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gpspassion
93402 Posts |
 Posted - 13 juil. 2007 : 05:32:18
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UPDATED 20080108 :
In answer to a question about Navigon in Europe I wrote this comment on page 52 : Navigon have been shipping navigation software in Germany for nearly 10 years, at the time it was on laptops, so they have accumulated a huge experience. They expanded to Europe in early 2004 and after some fine tuning of the routes, they are generally considered throughout Europe as the better software when it comes to the quality of routes. So they know what they're doing, how long it will take them to optimize the US routing engine is anyone's guess though, but they'll get there I'm sure ;-)
They had a bit of a hiccup in their strategy from 2004 to 2007 though as they went the safe OEM route when TomTom went for in-house devices, much more costly upfrotn. They worked with big names like Sony, Blaupunkt, Becker, but most failed to in the market so Navigon were left with little brand recognition and we all know what happened with the TomTom brand worldwide. They changed their strategy in early 2007, we'll see if they can catch up...so far they haven't been very successful it seems even in France.
UPDATED 20070921
Other threads related to the 7100:
1. Customization thread: http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=97096
2. POI Problems thread: http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=97086
3. 2Gb/4Gb SD/SDHC card thread: http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=97161
4. Navigon FAQ: http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=97733
Navigon's excellent trip planning mode
UPDATED 20070907 : Customizing the speed profiles for improved routes, see >> HERE <<
UPDATED 20070731 : More comments >> HERE << on page 9
UPDATED 20070727 : More comments >> HERE << on page 7
UPDATED 20070718 : Have been doing some driving while I am vacationing in the SF Bay Area, and here are some comments and pictures :
1. Route calculations are not optimized compared to TomTom v7 on the 720 : it had me use a main road with a lot of lights instead of a freeway. While that choice could have been acceptable to start with, it then insisted on rerouting me to that original route for way too long. Then it proceeded to have me zigzag around a quite neighboorhood instead of making a couple of turns like the 720. See details below
2. View of the map is too "high" and cluttered with POIs, see below
3. A nice plus is the display of the maximum speed on some roads
4. RV is "nice" as in "wow" factor, but I'm not sure it really adds a lot compared to the "extended lanes"
5. There is no "carpool" lane option
Side by side test with the TomTom 720
Original routes are quite different, more freeway for the 720
  
7100 insists on a big detour to go back to the original route
And then thinks I'm game to test the cornering abilities of my PT Cruiser ;-)
Map view is a bit "high" and cluttered with POIs
Activating "Reality View"
   
Some RV examples - clearly a "wow" factor
I'm expecting a Nuvi 680 test unit later this week so will be able to run some comparisons as well.
ADDED BY GPSPASSION : The big news on the 7100 of course is the addition of "Reality View" (RV), that Navigon worked on with Zenrin, they are the Navteq/TeleAtlas) equivalents in Japan where "Reality View" has been available for several years. It goes one step further from the "extended lanes" provided by Navteq. While RV is very impressive, it is a "static" view so you lose your sense of progress when getting close to an intersection (there is only a little dot progression on the bottom left).
Zenrin's "Reality View"
Navteq's "Extended Lanes"
I tested it extensively in Europe and found it to work well, although the 3D view is a bit "high" and "distant", but is should be tweakable in the .ini files. One question was about the street names, they can be activated. People who are comparing it to Garmin or TomTom AIOs should be aware that the Navigon UI is slower (menu browsing, address searching).
I'm currently using it in California and have found some odd routes, will need a bit more time and will report back.
ORIGINAL POST BY "NO TRIX" : Navigon, a world leader in GPS software, has made a major announcement about their rumored entry into the US AIO Market. The Press Release can be found at: http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/07-12-2007/0004624276&EDATE=
The NAVIGON 7100 offers a host of best-in-class features to help users along the way, including:
-- Clear voice guidance with spoken street names
-- Stress-busting features like Lane Assistant and Reality View that actively guide users and provide photo-realistic images of complex intersections
-- Subscription-free real-time traffic information that works out of the box
-- Information on more than 6.5 million points of interest, plus Zagat-rated restaurants, hotels, nightclubs, and more on the route-allowing user to enjoy the cross-country drive to the fullest
-- Bluetooth(R) wireless technology for easy, hands-free calling
-- Voice Command for spoken directions
-- A "Scenic Route" function which guides you through some of the more visual routes (e.g., mountains) if you choose.
This device is slated to arrive, per the news release, this month (July). The device appears to have all the bells and whistles, including some we haven't seen on a GPS device before. It remains to be seen how it will perform in real world situations...
I for one cannot wait to find out! |
Edited by - NoTrix on 13 juil. 2007 23:02:34
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Planet GPS
369 Posts |
Posted - 13 juil. 2007 : 19:39:35
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| One thing that I really like about Navigon is that they test the hell out of their units, and then they use what they learn to improve upon the next generations units (much like car manufactures use Nascar to test equipment with). Navigon just held their first road race using the 7100. You can read more about it here |
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Planet GPS
369 Posts |
Posted - 13 juil. 2007 : 21:26:02
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I've been doing a LOT of research on this GPS and found that it is already starting to win awards;
quote:
Red dot design honored the Navigon 7100 as “best of the best 2007”. Out of 2,548 submissions, it is one of only 10 that got the exclusive award for innovative functionality, the ultimate in quality and ease of handling, as well as a sweet looking design and intelligent orientation aid.
