My review will be point form format, and I wil try to cover everything this unit does.
Typically you will find this unit anywhere from $430cdn - $550cdn + Taxes.
It's a fairly new unit, Cool Navi has the Coolnavi430, a smaller unit, all the same functions.
The Coolnavi can best be described as a media centre, not just a navigation unit (which it handles very well)
It comes with the following slots/ports:
USB x 2 (mini and standard size) - You can plug in a key and voila, access all the files on it.
SD card slot.
CF Card slot. - This slot is populated with a 2gb card that contains all your map data. If you just place the Canadian maps on it, it uses approx 175mb. If you place the US and Canada Maps.. you fill the card.
Two Video in, and a headphone jack.
Did I mention the awesome 7 inch display?
You also get a card reader and a remote to make accessing data easier...
Just a note:
Are the most useless things that come with the unit. Seriously.
I wanted to know how to upload the new maps for the unit (it comes stock with just the US maps loaded on the CF card) nothing in any of the manuals...
I stuck the cd in , it came up with the install map, (installed it on the C: drive.. but soon found out you are too install it on the CF card)
Once I had the Canadian maps installed (you can choose the voice you want too_) it was as easy as turning the unit on, booom... we have navi.
The screen is easy to read, you can select the amount of data you want to see, or not.
Night and day views
You can have three different views, 2d, 3d or split view (my personal favorite)
You can listen to music(mp3's) or check your rearview camera(s) with pip whilein Navi.
Viewing pictures is nice too, it has a slide show mode..
some nice features it has:
Voice prompt: Very accurate, timely and not annoying... yet...
Route recalculating: AWESOME! I plotted a route to my house from Vaughan, and intentionally took wrong turns, within a second or two from passing the proper turn, the Coolnavi replotted an alternate spin to the route... very noice and fast.
Startup: Cold startup is under a min. You have to remember this unit is a
Windows CE machine.. a COMPUTER with a touch screen. It has to boot, load the OS, load and boot the Coolnavi startup sequence, find satilites, start navi (or whatever you choose it to startup with, all selectable in settings)
Predictive text... it allows you to type in an address, only showing the keys available for you to choose.. I will take some pics of this when I remember... it's nice.
What else, it's all round awesome tool.
Comes with suction glass mount... can play games (will be testing out other Windows CE applications soon)
That's it...
Cons?
No battery, but it's a navi unit, most Navi that come with batteries only last two hours anyways.
Cheap speakers. Use the Headphone jack, stay away from the FM part too, I have never heard a transmitter that ever sounded good.
SD slot isn't SDHC... *pouts* no 8gig card for it now.. but 4gb works fine.
I haven't tried my 4gb CF drive in it yet.. I will as soon as I find it.
Will also be trying the Coolnavi with Active Sync, and seeing how the structure of the System is. (Since it's Windows CE, should be able to do some cool tricks with it... like handwrting recognition... all depends on what can be done.. we'll see... )
If anyone is coming to the Niagara BBQ, you can check it out in person, it is really cool!
Thanks, I will answer any questions best I can... and will post other pictures of other functions.