GPS Sat Nav Systems

Thanks to the advancements in technology and modernization, travelling has now become one of people’s most sought after thing that relaxes them. Visiting new places is always a thing of excitement and relaxation. But we do need someone to guide us through our travel since the places are quite foreign. And the same technology has given us the answer for that. It has given the wondrous instruments which can act as a guide to our destinations. Given this scenario, lots of manufacturers of GPS Sat Nav Systems has cropped up within no time and there are too many options for you to choose from that you will be spoilt for choice. And we are here to prevent such a situation and also to guide you to the best of GPS devices in the market today. Today, we are going to discuss about a great GPS device, from Medion, who suddenly raised to fame with the introduction of the GoPal series GPS devices. The P5435 is one such device off the GoPal series, waiting to awe you with its all new exciting features. Let us now look into the details of it and learn why it is one of the best.

Design:

Nothing contemporary:

First up, we would like to examine the design part of the satellite navigation device from Medion. Medion GoPal P5435 Sat Nav looks pretty rectangular in shape with the edges slightly cut off in an angular fashion. This supposedly gives some extra grip to the device while holding in hand. Since the device is touch responsive, there are no buttons provided on the front panel and the screen occupies most of the real estate. A couple of lights take position on the left hand top corner of the panel and there are no buttons at all anywhere. This is a pretty welcome sign actually, because it would be touch to use the device if there are buttons and switches. Since there are scores of features, which we will be discussing in a while, one would like to access them as quickly as possible. And the quickest possible way is provide a touch responsive screen. The device also comes in standard clothing, glossy black colour. There is only one colour provided by Medion and it is only here that you will not be spoilt for choice.

Display:

The Medion GoPal P5435 GPS System sports a pretty huge display. A screen that is as big as 5 inches, measured diagonally, takes the centre position of the front panel of the device. And since you have such a big and comfortable display, you can view a lot more detail in your maps and directions. A bigger view of the maps is always welcome and this means you can set the device in your car in almost any place you want and still get a comfortable view of the directions and stuff. You will also love watching pictures on the giant display. It might become just a little bit hard to hold the device in one hand, especially for the people from the Far East, but otherwise, everything regarding the design is perfect. Full marks from our side to the guys at Medion, for bringing out such a nice display mechanism!

Connectivity:

Regarding connectivity, we have three options here, on the GoPal P5435. They are respectively Bluetooth, Mini USB, and Micro SD card slot. Let us examine each aspect separately.

Bluetooth:

When it comes to connectivity options, the GoPal P5435 is always one step ahead of its peers. The device, unlike many others, supports Bluetooth technology and also comes with a latest version of Bluetooth. With this option, one can easily go for hands free calling and hence talk over the phone even while driving on the road. This brings multitasking into the equation. Since most people now prefer devices that allow them to multitask, the GoPal P5435 would be a sane choice if you are looking to call your pals even while on the go.

Mini USB:

If you want to connect the device to your computer of phone or whatever, you can do it with the help of the mini USB port supplied to you along with the device. All you need to do is connect the devices and sync them using the mini USB cable. This mini USB cable is also useful when it comes to charging the device. You can either use the charger given to you, or on the other hand you can simply connect it to a running computer and get it fully charged within no time.

Micro SD slot:

Now even though the memory on the device is as big as 1GB, sometimes even that would not be enough to suffice your needs. You might want to save some files, maps, music, or office stuff like documents on your device. Though this is quite rare, Medion always provides you with an option to enhance the memory on the device. There is a micro SD card slot available on the device and it allows you to purchase and use micro SD cards with capacities ranging from 1 GB to 32 GB. Now that is a cool idea and we have found that it could be useful in some circumstances when you are travelling. Yu always will have some extra memory in hand when you are away from home.

Features:

We have now arrived to the most significant part of the Medion GoPal P5435 GPS Sat Nav Unit. But to our surprise, we have found that Medion has come up with gobs of features on this device. No one would expect that. No one would have thought a GPS device could become a collection of so many new exciting features and extra options. Hence, let us have a deep look at each and every main feature seen on the Medion GoPal P5435, and thereby decide if everything regarding the device is right for you or not.

Processor:

The Medion GoPal P5435 is expected to run faster than many other similar GPS devices since it sports a 600 MHz processor. It is, of course, one of the fastest processors seen on a GPS device. Manufactured by SiRF, and named as Titan, the processor is pretty fast and solid and is also capable of running tasks with a brisk pace. There will not be too many issues with the processor and even if you start multitasking, it can withstand the pressure. Some might argue that 600 MHz is somewhat less but, since it is just a GPS device and it will not have any sort of complex tasks to be run, the processing power that is provided will be more than just sufficient.

