I'm new..... please be nice!

monkeyboy44 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Oct 12, 2004 Posts: 4

Hi,

Wondering if anyway can point me in the right direction, I have read up a little on the various options... but am a little stuck.

I want to buy a GPS system, I was originally thinking of getting a factory fitted BMW one but I also want a PDA, I now realise you can buy bolt on GPS systems for PDA's hopefully saving money. A friend suggest buying a HP 2210 then bolt on TomTom navigator system, he said it works ok.

Would this be the way to go? Would a factory fitted GPS have any advantages over something like PDA + Tom Tom? We haven't got a budget 'as such' but don't want to buy something stupidly expensive with a million functions and all the bells and whistles and not use half the functions
I'll leave at that for now.

Thanks for any help or pointers.

Tim Buxton · Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2004 2:44 pm Post subject:

IMO a factory fitted GPS system has no benefit at all over a third party offering except tidyness. If you sell your car, can you take out your factory fitted GPS and put it in your new one? Can you carry the system around if you want to go walking. Can you easily rig it up in a hire car should the need arise? Can you use software and data from different sources? I'd guess that the answer to all of these is 'No', which is why I have a PDA/GPS combo in my car as opposed to Renault's offering.

(Well, the fact that I already had my stuff and Renault wanted the best part of £1000, for which I wouldn't even have street mapping software, just pointy arrows and voice guidance was also taken into consideration!)
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Tim

monkeyboy44 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Oct 12, 2004 Posts: 4

cheers Tim for reply,

think you cleared that one up nicely!

in your option how would the HP 2210 + TomTom navigator system fair?

PDA use for us would mainly be loads of business contacts and reminders, wouldnt be using it for internet or phone use.

thanks

Tim Buxton · Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2004 3:17 pm Post subject:

The iPAQ 22xx series appears popular with many users here, and as it's being discontinued you might get a good price on one. If you *need* WM2003SE, which supports landscape mode, this will be no good for you as HP, in their infinite wisdom ( Question

) aren't offering an upgrade path for any of their PDAs. If it doesn't come with SE, it isn't going to get it!

Which receiver would you be looking at, wired or Bluetooth?
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Tim

topgazza · Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2004 3:26 pm Post subject:

I have to say go BlueTooth(BT) that having had my Fortuna Clip On BT for week now I am mightily impressed by its performance and the fact that I had put it in the boot area of my estate, plug it into the socket in the side so I never have to worry about BT battery going flat and it works like a dream...and no wires. The 2210 is perfect as well, just enough bells and whistles...powerful enough and a great screen. Not sure about the value of landscape is worth the extra

monkeyboy44 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Oct 12, 2004 Posts: 4

thanks for the quick replies!

I'd say we'd go for 'wireless BT' excuse my ignorance on the subject, just read up a bit more.....

so in simple terms..

i connect the pda to its holder on the dashboard then connected to it (either BT or Wire) is the sat nav receiver which would mount either on the dashboard by the windscreen (wire) or say in the boot as suggested 'BT'.

Spotted this on the Tom Tom site http://www.tomtom.com/products/product.php?ID=24&Language=1 all-in-one bundle could be the way forward for us, i take it once you buy one of these products there's loads of updated and patches to stick on? what advice would you have for memory, from what I've read the standard PDA's never come with enough standard memory.

Tim Buxton · Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2004 4:56 pm Post subject:

The 22xx series comes with both CF and SD slots, so if you have anyof either type kicking around they'll be ideal to store your maps on.
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Tim

topgazza · Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2004 5:27 pm Post subject:

Not too much in the of patches in general. I always follow the Golden Rule. If it aint broke, play with it some more till it does. Of course no, I leave well alone unless I have to. Spend your extra dosh on a 256 or 512 CF card and load all the maps on that as Tim says.

monkeyboy44 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Oct 12, 2004 Posts: 4

Thanks for the repliews again...

one more question Laughing

I'm I right in saying that the Tom Tom Navigato software will run on ANY PDA?

The bundle on their site 'the link above' has the HP iPAQ rz1710 bundled in with it.

thanks again for the help

topgazza · Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 12:13 pm Post subject:

May be wrong but no Bluetooth or CF slot on iPaq might be an issue as time goes on.

topgazza · Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 12:19 pm Post subject:

...and only 25mb RAM (10 mb file storage) AND only 203mhz processor. Having tried a couple of PDAs with mapping I would say 64 mb RAM as a minimum and 400mhz processor ditto. Lower specs work, don't get me wrong but more grunt is always handy

Tim Buxton · Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 5:20 pm Post subject:

No, the 1700 wouldn't be on my list of PDAs to buy, either. I'd look at a 22xx if the latest OS isn't an issue or a 37xx if it is.
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Tim

xantia · Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 5:50 pm Post subject:

Why not go for a Mitac Mio 168, no additional bits like Bluetooth or wired GPS mouse. With the Mitac its all on the PDA

LostAtSea · Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2004 8:30 pm Post subject:

I think it is worth pointing out that one advantage of a built-in Sat Nav over a PocketPC system is that the OEM one will have a sensor on the wheels (and possibly an accelerometer as well). Hence it will be able to be more accurate since it can combine the GPS signal with dead-reckoning. This is useful if you spend a lot of time in "urban canyons" or drive through lots of tunnels.

Avensis hire car with Sat Nav was able to keep working even when driving through the Blackwall tunnel. A PDA based system would have lost its lock and then had to re-acquire upon exiting the tunnel - potentially with different satellites in view, this could take a while and you might miss a turn. Probably not, but its annoying if you come out the tunnel and your PDA just sits there trying to work out where it is, and by the time it has you've missed your turn ...

topgazza · Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2004 8:44 pm Post subject:

Its a point but at £1000 plus is it worth the extra? Combined with non standard upgrades and being tied to one package. Maybe that makes no difference for this sort of use though which would make it just an expensive option but neat.

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