Navigation System
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 GARMIN nvi 1300 43 GPS Navigation System NEW $88.92 Time Remaining: 29d 7h 20m Buy It Now for only: $88.92 |
 43 Car GPS Navigation system 4gb TouchScreen MP3 MP4 FM+ new Map GPS Receiver $42.00 (16 Bids) Time Remaining: 8h 32m |
 Garmin BMW Motorrad Navigator IV GPS system $760.00 (8 Bids) Time Remaining: 13h 34m |
 GARMIN NUVI 1300LM SPECIAL EDITION 43 GPS NAVIGATION SYSTEM FREE LIFETIME MAPS $99.99 Time Remaining: 15d 13h 53m Buy It Now for only: $99.99 |
 TomTom Tom ONE 130 Portable Car GPS Navigator w Extras system unit 35 LCD $18.00 (16 Bids) Time Remaining: 14h 48m |
 Garmin Nuvi 2555LMT 5 Automotive GPS Vehicle Navigation System $159.94 Time Remaining: 23d 10h 16m Buy It Now for only: $159.94 |
 NEW Magellan Maestro 3250 Car Portable GPS Navigator Unit System truck 35 LCD $36.00 (23 Bids) Time Remaining: 15h 41m |
 2002 2003 2004 LAND RANGE ROVER BMW MINI GPS SAT NAVIGATION SYSTEM YIB 500040 $375.00 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 16h 35m |
 Jensen VM9414 7 In Dash Car Navigation GPS System DVD CD Receiver + Remote $309.00 Time Remaining: 12d 7h 20m Buy It Now for only: $309.00 |
 TOMTOM 5 GPS NAVIGATION SYSTEM $150.00 Time Remaining: 20h 27m |
 New Pyle PLNVB26 Universal Mobile GPS Navigation System $74.10 Time Remaining: 13d 8h 54m Buy It Now for only: $74.10 |
 7 inch HD Touch Screen Car GPS Navigation System 128M 4GB Bluetooth AV IN FM $129.99 Time Remaining: 20h 49m Buy It Now for only: $150.00 |
 Garmin Quest GPS Receiver POCKET SIZE NAVIGATION SYSTEM $99.99 Time Remaining: 21h 7m Buy It Now for only: $124.99 |
 Garmin Nuvi 2595LMT 5 Bluetooth Enabled GPS Vehicle Navigation System $199.95 Time Remaining: 23d 10h 28m Buy It Now for only: $199.95 |
 5GPS NAVIGATION SYSTEM $97.59 Time Remaining: 22h 24m Buy It Now for only: $116.67 |
 4GB 50 5 inch Touch Screen Car GPS Navigation System Navigator FM FREE MAP T3 $62.99 Time Remaining: 8d 8m Buy It Now for only: $62.99 |
 TOMTOM 5 GPS NAVIGATION SYSTEM $36.00 (9 Bids) Time Remaining: 22h 54m |
 tomtom gps navigation system $36.00 (4 Bids) Time Remaining: 23h 5m |
 GARMIN GPS NAVIGATION SYSTEM RECEIVER C330 STREETPILOT $42.99 Time Remaining: 28d 10h 29m Buy It Now for only: $42.99 |
 Navigation System GPS Car Kit 39 inch TFT Touch Screen Display foehn hirsch $25.00 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 1d 4h 40m |
 43 Inch Car GPS Navigation System Built in 4GB Free Map WinCE50 Mp3 Mp4 $55.98 Time Remaining: 16d 21h 24m Buy It Now for only: $55.98 |
 TOMTOM 43 GPS NAVIGATION SYSTEM N14644 $49.99 Time Remaining: 1d 14h 27m |
 TomTom XXL 540S 5 Inch Color Display GPS Navigation System $97.99 Time Remaining: 1d 15h 14m Buy It Now for only: $107.99 |
 Maylong FD 220 GPS Navigation System for Dummies in Factory Sealed Box $34.99 Time Remaining: 14d 13h 17m Buy It Now for only: $34.99 |
 NEW Magellan Maestro 3250 Car Portable GPS Navigator Unit System truck 35 LCD $19.50 (11 Bids) Time Remaining: 1d 15h 41m |
 Maylong FD 220 GPS Navigation For Dummies GPS System w USA Maps Text to Speech $39.99 Time Remaining: 15d 10h 7m Buy It Now for only: $39.99 |
 MYGIG RERNAVIGATION SYSTEM CD DVD PLAYER SIRIUS TOUCH SCREEN IN DASH 60 GB $560.00 (2 Bids) Time Remaining: 1d 16h 5m |
 GARMIN nuvi 205W COMPLETE GPS NAVIGATION SYSTEM WITH ALL ACCESSORIES $49.99 Time Remaining: 1d 17h 53m |