Platform:

The Medion GoPal P5435 GPS device runs on a WIN CE 5.0 platform. While this might sound a little disturbing since it is quite an old operating system from Windows, older than even Windows XP, it is a fact that there is not much you will have to do with the operating system. One cannot expect the sat nav systems to come with Android operating systems. A lot of other similar high end GPA devices also come with the Windows CE OS. We have tested the operating system of the GoPal P5435 for various tasks and the results came out positive. So, there is obviously nothing to get worried about. We got to say that it is a good enough operating system for such a device.

Memory:

Even though it is just a satellite navigation system or simply, a GPS device, it needs to have some sort of memory in order to store anything. Since there is a possibility of addition of newer maps and directions, or contact numbers, or addresses, the Medion GoPal P5435 Sat Nav System comes with a solid internal memory of about 1GB. With this, one can store a lot of other stuff than just contacts and maps. One can store mp3 songs, files, documents, videos, and podcasts, and a whole lot of other digital stuff so that they can be played while on the go. No if there is somebody who feels this memory is not sufficient at all by any means, there is a provision for you to purchase and insert a micro SD memory card in the slot provided. SD cards with memory of up to 32 GB are supported by the GoPal P5435.

SiRFInstantFixII™ GPS receiver:

The receiver that is used on the Medion GoPal P5435 is known to be the SiRFInstantFixII™ GPS receiver, again manufactured by SiRF. This particular receiver is adept in reducing the start up times for GPS devices and hence the GoPal P5435 starts up pretty quickly and also works with great efficiency. This satellite prediction technology actually improves start up times for most devices which are location centric and it works either with or without internet accessibility. The GPS devices that have the SiRFInstantFixII™ GPS receiver will be fixed within a matter of 5 seconds. Hence, the GoPal P5435 has got to be one of the quickest starting GPS devices in the market today. And this is quite a great start by Medion. Already, there is a lot of liking for the device and now, there is a lot more to come.

Customizable Menu:

Since there are too many features on the device, it would certainly be difficult for one to go to a particular feature, or option or setting. But, unlike many other menu styles seen on other GPS devices, this menu is customisable and is easy to access too. The Medion GoPal P5435 in-car Sat Nav sports the quick selection menu, and things will now seem far easier than under normal circumstances. You can also set short cuts to different programs and applications on the device and hence make your processes faster. One simple click will take you to the application you want and the process will be completed quickly. You can also customise the menu and change the way it looks or performs. Customisation in any form is always welcome and most users will probably be happy of it.

Languages Galore:

There are as many as 17 languages on the device. Since the device is being sold all across the world and since there are many users buying the GoPal P5435 from all corners of the world, these 17 languages come to a very good use. It will also be useful when you travel different countries. Intercontinental travellers will also find it comfortable to use the GoPal P5435 since it has got so many languages in store for them. Most of these languages are of European countries and the rest are some important languages from several other countries.

Maps:

There is a lot of map data loaded on the GoPal P5435 GPS Navigator. It has all kinds of cross border maps and directions for more than 43 countries across the world, with main attention being given to western and eastern European countries. Few other GPS devices in the market today, come with more maps, which is a pretty good sign indeed for Medion. These maps include border maps, country maps, county maps, city maps, and local maps, and hence as you can see, a lot of importance is being given to the detail of these maps. And if one thinks they need new maps for different countries, they can as well download them from the web.

Traffic Master:

The traffic master feature seen on this GPS device shows you what the traffic is like, around different parts of the city and also the traffic densities in the different regions that take you to your destination. This helps you become aware of the traffic and thereby switch to some other direction or route towards your destination. This hence saves a lot of time for you and you can avoid very annoying traffic. In addition to this, the traffic master also shows you the number of alternative lanes or routes available for you, which take you to the same destination, and also notifies you the time that will be taking to reach there. It is hence truly a master of the traffic conditions prevailing en route to your destination.

Lane Guide:

Lane Guide is one of the newer applications seen on the GoPal P5435 GPS device. As the name suggests, it guides you through different lanes and roads across many cities and towns around both Western and Eastern Europe. There are a myriad of lanes across the world, and you will be guided through all of them. The names of lanes, their routes, and the network they create will be notified to you for your easy travel. Almost all the lanes and streets of Europe are pre loaded in the device and if you think you need guidance to more lanes across the world, you will have to visit the web and download some maps. But, on the whole, the lane guide feature will be of great use to you while you travel in between cities and towns.

Text to Speech:

While most of today’s GPS systems are coming with the speech recognition mechanisms, the Medion GoPal P5435 has taken a different route. It has gone the other way round, as it comes with the special feature of text to speech conversion. The very special software used in the device will convert the text you type into speech and this speech is produced off the device, in the form of audio. This means that whenever there is some text seen on the screen of the GoPal P5435, it will automatically be converted to speech by the device. This will be pretty useful at all times since one prefers to listen to their GPS device while driving on the road, instead of looking into it. It makes your driving safer than ever, and hence you can drive better and more efficiently.

