Route 66, a Dutch company which has been active in the Personal Mobile Navigation field since 1992, will soon launch itself into the already very crowded PND market. From November, the Chicago will be available for purchase, a completely new range of Portable Navigational Systems for in-car use.Two versions
The Chicago will ship in two different versions. The versions only differ from each other in the supplied NAVTEQ map material.The Chicago 6000 will ship with a detailed regional map + the major roads of Europe. The Chicago 8000 will ship with a detailed European map. An optional TMC module can be purchased for both devices. What may be surprising, is that in other countries, Route 66 will also release Chicago 7000 and 9000 units, both of which have a TDS/TMC antenna built-in. Unfortunately, such a release is not planned in the UK. The reason for this decision is unknown.
Modern
Based on what we have been able to find out already, the new Route 66 PND's are very much on a par with what is expected from a modern day PND. Both devices feature a 4.3 inch touch screen (comparable to the screen found on the Garmin Nüvi 660), a 400 Mhz CPU and the (almost becoming standard) SiRF Star III chipset. The unit is only 24 mm deep, and this makes it one of the thinnest wide-screen PND devices available.Job van Dijk, Chief Commercial Officer for Route 66 says: "With more than ten years of experience in the area of Personal Mobile Navigation, entering the Portable Navigational Systems market is a very logical development for us. With the Chicago, we have succeeded in producing a portable navigational unit for in-car use which not only features a wider screen than competing products, but is also thinner and lighter. The Chicago easily fits inside your pocket."
Route 66 has released these advisory prices:
- Chicago 6000 (Regional maps) : ¤ 299.95
- Chicago 8000 (European maps) : ¤ 399.95
Route 66 also offers a detailed European map on DVD as an accessory, so owners of the Chicago 6000 and 7000 will be able to expand the maps of their units to cover the complete European continent. The price for this accessory will be ¤ 79.59.
Finally: it's no coincidence that this new product was named Chicago. Chicago is the first city through which the famous Route 66 in the United States passes.
