Nocturnale

I was first introduced to the world of Global Positioning System or GPS with the use of Garmin Mobile XT on my Samsung i780 PDA phone. I can clearly recall the initial excitement exploring the potential of GPS, with it being an effective and best of all free-to-use service. Once I started using GPS, there was no turning back. It was so useful and indispensable it made me wonder how I would have lived without it ever again.

As I continue using GPS on the Samsung i780 quite exhaustively, I outgrew the limited set of function and began to realize the need for a dedicated device. The phone is after all just a phone and it lacks the processing power and prowess of a stand-alone GPS system. So after almost a year of using the phone as my primary GPS gateway, I decided to get myself a true blue GPS device.

For my requirements, I was looking for a reliable but affordable model, wide-screen display, compatibility with Malfreemaps. I scoured the Internet for reviews and finally settled on the much-touted Taiwanese-made Papago! R5800 model. After forking out RM899 for a unit at M3Shoppe online, I received it two days later via City-Link courier (free shipping).

It came in a compact box. Nothing fancy there. But I gotta say I was smitten with excitement, like a boy in a candy store.

Opening the box reviewed the spanking new GPS contraption sitting atop a platform. A transparent sticker was affix to the screen with obvious finger print smudge on it, an obvious sign that the device was manually configured/tinkered before dispatch. I suppose this is standard operating procedure?

Anyway, the package comes with a car charger, a usb connector, a suction mount, 12-month warranty card with CD and English manual. Screen protector was not included. I had to purchased one from M3Shoppe for RM10 a piece.

The first striking feature to behold is really the huge 5″ LCD display although it has only a dismal resolution of 480 x 272 pixels (which makes the on-screen graphics appear pixellated).

Build quality wise, contrary to what other users say about Papago! R5800, I thought the device feel quite solid on my hand.

As the device was pre-charged, I was able to power up the thing out-of-box. The interface was pretty straight-forward. From a former Garmin user point of view, the M3GPS X5 software that powers the device is user-friendly and idiot proof. It took me very little time to become fully accustomed with the software.

The LCD touch screen has average tactile responsiveness. Software has been stable so far in my three day use with no ‘hanging’ or freezing screen.

The thing that attracted me to this device is the fact that it is also capable of playing media files beyond its function as a navigator. It displayed my jpegs and played MP3s without problem although I did experience stuttering with video playbacks but I suspect it has something to do with the big video resolution and size.

Next, I brought the monster out in the wild to test out her true capabilities as a navigation device. And Papago! R5800 is a trooper on the road, and that’s not saying much.

The time between booting up to locking-in satellite was pretty impressive. I had had some frustrating ‘waiting for satellite reception’ moments with my Samsung i780 before. So the very speedy connection was a welcome change.

As I said before, the interface and in-software navigation was painless to use. POI searching was par for the course and the Road Search was also good. In short, R5800 delivers the stuff in the destination search faculty. No complaints there.

Moreover, route calculation was lightning-fast! I was pleasantly surprised. The huge display means that navigation viewing is a sheer pleasure. Although the screen appears cluttered and complicated at first glance with all those different traffic/direction indicators, I feel that they suited me well. As they say, with power comes complexity and I sure welcome the controlled sophistication on my GPS device. Screenshots available here. Papago! R5800 has all the features to satisfy the most demanding GPS user.

The voice guide quality on the other ohand is somewhat variable. This confirms what other reviewers have to say about this aspect. The voices are weak but I find setting the volume to max or near-max solves the problem easily. And to allay your concerns, the Female English (the default voice system) guidance is clear, discernible and easily the best amongst the bunch of various other preinstalled languages. Malay, Mandarin, Cantonese voices are also available if those strike your fancy.

With a giant screen, unbelievably vivid-to-life junction view, lane assist, in-traffic events alert, in-map touch-to-go, 360 view features, regular software upgrades (which further expands the functions of this device) and media-playing flexibility, this is money well spent.

So far, I am very happy with the purchase.