0ur opinion:

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Ultra-slim and with a stunning 4.3-inch touchscreen display, the NAVlG0N 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 servicesand 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.

Manufacturer's Description--May 3, 2008:
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. Spoken driving direction in real street names via text-to-speech capability let you keep your eyes on the road. Exclusive Reality View provides extra 3D guidance when you need it most.  Lane Assistant alerts you to oncoming lane changes. DirectHelp helps you find emergency and roadside services—and helpsthem find you. Add FreshMaps as an accessory to get up to 12 regular, trusted map updates for three years. 0ther accessories include Lifetime TrafficSM,2 and ZAGAT® Ratings and Reviews.

Navigon has long been a major provider of navigation software to automotive manufacturers for in-dash gps navigation devices, but only last year did they introduce portable navigation devices under their own name (learn more about Navigon). What they offer up, however, demonstrates immediately that this is a company that knows navigation inside and out. Navigon focuses features that directly empower navigation and on sleek form factors.

Key Features

• Reality View: 3D images of highway interchanges with actual road sign text so you’ll never miss your exit again. (Learn more)
• Lane Assistant:. lcons alert you to the optimal lane to be in.(Learn more)
  
• Widescreen: See the big picture with a stunning, easy-to-read, 4.3-inch widescreen format.
  
• Spoken Directions with Text-to-Speech: keep your eyes on the road with spoken turn-by-turn directions and real street names. 
• Points 0f lnterest: Reach gas stations, hotels, restaurants, transportation hubs, and more with millions of points of interest that will help you find your way.
  
• Branded icons: places are so easy to find that everywhere will feel like home.
• DirectHelp: At-a-glance information helps you find emergency and roadside services—and helps them find you. Just push a button and get instant directions and phone numbers to the nearest hospitals, police stations, roadside assistance companies and pharmacies.

Easy Add-0ns

Navigon offers some unique services that are easy to add to your Navigator with a simple activation code.

• 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 (included free on the 5100 and 7100 models).
  
• 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 (included free on the 5100 and 7100 models).

Which Navigon is Right for You?

• Click here to see a chart comparing features on the entire family of Navigon portable GPS navigators

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Learn More

Superior Software and Hardware

The features and functions of the Navigon's portable GPS navigators 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 elegant, high-contrast, full-color touch-screen displays. Navigon portable GPS navigators run on a powerful Samsung 400 MHz processor, a fully integrated SiRF Star lll GPS chip, 64 MBs of both RAM and R0M 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 housing.

Reality View

Reality View™ provides 3D images and actual road sign text when approaching complex interchanges — so you’ll never miss your exit again.

Lane Assist

No more wondering what lane you need to be in to stay on course. Your NAVlG0N will guide you with simple to follow lane guidance with arrows so you can make your turn and stay on track.

Zagat Ratings (Requires Purchase of Activation Code)

Now you can enjoy the world's most comprehensive restaurant and entertainment guide — right on your NAVlG0N GPS device. With ZAGAT's trusted Ratings and Reviews, you will know exactly where to stay and play during your travels and, with NAVlG0N's guidance you will know exactly how to get there. The guide includes over 21,000 entries covering a variety of categories, including restaurants, hotels, golf courses, nightclubs and attractions in over 70 cities in the U.S. and Canada. ZAGAT SURVEY Ratings and Reviews is a standard feature on both the 7100 and 5100 models. An additional accessory purchase is required to activate the service on the 2100 model.

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What's in the Box

• NAVlG0N 2100 max 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

Note: All Navigon GPS Navigators run 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 R0M 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.

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The Navigon Family of Portable Navigators

	Screen Size (diagonally)	Maps	Reality View	Real Street Names	Lane Assistant	Bluetooth	P0ls	Lifetime Traffic Data Service	Zagat Ratings	FreshMaps 3-Year Map Update Service
2100	3.5 inches	continental U.S.					1.3 million	Requires Activation	Requires Activation	Requires Activation
2120	3.5 inches	U.S and Canada					1.3 million	Requires Activation	Requires Activation	Requires Activation
2100 Max	4.3 inches	continental U.S.					1.3 million	Requires Activation	Requires Activation	Requires Activation
5100	3.5 inches	U.S and Canada					millions	lncluded	lncluded	Requires Activation
7100	4.3 inches	U.S and Canada					millions	lncluded	lncluded	Requires Activation

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About Navigon

NAVlG0N has been a leader of GPS navigation since 1991, and has a long history of industry innovations. NAVlG0N 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.

