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Navman GPS 3420 cont.

Using the software:

Here is what you've all been waiting for! Once everything is installed (which was the easy part) you'll need to get used to the GPS systems.
First thing to do is to get a lock on the satellites. IMPORTANT: find a location where you have a clear (VERY CLEAR) view of the sky. This step is very important and caused me some frustration for the first couple of days.

Start the SmartST application (the installer should have added an icon to your Start Menu), and acknowledge the agreement. Note: I haven't been able to find a way to skip the display of the disclaimer (which states that driving and using a GPS unit can basically be dangerous... ok we got it) though some people told me it's possible, I found it a little annoying at times.

The Main Menu allows you to access all the different options. Pictured on the left is the Option menu. You can select everything from routing (fastest route, shortest distance, with or without tools and so on), Guidance (male or female voice... on or off), Points Of Interest (select those that you want... such as ATM, Entertainment..), and finally the Display option with different background and color options.

The initial fix can take as much as 10 minutes depending on where you are. Open up the GPS status page (click on the right button of the joypad and select the appropriate menu) and wait until the unit displays the coordinates. The GPS will initially download what is called the almanac. The almanac consists of a virtual map of the sky indicating the location of each GPS satellite. This information will be stored on the device though you will need to re download them if you don't use the unit for an extended period of time or travel more than 300mi from the original scan. The process does take time but there aren't any ways around (same goes for other GPS units).
Once the lock has been established, you can return to the map and it should show your exact location (provided it's on the map you have already installed).
You can also use the ON/OFF button to turn the unit off and save some power.

Note: the GPS Status will work anywhere even if you don't have a map available. This can be useful if you go on a hiking trip or in the middle of the ocean.

The Destination menu allows you to select your target destination. You can select the arrival location by address, POI, road intersection or set Favorites locations. There is also an option for your Recent destinations (saves you time as you won't have to re-enter the location... nice while driving too).

The selection of the address or POI is as easy as it gets. SmartST will automatically complete the missing info for your address (or POI) name. Simply start entering your destination name and the software will give you alternate options. Select the one you want or enter the full name.

Setting up a favorite location is also as easy as it gets. Simply go to the map view, drag the map to the location you'd like to add to your favorite and click on hold on the location. Select Add to favorites and you're set.

Resizing the map view: you can zoom in or zoom out using the joypad on your iPAQ (up and down button). This option works in every map view though during routing, this option only works for a few seconds or until the map updates (would have been nice to keep the zoom you want while driving). The largest view is 12 miles while the smallest is an amazing 20ft.

One nice addition would have been the ability to enter a favorite by the address instead of using the map.

The favorites appear the the Favorites menu. The top three are also added to the Quick Nav menu (under main) so you can set the destination even faster).

You can edit each favorite location in order to rename them or select a different icon. Oddly there isn't an icon showing a house (closest is something that looks like a church).

Using the Routing options:

This has to be the best part of the software. The routing works absolutely beautifully. Once your destination address has been entered, the SmartST software will compute the directions (depending on your personal settings: i.e. fastest route, shortest distance, stay on main roads...).
You will have 3 different options to display the map.
First, you can use the normal map mode that only shows the map (the road to take is highlighted).
The second option is combo view (left picture above). This option is really nice as it not only gives you the direction to follow on the screen (plus voice prompt if enabled) but it also rotated the map according to your current position. You may also setup the "tap on direction icon" to announce the next direction, ETA, speed, map size and more.
The third option is direction only mode (navigation mode). This mode will display the directions to follow in large view (also voice prompt if enabled). It also gives you an ETA (you have to set it to click on the direction icon in order to announce the ETA... would have been nice to display it as well) and your current speed (amazingly it was very (very) accurate even at high rated speeds (... though it isn't intended for speed testing, or at least on open roads).

Conclusion:

The new Navman software did amaze me. I was really surprised by the quality of the maps (which BTW did include one way streets that if taken the wrong way will show the position icon in red). The maps also includes plenty of details and POI.
I was also extremely pleased by the ability to re-route: for instance, I "tricked" the GPS several times to evaluate its ability to find a new route to the destination. Each time the GPS recalculated the route. Sometimes these new routes weren't as short as the initial map but would still bring you to the destination in a short time.
The best way to start and get used to GPS system is to read the user guide. This is an important step that I tend to skip but in this case I really had to read it considering all the available options (there are several more options that I didn't talk about in this review).

