Navigon 2100 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator Reviews

• Value packed but a bit disappointing...

  
  By A2E17VAJ2E7KHF on 2007-11-24
  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...
  
  

• So far so good!

  
  By A16RAD80WA6LTA on 2007-11-16
  I received my Navigon 2100 two days ago from Staples for $179.00. So far it is working well. It said it would take up to 15 minutes to get the initial GPS lock. It took less than a minute (but I'm sure that can vary by location). The text-to-speech road name announcement works like a charm as well, and I don't see how you could possibly miss a turn because it gives you warning upfront and then tells you again when it is time to turn. It allows you to choose your 3 primary POI categories and displays icons as you drive by anything in those 3 categories (restaurants, gas stations, city/state parks, etc.). I have not used it enough yet to review the accuracy of the maps, but the short trips I have taken so far have been accurate.
  
  The device looks very slick with a nice display and shell. The only issue I have with the display is that sometimes the "keyboard" area is little difficult to use because of small letters. I imagine that could be a real issue if a person had large hands.
  
  3D/Reality View -- I was really excited about this feature. I guess I expected it to look like a video game, but it is really a static image of the interchange. It is still a very nice feature, but not as cool as I initially thought it would be. It is very nice that it tells you to get into the left or right lanes on the interstate as you drive. Unfortunately it doesn't always seem to know if a lane is an exit lane or a thru lane. (For example, it tells you to get into the right lane... but the far right lane will take you off of the interstate.) You can't really expect a GPS to replace thinking and paying close attention to the road, I suppose.
  
  The only other issue I had was the mounting arm. It is designed as a windshield mount which is fine as long as you have a decent sized windshield. My windshield is very sloped and not huge so it would block my vision if I mounted it there. I'm thinking I will just mount it on my side window, right? Wrong... the arm moves, but does not rotate. I can stick it to the door window, but then the screen is sideways. All it needs is the ability to rotate the arm, and I'd be set.
  
  This is my first auto GPS (I have the Garmin Forerunner 305 for biking and running) so I can't compare it to other systems. I like that I can pick the POI categories to be displayed. I like that if I want to take another road, the GPS will tell me the next step even if I don't take the exact path it wants me to take initially. I like the way this thing looks. I like that it speaks the road names and helps out on the interstate about lane choice. I like that I can pay $99 and get real time traffic updates for life rather than pay a monthly service fee. The price tag was definitely a factor as well. Two thumbs for my initial review.
  
  

• overall review for Navigon 2100 GPS

  
  By AIAXNGU69FH75 on 2007-11-18
  I just presently bought this item through Staples, as well, when it was $179. I actually bought 2 of them. This is such an ingenious product. I like the usability of the lane information, although, like C. Ralls said, it definately does not replace the thoughts of the driver into thinking in terms of driving laws. As C. Ralls put it "You can't really expect a GPS to replace thinking and paying close attention to the road, I suppose." (Thanks C. Ralls).
  
  Again, as C. Ralls stated, the "keyboard" buttons are very small, and being a 23 year old male, my hands are pretty fat. I physically am using a computer-stylus, in place of my hands, for this reason. Unlike what she said, when the product needs exact numbers, the number-buttons, are pretty large(there are obviously a lot less numbers, than there are for letters.)
  
  This is definately my first GPS system, and probably my only GPS system. The only qualm I have with it is the installation information-and any information booklets that come with it. Not only does it not have any tips or an instruction manual on how to set it up, but it does not have any info. on how to put it together.
  
  I am also displeased with this item, because, being mostly a car-only item, it should have come with a booklet, that tells of certain specificaitons, such as temperature specifications, and the like. But for the price I paid, this was definately a great thing to buy. The price was just right, being on sale this past week at Staples, and Staples over the phone. Unfortunately, Staples.com did not offer this price markdown, and I have not gotten the chance to call them on this problem...but I soon will.
  
  If any of you are still interested, in this item, you may want to not worry too much about my small problems and buy it, and see for yourself.
  
  ANd, as far as lane-change info goes, well, I don't live near any interstates, but I wouldn't use it much for that, at all.
  It's 3d view, sounds and looks great. The text-to-speech recognition directions, is just great, although the woman's voice, does make the sounds seem to slur into one another...and trying to read a "G" as in US Route "9G", seems to make this letter sound like a "C" instead.
  
  Sorry for the wordiness of this review. I'm terrible, when it comes to writing, and want to know just about every aspect of the product, before I buy it.
  
  

• good unit overall, great for the price

  
  By A16FJHCP6JXMBC on 2007-11-18
  I have used the garmin 360, love it. But I couldn't stomach a $350 price tag, especially when you pay for an mp3 player and picture viewer...no thank you. But i really wanted a text to speech unit. Here enters the navigon. It has what I want and I don't have to pay for all the frivolity. The routing options are a little odd; fastest, shortest, optimal, and scenic. Why make fastest AND optimal? I found the learning curve on this unit was slower than the garmin. But this unit is a keeper, it found a friends house that I couldn't find. The text to speech is a must and I love it. The size is great, feature set is great. When entering a destination is takes a little getting used to, my wife just tells me to pre-program the route before she takes it with her. But i'm sure if she took the time she could learn it as well.
  
  If you are looking for a basic unit that will take you to where you need to go, and tell you how to do it then get this unit. Great price, solid build, great looking, my only gripe is I wish there were more POI's. But for the price I wouldn't trade it for anything in its range.
  
  

• DOA out of the box

  
  By A3I6HYTU037QBA on 2007-11-22
  I purchased this unit from Staples, for $179. I got it price matched a week later for $149.00. Now it will be $99.99 on BF but Staples will not price match!
  
  I brought this home, opened the box, and continuously got error messages, which did not explain what the error was. Checking their web site, (what a waste of time) they have no FAQ's to speak of, and no technical support. You can send them an email, but as they are in Germany, you can wait a day or two as I did.
  
  I brought the unit back to Staples, an exchanged it for one I tried in the store. It worked. I've been using it for two weeks now.
  
  When Tech Support did contact me, via email, the email asked for the model number (you have to enter the model number in your email request, which I had) and nothing more. I responded, including the same information about the problem I was experiencing, and waited another day. Now, I'd returned the defective unit, so I was now engaging solely in research.
  
