Hey guys,
It seems like it has been a while since I posted a review or pictorial, so I thought I would throw in one. I bought this GPS receiver for my trusty VAIO TR5AP notebook as it can sit well on my car’s dashboard. The receiver will work with any other VAIO or non-Sony Bluetooth equipped notebooks. It is marketed for use with VAIO UX series and I guess since UX is so tiny, GPS unit would be a great addition to it.
I jumped into GPS world a little bit late as I thought Mapquest is all I need for my directions, but I realized that it is not available to me all the time (especially when I am offline) and if I need to get to a place in the unknown area or I am simply lost - GPS is the way to go. And believe me I love it now!
Anyways, I thought I would give it a go with a VAIO GPS unit recently released in the US. I paired it via Bluetooth with my trusty TR5AP and it worked flawlessly.
All you get is the unit itself, AC adapter, a Belt Strap and the manual of course. No software is provided and Sony recommends using Microsoft’s Streets and Maps software that comes bundled with UX series. I picked up the latest 2007 version of that app from a local BestBuy and paired it up with the unit.
The bottom of the unit as you will see in the pics below has a rubbery surface and it stays put in your car dashboard. Little LED lights let you know about the status of the unit. I was very amazed by the battery life of the GPS unit, as I thought the Bluetooth function would drain it quickly. I cannot tell you the total battery life cycle as I used it for 3 hours straight and than left it on in the car for a long period of time, and I still did not have to charge it. It should last up to 10 hours per Sony.
I found the MS app pretty good for starters but I wish it was more simplified. The night mode is pretty cool too as I can dim the LCD of the notebook to the lowest level and get more juice out of it and still see and hear the directions. I know Sony also has some GPS units for sale specifically for cars, but I do not find them appealing in design at all. The Japanese GPS units made by Sony are so much better and slicker.

Comparison to the DVD size case:

Categories: General