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Garmin iQue 3600

Posted by michael on from the whereami dept.

W33dz writes "Several sources are talking today about Garmin's new iQue 3600. This lovely new gadget runs on Palm's OS 5.2 and features an onboard GPS system. Garmin has a long history of being a top GPS manufacturer and has created a neat little device that you can see reviewed here (MSNBC) and here (InfoSync)."

8 of 113 comments (clear)

  1. Compatibility? by BWJones · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Well, one of the frustrating things about being on a Mac has been the almost total lack of GPS software available for OS X and GPS devices. What I can't seem to find out from the site is if downloading new maps requires Windows? If the maps are platform independent, Garmin has just made a sale.

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  2. Re:Serious Flaw by nomadic · · Score: 4, Insightful

    My shoes can't be used as transponders either. It's only a flaw if the iQue was meant to be a transponder, which I don't think it was.

  3. 3 hours of use. Forget that by enkidu · · Score: 3, Insightful
    To quote the msnbc review Garmin claims "approximately two weeks standby time or approximately 10 days if used an average of 30 minutes per day with backlight off. Battery life will vary depending upon temperature and individual use patterns."... In real life, expect two to three hours max if you're using the GPS features. Screw that. Is it just me or has battery life been getting worse and worse with each new batch of Palm devices? My Palm Personal did 5-6 weeks, and my four AAA Handera 330 has no problem going up to two months of light use, 1 month of moderate use. 10 days?

    I don't want more multimedia features, I want a better screen, LONGER battery life, and small and thin (Palm V). The latest trends are definitely away from the last two.

    --

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  4. GPS Flaws by thedogcow · · Score: 0, Insightful

    GPS is flawed. At least for most consumer level devices. The service is based on conditionality:

    1) Most GPS devices have a hard time working properly indoors. Would good is a PDA device if you can't take it indoors. Something that is "limited" to outdoors might get roughed up due to rain and other environments
    2) Satellite position. Some times the service for GPS is not immediately available due to changes within the satellite protocol.

    A good device, but I can't justify half of a 1000 dollars on it.

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    1. Re:GPS Flaws by jgordon7 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      1) If you are indoors and you do not know where you are, you need more help than a GPS unit could give you.

      2) What? The protocol for GPS has not and will not be changing, unless you are talking about selective availabilty. which changes the accuracy, yes the gov't could make it unusable. However with the number of private services that now use and rely on GPS I doubt that would happen.

      $500 for it is not too bad, considering a dedicated color GPS unit meant for the car costs MORE. And I imagine the intended use of this device is for the guy who travels alot for work. You fly into a new city get in your rental and use your PDA to find the office you need to meet at.

  5. Cool, but does it bounce? by jakedata · · Score: 2, Insightful

    My old Garmin GPS MAP12xl may only be greyscale, and twice the weight, but it is also water resistant and runs for many many hours on alkaline AA batteries. And it bounces.

    For any serious usage, such as boating or hiking, this frail-looking unit might not be a very good idea. Ever seen a palm with a shattered screen?

  6. Serious urban GPSing by fm6 · · Score: 2, Insightful
    Well, I am stupid, or at least geographically challenged, and I often wish I had a handy pocket device that would tell me where I am and how to get where I need to go. But I've found affordable GPS devices pretty impractical. Perhaps if I'd spent more I could have gotten one that can quickly and reliably acquire its satellites. But inexpensive ones just don't work that well. You basically have to pull over and stand next to your car for 5 minutes. Easier to look at street signs and consult a map.

    I'm particularly suspicious of cheap GPS that claim to be motorist friendsly. (This new Garmin falls into this category despite its hefty price tag: most of what you're paying for is a very fancy PDA.) It's nice to have audio prompts for when you need to make a turn -- but if the gadget can't acquire a satellite in a moving car, that feature is pretty useless!

    Flames welcome here: if you've used a cheap urban GPS that works better than what I've described, I want to know about it!

  7. Re:Battery life. by mentin · · Score: 2, Insightful
    So what is iQue for?

    In car use? No. Real in-car GPS with larger screen is much more convinient, and already integrated with car's audio and power supply.

    Hiking trip? Again no. I surely would not take this GPS to a hiking trip - if I am lost at night, and need both GPS and backlight, its batterries will be dead in couple of hours.

    So what is the target for these devices?

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