  My next contact was a question about where I purchased the unit. (This information was already provided in my first request, and provided again in my second email.) I was curious as to why the place of purchase was important, and my third emailed response solved the problem.
  
  "Sir, due to a vendor issue, a small number of NAVIGON 2100 products were
  shipped with faulty SD cards and were distributed to Staples before we could catch them. A new SD card will be shipped to you immediately. Please keep the original card as small token of our sincere apology to you for the inconvenience."
  
  I wrote back stating my concern about Quality Control, and I was again offered the new SD card.
  
  My response was basically thanks but no thanks.
  
  As I'd returned the defective one and using the functional one, I made the most of my time deciding whether or not I was going to keep the unit.
  
  The pluses: Light weight, text to speech is loud enough that I could hear it even though I'm hard of hearing. Color screen is sharp even though it is small.
  
  THE minuses: Locks up, POI's not great, and no way to make changes or update the information. Clunky mounting system. (I've decided not to mount mine) Unlike similarly priced units, you can't hook this up to your computer and get updated information. The box only contains the unit, mount and DC charger. Everythng else, like AC, case, USB cable (for charging on your notebook while on the road) a protective case, and the improved Lifetime Traffic Data Service all cost extra. After you total all of these items, you could get a higher end unit for less money.
  
  I've purchased a Tom Tom LE from BestBuy on their BF sale on line and are going to give it a try.
  
  All in all, I can't recommend this unit for by their own admission, their quality control isn't very controlling.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Full featured, awaiting s/w bug fixes, req. polishing
  By A356JAJSFPFB5P on 2007-12-31
  [Update: 02/20/2008] - I've installed the firmwire update, things look better, in terms of routing, spoken voice and POI search. Not all issues resolved, but nevertheless better.
  Extensively used it over the last 2 months and I find it to be reliable. Nevertheless, do take a peek as to what's coming up than blindly following the routes dictated.
  
  
  
  I own a 2100T (not BF sale@Staples). First off, 2100 vs. 2100T is *T* includes the traffic subscription.
  Here are my thoughts -- first off, the unit is small, good-looking with a very effective car mount. Upon startup, it acquires GPS signal quickly. It can be protected with PIN # against theft. The touch-screen can be calibrated. Reverting to factory-settings are possible.
  
  Coming to more important stuff, one can search for an address using street name first, or city/ZIP code combination. The map included covers the 48 contig. states only. Also, it's feasible to store 500 addresses in Favorites for quick retrieval. 1 good feature is defining a route having multiple points and being able to save the whole route combination itself. Without GPS signal, it's possible to review the route in a map, giving TTS and turn-by-turn using *simulation*.
  
  After putting in the address, and assuming GPS signal is active, a turn-by-turn listing can be displayed, where even specific roads can be blocked. Post blocking, the system can be made to re-route and then use that route for navigation. In terms of routing, there's considerable options available. Fastest route, optimal route, shortest route, scenic route, avoid/allow/forbid tolls, avoid/allow/forbid highways, avoid/allow/forbid ferries, avoid/allow/forbid U-turns, mode for bicycle, car, truck or walking. While driving, taping the map it displays a *block* option, which is like .5,1,1.5,3,5 mile sketches, if activated, system auto blocks that sketch in front and tries to re-route alternative route (traffic congesion, etc.) - a very handy feature. Option to switch from 2d/3d at tap of the map. However, what the unit does NOT do (some GPS units do it) is detect your speed and if less than normal auto suggest detour options. The system display on the map the next turn and the turn-after (if almost immediate). In fact, also if it's situation like *bear immediately left, after right turn*, etc. shows both of them, thus it's possible to detect earlier what's coming up. Good feature. In case you missed what was said, tapping the turn icon again causes TTS to kick in and repeat.
  
  In case traffic is activated, which is for life and the charging cable MUST be plugged in, system shows a small icon on map, if clicked shows all active traffic information. Again, can be configured to show ONLY traffic relevant to route. Furthermore, immediate traffic details are displayed on the map itself (radius approx. 2 miles). System can automatically route you thru alternative routes or can be made manual. A VERY +VE point being the subscription is lifetime, once bought - it's forever ACTIVE!! Very powerful feature.
  
  Re-routing, in case of missed turns are quick but read issues below.
  
  TTS functionality has a single voice only (lady) and is of good pronounciation. Nevertheless, there's some peculiarities, which one can get used to. Generally, states to bear left, or keep to the left/right much earlier, gives clear road-names, very accurate in saying *NOW, turn right/left* etc. If there's multiple turns (city) avoids saying each & every road name to avoid confusion. The speaker, however is on the low side. Might have slight difficulty in hearing at high speeds. However, the system uniquely provides an important feature called auto volume increase with speed increase. Very effective. In case you're going over speed-limit and you've configured to warn you if over 10 mph, TTS does do a *caution* statement. The volume is configurable, directly from the map and can be muted too.
  
  The map itself is highly customizable. It's possible to display speed limits, set warning if exceeing limit at city/highway levels and that too at 5 mph, 10 mph, 15 mph above limit settings. Can show/hide altitude, speed, distance to destination, duration of travel, ETA, compass, street-names. The display itself is bright (brightness can be configured, both at day/night levels separately) and has separate day/night views. Note - the unit does NOT switch to night view automatically. The associate time settings are done automatically. The 2D zoom provides another important feature - auto-zoom. At higher speeds, etc. ; system auto-zoom to cover more area, etc. The amount of zooming itself is configurable. There's a button providing further options like browing the map itself (pulling/pushing it up/down, left/right), tapping a point on the map which showing details about that point and if there's any recorded POI at that point, etc. Very good and nice. Manual zooming of the maps is possible. However, locking the map-view preventing changes if accidentally tapped, etc. is not possible. The orientation of the map can be direction of travel (default) or always North.
  
  The Reality-View is very effective. It *kicks* in at critical junctures of travel, where there are complex turns involved showing clearly which lane to stick to, etc. However, keep in mind it's static and automatically appears. Once turn is over, switches to map view. Again the view can be turned completely off.
  
  
  Coming to POIs, it offers a set of POIs which can be searched and navigated to, from the main screen. There are multiple categories of POIs and each almost always have sub-categories. The search can be based on *Nearby* (if GPS signal is active), *City* or *Nationwide*. Once either of these options are selected, a search can be done based on category or sub-categories. If *Nearby*, it displays a set of choices which can be expanded to include more radius. Similarly at city (by city name or ZIP code) or nation-wide hunt of main corp. brands. Further, there's a quick selection of critical categories at immediate availability for searching is possible - max 3. For example, parking, restaurants, WCs. The search is displayed as a list with up/down buttons and the keypad vertically oriented in the split screen. The keybad is ABCD format which can not be changed to QWERTY. Auto completion is possible and active. The up/down arrows displaying the list are very sluggish and hang quite a lot. The actual icon for the brand-name is displayed alongwith the POI name. Re-tying POIs, changing categories/sub-categories, etc. are cumbersome and inefficient. The database is also very, very limited and does not include almost all major brands but are more inclined to include mom/pop shops. The POIs can be made to display in the map itself and the types of POIs to be shown on the map are configurable, the good part being they appear as icons on the map. My observation is it makes the map very cluttered. Tapping the map provides an option to display immediate POIs in vicinity or route and then adding such a POI as an intermittent route point. Effective but the type of POIs available by default (being low) makes this ineffective. A critical -ve point being users are NOT allowed to add their custom POIs, or share other users' compilation, etc. You can only save the address as a favorite, for your personal use. Separately ($40) a Zagat survey lifetime subscription can be bought - which provides for Zagat surveyed POIs - an option to review the ZAGAT ratings given for the POI in the system itself. I don't have it, thus can not comment.
  
  Pushing the top button causes immediately the product to go into standby mode, thus switching it on is very quick and good (activates the PIN # option, for theft deterance). It does NOT auto detect vehicle switch-off and thus has to be manually switched off.
  
  
  The cons lies mostly with the POI database, sluggish search/display/modification options available. The next -ve point lies in the routing display. Many a times, it'll display a rather zig-zag route with weird roads, etc. and need to be carefully reviewed (turn-by-turn listing) prior to embarking on the travel. On a personal note, users should ALWAYS use the "short route" option by route-points are within city limits or short distances and "optimal route" if interstate travels. If route is missed, although re-routing is quick - again can be weird and can really take you on a trip down the highway! This is true also for automatic traffic re-calculations. There's supposed to be a firmwire update in January 2008 addressing this problem. On a lighter note, there's numerous others who have NOT reported any routing issues; thus I think it's case-by-case basis and mostly to do with the NavTeq maps being used. A proof in the pudding lies in the fact that many-a-times the system will ask you to take an exit, go couple of miles and then re-join the highway again! This normally happens if system detects a portion of the highway to be *missing* in it's database - normally caused due to extreme compression of the maps itself (to fit into the SD card). This is not pronouced much for 2100, since it has ONLY 48 states of US. But for higher models, i.e. 5100, 7100 - which has the whole of NA - it's more pronounced behaviour. Also reported, in quite a few cases, the traffic, even if activated - does not work. You'll need to talk to support for resolving this. There are NO media-players, headphone jack, AC adapter, PC update options for software/firmwire, CD/DVD containing help manual, etc.
  
  Navigon support - for me has been quick and good, while others have reported problems. Again a case-by-case. They have quickly responded email queries too (24 hrs. turn-around time).
  
  
• Not a bad Unit for the price
  By A2QGRAPZ2O114C on 2007-11-18
  I just picked one up from Office Max for $150. I heard Staples will have this for $99 on BF. So I will probably have it price matched.
  
  I have several GPS including PDAs (IGuidance on a Dell Axim x51v) and two garmins ( Street Pilot 2610, i3),a TomTom Go, as well as built GPS in one of my cars (a 2007 Range Rover).
  
  I bought this for my wife who's car does not have a GPS. I justified the price over buying updated maps for the Garmins. I was waiting out for a Nextar C3 because I like iGuidance and she is familiar with the interface.
  I prefer the WINCE based Navteq systems.
  
  Tom Tom One are selling for the same price but like I said, I prefer Navteq maps.
  
  For $150, this is a great portable device. The text-to-speech is pretty good. It even has new POIS (including a business I just opened up).
  
  At first it is a bit sluggish but once it gets going, it works.
  I haven't tried the reality view but here are the things I like:
  
  >I like the zip-code finder.
  >Text to speech
  >Navteq mapping
  >Uses standard USB cables
  >Logger for mileage
  >SirF 3 chipset
  >POIs are pretty up to date. There is an ice cream place that opened up in June of 07 and it is already in the database. However, there are some closed businesses still listed. Icons for places like Burger King
  
  The things that need work on is:
  
  >Cancelling out of a modal dialogue box. You should be able to click outside of the menu to get back. Instead, I didn't realize you click on the heading title to cancel out.
  > Screen is a bit small for finger entry.
  
  We use the GPS for simple mapping and don't need POIs, bluetooth or traffic data.
  
  The graphics are nice and modern. Compared to my garmins and even the GPS in my Range Rover, it is pretty slick looking.
  
  
• Don't BUY
  By A2645I3Z4L80CR on 2007-11-14
  Just recently purchased this product from Staples used it 1 day and could'nt wait to go back to the store and return it. don't waste time with this product
  
  
• All you ask for! At a Grreat Price!!
  By A2MI5LF8NLPOS5 on 2007-12-04
  I got this from Staples recently and love it. Bought it for $100 on Thanksgiving sale and the price is unbeatable.
  
  Ease of Use: Absolutely amazing. I plugged it in and it was ready to go as soon as it was out of box. The menus are simple, have autocomplete option and are quick.
  
  GPS Function: I have used it extensively for a week and I am very pleased with its ability to show correct directions. The best feature is that it highlights which lanes to stay in when on the highway. None others do that.
  
  Voice Prompts: Are clear and loud enough. The street names are clearly spoken. I normally dont even have to look at the GPS anymore (within a week). The voice prompts are good enough.
  
  Screen: Touchscreen functions works great with occassional misses. It autocompletes the street and city names. The screen is bright. One recommendation, wear dark clothes since light clothing tends to give reflection on the screen, but its not that bad.
  
  Satellite Connection: As long as I was on the road, the connection was never lost. Inside the apartment / buildings it may be difficult.
  
  Additional Info: tells you the coordinates, altitude, time, time to destination, overspeeding warning, traffic advisory (which came free with it... awesome)
  
  POI: I think they can do better on that front. I could not find a few shopping centers, car dealerships, mechanic shops (very important when you run into troubles). This should certainly be updated.
  
  Windsheet mount: Is fine. I have no complaints of any sort like the other reviewer.
  
  I wish they had included a carry case. Its a bit difficult to find one since it is a little wide. I finally found a nice Wenger Camera case at Best Buy which fits well.
  
  p.s. there is no blue tooth on this unit.
  
  
• GOOD DEAL FOR THE PRICE
  By A2AMTEHOAW8GU on 2007-11-18
  I GOT THIS PRODUCT FROM OFFICE DEPOT FOR $149 PLUS FREE ITEMS...
  The GPS works perfectly even the text to speech feature plus the 3D map. The only thing I dont like with this is youhave to wait for almost 10mins to locate the GPS signal. ALso the suction cup does not stick that well on the windshield. BUT aveall, I will rate this 4STAR.
  
  SO FAR SO GOOD
  
  
• Good, Basic Unit
  By A1IJT5YXUFPYAH on 2007-11-24
  I bought this unit on Black Friday at Staples. The selling point for me (as opposed to mio on sale for the same price at other stores) was the lifetime traffic info included. Living in a major market, this is a valuable feature.
  
  The unit is esthetically pleasing, and a really nice size. It fits in a small purse or coat pocket for easy portability. It's not the most intuitive setup right out of the box, but you can get it up and working for the basics immediately. There is no manual included with it, but you can download it from Navigon's website ([...]).
  
  I didn't find any problem working the onscreen keyboard, but you might want to use a PDA stylus just to make it easier. There may be some lag in responsiveness, but there's a touchscreen calibration tool in the setup menu (just like for PDA's), which should help eliminate that problem. You can add favorite places to your "address book" and you can add your home address so that you can use the "take me home" feature with one touch. Recently traveled to places are in the drop down list, and you can either add them to your favorites or just keep them there indefinitely. You can delete those entries that you won't be using again.
  
  I did find the intuitive auto-fill when choosing addresses a little disconcerting, but I got used to it. After you put in your destination, you can view turn-by-turn directions before you start out and you can block any route you don't want to use. For instance, if you see a toll road you don't want to take, or know about construction on a route, you click on that item on the screen and choose "block" from the options. Your route will be recalculated. You can choose trip profiles: optimum, fast, no highways and scenic.
  
  The voice instructions were easily heard at the loudest setting, and I don't like the fact that there seems to be no way to make the loudest settiing the default. You might be amused by some of the place name mispronuciations in the text to speech, but you will understand where it's telling you to go. Some people complained about the grayness and lack of color on the screen. I do not find this to be a bad thing...how much time are you going to spend looking at the screen when you should be looking at the road. As long as it shows you where to go, who cares how much color it has?
  
  I found the traffic feature to be neat, but a little "iffy". I am in NYC, and the traffic reports depend on the ability for the unit to find a broadcast (theoretically easy in the city), but while it worked quite well and accurately on my outbound trip, I found it to not be able to find the signal on my return trip. The charging cord acts as an antenna but if you choose, you can buy an external antenna. You can set the mode to tell you all traffic events, only those on your route, those not on your route, only traffic jams not on your route. (traffic events include construction information or general slowness). The device can even recalculate your route to take you around traffic problems on your route. You can have it do it automatically or by request.
  
  I found that it had plenty of POI's and, since I knew my route, found them to be dead on accurate, down to the brand of gas station and restaurant names (even the names of local, non-national restaurants).
  
  The unit's power switch has two modes--a light touch will put it in power saver and will wake it up when touched again. To turn the unit completely off, you have to press and hold the power switch for 6 seconds or more.
  
  A few people complained about the lack of a charger, other than the auto adapter. I found that I can charge the unit through the USB port on my computer or my cell phone charger (I have a Motorola phone with a mini USB port). It takes about 5 hours to completely charge from dead or almost dead, but if you use it mainly in your own car and have it powered to the adapter it will continually charge. If you use it without the charger, they claim the battery life is 4.5 hours. I haven't had it long enough to test that claim, but the long battery life is another of the reasons I chose this one.
  
  I am not happy with the fact that it only has a map of the 48 contiguous US states and not Canada, Alaska, Hawaii or Puerto Rico, but since I do not do much traveling there, it doesn't make a real difference to me. It might to someone else. It doesn't even appear that the other maps are available for sale at this point in time. Since this is a new brand, that may change in the future.
  
  All in all, once you get used to this unit, you will like it just fine. At some point in the future, I might want more bells and whistles, but for now this is a great entry level model. I will say, however, that I would not have bought it at it's original price, as there are others out there in that price range that do more (although none of them have the RT traffic without a subscription).
  
  
• Better than Most
  By A1E3OB6QMBKRYZ on 2007-12-02
  Got one at Staples for $149 which was $100 off normal retail (which is always high) but still about a realistic $50 off what everybody else was charging. Bought a 3 year extended warranty via Square Trade for another $23 (including "klutz" insurance for accidents).
  
  I had read reviews where people complained about slow satellite tracking times. I had a Garmin handheld that couldn't find a signal if I lived on a satellite so this definitely couldn't be any worse. Guess what? Whipped it out of the box, turned it on (w/o charging it) and it had a lock within 5 seconds, inside my house! Thought that might be a fluke so I went in the car after turning the unit off and turned it back on. Got the signal even quicker, there!
  
  So far, so good, much better than the Garmin handheld although I can't say it's better than the Garmin car unit w/o some testing. What impressed me the most in the store was the fact that this had the brightest screen and was one of the few units that wasn't locked in some ridiculous demo mode showing me going from Iowa to L.A.
  
  On the down side, it doesn't come with a wall charger but my cell phone adapter charged it up within 2 hours.
  
