Navman SmartST Mapping Software

Just a quick warning if anyone is looking at a nice new glossy Navman GPS to plug into their PDA.

I picked up a cheap GPS4460 last week (from a real legit supplier before people start casting nasturtiums about my honesty) and have been fiddling around trying to install the software. The program needs to be activated via the Internet and, of course, it didn't work. Searched, discovered that they suggest "no firewall, no routers" between your PC and them (that's gonna make the Internet run slow) so switched off all the scary stuff and tried again. Nada, nowt, other than "are you sure you are connected to the Internet?" and then a freeze. I even bought a cheap dial up modem and came off the ADSL connection to try. Same results.

After a further search I got the number for Navman Europe Technical support (it's 01293 780500 if anyone needs it, not what is in their readme file).

"Hello" says I and explains the problem. "Oh yes sir, they all do that. It's the fault of Windows XP Service Pack 2." The obvious question was "...and the fix is..?" and the answer was "Have you got another computer you can install it on?" (Trotsky checks pockets, looks in drawer - nope, not at the moment). "Oh yes sir, uninstalling service pack 2 doesn't help either".

Good, eh?

If anyone cares...

A follow up call to Navman, after I got a spare disk out, installed Windows XP with service pack 1 with assorted virus protection (which didn't work) and tried (unsuccessfully) again, gave me a solution.

I post my PDA to them with the relevant codes and they post it back to me with the activation code installed. "One day turnaround, sir".

It went off special delivery today. This fecking product better work properly when I get it back.

Final Update

The damn thing came with the wrong bloody software! I've got the PocketPC version of the software, not the palm version.

NOT the fault of Navman, I don't think, probably the suppliers (it was a "returned package".

here's where the story ends...

Suppliers sent me the right software, I installed it first time. It works.

If you already have a Palm T3 then this is a cheap route to a reasonable mapping GPS with voice direction. especially if you want lots of bits to mount it in your car...