Best GPS/sat-nav for Australia

[Penelope Plopworth]

I'm seeking a decent cost-effective GPS satellite navigation system for use
in Australia. I've got Bluetooth enabled Pocket PCs and laptops which I
could conceivably hook up, but most of the solutions I've seen which utilize
them seem overly messy.

What is the best program/system to use? Am I better off trying to use my
existing devices with some new software, or buy a new standalone device. If
so which one? I can get a basic Navman 320 unit for under $500, or the
Navman 4420 unit & software to plug into my PocketPC for around the same
price. Are Navman any good or are there better brands available?

All opinions appreciated.

 

[Tim]

I have a Navman iCN510. Im on the road all the time for work so use it
everywhere, there great and save a lot of fucking around. Whatever you get
just make sure the maps are updated and you will be fine.


"Penelope Plopworth" <msplopworth@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:43b3aeec$0$21385$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au...

I'm seeking a decent cost-effective GPS satellite navigation system for
use
in Australia. I've got Bluetooth enabled Pocket PCs and laptops which I
could conceivably hook up, but most of the solutions I've seen which
utilize
them seem overly messy.

What is the best program/system to use? Am I better off trying to use my
existing devices with some new software, or buy a new standalone device.
If
so which one? I can get a basic Navman 320 unit for under $500, or the
Navman 4420 unit & software to plug into my PocketPC for around the same
price. Are Navman any good or are there better brands available?

All opinions appreciated.

 

[-= Spudley =-]

Penelope Plopworth wrote:

I'm seeking a decent cost-effective GPS satellite navigation system
for use in Australia. I've got Bluetooth enabled Pocket PCs and
laptops which I could conceivably hook up, but most of the solutions
I've seen which utilize them seem overly messy.

What is the best program/system to use? Am I better off trying to use
my existing devices with some new software, or buy a new standalone
device. If so which one? I can get a basic Navman 320 unit for under
$500, or the Navman 4420 unit & software to plug into my PocketPC for
around the same price. Are Navman any good or are there better brands
available?
All opinions appreciated.

Take a look at this site.
http://www.destinator.com.au/PN/index.php

I purchased the Destinator ND before Christmas, and in my humble opinion it
is an excellent unit.
Prior to this one I had tried the NAVMAN for my pocket PC and found that it
was rubbish, I ended up returning it to Dick Smith for a refund.

HTH
Spudley.

 

[-= Spudley =-]

Penelope Plopworth wrote:

"-= Spudley =-" <-= Spudley =-@cun*20plus.com> wrote in message
news:2RQsf.127410$V7.114773@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
Penelope Plopworth wrote:
I'm seeking a decent cost-effective GPS satellite navigation system
for use in Australia. I've got Bluetooth enabled Pocket PCs and
laptops which I could conceivably hook up, but most of the solutions
I've seen which utilize them seem overly messy.

What is the best program/system to use? Am I better off trying to
use my existing devices with some new software, or buy a new
standalone device. If so which one? I can get a basic Navman 320
unit for under $500, or the Navman 4420 unit & software to plug
into my PocketPC for around the same price. Are Navman any good or
are there better brands available?
All opinions appreciated.

Take a look at this site.
http://www.destinator.com.au/PN/index.php

I purchased the Destinator ND before Christmas, and in my humble
opinion it is an excellent unit.
Prior to this one I had tried the NAVMAN for my pocket PC and found
that it was rubbish, I ended up returning it to Dick Smith for a
refund. HTH

Thanks - it certainly does help, and echoes my own thoughts after
viewing the NAVMAN range for myself. If you don't mind my asking, how
much did you pay for the Destinator ND and how do you go about
updating the maps? Can it use others like NAVMAN and TomTom if they
update more regularly?

I paid $649, it was on special from Target of all places. They sold out very
fast at that price.
I don't know if it can use other maps like NAVMAN and Tom Tom, it is an
Windows CE based unit and the maps come on an SD Memory Stick as well as a
CD.
It can play MP3's and AVI movie files, which you can upload to it via it's
USB port using Microsoft ActiveSync or you can use an SD card reader/writer
to do the same.
ActiveSync also comes on the CD if you don't already have it.

