2007 SEMA - Panasonic Strada CN-GP50U portable GPS

Panasonic has jumped into the hotly contested GPS market with the Strada CN-GP50U. The Strada features a large, easy-to-read 5-inch monitor, yet it has a relatively small overall size thanks to its slim frame. The manufacturer says simple menus, large buttons, and contrasting colors will add to its ease of use. With voice-command capability for pre-programmed addresses, the CN-GP50U also has popular features like the ability to say street names (aka text-to-speech), available traffic reporting, Bluetooth compatibility allowing drivers to make hands-free phone calls, and an extensive point-of-interest menu. The Strada also continues to provide assistance when in a tunnel or parking garage.

Scheduled to start shipping in late 2007, the CN-GP50U will be priced at $499.95. Prices for the subscription-based traffic reporting have not been set. Panasonic says to expect more portable navigation devices in the near future.

—Jim Travers

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Comments

[Peter McDonnell]

I am an online member of consumer reports and I was wondering if you have any information from testing on th Panasonic Strada CN-GP50U GPS unit. I am hoping that you have some testing information on it since the first look on it was from November 5th and it is now January 1 and I am considering this model but would like some feedback from your testing on this unit so I can decide on this or getting another model. I hope you can give me some more details on how you think this Panasonic GPS works.

Thanks

[Paul Manowski]

I got the Panasonic CN-GP50U on December 21st. I really like it so far, the size is great, the mount is strong, the battery lasts a long time (over 3 hours so far). The Bluetooth part is OK, the microphone doesn't pick up well - you can hear good but the person you're talking to cannot. I used the POI's a couple of times - very nice - found a Mexican restaurant in an area I was in and used the phone number provided by the GPS to check their hours of operation. It seems like the route re-calculation time is good. The voice for directions is clear. I like the speed warning capabilities too. So far, so good - I like it!

[Larry]

I just purchased the CN-GP50U. Entering a destination is irritating. When entering a state, city, street the screen scrolls and you can't see what you are typing. The display of destination options is too short and you can't see the full street names, amusement parks, museums, restaurants, etc. (so much for a larger screen). Does not ask you a type route (i.e. fast route, short route, etc) before calculating route, only after it calculates a route you can and have to go back to change the route type then go back a few screen to re-calculate a new type of route. It should ask for your route type preference before calculating a route. Other brands have better, smoother flow of entering destinations and calculating routes. Panasonic, for its reputation sake can do better by re-writing the software.

[Larry T]

After using the CN-GP50U for 2 days I returned it. I don't recommend buying this product/model right now because it is a first generation. It is not user friendly when it comes to entering destination and choosing route type (i.e. fast route or short route). It does not have a lot of POIs (1.8 mil vs. 6 mil for Magellan or Garmin). It doesn't have the major retailers such as Sears, Macys, WalMart in my city but it has all the little mini markets and liquor stores, though. Wait til you get more reviews on this product. I don't think it's worth the price.

[Gary]

I returned the GPS unit a few days after I used it. Here is the bad part:
- Street announcement is sometimes in Street numbers rather than street names for which most people know of. i.e.: "VA state highway 608" vs. "West Ox Rd".

- It is very different to input address due to the in correct information in the map. If you start with a zip code that the unit does not know, you can not continue to input the rest of the address.

- the touch acreen delay is annoying

[David]

I bought one of these from costco.com for $400 + shipping.
I was attracted to it because its map database includes ALL of
North America, including Mexico. However, when you turn on the
unit, you must select which map you want to use, and if you cannot have both U.S. and Mexican maps loaded simultaneously, so the unit displays an error when trying to route anything across the border!
Also, the response lag to inputs on its touch-screen is VERY long, so long that when dragging the map, it overshoots where you wanted, and you end up exasperated and give up trying to find anything on it! To add insult to injury, entering your destination must be done by address, and even this is tedious; you cannot enter LAT/LON coordinates, and of course map dragging won't work. None of these problems have occurred with my Garmin Nuvi 650, which has quick response, and loads ALL the internal maps, and optional Mexico map (on SD card) simultaneously. I returned the Panasonic it to Costco and said "good riddance"! I generally have high respect for Panasonic products, but their first attempt at a GPS is a bust, in my opinion. One final comment: While I was attempting to familiarize myself with the unit at home, I had the unit lock up on me, with a Windows-style dialog box, saying that "navi.exe" had been terminated; this, and the fact that the USB shows a Microsoft interface when you plug it into a PC, seems to indicate that it is running Windows CE, which may explain why it is SO SLOW.

[gayle]

Do you know if you can purchase a card for the Panasonic Strada Portable GPS that I use in North America and where I could locate such a device?

[Krystyna]

Where can I find map updates for Panasonic Strada CN-GP50U ?