truck, Bike, and Pedestrian. As with most other GPS systems, you can then select shortest or fastest route and decide whether you want to travel over interstates, ferries, or toll roads. The Settings menu also lets you decide whether to display the distance, time, and ETA to both the final destination and the next turn.
A Point of Interest navigation submenu allows you to navigate to POIs in three ways: nearby position, super-regional significance, and nearby browsed city. If you choose browsed city, for example, you can enter in the city or zip code. You can further limit your search by selecting from categories such as ATM, Public Transport, and Restaurants. Searched POIs are displayed alphabetically, but the street addresses aren't shown.
Soft Keyboard Is Weak
Perhaps the most irritating thing about the XNAV3500P is the method of data entry. Like most other GPS receivers, you use a touch screen with a "soft" keyboard. But this device arranges the keys in a telephone-like keypad. To enter New York, for example, you tap the MNO key twice, the DEF key twice, the WXYZ key once, and so on. This method of data entry is familiar to those who do SMS messaging on their cell phones, but it is awkward and time-consuming—especially since nearly all other touch-screen GPS receivers have individual soft keys for each letter of the alphabet.
As with many other in-car products, you can create routes in a number of ways. You can enter an address, select from POIs, navigate to a point on the map, or select recent or saved destinations. There's also a single-touch icon for "Home." To enter by address, you can either enter the zip code (if you know it) or the city.
We found several inconsistencies when inputting zip codes to generate routes. Some of them can be attributed to inaccuracies in the U.S. Postal Service's zip code database. But we were surprised to find that when searching on New York City, only one zip code (10007) showed up. This was with \Storage Card\Major6, the file that contains data for NY, CT, RI, NJ, PA, MA, VT, MI, NH, and DE loaded. We loaded an alternate map from the DVD onto the SD card (Major12) that contained only NY, PA, NJ, and DE, but were still unable to search for the zip code of our office (10016).
The XNAV3500P does have one feature not found in any other GPS we've reviewed: turn signals. LEDs on the left and right sides of the unit will light up to indicate an upcoming turn. The LED will first blink blue, indicating an approaching direction change. As the turn becomes imminent (approximately 600 feet away), the turn-signal LED starts to flash red. The XNAV3500P provided good directions, with one exception: As we approached a route change in New Jersey from Route 17 north to Route 3 east (on our way home), the unit failed to announce the route change. We took Route 3 east without prompting, and that must have been the route the device intended, because it didn't recalculate the route.
Overall, we were disappointed with the XNAV3500P; there are many less expensive, easier-to-use GPS products already on the market.
More PC Magazine GPS receiver reviews: