Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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243 of 247 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Value packed but a bit disappointing..., November 24, 2007
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...
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149 of 159 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
So far so good!, November 15, 2007
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.
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25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Full featured, awaiting s/w bug fixes, req. polishing, December 31, 2007
[Update: 02/15/2009] - After 1 full yr. of usage::::
The routing's faster now, # of POIs included have increased SIGNIFICANTLY, included now are almost ALL chain stores, restaurants, etc. Missing portions of the maps have reduced significantly.
FRESH MAPS -- This is a no-brainer. I have included Fresh maps and it's fantastic. Every quarter you get a free map update and believe me ALL the latest modifications in my area (NJ/CT/NY) are present!!
ZAGAT - I've included ZAGAT now and it's also a great, great tool. It gives you categorization like ZAGAT restaurant, attraction, nightlife, etc.etc. Then, say under restaurant it further divides as best decor, best service, best food, etc. Upon selecting a restaurant - gives you FULL ZAGAT PROFILE, phone numbers, etc. and FULL ZAGAT RATINGS TOO!!
My only wish - for this model if they could have included "Lane Assist" it would have been great. Just letting me know which lane to stick to, much earlier than the divider/turn/bend.
[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...
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