RoadWired Pod

[DavidW]

In the thread on testing over in the news forum, Dave has just mentioned the RoadWired Pod. I'm wondering if he, or any other users, feel like giving me any feedback on it.



When you mentioned it took two Pocket PCs, Dave, I immediately went off to investigate and was pleasantly surprised by what I saw.





I'm currently carrying my iPAQ 3970 (with its PC Card Expansion Pack Plus) in a Compaq Expandable case, which is a good case, but the velcro is a bit too noisy for my liking in quiet meetings.



The rest of my bits are in a medium sized camera bag - folding keyboard, wireless LAN card, GPS card (and the PC Card adapter for it), SmartMedia adapter, a couple of spare memory cards and a spare stylus at the moment. As well all know, our collection of 'bits' grows as time goes on! At one time all that lived in there was the keyboard and some headphones.





Looking at the RoadWired web site, I'm pretty sure a Pod would swallow that lot easily - and probably my digital camera (a Fuji FinePix 4700 Zoom - a reasonably small camera) fairly easily.





The camera bag is turning into a nightmare - it's too stuffed and to get to some of the bits I have to tip everything out. If I can grab what I want, normally I have to tip out the whole bag to get everything back in again. If I tell you that I'm a wheelchair user as well, then you will probably realise what a nightmare that is (for those of you that don't know, a wheelchair user can't reach the floor from his or her chair).





The Pod looks like a great solution to put the iPAQ and all its bits in, together with my mobile phone and headphones (which no longer fit in the camera bag).



I'll still be forced to carry my travel bag with me sometimes (I can't go out for too long without needing to take various things related to my medical problems with me). Podzilla (yes - seriously - that's Pod's new big brother) probably isn't big enough to get everything in, and I actually don't want some of the things I sometimes land up carrying too near my mobile electronics in an expensive bag anyway. Some of the medicine I have to carry sometimes has to be kept in a glass bottle, is liquid and very sticky!





Having a Pod on my wheelchair straps seems like a good idea. Hopefully then I'd be able to reach things from my waist without having to struggle with the camera bag.





Proporta have the Pod - but they want about £41.60 for it including VAT and shipping. That seems a bit steep considering the price in the US is US$50 and the dollar is very weak right now. However, I can't find a US supplier that doesn't add ridiculous shipping charges to what is a relatively low value order - meaning that it is probably cheaper to go to Proporta.











David

[Dave]

David, I really should do a review, I've had it for a couple of months, there is a new super sized version out, but the Pod I find does me. It's meant really to take a small camera, but there's a segmented divider for the main section which can be doubled over and it allows me to slide two Pocket PC's in both with PC Card sleeves attached and to be sectioned so they don't touch each other. I then fill the side pockets with batteries, a CF card GPS, a re-rad antenna and Battery Extender, plus a whole host of assortment of cables. If you've got quite a lot to carry, the Pod is a good bag.



I couldn't get my stowaway keyboard in there with all that gear though.



I looked around and I couldn't find anywhere else in the UK that sold the Pod apart from Proporta, and I found it too expensive trying to get it shipped in with courier costs so I purchased it from Proporta in the end.

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