Navigon 5100 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
by Navigon
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List Price: Our Price: $329.00 You Save: $170.00 (34%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $67.99 (click here) Category: GPS or Navigation System See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Navigon 5100 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
Customer Review: Best for the price: update
Summary: 5 Stars
Update of my original review (which is below) after 1+ months of use in 3 different cities:
-I really appreciate the traffic info. I thought it was a gimmick, but it has saved me twice from major backups (best save: truck had hit an overpass, the gps told me of it, took me out at the exit right before the accident, and returned me to the freeway just past the accident. I was impressed!). I use it all the time. Check on the Navigon website to see if your city is covered -- most are.
-I also really like the Zagat ratings. In new cities, I search near my hotel for zagat rated restaurants, nightlife and attractions. The full reviews are included, and I use it whenever I travel. Very useful.
-Also good: maps are excellent, gps tracking is very accurate, text-to-speech is fine, the menu is intuitive and POIs are pretty complete.
- Some negatives: voice should be louder, text is on the small side, and the button presses can be annoying. Lastly, the website is very basic (Garmin has a great website).
-Overall, I still stand by my original review. No gps is perfect, but I truly like this one and enjoy using it.
Original Review (October 2007):
This is by far the best gps for the price. All else being equal (routing, rerouting, POIs, etc.), three things are paramount for me in a gps: Accurate Maps, the ability to Plan Routes, and Style. By the way, before choosing a gps, I downloaded and read the manuals of Garmin 660/680/750, Magellan 4040/4050 and Navigon 5100/7100 (see below why I skipped TomTom).
1. Accurate maps. This means Navteq maps rather than TeleAtlas maps. Since TomTom uses TeleAtlas, I eliminated TomTom products;
2. Planning Routes. I need to be able to plan a route using a starting location other than where I currently am. Most gps units start navigation to a destination from the current gps location. I need to be able to input into a gps a destination AND a starting point so that I can be on a plane, for example, and be able to figure out how long a drive takes, when I get in, what time to leave, etc. No Magellan 4000 level products do this. This ruled out Magellan.
3. Style. The 5100 is small and elegant, and the maps are beautiful. Garmin/Magellan maps look like a kid drew them with crayons. I could have bought the 7100, but I wanted portability, and with the smaller screen, I figured the processor would be faster also.
Everything else is as good in the 5100 or better than in any other GPS, plus you get free traffic information and zagat. There are some minor quirks (the keys are small, and sometimes you have to press twice), but these are truly minor issues with this many features at this price. And price is a concern if for no other reason than that this industry is changing so quickly (over 10 new units introduced this year) that anything you buy now is likely to be dated by newer and better units very soon -- so why spend too much? (this rules out the completely overpriced Garmins). Altogether, I have used used 5 different gps programs/units, and the 5100 is excellent at any price, and a bargain at what it's at.
NOTE: a few reviews have noted how it takes long for the gps to lock on to satellites. I think this is due to the erroneous instructions that come in the box which instruct you to hold the "on" button for 6 seconds to turn the unit on. This actually resets the unit. All you need is to push the button once to have it turn on, and satellite fix is almost instantaneous.
Customer Review: Sanity Check!!
Summary: 5 Stars
Up to this point, I had planned to only write book reviews but feel compelled to write this after the mixed bag of reviews for this product. The listed reviews created alot of confusion for me; I'm always suspicious of the "one-item reviews" that either damn or glorify; maybe this info will be helpful if you are considering a purchase.
I purchased the Navigon 5110 last month (June 08), have used it for several trips, and couldn't be happier with it. In a nutshell, to address some of the issues brought up in the other reviews:
Pros
1. Mount system is ingenious-no velcro, screws, sticky tape, etc...just suction cup it to your windshield and hook up the power to your cigarette lighter. You can use it for any automobile that has a working cigarette lighter (even an old 1970 Ford Oldsmobile). For security, you can detach the GPS from the mount in a matter of seconds. And overall, it has a sleek, minimalist design.
