Entered CNET Catalog: 02/07/2007
SKU: LOOXN100
Manufacturer: Fujitsu Siemens Computers
Manufacturer description
Pocket LOOX N100 Series provides everyone on the move with ease to use navigation. It offers mobile navigation in the lightest, smallest and most flexible design with entertainment from a unique music-playing feature. Outperforming even larger fix installed navigation solutions, the Pocket LOOX N100 Series is the first pocket navigator with the brand new NAVIGON software MobileNavigator 6. Pocket LOOX N100 Series is perfect for any pocket and can be used, whether you are driving, cycling or on foot. A user interface, which is visually very easy to follow, ensures a uniquely ease of use. Either when entering a street, postcode or location or, when listening to the integrated MP3 music player (also compatible with WMA and AAC format), you receive perfect guidance through the menu. Exchangeable front covers allow a customized design.Product summary
The good: The Fujitsu Siemens Pocket LOOX N100 comes with excellent mapping software and branded points of interest. It has a compact design that makes it perfect for use on foot, and boasts a beautiful display and design. The N100 also has multimedia capabilities.
The bad: Unfortunately, the N100 suffers from sluggish performance that made the device frustrating to use. Also, the smaller screen size doesn't make it ideal for in-car use and it doesn't support text-to-speech functionality.
The bottom line: Poor performance mars the otherwise nicely designed and navigation and multimedia-filled Fujitsu Siemens Pocket LOOX N100.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 03/21/2007
Photo gallery:
Fujitsu Siemens Pocket LOOX N100
As things go in the tech world, there's always a push to create slick all-in-one gadgets, and GPS devices are not exempt from this trend. Even though portable navigation systems are just starting to appear on people's radars here in the United States, the GPS manufacturers are forging ahead by adding new functionalities and creating new designs. Just last year, Mio Technology introduced the Mio H610, a pocket-size hybrid navigation and entertainment gadget. It was pretty much in a category of its own, but not so anymore. The Fujitsu Siemens Pocket LOOX N100 offers similar features and also has a pocketable design that makes it better for cyclists and walkers rather than drivers. We actually prefer the streamlined design of the N100 over the Mio H610, and it comes with Navigon's excellent mapping software, complete with slick maps and branded points of interest. Unfortunately, this is pretty much all negated by the fact that the Pocket LOOX N100 suffers from poor performance. It's extremely slow, and the navigation performance isn't up to par with other systems on the market. At $499, the N100 is priced the same as the Mio H610, but for our money, we'd go with the better-performing H610.
Design
The Fujitsu Siemens Pocket LOOX N100 is cute; there's just no other way to describe it. The palm-sized device (3.5x2x0.6 inches; 3.9 ounces) boasts a nice streamlined design with eye-pleasing curves and an attractive silver-and-white color scheme (the company also includes an exchangeable black faceplate in the box). The overall size and look is similar to the Mio H610, but we prefer the more sophisticated look of the N100, whereas the H610 somewhat resembles a handheld toy. And while the device has a solid build and is comfortable to hold in the hand, we do think the Power button and the Hold switch on the right side feel a bit cheap and plasticky.
All the other operations--entering addresses, launching the media player, and so forth--are handled through the N100's 2.8-inch touch screen. The bright display, which you can switch between portrait and landscape mode, shows off 64,000 colors at a sharp 320x240 pixel resolution, so maps and images have nice definition and rich colors. We also had no problem reading the screen in direct sunlight or under harsh lighting. The touch screen is responsive for the most part, although the sluggish performance might make you think otherwise (we'll talk more about this later though). Since the Pocket LOOX N100 has a smaller screen, inputting addresses on the virtual keyboard and tapping the smaller icons really requires the use of the stylus. Clearly, this doesn't really lend itself for in-car use. Now, while you'll probably enter all your destinations before you hit the road, if you want to perform any other functions while on the road, such as zooming in or out, this will be a problem. Fortunately, the company realized this, so you can actually use voice commands to work the N100. Just be aware that you have to save a destination and record a name for the trip before you can use this option.
The N100 features a mostly intuitive and clean interface with some sleek drop-down menus. The main menu page clearly presents you with four options: Navigator, Multimedia, Utilities, and Settings. The icons are pleasing to the eye with a nice bubbly, animated look, but once you get into the more specific applications, the function of the icons aren't clearly identified, so it's a matter of trial and error. Another confusing aspect is that some of the graphics are shaded out or transparent, which made us think the control wasn't available to us, but this isn't true.
Features
The Fujitsu Siemens Pocket LOOX N100 is powered by a SiRFstarIII GPS chip and uses Navigon's MobileNavigator 6 software. All maps of the United States and Canada are preloaded on the included miniSD card. As with most GPS devices, you can enter a location by specific address, point of interest, recent destination, user-defined home, and so forth. The N100 can calculate routes in one of four ways--fast, optimum, short, or scenic--and gives you the option to allow or avoid highways and toll roads. There are also pedestrian, bicycle, and motorcycle route options, and our favorite, slow car mode. Other standard navigation features include automatic route recalculation, multi-stop trips, simulated demos, speed alerts, and of course, text- and voice-guided turn-by-turn directions. Though the Pocket LOOX N100 doesn't offer text-to-speech functionality, it will announce major highways.
