Garmin iQue 3600

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)."

Comments

backordered

[Dare nMc]

crap, and I wanted to get mine before it was posted to slashdot.

Voice guidance?

[mmoncur]

> The iQue 3600 is the first PDA to include integrated GPS technology.
> With the power of Palm OS(R) 5 and the dependability of Garmin(R) GPS technology,
> this "Super PDA" redefines multi-tasking. Our integrated software not only
> allows you to look up appointments or contacts, but also locates and routes
> you to them with voice-guidance commands!

Impressive, although I imagine voice guidance is going to sound very cheesy coming out of a tiny machine like this. And embarrassing. (Did your coat pocket just say "turn 90 degrees left"?)

You may now begin the usual "How long will it take for someone to put Linux on one of these" discussion.

Re:Voice guidance?

[bellers]

>And embarrassing. (Did your coat pocket just say "turn 90 degrees left"?)

If you think that's bad, just wait until your pants tell everyone within earshot to head south.

Cool!

[Anonymous Coward]

Now I can say I have an "iQue of 3600" and be telling the truth.

Serious Flaw

[kraksmokr]

The iQue does not come with any built in wireless networking. That seriously limits its ability to be used as a transponder.

Re:Serious Flaw

[nomadic]

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.

Compatibility?

[BWJones]

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.

Re:Compatibility?

[NilObject]

There is no GPS software that works on a Mac... Riight...

Garmin charges A LOT for maps

[exhilaration]

You know what sucks? Spending $200 on a nifty Garmin GPS unit only to find out that you have to spend another $200 on detailed maps.

The Garmin Legend came with a "basemap" of major highways and major roads, but there are no detailed streetmaps cuz you gotta buy Garmin's CD's for that.

This new unit it pretty expensive, but what how much do you have to spend for the friggin maps?

Re:Garmin charges A LOT for maps

[Artifex]

You know what sucks? Spending $200 on a nifty Garmin GPS unit only to find out that you have to spend another $200 on detailed maps.
[...]
This new unit it pretty expensive, but what how much do you have to spend for the friggin maps?

You know what else sucks? People who can't read linked information before commenting on it.

Right on this page, on the lower left it plainly says that the "MapSource(TM) City Select CD with full unlock" is included, in either North American or European versions, as well as the basemaps.

If you don't believe that page, follow the link from the North American version to here, where it also says "MapSource(R) North America City Select v4.01 now includes full coverage for the contiguous United States and expanded coverage for Canada. This updated product (with access to all regions at no extra charge) is included with the purchase of a Garmin(R) GPS V Deluxe or iQue 3600."

Why not just buy an Ipaq

[junimota]

and attach a gps sleeve to it? You could get more processing power and the gps, for much much more less than the 538 by garmin.

Could functions clash ?

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

Speaker for voice-guidance commands, MP3 player, and message playback

So when play this, does it guide you there ?

Blah

[NilObject]

Why is it still so fricking exciting when some company crams PalmOS on to their whatever-product and hypes it as the next generation of devices. All this really is is the by-product of a Zire, iTrex GPS Unit, some cheap wine, and a Barry White cd.

Ooo! I can take voice memos now!

"Note to self, save a couple hundred dollars next time."

3 hours of use. Forget that

[enkidu]

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.

Forbes looks at the iQue x2

[Geartest.com]

I read the Forbes Garmin iQue 3600 overview last week, but it didn't seem quite so exceptional. The Garmin iQue debuted at CES this year. It looks pretty bulky due to the integrated GPS hardware but I can see its usefulness as someone who travels. At $589 for a Palm plus GPS though, the price seems truly exceptional.

More relevant than a 640x480 camera

[amichalo]

I find this offering by Garmin to be superior to other combination PDA and fill-in-the-blank-with-MP3-Player-or-cell-phone-or -digital-camera.

It is particularly applicable for mobile professionals who often find themselves in unfamiliar cities. The high level sales executives where I work immediately come to mind. No they aren't stupid, they just often find themselves having to get to a certain downtown meeting in a city they have been to many times visiting different clients and I am sure it would be nice to have a mobile GPS integrated with the PDA they already carry anyway. Plus it is sleek and stylish enough that even the women in the power suits would pull it out of their purse at a meeting.

Hiking with one of these.

[bogamo]

I've been working on a hiking website that uses GPS data to allow users to create and share maps. You can download trails from the website to the palm, and after hiking a never-before-mapped trail, you can donate the GPS track log and my website will add the trail to its network of trails.

I've currently got a whole bunch of trails from the new york/ new england area.

Check it out:

http://www.trailregistry.com

-Geoff

Re:3 hours of use. Forget that

[Russ Steffen]

Battery life in GPSs has never been all that great, but it's gotten a lot better. I have a Rockwell-Collins Trooper GPS (manuf. circa 1992), and it will drain 8 fresh AAs in 20 minutes. If it's staring up cold, it will often not be able to get a position before the batteries die. Fortunately, it keeps almanac, ephemeris and last position in NVRAM, so it's good to go on the second set of batteries.

Re:GPS Flaws

[jgordon7]

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.