NaviGadget

six GPS navigation systems no longer with us

Apr 11, 2009 gps navigation 6 Comments

GPS navigation system market is very dynamic and fast moving. New features come out monthly, prices keep going down. Small brand names can’t just compete or the big ones (HP, Sony) just take a quick stab at the market and realize people just won’t give up their Garmin’s :)

Here are a few names that are either out of the GPS navigation market or about to be gone.

• Magellan


Magellan was one of the big shots here in the U.S. but recently was bought by Mitac Mio. Even though Mio said they’d keep the brand going we think it is a matter of time until the Magellan name completely disappears.

• HP


HP had a decent looking device called iPAQ 310 for a while but it turns out they’ll be discontinuing their stand alone GPS navigation systems and a few others such as iPAQ 312, 314, 316, and 318.

• Dash


These were the guys to first come out with a decent two way connected system. We really loved it. But they didn’t last long. When they quit they promised they’d keep their awesome user collected traffic information platform alive.

• Harman/Kardon


Harman did come out with a few models that really looked promising such as the GPS-810. But due to continued price cutting they’re out as well.

• Sony


Sony never really got traction in the PND market. They officially quit the European market. Even though SonyStyle for U.S. still offers the NVU series the fact that they haven’t offered anything new makes us wonder…

• Panasonic


Panasonic is also out but only for standalone GPS navigation systems like the Strada CN-GP50N, and CN-GP50U. They’re keeping their in-dash systems.

UPDATE (May 6th):

• Navigon


We’re sorry to now add Navigon to this list. They really had some decent devices but the aggressive pricing was too aggressive for them. They’ll continue business in Europe.

harman kardon gps-510 for only $145 on Amazon

Aug 19, 2008 gps navigation 2 Comments

Harman Kardon GPS-510 is now going for only $145 on Amazon. We thought we’d mention it since it is a really good deal if you’re on the market for a GPS navigation system with a large screen.

Here are the features of Harman-Kardon GPS-510:

• high speed 2D/3D navigation
• listen to music while navigating
• turn-by-turn maps, spoken driving directions in English, French, or Spanish
• specify shortest, fastest, highway or non-toll routes
• navigation prompts appear as needed during music playback
• fast route recalculation in the event of detours or wrong turns
• complete preloaded maps of the U.S. and Canada
• million of restaurants, gas stations, hospitals, ATMs and other points of interests preloaded

compare harman kardon GPS systems

Dec 10, 2007 gps navigation, harman kardon Leave a comment

Harman Kardon has 3 different GPS navigation systems available in Europe; GPS-500, GPS-300, and GPS-200. They all have the same form factor but differ in internal hardware and multimedia capabilities, and pre-installed maps. Both 500 and 300 offer integrated TMC receiver, 2GB of flash memory with maps of Western Europe. Only difference of GPS-500 is that it supports Windows DRM 10 and can play video files in MPEG4 and WMV format. GPS-300 and GPS-200 can play audio files in MP3 and WMA formats. GPS-200 only offers regional maps and has 512MB of internal memory.

GPS-500 costs £300, GPS-300 $246, and GPS-200 is not that easy to find online.

If you are in the U.S. you should look into GPS-810, GPS-510, and GPS-310.

Harman Kardon GPS-810 already for sale

Dec 7, 2007 gps navigation, harman kardon 5 Comments

The Harman Kardon GPS-810 which was just announced about a month ago is already on sale on Amazon and BestBuy for $600.

The 810 is a high-end sat nav system from Harman Kardon that has a wide 4.3″ touch screen, integrated traffic receiver, bluetooth, and maps of U.S. and Canada with a 12 million point of interests.

One thing to note here is of course the wireless rotary remote controller which would make controlling the GPS navigation system while driving a whole lot easier.

Of course you can also control other functions with the remote such as the movie player which supports WMV9, H.264, MPEG-4, and AVI formats as wells as Windows DRM 10 files and subscriptions; the audio player which supports MP3, M4A, WMV formats, and the image viewer.

Another nice feature is the addition of audio out port so you can connect GPS-810 to your car stereo if need be.

Harman Kardon GPS-510

Nov 1, 2007 gps navigation, harman kardon 1 Comment

Continuing our Harman Kardon coverage today we have the new GPS-510 navigation system that was introduced a couple of days ago. GPS-510 has maps of U.S. and Canada preloaded and has a 4″ touch screen that may not matter so much since it also features text-to-speech voice prompts so you can always keep your eyes on the road.