Pros:

Excellent maps, fast map update (updates every second).
Easy menu navigation using the joypad (that is a very cool feature) and you can move the map around to see your next direction (in map only mode).
Price (cheap compared to other navigation system, as long of you already have a PPC).
You can use the Navman Sleeve with other mapping software.
Easily re-calculate the route if you change directions.
Tech support very helpful though they're only open M-F, 8:15am-5pm (now toll free is available).
Cool factor.. Believe me GPS are awesome once you get the hang of it (I know keep my GPS sleeve on at all time)!

Cons:

The main nuisance is that if the SmartST is minimized (not the foreground application anymore) you'll lose your fix though there is a work around: you'll need to go in the GPS Status menu and turn the GPS off (this was done on purpose to conserve battery power while not using the mapping software). Still this can be annoying if you get an appointment reminder popping up.
In order to get a new fix, you will need to stop (if driving you'll have to pull over) and wait about 5-20 seconds to get a new fix.
The SmartST maps are currently only for Europe and US (soon Canada). On the good side, you can use it with other mapping software. One of our NYCDAUG user took his Navman to Costa Rica; he created custom maps for it using Fugawi (hope I spelled this right)!
Doesn't work too well if you live in NYC (I drove myself nuts over this for the first few days). Tall buildings will block signals and unless you are driving in the city with a fix before getting in, it probably won't be too much of a help (though, NYC driving is pretty straight forward as long as you can avoid incoming cabs).
Few cars that have antireflective windshield won't allow the GPS to work (gladly mine wasn't one of those).

Stuff I'd like to see included:

Built-in battery: would be nice for people that don't always want to plug it in. Not to mention that this would really make the unit good for daily use (but again, I am personally using it at all times but not always with nav). Again, the unit works perfectly without a built-in battery and will provide plenty of use but I'm just one of those power freak people ;).
Better input method: the SmartST currently uses the default PPC input method (soft keyboard, transcriber or anything else you'd like). This is fine if you are planning a trip ahead but while driving this could be the most painful part. A large on-screen keyboard or some way to use the joypad would be a killer in the app.
Access to the power menu: I'd like to see a little button for quick access to the power menu. I wasn't using the power adapter all the time so I had to make sure the PPC was properly set to stay on, or else it did shut off on me, and I had to stop to get a new fix (you lose you GPS connection if your device is turned off).
Longer holder arm: this is a must. The arm is just too short and won't allow to easily plug the HP power adapter. I'd say HP can be blamed 50% for their stupid AC adapter instead of the one that was on the 3600/3700 model (...let's make HP 70% responsible for that...).
Better fix: my last wish was that the GPS would be able to keep a fix while running other programs. For instance, if you get an appointment reminder, and have to check your calendar, going back to the SmartST app would mean you'd have to get a new fix. Kinda painful though I honestly have no idea if this could be possible.
Ability to install on CF: I was hoping to be able to install everything on a CF card, keep the sleeve in my car and just slide in the iPAQ when I get inside the vehicle (maybe have the program automatically load). This addition would be really nice.

Bottom line, the new Navman GPS3420 is kick ass! It offers a cheap alternative to on-board navigation at a much more reasonable price yet providing even better functionality (remember that you can easily take it out on a boat or hiking, as opposed to a $2000+ on-board GPS system). It was designed for in-car driving (more than anything else) and does its job perfectly!

Finally, I'd like to thank Andrew Golden for sending me this unit to review, and Rus Graham, VP of marketing at Navman USA for making this review possible (and also for showing me a demo of the new software at the Pocket PC Summit last May).
Special thanks go to Charlie Ridgway, NYCDAUG member and Navman user, for giving me some tips and impressions on his GPS 3420 use.

Other GPS software/hardware reviews: http://www.joe.mehaffey.com/#Other%20(non-GPS)%20Items
This page has tons of reviews (including the Navman unit) to help you decide which one is the best for you but also teaches you how GPS work.

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