Navigon delivers some really beautiful maps to the Fujitsu Siemens Pocket LOOX N100. There are slick transitions between maps and we'll mention the aesthetically pleasing icons again, as they add much value to the navigation experience. You can view maps in 2D or 3D mode, and with day or night colors. The map screen shows you plenty of data, such as the name of the street you're on, distance to next turn, estimated time of arrival, remaining distance, a compass, signal strength, and more. Of course, if you feel the screen is too cluttered, you can always choose to hide some of these elements via the Settings menu.
Another benefit of the Navigon software is its excellent points of interest (POI) database. Not only do you get the usual POI categories (gas stations, ATMs, shopping centers, restaurants, and so forth), but you also get branded POI icons. For example, McDonald's is identified by the familiar golden arches and Shell gas stations are noted with a shell. Clearly, the N100 doesn't offer branded POI for all businesses, but we're impressed and appreciative of this feature--nice touch. We found the database to be fairly up to date, though not perfect.
The Pocket Loox N100's media player is pretty basic, but gets the essential job done. The music player supports MP3, AAC, and WMA files, and displays song title and artist. You can create playlists on the fly, and there's also a shuffle and a repeat mode. There's no equalizer, but you can adjust treble and bass through the Audio option under the Settings menu. You can play music while navigating, but it was our experience that the N100 didn't interrupt the song when giving a voice prompt. Instead, both were played at the same time, which didn't do any good. The video player offers a full-screen mode and repeat function and works with WMV files. However, there is an included conversion app to convert other video formats. There's also an image viewer for opening JPG, GIF, and BMP files.
Finally, Fujitsu Siemens throws in a few extra utilities. You get a world clock, a calculator, and two games, one of which, much to our delight, was Pacman, although it's called Smart Pixie on this device.
Performance
Before we get to its results as a navigator, we want to start with the general performance of the Fujitsu Siemens Pocket LOOX N100. We found the unit to be real sluggish at times. I consider myself a pretty patient person, but there are times when I was ready to walk away from this device. For example, it took over a minute for the Navigator app to launch. This also brings up the issue we mentioned in the Design section. There were times when we'd hit an icon, such as the music player, and nothing would happen for a few seconds, so we were left wondering if our tap didn't register or if we had to tap it twice. This happened a lot when we first started using the N100, but we eventually realized it's just slow. Either way, it's incredibly frustrating.
For our tests, we took the Pocket LOOX N100 out for a spin in San Francisco. From a cold start, it took the unit about two minutes to acquire a satellite fix under clear skies, but subsequent starts were erratic; it took anywhere from seconds to five minutes to get a signal. Once set, the N100 did a good job of pinpointing our location, but as we started moving, we noticed that it was about half a block off as we drove around the city. We also entered a specific trip, and the unit calculated a route in a reasonable amount of time. The directions were accurate, but route recalculations were a little too slow for our tastes. Plus, when we missed too many turns, it really seemed to confuse the poor little guy and the map screen went on the fritz trying to catch up. Not exactly what you want when you're lost or trying to get to your destination.
Music playback through the device's speakers was OK. Songs sounded a bit hollow and bass was lacking a bit. Of course, plugging in a good pair of earbuds improved the quality greatly. If you're in an absolute pinch and you're just bored out of your mind, you could watch a video on the N100. However, the picture quality was choppy and there were times when the audio didn't sync up with the picture. Again, we'd only recommend it as a last resort. The Pocket LOOX N100's battery is rated for 5 hours.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11out of 11 user reviews
Additional Downside
Pros: Form factor is decent. Good pocket-size that is actually pocket-sized!
Cons: When you are driving in urban areas with many tall buildings, the device gets disoriented and issues confusing commands like "Make a U-Turn Now" or "Turn Left Now" onto a one-way street going the wrong way.
out of 11 user reviews
I've had it for two years, and have had no problems.
Pros: This thing is feature packed. Really the only thing it doesn't have is the text to speech, meaning it can't pronounce street names, but it does give voice commands/directions.
Cons: The worst thing about it is there is no map update available because Navigon is no longer supporting it. The maps are all made by Navteq, so maybe if all us users get together and bother them they will come up with a map update.
out of 11 user reviews
nice device, small , fair battery life, good speed
Pros: for the price , I bought it for $120 US
speed , looks like fast device
maps was fairly up-to-date
route calculation , 20 routs and fast enough to take me to another route before I travel a 0.5 mile
light weight
accurate in locating when moving
Cons: takes some time to start the application
needs some time ( around 5 +- min) to catch the sattelite connection for the first time
as a computer specialist , I wish if the options are available in different places and in deferent form
if you hate small screens , don't take it.
for me ! it is what I need
out of 11 user reviews
Has the right price, right size to travel nationwide
Pros: the size, it fits in my shirt pocket and the proce
Cons: does not cover Mexico and cant get software update. If ane one knows how to get Map and software updates, let me know.
out of 11 user reviews
Amazing navigation
Pros: Accurate naviagtion
Cons: Slow start up and poor battery life
out of 11 user reviews
CNet reviewer far too harsh
Pros: excellent mapping and multimedia capabilities, portability, battery life
Cons: could really use side-mounted volume control
out of 11 user reviews
Would not travel without it
Pros: Small, easy to carry on airplane
Cons: Battery life - only 5 hours
out of 11 user reviews
Perfect for city exploring. Not so good for driving.
