THE cynic in me has always wondered if Singaporeans really need GPS systems to find their way around this tiny little island.

When I was testing the new Holux GPSmile 61 last month, two incidents cast aside my doubts.

The first was when I had to get my car battery replaced at an unfamiliar workshop in the bowels of the Kaki Bukit industrial area.

Thanks to this GPS system, I found the workshop - stuck in the eastern boondocks of Singapore - from my home in Sengkang in under 15 minutes.

Then, as if to chide me for my disbelief, the Holux showed me a great shortcut from Bukit Timah to Tanglin Road through small, residential lanes.

Here is how the Holux GPSmile 61 puts a smile on a driver's face.

It is able to lock on to GPS signals within a minute from a cold start, which is pretty good in my experience (I have tested over 10 GPS systems).

Its 4.3-inch screen is also adequately bright and non-reflective under strong sunlight. The built-in speaker is adequate, so you can hear its navigation instructions clearly. It is trilingual too, with instructions given in English, Mandarin and Malay.

Another feature I like is a convenient button at the top that pulls up the volume and brightness controls for fast adjustments.

With a Samsung S3C2443 400MHz CPU, the GPSmile 61 is responsive and quick and lets you zoom into or drag maps around smoothly. Don't take this feature for granted - I have tested systems that take ages to refresh.

The device comes with a microSD card that is preloaded with Mapking's Singapore and Malaysia maps. These were just updated in November and I was happy to find the new Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) in the map as I use this expressway almost daily.

The underground tunnel, however, also reveals some weaknesses in the device. Like all GPS devices, it cannot help you navigate when you are underground.

Another reputable system I tested did the next best thing: It warned me whenever I was about to lose the GPS signal and advised me where to exit before I lost the signal.

The Holux only displayed the suggested exit on the screen and even this disappeared when I drove into the tunnel.

This is a minor grievance though.

Final say

The new GPS car navigation system from Holux is a great helper on the road.

By Melvin Seah, who works in the IT industry.

This story was first published in The Straits Times Digital Life on 24 December 2008.

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