Share And Earn! Click GPS Navigation systems have evolved a lot lately, manufacturers creating a multitude of additional features. From digital speedometer and speed statistics to measuring units conversion and even games. Navon N660 is part of this new generation of navigation systems and it was released on the market equipped with the iGo Primo application.
5” screen and a minimalist design
The navigation systems are some of the few gadgets that do not need high resolution. Because they are placed at a distance from the user’s eye, 480 x 272 are more than enough even with a 5” display. Navon N660 is powered by the SiRF ATlas IV 500 MHZ processor. It has 128 MB Ram memory, and the internal storage space is 4 GB. Further more, it comes with a microSD 2 GB card. The system can also support microSDHC cards at a maximum of 8 GB capacity. All the connectors can be found on the left side. Above the card slots we can see the headset slot and the slot for the TMC antenna, and under it we can find the miniUSB port used for battery charging and computer connectivity.
On the front side of the Navon N660 we can’t find any button or LED. The ON button was placed on the superior side and the LED near the connectors so it doesn’t distract the driving when driving during night time. On the back of the device we can find the speaker and a reset button. The mounting system is solid and we appreciated the fact that the adjustable arm is fix with a nut type mechanism. It allows you to orient the device very easily in your desired direction. In the package you can find a classic car charger and a miniUSB cable. For those interested, the dimensions of the device are 130 x 88 x 10 mm and the weight is 188 grams.
We only had a single problem with the navigation system screen. If the Navon N660 faces the sun directly, the information on the screen is not very visible. The illumination can be changed very easily using the quick menu about which we are going to talk a bit later, however the screen is affected even at maximum setting. The problem is not very important, however in a sunny day, based on your driving direction, you might be a bit disturbed by it.
iGO Primo and not iGo 8
Although on the box of the product we can see an image with Navon N660 running on the iGo 8 system, it is delivered with iGo Primo. This application can be considered a significant upgrade of iGo Amigo. The look of the map is not very different, however the details about distance, time and arrival date were moved on the right side. Also, you can now see a menu in the upper right side with quick settings for map, route and volume. They prove to be very useful because it shortens the access time for these essential settings.Obviously, you should only use it when you are parked!
Just like in the case of iGo Amigo, the software developer doesn’t think that displaying the driving speed is important when a route is selected. It can be displayed when you haven’t set a destination. As we said, this is not necessarily a problem. The 3D buildings are visible on the map we had loaded into the memory, provided by NavNGo and Navteq. It covers 42 European countries. Updates are available on the Naviextras.com web site.
When going on the road, the Navon N660 was a trusty partner, displaying all the details with a good precision. At high speeds, the 3D map is automatically removed to have a better picture of the road. When entering an intersection or when the car slows down, the map is enhanced to increase the precision of the localization. iGo Primo can calculated intelligent routes, considering the day of the week and hour.
Many Really useful features
Let’s suppose that you do not own a vehicle with an advanced board computer or you are not satisfied with its precision, especially when it comes to fuel consumption. Navon N660 can help you a lot. During a long travel you will be able to calculate the fuel consumption by entering the distances and the quantity of fuel used. Also, you will have the possibility to access a history of the route with details like average speed, driving time, maximum speed and other things.
Multimedia support
You should have less expectations regarding the multimedia support of an navigation system, however Navon N660 offers a very decent support. Multimedia files located on the card be accessed with the iGo Primo software, but also on the graphical interface applied by the manufacturer on the Windows CE 6.0 operating system. The supported extensions are JPG, BMP, PNG and GIF for images and Mp3 for audio files.
If you have a line-in entry to the audio system of the vehicle you will be able to use the Navon N660 as an Mp3 Player even when you are driving. Another feature offered by the device is the eBook reader. The integrated battery of the N660 model is 1600 mAh and according to the manufacturer it should offer a 4 hours autonomy. It can prove to be very useful when the user is a pedestrian and is visiting the historic center of a city.
Conclusion
The Navon N660 can be considered one of the most advanced navigation systems on the market. It doesn’t have the sophisticated menus of the Mio Spirit nor the touchscreen, however it’s possible that most users will be happy with what its offered. The number of additional features that are really useful is high and it seams that the price has increased considerably.
Pluses and Minuses
+ advanced navigation system
+ quick access to essential settings
+ many useful features
- the screen has a low quality when viewing in the sun
- the high price.
Related News / Articles:
- Nokia presents MeeGO, their future operating system
- Windows 8 will be the revelation of all Operating Systems
- SAPPHIRE HD 5670 Ultimate with passive cooling
- Windows Embedded Compact 7
- Google will release a Tablet on the market to compete with iPad
- RIM released their best mobile phone: Blackberry Torch
DISCUSS THIS ARTICLE ON OUR FORUM!
