>>> Official Black Friday GPS Navigation Unit Discussion Thread <<< (updated 11/29)

[sinvids]

AS portable I mean can they be used to walk around a city with?

[Marcster]

AS portable I mean can they be used to walk around a city with?

Oh, well, how should I put this... All of the units have rechargeable batteries. Some of them will last up to 8 hours, other units as few as 2 hours (according to the sites). And those battery times are under optimum conditions, just like laptop batteries, you know with the screen brightness turned all the way down, optimum temperature, etc. Then you'll need to recharge them again...

 

But yeah, they can all function as a handheld unit.

 

The only true handheld offered on BF is that Magellan Triton 500 that Costco will have for $149.99 (it's under my 4th post). I didn't look at it too closely, but that probably is rechargeable through regular A/C current (like a cell phone).

 

http://www.gpslodge.com/pictures/magellan_triton_front.jpg

[sinvids]

Cool, thank you!!!!

[Marcster]

Cool, thank you!!!!

Any time... If you are after a handheld, any of these Sporting Goods stores (Sports Authority, Dick's, etc.) might have them on BF...

 

If I see more then the one from Costco (and have the time), I'll break down the pros and cons.

[jonboy_nellie]

for anyone considering the Navigon 2100, the guy at gpslodge.com has posted that he will have a review up by monday! I'm definitely going to be at Staples so this is great news for me.

[T0mmy]

I wish I had a Staples in my state, it looks to bea pretty sweet unit for $99 especially with lifetime traffic. For $150, I'm on the fence whether to get it for my wife.

[Marcster]

I wish I had a Staples in my state, it looks to bea pretty sweet unit for $99 especially with lifetime traffic. For $150, I'm on the fence whether to get it for my wife.

The normal retail is $249, Amazon has it for $209, so R/S is still a good price. Just make sure that you life in one of those 68 cities.

[T0mmy]

I already confrimed the Twin Cities are on the list, I'm still thinking of it, but was originally set on the cheaper Garmin at BB. We'll see. I'm just scared of the "no-name" brand and little feedback. But everything seems really nice about the Navigon.

[gokalps]

I think I will go with the Navigon too.

[necro1970]

had a chance to play around with the navigon 2100 a little bit today when I went to a local staples on lunch break.

 

It looks pretty solid and doesnt seem that dificult to learn how to use. Love the 3D and map layouts and the menus don't seem that difficult to navigate.

 

 

a few minor things:

 

yes, the alphanumeric keypad for entering the destinations is small but im sure its small on most 3.5 inch screens. cmon its 3.5' thats not alot of room to play with.

 

I can see where the voice may not be loud enough in some settings to hear it properly but hopefully thats something one can live with.

 

I can see that it may be lacking in POIs but thats already known because they claim 1.6 million compared to Garmin's 6 million or so.

 

other than that I didnt really see much to complain about. i only had about 15 minutes to play around with it though so I didnt get to test everything out.

 

i am still torn on whether to get one of the 4.3 inch widescreen GPS units on sale on BF for obviously much more $$ Just because 3.5 sure does seem small to me but for a 3.5 inch with TTS I dont think you'll find anything NEAR this price point and with traffic service free to boot.

 

Unless someone reduces one of the Garmin Nuvis with TTS near $200 or the MIO C520 drops down closer to 200 I will probably go with the Navigon. I was truly impressed with it from just the little bit of time I spent toying around with it today.

 

 

I also saw the Navigon 5100 and really wish that was one sale for around $250 or so on BF because there is a $50 rebate for it until the end of the year! Staples was running a special on that one for $299 after the rebate. The 5100 has more POIs, lane assist, Zagat guide, Includes Canada as well. oh well

[gokalps]

Is lane assist not available on Navigon 2100?

[Marcster]

I already confrimed the Twin Cities are on the list, I'm still thinking of it, but was originally set on the cheaper Garmin at BB. We'll see. I'm just scared of the "no-name" brand and little feedback. But everything seems really nice about the Navigon.