Speed Guide:

The Speed Guide is of late one of the most commonly seen applications when it comes to the latest GPS devices. The speedometers in your car and in other vehicles only show you the speed with which you are travelling, but a legend says that most people never look into their speedometers and hence are not warned of their speed on the road. This might turn out to be dangerous at times, since too much of speeding is not advisable. Hence, Medion, like many other manufactures of high end GPS devices today, has come up with an idea to introduce a new application. This immediately warn the driver if there is over speeding and if the speed exceeds the limits recommended for that particular region or city. Hence, it will guide you through your destination safely and within control.

Intelligent Address Input:

For faster entry of your destinations, the GoPal P5435 in-car Sat Nav comes with a nice alternative – The Intelligent Address Input. This is a special feature that allows you to easily enter the addresses where you will be going regularly. They will be stored in the memory of the device and the next time you plan to revisit the same place, the address will be loaded automatically, hence avoiding wastage of time. You will not need to type the same address again and again. It will be stored once and for all and can be loaded again and again. Since there is a lot of internal memory for you, you can store scores of addresses. Addresses can be of places too. Once you visit an interesting place or a tourist spot, you can save it for future correspondence. Contact numbers also can be saved along with the addresses. Hence, the intelligent address input will be of great use to you under any circumstances.

Fingerprint Sensor:

With the advancement of technology there are also many drawbacks along with the gobs of positives that come along. One major drawback we can see today is security. Security is always at stake today since technology has gone beyond its limits in some cases. Hence one needs some protection that avoids the loss of sensitive and confidential data. Since there is an option for you to store addresses of people you know, there is also a possibility of losing them to strangers. Hence, Medion comes with another great idea for the GoPal P5435 GPS device. The device comes with a finger print sensor and thanks to this technology, no one else can start the device, other than the owner. Only one finger print can be saved at a time and this could prove to be a very good idea, and in fact better than the password entering mechanism. Hence, your data is completely safe.

Automatic day and night mode:

The feature is introduced in order to save a lot of battery life for your device. The brightness settings and the contrast, along with the display mechanism will be changed as the day goes on and in accordance with the available light outside. Now when there is need for lots of light, the sensors detect the darkness and thereby brightness is increased automatically. Similarly, lots of light will also reflect on the brightness and the display. Hence, this automatic change of day and night modes will avoid the interference of the user when it comes to altering the brightness and display settings of the device.

Quick Routes:

‘Quick Routes’ is another option which makes your travel very economical. If you are going to visit a new place, then you can decide if you want to take the conventional route to it, or to take the quickest or shortest of the most economical route that takes you to the same destination. One can manually decide if they want to go in such a route, depending upon their journey. You will be notified of all the shortest routes available, if the routes are more than one in number. Then, the choice will be yours. This feature will hence save lots of time and fuel for you.

Various Modes:

There are a few modes of travel that you can select from while you are travelling. The four modes are respectively, by car, by motor bike, by bicycle, and by foot. The device needs to be fed with the details regarding the mode of travel. It can then estimate the distances, times of travel, and such stuff immediately and inform you regarding the details. Along with these four modes, there is another special mode, by the name Cruising mode, which makes the GoPal P5435 stay with you and provide you with constant details and data even when you are not travelling in any route in particular. Hence, these modes may come in handy when you need them most.

Special Destinations:

Along with normal destinations, the Medion GoPal P5435 Satellite Navigation System will also detect special destinations and then will notify you regarding their addresses and positions in the route map. Places which fall into the category of special destinations are; Gas stations, restaurants, automobile service stations, shopping centers, and lodges. And the GoPal P5435 GPS device will save their addresses in the memory for future correspondence such that you can have a look at them when you need them most. Many more of such special destinations and centres can be accessed by searching on the internet and you will then gain access to more and more of them.

Manual Blocking:

If the road in which you are currently travelling is either blocked suddenly due to some reasons, or if you wish to move in another road suddenly, then you can change the route map at the last minute by changing the lane on the device itself. This will send a message to the device that the route of travel is changed and hence GPS will reposition itself again in order to show you a different path to your destination. This, again, is such a cool feature which we liked a lot during our tests.

MP3 player:

Finally, we see a GPS device that comes with an MP3 player. Since you will be having lots of memory on the device, and even more if you use an external SD card, you can hence store lots of music files in MP3 format, and hence play them in your car or while you are walking. This avoids carrying both the mp3 player or an iPod and a GPS device. The GoPal P5435 GPS device is a combination of the two and hence you will reap double the benefits than when compared to a normal GPS device. The player’s interface is also simple to get used to and one can play songs with ease. We especially liked this feature, since it is not that commonly seen on a GPS device.