 KENWOOD NEW KNA G610 ADD ON GPS NAVIGATION SYSTEM KNAG610 $339.99 Time Remaining: 1d 13h 47m Buy It Now for only: $339.99 |
 Sylvania 43 Inch GPS Navigation System AS IS $0.01 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 1d 17h 59m |
 Garmin Nuvi 2360LMT 43 Automotive GPS Vehicle Navigation System Bluetooth $149.05 Time Remaining: 6d 11h 7m Buy It Now for only: $149.05 |
 Tom Tom TOMTOM 4EN52 Z1230 car auto 5 Navigation GPS unit system $33.00 (13 Bids) Time Remaining: 1d 18h 44m |
 TomTom Go 510 Portable GPS Navigation System $49.99 Time Remaining: 1d 19h 12m |
 Garmin nuvi 3590LMT 5 inch High Res GPS Navigation System w Lifetime Maps Tra $379.99 Time Remaining: 20d 15h 48m Buy It Now for only: $379.99 |
 TomTom N14644 GPS Navigation System $49.00 Time Remaining: 1d 19h 34m |
 GARMIN NUVI 1300LM BUNDLE 43 LCD GPS NAVIGATION SYSTEM A TWO VEHICLE SOLUTION $99.99 Time Remaining: 22d 8h 40m Buy It Now for only: $99.99 |
 MAGELLAN 7 GPS NAVIGATION SYSTEM $139.99 Time Remaining: 2d 10h 20m Buy It Now for only: $159.99 |
 Sony Nav U Navigation System NV U44 $7.77 (3 Bids) Time Remaining: 2d 11h 42m |
 Garmin Nuvi 2595LMT GPS Vehicle Navigation System New $228.95 Time Remaining: 16d 4h 8m Buy It Now for only: $228.95 |
 Nokia 500 Auto GPS Navigation system used in great cond Bluetooth handsfree call $59.99 Time Remaining: 2d 12h 26m Buy It Now for only: $99.99 |
 7 inch HD Touch Screen GPS Navigation System 8GB New Map MP3 MP4 FM $99.00 Time Remaining: 29d 1h 21m Buy It Now for only: $99.00 |
 MAGELLAN 1475T 47 WIDESCREEN PORTABLE GPS NAVIGATION SYSTEM $0.01 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 2d 12h 49m |
 MYGIG RERNAVIGATION SYSTEM $510.00 (24 Bids) Time Remaining: 2d 12h 50m |
 Garmin Nuvi 1450T GPS Navigation System $142.47 Time Remaining: 6d 19h 51m Buy It Now for only: $142.47 |
 Tomtom 5 Gps Navigation System Last one $79.99 Time Remaining: 2d 12h 58m |
 Tomtom VIA 1435 43 GPS Navigation System with Lifetime Traffic Map Updates $170.48 Time Remaining: 13d 8h 42m Buy It Now for only: $170.48 |
 NEW TOMTOM XXL 550TM SPECIAL EDITION 5 PORTABLE GPS NAVIGATION SYSTEM $16.50 (6 Bids) Time Remaining: 2d 13h 8m |
 PHAROS 43 GPS NAVIGATION SYSTEM PDR250N 160 $0.18 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 2d 13h 11m |
 TomTom VIA 1535 5 Automotive Bluetooth Enabled GPS Vehicle Navigation System $119.95 Time Remaining: 23d 11h 50m Buy It Now for only: $119.95 |
 MAGELLAN 7 GPS NAVIGATION SYSTEM 1700R $129.95 Time Remaining: 2d 13h 27m Buy It Now for only: $149.95 |
 Tomtom VIA 1535 5 GPS Navigation System with Lifetime Traffic Updates $175.48 Time Remaining: 16d 20h 23m Buy It Now for only: $175.48 |
 TOMTOM 5 GPS NAVIGATION SYSTEM $119.99 Time Remaining: 2d 13h 32m Buy It Now for only: $139.99 |
 TOMTOM 5 GPS NAVIGATION SYSTEM $175.00 Time Remaining: 2d 14h 21m |
 NEW Magellan Maestro 3250 Portable GPS Navigator Unit System truck 35 LCD car $49.78 Time Remaining: 14d 17h 33m Buy It Now for only: $49.78 |
 NEW Magellan Maestro 3250 Car Portable GPS Navigator Unit System truck 35 LCD $16.50 (7 Bids) Time Remaining: 2d 15h 41m |
 MIO Moov S501 Car Portable GPS Navigation System 47 LCD US Canada MAPS $71.26 Time Remaining: 12d 13h 12m Buy It Now for only: $71.26 |
 Alpine PMD B200 Blackbird Portable GPS Navigation System $10.00 Time Remaining: 2d 16h 5m |
 TomTom N14644 GPS Navigation System 3rd edition $40.00 Time Remaining: 2d 18h 3m |
 NICE GARMIN NUVI 260 PORTABLE NAVIGATION SYSTEM BUNDLE $39.99 Time Remaining: 5d 13h 35m Buy It Now for only: $39.99 |
