Clarion MiND
AT CES, Clarion was showing off their ClarionMiND. We have heard a few peeps about this GPS over the months, and figured we’d check it out. What we found was a device that I just can’t figure out who they are trying to sell it to.
For starters, this thing is a big flat plate. While it does have a display that is nearly 5 inches (think Nuvi 5000 or Navigon 8100t), the device is much bigger than the footprint of the screen measuring 6.7” x 3.78” x 1.05” and tipping the scales at 325g.
What was also a bit odd was they way the reps were pitching the product. Our entire tour of the device was spent talking about the fact that it can play YouTube videos, connect to MySpace through a web browser, and the fact that you can change the menu style from a vertical list to a circular wheel.
Connectivity is provided by wi-fi, or a DUN connection to a compatible Bluetooth phone. Almost no time was spent talking about the navigation system. And perhaps that is the point, navigation is simply listed as one of the many applications on the device.
- Browser
- Contacts
- Control Panel
- Application Manager
- RealPlayer
- Weather
- Connection
- Power manager
- Navigation
- News
- NotePad
- MySpace
- File Manager
- YouTube
- Portal Sync
- PDF Viewer
While this is far from a review since I never took the device out on the road, if you are looking for a device to primarily provide a navigation system– The Clarion MiND might not be it.