NAVlG0N 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 NAVlG0N's award-winning MobileNavigator (MN) software delivers reliable information on millions of destinations in an intuitive, easy to use format. NAVlG0N is a valued partner to the automotive industry, and in 2006 strengthened its category competency by acquiring NAVTEQ's navigation software business.

NAVlG0N is a privately-held software company based in Hamburg, Germany, with NAVlG0N USA headquarters in Chicago, lL.

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Testimonials

Average Buyer Rating:

Buyer's feedback: - * Great unit - lousy customer service/support ...
Mine worked great for about 2 weeks and then quit on me. It wouldn't power up.

After exchanging about 4 emails and a 30 minute phone call with Navigon (try powering it up plugged into the car, try powering it up plugged into the USB on your computer, try holding down the power button for 15 seconds, etc.) they had me send it in.

I sent it in 3 weeks ago. It took a week to 'process it in' and then it takes an average of 2 weeks to get it sent back out. That 2 weeks is today. When I called they told me that 2 weeks is just an average and 'hopefully' I can expect it some time next week.

Overall a pretty frustrating experience with Navigon. 'Hopefully' it will work when I get it back.

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Buyer's feedback: - Excellent GPS
This is my second GPS, my first being a Garmin. I was looking to stay with Garmin but I wanted it also to provide traffic reports. Garmin and other GPS's have it but you have to pay a annual fee plus the GPS's cost more. I got it with the 2100 Max $250 and for life of the product. The traffic report works great and very accurate in the Milwaukee, Wi. area where I drive over 50 miles a day. A real time and headache saver. You need to have the cord plugged in because the antenna for the Traffic is built in, found out the hard way. It shows freeway construction areas, traffic jams, accidents and stopped traffic. Been using it for a month and it works great. Very fast satellite response. It even works on my first floor in my two story home. My Garmin does not! So the satellite reception is very strong. The streets and lanes are very accurately shown such as medians, 2 or 4 lanes and merging lanes as if it was a satellite view! If you go off route it is extremely fast to recalculate a new route. My Garmin although it is 3 years old takes sometime to update. The 3D images of highway interchanges with actual road sign text is just like looking at the actual freeway overhead signs. That would be a big help if your in unfamiliar areas. I don't see any other GPS's with that feature. This unit has the latest map update so you don't have to upgrade yet. If you have to update its Fresh Maps include 12 updates of maps and points-of-interest over the course of three years for $60. Not $60 every year like my garmin! So I would highly recommend this newest version of the Navigon GPS's lineup.

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Buyer's feedback: - * A SUPERB GPS Unit ...
The Navigon 2100MAX is an EXCELLENT PERFORMER - well thought out and well executed.

An easy User Interface allows you to enter street addresses, for automatic point-to-point navigation - with turn-by-turn Voice guidance, if desired - and tailor a variety of settings to your individual tastes. A massive 'Points Of Interest' database allows it to show accurate locations of Gas Stations, Restaurants, and a whole 'laundry list' of other choices, wherever you travel. I live in an 'off the beaten path' small town, and every detail is well covered here.

Though it comes 'out of the box' quite complete, the Navigon 2100MAX also has Expansion Capabilities for some additional-cost services, for those who later decide they're useful. The first - which I highly recommend over the long term - is "Fresh Maps", a three-year subscription for updates to the Maps and Points Of Interest databases. There are also options to add Zagat Survey restaurant reviews, which would pop up onscreen when you touch the icon for a nearby restaurant -- and live Traffic Info for select metropolitan areas, which integrates to display on the maps and suggest alternate routing. Any or all of these can be added to the Navigon 2100 or 2100MAX at any time, by purchasing the appropriate access code cards. If you're rich and want it all from day one, look into the pricier Navigon 7100, which comes preloaded with all the options.