 Navigon 2100 Navigation System and Accessories $19.99 Time Remaining: 2d 18h 28m Buy It Now for only: $49.99 |
 7 2 Din In Dash Car Radio DVD Player GPS Navigation System+PIP IPod TV BT+MAP $217.62 Time Remaining: 2d 20h 6m Buy It Now for only: $217.62 |
 TomTom 35 GPS Navigation system $79.00 Time Remaining: 2d 19h 5m |
 Magellan RoadMate 1440 43 Touch Screen GPS Navigation System $40.00 Time Remaining: 2d 19h 58m |
 TOMTOM 5 GPS NAVIGATION SYSTEM $199.89 Time Remaining: 29d 1h 55m Buy It Now for only: $199.89 |
 65 Wide TFT Touch Panel Display Eclipse AVN52 In Dash Navigation System $255.00 Time Remaining: 3d 2h 55m |
 Magellan RoadMate 1412 Car Portable GPS Navigator System 43 US Canada PR Maps $56.38 Time Remaining: 16d 17h 35m Buy It Now for only: $56.38 |
 PIONEER AVIC Z110BT IN DASH DVD PLAYER NAVIGATION SYSTEM $470.00 (6 Bids) Time Remaining: 10h 23m |
 43 Car GPS Navigation system 4gb TouchScreen MP3 MP4 FM+ new Map GPS Receiver $41.00 (26 Bids) Time Remaining: 3d 7h 52m |
 MAGELLAN ROADMATE 9055 7TOUCHSCREEN GPS NAVIGATION SYSTEM LIFE TRAFFIC ALERTS $209.99 Time Remaining: 28d 11h 43m Buy It Now for only: $209.99 |
 tomtom GO 700 Portable GPS Navigation System Bluetooth hands free calling $30.00 Time Remaining: 3d 9h 43m Buy It Now for only: $50.00 |
 POWER ACOUSTIK NAVIBOX 2 CAR ADD ON MODULE GPS NAV NAVIGATION SYSTEM NAVI BOX $149.90 Time Remaining: 13d 11h 5m Buy It Now for only: $149.90 |
 Garmin nuvi 1300 Automotive GPS Receiver Navigation System $26.00 (4 Bids) Time Remaining: 3d 10h 28m |
 GARMIN STREETPILOT C550 GPS Portable Navigation System MP3 BLUETOOTH BARE WIRE $19.99 Time Remaining: 3d 11h 46m |
 TomTom ONE XL Portable Car 43 LCD GPS System USA Canada navigator receiver $56.19 Time Remaining: 2d 20h 12m Buy It Now for only: $56.19 |
 GARMIN Etrex Legend Receiver Navigation System Handheld WATERPROOF RUGGED $49.99 Time Remaining: 3d 12h 3m |
 TomTom RIDER 1 1st Motorcycle GPS Bike Navigation System Set US Canada Europe $169.80 Time Remaining: 13d 8h 3m Buy It Now for only: $169.80 |
 TomTom XL N14644 Portable GPS Voice Navigation System $7.16 (3 Bids) Time Remaining: 3d 13h 6m |
 KENWOOD DNX9960 EXCELON CAR GPS NAV NAVIGATION SYSTEM CD DVD MP3 PLAYER RECEIVER $699.00 Time Remaining: 18h 41m Buy It Now for only: $777.00 |
 Garmin Nuvi 2360LMT 43 GPS Vehicle Navigation System $149.94 Time Remaining: 16d 3h 9m Buy It Now for only: $149.94 |
 Kenwood DNX5120 In Dash Navigation System $66.00 (5 Bids) Time Remaining: 18h 43m |
Website Design: Improve your Navigation
There are billions of different Web pages floating around the Internet, and unless you have the ability to trawl Google and memorise the URL of every page of every site, there's no way you'd survive out there without a little help.
Thankfully, we don't have to wander round the Web feeling our way like a zombie in a maze. Navigation forms the basis of any Web site, and always has done. Despite the fact that it is a necessity of Web design, it has become something of an afterthought for many designers, as they concentrate on trying to get clever with content.
Navigation remains the single most essential aspect of site construction, and the wonders of modern technology mean you can guide your visitors around your site in a range of innovative ways to make their online experiences all the richer and more rewarding.
What’s the point of navigation?
