Navigon 2100 max 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigator with Text-to-Speech Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)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

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Product Description:
Ultra-slim and with a stunning 4.3-inch touchscreen display, the NAVIGON 2100 Max earns its name with a long list of advanced features. Exclusive Reality View provides extra 3D guidance when you need it most at complex interchanges, exits and entryways. Spoken driving directions and street names let you keep your eyes on the road. Lane Assistant alerts you to oncoming lane changes. DirectHelp helps you find emergency and roadside services-and helps them find you. Navigon also let's you seamlessly purchase and activate a number of optional services as accessories that can save you time and money. FreshMaps gives you up to 12 regular, trusted map updates for three years. Lifetime Traffic gives you traffic flow and incident information and alternate route suggestion for the life of your unit. ZAGAT Ratings and Reviews Service gives you over 21,000 ZAGAT ratings and reviews covering more than 70 cities in the U.S. and Canada.

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Navigon 2200T 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)So far I am REALLY happy with the Navigon 2200t.I kept going back and forth between the 2200t and the 7200t.Although the 4.2" widescreen on the 7200t is nice I didn't need the bluetooth capability since my car already has it.

The 3.5" screen on the 2200t is plenty large and easy to read and type on.It would be nice if it had a QWERTY keyboard onscreen but the keyboard is intelligent only displaying relevant keys.I had no problem typing my destinations error free.

One of the complaints I read about past Navigon units was slow performance for GPS acquision, routing, and the menu system.That issue has absolutely been resolved with the new Navigon line.The menus are quick and the GPS locks on almost instantly.The traffic features are nice to have especially here in Atlanta.The speaker is surprisingly loud and clear when speaking the directions.

The reality view is a really nice feature when navigating complicated highway junctions and was one of the reasons I went with Navigon.Although I just received the unit I am very pleased with the build quality, performance, and routing so far.Its really a great deal considering similiar features are hundreds of dollars more with TomTom and Garmin units.

My only complaint would be the directions included in the box are pretty poor (just a quick start guide).I had to get on the Navigon website to download the full instructions.Not a big deal though.

Overall I am very happy so far and highly recommend the Navigon 2200t.

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Product Description:
Both portable and stylish, NAVIGON 2200T delivers a superior navigation experience unlike any other with features that are both useful and exclusive. Route around traffic jams with Free Real-Time Traffic Updates, alerting you to traffic issues ahead and providing alternative routes - all free for the life of your 2200T. Never miss your exit again with Reality View Pro - which automatically displays photo-realistic images of virtually every highway intersection and exit complete with sign text and lane guidance. Plus, the 2200T includes a host of other features that make navigating the road ahead easier, such as Advanced Text-to-Speech Voice Guidance, Lane Assistant Pro, Multi-Destination Trip Planning and DirectHelp.

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Navigon 7100 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigator Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I ordered my Navigon 7100 at the end of August and received it on September 7th.In the last few weeks,I have been all over .... New York City, Washington, Northern Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, San Francisco/Oakland, California, etc.For most of those journeys I have had my Nuvi 660 next to the Navigon 7100.Both have their strengths and weaknesses.Overall, my personal conclusion is that the Navigon 7100 is for me the way to go.I will be packing up my Nuvi 660 in a few days and sending it off to one of my kids.

Below I will list some Pros and Cons of the 7100.The 7100 has not by any means been flawless.But its strengths far outweigh its weaknesses.And most of my complaints are easy software fixes.I feel that Navigon has gotten the message from those of us in the USA and is attempting to address our issues.They won't be here long if they don't.They may believe that they have the superior product but they may go the way of Beta in the Beta / VHS competition, if you remember that from years and years ago.

I have spoken to higher ups at Navigon and they could have brushed me off.Instead, once I got that far, I found someone willing to listen, acknowledge their shortcomings and say they will fix things.So far they have done so with the 4 GB fiasco.The rest remains to be seen.I am hopeful.I believe that they will now do what it takes.The people I have dealt with struck me as sincere and willing to do what it takes.

By the way, while I adjusted the route profile based on recommendations on forums and even from Navigon to the Optimum setting, I have found the Fast profile setting works best for me.

