Why Not Combine Gps With A Pda?

[tossedsalad]

I don't understand why GPS units don't have similar capabilities to PDAs. They both have similar processors, need a few MB of memory, an SD card is useful, run on batteries and need to connect to a PC for info exchange. Other than the fact that a PDA is not typically rugged and a GPSr has the RF front end, they are nearly the same electronically.

 

So why hasn't anyone added PDA capability to a GPS? Heck, they have combined PDAs with cell phones, and cell phones have GPS capability (although typically not visible to the user). This just seems like a natural to me, a nice rugged, waterproof PDA that includes GPSr functionality. Heck, with a PDA you might even be able to tap some of the GPS functions from a user program to customize the GPS functionality! Sort of a GPS hack!

[Neo_Geo]

Check out:

iQue 3600

iQue M3

iQue M5

 

Edited August 29, 2005 by Neo_Geo

[+Sputnik 57]

They have!! Not sure that it is durable enough for geocaching though.

 

Edit: NG types faster than me.

Edited August 29, 2005 by Sputnik 57

[Neo_Geo]

Nope - I wouldn't go caching with one. Drop it and you've got a $400 piece of toast!

[+IVxIV]

The heart of a PDA is it's touchscreen,, and I'm thinking it would be tough to make a touchscreen rugged. Perhaps though if the manufacturer had some sort of security cover that hinged overtop of the screen.. hmm

[+Greymane]

Nope - I wouldn't go caching with one. Drop it and you've got a $400 piece of toast!

I would disagree. The only thing I have done is put my Dell in an Aquapac waterproof bag. I have used a couple PDAs (I have four) for several years in the field for all kinds of work and have never broken one yet. You just have to use a little common sense.

 

I use a CF card GPS with my Dell Axim x50v. It lets me carry tons of full detail 24k USGS topo maps (which I use with Memory-Map Navigator). The VGA screen is awesome.

 

I can also use GSAK to send the cache pages to the PDA, so I have all the information with me.

[+BlueDeuce]

I'd be happy with the ability to load several lines of text in each waypoint.

[+RumJungle]

Don't forget about cell phones -- they are becoming very GPS aware and the CPUs are more powerful and capable. Most phones seem somewhat rugged.

 

(link)

(Nokia)

(Garmin)

(funny)

 

I've also noticed that the bigger the screen on a GPS device, the more fragile...

[tossedsalad]

Well, I'll be!

 

They are pretty pricey. I can get a GPS and a separate PDA for a lot less. Seems that there should be a considerable savings since you are using much of the same hardware for two functions. But then they don't always price things according to what it costs them, but rather by how useful it is to you.

 

These don't seem very rugged. It looks like they are more for businessmen who want to make it easy to navigate a rental car in a strange city.

 

I don't think the touch screen is a problem. They are just a coating on the screen and are inherently fairly rugged. But the screen might need to be glass and that would be the problem. But they use touch screens in military gear, so I am sure they can do it in a lower cost PDA/GPSr as well. I expect the real problem is the lack of demand. Geocaching is just not a significant enough market... yet.

[+nscaler]

Hmm...

I've been using my iQue 3600 for two years now. Over a hundered caches with it.

Great for paperless caches.

Holds 4096 waypoints - but they are raising that to only 10,000.

I'm using a 512 MB Sd card. Only holds from the middle of Montana down through the middle of New Mexico - and everything west (continental U.S. - not Alaska) on 225MB. Well, I have to leave some room for my mp3's!

 

Just be careful with it!

[+IVxIV]

Yo nscaler how do you find the battery life with your iQue? I hear using the GPS feature can suck the batteries dry very quickly unless you assist it with a car charger or something like that.

 

And even the lightest sprinkle of rain might reduce your beloved gadget into a paperweight

[+Miragee]

. . .

 

And even the lightest sprinkle of rain might reduce your beloved gadget into a paperweight

Or a few drops of sweat. It was very hot here a few weeks ago and one guy's PDA stopped working when it got wet that way.

[+tflight]

I can get a GPS and a separate PDA for a lot less.  Seems that there should be a considerable savings since you are using much of the same hardware for two functions.

Depends on how many devices you can combine into one. I used to have a GPS for geocaching, a GPS for the airplane, a cellular phone, a PDA, an mp3 player for the car, and a wireless remote for computer presentations. I've consolidated those six devices into a Treo 650 with a Bluetooth GPS. (Although I still have an iPod ) I put the old devices up on eBay and I've saved a ton of cash and lightened the load of my pant pockets.

[+Red Eye Rebels]

I have done the same as tflight, only with a ppc 6600 as I prefer ppc to palm. All devices in one, works awesome with bluetooth gps, battery life is great....more than a day and all of my devices in one. The possibilities seem endless. By the way, the globalsat bt-338 is the most accurate signal locking gps device I have ever used. This Sirf III chipset is downright unbelievable. Incidentally, as it is my phone as well it is covered against damage through Sprint, so it won't be 600 bucks if I drop it. I am very pleased so far.

[+CaptainToast]

I had been using the iQue 3600 for a year, then upgraded to the iQue M5. The M5 is far superior to the 3600 in terms of battery life, reliability, and software stability. I keep the M5 charging in my car adaptor, and the life is at least double the 3600. I haven't run out of juice yet while on a cache hunt. About durability: haven't dropped the M5 to a hard surface yet, but I have dropped it on to soft surfaces without failure. I keep a good grip on it when in the field, and move it to my pocket when climbing over logs or over rivers. For paperless caching, one cannot beat the M5 in my humble opinion. Plus, it is synced to Lotus Notes at work, so I have my entire work schedule, contacts. and geocaches always with me. It works well as a navigation tool in the car, too. Now, if it just had a phone. . .

[+nscaler]

Yo nscaler how do you find the battery life with your iQue? I hear using the GPS feature can suck the batteries dry very quickly unless you assist it with a car charger or something like that.

 

And even the lightest sprinkle of rain might reduce your beloved gadget into a paperweight

There are chargers made to charge PDAs and they fit the iQue. The pack is just a little bigger than the 4 AA batteries it holds. In another forum, the user got three days of hiking out of one pack of batteries.

I don't do long hikes, and the screen goes off after 3 minutes. With the screen off, you get much more than the usual two hours of battery life.

If you are looking at the GPS all the time, you are not watching where you are going.

[+Indotguy]

I don't understand why GPS units don't have similar capabilities to PDAs.  They both have similar processors, need a few MB of memory, an SD card is useful, run on batteries and need to connect to a PC for info exchange.  Other than the fact that a PDA is not typically rugged and a GPSr has the RF front end, they are nearly the same electronically. 

 

So why hasn't anyone added PDA capability to a GPS?  Heck, they have combined PDAs with cell phones, and cell phones have GPS capability (although typically not visible to the user).  This just seems like a natural to me, a nice rugged, waterproof PDA that includes GPSr functionality.  Heck, with a PDA you might even be able to tap some of the GPS functions from a user program to customize the GPS functionality!  Sort of a GPS hack!

Trimble offers the GeoXT and GeoXM which are just what your looking for.

 

http://www.trimble.com/mgis_fcgps.shtml