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Availability Available
$209.00
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Palm GPS Navigator Featuring Garmin Mobile XT
by Palm, Inc
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Read Review (Rating 5/5) <<
The centerpiece of the kit is, naturally, Palm’s GPS receiver. With its pewter finish and single switch, the design has an elegance and simplicity that would seem right at home in an Apple Store. The unit features the SiRFStarIII chipset for faster satellite signal acquisition and multipath reflection — the ability to pick up signals bounced from hard surfaces, reducing the need for a direct view of the sky.
The kit’s other main component is the microSD card containing Garmin’s Mobile XT software installer and maps from NAVTEQ, covering the US, Canada and Puerto Rico. Palm has included SD and miniSD adapters as well, making the product compatible with all Treos and Centros—Palm OS and Windows Mobile. The software installs to the phone’s internal memory, but the maps are not transferable, unlike TomTom’s CD-based content.
Finally, there’s the cradle and cradle arm. The cradle arm base’s suction cup either mounts directly on the windshield, or is placed on the adhesive disk that functions as a dashboard mount.
See TreoCentral's extensive review for more infomation...
| User Opinions |
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83% |
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17% |
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About cards and copy protection |
While it's somewhere between difficult and impossible to discover it on the Garmin site, there are two different distribution methods for the software: SD Card and DVD.
The SD Card version is locked to the card it comes on. You can't move it.
The DVD version is locked to the GPS receiver you use it with. You can move the software at will wherever you wish. Take a look, for
instance, at http://tigergps.com/garminmobile10.html.
That's what I bought and moved it onto my own card, which also has TomTom on it.
It's a different GPS receiver than the one reviewed and can, if you buy the accessory, be recharged through a normal wall outlet.
The Garmin online services come with the software (no subscription fees) and, if I keep it long enough, it'll pay for itself with
the "find me the cheapest gasoline near here" feature.
My only complaint is with the GPS receiver, which seems to lock up from time to time.
(There's a long forum thread about Garmin from which I learned about the DVD version, so I'm just passing it along.)
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Anonymous |
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Works well. Question: Can program be moved to a 4GB MicroSD? |
I bought one last week while Palm.com was selling it for $159 (minus a $20 mail-in rebate for purchasing through the Palm.com Store).
I have a similar question regarding transferring the files to a larger (4GB or 8GB) MicroSD card to use the software and maps. Can it be done successfully?
I don't have a 4GB MicroSD to test it out on. The software/hardware combo is working great on my old Treo 650 w/ no service plan, but I'd like to use it on my Sprint Centro to access the fuel prices, traffic, etc. I haven't tried it on my Sprint Centro because I don't currently have enough available internal space and the 2GB MicroSD card I use is pretty full.
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Anonymous |
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TomTom doesn't quit during phone calls |
And TomTom can be loaded on a card of your choice.
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Anonymous |
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Some questions: |
1. The article said you had to ditch your 8GB SD card to use the maps. Why couldn't you just use a computer to transfer the maps onto your 8GB card? Is there some kind of copy protection that prevents this?
2. Can you use the various celebrity voices available from 3rd parties that worked with the Tom Tom version?
3. The TomTom version sucked on distance accuracy and its smallest unit was "yards". It would say "400 yards" to your next turn when it was really only 400 feet. Is the Garmin any better?
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Anonymous |
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Yes I recommend it. |
I bought the Garmin GPS Navigator for Palm Treo and use it constantly. Amazon was selling it for $70 so it was a no brainer.
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Anonymous |
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First GPS-Fun So Far |
This is my first GPS and I am very pleased with it. It has performed better than expected and seems to beat the TomTom used by my lady friend. I am still getting used to the menus and learning features.
I was pleased to find some 4x4 roads on the map that I did not expect to see. So far I have had fun with the device and few problems. Most problems were more related to user familiarity than the GPS.
Two issues I would like more information about came from Garmin Tech Support. The Tech said card users could not register for certain on line services. The software instructs users to get an activation code at a couple of points.
Of greater concern, the Tech warned against adding maps or trying to add JPEGs and convert them to maps. She stated that doing so could overwrite the files, maps and software, on the card.
As long as the user does not use an existing file name, the Palm OS should give a "Card Full" message rather than overwriting existing files. Still, if anyone knows about this, please post the info.
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Anonymous |
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Protectors
Cradles