2. Navigation is highly intuitive; I missed a turn in Berlin, took a turn at the next traffic junction, and the Navigon recalculated and put me back on track. I really liked the highway sign visuals-you will never be confused again about major highway turns.
Let me address 2 complaints from the other reviews.
U-Turns: if you miss a turn the voice command will say " Make a U-Turn now." to let you know you missed a major turn. You get this voice prompt even if you are on a 4 lane highway. So you take the next turn/exit, and the Navigon recalculates and puts you back on track. (If you are one of those persons who would try to make a U-Turn on a 4 lane hgihway because the Navigon said so, it would probably be too dangerous for you to own any type of car navigation system.)
The other complaint was about getting commands to make turns too late or too early. I found the voice command for turns to be spot-on in every case-including a 3K, 1K, 500m, 300m and 100m warning prior to the turn. This was critical in busy, city traffic.
3. Voice Commands-I really liked this feature, esp. the female, British accent. I have a slight case of ringing in my ears (tincture) from years on firing ranges and rock concerts from my younger years. Still, with the radio playing, I had NO PROBLEM hearing and understanding the voice commands.
4. Options and Updates-traffic warnings and the ability to get road updates online is a big plus. I'm currently using the Navigon in Europe, but it also has maps for the continental US when I go back to the states. For that matter, I used it in Prague (Czech Republic) and Berlin, both former eastern Europe.
Cons
1. Screen-there is one legitimate complaint-some of the numbers are small-ie if you want to read total distance of trip, your current speed, current elevation, you need to really look at the screen to read those numbers. Also, it can be a little difficult to read if you are driving into the sun, but this may be true of all navigation systems.
2. New Destinations-I think this is a Con-I need to check the user's manual. I would like to have the ability to go somewhere and then enter it as a new destination. This may be possible-I need to check the User's Manual.
3. Price-no issues for me for what I got, but like all technology, wait 6 months and the price will probably drop $100.
Highly recommended.
Customer Review: I purchased it for the mount! Nice unit!
Summary: 5 Stars
Just kidding I got it for the navigation capabilities; however, the windshield mount looks like it was modeled after the alien spacecraft from the blockbuster War of the Worlds movie- so cool!
I've been a GPS user since 2000 when I first rented a car with a GPS system. Since then I've used various GPS software and hardware on Window CE devices and most recently on an AT&T 8525 PDA phone. I switched to a dedicated GPS since trying to run GPS navigation software on a phone gets complicated when calls start coming in.
Quality- Built well, thin, probably couldn't hold up to drops or abuse but overall it's a nice unit. Did I mention the mount? Absolutely beautiful design/concept. It securely holds the 5100 very well
GPS Reception- Folks have complained that this unit takes a long time to acquire satellites. I haven't experienced this. Typically time to acquire 5 to 7 satellites is approx 30 seconds to 1:30. Please in mind that acquiring satellites can be hampered by building (sky scrapers), cloudy days, positioning of the unit on the window (i.e. GPS units need clear visibility of the sky to receive good reception), heavy rain/snow and time of day/rotation of the earth. Overall no complaints; it performs very well.
Interface- For me the interface was very close to one version of software I had a while back on a Windows CE PDA. It does take time to learn the interface so don't think of this as an ATM or self-checkout lane at the store. Read the manual. Overall it works and I can find POIs or enter in addresses with ease. Doesn't seem sluggish to me. Only downfall is that I cannot sync my outlook contacts to it. Several settings are available in this unit for customization.
Screen- A tad bit washed out but not bad. You can still see the POIs, streets, etc. when driving. For the cost it's reasonable. You can adjust the screen brightness. There is a night time mode.
Navigation- The "Optimal" routing setting works best for me. It calculates routes driver would typically take. I've tested this and it works very well. Re-calculating routes works very quickly for me. Calculating a long drive, such as from Portland, OR to Dallas, TX does take some time to calculate but given the distance covered, I'm happy it can do it!
Text to Speech/Volume- The voice quality is good. A female's voice is used. She prompts me well in advance of the street name and direction. The volume when maxxed out is adequate but it's not going to over power your car radio or beat the howling wind @ 55 mph. Typically when I'm going some place I don't know I roll the windows up and turn down the radio. I pay attention.
