I Can Find Anywhere Now (I Think!)

An unexpected pre-Christmas surprise: This DUAL portable GPS navigation system. Something I might never have bought myself - but a marvelous piece of technology - both a useful device to have, especially when traveling in unfamiliar areas - as well as a toy to play with, experiment with all the things it will do and to enjoy in the months and, I hope, years to come. Never having had a GPS before, the only things I have to compare it with are 1) a man's admittedly limited intuition for directions, 2) road maps - I never seem to be able to find the one I need when I need it, or 3) stopping to ask directions which tend to be about as unreliable as #'s 1 and 2!

The device itself is about 5" long by 3" tall by 1" wide. The visual screen is a 3.5" (measured diagonally, of course) LCD. Small speakers are mounted on each side and there is a jack for headphones. While driving, it is plugged into the 12v plug on the dash and when used as a portable unit, it runs off a rechargeable 830mA Li-polymer battery that recharges whenever the unit is plugged in. One packaging oversight is the lack of an AC recharging option for when you are at home - and in the house - and need the thing charged ( a 3 hour charge is recommended before using as as a portable unit.) As it turns out, an adapter can be ordered from the manufacturer for an additional $23. Of course, I have done so!

In the first several days of playing with it, I have found it relatively easy to program and use - at least as far as it's navigational features. You can program in your own home address so it can always guide you home! It gets it's information from a network of 28 satellite processed by the on board GPS computer and a national map, that comes preloaded on a 1GB Secure Media card. Other cards can be used to carry additional regional/worldwide information or to provide the material you would need to use it's several other possible functions which include: Playing MP3 files and movies, viewing photos or gaming. The audio output jack is a 3.5mm. I have not tried it yet. It also contains a worldwide clock and multi-function calculator. My intended use is purely for it's navigation function so I will focus there and leave review of it's other capacities to those who are more apt to make use of them.

An antennae unfolds from the rear of the unit and connects with the GPS signals within a minute or so after the unit is powered on. Selecting the Navigation function from the initial menu, allows choices that include the two basic ones of 1) programming in an address you want to get to - whereby the device maps your most direct directions per the most current information available to the satellite network (like having MapQuest in the car!), 2) Indicating you preprogrammed home address from wherever you happen to be, yielding your way home without having to find crumbs you dropped on the path along the way. The feedback on the screen is a little distracting and takes some getting used to. An arrow indicates your car: streets (and stores) that you are passing or approaching all show up and, when a turn is coming up that the directions think you should take, left or right directional lights flash on the unit along with, should you choose to program it this way, a verbal cue that a left or right turn is coming up. 2 or 3 dimensional view are both available as optional settings and day/night viewing is controlled, automatically, according to a build-in clock that you program for your own locations. Any or all of these customizable presets can be quickly over-ridden when circumstances require it! (A dark day, or driving through a dark tunnel, etc.) The screen options/selections are touch controlled - either with fingers or, for smaller items - like entering an address via the screen type board, a small stylus is included and has a home in the device itself. The screen offers 9 degrees of zooming in and out.

I tried fooling around with it. I deliberately went a different way than it suggested. Immediately, the GPS compensated for my action and reprogrammed the directions for the remainder of that drive having taken my spontaneous turn(s) into account. It IS a reasonably complex piece of equipment and I expect my learning curve will develop with it over time. I already called support one time to find out if the unit needed to be powered on or off while charging the battery. I have yet to receive a reply - but it IS just after Christmas!

The unit comes with a windshield suction mount device, a soft carry case, the necessary 12VDC adapter and the 1GB SD memory card ... which I hunted through the box for before discovering that it was already placed in the slot it resides in.

My experience with technological things that appear quite wondrous at the outset is that, with time and experience, they seem a bit less wondrous and more apparently imperfect. In this instance, this DUAL portable GPS navigation system and I are off to a very good start! Though slowed down a bit to discover that the materials included in the box included a "Quick Start Guide" but not a full manual (which is available on line at the Dual web site)I am optimistic that this GPS will become a dependable friend! NOTE: In the most recent issue of Consumer Reports (1/07) , portable GPS systems are reviewed and this (or any) DUAL is conspicuously absent from their ratings. I have no idea whay that might be - but it is a rather important oversight.

I'm not sure what 'artificial intelligence' is - but this might come close!