Pros: Bright, clear screen. Loud, easy-to-understand voice.
Cons: Small screen, maps fill supplied card. A few goofy behaviors.
There are plenty of reviews of this particular GPS system and they're mostly accurate.
I do disagree with some points, however. Yes, the navigation software takes some time to load. However, when you turn the unit off, then back on, you remain in the same application. Also, when typing in an address, it takes a second to "click" then display the letter... you don't have to wait around, though. Just click away and spell out your address. It will catch up nicely.
One odd behavior that is a little irritating is this: If you plan a route, and turn the unit off then back on, it may ask you to do a U-turn to get back to a navigation point you went by while it's off. For instance, highway 70 around St. Louis has several "exits" that you have to take to stay on the highway. (yes, exits to the road you're on... weird, I know) and if the unit is off while you navigate them, it will miss them. When you turn the unit back on, it will ask you to do a U-turn to get back to the exit, even though you've already taken the exit. It will eventually pull it's digital head out of it's butt, but it's a little weird being asked to do a U-turn on a major highway. (Even if you have that option off!)
out of 11 user reviews
Super Compact GPS with loads of features!
Pros: Awesome LCD Display, Very Small, Lots of accessories
Cons: Slow Start-up
I am a salesman that runs leads everyday, so I may go to 40 different addresses per week. I used to Mapquest myself silly, but that can get old quickly. I needed a unit that wasn’t going to be an outrageous price, but I also needed something that was going to be reliable, dependable, and most of all, good for everyday use. I saw many units out there that were adequate; Garmin, Tom Tom, Magellan. All of these units were great and had many features, but they all fell just beyond what I wanted to pay. I am a believer that if you spend cheap, you usually get bad results. In this case, I was wrong.
The Loox N100 definitely has a lot to boast about considering that it is in the $99-150 range. This unit is hands down the best GPS unit that you will find for under $200. Let me clarify. When new items come out, they tend to be very expensive because there are very few manufacturers building the product. The good news is that it’s good for competition. The bad news is that companies that don’t have a clue tend to throw their name in the hat as a manufacturer. The prices are low, but the quality can be awful.
I will admit that I was very skeptical when I saw this unit. I thought to myself, “What good is a 2.8 inch screen on a GPS unit?” Well, I found out very quickly that 2.8 inches of screen can go a long way if the graphics are good. Well, let me tell you; I challenge you to find a GPS unit with a better graphics display at this price point than the N100. The unit has a day mode and a night mode that can be changed from one to the other with the touch of the screen.
The N100 had me mesmerized by the amount of features that are packed into it. The unit warns you if you are going too fast within a certain speed zone. It has a very nice user interface that makes playing with the unit “fun”. The N100 does take about a minute to load all the maps, which I am okay with. Once it is up and running, it is truly amazing what it is capable of. I live in the Atlanta area, and there were very few occasions where it did not recognize an address. Sometimes the unit does not recognize an address because it does not correspond to the zip code. For instance, I had trouble finding an address in Doraville Ga. because Doraville has a zip code that it shares with Atlanta. You have to be careful of this, because it happens a lot in bigger cities.
I had the unit 3 months before I realized that it actually has phone numbers that correspond to the points of interests. It takes a little effort to get to the phone numbers, but not a lot.
I would say that the accuracy of the unit is about 96%. It will get you to within thirty yards of a location without being 100% accurate.
The Loox comes with interchangeable faceplates. The white one came installed, but upon opening the box, I quickly replaced it with the black one. The battery is listed at around five hours, and if you don’t tinker with the features a lot, those five hours are realistic.
I was very impressed that the unit has voice command and it can also store your favorite addresses. These addresses can be accessed rather quickly.
The unit is definitely a steal at the price point of $99-$150. I would definitely recommend it to anyone that needs a GPS that will do the basics and beyond, Fret not about buying this unit. It has a 1 year manufacturer’s warranty. I realized that when I got it, it was made by Fujitsu/Siemens which are two of the most technologically advanced companies in the world. Rest assured that this unit is all it is cracked up to be. You can go out and buy a $300 GPS, but it will not get you anywhere any faster than the N100.
out of 11 user reviews
Pocket Loox
Pros: Premium mapping software for a great price and great package
Cons: For its size it needs topographical maps to be absolutely portable
out of 11 user reviews
Not a review, Just confused by the reviewer, Bonnie Cha
Pros: Frankly, I don't know
Cons: Frankly I don't know
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