This is my second GPS unit, after having done Long-Haul Trucking for several years with an early (1998 vintage) Garmin StreetPilot unit. The Navigon, with its newer technology, is naturally vastly superior to that 'ancient' Garmin - with a simpler User Interface, much more Detailed Maps, true Routing capability (with early units, you had to do your own point-by-point route setting), and easy Updating capability (something I longed for as the Garmin aged).

To be fair, the current Garmin models also offer these newer capabilities - so there is no fair comparison between the current models and my old one. Every GPS now on the market is far superior to the early models - and, notably, at a fraction of the price. The evolution of the GPS products in the past two years, is directly comparable to the evolution of Personal Computers over the past 10 years or so.

ANY modern GPS unit is, basically, a 'task-dedicated' Computer - with its circuitry optimized for the intended primary function. (Portable DVD Players with their own display screen are another common, though much simpler, device that fits this general description.) The Navigon models, like many competitors, use a customized version of Microsoft's Windows CE as their basic operating system - augmented by a software package which includes the Map information, Points Of Interest, and the manufacturer's particular 'twist' on a User Interface (what you deal with, onscreen, to enter information and use the device). The Navigon units use a 2GB SD Memory Card to hold it all - which allows for an easy hardware upgrade (pop in a bigger Card) if the data-handling needs ever grow beyond 2GB. (In comparison, my ancient Garmin had a 32MB internal chip, and wasn't expandable.)

In raw computing power, modern GPS units put some older Laptop Computers to shame. With this Computer basis, it isn't much of a stretch to expand on the basic platform to incorporate MP3 Players, Bluetooth communications, etc. into a modern GPS unit - and many models do so, with something available for every taste and budget.

Navigon is a solid German company - a leader in Europe, but a distant fourth in the U.S. market - behind Garmin, Magellan, and TomTom (another European company) in market share here. There is NO shortcoming in their product, or the support standing behind it - just less money spent on advertising to build the brand into a household word. A classical German marketing approach, actually - concentrate on building a superior product, and let that product 'speak for itself' in establishing a reputation, over time. (Older folks can think back to the early growth of Volkswagen, for another 'textbook example' of how this works.)

Navigon is a solid contender, with a solid product, worthy of your serious consideration for your GPS needs. They won't disappoint you.

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Buyer's feedback: - Great Unit for the money
I've read a number of reviews that say the 2100 max is slow to acguire satellites, or recalculate, hard to use etc. I bought the 2100 max for use in my Jeep. It acquired satellites fast and recalculates quickly. So, I thought it must be because of the soft top on the Jeep. To test that, I put the unit in my Acura TL that has a navigation system that cost over $2,000. Granted the Navigation in the Acura has a lot of bells and whistles, but turn for turn, the Navigon kept up with the Acura. It acquired the satellites just as fast. Could living on the west coast have anything to do with it... Nah. On a recent trip to Philadelphia the performance was the same. The Navigon 2100max is not perfect, but it is a great unit for the cost.Navigon 2100 max 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigator with Text-to-Speech, Lifetime Traffic, and Fresh Maps

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Buyer's feedback: - * Navigon 2100 Max 4.3 ' GPS ...
There is not enough good things that I can say about this GPS sytem. The Navigon 2100 Max is a magnificant product which I found after extensive research of many brands and types of GPS systems. With its outstanding Reality view displaying an image of the green signs you come across everyday allows you to navigate with confidence. Text-to-spech is usually very clear, unless you turn the volume all of the way up then the voice is somewhat distorted. The clarity of the screen is tremendous with its large size of 4.3' you can read everything with ease even if you happen to be a back seat passenger. The only con to this system is it the distorted voice at loud volumes, and the menue setup that is difficult for some to maneuver through. In summary, this system is a brilliant buy with an intricate design. A 5 star rating for this product for sure. Thank you Navigon and Amazon for the speedy delievery!