Editorial Review
In the U.S., German-based Navigon may be the biggest name in GPS you've never heard. Navigon has long been a major provider of navigation software to automotive manufacturers for in-dash gps navigation devices, but only recently did they introduce portable navigation devices under their own name. What they offer up, however, demonstrates immediately that this is a company that knows navigation inside and out.
The 2100 is the lowest-priced (and smallest) of Navigon's line of portable GPS navigators. While it lacks some of the features of it's bigger siblings, the 7100 and 5100, it packs solid navigation and some unique features into its diminutive frame.
The Navigon Family of Portable Navigators The 2100 and 5100 have 3.5-inch screens, while the 7100 has a 4.3-inch widescreen. The big difference is that the 5100 and 7100 come with free lifetime traffic data, while with the 2100 you have to buy an activation code separately. The 5100 and 7100 have a feature called "Lane Assistant" that will suggest which lane you should be driving in, but that's not such a big deal. Another important difference is that the 7100 also adds bluetooth-capability for hands-free mobile phone integration, which is really handy. If you want that feature, do check out the 7100. This chart may help as well.
| Screen Size (diagonally)
| Bluetooth
| Lifetime Traffic Data Service
| Lane Assistant
| Reality View
| Zagat Ratings
| POIs
|
2100
| 3.5 inches
|
| Requires Purchase of Activation Code
|
|  |
| 1.3 million
|
5100
| 3.5 inches
|
| Included Free
| | | | millions
|
| 7100 | 4.3 inches
| | Included Free
| | | | millions
|
Intuitive, animated menus offer predictive text input, helping you select your destination quickly. View larger. |
The reality view guides you with photo-realistic 3D images of junctions. View larger. |
Navigon decided not to try to add multimedia features like a photo viewer or MP3 player into its devices, but instead focused on navigation-based features. The 2100 provides precise turn-by-turn directions, including spoken road names via text-to-speech
Reality view guides you with photo-realistic 3D images of junctions, complete with actual sign text and exit ramp guidance. This makes translating what the navigator is telling you to what you see on the road instantaneous.
Superior Software and Hardware
The features and functions of the Navigon 2100 are controlled via intuitive, easy-to-use animated menus that use predictive text input to quickly and easily select your city, state and address. Maps and menus appear on its extra-large and elegant, high-contrast 3.5-inch, full-color touch-screen display. The 5100 includes a powerful Samsung 400 MHz processor, a fully integrated SiRF Star III GPS chip, 64 MBs of both RAM and ROM built in, and a rechargeable 1,200 mAh lithium ion battery that is rated for 4.5 hours of continuous use. All this is housed in an ultra-thin, sleek chrome housing that weighs only 6.3 ounces, and measures just 4.2 x 3.3 x 0.9 inches (W x H x D). The Navigon 5200 even comes pre-loaded with complete maps of the U.S. and Canada, providing you with superbly accurate, seamless door-to-door directions wherever your vehicular travels might take you.
Note that the 2100 runs on the Microsoft Windows CD Net 5.0 operating system. A PC is required to use additional map data, and in such cases users require Windows 2000, ME, XP or higher, as well as a CD ROM drive and a USB port. An SD/MMC card reader is recommended as the 7100 not only uses SD cards, but also comes with a 2 GB SD card in the package.
What's in the Box
Navigon 2100 GPS Navigator, SD card preloaded with software and maps of the continental US, rechargeable 1150 mAH lithium ion battery (rated for up to 4.5 hours),
car charger, car mount, quickstart guide, limited warranty
About Navigon
NAVIGON has been a leader of GPS navigation since 1991, and has a long history of industry innovations. NAVIGON created the world's first dynamic personal GPS product in 1996, launched the industry's first navigation software for the Pocket PC in 2000, and unveiled the first Traffic Message Channel-based (TMC) avoidance feature on mobile navigation product in 2002.