Versatility- being able to swap between cars is ideal.
Traffic Reception- Stellar! This unit prompts me with traffic condition warnings. There is no subscription for this service as it taps into the local radio stations that broadcast this service.
I was really concerned about the negative reviews on this unit, but overall I'm satisfied and my friends consider me the "return king." Looking forward to many drives and not getting lost.
Cheers,
Brian
Customer Review: Great GPS for the money
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought the Navigon 5100 on Black Friday and have used it a number of times. My previous GPS was a Mio 310x and I've used a Garmin C330 a number of times when renting vehicles. For the money, the Navigon has hands down been the best unit that I've used. It's always difficult for long time users of another GPS unit to get used to a new device; however, the Navigon was very easy to get up and going.
The Navigon 5100 has a lot of great features that make it a great value. The real-time traffic alerts (no subscription required) are helpful in metropolitan areas and provide options of routing around the issue or ignoring it. The unit lets users customize how to receive alerts (e.g. all, on-route only, etc). The reality view feature is also really nice when traveling on major interstates. It momentarily shows a realistic view of interchanges and clearly designates which lanes you should stay in and which to avoid.
The styling of the unit is very clean and European. I like the windshield mount as it allows mounting it in such a way that it can be completely hidden by the GPS unit itself. I have noticed some vibrations, however, once the GPS is mounted on when you drive over bumps, etc. It would be nice if the whole mount assembly allowed less tolerance/movement and mounted 'tighter' to the GPS unit. Also, I've read other reviews suggesting that the GPS won't charge when being used - I've not had any problems that way.
The fonts do seem a bit small on the device; however, the resolution is very good and I like the smaller size to fit more information on the screen at a time. The menu system and user interface are very good and intuitive. The device excels at setting up and navigating trips easily. POIs are clearly marked along the route and provide actual logos in many cases. Searching for POIs leave a bit to be desired relative to other devices. The default is to first select a POI category and then to filter within that category. I've found it easier to just begin typing within all categories and let the system filter results for you as you type.
I haven't had issues with weird routing that other users have identified in reviews as of yet. I did go ahead and update several of the XML files (it was really easy) on the system with the suggestions found on: [...]
All in all, I give this unit high marks for its design, functionality, speed, and feature set. For $[...], I'm not sure how you could do any better.
Customer Review: Function Filled GPS for Mid Range Price
Summary: 5 Stars
I have never owned a GPS device for my travel purpose and family outing I got this piece.I love this one Right out of the Box It started working and good to go.
I have read the reviews about it before I bought it people are more had pre conceived notion about it it seems may be because they have already used some other products and they are comparing with them .. But I consider this device is cool only thing is you need to play around with it to make it work to your needs.
Problems faced By others in the reviews and the Reasons for that ...
1. Charger Plugs in the Bottom.
The new product has the L shaped charger pin which goes in so it will be flat and does not have the problem of Clearance issues as mentioned in the reviews.
2. Volume is low.
I found it Ok for my preference with music on and not driving a Lexus...
There is an option which allows to set amplification levels depending on speed.
3.Too many icons in the screen causing clutter.
The reasons for this by deafault it shows around 31 ( In Old firmware) 28 ( in new firmware ) you can select what you want to be displayed on the screen.
4. The screen zooms in and out.
By deafault the systems zooms in and out depending on speed you can turn it off by settings.
I love the features on this device the reality view helps me a lot in complicated intersections.
It recalcualtes the route quick enough that you may not get lost.
TMC works great and allerts me about all the incident which are broadcasted over FM. This is when it is default you can set it to show only alerts ob route.It is provided with antenna but I havent used it yet.
The TMC jack doubles as head phone hack if some one wants to set it that way so that others need not listen to the prompting and all other things.
Especially in the night driving with kids.
It lags a bit to display turn by turn instructions if the route is long and involves many turns.
I have not tested yet various route profiles available. I will update once I check them out.