While they may not be on the tip of your tongue like Garmin and TomTom are, Navigon is a pretty decent sized company. They bought Navteq back in 2006. http://www.navigon.com/site/us/en/company/press/archive/2006/112

 

As you may be aware, Navteq is *the* company that makes the maps for Garmin, Dell, and HP GPS devices. They are also the maps of almost all factory-installed navigation systems, including those in GM, Ford, Dodge, Nissan, M-B, Honda, etc.

 

http://www.navigation.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/WFS/Navteq-NavteqNorthAmerica-Site/en_US/-/USD/Default-Start;pgid=2qxIa3WKwfpSR0EFAT58NKmG0000W8qSEiFC;sid=4h3scO6bcyPscKmmEbX9eOSRnKZdNZAgU1g=

 

That's not to say that the Navigon 2100 is a great unit, it might be just OK, or even sub-standard.

 

But at least you won't have to worry about them going out of business and stopping to offer map updates like you might with the mysterious "Amcor A3900" that L-N-T, or the "Nextar S3" at K-Mart, or the "Invion" that JCP will have. KWIM?

[Scott]

Do you know which units offer user input POIs? I thought that garmin had an application where you can do this through a CSV file. There are actually sites out there that upload things like speedtraps, construction, etc.

 

That is a feature I would be highly interested in.

 

Right now, the Tom Tom XL S is looking pretty good to me.

[missyjane]

OK, I don't know anything about these gadgets, but based on recommendations I think I will get my husband the Tom Tom One - 3rd edition.

 

The thing is, he travels every week, every week he is somewhere new so this "gadget" will never be in the same car - is that a problem? Should I get him a hand held one instead?

 

Please help, the Microsoft Streets & Trips he uses does is not working out well with him.

 

Thanks a million.

[Marcster]

Do you know which units offer user input POIs? I thought that garmin had an application where you can do this through a CSV file. There are actually sites out there that upload things like speedtraps, construction, etc.

 

That is a feature I would be highly interested in.

 

Right now, the Tom Tom XL S is looking pretty good to me.

I know the both Mio units allow for user input POIs: http://hugginsnet.com/ilovemymio/index.php?PHPSESSID=15768745ed48aa48e17f14c8a849cdd8&topic=512.0

 

Any TomTom that has Mapshare should too. And I believe the Garmins as well...

 

I'm not sure about any of the other units (Delphi, Magellan, etc.).

 

http://s23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/Marcster2005/Smileypad/Misc/livetv.gifNEWS FLASH: As you might have guessed, a lot of people have started assembling lists of POIs. Check out this site:

http://www.poi-factory.com/poifiles

http://www.poi-factory.com/poifiles/us/red-light-cameras

 

POI-Factory does require a $5 or $20 payment for the Red Light Camera list, but the regular POIs are free.

 

Here's another: http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=56474

 

And another good one: http://www.gpslodge.com/archives/011339.php

 

And some more: http://www.gps-poi-us.com/ (some of these are free, others aren't)

[stack316]

OK, I don't know anything about these gadgets, but based on recommendations I think I will get my husband the Tom Tom One - 3rd edition.

 

The thing is, he travels every week, every week he is somewhere new so this "gadget" will never be in the same car - is that a problem? Should I get him a hand held one instead?

 

Please help, the Microsoft Streets & Trips he uses does is not working out well with him.

 

Thanks a million.

 

I took my GPS which is bigger than the tomtom to Orlando for the family trip.

 

Power cord to a cigarette lighter......windshield mount.....and the unit

Not much to carry.

 

 

May be tough if he just brings one carryone and it is overfilled...

 

But these are easily removed and put in from car to car.

 

I completely remove my GPS from my car...so no one breaks into my car.

[missyjane]

I took my GPS which is bigger than the tomtom to Orlando for the family trip.

 

Power cord to a cigarette lighter......windshield mount.....and the unit

Not much to carry.

 

 

May be tough if he just brings one carryone and it is overfilled...

 

But these are easily removed and put in from car to car.