When you click on the link above you'll also find a video on the unit. Even the mount looks cool |
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RedRover1
USA
582 Posts |
Posted - 13 juil. 2007 : 21:43:52
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| The lifetime traffic is real nice also. |
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Planet GPS
369 Posts |
Posted - 13 juil. 2007 : 22:21:04
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The added traffic subscription from Garmin is one reason why I have never been fully happy with the Nuvi, or Garmin. At 60.00 a year, and you figure you're going to keep the unit for at least 2-3 years, that adds an additional $180.00 to the price of the Nuvi 
Navigon uses the same real time traffic service as Garmin, TomTom, Mio-Mitac, Delphi, Kenwood, Clarion, Navigon, Cobra Electronics, Siemens and now also BMW which started using their service last year. There is a data sheet on the 7100 which you can find by clicking here. |
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NoTrix
USA
182 Posts |
Posted - 13 juil. 2007 : 22:44:29
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This is a good representation of what the views will look like. The screen shots are from Mobile Navigator 6.1 software. The 7100/5100 will have Mobile Navigator 6.5 when launched. As you can see, this software seems customizable... To say the least!
http://forum.pocketnavigation.de/tid1063004-sid.htm |
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Planet GPS
369 Posts |
Posted - 13 juil. 2007 : 23:58:22
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| It uses skins? I'll definitely be designing some of those The more I see about this unit the more I like it... |
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gpsNuvi
140 Posts |
Posted - 14 juil. 2007 : 13:40:42
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And, as an add'l observation from the feature list ...
"Here are the specs for the new 71xx and 51xx series:
o Operating System: Microsoft Windows CE 5.0"
think of the 3rd party possibilities! something the others can't touch.
... very interesting
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Timon
USA
214 Posts |
Posted - 14 juil. 2007 : 19:36:26
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quote:
Originally posted by gpspassion
Catch up with the "Reality View" thread for more http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=90417 ;-) Will be testing it in the US starting tomorrow.
With these new units coming out I think that Navigon should have it's own section in the hardware forum the same as Garmin, TomTom and MIO.
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Edited by - Timon on 14 juil. 2007 19:37:14 |
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Planet GPS
369 Posts |
Posted - 14 juil. 2007 : 20:25:50
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Timon I'm sure once the units are actually on the stores shelves that there will be a Navigon section in the forum 
gpsNuvi, that exactly what I was thinking when I first saw that. Their GPS units will be able to offer unique features that none of the other companies will be able to offer. A good move on Navigons part. I'm actually looking into this deeply as we speak. |
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JB2610
USA
609 Posts |
Posted - 15 juil. 2007 : 02:05:50
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And there is the Porsche/Navigon 9611 in the wings..., but I like the looks of the 7100 better.
At Amazon the 7100 is listed at $649.00, with "usuallly ships in 4-6 weeks". Nice screen shots there also. One routing screen bothers me a little - it does not show ANY street names on the map. A current gripe with some recent Nuvi models that do not display many nearby street names along a route. I hope GPSPassion can comment on this as his preview progresses.
http://tinyurl.com/35v6ol |
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Planet GPS
369 Posts |
Posted - 15 juil. 2007 : 02:50:41
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This will all depend on which mode you have the unit in. From what I have read so far in the manual you'll have 5 modes with the 7100. The Garmin only has two modes. It sounds like you'll want to use the "Destination Search Mode". A screen shot is shown below. Notice the cross hairs which always show you exactly where you are, in addition to the car icon. The font also seems to be easier to read. I'll be able to post more about this hopefully tomorrow, once I finish digesting the manual. Another mode which this unit has which is very nice is the "Preview Mode". In this mode you see the complete trip, from point A to point B, in one screen. This gives you a good idea of where you'll be headed before you ever start your trip. There is also a "Traffic Information" screen which tells you how much traffic is currently on your route. A very useful feature. Another nice plus about this unit is that there is no antenna that you have to constantly keep flipped up like on the Garmins. Everything is built-in. It also appears that Navigon gives its customers lifetime TOLL FREE support
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Timon
USA
214 Posts |
Posted - 15 juil. 2007 : 07:12:01
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| This is the second time I've read about some having the manual. The best I've found is the basic MobileNavigator 6 manual, not the one for the 7100. |
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Planet GPS
369 Posts |
Posted - 15 juil. 2007 : 07:18:38
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| That's the correct one. All Navigon products use Microsoft Windows CE and MobileNavigator for its features. |
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chas
23 Posts |
Posted - 15 juil. 2007 : 15:06:29
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WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This thing (Navigon 7100) looks GREAT!!
I'm already salivating and wanting to get rid of my new Nuvi 660.
I have just emailed Costco.com and Navigon asking them to consider selling these units at Costco's web site. I would encourage anyone else interested in purchasing one of these units, with Costco's generous return policy, to also contact both companies and urge them to do so.
Chas |
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Timon
USA
214 Posts |
Posted - 15 juil. 2007 : 16:35:31
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The more I read the more I like but the more I see the less I like when it comes to the mount.
The mount looks nice but it looks like it has no angle adjustment which would be a problem on different window slopes and it does not look like it can be turned over so it could mount on the dash so it can be used in California. It also looks like you can't feed power and other lines to the mount so you have to plug the cables in before you place it in the mount.
Anyone from the UK or other areas have one to fill us in on these issues?
Still looks like it may be a great GPS.
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Edited by - Timon on 15 juil. 2007 17:19:10 |
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[TOPIC] Navigon 7100 with "Reality View" - Testing
