It must be true. After all, there have been books written about it – the fact that men don't like asking for directions. I'm sure some head honcho (probably a man) figured out how to tap into this widespread behavioural endemic really well. No wonder then that GPS devices, barely months after having been introduced in the market, were adorning every other dashboard on the road.
Asking your digital GPS assistant to guide you on the highway was cool, but the trend is already becoming passé. People seem to be clamouring for more in the tiny digital assistant inside their cars.
So, MapMyIndia has launched the Zx250 Navigator which packs in a lot of multimedia functions that you could put to use, apart from the obvious navigation bit.
The GPS navigator comes with a 5-inch touchscreen, which offers ample screen real estate to play around with. However, it's not the most sensitive touchscreen we've come across. This made us want to reach for the stylus lodged in one corner of the device almost all the while. The accessory makes the user interaction much smoother but isn't without its share of niggles either.
For quick access, the most important apps are lined up at the bottom of the screen, although you have the option of switching from one homescreen to another. The GPS Navigator obviously finds a first place, followed by Settings, pictures, music and so on.
The suite of apps includes a couple of games, which include the classic ‘Snake', which is a breeze to play if you are using the stylus. It also has an ebooks app, but the PDF version of Freud's Dream Psychology wasn't recognised by the device. Neither were .avi files that we'd uploaded on to the system.
MapMyIndia has equipped the Zx250 with 2GB of internal memory although you can expand it up to 8GB with a microSD card. In case you don't, the system still has enough space for a playlist of your favourite songs or sitcoms (although we absolutely wouldn't recommend watching that on board!)
Another really useful feature the Navigator offers is the option to change battery performance – a good setting to tweak when you need to conserve charge while on the road. The software also lets you choose the kind of route you might want to take when you are driving from one destination to another – Fastest, Shortest or the most Economical.
The USP of this model is the fact that it displays maps in a special 3D viewing mode. As fancy as that may sound, the display actually shows just partly elevated structures with the exception of some of the mapped buildings on the map. Some landmarks do seem to have been given more distinct features but we'd rather use the normal 2D mode while driving than trying to decipher where the GPS is taking us in the 3D mode.
Multiple feathers
The ‘Picture' app on the Zx250 lets you use the navigator as a digital photo frame. You can connect it to your car speakers if they are Bluetooth enabled and stream music wirelessly. You could do the same with the voice-activated turn-by-turn directions that the GPS gives you.
With the Bluetooth on, you can even connect it to your cell phone and take a hands-free call while on the road.
Connectivity options include an AV-in which means you can connect it to a reverse camera, if you have one. When you hook them up, the device automatically switches to reverse camera view within seconds of having engaged the reverse gear. When you release the gear, the Zx250 shifts back to the previous display.
Love : Navigation detail, media options
Hate : Poor touch sensitivity, average battery life, popular formats not supported
Rs 15,990
