TomTom and Fujitsu Ten have announced the ECLIPSE AVN4430 in-dash nav system and it’s pretty darn expensive at $850. But, I’m not sure how much in-car GPS units go for from manufacturers so correct me if I’m wrong. The plus side is that you can remove the TomTom GPS unit whenever you please and use it elsewhere. It sports a 4.3-inch screen and controls all of your car’s entertainment needs. It will be available in the States this month. Hit the jump for specs.
Best Maps
* TomTom Map Share™ technology, enabling users to make updates and corrections to their own maps instantly on the device and to benefit from improvements made by other users free of charge.
* Latest map guarantee so users always have free access to the latest map at time of purchase.Safety
* ‘Help Me’ Emergency menu that gives drivers direct access to emergency services and roadside assistance
* Voice address input so that users can drive to millions of cities and street names by simply announcing the address of their destination
* Clear voice instructions and text-to-speech to enable street names, places, traffic alerts and SMS messages to be read aloud as part of the spoken instructions
* Enhanced hands-free calling with high-quality sound system via Bluetooth® to allow drivers to keep their eyes firmly on the road while making phone calls in the car
* Rear-view Camera Ready so drivers can expand their view outside of a normal field of vision.Future Proof
* Free TomTom HOME software and content from the TomTom community to keep their device up to date at all times.
Easy to Use
* Large 4.3 inch touch screen with fresh icons and an updated user interface to navigate drivers to their destination even more easily.
this isn’t the first one of these from the pair… the AVN2210P was announced and demo’d at CES 2 years ago. I bought one in July (about a month after they were released) and had it professionally installed. It was the biggest pile of crap I have ever seen. Software updates and even a complete replacement due to a failed CD drive.
Things “worked” usually, but it had the fit and finish of an early prototype. It rattled and vibrated like crazy (I narrowed this down to inside the unit itself) and the user interface for the entertainment side of the PND was terrible.
I ended up ripping it out of my car a few months ago and now I use the PND as a normal GPS – the actual head unit sits on a shelf in my garage as an $800 reminder of my mistake.