I bought this product simply because of the kudos of owning a GPS Device. I also wanted to breathe new life into my Palm.
The Navman looked like a good balance between price and function, and the software that the manufacturer boasted about seemed like a nice extra. So i went ahead and purchased it.I have mixed feelings about the device itself:
Good -
It is quite smart, and fairly light (although not as light as they made out.)
It is easy to attach, and the software installs quite comfortably.
the maps arent as big as I thought they would be, and they are detailed enough to have all of the streets I entered.
Bad -
It makes the Palm chunky and the aerial sticks out far too much.
The battery life is 3 hours, which is quite frankly pathetic.
It is fairly expensive for what you actually get.
The maps only contain streets and not attractions such as stadiums, stations, and shopping centres, which is stupid, because these are the places you want to actually search for rather than the roads that the attractions are located on.
And now for my major gripe with this product.
When you buy a GPS device, you expect to see your Lattitude, Longtitude, Altitude, Bearing, etc. You expect to be able to enter co-ordinates, set Waypoints, work out distances, and many other features that all GPS devices are famed for. However, thanks to a major oversight at Navman, the most you see of your GPS is a little black dot on a map. No grid co-ordinates, no waypoints... The Instruction manuals (Which are rubbish) only cover the software and hardly mention the device. You would think Navman would supply a little GPS App seperate from the other software that allowed you to access the basic functions of the GPS Reciever. This is definitely not the GPS you would want if you were hill-walking or orienteering. In fact unless you are simply buying this as a Navigational Aid, there is little here for you.
I trawled the Internet and found 1 or 2 third party Apps which access the device and allow me to see my Grid Co-ordinates etc, but it seems a little in-accurate. Hard to tell if this is the device or the software.
Smartpath City is quite good if your city is in it. It is quite detailed and fun to use. However trips only have a Start and End, so you cant say Go here, via there. Smartpath Trip is pointless unless you are constantly travelling across country, as the map isnt detailed enough. it only contains major roads and motorways.
In hindsight I could have done a lot better for the money I paid. the software is ok, but not worth [the money] and I am left feeling very detatched from the little black dot that is the GPS device. The Instructions were hopeless, they could have gone into details about GPS, how it works, how best to use it, etc. but it doesnt. Instead it waffles on about how great the software is.
Navman assume that you are buying this GPS Reciever for the software. If you are, then fair enough. If you want more from GPS, go elsewhere. Try buying a dedicated Reciever rather than an add-on module. The battery life will last longer, the device will connect quicker, be more accurate and give you more information.