I also have turned off the Menu animation setting which seems to work better for me.

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Pros of 7100

Excellent screen and info.I like info and I get all I need with the 7100.I especially like the upcoming turn arrow showing up if it is a close turn to the next turn you are taking.

The 7100 adjusts for your time zone automatically.You need to do this manually on the Nuvi 660.In California my 7100 showed the correct time while my Nuvi was on Eastern time.I was only there a day and didn't bother to change it.

The 7100 makes it easy to engage the night/day mode, as well as 2D/3D mode.Though an auto setting for day/night would be a nice add-on, it is too easy to do manually to make a difference for ME.And I like the color scheme of the night view.Very cool.

Ability to block portions of route and have trip recalculated.Makes life easier if I want to avoid certain roads.

Seems to lock onto 1 or 2 more satellites than 660 when I was able to check, not always though, but a lot of the time which may help explain my next observation.

Its position in relation to the road in my observations was a bit more accurate than the 660.I would be just about passed the exit ramp when the 660 would show me just entering it.

I found the refresh rate to be a bit more frequent than the 660.While it may be an optical illusion, it seemed to be moving more often than the 660.Again, this is my personal observation and might help explain the above observation.

Reality View is excellent.It has helped me on countless highways.Once though it showed one more lane than the highway had.But it helped me navigate the right way anyway.This is probably the number one feature for me.

Lane Assist is not visible when Reality View is on, but if you hit the screen to disable Reality View (quick feature and easy to do) I often see the Lane Assist present there.Helped me getting to Oakland, Ca. airport as I exited and needed to turn left by showing me both lanes were left turn lanes way ahead of the pavement markings showing me that.Helped me to decide what lane to use for the upcoming turn.

Speed warning (caution) has helped me keep my speed where I want it to be.Though I got used to it and needed to remind myself that it isn't always there, especially on the local streets.

Time of arrival is more accurate for ME than 660.The 7100 would on short trips show 5 to 10 minutes longer to get there but ended up being closer to the actual time of arrival than the 660.On a 5 hour trip the 7100 showed arrival to be 35 minutes longer than 660 at the start.Ended up being closer to actual arrival time than 660.Nuvi kept adding time, even though trip was going smoothly.Much prefer a more conservative approach.Again this is what I experienced in my journeys.

Fairly fast recalculation of route when turn not taken (I did that intentionally at times to test it out).Though once it seemed to take forever.

Traffic info reception is excellent.External antenna not needed in major cities, but helps in outlying areas.

Windshield mount is easy to put on and take off.Stable and secure.Wobbles on occasion but not noticeably an issue for ME.Brings the 7100 closer to you than any other system I have used that I mounted on the windshield. And I found it has lots of adjustment options to get the view I wanted.Had my doubts at first, but love how it just floats near you. My Nuvi mount would fall off until I started using water on the rubber mount before attaching.Even then once or twice it came off.

Easy to spot a McDonald's on your route and by turning in its direction get to it fairly easily rather than search the POI database.

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Cons of 7100

No feature to avoid HOV roads/lanes.I have an entrance ramp near me to a major highway that is open only during morning rush hours and is only for HOV use.The 7100 always wants to take me to that highway that way.I can never use it since it is only me in the car.And the times it tells me to go that way it is closed anyway.

I enabled the feature to avoid U-Turns, but the 7100 tells me to make them anyway, even if I could easily go around the block.I could understand it doing so if I am at a dead end but that hasn't been the case.There has been a clear view of the sky and good reception at the time.

My saved destinations do not show up on the map.It would be nice to see them as I go near them.The Nuvi shows all my destinations on the map as I go by them.

Text to speech needs improvement.While I have found that most streets are named, the pronunciation is awkward.If not spelled in a conventional way it is mispronounced.Centre becomes Cen-tray.Marble is Mar-blay.Stonefield becomes Stoney-field.

Toll roads are labeled as TOL for some reason.Even though there is plenty of space for it to be TOLL.As a result the text to speech says, turn onto xx "tall"...for TOL.

