[f5fstop]

It is probably less of a distraction that putting a Garmin on the top of the dash panel, which also tells you where your next turns are, and reduced valuable windshield space.
I have used this same garmin for many years, traveling cross country many times, and I do not consider it a distraction. I have also driven GM vehicles with the in-dash Navs and do not consider them distractions, but I will agree that for some people, they might be distractions.
Nice part of any Nav is the voice command, that makes it possible to know where your turn is without looking at the screen if traffic is too heavy, or like my existing Garmin Nav, it blows up the actual turn so a quick look is all that is required.

I sure hope the Pioneer Nav has no voice overs with music, I agree that would not be good.
Problem with a laptop is it is too large, and there is really no place to put on in the H3. Where would you mount it so that the driver could see/hear the instructions. If traveling alone, you could put it on the passenger seat I guess, but then you would be turning your head to look at something, versus keeping your head straight ahead.

As for younger brains...too old to remember what younger brains required.