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philandnic

hi there folks..... im looking at getting a PDA sat nav system for my travels through Europe next year... however with the number of different hardware/software options im a little confused. A few of my questions are:

1. what is the most important thing to look for in the PDA - memory, ROM, RAM, speed, colour! Also in line with this, what would be the minimum requirements for a decent pda.

2. what software options do i have for street level mapping of europe.

3. im not planning on taking my laptop - does that mean ill need lots of memory cards to store the various maps on.

4. any other tips or experiences with pda sat nav systems.

cheers all,
Phil

MOTORHOMER

IHello

Try QVCuk.com for the item below. The European maps are unlocked & ready to load onto an SD card. We use a 1gig SD card. It holds all the info on the CD and also the aaaires info etc from the download files.You can have it on MBG so can try before you buy and return it if it is not to your satisfaction. It is only a sat nav though on a PDA siz gadget.
We used the 510 version very successfully in France this year.

Motorhomer

Item Number 554301

Navman ICN 520 In Car Sat-Nav with 3.5" Colour Touch Screen, UK & Euro Maps

QVC Price £362.00

UK Postage & Packaging £6.45
Save! Buy two or more & save on postage and packaging

You need never get lost again with this Navman ICN 520! Its 128Mb memory card has been preloaded with detailed maps of the UK - simply type in a post-code, street or town and it will find the best route in seconds. It can even recalculate your journey if there are traffic jams or diversions. This handy unit has an intuitive 3.5" LCD touch screen and a built-in rechargeable battery. Lightweight and small, it's perfect for when you're on foot and easy to transfer from vehicle to vehicle. You'll also receive a CD ROM with European maps and accessories.

DABurleigh

Phil,

>1. what is the most important thing to look for in the PDA - memory, ROM, RAM, speed, colour! Also in line with this, what would be the minimum requirements for a decent pda. <
Total memory, processor speed, screen resolution and operating system. Minimum 64Mb (128Mb very good), 400MHz, 320*240 (but VGA highly desirable). Windows Mobile 5 latest OS.

>2. what software options do i have for street level mapping of europe. <
The leader would seem to be TomTom Navigator 5.2:
http://www.tomtom.com/products/product.php?ID=109&Language=1
Copilot Live 6.0 is a recent major upgrade:
http://www.alk.eu.com/copilot/pocketpc.asp

>3. im not planning on taking my laptop - does that mean ill need lots of memory cards to store the various maps on. <
A single 1Gb SD card may be tight; 2 would be ample.

>4. any other tips or experiences with pda sat nav systems. <
Think about the siting of the GPS antenna. Wires or bluetooth or integrated. What mount? Check out volume of speaker if not an amplified mount. WiFi likely to be increasingly useful, so ensure built-in and be able to use PDA for free/cheap VOIP Skype, email, web, instant messaging, etc.

Dave

RobinHood

I've been going down the same route.

A TomTom 700 dedicated system is attractive (pan-Europe seamless mapping and relatively easy to use), but for a similar price a PDA-based system would give me the opportunity to load my Fugawi UK OS maps and use them whilst walking.

So, not from experience, but from research, a few things to add to Dave's post.

Windows Mobile V5 is literally only just beginning to be shipped in numbers. A few PDAs have it installed, but most don't. Future upgrade is not an easy process in most cases (impossible if the manufacturer does not support?). AFAIK, the only guarantee is from HP, who will publish upgrades for a limited, current set of PDA's sometime early in the new year. (http://www.ipaqchoice.com/ and follow the Mobile5 upgrade link for details). As the industry thinks Windows Moile5 is a big improvement, I'd be inclined to ensure you get it or can upgrade. (TomTom software appears to be compatible with the new version via a patch downloadable from the TomTom site).

If you are getting street-level mapping, you might find it useful for exploring on foot. If so, I would suggest bluetooth or integrated GPS receiver. (Less wires, less fuss). Integrated is more convenient if you can live with it (especially if you intend to walk) but beware the potential antenna positioning problems arising from overcabs.

I've really started to zero in on integrated units, and at the moment am drawn to the ASUS A636, which is not widely available in the UK, but presses most of the buttons, gets good reviews and has amazing battery life. It's around £340 with Windows Mobile 5, Destinator UK street-level maps, and the European upgrade is not hugely expensive. The A632 is similar, with lower spec and cheaper.

Another option is to wait for the Mio A201 (due out this week, though lower spec than the A636) and being sold without bundled software. It should be possible to put the full TomTom West Europe package on this for around £370 total .

Paulway

I currently use a Navman PiN 300, now replaced with a new model, I have been more than satisfied with the operation in terms of screen, sound and performance, no independant aerial (as it is built in but has no positioning problems whatsoever) is great as there are no extra wires or jacket required.
However if I was buying now I would probably go for Dell Axum 50v or 51v with GPS. The processor is the latest and one of the fastest on the market at over 600MHz and has both Bluetooth and full 802b/g built in. So it is as capable as a laptop, but you can't put a laptop in your pocket, with full hotspot capability for your internet and e-mail access whilst away and you can use thier own GPS software or any Pocket PC software you choose. The 50v's are available from as low as £179 direct from Dell and for the specification I don't think you will find better.
Personaly I would avoid dedicated GPS units i.e. TomTomGo, Garmin and the like as they are only any good as GPS with the dedicated software, I have as yet to here of anyone being able to upgrade one to more suitable software.

MOTORHOMER

Paulway

Yes but it has to be Navman so far as I am aware you cant put say Tom Tom on it!
That was the point I was making whilst you can upgrade to their own dedicated software you are locked in to them with the dedicated types. Currently Navman for instance charge the full retail price for upgrades as they do to outright buy for the first time.

dodger148

The latest Navman PDA the PiN570 in this country comes loaded up with maps of the UK and Ireland, that work

it also comes with a set of CDs which seem to cover all other countries, however dont expect these to work without first purchasing a product key
There is another free option and that is to download the Base Maps from the CDs, these are just the major roads/routes in the country which I suppose could be ok, depending on what you want

I personally have been disapointed with my dealings with Navman and the supplier I bought the package from but I do have to say its not a bad combination.
I needed a bit of help (got from this web site) to get it fully working but since then its fine

DubPaul

If Navman comes with TeleAtlas maps then Ireland does not work!

The Navteq maps aren't brilliant but are much better.

Beware of some brands specific Navigon maps "by Navteq"... they are no good for Ireland.

If you want good maps for ireland stick with Garmin.

MOTORHOMER