Navigon 2100 max 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigator with Text-to-Speech
| Overall rating: |
|
Ultra-slim and with a stunning 4.3-inch touchscreen display, the NAVIGON 2100 Max earns its name with a long list of advanced features. Exclusive Reality View provides extra 3D guidance when you need it most at complex interchanges, exits and entryways. Spoken driving directions and street names let you keep your eyes on the road. Lane Assistant alerts you to oncoming lane changes. DirectHelp helps you find emergency and roadside services—and helps them find you. Navigon also let’s you seamlessly purchase and activate a number of optional services as accessories that can save you time and money. FreshMaps gives you up to 12 regular, trusted map updates for three years. Lifetime Traffic gives you traffic flow and incident information and alternate route suggestion for the life of your unit. ZAGAT Ratings and Reviews Service gives you over 21,000 ZAGAT ratings and reviews covering more than 70 cities in the U.S. and Canada.
Features
- 4.3-Inch Touchscreen in an ultra-slim design
- Speaks real street names via text to speech; route planning feature
- DirectHelp Information that Helps You Find Emergency and Roadside Services
- Lane Assistant and Reality View Features that Simplify Your Drive
- Easy Add-on Services–Lifetime Traffic, FreshMaps (3 years of map updates for one low price), and Zagat Ratings for 70 metropolitan areas
- Dimensions (W x H x L): 1 x 3 x 5 inches
- Weight: 1 pounds
$250? For this GPS? LOL
I bought this GPS Jan/09 when it was $150. For the price at that time it’s a good GPS. It’s now selling for $250? While I like this GPS it is DEFINITELY NOT WORTH $250. The traffic feature isn’t that great even when it’s not busy searching for a signal. So many times I will be driving along thinking there’s no traffic on my route but many times there really is traffic and a lot of it. Then all of a sudden when I’m IN the traffic the GPS will tell me that there’s traffic. Kinda useless. It rarely (if ever) re-routes me. For a basic GPS with very few POI’s it’s decent, but there are better one’s out there for the money. Oh, also, Navigon says they come out with quarterly map updates…that is 100% FALSE. I’d be lucky to get notified every six months. For example, I got notified on 5/16 for the Quarter 1, 2010 update. You’d think I would be notified at the beginning of a quarter rather than 2 months after it’s end. There was another update that was 6 months late. I sent an email to Navigon but they did not reply. Like I said, it’s an okay GPS. It will get you to your destination but it’s not worth the cost if $250 is the asking price. You can find cheaper GPS’s that do nothing but get you to your destination…and have more POI’s if that’s a selling point for you.
Excellent one
Initially I was doubtful about the quality, but it is amazing. I really liked it. recently I had long drive OK to MI and MI to OK, it was very useful, never got any problem.
Careful if you are in Europe!!!
Be careful!!!! If you purchase the United States version of this device, you CANNOT purchase and download European maps for it! The US site doesn’t have the maps available for download and the European site’s software isn’t compatible with the US version. After hours of frustration, 3 long conversations with UK customer support, no answer to email only available customer support with the US, and googling solutions to this, we found at long last that European maps are not available for US versions of this device! All our friends that have Tom-Toms had no problems using their US bought GPS in Europe and were able to download European maps without any trouble. We find it very frustrating that you would have to buy an entirely different device to use European maps. Bad Navigon!!!
Great GPS – No Map Updates
Don’t buy this GPS. Navigon has withdrawn from the US market and new maps are sparse and likely to become completely unavailable.
It’s a shame because its a very good GPS and I would otherwise rate it 4 stars. It’s been reliable and the traffic feature is inexpensive and has kept me out of trouble more than once.
As of Jan 2010 NO more Customer Support.
I purchased the 2100 max in Jan 2009 it has worked ok. I finally decided to update the map. After having trouble backing up my Sd card for my 2100 Max so that I could update my maps, I decided to contact Navigon support and the following is our correspondence:
I am having trouble backing up my sd card in the fresh program. I am
afraid of updating the maps before a backup is done. I get to 30%
backup and it will not move from there. I waited about a half an hour
and nothing changed. I have the 2100max and am running windows 7 with a
DSL line. If I can’t backup how do I download the operating system onto
a new sd card to use as a backup. It sends me to a download manager
screen that has not been updated for a couple of years and I am worried
that it will not be compatible with Windows 7. If map update corrupts my
only sd card can I get a replacement??
——————————————————————————————————
Dear Valued NAVIGON Customer
Thank you for your inquiry.
