Navman is a developer and producer of consumer and industrial GPS products that was founded in the late 1980s in New Zealand. Navman has since become a part of the Brunswick Corporation and continues to do their own research and development of global positioning products. As a recognizable brand name, Navman has a much stronger presence in Europe than in North America and some other parts of the globe, but they are coming on strong.
If you live in, or will be traveling in Europe, the Navman family of products are some of the best around. Navman consistently receives positive reviews in major publications–even in markets where Navman products are not widely available. Only recently has Navman started offering comprehensive maps for North America (which, to date, are more comprehensive in the United States than in Canada or Mexico). Now that the bridge has been crossed, however, Navman is likely to take a larger role.
Navman makes consumer GPS products for mostly urban use. This means they manufacture devices for automotive use, handheld street navigation, and for use with personal digital assistants (PDAs). This does not mean that such devices will not work on a trip into the wilderness. They will. It does mean, however, that they will not give you the waterproof durability, weather forecasting, and two-way radio capabilities of GPS devices more suited to rugged life in the outdoors.
Innovative Software and Design for Navman GPS products
Navman seems to have taken a page from the internet handbook. The software and device controls seem to mimic the navigation controls of personal computers and internet browsers. Most users will feel instantly familiar with the scrolling buttons and simple operational controls. The software has most of the standard features found in other GPS navigation software, like points of interest (POI), address routing, trip re-routing, and such. However, its ability to navigate with only a destination (be it a specific address, an intersection, or a destination from your Recents list, Favorites list, or pre-programmed POI channels) gives it the simple feel of internet browsing.
