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Considering First Gps Purchase- Sp2720 Or Ique5


fc1956

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Hello, all.

 

I've been considering purchasing a gps unit to use primarily on my job. I work in the field all day, and drive a few hundred miles a week, constantly using MS Streets & Trips in my office to arrange my calls, and a street atlas out of the office. I've been considering either a StreetPilot 2720, or an iQue5. The portability and multiple functions of the iQue make it very desireable, esp. if I could carry around reference documents in html format, but perhaps the 2720 would be better suited for a heavy driving situation? For the moment I work in a mostly suburban setting, but I may be moving to a somewhat more mixed region [suburbs/rural area].

 

Also, which might be more useful, the City Select North America v7 software [iQue5] or the City Navigator North America v7 [2720]?

 

Thanks for your input,

Frank

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You're probably not getting a lot of advice from this crowd because most cachers don't have those as they're pricey and - while they're probably lovely units in their respective markets - neither one is the fantasy unit for most geocachers.

 

CS and CN have the same street data; CN just uses more attributes (such as stops per mile and hours of operation for trolls and roads that have different numbers of lanes at different times of the day) to improve route generation. Use whichever is appropriate for your hardware.

 

The M5 is apparently a Pocket PC-based system, so you would have Pocket Explorer for reference documents in HTML. In the end, it's going to come down to what YOU want - a handheld or a dashtop.

 

Oh, and in the interest of referring you to sites that may be more help, I'd have to say that while this site has a much more active pool of expertise on handhelds, the gpspassion site has a bigger pool of experts on the garmin dashtops and on handheld/PDA products. The rewviews at http://www.gpsinformation.net may also be helpful in guiding your decision.

Edited by robertlipe
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I would be almost inclined to say neither: get a $250 PDA (catch a good sale at Dell) and a $200 package of navigation software+bluetooth GPS (preferably SiRF III). You will need to deal with two power cords in the car, but will get better reception, a smaller and better featured PDA (wifi, latest OS and possibly even a VGA screen) and come out cheaper in the end.

 

Basically the only thing that the M5 has going for it when compared to a dell/hp PDA is the Garmin software, which may or may not be better than competition (I vote for "may not", but I could easily argue either opinion). (The Garmin software only works with a Garmin PDA or a Garmin bluetooth/wired GPS receiver such as the GPS10 or the GPS18).

 

(You can put the BT GPS in your pocket and use it like that, so having it stuck to the end of the PDA doesn't necessarily increase your convenience.)

 

If you have already made up your mind to choose one of your two proposals, here are some pros and cons:

 

M5 pros:

- you can install a different software package if Garmin's doesn't fully satisfy your needs

- usable as a handheld GPS in case you have to get out of your car and walk somewhere

- works as a PDA (taking notes, browsing the web, viewing documents, etc.)

- a lot cheaper, even taking into account the 2 gig SD card you need to buy if you want the complete US map on your unit at all times

 

M5 cons:

- harder to use/needs occasional reboot (windows <_<)

- the screen is more prone to reflections/less bright and has a slightly lower pixel count

- doesn't have a remote controller (for whatever that's worth)

- Garmin software isn't finger-friendly (you may have to mess around with your nails or with the stylus)

- Garmin software doesn't do text-to-speech (btw, tts is very possibly the most annoying feature ever invented, in my humble opinion :huh:)

- Garmin software doesn't do/optimize multiple destinations (I think)

- Garmin software doesn't do POI proximity alerts (speed camera warnings and such)

- Garmin software doesn't support landscape mode

 

(All 5 of those are within the capabilities of some other PPC software, but apparently Garmin is trying not to kill 27xx sales by the M5 through supplying not-so-capable software)

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You can try the Quest 2 GPS, with the entire North America City Select Preloaded.

 

Quest 2 Features:

 

* 5 times the Tracklog capacity than the SP2720 (10,000 vs 2,000)

* Weighs just 5.5 oz. and measures 4.5” W x 2.2” H x 0.9” D

* up to 20 hours on internal rechargeable lithium-ion battery

* Route Planner lets you save 50 routes, specify via points, and preview turns

* Auto sort multiple destinations to provide an efficient route for deliveries and sales calls

* Customizable road segment and area avoidance

 

Check the Quest 2 out at this link

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