In order to create an backup of your original sd card, please do these steps:
* insert the original sd card in your device
* plug the device to your computer and turn on the device
* open the workplace and open the “removable disk”
* mark all files and folders (CTRL & A) and copy this (CTRL & C)
* create a folder “NAVIGON” on your desktop or in “My Documents”
* paste all files and folders in the created folder “NAVIGON” (CTRL & V)
* turn off your device and plugin the new sd card
* turn on your device, klick right on “removable disk” and klick “reformat”
* reformat your new sd card in FAT32
* go in your created folder “NAVIGON”
* mark all files and folders (CTRL & A) and copy this (CTRL & C)
* go to your reformated “removable disk” and paste all data (CTRL & V)
* now you can open NAVIGON Fresh and install the new map updates on your new sd card
——————————————————————————————————————-
I have tried this on both my desktop (windows 7) and my laptop (windows XP) and I get the same result on both, the copy locks up about a 1/3 of the way thru the USA 48 Contiguous Map file.
Is there any way of getting another SD card from you for the 2100 max? I am worried that the update will corrupt or damage my only (original) SD card.
——————————————————————————————————————–
Dear Valued NAVIGON Customer
Has someone of your friends Vista on his computer? Maybe it works with Vista.
Accessories, map material and content are not available in North America through NAVIGON.
Unfortunately we don’t have information concerning the availability of these products at other major retail shops.
——————————————————————————————————————-
So what you are telling me is that if my original SD card with the 2100max operating system and map program gets damaged or corrupted I might as well throw the 2100max device in the TRASH CAN because you cannot replace the SD card! That is terrible customer service! I will be sure to stay away from all Navigon products and programs in the future and I will be sure to post this information on any reviews that I can!
That was the end of our communication.
Judge for yourself. I will NEVER deal with this company again. I understand that they are trying to break into the Iphone market with map software. BEWARE!
Feel free to use this correspondence on any other reviews.
Good (not Great) product; worst customer service
I bought this the 2100 max just about a year ago. Its screen and features are more than adequate for my needs. When I am in the city, it always gets me where I want to go. But I don’t recommend it when in rural areas. It also doesn’t work at all in Hawaii. When I first bought the unit, I could get technical help over the phone. Now, I cannot even get them to answer emails. I don’t know about the other vendors, but if you think you will ever need help with the product, don’t expect any. Once you have purchased Navigon, you are on-your-own.
Top of the Food Chain
I had this GPS for last one year until stolen from my vehicle on last 27th Nov (Black Friday). I ordered the same model on the same day online….! (Imagine I am in love with my GPS). I have used and compared TomTom, Germin and many others with this Navigon 2100 Max GPS Navigation – 4.3 but this GPS is on the Top of the Food Chain…!
Any true 3D GPS (most people confuse a 2D as 3D GPS) usually cost a lot like Germin Nuvi or the New Model of Tom Tom just arrived. it is $350 ~ $450. But this 2100 max is only $109 (I paid on last Black Friday). But my first one I bought at $176 from Amazon, years before.
Only complain is 4.3 inch is too small for me. I wish it would like 5″ screen size. The bigger the GPS the easier to view at crowded road.
P.S. Map update works just fine. I read one review who cannot update new map. I did my Map update Q3 just yesterday and week before. Works like a dream..
Navigon max 2100
Used unit twice,then screen froze up.E mailed Navigon support.They were supposed to get back to me within 48 hours.It has been 7 days and never heard from them.Tried to call them…impossible ,long waits many messages.Couldn’t reach anyone.Mailed unit back to Tiger Direct and they gave full refund including shipping.Wouldn’t consider Navigon again.Buying a Garmin instead.
Just ok
I really like the touch screen and the features but it takes awhile for the gps to pick up signal. I usually have to start driving before it will pick up signal and let me know where to go.
Navigon has the most features
The navigon has features the others just dont have. I use a GPS for a living since I drive a semi locally. The navigon gives you the most bang for your buck!
NaviGONE
I bought my Navigon a little over a year ago. It’s performance has been mixed, in line with much of the reviews here. However, I can now unequivocally state that you should NOT buy this product. Navigon has abruptly left the North American market, leaving customers, even those who purchased a device and map updates within the year, almost completely without support. If you buy one of these, you’re buying a dead device with no hope of updates.
great gps….
Great GPS unit, quick re-routing and very acurate…Love the traffic feature and the text to speech is nice to have…
Great device No Update
As of May 2009, Navigon (Germany) discontinued support of the North American market. No map updates.
According to CEO Egon Minar: “Due to the difficult economic environment and the aggressive pricing we have decided to withdraw from the PND business in North America for the time being. We are however not closing down our Chicago office which will continue to serve our automotive and mobile phone businesses in North America.”
But the device is great!
I’ve tried several and NONE beats this one..
