» Navigon 2100 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
By Navigon
Buy new : $249.00
Customer Rating :
- Ready out-of-the-box. Just turn on and go!
- Superbly accurate, door-to-door directions. Coast to coast maps of the continental U.S.
- Spoken directions including street names via text-to-speech.
- Reality View¿ makes complex highway junctions easy to navigate.
- Simple-to-use 3.5" touchscreen with predictive and animated menus.
- Amazon.com Product Description -- November 11, 2007
In the U.S., German-based Navigon may be the biggest name in GPS you've never 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.
The 2100 is the lowest-priced (and smallest) of Navigon's line of portable GPS navigators. While it lacks some of the features of it's bigger siblings, the 7100 and 5100, it packs solid navigation and some unique features into its diminutive frame.
The Navigon Family of Portable Navigators
The 2100 and 5100 have 3.5-inch screens, while the 7100 has a 4.3-inch widescreen. The big difference is that the 5100 and 7100 come with free lifetime traffic data, while with the 2100 you have to buy an activation code separately. The 5100 and 7100 have a feature called "Lane Assistant" that will suggest which lane you should be driving in, but that's not such a big deal. Another important difference is that the 7100 also adds bluetooth-capability for hands-free mobile phone integration, which is really handy. If you want that feature, do check out the 7100. This chart may help as well.Screen Size (diagonally) Bluetooth Lifetime Traffic Data Service Lane Assistant Reality View Zagat Ratings POIs 2100 3.5 inches Requires Purchase of Activation Code 
1.3 million 5100 3.5 inches Included Free millions 7100 4.3 inches Included Free millions 
Intuitive, animated menus offer predictive text input, helping you select your destination quickly. View larger.
Navigon decided not to try to add multimedia features like a photo viewer or MP3 player into its devices, but instead focused on navigation-based features. The 2100 provides precise turn-by-turn directions, including spoken road names via text-to-speech
The reality view guides you with photo-realistic 3D images of junctions. View larger.
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.Superior Software and Hardware
The features and functions of the Navigon 2100 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 3.5-inch, full-color touch-screen display. The 5100 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 chrome housing that weighs only 6.3 ounces, and measures just 4.2 x 3.3 x 0.9 inches (W x H x D). The Navigon 5200 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 2100 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
Navigon 2100 GPS Navigator, SD card preloaded with software and maps of the continental US, rechargeable 1150 mAH lithium ion battery (rated for up to 4.5 hours),
car charger, car mount, quickstart guide, limited warrantyAbout 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.
- Good system.
I haven't used it much, but the GPS works very well. It had all the points I needed, and the traffic worked pretty well. I'm upset I had to purchase the traffic updates separately, but it was relatively inexpensive from Amazon. - Not a Bad Navigation Product
This is the first Nav system I have ever bought. I bought it because it was very inexpenisive and thought why not. I did go to the manufacturers web site before purchasing it. It runs off of Mircosoft Windows CE and the pictures I saw made it seem easier and nicer for the money. When I got it I thought it would have the latest map, but the map was from April 2008. Which in area I live in make it out of date quickly. I did purchase the traffic activation which set me back another $50 and then Purchased map updates, another $50-$80. The traffic is lifetime but the maps are good for 3 years. Anyways, I ended up paying well over what I could have got a brand like garmin which they use in aircraft. But for a first time unit, it's not bad. The user interface is easy to use. I really like that it will warn you if your exceeding the speed limit which you can set up for 5 miles-15 miles over or turn off warn. The updates for the map take forever to download even on high speed internet. BUt I just got the latest map and it's right on. Over all if you want a basic starter easy to use nav I would try this one out. If your really into nav, I would spend at least 300+ for a better model with a bigger screen. - Would Not Repurchase or Recommend
Got this at Staples for 119.99 --- and I did not quibble re: the price for the features promised. It's not bad looking either, and I don't mind that is so small. That works for me.
Unfortunately, the GPS is not reliable. It works sometime, yes...and when it works ---it is mostly as promised.
But sometimes...to often indeed...it does not work. Now maybe I have a lemon...but here's what happens. One... I often can't get a connection even in places where the signal worked well previously. Can't figure out why the GPS so often can't work. Two... when it is working, too often the directions don't make sense. What logic is this thing using, I pray? It goes so wrong on routes with which I'm familiar, I'm afraid to trust it when I in strange territory, and with a GPS ---that's a very, very bad way to feel. Three... coding and working with the thing is not intuitive... so I often can't get it to work. And my unit did not come with anything except brief start-up instructions. Why not include instructions or a web site or something?
Anyway... I wish I had waited until Black Friday to purchase a brand-name GPS (Garmin is good!). I'd advise you to do just that. - Excellent value for the price
After four months of using my Navigon 2100 I can only report good experiences. It has a good POI database, the route calculation has yet to fail me, and it doesn't try to be anything but a GPS navigator. That's right- this GPS receiver is ONLY a GPS receiver. It doesn't try to be a music/video player, PDA, address book, calculator, or milking machine; it's just a GPS receiver and a good one. There are several handy features, the best of which is the quick "Take Me Home" option.
I'm also pleased with the range of maps available. The unit I bought came with the 48 states only; however, you can find maps for all of North America, Western Europe, and Eastern Europe on the navigon.co.uk site for £55.00 and up. Brave Types can find them elsewhere, however, I can't speak for the legality, accuracy, or advisability of doing so. - Navignon 2100
Pro: Pretty decent for the price. The best feature is the arrows for which lane to be in nothing else even comes close.
Con: It has locked up on me once and I had to use the soft reset on the device.
I've used TomTom and Garmin GPS before this does as well navigating but is slower. The maps are as good as my updated TomTom 300 but lack points of interest. Icons for POI show up as Mobil or Burger King on the TomTom I see a gas pump or fork and spoon. The symbols are nice to tell what type of restaruant you are approaching.
Overall its a good deal at $99.00