Battery life is not as good as I expected.It has a nice warning though to tell you that the battery is almost gone.Maybe Navigon should check with Apple and its iPhone for a better approach.'

Finding a Point of Interest if you don't know the city it is in is difficult.The Nuvi will tell you all the POIs close to you, though you have a long wait as it loads them to get to the next screen.If I want a gas station nearby it doesn't tell me if it is ahead of me or behind me.The Nuvi would give me arrows to help me see where it was.Not knowing could mean circling back to get to it rather than hit something along the way.Its POIs on the route don't give you a lot of options.I would much prefer getting a list to choose from than the ones the unit selects to position on the route I am taking.

Long start up time.Though it is a breeze when I stop for gas and get going again.It took seconds for the 7100 to crank up the times I bought gas or had a quick lunch.My Nuvi was still loading as I headed on my way.Blocks away it joined the 7100.Most of the time though (other than the quick stop routine), the Nuvi was the winner here.

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Again, these are all MY PERSONAL observations.I know others have had different experiences on many of these observations.

All in all I find the Navigon 7100 to be an excellent GPS for MY needs.And even though I paid a higher price for it when I bought it than it sells for today, I think I got my money's worth.

Is it perfect?Not at all.It has many things that could be better.Is it the best GPS I have come across and owned?Yes, I can honestly say that it is FOR ME.I have owned the Tom Tom GO, the StreetPilot III, the Nuvi 350, 360 and 660.For now, this is the one for me.I change GPS units often. Buying the newer maps was not worth it for me since if I added to that price what I could sell my GPS on ebay for it would come close or fairly close to buying a newer model.And I need the latest maps, which are outdated when they are released.

All in all, I am sold on the Navigon 7100.For ME it is a clear winner!

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10-18-07

In the last few days I have been to Memphis and Boston. I must say I am happy to report that the start up time when I get into my rental car seems to be quicker. Also, while I didn't expect to get traffic info in Memphis and almost didn't hook up the external antenna to pull in traffic, when I did I got an alert quickly about a 2 mile congestion spot on a highway on my route. I hit avoid and got diverted to side streets which got me to the hotel fairly quickly. I passed over the highway I was to go on and sure enough it was stop and go traffic. Really saved me time and aggravation.

In Boston I noticed a few things.... one is that in the underground tunnels the 7100 kept...Read more›

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Product Description:
In the U.S., German-based Navigon may be the biggest name in gps you'venever heard. Navigon has long been a major provider of navigation software to automotive manufacturers for in-dash gps navigation devices, but only recently did they introduce portable navigation devices under their own name. What they offer up, however, demonstrates immediately that this is a company that knows navigation inside and out.

More about Navigon

Navigon...James Navigon
The first thing you notice about the Navigon 7100 GPS Navigator is, well, the Navigon 7100 GPS Navigator. It's beautiful. It's the kind of device you'd expect an international spy to have in their rocket car. It's less than an inch thick, and its shiny black casing will go well with just about any car interior. Paying the same attention to every detail, Navigon's included car mount raises the bar even higher, with a design that is not only easy to use, but echoes the 7100's in a way that makes device and accessory become one, adding a touch of style and elegance to any vehicle's interior.






The Navigon 7100 offers a premium navigation experience in a sleek package. View larger.

Intuitive, animated menus offer predictive text input, helping you select your destination quickly. View larger.

The lane assistant provides guidance to the optimal lane for your route. View larger.

The reality view guides you with photo-realistic 3D images of junctions. View larger.
Packed with Features
When you stop ogling the outside and really start using the 7100, what you notice is that Navigon has decided to avoid media support and instead has focused on navigation-based features. This means the 7100 is packed, offering an array of features that are, at the time of this writing, unmatched at this price point. It provides you with turn-by-turn directions, including actual road names via text-to-speech. It includes built-in Bluetooth technology that enables hands-free mobile phone integration, which not only increases driver safety, but is fast becoming a necessity as states pass laws against talking on a cell phone hand set while driving. It warns you when you are exceeding the speed limit. It offers 2D and 3D map views with incredibly precise road visualizations (more on that below). Its Navteq data contains millions Points of Interest (POIs) such as restaurants, hotels, golf courses, gas stations, banks, etc.