NAVIGON has helped revolutionize how consumers get from place to place with software products for practically any navigation-ready hardware. Personal navigation devices (PND), smartphones, and in-dash navigation systems directed by NAVIGON's award-winning MobileNavigator (MN) software delivers reliable information on millions of destinations in an intuitive, easy to use format. NAVIGON is a valued partner to the automotive industry, and in 2006 strengthened its category competency by acquiring NAVTEQ's navigation software business.
NAVIGON is a privately-held software company based in Hamburg, Germany, with NAVIGON USA headquarters in Chicago, IL.
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Customer Reviews
Great!!! 
2008-07-07
Great GPS. Just came back from a NY to Florida trip for 12 days and it performed flawlessly. The POI searching was a little slow but nothing to give a negative review about.
only nice feature is reality view 
2008-06-30
i currently have the garmin c330 and bought this because of its reality view feature and that's the only nice thing about it, text to speech is also nice, it's slower than c330, POI search are hard to use and require more steps, touch screen not as sentitive, color resolution is not as bright
Basic level GPS 2008-06-27
I baught this product 2 weeks back. so far I did not have any issues. recently had a long trip to maryland from New Jersey. was very good and handy in night times on country roads where the street names are not visible.
pros. simple to use, immediate sattelite reception. route profile options good.reliable in most cases.3d vision with reality view is awseome.night vision is good.
cons. no mp3, bad pronounciation of street names, does not have latest maps.occasionally hangs,touch screen somtimes very slow.
difficult to use, wish I could return unit. 
2008-06-19
The unit is much more difficult to use in every aspect than most all of the major brands which I have used. Most problematic is it is very hard to read the screen because of the gray color and very small type used for the street names. Also, it lists only half of the streets on the screen no matter what zoom level you are using and never lists the street that you are approaching. Most of the other street names that you are approaching are so far to the left and right placement on the screen that it cuts off most of the name. It has a small number of POI compared to other brands. Forget about entering a POI if you don't have the address, unbelievably difficult using the menus. Routing to entered destinations is often illogical. I wish I could return it and apply the $ towards a better brand. At this point I only use it in case I get hopelessly lost.
Poor Performance 2008-06-15
Based on Amazon Reviews, I was convinced that the Navigon 2100 would be a great GPS choice. I was also convinced that Text To Speech would really be a helpful Navigation Tool. I liked Navigon's reputation. When I received the unit I found it very difficult to set or program my destination. It was also very poor in recalculating a route change. Almost to the point of being riduculous--being told repeatedly to take a U-Turn for several miles when I chose an alternate route. I really wanted this unit to work and gave it every chance to function as it should. The inability to set the destination was a most major problem. Perhaps there was a malfunction or a keyboard hanging poroblem with just this unit. We returned the unit to Staples and got a Garmin Nuvi 200. There is no comparison in the two. The Garmin is so simple to set the destination and recalculates instantly. By far the Garmin simply works and does so easily. I don't miss the Text To Speech that much as I am now familiar with the Garmin Navigation Screen and do just fine without it. At least the Garmin gets me there with exactness and ease of operation. The Garmin is so easy to program and works flawlessly. Unfortunately for me the Navigon 2100 was not acceptble in these two functions.
Decent product for the money with several warnings 
2008-07-19
The Good:
1. Cheap
2. Small
3. Text-to-speech
4. Decent navigation recommendations
5. Nice pictorial highway signs on the display
The Bad:
1. Very slow interface. Hit a button. Wait 1-2 seconds before the device responds.
2. The power input is on the bottom of the device and therefore prevents it from being operated flush on the dash when plugged in.
The Ugly:
1. I find it very annoying that when I plug the device into a mini USB cord connected to a wall outlet or computer USB, the screen shows a picture of a computer on the screen (like it is syncing with a computer) and prevents the user from operating the device even though it charges fine. Additionally, the car charger that came packaged with the device has a straight end on it. It should be a right angle like the TomTom One (which incidentally works with this device and does not result in the picture of the computer on the screen). I also tried to use a mini USB car charger for a Motorola phone and I get the same, annoying picture of a computer on the screen even though the product charges fine but is obviously not connected to a computer.