 

I completely remove my GPS from my car...so no one breaks into my car.

Thanks, I think this will be a good present for him, especially with the free map updates, that is one thing he hates about the streets & trips he uses, they keep telling him to turn where he can't!

[Marcster]

OK, I don't know anything about these gadgets, but based on recommendations I think I will get my husband the Tom Tom One - 3rd edition.

 

The thing is, he travels every week, every week he is somewhere new so this "gadget" will never be in the same car - is that a problem? Should I get him a hand held one instead?

 

Please help, the Microsoft Streets & Trips he uses does is not working out well with him.

 

Thanks a million.

I took my GPS which is bigger than the tomtom to Orlando for the family trip. Power cord to a cigarette lighter......windshield mount.....and the unit

Not much to carry. May be tough if he just brings one carryone and it is overfilled...

But these are easily removed and put in from car to car. I completely remove my GPS from my car...so no one breaks into my car.

I will add to Stack's answer that the automotive units are meant to be used in a car... A "handheld" unit is meant to be used while being held... Having one hand on the wheel and the other holding a handheld unit would be difficult.

[sgoofi]

Does anyone know whether or not you have to purchase the map updates for the Navigon 2100? If you do, how much, and how do you update your system?

[gokalps]

From Navigon Site:

 

"What is your general policy with respect to map updates?

 

 

NAVIGON plans to make map updates available every 12 months to any given product until such time that the product is phased out of production. Updates will be made available online via navigon.com or via DVD to registered users. The first map update for newly launched NAVIGON brand products will be available Q1 2008."

They don't mention the cost.

[Marcster]

Does anyone know whether or not you have to purchase the map updates for the Navigon 2100? If you do, how much, and how do you update your system?

I couldn't find that information on the site at all... So, I called. http://s23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/Marcster2005/Smileypad/Tasks/INhousePhoneCellPhone02callyou.gif

 

Navigon Support is 888-848-0701. I got right through and talked to Brian for 8 minutes.

 

Q. How often are the maps updated?

A. The maps are updated every 6 months, typically in the 2nd and 4th quarters of the year. All three of the Navigon units currently for sale already have the latest version of the maps. The maps are from Navtec. Navtec also supplies the maps for Google Maps and many other mapping systems out there.

 

Q. How much do map updates cost?

A. Unfortunately, I really don't have an answer for you. The cost of the map updates are actually set be Navtec, not by us.

 

And since I had him on the phone...

 

Q. Can you add your own POIs? (refer to post #165 to see why I asked)

A. That is not a capability at this time. It may be added in the future, but I can't say for sure.

 

Q. How far "out" of the 68 cities does your traffic coverage "track"?

A. We get our traffic data from ClearChannel communications. You can go to www.realtimetraffic.net, click on the "Coverage Map" and pick a city. Any of the areas that are highlighted in GREEN are covered as far as traffic data goes.

 

He then went on to tell me that Staples & RadioShack will both have the Navigon 2100 on sale on Black Friday and about the deal with the free traffic deal on BF (which I already knew of course, but I played dumb).

 

He also recommended visiting www.experiencenavigon.com for more information. He thanked me for my interest and told me that they are in from 10 am to 9 pm.

[Mango367]

First of all Marcster - THANK YOU!!! The amount of time and research you put into this is SOO appreciated! I can't imagine...but thank you! After some research of my own and then coming here I can't not go for the Navigon 2100. It looks cool, has TTS, and will include the traffic feature. And for $149 at R/S and using it everyday - if it craps out in 2 or 3 years it was worth it! Thanks again to everyone who found info on the net regarding this elusive GPS device! Can't wait to hear how everyone likes it after BF and Christmas! I'm getting 2!