Reality View and Lane Assistant
The 7100 has two features that are a great help in negotiating unfamiliar or complicated road systems. Lane Assistant recommends the best lane for you to be in relative to the proposed route, so you won't find yourself trying to move over three lanes when the freeway splits.

Reality view guides you with photo-realistic 3D images of junctions, complete with actual sign text and exit ramp guidance. This makes translating what the navigator is telling you to what you see on the road instantaneous.


Free Traffic for Life
This is a biggie. The Navigon 7100 comes is the first GPS device to offer subscription-free, real-time traffic information via the integrated traffic receiver with no additional fees or setup for the life of the product. Be advised on traffic flow and incidents, as well as the best alternate routes. The traffic info starts working as soon as you get the 7100 out of the box.



Zagat Ratings and Branded Icons for POIs
All of Navigon's gps navigators offer Zagat ratings and reviews for their POIs, so while this device may not get you a beer, it can tell you where to find the best one. Branded icons displayed on your map make it easier to navigate to a familiar location of your choice.


Superior Software and Hardware
The features and functions of the Navigon 7100 are controlled via intuitive, easy-to-use animated menus that use predictive text input to quickly and easily select your city, state and address. Maps and menus appear on its extra-large and elegant, high-contrast 4.3-inch, full-color touch-screen display with an easy-to-read 16:9 aspect ratio for an exceptional view of the road. The Navigon 7100 includes a powerful Samsung 400 MHz processor, a fully integrated SiRF Star III GPS chip, 64 MBs of both RAM and ROM built in, and a rechargeable 1,200 mAh lithium ion battery that is rated for 4.5 hours of continuous use. All this is housed in an ultra-thin, sleek piano black housing that weighs only seven ounces, and measures just 5.1 x 3.5 x 0.9 inches (W x H x D). The Navigon 7100 even comes pre-loaded with complete maps of the U.S. and Canada, providing you with superbly accurate, seamless door-to-door directions wherever your vehicular travels might take you.


Note that the 7100 runs on the Microsoft Windows CD Net 5.0 operating system. A PC is required to use additional map data, and in such cases users require Windows 2000, ME, XP or higher, as well as a CD ROM drive and a USB port. An SD/MMC card reader is recommended as the 7100 not only uses SD cards, but also comes with a 2 GB SD card in the package.


What's in the Box
The Navigon 7100 preloaded with North American maps, 2 GB SD card, car charger, wall charger, car mount, USB cable, CD and user manual on DVD, quick installation guide, and warranty information.



About Navigon
NAVIGON has been a leader of GPS navigation since 1991, and has a long history of industry innovations. NAVIGON created the world's first dynamic personal GPS product in 1996, launched the industry's first navigation software for the Pocket PC in 2000, and unveiled the first Traffic Message Channel-based (TMC) avoidance feature on mobile navigation product in 2002.

NAVIGON has helped revolutionize how consumers get from place to place with software products for practically any navigation-ready hardware. Personal navigation devices (PND), smartphones, and in-dash navigation systems directed by NAVIGON's award-winning MobileNavigator (MN) software delivers reliable information on millions of destinations in an intuitive, easy to use format. NAVIGON is a valued partner to the automotive industry, and in 2006 strengthened its category competency by acquiring NAVTEQ's navigation software business.

NAVIGON is a privately-held software company based in Hamburg, Germany, with NAVIGON USA headquarters in Chicago, IL.

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Navigon 7200T 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigation with Bluetooth, Text-to-Speech, and Free Traffic Alerts Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have owned Garmins and Tomtoms. This gps looked very promising. It displays all the info Tomtom displays but Garmin doesn't plus it has a nice bright screen like Garmin, not TT. I was hoping for the best of both.

The good is that the 7200T routes well, no problems there. The lane assist works well although Garmin and Tomtom's implementation is a little better I think. Whereas Navigon displays the static reality few for a long time. Garmin and TT pop it up for a few seconds then go back to showing the lane assist diagram.

