5. Lowrance IWay 500c

The Lowrance device's most obvious feature is its bright five inch TFT display. On the downside, the display cannot take advantage of its larger size in comparison to its competitor, since the resolution of both screens is the same (320 by 240 pixels). Lowrance was not able to communicate how many colors the screen is able to display. Also, the larger display, of course, results in a notably larger form factor and almost twice the weight (25 ounces) of the Roadmate.

Like the Roadmate, the iWay 500c runs on a proprietary operating system. The company did not disclose what the unit's processor is.

The surface design of the system is kept simple: The product designers decided to only include the main menu buttons on the side of the screen and dedicate all data entry functions through touch screen functionality.

At the core of the GPS system is a 12-channel WAAS enabled satellite receiver. It accesses Navteq map data (version Q3 2004) that are stored on a 20 GB hard drive. The drive offers about 10 GB of space for map data, and the other half offers space for about 3,000 music tracks to feed the integrated MP3 player of the iWay 500c. Like the Magellan, the device keeps drivers informed about route progress via visual and voice output.

A signal amplifier is also included for use in areas with a weak satellite lock. The iWay 500c package retails for about $800.

lowrance iWay 500c from back. Interfaces for power (left), USB (center right) and a supplied amplifier (left) for the integrated GPS antenna are located on the lower back of the device.

Installation

One of the big advantages of hard drive based navigation systems is that users do not have to worry about software installation, configuration or complicated installation procedures in a car. We tested both units in Ford Focus and Toyota Matrix compact cars, a Honda Odyssey minivan, a Subaru Outback station wagon, a Chrysler Pacifica SUV and a Chevrolet Corvette.