  Of note, watch for a couple minor things:
  
  1. Off is not what you think. Pressing the power button merely puts it in sleep mode. You're still draining battery power. A complete shut down takes a push of 5 or 6 seconds (something the instructions fail to mention).
  
  2. The keypad can be slow, so be patient. When I was entering a 5 digit numerical address it slowed down after the third number and then caught up. I believe most of this is due to the auto complete feature it has (it's trying to guess what you're entering).
  
  3. Traffic updates cost $99 for a lifetime subscription which sounds good if you plan to keep the unit forever; however, let's be realistic. The internal battery in this puppy will be dead within 5 years and so will the technology. Cheaper versions sell on Ebay.
  
  4. Thieves love these units so be safe and don't leave it in the car, especially with the windshield mount attached (even if you remove the unit, make sure you put the mount away from public view). By the way, Navigon is nice enough to give you a window sticker so thieves will know what you have. Goes along with the Apple stickers that let thieves know your IPod is somewhere around there. Leave it off!
  
  
• Terrible Customer service
  By AE1AZIRP90M43 on 2008-01-02
  I have had my product since black Friday and my realtime traffic still does not work. I have called Customer support 4 times each time a talked to a nice person who said a supervisor would call me back with in 48 business hours. It's 1 month later and I have had no calls back. I live in Los Angeles where the traffic signal should be strong but my unit is yet to pick up a signal. I do not recommend this unit to anyone and I highly do not recommend purchaseing the real time traffic unless you want to deal with lousy customer support.
  
  
• Great unit for the price (black friday price) navigon 2100
  By A254MDH9GJ1HQD on 2007-11-24
  First of all, this unit looks and feels a lot smaller then other similar 3.5" units. It fits into a front shirt pocket easily. It's sirf star 3 so it acquires quickly. Maps look great, seems to have a decent amount of poi's for a low end model. Calculated a few routes from Los Angeles to Colorado, Monterey, Phoenix, and seemed to calculate fast enough and the routes looked pretty good, no roundabouts so far. Lots of features for this bargain priced unit, especially if you got free lifetime traffic upgrade on black friday. This is a great little unit for the money. Compare the features, 64mb ram/64mb rom capacity memory and 400mhz samsung processor to others out there and you'll agree it's a bargain. The maps are by navteq, zenrin makes the software for nissan/infiniti cars, not exactly sure what association they have with navigon, but it's all namebrand stuff. The only drawback is people with big fingers might find it hard to type in the correct letters as the touch screen letter blocks are quite small. It has the 48 states and canada for maps, not sure when they will have maps for purchase or download, didn't see any on their website yet. Wish they had all 50 states.
  
  
• My review of the Navigon 2100
  By A1IU4VFC8CPT6V on 2007-12-05
  I bought this unit for $149 on sale and it came with lifetime traffic support. My previous GPS was a Mio C310X bought last Black Friday. I like the Navigon 2100 for its improved features over my Mio, but as far as PIOs, the Navigon is the worst of the worst! I can't find ANYTHING useful in the POI listings. Not only does it have a very limited listing of POIs but its ability to get you that info via the search function is horrible. Its really a shame because I like the unit - the screen is nice (needs more colors) but the fact that I can't search for anything really hurts. My family relied on the MIO to tell us where things were in an unfamiliar area - and now that has been taken away from us by the fine people at Navigon. I'm afraid I cannot keep this unit in its current state and it will be going back.
  
  
• A great GPS unit, especially at the Price
  By A22O7GXPXD1N2X on 2008-01-30
  I read a ton of reviews of both the Navigon 2100 and several other comparable models. I also went to a B&M store so that I could play with many different offerings before making my decision. The fact that this item has a Lifetime Traffic Update capability (usually $99 but I got it for free with the purchase of the GPS) and Text To Speech tipped the scale towards the Navigon. What cinched the deal was the price. I purchased mine on-line for $149 including the Lifetime Traffic. When you consider that the Lifetime Traffic is usually $99 alone this was a very good deal.
  
  Navigon is a European company that only recently made forays into the US market. Many of the complaints that I read on-line related to their lack of support in the US. This is changing rapidly. They will roll out "Navigon Fresh" on-line in the US in March 2008 which will enable you to update your firm ware, purchase maps, and meet other updating needs. I have had no issue at all with the unit but many people on-line have noted of late that when you dial the 800 number you are connected to a real live English speaking person fairly quickly. I am convinced that in the coming months their customer service will continue to expand and improve.
  
  One of the other complaints of the unit involved the lag from the time you type a character to the time that it appears on screen. This is due to the prediction software that the unit uses. To me it is no big deal as you can go ahead and type in the first few letters, wait a couple of seconds for it to catch up and in most cases it shows the complete street or city name on the left to choose from the list. This is probably faster than typing the complete street or city name anyway so this is really no big deal.
  
  Others complained that the icons or letters are too small to accurately type without a stylus. This is the case with almost all GPS units, especially if you have large fingers. Many GPS units include a stylus; this one does not. To me, this is not a deal breaker as you can buy a stylus almost anywhere for just a couple of bucks. I got one a Wal-Mart that doubles as a pen and paid less than $5 for it. While you are there pick up a screen protector as the unit uses its touch screen for all input.
  
  The map and directions are fine and accurate. When I ignore their directions because I know a short cut, it quickly recalculates the route and doesn't annoy you with repeated requests to make a u-turn. While the unit may not give you the route a native of the city would choose, it will get you there fairly efficiently and with confidence that you will not end up lost (this is after all the whole point!).
  
  The spoken voice is clear and loud enough to be heard easily. As with any Text to Speech GPS they often mispronounce a street name but it is usually still clear what they meant. The screen is plenty bright enough, even in bright sunlight, and easy to read. One thing that I like is that as this a European device, they don't bombard the screen with colors. Except for the street that you are on or will navigate to, the rest is various shades of gray. This makes it very easy to anticipate turns at a glance. Overall the unit seems sleek and well designed.
  
  The unit does not come with a detailed user manual but you can download the 140 page PDF from their web-site. Hey, printing is expensive and I applaud their effort to save money and trees, especially since they pass that savings on to us. Besides, it gave me a chance to read the manual cover to cover while waiting for the GPS to be shipped which is something I wouldn't have done if it arrived at the same time as the unit (I'm a man after all!).
  
