All-in-one or PDA?

Scuby · Occasional Visitor Joined: Feb 24, 2006 Posts: 29

I recently bought a Tomtom Go 700. It was expensive, but I am fairly satisfied with it. Right after I bought it, my (very old) PDA needed to be replaced. Here comes another major purchase. After both purchases, I read about the Tomtom Navigator 5 with a PDA.

Since I had to buy a PDA anyway, should I take both back and buy a PDA/Navigator 5 combination? Anybody do this and wish they had an all-in-one? Anybody glad they did? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. I want to be able to use it in 2 cars and take it in when I park. Is this a lot harder with the PDA setup? Thanks.

Lew

alix776 · Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2006 8:20 pm Post subject:

i think its a lot easier with a pda as the pda will fit in your pocket and with a bluetooth receiver will fit in another pocket ot with the new sirf3 receivers you could wire the receiver out of sight or put it in your pocket
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currently using aponia truck navigation on windows phone. Good bye IOS don't let the door hit you on the way out .

Oh the joys of being a courier.
device Lumia 950 xl

Pc-Mobile · Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2006 5:18 am Post subject:

A PDA can do what an all-in-one GPS can with additional of low cost GPS.
Since you need a PDA and a GPS, the choice is obvious.

Were you thinking of a PPC plus a BT GPS?

Have you considered an all-in-one PPC/GPS?
This setup is getting more popular and there are more and more makes/models coming out. It is not much bigger than a PPC alone but it is a lot more convenient and easier to setup. With a BT GPS, you may have occasional (if not frequesnt) disconnections and some still have problems with pairing/connections. There is no porblem of such with a PPC with built-in GPS.
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Pc-Mobile
http://pc-mobile.net/gps.htm

Scuby · Occasional Visitor Joined: Feb 24, 2006 Posts: 29

peterc10 · Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2006 12:14 pm Post subject:

Don't know what is like in the US but here in the UK sat nav has become so popular that thieves in city centres are breaking into cars with a sat nav mount showing (just the mount not the unit). They work on the principle that most people "hide" the unit in the glovebox. So nowadays a lot of people end up taking their sat nav units with them.

Then everybody (at least here in the UK) has a mobile (cell) phone. So now you are carrying three bits of kit around if you want a PDA too. How many pockets have you got?

That is why I went for a PPC based combined PDA and phone that can also run TT5.

You have less choice (if any) if you want a Palm based system rather than PPC or Symbian based smartphones. There are PDA/phones about, but ...... According to somebody who has one the Palm OS system does not support multiple bluetooth connections. running at the same time. So if he wants to make a phone call using his BT car phone kit he has to switch off the sat nav and vice versa. Not very seamless.

Whereas with mine the two work together seamlessly, with the phone car kit working seamlessly in the background until it is needed.

So there you go. If you can put up with the BT problem go for a Palm PDA (with phone). If not go for a PPC based one (and port all your data across). That is what I would do.
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Peter
HTC Sensation
Sygic GPS for Europe (No more TT "support"!)
Copilot for USA
Bury CC9060 bluetooth car kit & Brodit mount

Scuby · Occasional Visitor Joined: Feb 24, 2006 Posts: 29

After my research and your opinions, I agree the PDA/GPS solution would be the best for me, but I think I'll stay with what I've got. I would have to take back my PDA, take back the TT, buy another PDA, buy the TT Navitator, install on my computer, find a mount, ... Too much time and effort. If it's stolen, I'll take the insurance money and buy what I should have in the first place. Thanks for the input.

Lew

DavidHobbs · Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 5:01 pm Post subject:

Reider · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 18, 2006 Posts: 26

Slightly off topic but having read the following

"Don't know what is like in the US but here in the UK sat nav has become so popular that thieves in city centres are breaking into cars with a sat nav mount showing (just the mount not the unit). They work on the principle that most people "hide" the unit in the glovebox. So nowadays a lot of people end up taking their sat nav units with them. "

It tempted me to say its a pity we don`t have the same facility we have with mobile phones, where we report the loss, give the unit number and its turned off from source, stopping it from getting a Sat/Nav signal. I realise this would be moving toward a subscription based service but some might prefer that to getting there car broken into regularly.

For the record, back on topic, I use a Pocket Computer with built in Sat/Nav and wouldn`t part with it for the world.

Steve
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Acer N35 Pocket Comp. + DestinatorPN Sat/Nav
Nokia 6630 + TomTom5 Mobile Sat/Nav

Darren · Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2006 2:01 pm Post subject:

MrGumby · Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2006 7:47 pm Post subject:

mikealder · Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2006 7:59 pm Post subject:

The Exec is great in the car, but it does need a decent mount, I use the Brodit "tilt and swivel" unit it simply clips in to the dashboard air vents, visability is fine when driving and the audio is loud enough to hear without a problem, just got it working with the audio navigation and speed camera warning prompts routed through the bluetooth headset - the only down side is the Exec is a brick when compared to other phones, it all depends what you want, go to the local shop and try one for "feel" and weight, as a multifunction unit it is superb. - Mike

Darren · Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2006 8:14 pm Post subject:

As Mike has said, Brodit's Exec Mount is superb and allows it to be used in landscape | portraint and open in laptop mode. See here for photos of it in my car.
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Darren Griffin

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