Product Description

Precision guidance and intuitive features accentuate the uniqueness of the N.I.C.E. 430. With a fixated LCD panel visible in daylight and soft on the eyes at night, maneuvering through the menus or entering an address can be done with ease. And with the integrated Bluetooth phone interface, making and receiving calls can be done effortlessly without taking your eyes off the road. N.I.C.E. 430, taking portable navigation to another level. 400MHz CPU SiRF GPS III Module with 20-channel GPS receiver Slot for SD MMC cards for use with MP3 WMA music file play and Picture viewer (JPEG) 3.5mm external headphone connector Built-in loudspeaker USB1.1 connection for updating and charging Rechargeable Battery with up to 4.5 hours of operation Microsoft Windows CE Net 5.0 core version Charging LED Indicator Optional RDS-TMC for traffic information 2D and 3D map view Automatic Route Recalculation Simple Destination Input Window and Dash Mounts included USB Computer Interface Cable Car Charger

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #210122 in GPS or Navigation System
• Brand: Clarion
• Model: N.I.C.E. 430
• Dimensions: 6.00 pounds

Features

• 4.3-inch TFT Color monitor Touch panel control with Resistive film and sunlight protection
• Built-in Bluetooth 2.0 Interface for Handsfree Operation
• Coverage of entire USA and Canada
• 3 Million Points of Interest with icons
• 1GB Flash Memory

Customer Reviews

Most helpful customer reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful.
Big Screen, Little Performance
By William E. Hunter
The Clarion is just the latest stop on my winding journey to find the portable GPS unit that meets all my needs.

The trade-off on this one was Text-to-Speech, which it doesn't have. My thinking was that it wasn't a deal-breaker, as the GPS will announce turns, so who cares if it reads the street names or not.

But, after using other GPS units with this feature, I feel now that it IS a deal-breaker. Hearing the street name helps keep your eyes on the road, instead of reading the screen. It may not seem like much, but after continued use you REALLY start to miss it.

The other problem, that really IS a deal-breaker, is the sluggish response from the unit, surprising since it sports a pretty hefty 400Mhz processor. Route calculation is slow, but more importantly, on-the-fly route correction if you miss a turn is REALLY slow, so much so that you'll regularly miss a quick turn after re-calculation. This, partnered with very slow satellite aquisition sealed the deal for me, and I returned the Clarion.

Strike three was the Bluetooth function, which is spotty at best. It lost the connection to my Blackberry numerous times, and the worst is that THERE IS NO PHONE DIRECTORY. A fatal omission, I thought the idea of handsfree was to avoid fumbling for phone numbers?

A shame really, because of all the GPS units that have come before, the Clarion definitely has the most robust software. You have complete control over editing the route, and the turn-by-turn itinerary is great, and even includes major streets you'll pass to your next turn. The screen is also easy on the eyes, clear and vibrant. Unfortunately, the map screen renders the text very small, making it hard to read street names on it.

I was sad to return the Clarion, but I just couldn't overcome its faults.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful.
This is NICE
By K. Nagata
I compared this with my '03 Infiniti NAV system side by side and it was very comparable or even better. Reroute calculation of this came before Infiniti. Also most of times this gave me the warning of next turn before Infiniti did, so I was pretty happy about it. Also this has SD card slot for mp3/WMA play back and picture gallery. And Bluetooth with hand free phone feature was a PLUS. Another good part of NICE was bright screen under the sun and built-in rechargeable battery for true potable system.

Only problem that I had was due to I didn't read owner's manual. It has so many feature options and you really have to read it. Some of icons were difficult to understand at first if you didn't. I'm sure I'm not the only one who dislike owner's manual but it really helped me.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
Good GPS, TERRIBLE Support, No Updates
By C. Burdick
When I received this GPS for Christmas a couple years ago, I liked it quite a bit. The software is good, easy to use, and easy to get used to.

In late 2007, I started to notice a lot of out-of-date maps. Roads missing, roads that used to be there, etc. It would quite often have no idea where we were, placing us out in the middle of a field. This makes a GPS useless if it happens a lot. I went to go look on the website for an update, and in late 2007, the site said the update would come soon for this device. 2 months later I checked again, and it said coming in Spring 2008. Then at the end of Spring I checked, it said coming Summer 2008.

It's now Feb. 2009, and as of last week the website still said Summer 2008. Now it just says "Coming Soon." I called a local dealer, they had no clue. After searching thoroughly, I found a phone number for Clarion, who said it was coming soon and to check with local dealers although they had no clue. This is the WORST support I've ever dealt with, and I'm still without an updated map.

I've been forced to completely stop using this $[...] GPS because it's so out of date (date of map is 2005.) 2005! A 4 year old map and still no updates.

I will never ever ever buy anything from Clarion again, and will advise all family and friends against it. This is ridiculous.