If you already have a Pocket PC with inbuilt GPS receiver according to the
information on the site, the software can be purchased for that, it's
called Destinator PN.
Although it could turn out to be as costly as the stand alone GPS unit.

Spudley.

Thanks for the info so far Spudley - much appreciated. Out of
interest - are you the same Spudley that Metaphoid (usenet
personality of the serial pest/comic variety depending on whether
you're a target or a witness) professes to owning the arse of?

The very same Spudley, although if you believe anything of what Megaroid
fantasises about your mental health is in dire jeopardy of suffering
severely for the worse.

 

[Coo-EE]

IMHO the Mitac Mio 168 is still the best PPC to buy, you can pick it up in
the u.k for under Ł200 and that comes with Medion Navigator 5.0 software,
then Medions own brand comes second best in my opinion, but if you get the
chance, and you want a variety of maps, then get the full australian maps i
also have the full australian speed camera POI's for tomtom 5.210

tomtom 5.210

australian maps (Full)
canadian maps (Full)
european maps (Full)
united states maps (Full)
speed camera database's (Full) all countries
celebritiy voices (TT5 Only)

 

[rowan194]

-= Spudley =- wrote:

Penelope Plopworth wrote:
I'm seeking a decent cost-effective GPS satellite navigation system
for use in Australia. I've got Bluetooth enabled Pocket PCs and
laptops which I could conceivably hook up, but most of the solutions
I've seen which utilize them seem overly messy.

What is the best program/system to use? Am I better off trying to use
my existing devices with some new software, or buy a new standalone
device. If so which one? I can get a basic Navman 320 unit for under
$500, or the Navman 4420 unit & software to plug into my PocketPC for
around the same price. Are Navman any good or are there better brands
available?
All opinions appreciated.


Take a look at this site.
http://www.destinator.com.au/PN/index.php

I purchased the Destinator ND before Christmas, and in my humble opinion it
is an excellent unit.
Prior to this one I had tried the NAVMAN for my pocket PC and found that it
was rubbish, I ended up returning it to Dick Smith for a refund.

Funny, I concluded that the Destinator ND was rubbish.

http://www.mtekk.com.au/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7876&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

Target have discounted it from $699 to $649 then $599... the original
non sale price is $899. Are they discounting heavily because they're
moving a lot of them (and admitting their original profit margin was
huge, to the tune of $300+), or dropping the price to try to get rid of
them?

 

[Tim]

I have a Navman iCN510. Im on the road all the time for work so use it
everywhere, there great and save a lot of fucking around. Whatever you
get
just make sure the maps are updated and you will be fine.

I wonder why you say "just make sure the maps ure updated"....
I bought my Navman 1 (one) year ago and believe me, inner city (burbs) it
is
fantastic (metro area Melbourne).

Im in Perth and theres a lot of new areas. If you buy it new the maps will
be updated so you dont have to worry. Theres still a lot of area around
Perth metro where it gives some dodgey directions. Although its the newer
areas that are mainly the problem theres still older places which arent
100%. Navman is excellent on warranty too if need be.

Outer burbs has problems.
Country..... forget about it. When you drive along "main" roads you seem
to
be a little "left" or "right" of the road you are on.
It's all about information in the long run.
I won't upgrade the information I have on my Navman because it is tooooooo
expensive IMHO.
Fantastic for city driving generally speaking.
Don't forget, never ever let the woman voice direct you. You will go mad!
;-)

The guys i work with wonder why i use the man, that woman gives me the
absolute shits lol.

"Penelope Plopworth" <msplopworth@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:43b3aeec$0$21385$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au...
I'm seeking a decent cost-effective GPS satellite navigation system for
use
in Australia. I've got Bluetooth enabled Pocket PCs and laptops which I
could conceivably hook up, but most of the solutions I've seen which
utilize
them seem overly messy.

What is the best program/system to use? Am I better off trying to use
my
existing devices with some new software, or buy a new standalone
device.
If
so which one? I can get a basic Navman 320 unit for under $500, or the
Navman 4420 unit & software to plug into my PocketPC for around the
same
price. Are Navman any good or are there better brands available?

All opinions appreciated.

 

[watchcat]

"Penelope Plopworth" <msplopworth@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:43b3aeec$0$21385$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au...

