Tomtom Etc Vs. Pdas?

terdancam · November 11, 2005

All,

what with wifi, hdtv,bluray,3g, streaming this, dribbling that, i`m becoming deluged in alphabet soup................

with prices dropping thru' the floor for tomtoms etc from the likes of halfrauds and comets etc, i`m considering one based on the old gps stuff.

However what is the crack with the portable gps stuff, ie you can put in on your bike, go walking with it and so on- is that better than a permanent car installed one?

and also what about one of these PDA thingummies? They seem to be cheaper and you get the mp3/ officeish functionality of a portable pc/notebook.

Is there somebody out there who can lgive in simple, easy to grasp list form the principle pros and cons of these devices----given that i can actually read an aa map and am computer literate, its just i can`t be bothered anymore trying to research all the stuff you need to have to make an informed decision-it feels like my brain is about to implode with all this technical wizardry/drivel.

terdancam · November 12, 2005

HHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

is anybody out there?

ECHO

MacRS200 · November 12, 2005

I got TomTom Mobile 5 running on my Nokia 3230.

I wanted basic PDA type functions like Calander, To do List etc and was going to get a XDA ii. That would have been a £170 upgrade but the bloke at O2 recommended the 3230 and I got that free. Cost of TomTom Mobile was £200 so got organiser and Sat Nav for the cost of TomTom.

The Nokia comes with software that automatically syncs your diary, to do list and contacts with MS Outlook. If you put in address details in your contacts TomTom can use that as an address to navigate to. I am currently on a free trial of TomTom traffic which downloads traffic info using GPRS and calculates a route around delays.

Ok so does it work? Yes is the answer, I too can read maps and navigate using the sun during that day and stars at night. Have also lived and travelled all over the UK so generally know my way about. I have used the SatNav now twice in "anger" to get to places I have never been to and it got me there right to the door.

Downsides, small screen but it is useable, it was a pain to get the GPS Rx and a Bluetooth headset working together but got there in the end and it took a bit of figuring out how to make a call when the SatNav was on but that too is now worked out.

A bloke at work has TomTom Go and it works too, only advantage is a larger screen disadvantage is TomTom Go is much larger than my phone so if you really want portable go for the mobile/PDA option.

As for built in car I have never used so can't comment.

Hope that helps.

Edited November 12, 2005 by MacRS200

Gord · November 12, 2005

I have tom tom go 300, very good gets you anywhere you want, never let me down, and i can take it from car to car :D

dlayen · November 12, 2005

both my dad and sister have tomtom go and it has appeared faultless

regular updates and points of interest can be found here www.pocketgps.co.uk

Parthiban · November 12, 2005

I think it totally depends on what you personally need it for. If you're only going to use it in the car and no where else, then the level of portability is not really an issue. Best to be the one you don't need to worry about once you've parked up.

If you already have a PDA, then it could be the cheaper option, but if you don't, and don't need a PDA for anything else, then don't bother with it

In my personal opinion, I have the Lexus satnav, and that's the way I'd go if I did it again. If I didn't have it, the only option I'd consider would be Kenwood/Pioneer/Alpine properly installed satnav. But that's only because I like everything neat and tidy, otherwise I've only heard good things about Tomtom Go and the like.

Personally, as much as I love computers, I always prefer not to do too much with one, cos they always have a way of letting you down right when you need it. Although I think this is mainly because I had one of the first PC based satnavs (Streetmate i think) and that was awful, so have been put off for life :P

Anees · November 12, 2005

I have tom tom go 300, very good gets you anywhere you want, never let me down, and i can take it from car to car :D

←

When you actually bother to put it in the car! :P :P

Tom Tom are releasing a new thing called the Tom Tom ONE which retails at around £270 and it features the ne SIRFIII chipset so should be great.

Alot of info is available here:

http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/modules.php?...p=157479#157479

Great site to use ;)

norkep · November 12, 2005

I use TT 5 on my XDA Phone with a Blue Tooth GPS Receiver, if in use in the car, I can set to Shortest / Quickest Route, or if walking / biking, I can set to either. Battery life on both is about 20 Hours constant use and I can still use the phone during the Sat Nav useage. Also both only take about 2 Hrs to charge using USB either from the PC or the Cig Lighter in the car. Updates are always availble like speed camera locations