Navman N60i Portable Car Navigation System With European Mapping

 

 

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I purchased the N60i because it has European maps and features a generously proportioned wide screen touch sensitive display. I wanted a SatNav that would get me from A to B, and I was not interested in additional functionality like blue tooth connectivity, text to speech, or the ability to upload new voices. I went with the bigger N60i primarily because at the time (Sept 2007) there was little difference in price between it and the smaller N40

The N60i is easy to set-up and use straight out of the box provided that you use some sort of stylus (the rounded end of a pen, for example) to go through the set-up menu that automatically opens when you first turn on the device.

As a man with fingers not especially stubby and fingernails that are not long, I learned this the hard way when I went to select which language the device should use. While my finger pressed the screen area over menu option, 'English', the option that the Navman software selected was the one above my finger, 'Dutch'.

It took a few minutes of prodding the screen and going through Dutch menus before I located the language selection page and selected English. And here is where the N60i loses its first star - even having used the special calibration process to refine the accuracy of the touch screen, the N60i's interpretation of where I am gently dabbing the screen with my finger is sometimes considerably off the mark.

I have taken to using some sort of stylus to use the device, which is by no means a hardship but is often an inconvenience as I don't always have a suitable object to hand. Even then, I can tap the screen with a stylus and the screen software does not always select the correct option. Equally, my girlfriend's slender fingers and modest fingernails are no guarantee that it will work every time, either. All in all, this can be frustrating when time is of the essence, or when trying to 'drag' the map around with your finger to trace the route that the N60i has plotted. (Edit Dec 2008: having driven a great deal with this unit, I can honestly say that the touchscreen is so frustrating that I would not purchase this unit again because of it).

Speaking of routes, I am pleased so far with routings that the N60i has calculated for me, and I like the ability to create a multi-stop route. To help refine the unit's calculation of each route, a number of sliding bars and options in the menu help you select routing preferences (such as use of toll roads, preference for fastest journey or shortest distance, propensity to use motorways etc.).

On the downside, I believe that the logic in the software would benefit from reprogramming when it comes to routing through cities: I conducted a test in to get from one side of my home city of Cambridge to the other. The quickest route is via the A14 and M11 motorways, as the N60i correctly identified. To test the logic and speed of the 'back on track' feature that automatically recalculates your route if you miss a turn, i headed into the middle of town instead of taking the motorway around it. At the first roundabout I reached following the first missed turn the N60i told me to turn around. It recognised the missed turn with a couple of hundred meters and since it was a short journey was quick to recalculate the route. It repeated the process at the second missed turn, but at the third it took the very odd decision to re-route me through the middle of town.

This surprised me as there ample opportunities ahead to make a U-turn at any number of roundabouts. Had I followed the route suggested, the Navman would have routed me through a busy city center and the journey could have taken 3 times longer than necessary. Some may argue that missing two turns in a row is pretty stupid, but I would counter that in a busy city a timid driver, or someone not familiar with the area, could easily find themselves in such a position. The bottom line was that the test results didn't fill me with much confidence and I deducted half a star.

You can drag 'avoid zones' over any area on the map and the N60i will save these and avoid any roads that pass through them. Since the N60i does not allow you to specifically instruct it to avoid certain roads, and since the traffic module is a separate product, the avoid zone function is the only way of forcing the Navman avoid troublesome junctions or traffic jams that you have identified before starting off on your journey. (Edit Dec 2008: with more that a year of using the N60i, I have just discovered that if you happen to drive into one of these 'avoid zones', the Navman dumps the entire route and displays an error message. If you are on the move, you must then either pull over, or wrestle with the incredibly frustrating touch screen to reprogram the route. This is a real nuisance!).

However, the N60i doesn't save a list of these avoid zones, so if you later want to delete them you have to manually drag the map around to find them (not always easy depending on how big the zone is). For this I deducted another half a star.

I very much like the layout of the map and the intelligent manner in which the N60i zooms the map scale as your speed decreases, making it very easy to cruise down a road and find a specific address on the map. At the bottom of the display is the text equivalent a running commentary of where you are (road name and, where available, house number) which also helps you identify where abouts you are on the route.

The voice commands are clear and well-timed, and the graphic representation of the next turn (or roundabout exit) is also nice and clear. Certainly, I have had no problems navigating and following the directions issued by the unit. A couple of useful views can be selected, and by tapping on the screen and pulling up a menu you can choose to view the entire route if you so wish.

There are one or two very frustrating limitations about the N60i's planning software. By default the N60i plans all journeys with your current location as the starting point, however despite there being a menu option that allows you to select anywhere on the map and chose 'start journey from here', I have been unable to get this to work - the device forces me to plan all my routes from my current location. Thus, when my girlfriend asked how she would get from her work place to another location, and how long it would take, the N60i should have allowed me to tell her, but since the 'start journey from here' function did not work I could not. This is a minor gripe for me, but for some people who do a lot of traveling and want to plan ahead, this could be an issue.

Finally, the mounting unit is excellent, as is the remote control. These were two items that the Amazon and Navman websites were vague about when I ordered the device. In fact, neither website actually lists the contents of the box, and even though I downloaded the N60i user manual from the Navman website before I bought the device, it still did not make it clear. For the record, the N60i comes with these two items plus a car charger, mains charger and a leather case. Software is also supplied.

Edit Dec 2008: My revised final conclusion, with 15 months' experience using this SatNav, is that I would steer clear of this unit. I am unable to change my original star rating, but would award only two stars to this device if I could. If I was going to buy another GPS, I would spend a serious amount of time testing the touchscreen accuracy in a retail outlet before proceeding to purchase online.

I bought this satnav on a recommendation, and i wasn't disappointed. I am working on various projects around London, and travelling around the M25 and A406 daily, this unit has been spot on, with easy visual and audiable instructions.
This is the clever bit, when arriving at projects I can take a photo add it to my favorites list, and all I have to do when travelling to each project is go to Nav Pics press the photo, and thats it. I have no problems with the touch srceen, and would recommend the T1 Traffic Router to accompany this product. The only negative point is that the photo button is to close to the power button, miner gripe.
This is a straight forward out of the box unit no fancy gimmicks just straight forward navigation.

Easy to use and accurate. Having had a much older model, I am pleased to see the full postcode search as well as the navpix.

I have had no trouble with the touch screen, or the on/off button as some other users have.The language is good and it tells you which motorway junction to head for and says things like take third on right, which is a more human way of describing things. It gives plenty of warning of turns and when you need to change lanes which the old one did not.

My only gripe is that my old model used to tell me how long the journey would take and so far I have not found this feature on N60i, which is a shame as I show dogs and have to plan my journey times to shows.

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1.0 out of 5 stars Built in uselessness
Never again, will I buy a Navman. You can not update them. The cheek when I phoned them up to ask about updateing I was offered the deal of the century - return my old one and get... Read more

Published 1 month ago by REDLEB123

3.0 out of 5 stars Badly let down by some important shortcomings
I have this N60i unit and T/Tom Euro mapping in a Nokia e61.

Firstly, the screen size. The N/man screen is over twice the width of my Nokia screen [and about the same... Read more

Published on 13 Nov 2008 by C. Nation

5.0 out of 5 stars Good quality product
Purchased Dec 2006 has come down a lot in price.. I paid 300 Euros
My requirements for a navigation system were: Good sized screen, unfussy graphics, simple voice directions... Read more

Published on 2 May 2008 by Caroline Henderson

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