In my opinion, this is the deal-breaker for me. Even though Navigon uses a standard mini-USB charging interface, you can only use their included car charger (or the TomTom One charger) if you want to operate the device and charge it at the same time.
If the product uses a standard mini-USB charging interface, it should allow you to operate the product when any mini-USB cable is plugged into it from a power source.
Great Product Excellent Price 2008-07-19
I ordered this product on Sunday, the 13th from 6th Ave through Amazon. The price was great, $126! I just got it today however and that is my only gripe. I know it has nothing to do with the product which is why I omitted this information from my rating of this item. For all those considering this item it is definitely a great purchase, my only warning is to be careful of who ships your item and who you buy it from. I ordered the product from 6th Ave on Sunday and so I knew that the order would not process that day. But I was shocked to find out that my order wasn't processed until Tuesday night! In the defense of 6th Ave it does say that processing can take between 1 and 2 days but does this mean that someone who orders an item the next day doesn't get their order processed until Wednesday? I realize this is the process of doing business but it is also the 21st century and advancements in technology have been made. That said, I chose to have the unit sent 2nd day by DHL which was the fastest delivery speed available. The estimated delivery date was Thursday. Well Thursday came and went and after several phone calls with the people of DHL, two of which lied to me and said that my package was in-route, I found out that the courier had returned my package to the distribution center without giving a reason for not delivering it. Keep in mind this is 2nd day delivery guaranteed by 5 p.m. and it did not happen. Even after i paid the extra cash to have it sent express. Making things worse I had to postpone my trip a day and a half because of the slow processing on behalf of 6th Ave and the horrible shipping blunders of DHL. I ended up picking up the package from DHL MYSELF today, I had to do the shipping business for them since they are obviously incompetent. The unit was in good shape however and works properly and for that I applaud Navigon for such a fine product. I used it on my trip that day and was very pleased. I used the product that day on my trip and was happy with its performance. I would recommend this product to anyone, just not the seller and the shipping company.
ok but not great 2008-07-15
I had a Garmin 330 which was a gift. It was stolen about 3 months ago and I was looking for a low end replacement.
This is a low end replacement. Not bad but I guess I was spoiled.
The operation is not very intuitive and can be frustrating.
The voice prompts are very robotic sounding (vs. garmin you could actually change the dialect)
It didn't seem as accurate; e.g. if you missed a turn it took a considerable amount of time to say anything.
Pros
Small and easy to transport
good images, clear
good choices for display
icons for different POI's, like gas were clear and easy to see
Great!!! I love it... 
2008-07-11
I have owned the navigon 2100 for about a month so far and absolutely love it everyone that sees it in my car loves it as well. I especially like the thin shape and the ease of putting it on the windshield. I have read many reviews on this before I bought it and I can not find anything wrong with this. the screen is perfect for me I was going to go with a bigger screen but there is no need.
This unit is very easy to use the sound is great and the looks is awesome, I really like the lane assist. It has never gotten me lost and there is no long delay with finding directions at all as I have read in some reviews. This is the best on the market I purchased mine from Staples for $129.00 on sale and would easily pay more if I had to for what it's worth. I never heard of navigon before but this will always be my choice of GPS units.
There is only a very small delay when inputting letters and numbers but it is barely noticable. The display looks really cool at night when you select the night time view. I just love this thing!!!
Awesome GPS For The Price 2008-07-10
I received mine today.
Aside from the fact that I had hard time in entering the address (you have to tap on Start Navigation to save it, there is no save button as such), the unit worked great. Showed my current destination within a few seconds after bootup. The route calculation was fast. Data entry from suggestions is great. The instructions were clear. And oh, "now turn left" and "now turn right" right at the turn is awesome. I am liking it so far.
Other thing I did not like was no manual. I guess they are saving money by keeping the box smaller and lighter. I had to print it from their website.
Overall it is great. Liking it so far!
