02-19-2006, 03:20 AM
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Editorial Contributor
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 5,411
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I-Mate PDA-N has GPS?
I got an I-Mate PDA-N. Seems that they accidentally slipped a GPS receiver into the unit. Why do I say that? You have to look hard to find any real references to it. Nothing on the box indicates it has a GPS. The manuals that come with it only note GPS in two locations. The pictures that show the buttons and features, show that one of the buttons launches the GPS, and there is a warning in the back of the manual about safety concerns when using a GPS while driving. The table of contents doesn�t list GPS, nor does the Index. There is some info in the User�s Guide about how to connect the PPC to a BT GPS. (???)
When pressing the �GPS� button you get messaging, i.e Inbox. There is no GPS program. No mapping or navigation, or even a simple lat, long, elevation, sats tracked application. The GPS control panel item that is sometimes available in WM5 devices is not there. When you get the PDA-N out of the box, and fired up, you wonder if it really does have a built in GPS. Of course there is a suction cup windshield mount and car charger included in the kit, so you do have some hope. There is also an antenna connector under a rubber cover on the back and the device isn�t a phone edition.
You have to install something to even verify that a GPS exists. My guess would be that many folks might have a copy of Pocket Streets around from Streets and Trips or Autoroute. This will frustrate you even more. You won�t get it to work. Probably the best thing to do is find a GPS information program like CEMonitor (also called WinFast Navigator) or a trial of some other GPS application, if you don�t already have one you like. It appears that the GPS is seen on Comm 4 at 9600B. That�s why Pocket Streets wasn�t working. It looks for 4800B.
The good news is that once I had software that could see NMEA sentences on comm 4 at 9600B, the thing works pretty darned well. I locked up a good location well within a minute, with the PPC sitting on my desk at home. I was getting 9-12 satellites with good signal strength. That�s significantly better than I am used to with my Socket or Delorme BT GPSs in the same location. It�s better than my eTrex and Magellan SportTrak for that matter. I loaded up Mapopolis on the PDA-N, took it out for a drive and it tracked very well. I reassigned the �GPS� button to Mapopolis and now it does what you would expect.
Just amazes me that this GPS enabled PPC has no GPS usability out of the box. I can see not providing mapping software, as it would add expense and I�d just as soon choose my own anyway. But there is not even any app that shows satellites in view, tracked, lat long, etc. No basic GPS functionality what so ever. Worse there is no mention in the manual that additional software is required to even see that there is a GPS embedded. If you go to club imate, you would think that FAQ #1 would answer the �Where is the GPS software?� question, but there is no mention of GPS there either. Maybe a small app to download? Nope. Only reference to GPS for the PDA-N other than on the product page was a couple of forum posts, asking how to get it to work.
Maybe it�s just too new, but I�d bet they get a lot of these back from folks who buy them expecting some sort of GPS to be visible, and find nothing but the GPS button that opens e-mail.
Beyond this �minor� issue. It�s a nice little PPC. About the size of the K-Jam, and about as thick as the bottom half of it. It�s physically smaller than an HP4155 (still my favorite form factor), but a bit thicker. You can read all the specs at i-Mate. It looks and feels kind of plasticy, but for the price, considering the GPS, it seems a good buy. Certainly will be very convenient. No cables, no BT to set up and connect, not even any flip up antenna. Just push the GPS button, wait a bit for a lock and you are off (once you get some software on there  ) Screen is pretty good in my estimation. It�s QVGA but it�s 2.8� QVGA so it appears sharper than it would if it were bigger.
All in all I think this will be a useful device. I can throw on Mapopolis for road routing, Delorme Street Atlas with maps cut from TopoUSA (or MapTech Outdoor Navigator, or Nat Geographic Topo!) for off road stuff, and even one of the many handheld GPS-like programs for those types of functions. If only i-Mate supplied something that let you know it had a GPS.
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