In addition to CoPilot Live 5, there’s all the power of Windows Mobile 2003, with Pocket versions of Word, Excel and Outlook. Of course, when you compare the n35 to other PDAs on test, it doesn’t boast every feature. Bluetooth is one example; for that you should look at the HP or Garmin, but the former comes without GPS software and the latter costs some $400 more. As such you won’t be able to use CoPilot’s ‘Live’ features like fleet management and tracking.

Acer sensibly concentrates on providing all you need to get from A to B without unnecessary frills. However, the n35 comes with a disappointingly small 128MB SD card rather than the 256MB-plus cards seen elsewhere. Consequently, you’ll have to be selective about which parts of Australia you upload at a time. Still, few people will be travelling through more than half the country at once.

Apart from wireless radios, the other obvious concession to the Acer’s low price is its 266MHz Samsung processor. CoPilot Live occasionally suffers from this lack of power in that it’s slow to respond to menu options and map browsing. There were no problems in guidance mode, but rerouting could take longer than others.

The 3D map view is easy to see and follow, though small and moderately-sized roundabouts are unusually ignored and treated as simple turns, displayed as kinks on the road. CoPilot is also unique in using its text-tospeech ability to read out the road names as you come to them. This is usually a boon, but the n35’s speaker lets it down by distorting badly at high volume making many instructions indecipherable. Still, a quick glance at the screen stopped us worrying.

The n35’s screen is clear and bright; slightly shallow viewing angles are countered by the adjustable neck on the screen mount. At 210mm from PDA screen to windscreen, it might be a little too short for some vehicles, but the interface is clear from a distance.

Ultimately, it’s a very close call this month. While map display is one of the cleanest and easy to follow, the audio lets it down. That said, neither the Navman or the Mio are perfect and, especially at this price, we can see the Acer tempting many people.