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Navman S30 3d: The All Important Test

part of our review of the Navman S30 3d on Tuesday 11th November 2008

We took the S30 3D on a road test but it seems fairly redundant to analyse the system in the same depth as we did with the Navman S30 review. This review will take a slightly different approach, given that the 3D version seems to be more of a maintenance release rather than a breakthrough release.

Appearance

The S30 3D has the same dimensions as the S30, with the same look and feel. The only difference to the exterior is the change from an on/off button to a sliding switch.

Packaging

The box is identical to that of it's predecessor, along with the contents except for a carry case which has now been discontinued.

PC Software / Support

The software supplied with the S30 3D is identical to that supplied with the S30. The support offered has not changed either.

System

The system works as well as it ever has done. We didn't notice too much of a difference between the S30 3D and S30, with the only noticeable difference we were looking out for being the 3D images on the maps.

We are sure the maps will have changed and there are probably small technical changes but there was nothing glaringly obvious that had changed.

Road Test

The performance of the Navman S30 3D is extremely comparable to the S30, for the afore mentioned reasons. The POI file still hasn't been updated resulting in a failure to adequately navigate us to Castell Coch, leaving us to fend for ourselves a mile away.

The times and distances were as follows:

S30

  • Predicted total time: 24 minutes
  • Predicted total distance: 16.3 miles
  • Actual total time: 32 minutes
  • Actual total distance: 16.5 miles

S30 3D

  • Predicted total time: 23 minutes
  • Predicted total distance: 17 miles
  • Actual time: 28.6 minutes
  • Actual total distance: 16.5 miles

The similarity between the predicted and actual times for both road tests suggest that the planning algorithm has not changed. It's still accurate although it appears to under-estimate journey times whilst accurately calculating the distance to within half a mile on these tests.

Would We Recommend the S30 3D?

We certainly would but only for the same reasons as the S30.  It's an entry level sat nav system targeted at potential sat nav owners, those who are after a system on a budget or even those who just want a system that does the basics.

If you are after a system that does everything you could possibly think a system could and should do, this won't satisfy you. However, if you've never owned a sat nav system before or you are simply not sure what your needs are, grab a Navman S30 3D as it will suit you perfectly.

The Totals

As nothing physical has changed and the software changes are minor, we have awarded the S30 3D 77%, exactly the same as the S30. The reason for this is that it performs exactly the same, although it has some minor upgrades applied.

If you are looking at buying the S30, opt for the more up-to-date S30 3D.

Additional Navman S30 3d Review Pages

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