The Navigon is very wordy with its verbal instructions which is good. But with all the words, it doesn't speak 90% of the highway exit numbers. It rattles off the town and road, etc, etc but no exit number. What it does do though is display the exit number on the screen. This is ok if you have the eagle eyes. The fonts on the 7200T are tiny. It takes my old eyes 5 - 10 seconds to focus on the screen's small print after driving. It doesn't sound like alot but taking your eyes off the road for that long is dangerous. Don't know why they don't include exit number in the instructions.

The 7200T also displays street names. Unfortunately, every road that is not part of your route is displayed as a pencil line and each road is displayed with its street name in micro font size. Forget about being able to read them.

Another short coming is the 7200T's POI database. It is very small and is missing most national retailers, gyms, health clubs, doctors, dentists and who knows what else. Its POI search is also horribly broken. You have 3 choices. NEARBY - gives you POIs within a very small radius, too small. The next choice is CITY. Unfortunately, you have to know the exact city. Most other brands search NEAR CITY but not this. If the POI you are looking for is actually one town over, you will never find it. If you are in unfamiliar territory and don't know the adjoining citys to search individually, you are out of luck. The third choice is STATE. Most POI categories are not included in STATE so this choice is totally worthless.

On top of this all, the screen sensitivity is not great and the buttons are small. You will have to enter and address multiple times as you tapped the wrong letter or have to tap the same letter multiple times because it didn't pick it up.

So to summarize, it routes well but the screen fonts are so little its dangerous to look at while driving and the whole POI thing is terrible. Maybe a firmware fix will improve font size and change exit number verbal instructions. Maybe new maps will increase POI database size and add good search functionality. Until then, this is just another gps with lots of potential.

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Product Description:
For those looking for both style and substance, the NAVIGON 7200T is a standout among other GPS devices. Behind the 7200T-s elegantly designed extra-wide Flat-Panel touchscreen you will find an experience unlike any other with features that are both useful and exclusive to NAVIGON. Like Free Real-Time Traffic Updates, alerting you automatically of traffic issues ahead and rerouting you with the touch of a button - all for the life of your device. Features like Voice Destination Entry allow you to simply enter addresses by voice while Bluetooth Hands-Free and Reality View Pro make navigating the road ahead easier and less stressful. Landmark View 3D adds a new dimension to your navigation experience with hundreds of landmarks displayed in richly textured 3D. The 7200T also includes a host of other features that will help guide you through your travels, like Advanced Text-to-Speech, DirectHelp, and Lane Assistant Pro.

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Nextar X3-03 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The Nextar x3-03 is probably the best buy out there because it does include an a/c and d/c adapter and a cover along with free map upgrades when available - so they claim. The ac adapter is a benefit for outside sales people (real estate agents) so that you can program all your stops before hand. I recently purchase the tomtom and navignon and found them to be very useless especially the navignon because of the voice directions. It gave me about 5 steps when entering and leaving a ramp from the highway and I felt it would be really confusing if I did not know where I was. In addition to that, the navignon for some reason was trying to reroute me down streets I already knew they were dead ends. I return the tomtom and navignon back to staples and kept my Nextar.
The beauty of the nextar is in its simplicity. The prompts are at the right time without added conversation! It is very easy to select your your next location within seconds while at a traffic light - or rather I should say parked in a safe location. Entering address information was much easier than the others because of the simple predictive text which looks up streets as you are typing them in like Pac for pacific - the navigon would pull up wolfpack once you starting typing and that to me was no useful.
If you need a tool, the nextar is it, if you need a toy and graphics and more of what you don't need and less of what you really need, then I would certainly go back and purchase the tomtom and navigon. The sound and graphics are pretty cool.
The downside, I do not believe there is any quality control and be prepared to send a unit or two back. I originally purchased mine at Kmart which has a very good return policy, problem was, their inventory is light and they have been out of them for 6 weeks. So now I have purchased from Amazon because their exchage policy is just as easy.
Be aware that the battery does not last overnight as I believe the unit is always in standby mode even when you thought it was off.
Nextar is very up front about their problems and issues which you can read about in the support section [...]
I hope this helps anyone trying to make a decision. Best bet is to buy all 4 brands from a place you know they can be returned and try them all out for a day to see which one fits your needs.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Nextar X3-03 3.5 Inch Portable GPS Navigator

