SD GPS Coming from Pharos

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.gpspassion.com/fr/comments.asp?id=206' target='_blank'>http://www.gpspassion.com/fr/comments.asp?id=206</a><br /><br /></div>I'm not terribly up to date on GPS solutions, but the GPS Passion Web site certainly is! They have a short blurb and a few pictures of the new Pharos SD GPS.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/small_GPS.jpg" /> <br /><br />"Just received the Pharos SD GPS and thought it would be interesting to take a few pictures with the other available "small" GPS receivers, the Xtrac based Rikaline 6010 and SysOnChip CF GPS Plus. Well as you can see the SD GPS is indeed much smaller! In other notes, this pre-production model is rated at 105mA (more than the 80mA of the CF GPS receivers), it doesn't appear to be using Xtrac, it works with a WM2003 iPAQ 3975..."

[ricksfiona]

Very cool. If it's cheap enough, I would consider buying one. Never used GPS receivers due to their cost....

[dhpss]

I must amid, I was very skeptical hearing people using GPS on their PDA. I discover this capability by coincident and I can tell you, it changes completely my perspective about PDA. It really take you to..a cosmic level.

GPS has become absolutely the killer app on my PDA.

Trust me! Whether you need to get directions or not. The fact that you know exactly where you are; how far it will be at your next off ramp; ETA when you get to your next appointment; if you make a detour, it helps you to get back to your route, etc....

I don't have to look at any map any more to get to somewhere. I don't have to ask anybody directions to go somewhere.

Your PDA is communicating to 24 satellites orbiting the earth..Does it sound great!

[bibap]

Thanks for the mention!! GPS is one area in which there is no comparison between the Palm and the PPC. While there is one program that is decent on the Palm, Mapopolis Navigator, it runs on OS5 only. Even then it is only a pale imitation of what the PPC can do. Inflexible memory management is the real problem with OS5.

Being a PPC user for many years, and a Palm user for many years, I am convinced that, for the average user, there really isn't too much difference in actual practice (I own a Tungsten C, Sony NZ90 (and others), Ipaq 3955, Toshiba e755 (and others)) . However, when you start to push the envelope, which GPS does, it is clear that the PPC operating system allows far more to be accomplished - especially because of its memory management features. If you take a GPS program like Routis, for example, which runs on both a laptop and the PPC, it is amazing that the PPC can do just the same types of things that the laptop can do (and almost as fast). The major limitation of the PPC for GPS use is its limited memory capacity.

It will be fascinating to see what happens with Palm OS6. Building on the BEOS operating system, we have the possibility of witnessing a whole new handheld world opening up when this is released. This may be the real shootout between high-end operating systems. I hope that Palm can get this done because, for once, there will be true competition in the handheld OS arena.

[clinte]

SysOnChip, Inc. with Bluetooth GPS Receiver for PDA and Notebook PC: Bluetooth GPS Receiver SOC2S03 SysOnChip, Inc. Handheld devices PROD 2003-10-01
http://qualweb.bluetooth.org/Template2.cfm?LinkQualified=QualifiedProducts&Details=Yes&ProductID=1416

Bluetooth GPS Solutions
http://tinylink.com/?Grtl788LGL

[Jonathan1]

I never could get into GPSing on my PDA. I picked up a Pharos GPS unit a while back and played around with the software. I didn’t like it at all. If for no other reason then I can’t see far enough ahead to do any good. I don’t like flying by the seat of my pants trying to figure out where the next turnoff is 30 seconds before I have to turn. I put only about 80% of my trust in GPS. The other 20% is in paying attention to the signage on the road. Zooming out didn’t help all that much because of the size of the screen. (This is one instance where a higher res screen would come in very handy.) Thankfully the unit that I got was compatible with my laptop, for a nominal fee for the USB adapter of course. GPS coupled with MapPoint and Advanced GPS is godlike. It runs rings around any GPS solution on the PPC and quite honestly I’ve had no problems using it in the car. The 12” screen on my laptop gives me plenty of room to see where I’m going and the accuracy of MapPoint is downright spooky 80% of the time (*shrugs* the maps are from 2000 so some inaccuracies are expected.)
When the PPC ups its resolution and you get larger screens like those found on the Toshiba then I will consider the PPC again for GPS usage. Until then I’ll stick with my laptop.