Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I bought the 2090s from Radio Shack. It is simply a re-branded 2000s. One reason I chose it was the included two year subscription for "Fresh Maps". Having accurate maps is essential and map updates are expensive, so the two year subscription has significant value.
My unit came with a windshield mount, dashboard mount, car charger and USB cable. The latter is needed for installing map updates and can also be used for charging the unit. Regarding charging, at first it seemed like I had a bad battery until I learned that there's a difference between putting the unit into "sleep mode" (a quick button push) and turning it off. Sleep mode will save the current state, so if you're in the middle of navigating somewhere and make a stop the unit will pick up where it left off when you're back on the road. Sleep mode though continues to draw power from the battery. To prevent the battery from going flat you have to press and hold down the power button for 5-10 seconds - then the unit will properly turn off. This is not convenient and it is not explained in the minimal documentation. I learned about it by searching the support section of the navigon web site.
I find the navigation function very accurate. I've been testing by programming local destinations and observing the route choices. The GPS does not always choose what I think are the best roads so sometimes I ignore it and it quickly recalculates the route. The map display is pretty bland much of the time which I think is good (less distracting). However it kicks in the color and animation during special transitions such as approaching freeway junctions. The display and voice commands are very specific about which lanes to use to stay on route, and the timing of voice cues is accurate.
The screen has a day and night mode. The brightness for each mode can be set separately, and the night mode uses darker maps which is easier on the eyes. The switch between day and night modes can be set to "automatic" however the time cannot be set. The unit switches at 6 AM and 6 PM, and that doesn't correspond well with actual sunrise and sunset times. Fortunately, you can just touch the screen and instantly switch from one mode to the other.
The only function that the 2090s handles poorly is "points of interest". It nicely displays POI icons on the map as you drive, so it's easy to pick up on gas stations, restaurants, etc. nearby, however it is not possible to search the POI database using the names of specific locations. For instance, if I want to find a Starbucks in my area I can't just enter the name. I have to drill down through category menus. If I choose the wrong category I don't find the listing even though it is in the database. Starbucks is easy because there's a "cafe" category, but other stores do not clearly fall into the listed categories. This is really frustrating and if the "points of interest" feature is important to you I would consider this a deal breaker.
Generally I'm happy with the unit since I primarily use it for navigation, but I'm only giving it three stars because of the poor "points of interest" feature, the lack of included documentation and sleep/battery issue.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Navigon 2000S 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
Slim and ultra-portable, the NAVIGON 2000S goes beyond the basics with a bundle of premium, useful features that are unmatched in its class. Never miss your exit again with Reality View Pro which automatically displays photo-realistic images of virtually every highway intersection and exit complete with sign text and lane guidance. Advanced Text-to-Speech Voice Guidance provides accurate turn-by-turn directions with full street names so you can confidently make your turn. The NAVIGON 2000S also includes a host of useful features that will help guide you through your travels, such as Lane Assistant Pro, DirectHelp and Multi-Destination Trip Planning.
Click here for more information about Navigon 2000S 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
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