I'm seeking a decent cost-effective GPS satellite navigation system for
use in Australia. I've got Bluetooth enabled Pocket PCs and laptops which
I could conceivably hook up, but most of the solutions I've seen which
utilize them seem overly messy.

What is the best program/system to use? Am I better off trying to use my
existing devices with some new software, or buy a new standalone device.
If so which one? I can get a basic Navman 320 unit for under $500, or the
Navman 4420 unit & software to plug into my PocketPC for around the same
price. Are Navman any good or are there better brands available?

All opinions appreciated.
I'm using a TomTom 300. If you really don't know where you are or how to get

somewhere (a frequent occurrence for me), it's a godsend, because it will
get you there - eventually. It's when you 'demo' it in a route that you
already know that you see some of the stupid decisions it makes. Mine is set
to take the shortest route and mostly out of curiosity, I had it running on
a drive i just completed from Adelaide to Canberra. Bloody great highway is
the most obvious route to take, but it kept wanting to take me along little
side roads and obviously had zero understanding of the purpose of bypass
roads. That trip is supposed to be a 12 hour journey, but if I'd followed
the TomTom directions, it would have been around 17 hours. I was not
overly impressed with it in Adelaide either. Didn't have a damn clue where
Hahndorf and that's not exactly a new town/suburb. Don't know how to
update the maps or even give feedback - their website is crap.

On the good side, the unit has very good sound and visibility and the
attaching device isn't too bad, but I'll still look at something different
next time, because the TomTom people really don't give a rats about service
and I don't see any hope of the aforementioned routing problems being fixed
by them.

 

[Toby Ponsenby]

On 29 Dec 2005 19:18:41 -0800, rowan194 wrote:

-= Spudley =- wrote:
Penelope Plopworth wrote:
I'm seeking a decent cost-effective GPS satellite navigation system
for use in Australia. I've got Bluetooth enabled Pocket PCs and
laptops which I could conceivably hook up, but most of the solutions
I've seen which utilize them seem overly messy.

What is the best program/system to use? Am I better off trying to use
my existing devices with some new software, or buy a new standalone
device. If so which one? I can get a basic Navman 320 unit for under
$500, or the Navman 4420 unit & software to plug into my PocketPC for
around the same price. Are Navman any good or are there better brands
available?
All opinions appreciated.


Take a look at this site.
http://www.destinator.com.au/PN/index.php

I purchased the Destinator ND before Christmas, and in my humble opinion it
is an excellent unit.
Prior to this one I had tried the NAVMAN for my pocket PC and found that it
was rubbish, I ended up returning it to Dick Smith for a refund.

Funny, I concluded that the Destinator ND was rubbish.

http://www.mtekk.com.au/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7876&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

Target have discounted it from $699 to $649 then $599... the original
non sale price is $899. Are they discounting heavily because they're
moving a lot of them (and admitting their original profit margin was
huge, to the tune of $300+), or dropping the price to try to get rid of
them?

Always claimed to be the latter, but it's most likely the former;-)

--
Toby.
quidquid latine dictum
sit, altum viditur

 

[Graham Fountain]

watchcat wrote:

"Penelope Plopworth" <msplopworth@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:43b3aeec$0$21385$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au...
I'm seeking a decent cost-effective GPS satellite navigation system for
use in Australia. I've got Bluetooth enabled Pocket PCs and laptops which
I could conceivably hook up, but most of the solutions I've seen which
utilize them seem overly messy.

What is the best program/system to use? Am I better off trying to use my
existing devices with some new software, or buy a new standalone device.
If so which one? I can get a basic Navman 320 unit for under $500, or the
Navman 4420 unit & software to plug into my PocketPC for around the same
price. Are Navman any good or are there better brands available?

All opinions appreciated.
I'm using a TomTom 300. If you really don't know where you are or how to get
somewhere (a frequent occurrence for me), it's a godsend, because it will
get you there - eventually. It's when you 'demo' it in a route that you
already know that you see some of the stupid decisions it makes. Mine is set
to take the shortest route and mostly out of curiosity, I had it running on
a drive i just completed from Adelaide to Canberra. Bloody great highway is
the most obvious route to take, but it kept wanting to take me along little
side roads and obviously had zero understanding of the purpose of bypass
roads. That trip is supposed to be a 12 hour journey, but if I'd followed
the TomTom directions, it would have been around 17 hours.
That's cos you have it set to _SHORTEST_. When it is set to shortest it

will find the shortest trip, even if that means a 20km/hr dirt track
over the mountains that would take 5 times longer than the highway that
runs beside it, if the dirt track is 100m shorter. When you set the unit
to quickest, it will stick to highways as much as possible.

