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Garmin Palm Device With GPS

Moritz writes "Garmin is introducing a PalmOS5 handheld with GPS, MP3 and 32MB of memory. That's very nice, but why is there no bluetooth? Why can't somebody just get the spec right? Other than that this seems to be a nice addition to the PalmOS lineup."

5 of 175 comments (clear)

  1. It has an SD slot by biglig2 · · Score: 5, Informative

    So, if this is SD/IO capable then you can drop a bluetooth card in there.

    --
    ~~~~~ BigLig2? You mean there's another one of me?
  2. Three words by anlprb · · Score: 5, Informative

    Secure Digital Slot.
    This is functionality that is being moved out into secondary cards, because the chipsets and antenna have become small enough. A GPS Antenna has to be significantly larger, hence, the Handspring cards, and this Antenna. Personally, I use the eTrex Vista a LOT, and this will probably be my next handheld, after a Visor Platinum. Good work Garmin.

    --

    One Token Ring to Rule them All, One Search Engine to Find Them, One WAN to bring them in, and TCP/IP Bind them...
  3. Re:Screw bluetooth... by jeremyp · · Score: 4, Informative

    No, Palm OS is a lot smaller than the equivalent Pocket PC or whatever Microsoft is calling it now.

    32Mb is a lot for the average Palm device. Mine only has 8Mb and I've never got close to filling it.

    However, 32Mb is smallish for GPS mapping. I have a Garmin GPS receiver with 24Mb which is not enough to get the Garmin maps for the whole UK in.

    --
    All I want is a secure system where it's easy to do anything I want. Is that too much to ask ~~ Randall Munroe
  4. Re:Screw bluetooth... by Tha_Zanthrax · · Score: 4, Informative

    screw bluetooth, gimme 802.11g

    add 802.11 would be nice, but the point is:
    You cannot compare Bluetooth with 802.11g...
    Bluetooth is a standard used mostly by small and portable devices to connect to eachother.
    802.11g is a wireless networking standard.

    both are great technologies but they just can't be compared.

    sure you can use Bluetooth for wireless networking but they quality of your connection will surely be beaten by 802.11... cuz that's not what BT was designed for...

    These kind of posts are even worse then "M$ sucks and Linux rulezz!!" At least they're comparing two of the same things.

  5. A much cheaper option. by TellarHK · · Score: 4, Informative

    The other night I was walking through a rat shack and noticed a GPS unit for handhelds on the wall for $99. I did a little research into it when I got home and found out that it's actually made by DeLorme, comes with XMap/Street Atlas 2003 and supports the NMEA output standards. Output from the GPS unit itself is an RJ11 jack, and it includes three cables (Palm mSeries, iPaq 31xx/36xx, iPaq 38xx/39xx) with others supposedly available online for laptops. After a little tinkering and figuring, I got it working just fine with my monochrome iPaq 3150.

    I went to a different rat shack last night to pick up the unit, and found even more surprises. It's on sale right now (if you can catch the promotion before they pretend it doesn't exist - one place said it never existed, the other said it -shouldn't- exist even though they had the red and white tag on the wall) for $69. It runs on batteries or 6 volts of DC for maximum flexibility. With my particular iPaq of the non-sync-charging variety, there's no reason I can't charge the iPaq and the GPS at the same time with a decent dual outlet inverter.

    For a total cost of $300 (Including the $150 iPaq) I have a perfect wardriving kit in need of software. Yes, I'm rambling. Time for Concerta.