BT vs CF

[exfive]

Ok. Instead of working, I've spent hours upon hours reading reviews and forums on this website (while trying to look very busy...).
I have found it all to be very informative and interesting, but having read all this I am now over-educated and find it very difficult to decide on what I acutally need.
I own a Toshiba e750 but I don't think it is relevant, as from what I have read most receivers work with most devices.
I am going to buy TT5 or Destinator, but again this is irrelevant as most softwares will work with most of the PDAs which will work with most of the GPS receivers....
So, the BIG question is - what do I do now?

1. Shall I buy a Bluetooth receiver? I know that the cons are you have to power both devices while driving. So many cables. Or you have to remember to charge the BT (I ca guarantee that the 1 time I will really need to use the navigation, I will forget to charge the bloody thing...)

2. Shall I use a CF card? I have read that the Sysonchip is quite good and the big cheeses around here like it (that Dave chappy). So I'm willing to buy it. But then I ask myself why is that better then a BT? And maybe I will one day want to use it via BT with a Palm for example which does not have a CF slot?

I have read many many many posts here and found many answers just not all in one place. And not all addressing the same basic issue
Questions questions questions.

So, to sum up:

A. I have already decided to buy it. Whatever IT is.
B. The necessary funds have been allocated.
C. I really really (really) like stupid gadgets.
D. I know I will probably only really use it 4 times and I'm OK with it (lets face it, I know where I'm going most of the time and when I don't I have A-Z or ask someone)
E. Every day that goes by without me playing with this idiotic thing, is driving me more and more insane.
F. Someone at work will eventually notice I have not been very productive lately and this will be a very bad thing indeed.

So which is the best (average) solution for most (average) users? BT or CF? I don't mind if there is a £40 difference as long as it's not a £100 difference. I am not going to hike with it (but the option to do so is cool). I am never going to walk with it (but the option to do so is cool). I will use it (maybe 4 times) in my (old) car and I don't think the windows there have special life-blocking shields on them.

So please help. You've created this problem, now solve it! Please help me keep my sanity and my job. Otherwise I will be sacked and my wife as 5 children will go hungry! **


I like gadgets. I like the idea of GPS. I like most things. Pleaes help me become one of you!




** In case any NSPCC fanatics read this post, I am not married and as far as I am aware I have not fathered any children

[MarkHewitt]

[exfive]

Thanks for the reply mate. I did not think about the size factor (although some maintain that size does not matter?) anyway, still having a bluetooth device means it has to be charged and makes the whole thing a little more of a hassle. Is that card that big that it obstructs so much of the road? Are there smaller cards out there? IS it really better to have a BT device? And if so Xtrack or no Xtrack? (Yes I've read that article)? and SirfIII or II? Why are there so many options? Why can't they just make things simple? And why do I have to pay so bloody much for a car mount (passive or active) that costs exaxtly £1 to manufacture in china????? I think I'll post a new posty thinngie (or whatever you call these things) and ask this question.

[CJ4]

I was having a similar dilemna, except that I was trying to decide between a mouse receiver and a CF card.

From the reading I did, it appears that the SiRF III chip is the way to go for now. Based on the various reviews that I had read, I also decided on the iGuidance software and decided go go with a CF card. This is the model I had chosen:
http://www.buygpsnow.com/item.aspx?itemid=434

When I went to the bundled software, I found a great package that sounds like it would suit your needs as well. It includes the CF card, car PDA holder, Guidance software (there are different packages with different software), and a bluetooth slipper that converts your CF card into a bluetooth antenna! It's the best of both worlds for $200. It may be something that may meet your needs:
http://www.buygpsnow.com/item.aspx?itemid=357

You can also find a 5% off code at one of the axim sites.

CJ

[mikealder]

For a low cost car mount you can't go too far wrong with the O2 XDA car holder, it will fit most PDA devices and costs around a tenner - visit the O2 shop.
As for the bluetooth vs CF I use a BT unit when walking (locates on my baseball hat peak via velcro - yes you look strange but it works for me!), and a hard wired unit (serial port) for in the car - its just conveniance, far faster to get up and running than the BT device that requires conecting and a bit of messing with.
The CF units (I have tried one) are great for "get up and go" quick and don't obscure the drivers eye view too much - but they hammer the battery in the PDA, the cheapest in car solution has to be the wired device complete with charger cable compatable with your PDA, the Fuzion unit I use with the XDA cost around £35 pretty cheap and works a treat - factor in the cost of a car charger cable for the PDA and you will see what I mean, a long drive and the PDA will die out long before you get to the destination without external power - Mike

[Darren]

In order of the preference I'd reccomend:

1. Bluetooth
2. Bluetooth
3. GPS Mouse (so long as you don't mind being tied to a 12v source)

Forget CF.


_________________
Darren Griffin

[exfive]

Well it's a good thing that I'm psychic. I had a feeling you were going to say bluetooth (and bluetooth again) so I went ahead and bought myself one of those sirf iii bluetooths.
Being psychic (see above) I also have a feeling I will not be able to get everything up and running so I'll have to come back here for more advice. I will however keep all my fans (??) updated with the latest info as to what happened next.

Darren - I appreciate the fact that you are a busy man (well I hope you are anyway) and that the world does not revolve around me (well I think it does but I have been told it does not, go figure) BUT it should be noted that if you had replied earlier, you would have saved me some headaches and arguments with the voices in my head: Bluetooth? Why? You are mad! Surely CF is the way to go, you idiot! and so on and so forth...
:D

[Darren]

[exfive]

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