Product Description:
The Nextar X3-03 GPS assures that your days of getting lost are over!Finding an address or any one of 150,000 points of interest such as the nearest gas station or restaurant is a snap anywhere in the U.S.A. and Canada. Just enter information on the X3-03's 3.5 inch touch screen and let the voice prompt and detailed map guide you to the destination.The X3-03's built in MP3 player will entertain you with your favorite tunes en route.Just insert your favorite play list SD card into the slot.The X3-03 moves easily from car to car using the convenient vent mount.A rechargeable lithium ion battery assures that the unit stays active. The Nextar X3-03 will provide you with worry free navigation on even the most complex routes.

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Navigon 2100 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I recently returned a new Magellan Maestro 3140 GPS unit that did not have traffic data as I decided that I needed the traffic feature. I was going to buy another Magellan product but on a whim I went to Staples early on Black Friday and I managed to buy a Navigon 2100T for $99. For a device with text to speech and lifetime traffic this is a great price.

I have been testing this Navigon device for the past few days to see if I want to keep it or if I will get rid of it and get the Magellan I was intending to buy. I have reduced my experiences into the following Pros and Cons. This is of course entirely subjective.

Pros

- Price - I just can't beat $99 for text to speech and lifetime traffic!
- Reality View provides 3D images of complex interchanges - congratulations on Navigon innovating in this way - it is a really great feature.
- Audio volume is plenty loud - I can hear it very clearly
- Audio instructions are good and accurate. It states the street name and turn in advance and then also says "now turn right" at the correct moment.
UPDATE: As is common on text to speech devices, some of the streets are mis-pronounced, but the timing and accuracy of the speech instructions are very good. I rely on them with confidence.
- Screen is very bright and readable in daylight
- Quick lock on satellites
- Quick recalculation if you deviate from the calculated route.
- Plastic housing is clean and sophisticated looking
- No MP3 player, slideshow viewer, toaster etc. I hate how GPS devices are trying to be iPods these days. Let's just get the GPS part right. Congrats to Navigon on leaving all the other crud off of this device.

Cons

- Crazy routing sometimes.
I have been driving some local journeys and comparing with the routes my Magellan previously offered. This 2100 comes up with some silly ways to get places. For example instead of driving ahead on a major road and then turning right onto another major road, this unit tried to have me cut through a bunch of slower local streets as some kind of shortcut. This would actually take longer (due to stop signs and lower speed limit).The Magellan never proposed this silly route. I know the area and so disregarded the poor Navigon routing. But my concern is that in a foreign environment I will have to trust the device and it might waste my time. I have tried changing the Route Profile settings (Fast versus Optimum) but don't see how they impact the result. I've never had to do this previously on a GPS unit.
UPDATE: It seems to me that some of the sillier routes might be for local/very short journeys. I have been using this device for 30+ mile trips around Los Angeles and the routes have generally been good.

- POI searching is much more frustrating than on my previous Magellan. On my previous device I could type in "Macys" and it would find every Macys for miles and miles around. If I want to find a Macy's on the Navigon but there is not one "nearby" then I need to scroll through a long list of every POI in the category (while repeatedly increasing the definition of "nearby - enlarge the radius...). There is an alternative search method: the unit expects me to know the city the nearest Macy's is in?! This is ridiculous. Enough already! Just let me type Macys and show me all of the results no matter how far away they are (or within a distance defined in Preferences). I could write a whole essay on this but basically the POI access needs an overhaul ASAP. I am sick of seeing "No POIS nearby found" (yes that is the message).
UPDATE: After a few weeks of use, my frustration with POI management has not subsided. (My latest fave: I must scroll past the POI categories of car dealers and auto mechanics to get to the more commonly used Shopping Centers category). I keep reminding myself that this is a value-priced GPS and I have pretty much given up on expecting good POI functionality. This device is mostly about point to point navigation where you know your destination address. I have been using Google Maps on my Blackbery to find POIs and then entering the address manually into the Navigon.

