Pocket-size GPS and the $100 barrier
(Credit: Fujitsu Siemens)Update 10:10 a.m. PT: It didn't take long for this to sell out. But stay tuned: I'll continue to post killer GPS deals as I find them.
It's like Black Friday, the sequel! In an apparent fit of madness, Tiger Direct is selling the Fujitsu Siemens Pocket Loox N100 GPS for $99.99. Granted, GPS prices have plummeted in recent months, but this is the first one I've seen dip below the $100 mark. Even more shocking, the Pocket Loox sold for $499 when CNET reviewed it earlier this year. This is the kind of deal that makes The Cheapskate all giddy inside.
True to its name, the Pocket Loox is slim enough to slip into a pocket--nice if you're frequently on foot in big cities. However, the package also includes windshield and dashboard mounts for in-car navigation, though you may find the 2.8-inch touchscreen a bit small for viewing comfort. The Loox comes preloaded with maps of the U.S. and Canada, and it can even play MP3s, videos, and photos.
Surely there's a catch? According to CNET's reviewer, the Loox runs like molasses in Michigan (and it's cold here, people). Having used some dog-slow GPS receivers myself, I agree that that can really be frustrating. But if you're willing to overlook the smallish screen and sluggish operation, this is a pretty hard deal to beat.
A technology writer for more than 15 years, Rick Broida is a regular contributor to CNET and the author of more than a dozen books, including How to Do Everything with Your Palm Powered Handheld. He writes The Cheapskate for the CNET Blog Network, and is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure.
They all have decent starter units in the $150 range ... without the "sluggishness" or tiny screen size. This unit only has a paltry 64 MB Ram for the MP3 and video player so what's the point? Nothing has only 64 MB Ram these days.
On Black Friday, I got a TomTom for $105 at Staples ($125 with a $20 gift card.)