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As luck would have it, about the same time the Dual GPS unit arrived, a Delphi navigation system also showed up at the office, and we didn’t immediately realize that, except for minor cosmetic differences, they were the same product. This makes sense since Delphi is an OEM manufacturer for a lot of automotive products, especially XM radios, and apparently manufactures the NAV200 for Dual.
Fuctionally, the NAV200 works the same as the Dual. The main menu provides buttons for navigation, music, movies, game (1), clock, calculator, pictures and settings. For navigation, I kept the unit in extended mode, as this offered more options. Like the Dual, the Delphi version arrived with the maps already loaded onto the SD card. I found the maps extremely accurate (data provided by Navtech), and the timing of the voice prompts perfect for negotiating turns. I was particularly impressed with the amount of detail provided on screen when approaching points of interest. Not only does the unit show you an icon of a gas station or restaurant, it even shows you the name. Of course, information like that will change as businesses change, so it won’t always be accurate.
There were a few issues with the unit that affect its performance. First, it is a little slow to pick up a fresh GPS signal from a cold start, slower than many other units I’ve used. Second, the touch screen isn’t sensitive enough, even after calibrating with the stylus. It works better with the stylus, but using a stylus while driving (yes, I know I should only touch the screen when parked …) stinks, and the necessity of a stylus is counterproductive anyway since it’s bound to be lost. Finally, the screen is great for the navigation maps, but as a picture and video viewer it’s poor. When viewing pictures from an SD card you have to wait almost 30 seconds when switching pictures.
Overall, I agree with Brett’s assessment of the Dual version. It’s an extremely easy-to-use and compact unit that’s easy to recommend, especially with the easily navigable price of $399 (about $300 at most retailers). www.delphi.com
–Grant Clauser
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