Thursday, March 19, 2009

Sony NVU44 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator with Text-to-Speech (Gun Metallic)

Sony NVU44 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator with Text-to-Speech (Gun Metallic)

poor performance

I have purchased it as we have a second car after just moving to another state...boy i regret this purchase. In comparison to my Garmin 360 it's like night and day. this sony will guide you through 20 mp/h streets through one family houses neighborhood while there is a highway right next to it, and i'm talking miles of driving. we use it ONLY if it's absolutely necessary. Luckily for me o got it on sale for ~$80 but even then i would recommend to pay a bit more and get garmin instead.

GREAT GPS!

Im a first time GPS owner but I have had this little thing for a few months now and it is indispensable. Don't let its small size fool you, this thing can do just about everything. The only complaint I could make is that the directory for entertainment, food, is largely incomplete. Overall this thing is really great, but I got this product for about $100 elsewhere.

OLD MAP

I bought this GPS thinking it was coming with a SUPER SUCTION CUP mount which would not require a dashboard adhesive disk in order to mount it on the dash. Wrong, unlike the description says, it came with regular windshield suction cup and adhesive disk. So, I'd have to mount it on my windshield and wipe the ring mark off before getting off my car to avoid jerks breaking my car's window to steal gps. Disappointded, but not a huge problem, I thought. My biggest disappointment came from the fact that it came with old map which seem to be several years old and what's worse is that Sony seems not to be willing to update it any time soon. It failed to accept the house numbers of buildings such as 24 hour fitness that I've been going for the last 2 years. Also, POI does not find the WAL-MART which opened more than 2 years ago. It looks like Sony is selling the device with a 2006 map data. I've been using this for 3 days, and I am returning it tomorrow.

Great GPS

Pros: Text to Speech, Split Screen at intersections, Accuracy.... SONY Cons: None so far Having owned 2 TomTom Ones 2nd Editions that did not have Text to Speech, I decided to buy something that did and was fortunate to be able to find 2 of these NV-U44 units last week. I think I bought the last 2 in Jacksonville, FL. I had originally bought 2 of the larger NV-U94T's for $155 each new with the 4.8 inch screen. I thought that they just took up too much room when mounted. Granted, the U94T performed perfectly and the picture was great, but after giving more thought to the fact that I had no need for the Bluetooth or optional monthly fee traffic features, I decided to go with this less expensive little brother Sony U44. While I was impressed with the 94T, the U44 is like the 94T, but in a 3.5" display without Traffic and Bluetooth. The maps are the same as the 94T and are version 2008. That means they have current maps for now, but as new roads are being built....what is current today will be obsolete tomorrow. With the prices of a GPS being driven downward at an astronomical rate, it is almost as cheap in some cases to buy a new unit than to pay to upgrade maps. The text to speech is very nice. You can put it in a cupholder if you want and let it instruct you on turns without even having to mount it on the dash or windshield to view. The U44 is very accurate in directions, speed , mileage and ETA. The touchscreen is responsive. I use a rubber tipped stylus pen from my PDA to speed up the process and tap the numbers, etc. That helps since my fingers are big and I can tap one key at a time much faster. If you are looking for a great GPS, you will not go wrong with this unit. My gut feeling is that Sony is getting out of the GPS business. They had these on their website for $79.99 and their other units reduced anywhere from 50% to 70% within 5 months of coming out in production. All have been cleared out and posted as no longer available. I bought mine new for $59.99 each(regular price $249.99), but I suspect that since Sony no longer carries them that the price is being driven up on the web. I see them ranging in price online from $69 to $250.

Excellent Navigator

The Sony NVU44 is excellent. It is accurate and easy to use. I use it daily at home in Ohio and it worked perfectly on a recent vacation to Hawaii.



Keyword : sony+gps

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