Panasonic is a major player in Japan when it comes to GPS. With rock solid experience in this field, they are now attacking the PNS (Portable Navigation System) business with two series, the CN-MP200 and the CN-MP100 (which are declined in two different models including or not an AC adaptor and PC cradle).

Both the CN-MP200 and CN-MP100 series feature similar specs, however a 1Seg TV tuner for the CN-MP200, but otherwise we have a nice LED backlight 5” touchscreen, with a SD slot and a size of 129x87x32mm for a weight of 292g for the MP200 Series and 281g for the MP100 Series.

Beside the obvious VICS, JPEG, DIGA functions that these PNS offers, Panasonic was proud to announce that both or PNS are Google Map friendly. Basically you can upload your point of interested from your computer to your PNS or the other way around from your PNS to your PC to be later used with Google Map.

Personally I think that this two way communication with Google Map is a great thing, I happen to use a PNS for some of our test drives on both NihonCar and ManualGear and often prepare our road trip on Google Map, having the possibility to save my Google Map POI on my PNS or update my Google Map POI thanks to my PNS is something I would live to have… Well-done Panasonic!

Now if you wonder what the hell a samurai is doing with a PNS, well this nice fellow is in fact Panasonic’s main character for the PNS’s Japanese TV commercial.

54% GPS

8% PNS

38% Nothing

(13 votes)