Navman iCN 510 32MB GPS Navigator

User Review: - Worst Technical Support Ever
I bought my Navman ICN 510 in 2005. 3 months ago I decided to upgrade the maps, because even for 2005 the maps were old.
I bought the software from Navman Australia, because I couldn't find it here in the US.
After 3 months of constant calls and e-mails to Navman I still cannot update my new software!!! Unbeliavable!
In the mean time I bought a Garmin 250. I didn't buy it in 2005 because I didn't know that Garmin was the best brand. I can tell you, my Garmin GPS is easier to use, comes with all maps from US and Canada and has a better interface. You just plug it and use it!
If you are wondering if you should buy a GPS, don't buy Navman, buy a Garmin GPS. http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-n%C3%BCvi-3-5-Inch-Portable-Navigator/dp/B000NW0Y9W/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1204621036&sr=8-1

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User Review: - Avoid this thing
I've had one of these for a little over 2 years. Slow start up, crash prone, outdated maps even when new. Frequently locks up and requires reset and re-entry of route coordinates. Buttons difficult to use-multi-function button extremely sensitive and tough to control. Many better choices on the market.

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User Review: - bad bad bad
I've had this for about a year, and I'm fed up enough that I plan to purchase a new device. Some of the problems I've experienced:
-Completely useless for any kind of road trip, greater than maybe 100 miles. It sends you one way, recalculates, changes its mind and then tells you to go back the way you came, recalculates again and tells you to go the first way again.
-Absolutely refuses all toll roads, even if you don't have "avoid toll roads" selected.
-Plans U turns (not for corrective action, but actually desired) in inconvenient places, such as major freeways. Even if they're undivided, it ain't gonna happen.
-Every once in a while, you'll be on the route that it tells you to take, and it'll pop up a message saying "cannot get to destination". It refuses to recalculate, until you pull over and reset it manually, at which point it's fine.
-Completely useless in downtown Boston. Understandable, but highly annoying.
-Sometimes refuses to navigate to an address. It has a destination point marked on the map, there's a clear way to access it, but it decides to navigate somewhere else instead, usually a couple of blocks away.
-Requires zip codes. The interface is terrible, you can enter a neighborhood, and it'll pop up a list with 5 choices, all with the same name. If you choose the wrong one, it won't recognize your address. If you enter the zip code, usually works.

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User Review: - JG
I have had this little unit for two years and think its pretty darn good for its size and money. Its directed me to Yellowstone park from Bozeman airport with no problem. Its directed my girlfriend back from a camping trip with no problem..Its a neat little unit that works very well..I like it alot and im glad I bought it. I seldom use it but its nice to know i have it and it works.

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User Review: - icn 510 no longer supported by Navman.
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UPDATES: As of 2008, this unit is outdated. Navman no longer supports the icn510, and Garmin currently provides much better GPS units priced at about $[...]
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I was very reluctant before purchasing this GPS, since it is a "PDA-based" unit, and My Toshiba 740 is notoriously unreliable and prone to lose data. I ended up buying one used on EBay for $[...] and have been *mostly* happy with it since.

Even though this review might sound a bit negative, please be assured that I DO like my ICN-510 and would recommend it to others. I wanted a GPS because I get lost all the time and - just like any other man - never think in advance to get driving directions.

THE PROS:

- IT LOOKS GOOD: Both hardware and software. The main reason I bought the Navman - besides its price - was because I liked the look-and-feel of the maps and touch-screen. Compare it to some of the TOM-TOM models, which have cheap-looking plastic casings and a horrible screen interface.

- Great battery life: I mostly operate it on battery mode, only in a couple of instances I had to plug it in with the car adapter during long trips, but that was not a big deal at all. You can continue using it while it charges, if you don't mind the cable connecting it to the cigarette-lighter.

- It is VERY affordable: at around $300, I think it was a good investment. Since this is my first car GPS, I was not ready to spend seven hundred dollars on it, "just to see if it would be useful". Maybe next time.
Additionally, it is very easy to move it from one car to the other. It has a windshield attachment that works really well.

THE CONS:

- OUTDATED MAPPING: I live in Orlando, which is always growing, and some of the newly developed areas have huge holes in coverage.
As of jan 2006 I have tried to find updates for North America and have not seen any available. Mapping is provided by TeleAtlas.com, and their website really SUCKS...
Outdated mapping seems to be the most common complain amongst Navman users. Too bad...

- EXPENSIVE UPDATES: Even if TeleAtlas DID release an updated mapping base, I'm not sure if I would buy it. Why should you have to spend $100 bucks or more in mapping updates? It is a tough sell...

- YOU WILL NEED A MEMORY CARD. Not a big deal, since these things are so cheap nowadays. 30 or 40 dollars will solve your problem.

- ADDRESS-MATCHING COULD BE BETTER. Again, another problem related to poor mapping. Sometimes it is hard to find a certain address, even though you know it is there.

- POOR BUILT-IN SPEAKER: This is one of the few hardware-related flaws on this system. The voice guidance has a volume system that goes up to about 6 or 7 levels, but anything above the third level is above the capacity of the tiny PDA speaker, and it will become "crackly". If you have a noisy car environment, it will be hard to hear the spoken directions.

- THIS IS A CAR NAVIGATION UNIT. This is an important point, since you can only navigate through the ROAD NETWORK. Why is this important? My sister-in-law lives in a new side of town - which happens not to be mapped - and therefore I cannot "bookmark" her home or get any routing directions. The software will show my position, but it will not let me add a "waypoint" since "there are no roads around"
- Also, don't even think about it if you are trying to use it for things like geocaching or hiking. This is an automobile GPS only.

BUT HAVING SAID ALL THAT, I'm actually quite happy with the unit. I use it mostly for driving and finding alternate routes to bypass traffic, and for that it works great! The re-routing tool is very nice, and it helps me a lot when I do get lost, which happens very often.

So I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS UNIT:
- If you only want to spend about 300 to 400 dollars.
- If you are getting it for driving directions and quick re-routing.
- If you have no problem with the mapping coverage gaps in newly developed suburban areas.

Hope this helps, and good luck!

Marcos Bastian
BSTN.NET

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