The big, beautiful screen of Sony's NV-U83T (NVU84 in Canada) Portable Navigation System is easily its most redeeming feature. At nearly 5 inches (4.8 to be precise), it offers dual viewing capability big enough that you can zoom in on the road while keeping an eye on a larger map. In short, the NV-U83T boasts the best GPS display you're likely to come across.

Also redeeming, the device sports a location identification system that uses internal accelerometers to monitor your location when tunnels or mountains interfere with satellite line-of-sight. Dubbed Position Plus, it works like a charm, keeping an accurate bead on your car for long stretches when signals were lost.

Unfortunately, the nav-u NV-U83T has a few shortcomings that keep it from going toe-to-toe with similarly priced GPS devices.

For starters, an inexplicable lack of predictive text entry turns tapping addresses of locations into a drawn out drag.

Worse, the NV-U83T takes up to a minute longer than other devices (tested) to connect with satellites from a cold start and get a fix on your position. On the upside, that gives you plenty of time for that drawn-out address typing session.

Sadly, you won't be able to listen to music or view pictures while you wait, either. Unlike other devices in its class, the NV-U83T doesn't offer any media playback functionality, music nor video, which is unusual in a device of this caliber and in this price range.

NV-U83T is a capable GPS with great looks and some worthwhile features -- including optional traffic monitoring and cell phone pairing. But as Sony's signature navigation system, this thing needs a little more technical polish and personalizations before it becomes a serious contender with units made by dedicated GPS vendors like Garmin or TomTom.
 

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