LAS VEGAS -- Automotive products maker introduced two GPS devices at this year's CES 2004. The top of the line SkyNav 3000 is loaded with features. Priced at $1499.95, it includes turn by turn directions and voice guidance, along with a North American street level database containing close to two million points of interest. Selected Canadian cities are also included. All data is stored on an internal 20GB hard drive, so no data download is required.
Several features are unique to the 3000.You can beam addresses directly to the 3000 from a Palm or Pocket PC PDA via IR. In addition, an internal gyroscope helps keep track of the vehicles position in areas where the GPS signal is lost due to overhead obstructions.
The SkyNav 2000, priced at $999.99 looks almost identical to the 3000, but it lacks the internal gyroscope and the IR beaming capability. In addition, though all of the street level data is loaded on the hard drive, consumers have access to one of twenty detailed regional maps as well major US highways. Additional unlock codes can be purchased online to provide access to additional regions. Since the data already resides on the hard drive, no extensive downloads are necessary after you buy the unlock code.