Picture Viewer:

Looks like you will never get bored during your travel if you have the Medion GoPal P5435 GPS device in your car. Especially when you are on some long trips, you would want more entertainment from your GPS device. Rather than just showing you the same old boring maps and directions, you would rather expect something cool and pleasing to the eye. This is what the GoPal P5435 exactly tries to provide you. You can hence load and later on view some pictures or photos on it. It has got a nice player which automatically plays all the pictures and photos on the device. The picture viewer is hence a nice extra feature seen on the GoPal P5435, as it is not normally seen on similar devices.

Travel Guide:

Whenever you visit a new town or a place, you would want to know more about it. Though most GPS devices give you the details regarding the best places to visit, restaurants, hotels, monuments, banks, and so on, the Travel Guide feature seen on the Medion GoPal P5435 GPS device goes a step further in this aspect too. You are provided with some contact numbers to which you can call and find out more information regarding the local places to visit. Though most information is online on the internet, it is better to quench your thirst by yourselves. GoPal P5435 provides you with such an option.

Miscellaneous:

There are two features under this section. First up, there is an alarm for you on the device, which is of pretty good quality. It resembles the alarm clock seen on an average mobile phone. You can hence set time on the device and also set alarms and some notes regarding the events and their timings. And when you go on a long trip and you feel like taking some rest or getting some sleep, the alarm will be helpful in waking you up when it is time to start again.

Then there is Sudoku, an interesting and a brain teasing game for you to keep yourself entertained while you are not driving. It provides some food for the brain and also some relaxation. The game can be quite interesting to kids and it will keep them busy, so that you can drive peacefully since you are not worried by them.

Performance:

Now that we are done with the features list of the GoPal P5435, and that we’ve liked it way much, we would like to go through the performance details of this wondrous piece from Medion. Basically, when it comes to the performance aspect of performance, we have three sections, namely, Audio, Video and Connectivity. Let us see if all the three are good enough for us.

Audio and Video:

Since there is an MP3 player embedded in the device, the audio must certainly be good. The speakers installed are of excellent quality. Since there is also speech recognition and text to speech services, the speakers, and the built in mike are very good and also deliver some decent quality. And regarding the video performance part, as discussed under display, we really have some cool display mechanism and the processing is also solid, thanks to the processor. Hence the videos on the GoPal P5435 are of fine quality and we are happy about the performance of the device too.

Hence, as you can see, the performance of the device is quite top notch and better, in many aspects, than most similar devices in the market today.

Warranty:

The Medion GoPal P5435 GPS device comes with parts and labour warranty for a period of twelve months starting from the original date of purchase.

Verdict:

Finally, we are going to reach the end of our journey. Let us have a final opinion on the Medion GoPal P5435 GPS device so that it would be easy for the readers. We have gone through extensively on each and every aspect of the device in order to provide you all the details available with us. And we think we came out good. Just to give you a bit of recap, we have seen that the design and the display mechanism of the device are pretty good. There are lots of qualitative features and the performance aspects meet our standards easily. This means if one has to go for a GPS device for their car, then it has to be the Medion GoPal P5435. There is no doubt about that. Given the fact that the pricing g is also not too high and that there are more features and extra options on this one than on any one, we would say, Go for it!

Medion GoPal P5435 Sat Nav – Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	Medion
Model Name	GoPal P5435
GPS Application	In-car
Maps of Countries	Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
Display	High quality TFT LCD
Display screen size	5 inches (12.7 cm)
Display type	Touch Screen
Navigation views	2D, 3D Views
Country coverage	West & East Europe
Map material	Cross-border navigation for 43 countries in Western and Eastern Europe
Memory	1GB Flash Internal Memory
Memory slots	Micro SD expansion slot
MP3 Player	Provided
Voice	Navigation instructions Voice command recognition
OS	WIN CE 5.0
Software version	MEDION® GoPal® Navigator AE 4.8
Software features	Traffic Master Text-to-speech Fingerprint sensor Speed guide Intelligent address input Automatic day and night mode Choice of quickest, shortest and most economical route Car, motorbike, bicycle and pedestrian mode Cruising mode Special destination categories (POIs) Navigation display with arrow, 2D, 3D or split screen view Customisable quick selection menu Manual blocking of route sections MP3 player Travel guide Picture viewer Alarm function Sudoku
Processor	600 Mhz
Audio	Headphone, Stereo 3.5 mm audio output jack
USB	2.0
Receiver	SiRFInstantFixII
Features to save energy	Nil
Box contents	MEDION GoPal P5435 navigation system MEDION GoPal Navigator AE 4.8 navigation software Maps for Western and Eastern Europe Operating instructions USB synchronisation cable Car mount with suction cup and stylus 12V/24V car charger 2GB Memory Card
Warranty	1 year