PDA'S

Hi thre you lot
Need some sort of GPS, but was thinking of maybe going for a PDA and the associated gubbins Dont want to spend Zumo type money at the moment(havent got it i mean ) so what is available for the PDA's

I would want European mapping etc, anyone got any advice???? Will probably look on fleabay, when i know what to look for

cheers in advance
Silver

Personally, I have both a PDA with TomTom 6 and a Nokia E62 with TomTom 7. The Nokia and TomTom were a freeby when I joined 3 so from that perspective is free, however it only came with UK maps.
Personally I don't have any problems with them (other than the odd incorrect map where roads have changed).

I steered away from the PDA solution after hearing of a few problems from others. Generally not being ruggedised and relying on a plethora of cables and plug in GPS receivers, needing a waterproof housing etc. they have a tendency to fail just when you need them most. A designed for the job unit like a Garmin 2610 would do the job just fine and have the added benefit of being able to plan your routes on a PC. Can be picked up on eBay for £250 or there abouts. Mounting hardware/cradle for your bike should set you back another £50 or so, if you're lucky you might get this included with an eBay purchase of the unit itself. Make sure any purchase includes the mapping software and the unlock codes and ask the seller to de-register with Garmin otherwise you might have trouble getting mapping upgrades. A viable alternative that will cost less is a Garmin Quest although this has a 243MB fixed memory capacity for mapping that will limit usable range when touring. You can get around this to a certain extent with a bit of trickery though.

I have a PDA with onboard GPS (Sirf III) , Fujitsu Siemens N560 , powerfull cpu 624 MHz , 128 MB memory , etc. , it's great, I'm using it everywhere I need to go. Most probably I will use it when I'll get my bike too. No issues with the device whatsoever. Every software works (Navigon, iGO, MioMap, TomTom, Route66, Destinator, etc.)

I have also Wi-Fi , Bluetooth, Email, IExplorer, etc.

You can get the latest maps easily for each gps software. I highly recommended this device to everyone.

I paid for it 400 EUR new , + 40 EUR for 2 GB SD card (150x speed) and that's all

Many thanks guys, I will possibly look down the 2610 or Quest 2 route.

Cheers again have a good weekend!

silver fox said:

I will possibly look down the 2610 or Quest 2 route.

Click to expand...

The Quest 2 has issues, avoid, either a std. Quest (considering the shortcomings I mentioned above) or 2610. If you're feeling a bit flush then maybe the 2720 but then you getting into Zumo £££ territory anyway.

If you want wizzy extras like audio alerts for speed cameras, a choice of what software to run or you need a PDA for other purposes then maybe go that route. On the other hand an honest to goodness, basic but functional, recent Garmin unit would be a better choice IMHO.

Check with the German importers of Garmin products they may have a clearance deal on 2610s, they have all sold out in the UK now but new ones with full warranty etc were going for around £230 here ISTR.