For the benefit of anyone arriving on the planet in the last few minutes, the base principle of site navigation is to help your visitors find their way around your Web site, providing links to all its pages. Common sense reasons that it is imperative that your site is easy to navigate or your guests will soon leave the party for pastures new.
The home page of a web site is where visitors form their impressions about the entire design, and its importance far outweighs that of the other pages that make up the site. The same theory applies to the site's navigation mechanism, ie if you manage to convince new visitors to make the step from your home page to one of your sub pages, the chances of them wanting to peruse the other delights on your site increase no end.
Proper site navigation should give the visitor a sense of 'place' within the site. it should help you maintain consistency throughout the site, even establishing something of a brand. It's important that anyone delving through your site knows how to get back to where they started, otherwise they're likely to flee in frustration.
Your navigation system should also encourage the user to explore other areas of the site by suggesting pages of related interest, and challenge their minds by pointing them towards more obscure links elsewhere online that will interest them. Ultimately, your top priority when designing site navigation is to ensure that the user doesn't have to work hard to find everything you're offering.
Traditional navigation
Back in the old days, navigating the Web was a completely different experience from the one you'll see today. We all know that developments in Web design software have made it easy to create prettier pages with flashy graphics and stylish content, but site navigation has also evolved considerably.
In the late Nineties, when the Web was just beginning to take shape, the core device for site navigation was the trusty textual link, and a blue underlined piece of text was your ticket to a world of information. once clicked, the text link would turn purple (or sometimes red) to indicate that this was one corner of the Web that you'd already explored, and this became something that even newcomers to the Net could get their head around right from the off. Of course, these conventions still apply today, albeit in a slightly more 'glam' format.
A few years ago, the closest you'd have got to a graphical interface on a site would be a series of boxed text links across the top of the page of running down the side. Occasionally these would be accompanied by hideous animated G11's or clipart that vaguely represented the part of the site a link pointed to ('borne' would be a house, contact us' a phone, 'buy' would be a stack of coins, etc).
Just because these navigation systems seem a little primitive from this side of the Millennium, it doesn't mean
they weren't effective, and they are still used in some form these days. The Site Map, for instance, was one of the first devices to appear, and still represents probably the quickest way to find your way around large Web sites. On the whole though, exploring a collection of pages in 2003 is a much richer experience than it was seven years ago. The emergence of modern WYSIWYG design applications and advancements in graphic manipulation technology have meant that Web developers can get more imaginative with their navigation bars in order to truly achieve usability.