Harman Kardon GPS-510 is multilingual offering map directions and voice guidance in 17 different languages. It also has traffic message channel receiver which will come with 3 month trial subscription and will offer live traffic information in most big cities.

The Guide + Play features a Secure Digital™ (SD) memory card slot, so you can play back your favorite music and videos through the navigator using optional SD cards. The GPS-510 supports several file formats, including Windows Media DRM10 downloadable files, and the 4″ screen offers you more information for scrolling through music tracks. You can browse by artist, album, genre, song, or playlist, while the screen displays album artwork and ID3 tags.

Harman Kardon GPS-510 is already on Crutchfield.com (currently out of stock) with an asking price of $450. The difference between GPS-510 and GPS-500 is that the newer one TMC compatible and has a better battery that lasts an hour longer.

Harman Kardon GPS-810

Oct 31, 2007 gps navigation, harman kardon 14 Comments

Harman Kardon introduced GPS-810 today, a new addition to their GPS navigation lineup which only consisted of GPS-500 and GPS-300 up until now.

The new GPS-810 is actually one of three GPS navigation systems introduced today, other two being GPS-510, and GPS-310. GPS-810 is the top of the line product priced at $600 and is expected to be available next month. It comes with a wireless rotary controller for in-car operation that could make things a lot easier for the driver. There’s of course the bluetooth connectivity nowadays expected from every GPS navigation system that costs over $300. But Harman Kardon does not throw in just any bluetooth function; it adds dual built-in microphones and a noise-cancellation system for best audio quality. Harman Kardon GPS-810 also comes with a wireless FM transmitter that can transmit voice commands and phone calls to your car’s speakers… via

Harman Kardon GPS500

Jan 16, 2007 CES 2007, gps navigation, harman kardon 8 Comments

The name Harman Kardon is familiar to many of us as the name behind high-end audio devices. However at CES 2007 they made it official that they’d be entering the GPS navigation market with GPS500 – a portable navigation device that will be available as soon as March 2007 for $500.

Harman Kardon’s GPS500 is also multimedia player with an easy to use graphical user interface. Harman Kardon claims the device will not just throw in the music and video support as extra functionality but rather make it a part of the whole experience.

“Convergence of GPS and multimedia systems in a single device is of growing importance to consumers, but most combination GPS/multimedia systems on the market today lack many of the features — music-browsing control and capability, for one — found in a single device,” said Mike Giffin, president of the Mobile Systems Division for Harman Consumer Group. “The Guide + Play GPS-500 can be used while driving, working or relaxing, offering consumers ultimate mobility by enabling them to take their music collections on the road, watch movies on a plane or use the navigation system to find the nearest gas station or restaurant.”

Here are some of the features of Harman Kardon GPS500:

• Ability to integrate navigation and multimedia applications seamlessly (users may also set volume priority between the two functions)
• 4-inch widescreen WQVGA LCD display
• mini SD card support up to a 4GB capacity
• PlaysForSure, supports multiple multimedia formats including MP3, MP4, WMA, ASF, WAV and OGG.
• five hours of battery life
• 2GB of internal flash memory
• USB 2.0 high-speed interface
• pocket-sized portable windshield mount, carrying case, wall-mounted AC adapter, in-car cigarette-lighter cable included

Harman Kardon Guide + Play

Nov 14, 2006 gps navigation, harman kardon 3 Comments

Another new name to enter the GPS navigation market is Harman Kardon with a system called the Guide + Play. It will include a media player that is smart enough to sort your music and other media on artist name, genre, album, etc. Guide + Play will come with a 4 inch screen and you’ll be able to upgrade its memory to 4 GB using the SD slot. The internal rechargeable battery should last you up to 5 hours on a single charge. You can expect to buy the Harman Kardon Guide + Play for $500 in January.

via

Harmon Kardon RB4 GPS navigation system

Oct 22, 2006 gps navigation, harman kardon 25 Comments

If you think Harmon Kardon only makes expensive audio equipment you’re wrong. They also make GPS navigation systems. Meet RB4. A CD / radio / GPS navigation system packed into a small body that can fit into your car’s audio slot. This 3-in-1 device has a full featured navigation which can give you visual and voice prompt commands before the next turn. The good thing about RB4 is that it allows you to download the maps onto its memory so that the CD slot is yours to use while navigating. The included CD’s contain the maps to the US and Canada. The screen measures 4.9″ diagonally giving you plenty of space to show everything you need, even distance to destination, and estimated time of arrival. RB4 also supports Sirius satellite radio module as well as Chrysler UCONNECT hands free module and select Chrysler DVD/CD changers.

Full specs after the jump…
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