I was not
overly impressed with it in Adelaide either. Didn't have a damn clue where
Hahndorf and that's not exactly a new town/suburb.
You can't blame tomtom for that one. They use Sensis maps, as does

practically every other GPS system in Australia. Sensis maps are crap,
pure and simple. Look on Whereis.com and you'll find the same things are
missing. There are suburbs around here that have been there for 20 years
that don't appear on Sensis maps. These roads are missing on
Whereis.com, tomtom, navman, copilot, roadangel & mio. I haven't tried
garmin but I'd wager they are missing on it too. Odd one I discovered
recently - a small town near Gatton was in the previous sensis maps
(used on the earlier navmans). On the latest ones, all the roads going
into the town stop as dead ends, with the town completely missing. Not
only that, but instead of the area being entered by what it is known as
(Tenthill Creek, or even Lockyer Valley), the maps call the area
"Moreton". I always thought Moreton was on the coast, guess I was wrong.
Also, the latest maps seem to have less street numbers, and less
accurate numbers than the previous versions. So it appears Sensis's
policy is to keep charging you more for progressively inferior products.
Not surprising really, since Sensis is owned by Tel$tra.

Don't know how to
update the maps or even give feedback - their website is crap.
Map updates have to be bought. This isn't a TomTom issue, it is a Sensis

issue. Judging by updates for some of the GPS units that have been in
the market place longer, expect to pay somewhere in the vicinity of
$150-$200 for a map update. Again, this money isn't going into TomTom's
coffers, it is paying Sensis for their shite product. If you ask me they
have a damned hide asking any money for their maps they are so crap.
This is one area where we are far behind seppo-land. They have a freely
available public database of street information. Many GPS producers have
either free updates or just a token fee to cover map conversion costs.
BTW, TomTom's website is no worse than any of their competitors - says
less for their competitors than it does for tomtom. Actually a little
snooping around their website and you find little gems such as an update
for fixed speed camera locations.

On the good side, the unit has very good sound and visibility and the
attaching device isn't too bad, but I'll still look at something different
next time, because the TomTom people really don't give a rats about service
and I don't see any hope of the aforementioned routing problems being fixed
by them.
That's because there isn't a problem in the routing, the unit is doing

exactly what you told it to do. Change it to fastest, and next time, RTFM.

 

[Jack Erbes]

watchcat wrote:

I'm using a TomTom 300. If you really don't know where you are or how to get
somewhere (a frequent occurrence for me), it's a godsend, because it will
get you there - eventually. It's when you 'demo' it in a route that you
already know that you see some of the stupid decisions it makes.

You apparently haven't spent enough time learning how to use it's
features. Like any good tool it needs to understood and used right.

Mine is set
to take the shortest route and mostly out of curiosity, I had it running on
a drive i just completed from Adelaide to Canberra. Bloody great highway is
the most obvious route to take, but it kept wanting to take me along little
side roads and obviously had zero understanding of the purpose of bypass
roads. <snip

You told it to take the shortest route and that is what it is doing.
You needed to tell it the quickest route to get it to take the fastest
roads.

None of the systems has the average person's knowledge of local road and
traffic conditions. It is never going to pick the best way to get
anywhere except by chance. Tourists don't know any better so they take
whatever they get gratefully.

I'm using Tom Tom 5 Navigator on a PDA in the U.S. and, with a little
understanding and patience, it does a good job. I find I most often
want to use the Itinerary Planning. That allows me to set almost any
number of waypoints along the route and that forces the software to go
the way I want to go.

Load up your favorites with the points that you can pick off from a map
that will force the software to do a better job.

