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Review: Navman 3400 Voice GPSBy Anthony Newman, Monday 28 October 2002
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GPS is all the rage these days; this time around, Anthony Newman has installed the 3400 Voice GPS iPAQ sleeve solution from Navman and - literally - taken it for a spin.

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The Navman is an iPAQ sleeve-based GPS solution for both car and handheld use, and as such it competes with other solutions like the awesome TomTom Navigator, recently reviewed here at infoSync.

The software provides turn-by-turn directions if you're in favor of that rather than a graphical map
Inside the sleek, small box is the unit itself, an installation CD and a vehicle mounting kit, which consists of a car power adaptor and a small mounting point on a suction cup. The power supply is for the 3600 series; if you have a 3800 or later, you’ll need to remember your charger adaptor to use it, as one isn’t supplied. On the CD are drivers and, in my case, a UK and Ireland map - the packaging is distinguished by a picture of a London taxi. Although the kit is not as comprehensive as the Navigator, the Navman has the advantage of non-car usage, and its expansion pack form-factor makes it the sleeker solution. It works with all iPAQs, although the 3600 series appears to need a ROM update, which is included on the CD.

The unit itself is a fat sleeve, a little thicker than the Compaq CF-card jacket. It has two rails on the back for car mounting (these provide a very solid hold on the sleeve), a CF (II) slot in the side for memory expansion, and a large cylindrical aerial protruding from the top. The CF slot is a useful addition, but the plastic slug that protects the slot is enormously difficult to remove; so much so that tools are required to get it out! In addition, MicroDrive usage is possible, but it’s not guaranteed to work - so solid-state only, really. The sleeve does not include a battery, so another form of power will be necessary to get any decent usage time while hiking or cycling. The GPS unit itself has fairly standard specs - nothing extraordinary, but perfectly adequate for in-car or handheld usage.

Installation of the software is a regrettably complicated procedure. Following the latest software trends, the Navman software must be activated online before maps can be installed, which is more than a little annoying if you’re attempting installation from a PC that isn’t connected to the internet. Also, the software attempts to gather a wide range of personal information, some of which is required to complete the registration. Map installation is performed by selecting regions on a map; a cumulative total for required space is shown, so it’s perfectly possible to install maps on a system without a memory card. Northern Ireland, for example, is only 1.3 MB. The total map size is around 96 MB for the UK, which is on a par with the TomTom Navigator previously reviewed.

Thankfully, it’s possible to detect and modify the current map installation, and select different locations - although a folder on your desktop HDD is not an option. When your ActiveSync connection is as flaky as mine, and can’t handle copying large files, it’s great to have a feature that allows the user to copy files manually. It’s also faster to copy to a CF card in the PCMCIA slot of your laptop than to move the same files over USB, so Navman take note! If you’re preparing for a visit to an unknown country, the map installation can find a city for you, and select the appropriate region. For those installing their own country, however, this probably won’t be a very useful feature! Incidentally, the map data is provided by Navtech, and from my testing, it appears recent and accurate.
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