GPS Navigation Devices Test

"TomTom Go 930T"

Computing Made Easy
Issue: 127

On test: TomTom Go 930T

TomTom's latest offering adds several new useful features to an already impressive series.

"Clarion MAP680"

Issue: 76

On test: Clarion MAP 680

The Cllarion MAP680 is a somewhat unassuming unit. With a design that could be considered stylish, only UK maps come preinstalled and traffic alerts don't come free; it isn't necessarily the first device your eye would be drawn to when browsing a shelf full of PNDs on a shop-floor, but turn it on and you may just change your mind.

"SPOT Satellite Personal Tracker"

Issue: 76

On test: Spot Inc. Spot Satellite Messenger

It can be all well and good taking a PND with you out into the wild. You will know where you are, where you need to go and how to get there, but you knowing where you are won't help you if you have no mobile phone coverage and no way of getting this information to emergency services, friends or family. The SPOT could be the answer; in fact, it has already been used to save lives in North America and the first time it was used on the British Isles earlier this year, it helped rescue helicopters pinpoint the location of a lost and injured hiker in the notoriously difficult to navigate Highlands of Scotland.

"NDrive G800"

Issue: 76

On test: NDrive G800R

Standard 2D mapping has served road users well over the last few years but now, after cramming in all the features they could think of, manufacturers are looking to improve this most basic aspect of navigation. the NDrive G800 is one of the first units to feature photo quality maps for major cities, but is the rest of the unit up to scratch?

"Performance GPS"

Issue: 76

On test: TomTom Go 930T, Hewlett-Packard iPAQ 314, Garmin nüvi 760, Navman S90i

Although a lot of the fanfare is saved for when a new budget PND hits the market, bringing high-end features under some magical price barrier. But all those features filter down from somewhere and that somewhere is where the flagship models of the big manufacturers reside. These four GPS devices all include features that are at turns innovative and intriguing. It will cost a lot to get them, so are they worth it?