  If you are comfortable with computers and electronics you will find the menu navigation a snap. I think that even older people or those who may not be as tech savvy would still be able to use the unit after a little practice. The menus are fairly intuitive and the use of animation makes them seem Flashed based and attractive.
  
  Please note that the Traffic Updates only works in certain cities, make sure to check their web-site to see if your area is included. If it isn't, and you are offered the package deal you could always sell the traffic upgrade on e-bay as it comes in a blister sealed pack.
  
  When you compare the features of this unit to others you quickly realize that you would have to pay much, much more to get its equal. Great unit, Great price!
  
  
  
  
• Great GPS worth the money
  By A2LO0CME2G1RIJ on 2007-11-24
  Very good GPS for the money nothing comes close to this for the price. My wife has a magellan 6000t and this is actually very close to it in a lot of features. You will pay double to get half the features for any other brand. The real time traffic is a great feature and was included for the life of the unit ($60 a year with other units). This even includes text to speech with street names.
  
  The map is only the lower 48 vs North America so if you need Canada or Hawaii and AK this unit should be avoided or look for a more expensive Navigon. You should also be aware this GPS is on the small side so it may be hard to read or use if you have arthritis or have a hard time using small gadgets would be better off avoiding this unit and look for something like a magellan 6000t.
  
  Bottom line is this is the best GPS for the money right now.
  
  
• Impressive design, attractive price, rich features (comparison with Navigon 7100 below)
  By A1UYA4M18HYQE8 on 2007-12-18
  I had bought Navigon 7100 first and picked up the Navigon 2100 when it came with the life time free traffic information as a promotion. For a couple of weeks, I debated on which one to keep. In the end I ended up keeping 2100 and returned the 7100 model. Here are my thoughts/comparisons on both models. Depending on the weightage you assign for each of those criteria, your decision may differ (both are great models).
  
  I primarily decided to keep the Navigon 2100 considering three factors
  1) size
  2) price
  3) life time traffic for free as a promotion with Navigon 2100.
  
  2100 is smaller and hence easy to carry with you when you get out of the car (something that I would do if I leave the vehicle in a public area -- say shopping mall). I did not feel that it has less real estate for navigation purposes when compared to 7100 that has a 4.3" screen (It does look nicer to have a bigger screen, but functionality is not lost or crippled with the smaller size).
  
  Other comparisons:
  => 2100 doesn't have Bluetooth (I didn't like that functionality in 7100 anyways)
  => 2100 seems to be a lot slower in picking up the satellite on startup. It doesn't pick up the satellite when inside my house, whereas 7100 sitting next to it does pick it.
  => 2100 only has US map for 48 states (no Canada). 7100 has all of North America (US 48 states + Canada + Hawaii)
  => 2100 has fewer points of interest (may be helpful to have more once in a while) when compared to 7100
  => Keyboard response of 2100 is really slow to the point that it gets annoying. This goes on the big negatives column and is a problem with 7100 too, but to a lesser extent.
  => I really liked the stand for 7100. The stand for 2100 has a smaller reach, so the device will be farther from you when attached to the windshield.
  
  I like the feature where it (both models) shows the road view on complex intersections.
  In the end, the price is too high to keep 7100, especially since I got the life time free traffic information on the 2100 model for a cheaper price.
  
  Summary:
  I preferred a 3.5 inch flat model as opposed to 4.3 inch models for portability. Free lifetime traffic support was a key for me to pick Navigon brand. Design style was a bonus compared to Garmin (that I have used in the past). Directions computed by the device seems to be fine so far. Overall, a good stylish product with some cool features.
  
  
  
  
  
• Lack of Customer Support
  By A3176AGP16KRK9 on 2007-12-29
  If you are looking for a product that is backed by (at least sort of) customer support, the Navigon is not for you.
  The navigator that I own is not functional due to software related fatal errors. Neither reboot nor device reset helps. So does their customer support. I did not get any reply on my on-line request. When I called to customer rep over the phone, I was promised to be called back by engineers. Guess what?... I did not get any call from them.
  So if you are experiencing any problem with the product and still can return it to the vendor, please do so. Dealing with the "customer support" may drag you past the merchandise return deadline, as happened in my case.
  
  Also, if you are looking for a GPS navigator with up-to-date maps, the Navigon 2100 is not for you either. It shows businesses that were closed couple years ago and does not see some legitimate left turn point in my neigborhood promting driver to make U-turns a mile or so ahead.
  ********
  (January 11th update)
  Now it's almost a month since I reported a problem. The customer support representative told me that the engineering department is still working on the troubleshooting. That means that they either have not support engineers or they overwhelmed with the defective product service requests.
  
  When I was asking about service time estimation, product exchange or money return options, I got nothing in reply but insults.
  
  
  
• worst kind of GPS
  By AT8J45W00D6X3 on 2007-11-18
  i bought this as i lost my magellan GPS , and this was the worst one , the processor is slow and gets stuck . the POI is so tough , spend close to 30 minutes to find out where sears is , still cannot figure out and i thought that i know a good deal about technolgy .
  
  
• STAY AWAY !!!
  By AB3ZYBIXNUDF6 on 2008-01-10
  Got a Navigon 2100 for christmas, it worked for about a week. Now it is locked on the select language window and won't start. Navigon says they know about the problem but don't know what to do. They said they would call me when they figure it out. They guy I talked to said they had no idea when they might come up with a solution if there even is one, said I might have to exchange it, he would have to get back to me on that. Then he told me to "have a great day!?" From what I've read in other reviews I'm not likely to hear from them. The unit also displayed a fatal error window the first time
  I turned it on, they said they knew about that too but didn't think the two problems were related. Looks to me like Navigon just wanted to start selling GPS units regardless if they worked or not. DO NOT BUY A
  Navigon product!!! This is a horrible company that sells non-working junk
  and won't give you the option to return it! I'm going to try to return
  mine to Staples and buy a good road atlas.
  
