PLUS
Simple, attractive user interface
Full GPS functionality
In- and out-of-car operation

MINUS
Relatively short battery capacity
Limited connectivity options

The ClarionMIND was announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2007, and started shipping early in 2009. It should be available now through car-audio specialty shops in Canada and will likely turn up in larger electronics chains.

The device itself is somewhat smaller than a thick paperback novel. The 4.8-inch display is considerably larger than that of most handhelds, and is intended to be used horizontally.

Along the right edge of the screen are three illuminated icons: a little house, which takes you to the home screen; a circular arrow, which opens the control menu, and a musical note, which opens the volume control.

Everything else is managed on the screen, by tapping icons. There's an area you can press and hold to get CNN or BBC headlines. You can browse YouTube videos, or visit MySpace. There's a notepad, weather reports, e-mail, music and video player, and a slick custom Web-browser optimized for fingertip control.

Sliding your finger across the home screen scrolls the complete set of available icons, as though they were standing upright and orbiting around you - a very slick 3D effect.

You can even multitask: open multiple Web pages while listening to music. "It really is a net-top computer," says David McKinnon, OEM and specialty product sales manager with Clarion Canada Inc.

Travelers can use the ClarionMIND to get extended information on Points of Interest, with text "bubbles" popping up on a Google Maps display. It seems like an unbeatable way of planning a trip, using the GPS for basic directions, and tapping Internet resources for more detailed information.

For safety's sake, the ClarionMIND automatically switches into car mode when in its cradle. It then operates largely as a fancy GPS. A premium cradle should be available soon that will include a lifetime subscription to GPS traffic data, plus features like auto-dimming depending on headlight settings, and the ability to play audio directly through the car's speaker system.

Connectivity is the product's chief limiting factor. There's built-in 802.11g Wi-Fi, but that's not much help when you're roaring down the highway. Currently, the workaround would be to use Bluetooth to connect to your cell phone, allowing it to act as a data modem. Workable, but slightly cumbersome.

WiMAX would be a perfect solution for urban areas. These city-wide networks offer wide coverage with the simplicity (and hopefully the low cost) of Wi-Fi. However, despite years of promotion by Intel and others, this technology has still seen only trial rollouts in two U.S. cities. So for now cellular networks are the only option. Integral 3G cellular connectivity would seem an inevitable addition in future ClarionMIND models.

Internally, the ClarionMIND runs a custom version of Linux, which McKinnon calls "very stable, very fast." But users need never know; the technology is hidden by the simple, colourful icon interface. "It's not intended to be a laptop replacement," says McKinnon. However, Clarion does expect to offer downloadable applications, which will probably work somewhat the way Apple's App Store does with the iPhone.

If you're a driver looking for something more than just a good GPS, the ClarionMIND definitely deserves consideration. The whole idea of in-car computing is clearly just getting started, but this device can be useful right away, combining location data with deeper Internet information.

McKinnon notes that the ClarionMIND is really just the beginning. All the major automakers are talking about in-car Internet of some sort, and Clarion expects to be along for the ride with leading-edge devices. They're certainly off to a good start with the ClarionMIND.

Article Tags:  clarionmind, clarion, WiMAX, mckinnon, screen, control, GPS, internet, 3G, Google, Maps, Linux