You're lost. If those are words of encouragement to continue driving, rather than to sensibly pull over and figure out where the heck you are, you may want to consider the Navman 3420. Asking someone on the street for directions may not be manly, but asking your PDA and GPS system is still OK with us. So be a man and watch "Tech Live" tonight, where we'll show off an expensive GPS system.

Made for the Compaq iPaq 3600-3900 series, the Navman expands the color PDA's ability by adding a sensibly sized "backpack" that provides GPS functionality that also integrates with the address book. For starters, the Navman is a little pricey for those who don't already own the iPaq. Together, both devices will set you back about $1,000.

For directions, read the directions

The Navman requires a software installation to work correctly, so set aside some time before you go on your first GPS-powered trek. First, you have to run the installer from the included disk. Before you can use the software on the iPaq, you have to register. Insuring serialization is understandable, but forcing registration is not. Also, the software alone isn't any good without the Navman, so why not have the expansion pack be all that's required to serialize the software?

If your iPaq is connected to your PC via the serial port, expect to spend extra time completing these tasks. The painfully slow data transfer speeds, combined with large files, equal long waits.

Once you've gone through the process of installing the software, get ready to install maps. The GPS software comes with maps of the entire United States, and the map files range from 20MB to 45MB each. (The smallest map is Hawaii.) Naturally, the maps require as much space to be available on the iPaq. Luckily, the Navman offers an expansion slot for Compact Flash Type I and II cards, so you can use a Microdrive to get up to 1GB of space. We had trouble using a 64MB card for a 28MB map, so we suggest you use at least 128MB (our tests with a 1GB Microdrive were successful).

The map installation was painfully time-consuming. Our 28MB Northern California and Nevada map (you have to select a zone, you can't just pick a city) took over an hour to install. Admittedly, we were using the serial connection, but tests using USB still took a third of that time. So, this isn't something you should do just before you leave for your big trip.

On the road again -- finally

Think all that installation was the hard part? Think again. Our unit had a hard time finding the GPS satellites while we drove around. When we did finally find the GPS satellites, our map data -- for which we waited almost an hour to transfer -- was nowhere to be found. The only thing the unit could tell us was which direction north was, and how fast we were moving. But, jump in the car, and you lose the signal again.

Reception is even worse if you move the Navman away from the auto's glass, which is supposed to help receive GPS signals. Ironically, the arm that secures the Navman to the windshield kept our iPaq just far enough away from the glass to keep it from finding the signal. Furthermore, the arm didn't secure well. Hit a few bumps and expect your PDA to find its way to the floor, fast.

Can you tell we're incredibly disappointed? Without the map data, the GPS was mainly useless. It wasn't even able to tell us even what state we were in. (Granted the state of frustration can't be found on any map.) The Navman has too many drawbacks to get even a mild recommendation.

Pros: Provides color display of maps; not too bulky; voice instructions.
Cons: Software installation difficult; requires additional storage; map file transfer lengthy.

Company Navman
Price: $299
Available: Now
Category: GPS