Jack

--
Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA (jackerbes at adelphia dot net)
(also receiving email at jacker at midmaine dot com)

 

[Penelope Plopworth]

"Coo-EE" <tripnslip@wallawalla.com> wrote in message
news:dp0gn5$1tq$1@nwrdmz01.dmz.ncs.ea.ibs-infra.bt.com...

i use the Medion MDPNA100 its a PPC but ive just loaded TT5.210 onto it,
and it works great, also i have full australian maps, and suprisingly, they
are very clear and smooth, i asked it to calculate a route from lancashire
to Cobar NSW lol

so PPC are for me, easy to use, very easy to set up, i have the built in
gps ariel, i think they are the best ones to use

Assuming I only need to purchase a bluetooth GPS unit for use with my Ipaq
(around $100-150), is it just a matter of installing the software? If so,
how much is it and where did you get yours? I've found a distinct lack of
retailers selling PPC options.

 

[Coo-EE]

i use the Medion MDPNA100 its a PPC but ive just loaded TT5.210 onto it, and
it works great, also i have full australian maps, and suprisingly, they are
very clear and smooth, i asked it to calculate a route from lancashire to
Cobar NSW lol

so PPC are for me, easy to use, very easy to set up, i have the built in gps
ariel, i think they are the best ones to use

 

[Fuzzy]

"Tim" <Spam> wrote in message
news:43b3b05b$0$21368$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au...

I have a Navman iCN510. Im on the road all the time for work so use it
everywhere, there great and save a lot of fucking around. Whatever you get
just make sure the maps are updated and you will be fine.

I wonder why you say "just make sure the maps ure updated"....
I bought my Navman 1 (one) year ago and believe me, inner city (burbs) it is
fantastic (metro area Melbourne).
Outer burbs has problems.
Country..... forget about it. When you drive along "main" roads you seem to
be a little "left" or "right" of the road you are on.
It's all about information in the long run.
I won't upgrade the information I have on my Navman because it is tooooooo
expensive IMHO.
Fantastic for city driving generally speaking.
Don't forget, never ever let the woman voice direct you. You will go mad!
;-)

"Penelope Plopworth" <msplopworth@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:43b3aeec$0$21385$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au...
I'm seeking a decent cost-effective GPS satellite navigation system for
use
in Australia. I've got Bluetooth enabled Pocket PCs and laptops which I
could conceivably hook up, but most of the solutions I've seen which
utilize
them seem overly messy.

What is the best program/system to use? Am I better off trying to use my
existing devices with some new software, or buy a new standalone device.
If
so which one? I can get a basic Navman 320 unit for under $500, or the
Navman 4420 unit & software to plug into my PocketPC for around the same
price. Are Navman any good or are there better brands available?

All opinions appreciated.

 

[atec]

Penelope Plopworth wrote:

I'm seeking a decent cost-effective GPS satellite navigation system for use
in Australia. I've got Bluetooth enabled Pocket PCs and laptops which I
could conceivably hook up, but most of the solutions I've seen which utilize
them seem overly messy.

What is the best program/system to use? Am I better off trying to use my
existing devices with some new software, or buy a new standalone device. If
so which one? I can get a basic Navman 320 unit for under $500, or the
Navman 4420 unit & software to plug into my PocketPC for around the same
price. Are Navman any good or are there better brands available?

All opinions appreciated.




TomTom

 

[Penelope Plopworth]

"-= Spudley =-" <-= Spudley =-@cun*20plus.com> wrote in message
news:2RQsf.127410$V7.114773@news-server.bigpond.net.au...

Penelope Plopworth wrote:
I'm seeking a decent cost-effective GPS satellite navigation system
for use in Australia. I've got Bluetooth enabled Pocket PCs and
laptops which I could conceivably hook up, but most of the solutions
I've seen which utilize them seem overly messy.

What is the best program/system to use? Am I better off trying to use
my existing devices with some new software, or buy a new standalone
device. If so which one? I can get a basic Navman 320 unit for under
$500, or the Navman 4420 unit & software to plug into my PocketPC for
around the same price. Are Navman any good or are there better brands
available?
All opinions appreciated.

Take a look at this site.
http://www.destinator.com.au/PN/index.php

I purchased the Destinator ND before Christmas, and in my humble opinion
it is an excellent unit.
Prior to this one I had tried the NAVMAN for my pocket PC and found that
it was rubbish, I ended up returning it to Dick Smith for a refund.

