 Great device, great price - why pay more for silly features? |
| Review Date: June 8, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Peter Marone III, San Diego, CA |
Just bought a new vehicle and decided to forego the extra $1800 for the factory nav system. My previous vehicle had one, and I find a nav system to be a "must have" - but I just don't like the price premium.
After extensive research, I decided to go with the 2100 Max. The Nuvi's seem to be the most popular, but I really didn't need all the features (mp3, jpgs, etc) as I figued I wouldn't always have the Nav on while driving. I passed on bluetooth also and bought a seperate bluetooth speakephone for the same reason.
The 2100 Max reminded me most of the Nav system of my older vehicle, and it had features I thought I'd like. Reality view is amazing - as the ubiquitous green freeway signs usually show on screen exactly as they appear on the roads. Lane Assist is pretty accurate also, showing all the major lanes at interchanges (I was counting the first time I used the device!). Voice is loud and relatively clear, though it does sound as if the speaker is of lesser quality than it should be (I don't use the FM function since I want to listen to the radio at the same time). I had no problem listening to directions with the radio on, even after lowering the volume a few notches. Pronunciation is pretty good also - especially with some of the street names here in San Diego.
I cannot say enough about the 2100 Max. Unless you plan to always have the nav system on while driving (where you'd probably want one with integrated bluetooth), I couldn't recommend any other device than this one. My recommendation, pass on the silly features and get this nav system that's packed with an array of great travel features at an incredible price.
Pros:
- Display/route stays active even with loss of satellites
- Loud and clear directions, with our without FM broacast
- accurate routing and vehicle location/speed
- Ease of travel with lane assist and reality view
- Great variety of customizable options
- Price
- Bright screen
Cons:
- some option selection "buttons" are pretty small for big fingers
- built in speaker gets distorted at higher volumes |
Works great!
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| Review Date: July 23, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Marika E. Buchberger, New Jersey United States |
I'm terrible with directions so I bought this hoping it would help me and it did. It found the satellites immediately and kept me moving along quickly. It updates quickly and even if you choose a different route it recalculates a new route and maps it out instantly. The touch screen is responsive and easy to use. It's well made and doesn't feel cheap. The windshield mount works easily and holds the unit in place.
When you register the unit at the Navigon website, you'll find out that a software update is not necessary as of today. FreshMaps is supposed to be available this month (July) and you can sign up for E-mail notification as to when they'll be ready for download. The unit comes with a 2 gig memory card and you can install a larger one when it's needed. The operating system for the mapping program is Windows CE. No problems with it yet.
So far, I'm happy with this unit. It does what I need without a load of unnecessary bells and whistles.
August 3, 2008: As of today, FreshMaps update is now available for this unit. Just go to the Navigon website, log into your account and download the Navigon downloader program. Install the program on your computer and you're ready to go. You can even backup your old maps with this downloader program which is recommended before you download the new maps and install them.
October 1, 2008: Navigon now gives you FREE lifetime traffic information. You just can't go wrong. I've been very happy with this unit. |
Love it
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| Review Date: June 14, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Gary W. Mclaughlin, Sacramento, California USA |
I purchased this GPS because of various web recommendations and price. I am delighted with it! I haven't gotten lost once. The unit is easy to set-up and use. The maps seem accurate and have plenty of useful information as restaurants, gas stations, etc. The spoken directions are easy to understand and follow. I particularly like the the Lane Assistant and Reality View functions with their visual representations of the road signs.
Highly recommended, if you are looking for a reasonably priced GPS only type navigation device. |
Simple and Effective!
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| Review Date: June 9, 2008 |
| Reviewer: EndoT800, Los Angeles, CA United States |
| At first use I thought this is confusing. After reading through the manual and testing it without really needing it for local weekend errands. The unit is now easy to navigate through. I recommend that you read the manual to make life easier before trying to figure it out on your own. You will have to download the PDF file for it from their website. You will find out what each icon means and does and will help you understand the various functions. I really like the unit for its ease and simplicity. The Lane Assist and Reality View work great plus you can add Traffic service and keep the unit updated with Fresh Maps as optional add ons. |
A SUPERB GPS Unit
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| Review Date: August 20, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Clemmie Hooper, Lincolnton, NC, USA |
The Navigon 2100MAX is an EXCELLENT PERFORMER - well thought out and well executed.
An easy User Interface allows you to enter street addresses, for automatic point-to-point navigation - with turn-by-turn Voice guidance, if desired - and tailor a variety of settings to your individual tastes. A massive 'Points Of Interest' database allows it to show accurate locations of Gas Stations, Restaurants, and a whole 'laundry list' of other choices, wherever you travel. I live in an 'off the beaten path' small town, and every detail is well covered here.
Though it comes 'out of the box' quite complete, the Navigon 2100MAX also has Expansion Capabilities for some additional-cost services, for those who later decide they're useful. The first - which I highly recommend over the long term - is "Fresh Maps", a three-year subscription for updates to the Maps and Points Of Interest databases. There are also options to add Zagat Survey restaurant reviews, which would pop up onscreen when you touch the icon for a nearby restaurant -- and live Traffic Info for select metropolitan areas, which integrates to display on the maps and suggest alternate routing. Any or all of these can be added to the Navigon 2100 or 2100MAX at any time, by purchasing the appropriate access code cards. If you're rich and want it all from day one, look into the pricier Navigon 7100, which comes preloaded with all the options.
This is my second GPS unit, after having done Long-Haul Trucking for several years with an early (1998 vintage) Garmin StreetPilot unit. The Navigon, with its newer technology, is naturally vastly superior to that 'ancient' Garmin - with a simpler User Interface, much more Detailed Maps, true Routing capability (with early units, you had to do your own point-by-point route setting), and easy Updating capability (something I longed for as the Garmin aged).
To be fair, the current Garmin models also offer these newer capabilities - so there is no fair comparison between the current models and my old one. Every GPS now on the market is far superior to the early models - and, notably, at a fraction of the price. The evolution of the GPS products in the past two years, is directly comparable to the evolution of Personal Computers over the past 10 years or so.
ANY modern GPS unit is, basically, a 'task-dedicated' Computer - with its circuitry optimized for the intended primary function. (Portable DVD Players with their own display screen are another common, though much simpler, device that fits this general description.) The Navigon models, like many competitors, use a customized version of Microsoft's Windows CE as their basic operating system - augmented by a software package which includes the Map information, Points Of Interest, and the manufacturer's particular 'twist' on a User Interface (what you deal with, onscreen, to enter information and use the device). The Navigon units use a 2GB SD Memory Card to hold it all - which allows for an easy hardware upgrade (pop in a bigger Card) if the data-handling needs ever grow beyond 2GB. (In comparison, my ancient Garmin had a 32MB internal chip, and wasn't expandable.)
In raw computing power, modern GPS units put some older Laptop Computers to shame. With this Computer basis, it isn't much of a stretch to expand on the basic platform to incorporate MP3 Players, Bluetooth communications, etc. into a modern GPS unit - and many models do so, with something available for every taste and budget.
Navigon is a solid German company - a leader in Europe, but a distant fourth in the U.S. market - behind Garmin, Magellan, and TomTom (another European company) in market share here. There is NO shortcoming in their product, or the support standing behind it - just less money spent on advertising to build the brand into a household word. A classical German marketing approach, actually - concentrate on building a superior product, and let that product 'speak for itself' in establishing a reputation, over time. (Older folks can think back to the early growth of Volkswagen, for another 'textbook example' of how this works.)
Navigon is a solid contender, with a solid product, worthy of your serious consideration for your GPS needs. They won't disappoint you. |
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