- USB/power connection on the bottom of the device. This annoys me to no end. This might not sound like a big deal but I don't want my GPS unit blocking the view out of the windscreen and so I usually have the suction cup in a position on the windscreen so the GPS unit sits on or just above the top surface of the dashboard. When I have the 2100 mounted in the windshield mount the device must sit more than an inch higher above the dashboard if the USB/power cable is plugged in because the plug is on the bottom of the device. Instead of plugging the power cable in on the left or right side (as is common on other GPS devices) you must mount the device over an inch higher just to get the power cable in to the hole under the screen. The only way to mount it lower is to run it off the battery (no power cable). Good luck getting the hours of battery life they claim. If you are in a big truck with a huge windscreen then you won't care. If you are in a sedan (or especially a small sports car) then this is a significant design flaw. Which genius made this decision?
UPDATE: I have uploaded an image to illustrate this problem. Have a look at the product pics at the top of the product info page.
UPDATE 2: I have uploaded a second image which shos how you can reduce the problem by buying a small adapter (thanks Peein Elmo for the tip).

- Keyboard "buttons" in the interface are very small. Hope you don't have big fingers

- Icons on the screen (battery etc) and the speed data font are too small. I can read it OK but do not give this unit as a gift to someone with less than perfect vision. At the time of writing this review there are no 2100 screen shots in the Amazon product info see what I mean. (The screen shot showing Reality View is from a 7100 - clever huh?) UPDATE: There are now some 2100 product images including the screen. Look at the size of the font showing the speed (on the right side of the screen) and compare that with screen shots of some Garmin, TomTom and Magellan devices.

- Not enough color on the maps. I understand this unit is "understated" in its design - and some other GPS devices go over the top with saturated color but this is just a little too "gray" for me. UPDATE: The screen shots shown in the product info at Amazon cleverly depict an area with official parks and forests - so you can see green areas on the screen. Unless you are driving through parks all day you will see gray everywhere on your device.
UPDATE 2: I have realized the reason this device seems so "gray" is because many of the user interface elements (buttons, scroll bars, windows etc) use shades of gray and then the map itself also uses gray as the default land color. I was driving by the beach the other day and the unit showed the ocean as bright blue. It looked great. Maybe I should live in a park near the beach...

Other comments:I have activated the traffic but have not used it yet so cannot comment.
UPDATE: The traffic feature has so far not proven very useful for me. I get stuck in traffic jams on the freeways in LA and the unit shows that I am in a slow area (which I already know...) but it lists no incidents on my route and does not recommend alternates. I am still learning about this feature. Also you need to have the power cable plugged in if you want to get traffic signal (on my device anyway...)

In summary this unit has high-end features at a very competitive price (even more so at the price I paid). However I think I'd rather pay more for a device that has more reliable routing and better POI management (and a power plug on the side, Grrr).Shame because I really want to like this device...

Click Here to see more reviews about: Navigon 2100 3.5 Inch Portable GPS Navigator

Product Description:
The NAVIGON® 2100 is slim, stylish, easy to use, and has features no other GPS navigator has. A brilliant touchscreen display, simple to maneuver menus and accurate coast-to-coast map coverage get you from point A to point B with confidence. Navigating the road ahead is even easier with spoken turn-by-turn directions including street names. Features like Reality View- ensure that you'll never miss your exit again by providing realistic 3D map view of complex intersections. With over one million points-of-interest pre-loaded, restaurants, hotels, gas stations, and more are easy to locate. Accessorize with NAVIGON Lifetime Traffic and ZAGAT Ratings and Review accessories. Includes pre-loaded continental U.S. maps.

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For Navigon 2000S 2100 Max 8100T GPS navigation Portable Travel USB Plug-in 12V Car Charger Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is my third charger and they all seem to have the same defect. The plug-in end that charges the device is fagile and breaks very easily. All 3 chargers have broken in the same way the metal tip of the plug-in breaks opens and eventually looses connectivity and can no longer charge the device. The lastest one is working fine for now and it is number 4.

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For Navigon 2000S 2100 Max 8100T GPS navigation Portable Travel USB Plug-in 12V Car Charger

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