  JUNK
  JUNK
  JUNK
  
  
  
• 100% GPS
  By A13HFIP5O9V06L on 2008-01-18
  First of all this is my first GPS, so I'm not comparing it to any other. I'm just rating it based on it fulfilling my needs and the reasons I bought a GPS. I am one of those people that lack a natural sense of direction. For instance even if I have traveled to a place before I may not be able to find it again on my own...especially if time has passed since I have been there( example a resturant, night club, mall or your house).
  
  
  Some people speak of their GPS unit as if they are kids with toys..."it has a MP3 player, plays pac man games, and plays MP4's"....does it come with a finger nail clipper too!?! All that is great but I have already invested in portable equipment that does all of those...so I'm in no rush to make my other investments obsolete. This GPS does none of the things mentioned. It simply navigates. Very effectively i might add.
  
  
  Most people who gave this GPS a 1 rating recieved a deffective unit. That is a hazard of buying any electronics. So I would take them with a grain of salt. And if you chose to buy this unit cross your finger and just hope you aren't another statistic of mass production.
  
  
  As far as navigation I can't imagine right now how you can get much better. This speaks street names as it tells you to turn. The turn now notications are damn accurate; you can almost be a blind person and get in a car with this. The reality view is a picture of the highway/freeway signs with "Large Orange" arrows in the lanes you should be traveling. It comes in handy and helps you from jumping on the incorrect highway/freeway when they intersect.
  
  
  
  Points of interest show most of the majors...I even seen some hole in the wall Chinese resturants listed. The unit also allows you to add up to 300 customer points of interest. So if you are like me and often take the incorrect exits or turn down incorrect streets to places you have even been before; You could just program your unit to take you there smoothly with a press of a button. Or even type in a place you want to go but haven't been and reference it later no matter where you are.
  
  
  
  If there is something blocking the street or the freeway(mainly freeway because even I know how to drive around an accident or road block in the street) You can tap route blocked from 5 to 25 miles and it will take you an alternate route for the 5 to 25 miles and then put you back on track. You also can set it to alert you if you are traveling 5 to 25 miles over the speed limit. Which then it will shout warning! with the speed limit of the road you are traveling displayed.
  
  
  
  The unit looks like a little big screen TV. The things light night view aren't automatic, but just tap the screen(even in the middle of it navigating) and the menu pop ups then tap night view... it take 2.2 seconds to do, really. It does not replace common sense....that's what everyone seems to be looking for when they become obsessed with which GPS is better then that GPS...but if you have used other units you may be trained to type in an address or look up a POI a certain way...but if this is your first or you learn fast regardless of how it operates differently..you will not be disappointed; unless you get a lemon of course.. I didn't get a lemon myself.
  
  
  Overall this is a good product...it might not have some of the bells and whistles like the MP3, video games, MP4 and bluetooth... but if you have a bluetooth headset, a car stereo that plays data CD's with mp3, and IPOD jack, a playstation and a big screen tv at home for games and movies....not to mention a Palm Treo phone that plays MP3's, MP4 and games....get my point? If I think about it I have about 17 MP3 players already!!! enough!!! There is a lot of redundancy going on here... until there is a product that does it all well... i just want it to do what it supposed to do... well! Anything else is just a toy.
  
  
  I got into this game saying that I didn't want to spend more then 200 bucks. That what a GPS is worth to me... so you can't put a mp3 player and a video player on it and tell me it's 650..ok but i'm not buying it... if I could've got all of that for 200 bucks then I would have had 18 MP3 players...lol
  
  
  If find the price a deal....trust me this one is good!
  
  
• Streetnames Vs good GPS
  By A16CZX2FIA2SI6 on 2008-01-27
  I did compare this side by side with Megallen and another very high end GPS.
  
  Good things first
  1) Virtual reallity view helps a lot.
  2) Free Traffic info - provides the constructions going on but yet to check the real time traffic information.
  3) Got it for $100 at Staples.
  
  Negatives
  1)Antenna takes time to connect with the satellite. None of the other GPSs I know of have this issue. I had to go around the airport one more time when it was searching for signal since I did not know which road to take.It is painful since sometime this device will be searching for the signal for about a mile of more.
  
  2)Does not announce the "recalculating" distance and you would not know whether it has already recalculated the distance or not. You have to know that from the change is distance.
  
  3)Too many "make a U turn" prompts when there is alternative roads available. Side by side with Megallen low end one (149 or 129 in radio shack) purposely I drove on wrong roads,when Megallen immediately figured out the alternate roads,this kept screaming " make a U turn" . Not acceptable.
  
  4) No "alternate road for the next 3 miles". Important when you are struck in a traffic jam and want to avoid the road for the next few miles and looking for alternative directions. When they claim to provide real time traffic,this should have been there.... Missing.
  5) I dont know what type of route to choose since all the types sometime or the other seem to be putting me through small roads when there is another better approach to the destination.
  6) There are times I have driven just watching the route line not since it did not announce when needed.
  
  7) The announcement could be made a little earlier. Sometime it will ask you to take the exit when you are passing it.
  
  I bought this for the price,Street name announcements and the life time real time traffic info. Seriously thinking whether I made a mistake.
  
  
• Great GPS with just one negative point
  By A2VNW3A9MZIORC on 2007-11-26
  I always do a lot of reasearch online before buying an electronic product. But i got this on BF from staples for 99$ with free traffic update for lifetime( a 60$ value). First the positives this peice is worth every penny
  
  What would you expect in a GPS :
  
  1. Good Signal reception :4.9 stars : Cold start(starting for the first time) is okey. But the best thing is when the signal is lost due to tall buildings or tunnel , it gets the signal back so fast than other GPS i have used.
  2. Accurate Maps : 5 starts this unit is uptodate Navtec maps
  3.Affordable price :5 stars great deal for the money
  4.Text to speech : 5 stars (means can spell out the names of streets other just say turn right this says turn right at wold road) this is a great feature and its not available on tothe GPS at this price range.
  5.Easy of use: 3.5 stars(not a big deal though): entering text can be little difficult for people wiht big fingers as screen size and font may be smaller. interface is little sluggish but when u over come this initial part its faster than many other GPS. this is not a problem if u have a good commonsense.
  
  then this device specific plus points....
  
