Well i have since ordered and received my new GPS unit, and this thing is way cool!
I'm going to add my review here, so everyone can read about it without going to another page.
this will be a 2 part review. one software and the other hardware.
What i got:
I bought the "palmone GPS navigator" it is a small wireless bluetooth unit that comes with the "tomtom navigator 5 software." and works with my Treo 650 cell phone.
The reason i bought from the palm store is that it was about $150.00 cheaper. it's the same software, just a different brand GPS unit, plus it came with mounting bracket and power cords.(and free overnight shipping). not to mention, i'm not too happy with tomtom as you'll see below.
The hardware:
works great, small and compact. wireless and rated for about two hours of use before charging. it has a connector for an external antenna, along with a connector for charging.
the connector is very nice, since you can charge it in the car, or charge it via a usb port with the included cable.
The software:
This is the tomtom navigator 5 software. now before i explain how it looks/works and what i like/dislike, let me say this,
TOMTOM CUSTOMER SEVICE SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!
this is clearly the worst customer service experience of my life, and i haven't eevn had to call on an actual issue yet. as you know i couldn't get a hold of anyone the first day. the next day i called again and i got a "all customer reps busy, please wait on the line", no problem so far, at least it didn't go straight to the "no one is available, leave a message".
1 1/2 hours later, no one still. i hang up, call back, and back to "no one is available, leave message".
I left a message with name and number (yes, although very hard to do, politely,) asking for a call back with some customer support questions.
this was thursday morning and they never called back.
plus they don't have an 800 number, it's long distance.
Now that we have that out of the way, lets discuss their software.
overall i am very pleased with it.
here's some of the things i'd like it to do:
1. updateable via computer
2. easy to view
3. option for voice directions
4. ability to program in locations (speed traps, etc) with a warning notice when approaching.
5. depending on size and mountability, something that can be moved or hidden from thieves.
it odes all this and more.
it is fast and user friendly, and you can customize the distance(in yards) to have it alert to POI's (points of interest). i set up a couple of folders, one called speed traps, where i can add locations and it will alert audibly and visually when approaching, and show the remaing distance to it.( programmable from a couple of yards to about 9998 yards, or 5.6 miles)
it is quick to plan routes and offer alternates.
i suspect the standalone units they sell will function the same, but if you think you may need to talk to customer service, good luck.
The maps.
this version (U.S.) comes with all the U.S., Canada, Guam and Puerto Rico.
Overall they seem pretty good, but are a bit outdated for some newer areas. Depending on where you live, the maps can be very accurate or a bit outdated. If you are going to a new neighborhood, it will/can get you close though.
While driving, this thing is very intuitve and right on when it comes to present location.
I was playing with it and i told it to plan a route from my location back home. i turned out of a parking lot and was headed to the next street up to make a u-turn, when it voice prompted me to get in the left lane to make a u-turn (it also gave distance to the turn lane). as i approached my turn, it then prompted to make a u-turn. it even prompted the lane changes for the interstate.
you can change map colors and voices, along with the info displayed.
i have it set to show all, including compass direction, speed, time, start and stop times, distance travelled and remaining distance.
you can also zoom in or out on the maps. it also has a night mode.
so far my only problem would be that there seems to be no way to view/edit custom POI's. there is a menu option for managing them, but no way to do anything but delete, or add. you can't even rename a custom folder. these are minor things, but it would be nice to do. also there doesn't seem to be a way to clear any lists, for instance one that has different addresses typed in. again minor at this point.
there also doesn't appear to be a way to add new locations onto the map, although you can use the "favorites" to add places that you can then "navigate to or from".
this is a bit of a brief summary, but you get the idea. once i try it out on my next road trip i'll have a better idea of how well it works on a longer trip.
One other thing, the entire program and map(s) must be installed to a memory stick, not the phone memory to work correctly.
on that note, placing the memory stick in a card reader show different folders, wher i suspect you can "manually" edit the POI's and import/export them, which would be cool, so you could share these with other users.
Originally Posted by edweird
HP iPaq 6515w on Cingular
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