Cheapest/best setup with EMTAC?

Steve_D · Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 8:04 am Post subject: Cheapest/best setup with EMTAC?

Hi all,

I have just decided to get a GPS system for travel (I regularly go for 3 day weekends to the continent) and after doing some research the Emtac bluetooth looks like a good thing. Small, light and I wouldn't be attached to one platform.

Can anybody give me tips on the cheapest and/or best way to get going? I was thinking of getting a bluetooth card for my lappy and just using that (I have microsoft map-point). I would of course have to buy a car adapter for the lappy (approx £55) and the bluetooth card (£20 or so).

Do the Ipaq etc have voice navigation? I really want this function.

Is map-point rubbish? I haven't seen anyone mention it.

I don't have a PDA so really have to start from scratch.

Thanks in advance,

Steve.

Steve_D · Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 8:04 am Post subject: Cheapest/best setup with EMTAC?

Must be a stupid question .... oh well, i am posting this so this thread is not the only one with 0 replys ;)

Dave · Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 8:04 am Post subject: Cheapest/best setup with EMTAC?

Not wanting to put you off here, but unless you're looking to use something like Route 66 then you're not going to get much out of the PC. I haven't tried Map Point but I have tried AutoRoute (not sure what the differences are?) If you've can afford up to £600 then I would suggest you go for a Pocket PC setup with a Bluetooth enabled Pocket PC and an EMTAC Bluetooth receiver. You will need to purchase maps aswell, but the Pocket PC systems have full voice navigation and re-routing capability and also show Points Of Interest which I don't think you're going to find as good on a PC. I think you'll find a laptop pretty bulky in-car unless you're the co-pilot and have it on your lap.

Steve_D · Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 8:04 am Post subject: Cheapest/best setup with EMTAC?

Dave,

I have been doing more research since I posted that and have pretty much answered my own questions ;).

It looks like I am not going to be able to do this on the cheap, I'm quite surprised how expensive it will be.

1. Pocket PC (loox) ~£350

2. Bluetooth GPS ~£240

3. Car chargers ?? ~£50

4. Software (I was surprised how much the software was !!) over £100

etc etc !!

Oh well, you get what you pay for I guess.

Keep up the good work,

Dave

Dave · Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 8:04 am Post subject: Cheapest/best setup with EMTAC?

A lot of people tend to go for the TomTom Navigator hardware bundle as for around £280 you get the receiver, software and car chargers. This is the same for most GPS bundle packages, and only then leaves you to buy a Pocket PC and Dell do the Axim X5 for under £300.

TBH, your prices above are correct apart from car charger, as you'll get that with the Emtac and this will also power the Pocket PC at the same time, so you could remove this, but you would most probably want a car mount to put the Pocket PC into which would cost around £50.

Steve_D · Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 8:04 am Post subject: Cheapest/best setup with EMTAC?

I have checked out the X5 and it doesn't have bluetooth. I think I will go the pure bluetooth route and take the long term view that bluetooth will enable me to use them for longer (although I take the cost hit initially).

BTW, I am going to get a Compact flash card, will 256meg be enough? I understand that a whole country map will be 200meg but of course I will need extra space for other applications, documents etc. How much memory do you use?

Steve.

Dave · Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 8:04 am Post subject: Cheapest/best setup with EMTAC?

It doesn't, but you can add a Bluetooth CF card. Personally I like the original iPAQ 3800/3900 series look, and you can pick these up quite cheap now if you look around for bargains.

128mb card will suffice for most maps, 256mb should be fine, especially if you want to store other things on it. TomTom's maps come in at just under 100mb, PowerLOC's UK maps come in at just under 200mb and CoPilot's, well you'd have to use their CF card version anyway if you buy the software only version.

Steve_D · Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 8:04 am Post subject: Cheapest/best setup with EMTAC?

I have been checking CF v SD card prices, you can get 3gig CD cards now !! CF looks like half to 1/3 the price of SD. If I added a CF bluetooth card I would then have to buy a decent SD card .... I guess it all depends on what kind of expandabilty I want. 3 gig in a PDA ??? good for MP3's I guess but I have a 20 gig iPod.

Too many choices !!!

Steve

Dave · Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 8:04 am Post subject: Cheapest/best setup with EMTAC?

I'm running 5gb PC Card plus a 128mb SD card.

Steve_D · Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 8:04 am Post subject: Cheapest/best setup with EMTAC?

I guess you can never have enough disk space! Smile

Now bluetooth for the iPod, that would be a good thing!

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