Looking for a pocket pc

[phern47]

Which pocket pc or pda should I buy for gpsing? I want to be able to view topographic maps and maybe city maps on this device instead of carrying paper maps. Being able to connect my GPS to the device and seeing my movements on the maps would be a very interesting option too. Using the cheapest available device is important.

[+Miragee]

Well . . . do you want the cheapest available device that will give you all the cache descriptions, as well as the Past Logs and the hint, or do you want it to do what a good handheld GPSr with maps installed should do.

 

If the former, check out the Palm M500. It will hold the descriptions for thousands of caches in Cachemate, it is easy to see in bright sunlight, and has excellent battery life.

 

You should be able to get a Palm M500, including the shipping, for less than $30.00.

[phern47]

Well . . . do you want the cheapest available device that will give you all the cache descriptions, as well as the Past Logs and the hint, or do you want it to do what a good handheld GPSr with maps installed should do.

 

If the former, check out the Palm M500. It will hold the descriptions for thousands of caches in Cachemate, it is easy to see in bright sunlight, and has excellent battery life.

 

You should be able to get a Palm M500, including the shipping, for less than $30.00.

 

Caches are few and far between up here where I live. Entering them one by one or on a note pad is all that is needed. I have yet to do any geocaching (I'm really ashamed by that...after being here for 3 years already) however I will be doing some next summer. There is now an organized group of geocachers in my area that I now belong to.

 

What I really want is the cheapest PDA to view topographical maps and to hook up to my GPS so that I can view my progress over the terrain.

 

I know absolutely nothing about PDAs or Pocket PCs. If I knew where to start in my shopping for a used or refurbished one...that would be perfect. Yes....the PDA will also serve as alarm clock when camping, taking notes, keeping adresses etc. All the stuff that the M500 or the M505 already do. It does not have to have mp3 capabilities. Colour would be nice to have though. If I can connect my digital camera to it so that I can edit my photos while camping....that would be great...but not really a necessity. I will probably buy a few games (chess, solitaire etc) to add to the unit.

 

There are so many units to choose from and my knowledge of them is poor. Their price has drastically lowered in the past while and from what I have read, they will become almost obsolete due to the fact that most people are buying cell phones that do the same thing and more.

 

Cell phones up here do not work as soon as we go about 20 miles north of where I live. There are no named roads, villages, towns or anything, north of where I live....lol. Only logging roads, snowmobile and VTT trails, logging camps and outfitters.

Edited November 26, 2007 by phern47

[+lizs]

Well . . . do you want the cheapest available device that will give you all the cache descriptions, as well as the Past Logs and the hint, or do you want it to do what a good handheld GPSr with maps installed should do.

 

If the former, check out the Palm M500. It will hold the descriptions for thousands of caches in Cachemate, it is easy to see in bright sunlight, and has excellent battery life.

 

You should be able to get a Palm M500, including the shipping, for less than $30.00.

 

Caches are few and far between up here where I live. Entering them one by one or on a note pad is all that is needed. I have yet to do any geocaching (I'm really ashamed by that...after being here for 3 years already) however I will be doing some next summer. There is now an organized group of geocachers in my area that I now belong to.

 

What I really want is the cheapest PDA to view topographical maps and to hook up to my GPS so that I can view my progress over the terrain.

 

I know absolutely nothing about PDAs or Pocket PCs. If I knew where to start in my shopping for a used or refurbished one...that would be perfect. Yes....the PDA will also serve as alarm clock when camping, taking notes, keeping adresses etc. All the stuff that the M500 or the M505 already do. It does not have to have mp3 capabilities. Colour would be nice to have though. If I can connect my digital camera to it so that I can edit my photos while camping....that would be great...but not really a necessity. I will probably buy a few games (chess, solitaire etc) to add to the unit.

 

There are so many units to choose from and my knowledge of them is poor. Their price has drastically lowered in the past while and from what I have read, they will become almost obsolete due to the fact that most people are buying cell phones that do the same thing and more.

 

Cell phones up here do not work as soon as we go about 20 miles north of where I live. There are no named roads, villages, towns or anything, north of where I live....lol. Only logging roads, snowmobile and VTT trails, logging camps and outfitters.

[+lizs]

These are some good questions I'd like to see answered.

 

Also, when you say $30 for an M500, is that new or used or what? (I knew veeeeeeery little on this)

 

1. Someone is selling what I take are used M505s etc, loaded with some geocaching stuff - but not cachemate or gsak - and selling for around $50.... or almost $70 for the M515. Good deal?

 

2. Do you recommend color or non-color screens?

 

3. What's the advantage of more memory (16MB on the 515)?

 

4. What kind of things can you add with the SD card memory?

 

5. And as asked before, can you put photos on and edit? (I just have digital camera, not camera phone)

 

6. What kinds of programs can you put on these Palms?

 

7. Can you do wireless? Although I don't have wireless on either PC or phone - and would not get with phone.

 

Sorry, a few more questions.

 

[+Miragee]

These are some good questions I'd like to see answered.

 

Also, when you say $30 for an M500, is that new or used or what? (I knew veeeeeeery little on this)

 

1. Someone is selling what I take are used M505s etc, loaded with some geocaching stuff - but not cachemate or gsak - and selling for around $50.... or almost $70 for the M515. Good deal?

 

The Palm M500 is all you need for Geocaching. Cachemate is one of the best programs and you need to purchase your own license for that software. It is only $8.00 to register it. To see what the different models are worth, check the "Completed Auctions" on eBay. Make sure you compare the same units, in the same condition, with the same options.

 

2. Do you recommend color or non-color screens?

 

The monochrome screen of the Palm M500 is easy-to-see in bright sunlight. The color screens on the Z22 and Palm TX can be hard to see. The Palm M515 is easy-to-see in bright sunlight.

 

3. What's the advantage of more memory (16MB on the 515)?

 

If you add more programs or games to the Palm M500, as I did with the M500 I have had for almost six years, you might wish you had 16MB of memory. However, you can always add an SD card.

 

4. What kind of things can you add with the SD card memory?

 

If you get a Palm M515, you probably won't need an SD card for additional memory, unless you are loading lots of other programs, games, and cache descriptions.

 

5. And as asked before, can you put photos on and edit? (I just have digital camera, not camera phone)

 

There is a program called Vikao that allows you to view photos on a Palm M500.

 

6. What kinds of programs can you put on these Palms?

 

Games, Dictionaries, all sorts of programs, some free, some for a modest, or not-so-modest price

 

7. Can you do wireless? Although I don't have wireless on either PC or phone - and would not get with phone.

 

You can get a more expensive Palm like a TX or the Lifedrive that can connect to WiFi. You can also buy a WiFi card.

 

Sorry, a few more questions.