HTH

Thanks - it certainly does help, and echoes my own thoughts after viewing
the NAVMAN range for myself. If you don't mind my asking, how much did you
pay for the Destinator ND and how do you go about updating the maps? Can it
use others like NAVMAN and TomTom if they update more regularly?

Spudley.

Thanks for the info so far Spudley - much appreciated. Out of interest - are
you the same Spudley that Metaphoid (usenet personality of the serial
pest/comic variety depending on whether you're a target or a witness)
professes to owning the arse of?

 

[Penelope Plopworth]

"atec" <atec77@##hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:43b3da40$1@dnews.tpgi.com.au...

Penelope Plopworth wrote:

I'm seeking a decent cost-effective GPS satellite navigation system for
use in Australia. I've got Bluetooth enabled Pocket PCs and laptops which
I could conceivably hook up, but most of the solutions I've seen which
utilize them seem overly messy.

What is the best program/system to use? Am I better off trying to use my
existing devices with some new software, or buy a new standalone device.
If so which one? I can get a basic Navman 320 unit for under $500, or the
Navman 4420 unit & software to plug into my PocketPC for around the same
price. Are Navman any good or are there better brands available?

All opinions appreciated.
TomTom

How much? Which model? Pocket PC or standalone?

 

[Neville MADDEN]

Penelope,

Everybody is going to throw heaps on me but I use a Garmin GPS12, data cable
($8), Pathaway3 software(49+/-US) and Natmap 1:250000 raster maps on CD
($100Au) and a Palm M515 PDA

The software that comes with Pathaway allows me to convert, geo-register and
upload the .BMP maps from the Natmap CDs. With 64mb SD Memory card in the
PDA I can load 7 1:250000 map sheets and that is a lot of dirt to cover.

\Neville
Brisbane.


\In article <43b3da40$1@dnews.tpgi.com.au>, atec <atec77@##hotmail.com> wrote:

Penelope Plopworth wrote:

I'm seeking a decent cost-effective GPS satellite navigation system for use
in Australia. I've got Bluetooth enabled Pocket PCs and laptops which I
could conceivably hook up, but most of the solutions I've seen which utilize
them seem overly messy.

 

[atec]

Penelope Plopworth wrote:

"atec" <atec77@##hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:43b3da40$1@dnews.tpgi.com.au...


Penelope Plopworth wrote:



I'm seeking a decent cost-effective GPS satellite navigation system for
use in Australia. I've got Bluetooth enabled Pocket PCs and laptops which
I could conceivably hook up, but most of the solutions I've seen which
utilize them seem overly messy.

What is the best program/system to use? Am I better off trying to use my
existing devices with some new software, or buy a new standalone device.
If so which one? I can get a basic Navman 320 unit for under $500, or the
Navman 4420 unit & software to plug into my PocketPC for around the same
price. Are Navman any good or are there better brands available?

All opinions appreciated.


TomTom



How much? Which model? Pocket PC or standalone?




shop about , should run about $950 retail

 

[-= Spudley =-]

rowan194 wrote:

-= Spudley =- wrote:
Penelope Plopworth wrote:
I'm seeking a decent cost-effective GPS satellite navigation system
for use in Australia. I've got Bluetooth enabled Pocket PCs and
laptops which I could conceivably hook up, but most of the solutions
I've seen which utilize them seem overly messy.

What is the best program/system to use? Am I better off trying to
use my existing devices with some new software, or buy a new
standalone device. If so which one? I can get a basic Navman 320
unit for under $500, or the Navman 4420 unit & software to plug
into my PocketPC for around the same price. Are Navman any good or
are there better brands available?
All opinions appreciated.


Take a look at this site.
http://www.destinator.com.au/PN/index.php

I purchased the Destinator ND before Christmas, and in my humble
opinion it is an excellent unit.
Prior to this one I had tried the NAVMAN for my pocket PC and found
that it was rubbish, I ended up returning it to Dick Smith for a
refund.

Funny, I concluded that the Destinator ND was rubbish.

But I actually brought both of them and I'm now quite happy with the
Destinator ND.

http://www.mtekk.com.au/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7876&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

Target have discounted it from $699 to $649 then $599... the original
non sale price is $899. Are they discounting heavily because they're
moving a lot of them (and admitting their original profit margin was
huge, to the tune of $300+), or dropping the price to try to get rid
of them?