Navigon 5100 Portable GPS Device - Features
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The 5100 comes with a host of nice features. The engine inside the 5100 is a Samsung 400 MHz processor with 64 MB of RAM and 256 MB flash ROM. The GPS chip used in the 5100 is the SiRFstarIII chip, which is relatively common in competing models.
Navigon has made the menu system very easy to navigate. They have used large on-screen buttons that are easy to see and press without accidentally pressing the wrong button. When typing in a destination or address, Navigon has equipped this model with a predictive text feature, which will finish words for you while typing. This is a great feature that saves time because you don't have to type entire words.
The navigation screen is very nicely designed, and shows all the information that you would need while driving: name of street, distance to the next turn, ETA, remaining distance, speed alerts, etc. You can view the navigation screen in 2D or 3D mode. The 3D mode shows a semi-realistic view of the street that you are traveling on; it even shows street signs and exit signs. This feature is useful when trying to find an exit on a highway that has a confusing exit/on ramp design.
A very useful feature included in the 5100 is the text to speech (TTS) functionality. I have always said that this feature is essential to have in a GPS unit that is intended to be used while driving. This feature allows you to keep your eyes on the road instead of on the GPS screen. The 5100 will announce turn-by-turn directions, as well as street names.
Navigon has included a huge database of points of interest (POI) in the 5100. Their POI database consists of restaurants, nightclubs, gas stations, hotels, etc. The POI feature is designed nicely. You can search for POIs in a variety of ways including by best value or best rated. The POI feature includes Zagat Survey Ratings, so you can find the best possible value, or the highest rated destination for which you are searching.
If you've ever researched portable GPS devices before, you have probably come across the real-time traffic data feature. For the first time ever in the GPS industry, Navigon offers this feature free for life. Other GPS manufacturers usually charge a yearly fee for this service. The built-in traffic data receiver will warn you, on-screen, about traffic congestion up ahead so that you can choose an alternate route. This feature works right out of the box. It is worth noting that this feature is not available in every city. For a list of cities in which this feature is compatible, visit the Navigon website at www.navigon.com.
Some other feature of the Navigon 5100 include speed warnings and a lane assistance feature. The speed warning will warn you when the device senses that you are speeding. The lane assistance technology is more helpful than some people think. Have you ever been in an unfamiliar city, found out that you have to turn up ahead, and you need to cross over four lanes of traffic to get to the right lane? I think that everyone has been in this situation. Navigon's lane assistance feature will help to remedy this problem by telling you which lane is best to be in for any desired route chosen. This helps to eliminate any last-second lane changes, which can cause accidents, not to mention a lot of stress while driving!
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