Pda Vs Ique M5

[+Thatsit]

Okay,

I want to go paperless and have an extra GPS to boot. So is it better to go with a bluetooth able PDA with a bluetooth GPS Receiver or just go with the Garmin Ique M5????? Any help here would be appreciated. Thanks, Bill......

[+Pippinspaw]

This is the same question I have been looking at. Previous posts have suggested that the Ique is a huge battery hog when operating the GPS, and that a dedicated Palm was the way to go, but I'm still searching for wisdom on this one...

 

Any suggestions from experience???

[+Quiggle]

Moving to GPS Units and Software forum.

[+Uncle T K]

Get a PALM and Cashmate $8 and GSAK $29 (This is what I use)

 

or a Pocket PC and use ???

[Major Catastrophe]

The IQUE is a PDA.... Next question, please.

 

With a BT GPS, you can change PDAs later on. If you get tired of the IQUE, you've lost your GPS as well. Also, you can toss the BT GPS onto the car's dashboard while your passenger can hold the PDA in a more comfortable position (where the IQUE's antenna might not work as well.)

 

All of these things tend to be battery hogs, so the more sets of batteries in use, the better. That would legislate in favor of separate units. The less drain you put on the PDA's batteries, the longer it will last. (Hopefully, you're looking at my last sentence and saying, "Well, duh....")

[+JDandDD]

As stated, bluetooth is much more flexible. My Globalsat BT-338 is about 1" wide by 1.5" long. You can wear it on your belt and it works great under trees and in the car on the road, amazing reception with SirfIII and WAAS.

 

I use a Palm, GSAK, cachemate/cachenave and Fugawi. Getting Tomtom Navigator 5 for street mapping.

 

JDandDD

[+Alan2]

I don't have the Ique but do have and Ipaq 2215 with a newly purchasesd Sirf III GPS (had a Fortune CF GPS before but it failed and I had to replace it.)

 

That's one of the advantages with a spearate GPS you plug. Also, the Ique does not have the SirfIII chipset which is the best GPS receiver availanle to day. It outperforms both the 60cs and ther Ique. If they come out with a IV later, I could always upgrade again - something you cannot do with the IQUE as it's integrated. OF course having the GPS built in means never having to not have the GPS with you.

 

You can probably do better in pricing by packaging your own system rather than using the Ique but some people like the idea of not having to bother. Also the ique may be more than you need. You can get a much cheaper Ipaq if the other feature for the PPC you need are not required.

 

Keep in mind that the compass rose and bearing arrow are determined in both my Ipaq and Garmin's Ique by movement and calculation from the satellite data like the 60c rather than by the on-board magnetic compass like the 60cs.