  1. Reality view : this is the best innovation in this GPS very usefull when u go thru complex lane changes like around newyork city. a killer feature which will be must have soon in other GPS.
  2.Nice graphics: this graphics is more fancy and like flash based so its better and good for the eyes.
  3.sound quality and colors: very loud and good color combinations.
  4. Compact : easy to take it out of your car and move due to the form factor.
  5.Traffic for life: i got a 60 $ traffic for life subscription free and its very usefull.
  
  Now for the negative ..as i have used few GPS systems i think this is the only thing i find is a problem (other than the initial sluggishness which personally i dont think will be a problem.)sometimes the routes shows are not very optimum inside a city .i know much better routes but i think its a problem of most of the GPS systems. they cant think like humans :)
  
  i defenitely would buy it for someone i got it for 99 $ on BF but i think u can easily find them for 170 $ on normal days.
  
  
• Research before buy
  By A2GIL4VK2784QQ on 2007-11-30
  I bought this GPS a week ago for 99 bucks black friday sale. I am going to return it for the following reasons.
  The screen will not mount anywhere except to the Middle of my window on the 2 SUVs I tried to use, due to the powercord hanging out the bottom, therefore blocking that point of view.
  My fingers must be too large because its difficult for me to use menu options to select everything.
  This device lacks Points of Interest which seem to not be upgradable, uploadable.
  Map updates on my device were old, didnt have roads right in my area and were not upgradable until January '08.
  
  --I own a Garmin 320c that I bought last year. I think Garmin is much better than Navigon in all ways except for picture & details of navigation. Thats what pulled me into buying the Navigon. It looked so sleek.
  
  
• Terrific Little Unit
  By A12I0UM2RS19SR on 2007-12-01
  I've owned the 2100 for over a week now and have been directly comparing it to a $349 top-of-the-line Magellan 4250 and a friend's $300 Garmin 250W. My conclusion, I'm keeping the Navigon. The Magellan is going back to the store and outside of POI's the Garmin is very, very feature-lite for the price.
  
  For the price (I did pay $99 on Black Friday w/free lifetime traffic) no unit can touch the Navigon. Text-to-speech, lifetime traffic (that works great by the way), competent routing, outstanding display (both day and night), modern looking graphics (I love the realistic highway Exit signs), strong volume and functional mount all make the 2100 a steal. The only short-comings I can find are two: limited POI's (Points of Interest) and a slow interface. Here's the good news, a product developer for Navigon has posted on a GPS forum and even provided his email address. His name is Blake and on a whim I thought I would email him with a question about adding POI's. He personally responded in a couple of days to my email and indicated that Navigon is aware that POI's and customization is important to its users and that a software upgrade in early 2008 will further enhance the unit. Does this mean more POI's or software to update your own? Who knows. However, I find this encouraging.
  
  Other web-sites provide steps to back up your SD card to a faster card and apparently this helps with the lag issue. I haven't tried it yet, but will. You can also find ways to hack font size on the unit, icon sizes, color schemes, voice volume, routing etc., but I wouldn't do it without a safe backup!
  
  With more POI's, or software to edit/add your own POI's similar to Garmin units, this product would be five stars plus.
  
  If you didn't get the $99 deal, I think this unit is still a steal at anything under $225 if lifetime traffic is part of the deal. I would also check the 5100 and see if you can secure that unit for less than $250.
  
  By the way, the cord out the bottom of the unit that has been commented on several times actually works better for me. I mount my unit in the far driver-side corner of my Acura TSX making it easily readable, yet out of my line of vision. The bottom cord works perfectly for such an application.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• !!! BEWARE OF THIS PRODUCT !!!
  By ATSYDB1D2176S on 2007-12-04
  No matter how cute this looks.
  
  The company carries no spare parts what so ever.
  
  So if your battery dies or your charger damages.
  
  This item goes to the Museum.
  
  
• Beware!
  By A1HHCFNCCXXI3U on 2007-12-11
  This is absolutely useless to me. I have used it going to familiar places just to test it out and if I didn't already know the route I would have ended up completely lost each time. Whenever the road curves it tells me to actually "turn" right or left. I was going on a road with no side streets and it told me to "take a right" 3 times on to the road I was already on. It has given me some really out of the way routes that take 2-3 times as long as the most direct route. I would never trust this GPS to get me anywhere that wasn't familiar to me.
  
  
• Navigon rocks after updating it with the new software version 1.2
  By A2K1XY0A2EKP28 on 2008-05-14
  I had to write this review to alert other Navigon 2100 (5100) users in case they are not aware of this. If you have purchased 2100 or 5100 recently, it has perhaps v1.1 installed. Please register with Navigon and download the latest software which is v1.2. I Purchased the 2100 a few months back and loved the maps and the reality views but was disappointed with the interface and software had some bugs. I was recently alerted by Navigon that a newer version of the software which also included map updates was available (which is awsome as compare to other GPS makers which normally don't offer free map updates). After I upgraded the device with v1.2, I am very pleased with this GPS. The device locks on the GPS signal even when i am sitting inside my house. It also acquires the signal fairly quickly under normal conditions and is great in the city driving with tall building (as in NYC) and will not lose the signal (this was even before the upgrade). I have to say that after upgrading to v1.2, all my complaints are gone. I haven't noticed any issues thus far yet. One caveat is that downloading the 1.5 GB file will take a very long time and will remind you of the days when dial-up was the king. This is perhaps due to limited bandwidth issues with Navigon servers. Use Windows XP to download this large file as IE in Vista kept on crashing in my experience. Those who are looking to buy Garmin and other top brand names GPS, should seriously consider Navigon.
  
  
• My opinion
  By A1PH6YP81HU0M on 2007-11-23
  To me I bought this product on BF and I love it. Payed 99.00 at Staples. I was lucky since I wasn't gonna go waste my money on unfamilar product. Mine came with the Lifetime traffic so I guess in all fair I saved 99.00. I would've went to Best buy or other electronic department store and spend 199. but I saved. I say to anyone complaining about this product. Take time and try other routes. My dislike only is minor which is not bluetooth capability. But who needs it. I love the fact it is small enough to carry it in my pocket. Since I work in hotel and guests ask questions, I save time by using this product. It helped alot this morning in rush.
  
  

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