1. Introduction

Reviewing an after-market navigation system is not an easy task. The quality and usability of such a system depend on more than features and objective characteristics such as processing speed or accuracy. While manufacturers of GPS systems cannot influence most objective criteria, they can design their devices with an eye to ease of use, specific types of applications and attractive look and feel. Most of the time GPSes are a hit with one type of user and a complete miss with another type.

One thing we have learned over the past years with GPS systems is that screens can make all the difference. For a decent screen with high resolution and high brightness capabilities we happily compromise on some advantages in ergonomics. When the Sanyo MM-8300 with its usual cellphone-tiny, 176x220 pixel screen arrived in our office, we were pretty sure that the TeleNav GPS Navigator would be much more of a toy than a serious tool. It was one of those cases where we were dead wrong.

Here's why the system may be your best option to get around town.