Navman S30

The Navman S30 really sets a standard amongst the Navigation system community simply becuse of its high quality 3D interface, which really looks good, much better than the one found on TomTom's. with the introduction of GPS combatible mobile devices for which navigation software can be purchased at a cheap price. Companies like Navman are being forced into cramming more and more features into their devices.

For a price of under £100 ...
...like the next. On the Navman S30 you get a bird's-eye view of the actual junction, which gives you a much better idea of what is ahead. Along the same lines, the S30 also provides very clear on-map turn highlighting. Instead of a flat and simple arrow you get a bright yellow 3D one, which makes it virtually impossible for you to miss your next turn.

The S30 is a very good performer. The map data comes from TeleAtlas, which is an excellent ... more

The Navman S30 really sets a standard amongst the Navigation system community simply becuse of its high quality 3D interface, which really looks good, much better than the one found on TomTom's. with the introduction of GPS combatible mobile devices for which navigation software can be purchased at a cheap price. Companies like Navman are being forced into cramming more and more features into their devices.

For a price of under £100 you can buy this very navigation system, which boasts impressive features such as relatively advanced audio capabilities compared with its competition. The audio capabilities consist of such instructions like "take junction 23 on the M25". However the audio capabilities are not as advanced as the ones found on TomTom's which have a text-to-speech engine that will read all road names out to you as you drive. Only on major roads does the S30 convert text-to-speech to read out the names of the roads.

Next on the list is the address entry screen, which helpfully reads aloud the letters as you tap the on-screen keyboard. You can turn it off if it annoys you in any way, but it does make it very easy to tell when you've hit the wrong key and also means you don't have to keep too close an eye on the list of matches that pops up at the top of the screen. It can also be a handy feature for blind people who want to have a go at doing something useful on a gadget they otherwise are unable to use.

In the navigation mode, there are more helpful touches. The most distinguishable one being the creditably clear and realistic next-turning icons that appear in the top left of the screen. On most other SatNav's these are picked from a library of generalised icons so that one junction looks very much like the next. On the Navman S30 you get a bird's-eye view of the actual junction, which gives you a much better idea of what is ahead. Along the same lines, the S30 also provides very clear on-map turn highlighting. Instead of a flat and simple arrow you get a bright yellow 3D one, which makes it virtually impossible for you to miss your next turn.

The S30 is a very good performer. The map data comes from TeleAtlas, which is an excellent choice as other leading navigation producers like Mio also use it. The 3.5" touch screen is bright, crisp and clear at the same time making it an excellent choice of navigation system for use on a very sunny day. It responds superbly to touch, like most navigation systems and it also comes complete with an auto-zoom function. Which as you guessed zooms in at junctions when your obviously at a slow speed and zooms out when traveling at high speeds.

The Navman S30 is great for people who tend to dose off a little while driving, which is dangerous if it is done excessively. The Navman can be a form of alarm clock, which continuously repeats instructions up to a maximum of three times to make sure you get a clear understanding of what to do next.

The Navman S30's direct interface makes it easy to access the essential features without the hassle of searching. For example, the volume control can be launched by holding down the volume button on the navigation screen. Recent searches, favourites and the address search are just two small clicks away. And you can get a route overview simply by browsing through the views on the map screen. Just as helpful is the fact that important POI (Point of Interest) categories, such as food, SOS (pharmacies, garages etc) fuel and parking are a simple click away on the second main menu screen. Which removes the need of searching through the POI menu. You also get speed camera updates free for 12 months, though you have to pay £50 per year if you want to keep this particular feature.

The loudspeaker on this navigation system is not very loud, which means that you have to be fairly quiet if you want to efficiently listen to the provided instructions. If your stuck in traffic you have an option of finding another route via the 'Avoid Area' feature provided on the Sat Nav. Adding to the disadvantage of the low speaker volume, there is no traffic information support, no bluetooth and routing options are limited to car travel. There are no options for pedestrians or bicycle, motorbike and truck users.

Overall, I think the Navman S30 is a cost-effective alternative to the navigation systems provided by Tom Tom and many other companies. Here is a link to a website selling the Navman S30 for under £90 (£86.95) to be exact. Visit:

http://www.handtec.co.uk/section.php/21/1/navman-sat-nav

for more information. I am not sure whether they allow payments via Pay Pal but they appear to be a trusty website. You can always Opt to buying from Ebay where you can get great deals. I have given the Navman S30 4 stars purely because of its good looking interface and its price.

Thanks for reading and I hope you found my review helpful. 

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