New Garmin GPS - 'Quest'

[TheJoker]

Sounds good to me Joker.. It is the one to get... The 60C is a good buy and even better if you already have the software. If your main use is bike and car and you need the software you are probably right to wait for it.

Let us all know how good we know it will be

Richie, the only thing that truly speaks for the 60C is the orientation of the screen and position of the buttons. Riding with the Quest, you have to move your hand across the screen to push the buttons, or you have to let go of the happy-twist. Neither is a good solution. On the 60C the buttons are below the screen so it doesn't really matter which hand you use, you'll never completely cover up the screen.
And as I usually use the direction-up (not north-up) way of navigating the landscape screen doesn't allow me to see "as far ahead" as the portrait screen (but these new ones has got that 3D navigation don't they?).

And, the Quest is shiny... and that's good if it goes on a Pan ('scuse the pun, Pan) or a Gold wing.. but not on an *arf*arf*arf* GS to be thrown down in the mud...

I'd like to see both of them in the flesh, really...

 

[richie]

Yeh mine has 3d view but it is about as usefull as a map in your pocket when you're doing 70MPH.

Joking asides I've played with the 3d view and its, er , er, CRAP

 

[Gecko]

I know it's been plugged before but GPS buyers you need to check out www.sportextreme.com (in Denmark) before parting with your money. Both me and Richie and several others have bought through them and great prices matched with quick delivery via UPS.

 

[PanEuropean]

Hi Joker:

Interesting analysis you did, comparing the prices, what's included, and so forth.

I probably would not have dug so deep into the detail when comparing the two - not because I am lazy, but just because I think the most important issue to think about when comparing different GPSRs is the primary design purpose of the GPSR.

As far as I can tell from the Garmin website (I have not seen either of the two units you compared), the 60 is an 'outdoor' market GPSR, intended for hikers, geo-cachers, etc., and the Quest is an 'automotive' GPSR.

What that means to me is that the Quest will have the full automotive software feature set (road preferences, custom avoids, custom routing preferences, etc.) as well as a human interface design that is intended to facilitate automotive navigation. On the other hand, the 60 will probably have more features that are of use to hikers (e.g. breadcrumb trail, track-back feature, etc.) and probably will be a big lighter weight and designed for someone who intends to carry it as they use it.

I think it's really important that prospective GPSR purchasers first determine what the primary design goal (primary use) of each of the GPSRs they are considering is before they do anything else. If a user buys, for example, an outdoor GPSR for marine use, or a marine GPSR for automotive use, the chances are very good that they may not be entirely happy with their purchase, regardless of how good a deal they got on the price, cartography, etc.

It is possible to buy a GPSR designed for one purpose and use it for another purpose - as many here have proven when they have bought 276C units (those are marine) or 60s (outdoor), but it requires a lot more careful research, and generally a much better understanding of the product than a first-time buyer would have.

Anyway - the Quest is a pure automotive unit, and from what I can see looking at the website, it would be a great unit for riders who don't plan a lot of intercontinental travel. It appears to me to be a somewhat shrunken SP2610, with a fixed memory size and no remote.

PanEuropean

 

[PanEuropean]

Richie wrote:

Joking asides I've played with the 3d view and its, er , er, CRAP

True, but to be fair, the whole business of 3D views is still in its infancy.

I have spent a lot of time this past month trying to specify flight instrumentation for a fleet of aircraft. I have sort of narrowed it down to two vendors, Universal Avionics and Rockwell-Collins. Even though the prices for these displays run about USD $100,000 per aircraft, the 3D display is not a whole heck of a lot better than what we see on the handheld Garmin GPSR's.

I think it will probably take another 3 to 5 years before any 3D view on any product (regardless of price) is sufficiently developed to be of any real use, rather than just being a "gimmick".

FYI, if you want to see what kind of 3D view $100K gets you, have a look here: Universal Avionics. My handheld Garmin 296 (same size as a 276) costs $2K, and has just about the same type of display, only 2D rather than 3D - see the photo below. You really don't get that much more for the extra $98,000.-

PanEuropean

 

[TheJoker]

PanEuropean,

That is indeed a very good point to make, that despite the physical properties, there are software properties to consider. And yes, they are designed for a purpose, which is very important to remember.

Thanks for pointing that out (or rather stressing it)!

 

[Gecko]

Hi Pan,
I'm not sure I agree about what you say about the 3D . Pioneer GPS system in the AVIC-X1 has a very respectable 3D view which shows the overhead view alongside so you have the best of both worlds. Shame they don't make them for bikes


PS: Guess where I work

 

[simonm]

just like a game from about five years back

 

[PanEuropean]

Hi Gecko:

Wow, that is an eye-opener, quite an amazing presentation. It does look like it would be useful, no doubt about that.

Are the 'buildings' shown between the roadways factually correct (meaning, based on cartographic data) or are they just fractals?

PanEuropean

 

[Gecko]

Pan
I'm not sure about that....but I'll try and find out when I am back to work. I'm on vacation now till August so if you don't mind I'll leave off from phoning the office on this question. I may end up never getting off the phone again !!!
The 3D view works well in action. It is a heck of a system but so it should be - it isn't cheap
Cheers
Gecko

 

[Gecko]

just like a game from about five years back

Yeah !! don't you just want to swap the steering wheel for a joystick - driving a car might almost become fun again

 

[AdamZ]

Hi Pan,
I'm not sure I agree about what you say about the 3D . Pioneer GPS system in the AVIC-X1 has a very respectable 3D view which shows the overhead view alongside so you have the best of both worlds. Shame they don't make them for bikes


PS: Guess where I work

Is that an ice cream cone on the right by the flag... are we going to the sea side

 

[PanEuropean]

Adam:

What flag is that underneath your name (the one with the kangaroo and the star on it)?

PanEuropean

 

[The Machine Cat]

Anyway - the Quest is a pure automotive unit, and from what I can see looking at the website, it would be a great unit for riders who don't plan a lot of intercontinental travel. It appears to me to be a somewhat shrunken SP2610, with a fixed memory size and no remote.

Very nice ! it may be even nicer than the 2610 to use as buttons are available on the side ! Cool...
Still, 115 MB is not much...