The Axion Geo-632 is another of those GPS bargains that you can buy new for under $100. This device is designed to be used in a car or in “pedestrian mode.”

Like the Nextar P3 GPS, the Geo has a 3.5-inch screen. It also comes with the now-typical GPS features, such as 3D map view, a built-in MP3 player, a touchscreen, pre-loaded maps, automatic rerouting, and turn-by-turn directions. It also provides a picture viewer, so that your passengers can entertain themselves during long stretches of straightaway by viewing a slideshow of your most recent vacation.

The problem with an inexpensive device is that those typical features may not work in standard ways. For example, a reviewer on Amazon says that you can’t listen to MP3 tunes on this at the same time you’re using it as a GPS. There’s no jack for headphones either. You can’t adjust the volume control of the unit without exiting the GPS program first. And you can’t switch between night and day automatically. In other words, the interface for the Axion needs some redesign and you can expect a slightly painful learning curve.

Another Amazon reviewer complains that you can’t pick up satellites immediately when you turn the device on — that sometimes you’ll have to wait several minutes for synching to take place. She’s found a way around it, by plugging in her home address and clicking some buttons a few times, which speeds up the process.

Finally, that touchscreen actually requires you to use a stylus. (Evidence: See Figure 1.) Lose that and suddenly it becomes less useful at getting you around.

On the other hand, if you’re a walker like me, having a device that’s small enough to stuff in a pocket yet functional enough to work in the car means you don’t have to buy multiple products to find your way through the world. So, screwball interface, sorta-good features, and decent directions — you’ll have to decide for yourself whether it’s worth the hassle to save yourself some green. Sometimes it is.