I bought several GPS units, all of which were to be tried, tested and, with the exception of one, returned. I bought the Garmin 200 and 265. I also bought the Tom Tom 130s and the 330. A friend of mine has a Magellan ( I can’t recall which version), and I used/tested that as well. Well, folks… the results are in. The Navigon 2100 was HANDS DOWN gave the best directions and was the easiest to configure, tweak, etc. I live in NJ and my boyfriend lives in Long Island. The trek is not an easy one, particularly if you don’t have a good sense of direction. Sense of direction or not, the 2100 was the best pick of the litter. I like the fact that I can access the turn by turn instruction without going through changes. I like, too, that if I don’t like the route that the system chose, or I know there’s traffic on the route that the system chose, I can VERY EASILY “x” out any part of my route from the turn by turn directions screen. I can not tell you how frustrating the Garmin was in that respect. One would have to go into SEVERAL screens to alter their route. Which, by the way, was not easy to figure out. I’m very, very tech savvy, so I know it wasn’t a user error. Add to that the fact that it’s not particularly safe or convenient to try to navigate through several screens while driving. Yes, I know…you shouldn’t be operating routes and driving at the same time. If you absolutely needed to, however, the Navigon lets you do so with little more than the flick on a finger. I flicked my finger using the Garmin, but it wasn’t my index finger. Moving on… The Tom Tom proved to be a bit more user friendly, but it also required you to go through a couple of screens to configure your route. I didn’t appreciate the fact that both the Tom Tom and the Garmin rerouted me to CRAZY, OUT OF THE WAY routes during one of my treks from LI. I used the Navigon this weekend and it was the best thing in its class, yet the least costly. Actualy, I borrowed my girlfriend’s Navigon 2100, but I decided to buy on of my own today. I hardly ever leave testimonials, but I figured you guys would be plenty grateful to have my two cents. Safe travels!
Navigon 2100 max 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigator with Text-to-Speech
I was unhappy at all, I bought 4 2100 max in the last 2months 3gps frozen and the last one no signal at all.
I quite buying this gps and I bought tom tom xl 340s.
Navigon 2100 max 4.3 Portable GPS Navigator with Text-to-Speech
I purchased this item last week. My son has a Garmin GPS he received as a wedding present. Comparing the two, we both liked the features offered by the Navigon. It was very easy to set up, I registered without a problem on the website. The map updated automatically. The satellite signal was quick to be captured and quick to advance. I had no problems with the touch screen buttons they were plenty large enough and very easy to use and understand. I would easily recommend this GPS Navigator for anyone as a first time GPS user. I was most impressed with the ease at which I was able to figure out the Navigon without the need of detailed instructions. I paid under 140 dollars for this system and am very happy with this investment.
Not as advertised, exactly
I received the 2120 as a gift. I think that it is mostly good and would recommend it. However, one of their advertised features is absolutely not true. They claim in writing that the user can update the maps. In fact, their “FreshMaps” feature is listed on the quick start guide that came with the unit. The people at Navigon say that the USA maps cannot be updated. I have been using GPS for over ten years both on land and on Lake Michigan. I currently own two other GPS units.
Navigon going out of the personal GPS business
I bought my Navigon 2100 Max in February 2009 and have enjoyed it’s maps on screen and the turn by turn directions despite some funny text to voice mispronunciations. Last week I discovered that I had misplaced by original equipment car charger and started using an after market charger only to find that the Traffic Service no longer worked. Yesterday, after learning that the Traffic antenna is built into the charger and requesting a way to purchase a new one from Navigon, I received an email from Navigon with the following information:
Sorry, but accessories, map material and content are not available in North America through NAVIGON.
Unfortunately we don’t have information concerning the availability of these products at other major retail shops.
NAVIGON Inc. will be reallocating resources from its branded line of portable navigation devices to focus on more profitable segments within the navigation sector in North America. This transition will place an increased emphasis on NAVIGON’s heritage, software development – the core of any navigation experience. NAVIGON Inc. will focus on software with an enthusiastic push into mobile and smartphone segments, as well as a continuation of support for both OEM and automotive sectors. NAVIGON Inc. believes that software development is our core competence.
Thus, no Traffic Service on my device and no mapping software updates. Amazon shows the software “not available at this time.” I have spent the last hour looking for universal GPS mapping software to no avail. Looks as if this model and all other handheld models are effectively dead. If anyone knows of replacement software that is kept uptodate, please post it here.
Navigon 2100 max work perfectly!
The best gps and best price period. I’ve used Garmin, TomTom ect. you name it. I traveled a lot as an install tech, the gps got it done and cheap. As good as the top end gps.
Needs updates
I recently purchased the navigon 2100 max for my son for graduation not knowing that I would be the first to use it. I was very disappointed that it had not been updated. Major highways that have been open for over 1 1/2 years are still not on it. If not for yahoo maps I would still be lost. One free update should be included with it.