Review: Medion Gopal PNA465 sat-nav device

Built around a 400MHz Samsung processor and based on Windows CE 5.0, the Medion Gopal PNA465 has that familiar PDA look about it. A subtle black design and virtually button-free fascia, however, lend it a more sophisticated air.

Those fond of hardware controls may bemoan the loss of physical buttons but, in truth, this has little impact on day-to-day use of the device. Its simple interface is perfectly straightforward to navigate using touchscreen-only control. The only minor point here is that the Gopal will occasionally throw up an unfamiliar icon or symbol.

The Gopal is responsive and fast, so route planning is painless, especially since full postcode address searches are supported. The PNA465 also uses a Sirfstar III receiver chip, which means that it is quick to acquire a satellite and locate itself, and maintains a good lock on the signal while on the road.

Many of the features that other manufacturers seem to consider optional extras at the sub-£300 price point are included here as standard. Navteq maps for the UK and mainland Europe are provided, for example, as is a mains power adapter. Better still is the inclusion of free access to TMC traffic updates, which is a rare thing indeed for a product at this price.

The Gopal uses Trafficmaster RDS radio information to reroute you around congested areas and as such requires the use of an FM aerial. This is also supplied with the package, but installation can be messy, since it adds another cable to the mix.

As far as extras go, the PNA465 comes with support for multimedia (photos and mp3s) and includes some useful Berlitz City Guide information. One of its best features, however, is the large 4.3in LCD. With a resolution of 480x272 pixels, the screen is bright, clear and easy on the eye.

This article is part of a group test of 10 satellite-navigation devices
See also:
Introduction
Acer p610
Garmin Nuvi 310
Magellan Roadmate 3050T
Mio Digiwalker C510E
Navman N40i
Novogo S700
Sony Nav-u NV-U50T
Tomtom One Europe
ViaMichelin X-950
A tables of features can be read via our pdf download above

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