Navigation musts
If you mosey along to any Web site worth its salt and look carefully at how it was put together, you'll notice that all the big sites follow the same navigation methods a tidy nav bar for effect with a bandwidth friendly set of textual links somewhere on the page. However creative you think you are, or however much you want to hurl saliva in the face of convention, there’s no use trying to fight against these methods. They work and they always will work, and users are unlikely to stick around if they don't get what they're expecting.
Textual links, or embedded links, are the most basic form of navigation and represent a clear, instant method of accessing pages within a site. These are generally arranged in the form of a series of underlined words across the top of a page or a list running down the side.
Another key device in the quest for an easy ride online is 'breadcrumb' navigation. By using trails of HTML links, you can show the route from the home page to the current page, helping the visitor to move up and down the menu tree more effectively, especially on large, page heavy sites.
In order to give the user the richest, most diverse surfing experience, it's wise to slap in as many related links, within reason, as you can unearth. The key here is to avoid simply using the obvious links, and to add pointers to more obscure, off the wall sites that are likely to titillate your readers, adding greater value to your site in the process.
It's also important that you position your navigation links in a place where the user will expect them to be, and where they won't intrude into the content of your site. Many Web designers favour the placement of links along the top of a Web page, plus down the left or right hand side, and at the bottom of each page for good measure. Basically, you need to make sure that your visitors are never more than a scroll wheel rotation away from the next page. Make sure you stick to colour conventions too blue is generally recognised as the norm for a text link, with purple or red used to indicate a page that's already been accessed by the browser.
New methods
While these traditional navigation principles should still be foremost in your mind when designing pages, there are a number of trendy new devices kicking around town that are also worth thinking about.
Let’s first consider image maps, a navigational tool that has the potential to be something quite special, but which invariably turns into a confusing mess. The key to achieving a workable image map is to choose your picture carefully. Make sure it's something that lends itself to being logically sliced up and split into parts, rather than a generic piece of art with no determinable boundaries within it. if you can afford to do so, buy the image in from a picture agency before slicing it up in Image Ready (or a cheaper alternative such as Paint Shop Pro) and exporting it to your Web editor to apply the rollovers.
If pictures aren't your bag, or if you're keen to avoid bandwidth heavy navigation, you may want to think about exploring the DHTML route or even applying JavaScript pop up menus. While these have been around a few years now, they're still called upon by pro designers as a means of adding dynamic navigation. Adding DHTML menus is far easier today than it ever was, and there's plenty of software around that will do the job for you without you having to lift a brain cell.
However, when it comes down to designing sites 'in the Twenty first Century, you won't find many better tools for the job than Flash. Macromedia's cherished vector graphics application houses all the functionality you need to produce slick, easy to follow, fast loading navigation. The program allows you to create virtually any type of dynamic navigation system you can think of, from stylish icons and Flash buttons to pop up and pull down menus. Flash is also great for generating actions and animation within a navigation bar in order to engage the user and promote interactivity.
Ironically, relying too heavily on these swanky new navigation methods can lead to your site becoming overwhelming to a visitor, and a jamboree of weird and wonderful menus is no use to anyone. If you are intending to use devices such as Flash or JavaScript menus, always make sure this isn't your sole form of navigation, and that there are text links for those without the right plug in. As accessibility is what we should all be striving for these days, you should always be sure to include ALT tags on any images you include in your navigation to cater for anyone using a screen reader and make sure you create a text only version as well.
If you really want to know if your site is truly useable, the best idea is to unleash it on a group of friends and get them to try and navigate it. Come up with a list of things that a user might want to do on the site, then observe your guinea pigs as they try and access the information. You'll soon learn that it pays to keep things simple and not to try anything too elaborate when designing navigation. That's not to say you can't be original, and with advancements in creative applications such as Flash, navigating Web pages can only get more enjoyable.
About the Author
Magnetic Code is a website design service specialising in SEO and e-commerce for small businesses. To see one of their portfolio sites, visit this review of Fat Loss 4 Idiots on expertfound.com, or this page on how to learn spanish with Rocket Spanish.