Navigon 7100 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator
The NAVIGON 7100 GPS Navigator was recently judged a 2008 International CES Best of Innovations Design and Engineering Award honoree in the In-Vehicle Accessories category. NAVIGON also picked up two other awards for the NAVIGON 2100 and the NAVIGON 5100. To quote the CES Awards Announcement, A composite of handsome lines and graceful curves, the NAVIGON 7100 features a bold new approach to a superb navigation experience. Competing consumer electronics products are judged by a preeminent panel of independent industrial designers, independent engineers and members of the trade press. The most impressive products in each category are selected as honorees.
When you stop ogling the outside and really start using the 7100, what you notice is that Navigon has decided to avoid media support and instead has focused on navigation-based features. This means the 7100 is packed, offering an array of features that are, at the time of this writing, unmatched at this price point. It provides you with turn-by-turn directions, including actual road names via text-to-speech. It includes built-in Bluetooth technology that enables hands-free mobile phone integration, which not only increases driver safety, but is fast becoming a necessity as states pass laws against talking on a cell phone hand set while driving. It warns you when you are exceeding the speed limit. It offers 2D and 3D map views with incredibly precise road visualizations (more on that below). Its Navteq data contains millions Points of Interest (POIs) such as restaurants, hotels, golf courses, gas stations, banks, etc.
The 7100 has two features that are a great help in negotiating unfamiliar or complicated road systems. Lane Assistant recommends the best lane for you to be in relative to the proposed route, so you won’t find yourself trying to move over three lanes when the freeway splits.
Bluetooth wireless technology enabled cellular phones can be combined with the NAVIGON 7100 for safer hands-free mobile phone operation. Incoming phone calls are displayed on the 7100 and a tap of the display accepts the call. Any navigation audio is automatically muted during phone calls.
The NAVIGON 7100 comes with text-to-speech (TTS) capability which enables it to announce street names when giving directions rather than simply playing a recording of turn left? or turn right?. This feature gives confirmation that you are on the right track without needing to check the 4.3 inch, color, touchscreen display to read the street names. The NAVIGON 7100 comes with a stylus to use with the touchscreen so, if you only like using your fingers to navigate the menus or enter addresses then it would be best to make a practical assessment of whether this works for you before purchase.
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.
This is a biggie. The Navigon 7100 comes is the first GPS device to offer subscription-free, real-time traffic information via the integrated traffic receiver with no additional fees or setup for the life of the product. Be advised on traffic flow and incidents, as well as the best alternate routes. The traffic info starts working as soon as you get the 7100 out of the box.
All of Navigon’s gps navigators offer Zagat ratings and reviews for their POIs, so while this device may not get you a beer, it can tell you where to find the best one. Branded icons displayed on your map make it easier to navigate to a familiar location of your choice.
The features and functions of the Navigon 7100 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 4.3-inch, full-color touch-screen display with an easy-to-read 16:9 aspect ratio for an exceptional view of the road. The Navigon 7100 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 piano black housing that weighs only seven ounces, and measures just 5.1 x 3.5 x 0.9 inches (W x H x D). The Navigon 7100 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 7100 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.
The Navigon 7100’s GPS functionality is provided by a SiRF Star III receiver. This receiver on a chip is renowned for its high sensitivity allowing it to maintain a satellite signal lock even in poor reception conditions. The SiRF Star III also offers faster fix times and lower power requirements.
The Navigon 7100 preloaded with North American maps, 2 GB SD card, car charger, wall charger, car mount, USB cable, CD and user manual on DVD, quick installation guide, and warranty information.
As well as the lifetime traffic updates, NAVIGON provide free access to ZAGAT Survey which is a provider of consumer survey-based information on where to eat, drink, stay and play?. Ratings and reviews are based on opinions gathered. The NAVIGON 7100 provides access to five destination guides and ratings and reviews for U.S. hotels, resorts, restaurants, golf courses, attractions and nightspots in over 70 U.S. cities. In addition, pre-loaded on the NAVIGON 7100 is a database of some four million POI (Points of Interest) for navigation assistance.
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.
Tags: bluetooth wireless, consumer electronics products, driver safety, free mobile phone, GPS Device, graceful curves, impressive products, incoming phone, industrial designers, navigation experience, navigon 5100, navigon 7100, phone integration, road names, safer hands, vehicle accessoriesRelated posts
Posted on July 18th, 2008 by admin
Filed under: GPS Device
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