Fujitsu Siemens Pocket LOOX N520 review

Entering an address is easy, if initially confusing when Navigon shows a default postcode: choosing London generates SW1A 2 London. However, it's a place-holder, and continuing on with a street name updates the postcode, so Fleet Street generates EC4Y 1 London. Importantly, Navigon allows you to continue filtering on words like "road" and "street" - unlike the Asus - and separates multiple instances by postcode.

Alternatively, you can search by five-digit postcode in the City field, and the suggested streets are constrained to that zone. Contacts searching worked reasonably well and, when it didn't take you right to the door, it at least found the correct street. Navigon also supports spoken commands to call up saved destinations by name.

All program settings are organised into a scrolling list rather than buttons. It's slower to use, but makes little real difference. The N520 was generally responsive, but occasionally, on some menu choices and when scrolling a large-scale map, it could be quite sluggish.

POIs are grouped into 19 categories, but you can only turn them all on or off together, and there's no cash machine listing (MioMap includes them). It's also interesting that Navteq's restaurant POI favours restaurants, whereas Tele Atlas is keen on fast food chains.

Navigon proved to be a powerful and reliable satellite navigation package, and when bundled with Fujitsu Siemens' sleek Pocket LOOX N520 it's a great combination. Although the Mio DigiWalker A201 has the same interface, plus full European maps, it's the N520 that swings the balance here, as it's a better PDA outside the car.