I think I would prefer Windows based. I want it as a portable GPS (street navigation...have a Garmin 96c for general GPS use, but it's cumbersome as a street navigator), web browser (want high speed access--not the "better than nothing" capability of a cell phone browser), and MP3 player. The organizer functions are secondary.

What should I buy?

11/27/2006 11:44:48 AM

Duke, Mio-tech makes a bunch of Windows PDAs with GPS builtin. The new P550 is a Windows Mobile based PDA / GPS.

Check these out: http://www.miogps.com/US/

[Edited on November 27, 2006 at 12:08 PM. Reason : .]

11/27/2006 12:04:39 PM

that P550 looks pretty cool...looks like pretty much what I want, and for substantially less money than the competition.

if anyone disagrees, speak now or forever let me make an unwise purchase.


only problem is that hardly anyone sells them yet...none of the big box stores or major online vendors have them...only a couple of no-name websites have them, as best as i can see.

11/27/2006 4:03:47 PM

one thing I read about the P550 is that it does not come with GPS navigation software, but it is a Windows Mobile based PDA and it'll run anything made for WM

I saw a few of them listed as bundled with the Tom-Tom software, haha you can ride around asking your PDA "Tom-Tom, how do I get to the airfield?" and shit

TomTom Navigator 6 software on DVD for PDAs for $149 - http://www.tomtom.com/products/section.php?ID=286&Section=342&Category=2&Lid=4

(that info may not be totally accurate)

in my senior year CSC course I did GPS software development on one of Mio's original PDA/GPS combo units (the Mitac Mio 168) so I can only speak for the quality of that one, and it was a pretty cool little handheld and the GPS worked really well with the navigation software that came installed on it. It always picked up a good signal with the dashboard mount for the handheld, and apparently my car travels at 75mph according to the GPS when the speedometer says I'm driving 80mph.


*** update ***
I dont think they're actually available for retail sale in the US yet. One site says they ship Dec 10th, so the P550 must be only available through pre-order right now.

[Edited on November 27, 2006 at 4:18 PM. Reason : .]

[Edited on November 27, 2006 at 4:24 PM. Reason : link]

11/27/2006 4:11:53 PM

ah, so that's why it's so cheap compared to the competition (or at least part of the reason). you have to buy your own nav software. on the flipside, you can pick what you want.

i already have Garmin CitySelect (v7) for my other GPS...i wonder if I could install it on the Mio.


________________

i talked to Noen about the P550...his concern was the fact that it's USB 1.1. that's kind of retarded to be making a brand new unit with USB 1.1, but I can overlook that if it's the best bang for the buck, otherwise.


_______________________

other models i've looked at are the ASUS MyPal A636, Pharos Traveler GPS 525, and HP iPaq rx5900 Travel Companion, if anyone has anything to say about them.

[Edited on November 27, 2006 at 5:00 PM. Reason : asdfasd]

11/27/2006 4:56:26 PM

cingular 3125 with gps service from a 3rd party

11/28/2006 4:39:59 AM

ok, seriously...this is gonna be my Christmas present...i need to figure out which one i want.

1. Mio P550
2. ASUS MyPal A636
3. Pharos Traveler GPS 525
4. HP iPaq rx5900 Travel Companion
5. other suggestions?

12/2/2006 4:40:19 PM

palm lifedrive, or any other palm os device with dsio capbility, and add any bluetooth gps unit OR any sdio gps unit to it. Costs slightly mroe base, but allows you to upddate the gps unit as newer versions coem out, or use a large oen with external antenna and cradle int he car then swap to a micro one for using the pda in the field.

12/2/2006 5:29:52 PM

i'd prefer Windows Mobile to Palm OS

12/2/2006 5:51:55 PM

ok, seems they've changed the 3125 to be a regular phone, but when I bought it was like this http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=420175 in this thread. you can get a gps receiver for it. runs windows mobile 5

12/3/2006 10:49:11 AM

bttt

12/6/2006 8:30:02 AM