littlerabbit

I'm planning to buy a GPS receiver as well as a software along with it.

S/W package wise, I'm comparing OCN6 vs. iGuidance4. My impression
is that these 2 are the best/newest today? Features important to me:

1. Voice Prompt - easy to follow voice instruction with street/fwy names,
early and repeated reminder so I can change lane ahead of time, which
side of the street. Looks like only iGuidance4 has this?
2. Accurate - map needs to be most up-to-date.
3. Fast/efficient reroute if I miss a turn.
4. Memory usage - Given OCN6 allows partial loading of the map file,
what's the memory footprint implication, e.g. to store 2 states info?
Also, can Axim X51V handle 4GB SD card from OCN6?

H/W wise, I want it to be reliable (no drop), fast acquisition (at least
12 channels), small and reasonably priced. Any new GPS here people have
tried and would recommend?

Total budget is hopefully under $150 USD.

Did I miss anything that I should consider?

Thanks,
Raymond

JakeRich

Originally Posted by littlerabbit

CLIP... 1. Voice Prompt - easy to follow voice instruction with street/fwy names, early and repeated reminder so I can change lane ahead of time, which side of the street. Looks like only iGuidance4 has this?

OCN6 doesn't say side of the street. Never seemed to bother me, I can read the signs once I get in the area.

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2. Accurate - map needs to be most up-to-date.

iGuidance uses Navteq maps, OCN6 uses TeleAtlas. Accuracy varies from location to location, both are about the same, neither is perfect.

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3. Fast/efficient reroute if I miss a turn.

Both do that.

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4. Memory usage - Given OCN6 allows partial loading of the map file, what's the memory footprint implication, e.g. to store 2 states info? Also, can Axim X51V handle 4GB SD card from OCN6?

Can't speak to the 4GB card, my OCN6 is 2GB, but you don't need much card space for just a couple of states in either case. It varies from state to state, of course, so there is no single answer. If by "footprint" you meant Program Storage, the number of states is immaterial as the map data is read from the card as needed.

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H/W wise, I want it to be reliable (no drop), fast acquisition (at least 12 channels), small and reasonably priced. Any new GPS here people have tried and would recommend?

Almost any new GPS system will have all of those characteristics. SirfIII, MTK and Nemerix are all pretty good these days. BTW, all of them still drop lock occasionally and channels don't have much to do with fast acquisition, so don't be caught up in "more channels is faster/better." Read GPS201 for some background.

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Total budget is hopefully under $150 USD.

Do-able.

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Did I miss anything that I should consider? Thanks, Raymond

Yeah, battery life. As I said, read GPS201 for some ideas.

Maximum Dude

The X51v has a 4gb limit on SD cards, but will not use SDHC cards, which unfortunately are now more common than 4gb SD cards.

If you will use the GPS in the car, then get a kit with an auto power adapter that will power & charge both the GPS module and the axim.

I use the old Dell GPS kit, which has a Dell branded version of iGuidance w/ Navteq maps. I like this SW, and am looking at upgrading to the latest edition.

You can download demo versions of several GPS programs to try them out before you buy.

Check out the reviews in the latest edition of PocketPC & Smartphone magazine, both products are tested in it.

littlerabbit

The reason for the 4GB question is that I would like to use just 1 SD card
for all purposes. If the map file is too large, it'd take all space, and I'd
end up having to swap cards.

I take it that OCN6 will provide the SD card, as well as the CD to reprogram
another one (in case the original is lost)?

The GPS201 is a great article on the receiver. Is there something similar
for the GPS Mapping S/W also - so I know what features actually matter
the most in practical car-navigation.

Thanks,
Raymond

JakeRich

Originally Posted by littlerabbit

The reason for the 4GB question is that I would like to use just 1 SD card for all purposes. If the map file is too large, it'd take all space, and I'd end up having to swap cards. I take it that OCN6 will provide the SD card, as well as the CD to reprogram another one (in case the original is lost)? The GPS201 is a great article on the receiver. Is there something similar for the GPS Mapping S/W also - so I know what features actually matter the most in practical car-navigation. Thanks, Raymond

Thanks for the nice comment on the article!

For a couple of states only, 1GB should be enough. OCN6 provides the card, but not the CD to program another. You backup the card to your desktop and then if it gets wiped somehow, copy the backup onto the card for restore. The security ties the software to that specific card, so you can't copy it to a different card--it won't run. But you don't need to carry all the maps at once on that card, you can back them up, delete what you don't need from the card and have a ton of space left on the OCN6 card itself.

Mapping S/W is very personal, so I've never written an article specifically on comparing various features. What I like, you probably won't. (Voice, prompting, route options, POI, routing speed, display options, etc, etc, etc) There are multiple reviews here at Aximsite, however, showing the features of the software. Unfortunately, the only "trial" versions I am aware of is the OdysseyMobile 3-day trial.

littlerabbit

Any pending release (in the next 3-6 months) of break-through GPS receiver
and/or mapping software that is worth waiting for? E.g. for either the
break-through itself, or the possible price drop of the existing products due to
its introduction?

Thanks,
Raymond

JakeRich

Probably, but none of us know anything about it. If your luck runs like mine, the announcement will coincide with the shipping company delivering your new GPS to you. Such is life...

Unit ZER0

Personally, I use an updated release of the same Ostia Navigation software by Pharos I once used on my old X5, it is still current, and I love to use it, the CF based antenna array functions as well as ever. Voice prompts, auto re-routing, POI's and with a subscription, real-time traffic, and smart finder functions. And best of all, the maps are updated on a fairly regular basis. See it Here: Pharos GPS - Global Positioning System - Navigation Products for Pocket PC and other PDA platforms - HP HP iPAQ, Jornada, Toshiba, Casio - Hardware and Software

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ZER0:hide:

aaubreyy

Pharos GPS is pretty cool, I like it