[sgoofi]

This is probably not a deal breaker for most people, but do any of the units allow you to choose how it calculates the route? For instance, by choosing the fastest route, shortest route, avoid highways, etc.,

[Marcster]

This is probably not a deal breaker for most people, but do any of the units allow you to choose how it calculates the route? For instance, by choosing the fastest route, shortest route, avoid highways, etc.,

"The [TomTom] One has the ability calculate directions by fastest route, shortest route, or void of freeways. You can even get bicycle and walking routes. There's a Find Alternative function if you're not a fan of the prescribed route or you run into some speed bumps along the way. For example, you can have the One recalculate the route altogether, or if you run into a roadblock, it will plot a course around it." http://reviews.cnet.com/car-gps-navigation/tomtom-one/4505-3430_7-32026663.html

 

Garmin Nuvis have this capability too: "The system can generate directions by fastest time, shortest distance, or off road, and you can instruct it to avoid certain road types, such as toll roads and highways. And don't think you're restricted to only use the system in the car, as there are settings for pedestrian, bicycle, truck, and bus modes." http://reviews.cnet.com/car-gps-navigation/garmin-nuvi-200/4505-3430_7-32370612.html

 

Magellans can choose from "Shortest time, shortest distance, avoid certain freeways and toll roads" http://www.magellangpssystems.com/

 

Goodness, I'm becoming an expert. http://s23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/Marcster2005/Smileypad/Non-Smiling/Clever.gif

[mywarmbluefleece]

What unit would be best for those with phobias of certain roads (for example, if I want to type in that I never want to go down Maple Street). Do any have that feature?

[i-bystander]

Goodness, I'm becoming an expert. http://s23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/Marcster2005/Smileypad/Non-Smiling/Clever.gif

I guess you can add that to your sig too, Marc.

[BruceG]

Here's some additional info on the Navigon 2100 units at Staples....

 

I was at a Staples last night and saw the unit on display as well as a new one in the box (got it from the back for me).

 

Today at a different Staples I did the same thing and there was one major difference in the packaging. The one today had a sticker on the box that said as a limited time promotion it included the lifetime traffic ($99 value) free. This sticker was NOT on the box last night.

 

The price was the same (currently on sale for $175). I assume the stickered box is the unit to be sold on BF for $99.

 

I agree with the comments a few posts above about the feel of the unit. The way they do the alphabetic keys (on a 5x5 type grid to the right) makes it a bit more difficult to hit the right key, especially if you tend to fat-finger the keys. I also thought the unit did seem just a little sluggish, but the screen seemed to have very good resolution (subjective opinion) in the store.

 

It's probably not a "great" unit in and of itself, but getting a name-brand unit with up to date maps, TTS, and lifetime traffic for $99 (even $175!) will be very hard to pass up.

[Marcster]

What unit would be best for those with phobias of certain roads (for example, if I want to type in that I never want to go down Maple Street). Do any have that feature?

TomToms can, but you'll have to enter the road to avoid each time you use it:

http://forum.brighthand.com/archive/index.php/t-240196.html

 

And here, from a TomTom One review:

 

"To start navigating, just tap the Navigate To icon, and you can enter a specific street address, an intersection, a city center, or a point of interest (POI). Once you've entered an address, the One will ask you if you need to arrive at a particular time. If you tap Yes, enter an arrival time and the system can calculate if you will arrive on time based on your current location. The One has the ability calculate directions by fastest route, shortest route, or void of freeways. You can even get bicycle and walking routes. There's a Find Alternative function if you're not a fan of the prescribed route or you run into some speed bumps along the way. For example, you can have the One recalculate the route altogether, or if you run into a roadblock, it will plot a course around it."

http://reviews.cnet.com/car-gps-navigation/tomtom-one/4505-3430_7-32026663.html

[mywarmbluefleece]

TomToms can, but you'll have to enter the road to avoid each time you use it:

http://forum.brighthand.com/archive/index.php/t-240196.html

You are my hero!!!! As someone with phobias of certain types of roads, I have been trying to find this out for almost a year! Whooppie!

[Marcster]

You are my hero!!!! As someone with phobias of certain types of roads, I have been trying to find this out for almost a year! Whooppie!

My Dad can't drive over bridges (but he can be a passenger) -- something to do with having had cancer. Apparently, other people have the same phobia after treatment.