gamefreakgcb

A friend of mine became a TLC Limo Driver and he is looking for a GPS system so I recommended a PDA with GPS receiver to be a better choice for a few bucks more and now he put it on my shoulders to get him one and so, I turn to you people to help me out as I have never used a GPS in my life. Now his budget is about $400 so I had in mind the following, Axim X30H($180) with a decent BT GPS($50-70) receiver and a software that does the work with voice-prompts and a 4GB card to do . Now I thought about the X50V but he would have a hell of a time to figure out the tine text in VGA mode. So I'm open to any input. TIA

dinghani

I would look at Garmin products. I have the GPS 10 with software and think it is great.

Lofty

I recommend the ASUS MyPal A636.

It makes a better PDA than the Garmin, here are the specs.

416 MHz Intel Xscale Processor
64 MB RAM
128 MB ROM
SiRF Star III chipset, 20 channels
WiFi and Bluetooth
Windows Mobile 5
SD Card slot

Here's a review of the PDA.

http://www.mobiletechreview.com/ASUS-A636.htm

thedakr

The x50v would be great - he doesn't have to have it in true VGA mode, all of the images will just be more polished than on the x30. If your friend is up to getting the x50v, I would most certainly go with that.

lawman

My recommendation. Unless he is a PPC nut, stick with tried and true. Which means, stable OS. Any PPC running WM2003SE and get the best GPS package (map + GPSr) to match the money willing to be spent with the appropriate power adapters etc.

gamefreakgcb

He isn't that much of a techie and this will be his first handheld.

cbs01

Unless he is going to use the PPC for other things, I would recommend a "real" in car gps. They have larger screens and are easier to operate in a vehicle. There are tons on the market for under $400. Some even come with remote control.

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gamefreakgcb

I can try any GPS software with any receiver right? For example the Deluo BT reciever with any software on the X50v.

Bagelsnbrew

Unless he's going to use the PDA for other functions, I'll second cbs01 and recommend a AIO (all in one). Easier to set up and use. If I were in the market, I'd jump on this QUICK, it was the top of the line a year ago. He'll even save ~40 off his budget.

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Sharp Zaurus 5000 > Sharp Zaurus 5800 > Casio E-100 > Casio E-115 > Dell Axim X-5 (forever lost
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gamefreakgcb

Originally Posted by Bagelsnbrew

Unless he's going to use the PDA for other functions, I'll second cbs01 and recommend a AIO (all in one). Easier to set up and use. If I were in the market, I'd jump on this QUICK, it was the top of the line a year ago. He'll even save ~40 off his budget.

Now that is one good solution. 20GB of space so no need to fiddle with different map packs.

lawman

Remember that these AIO solutions have a lower sensitivity as its not SiRF based. If this guy is a limo driver within a city. Skyscrapers will block the GPS signals causing him to be "lost" all the time if the GPS mapping software has no route list capability.

For AIO solutions, there are also antenna extenders to increase sensitivity but of course the costs go up as well.

So, as with everything, there is a learning curve. People need to understand that before jumping into GPS.

I used one Garmin's and Magellan AIO solutions, and tried to see if its as intuitive as the PPC version, and I have to say hands down, the PPC rules.

gamefreakgcb

Originally Posted by lawman

Remember that these AIO solutions have a lower sensitivity as its not SiRF based. If this guy is a limo driver within a city. Skyscrapers will block the GPS signals causing him to be "lost" all the time if the GPS mapping software has no route list capability. For AIO solutions, there are also antenna extenders to increase sensitivity but of course the costs go up as well. So, as with everything, there is a learning curve. People need to understand that before jumping into GPS. I used one Garmin's and Magellan AIO solutions, and tried to see if its as intuitive as the PPC version, and I have to say hands down, the PPC rules.

Which receiver do you recommend? He will mostly be in the suburbs for long distance passangers than in the city around skyscrapers, that job is mostly got yellow cabbies.

Greymane21

If you want an AIO solution and you want the SiRF III chipset (very sensitive), you can go with something like the Holux GPSmile 60. It has an integrated GPS (so no extra pieces) and works quite well. Most any street navigation software will run on it.

lawman

I agree with Greymane21.

Get a SiRF III based GPS unit. And the one Greymane21 mentioned is based on WM2003SE (a stable OS) and allows the person an AIO solution. With the SiRF III, it reduces the need for an external antenna. I believe buygpsnow.com has it listed as well.

But your friend will also need a good GPS mapping program as well, so the costs might add up to be higher than $400. However, its something he will be using a long while. So it might be worth it.