PDA's what is good.

[Hutch Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hutch]

Guys and Girls,
My wife wants a PDA for christmas and this is one area were i absolutely have no knowledge, she wants a non phone model as she just got a new phone and loves it. Any help would be good.

Thanks,

[McBAIN Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close McBAIN]

check this place out. www.ow.com.au

plenty of stuff, it's where i normally go to see what's new.. good to deal with online too if you're not in melbourne..

[McBAIN Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close McBAIN]

probably worth adding the usual questions.

* what's it going to be used for? email/word docs/appointments/games/internet/GPS/etc...
* and how much do you want to pay?

i used to always have a PDA.. for about 4 years i would be forever upgrading it, cost me a fortune.. have a blackberry now for work that has email/appointments/internet. can't live without it. quite sad really.

when i was carrying one around every day I wanted built in bluetooth, so i could sync it with my laptop without needing cables. and WiFi, so i could connect to the internet at hot spots. (you'd be surprised by the number of people that unsecured wireless networks, intentional and unintentional) but was very handy for quickly downloading emails/checking maps/checking weather when out and about.

Personally i think anything that is windows based will give you more flexibility and connectivity than PALM. and i think it's easier to use (i've had both)... but at the end of the day it's personal preference! bit like Apple vs Microsoft..

if the link above doesn't have enough info there are bucket loads of PDA forums if you don't already use up all your time on PP.com, this is another on i check out every couple of months to see what's going on in the Gizmo world.. http://www.mtekk.com.au/Forums/tabid/56/Default.aspx

[Hutch Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hutch]

Thanks, McBain for all of your help, are u getting a leave pass for sunday.

[McBAIN Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close McBAIN]

my odd's are up to about 75% now... there was a shopping adventure on sunday where i was going to look after the little one to give the missus a break but not sure where that is at.. think it may have moved to saturday... may just join everyone for the first half until the lunch break and then try get back for early afternoon..

[bernie Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bernie]

ipaq rx5965

Hi
I've got a HP Ipaq rx5965. it's a PDA with the usual functions like MS Word, Excel,Exploer, running on Windows mobile 5. It's also got wireless connectivity so if you're in a airport, hotel etc with a network you've got mail ( and the web). I've even found unsecured netwoks driving around, i.e the net in your Prado! don't try checking out PP whilst driving.

The killer app is GPS. It's got TOM TOm built in. So you've got a street navigator when you travel.
I've added Oziexplorer CE ( cost $30), then got all the 1:25k topo maps for NSW (free off the net). This is great off road as you have a very accurate "moving map" so you're never lost.

I've also bought memory Map touring ( $240) it's got all the major Hema maps for Australia, including the Desert maps collection, Cape York, Kimberly etc. A very good package.

The Ipaq's a very good all in one package but it's not perfect. The GPS is slow to aquire a fix on a "cold Start" up to 3-4 mins. Sometimes the GPS just dosen't get a fix. I've found by removing the battery for 5-10 mins then restarting everythings good for a few days/ weeks.

Despite the GPS glitch, I would recommend you look at the Ipaq. I'd buy another

[mav Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close mav]

Re: ipaq rx5965

Hi
I've got a HP Ipaq rx5965. it's a PDA with the usual functions like MS Word, Excel,Exploer, running on Windows mobile 5. It's also got wireless connectivity so if you're in a airport, hotel etc with a network you've got mail ( and the web). I've even found unsecured netwoks driving around, i.e the net in your Prado! don't try checking out PP whilst driving.

The killer app is GPS. It's got TOM TOm built in. So you've got a street navigator when you travel.
I've added Oziexplorer CE ( cost $30), then got all the 1:25k topo maps for NSW (free off the net). This is great off road as you have a very accurate "moving map" so you're never lost.

I've also bought memory Map touring ( $240) it's got all the major Hema maps for Australia, including the Desert maps collection, Cape York, Kimberly etc. A very good package.

The Ipaq's a very good all in one package but it's not perfect. The GPS is slow to aquire a fix on a "cold Start" up to 3-4 mins. Sometimes the GPS just dosen't get a fix. I've found by removing the battery for 5-10 mins then restarting everythings good for a few days/ weeks.

Despite the GPS glitch, I would recommend you look at the Ipaq. I'd buy another

Bernie I am not sure how old your IPAQ is but it has a SiRF Star III chipset which should give you much faster lock times from cold start and greater sensitivity. If yours is still under warranty then I would get it checked out.

Cheers

Mav

[mav Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close mav]

Not sure what these are going for in the shops so always check with retailers first but the HP friends and family website has the following available:


HP iPAQ 312 Travel Companion

HP iPAQ rx5965 Travel Companion

I cannot give prices out on a public forum but if you were interested you can register for the family & friends website and then be able to get the discounted price.

Please do check out any prices against what the retailers are offering but if you want to use the website then PM me and I will give you my name to use in the sign up process.

http://h50190.www5.hp.com/Store/defa...6E6D5A65366F3D

Cheers

Mav

If I have contravened the PP rules with this then please just delete the post Mods.
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[4xx4 Driver Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close 4xx4 Driver]

I have an ASUS A632 with SIRF III GPS built in, an IO SD slot and a mini SD slot. In the SD slot I run a 4Gb card with OziExplorer and all of Oz in the 250k topo series from Hema. There's room for heaps more, ie more detailed maps such as NSW 25k.

In the IO slot I also run an 802/11b WiFi SD card when I want network ability.

(If you want permanent network ability look at the A636 which has the WiFi built in but you lose the mini SD slot. Better still, check the Asus website because I think the 632 has been updated to 632N to have the WiFi built in without losing the mini SD. The 636 is probably also updated, but I don't know the details.)

In the mini SD slot I have a 4Gb mini SD card containing my street navigator of choice (Navteq Co Pilot), plus hours and hours of mp3s. It's less than half full and I think will also hold the North American Co Pilot database when I'm rerady to install it for my up-coming OS holiday.

It's a Windows Mobile machine. You get a mini Microsoft Office, plus games, Media Player plus heaps and heaps of downloadable software.

For my money the big plus is the flexibility provided by 2 card slots. That and the fast GPS and the ability to run various GPS packages. OziExplorer on the PDA being administered by OziExplorer on a laptop is an awesome product.

Asus warranty and after sales services is par excellence. I can't speak highly enough.

Cheers

Frank

[Hutch Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hutch]

4xx4, were did you buy the asus from as we have an asus laptop and love it.

[4xx4 Driver Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close 4xx4 Driver]

G'day Hutch,

I got it at Aldi 18 months ago. They often repeat their electronic specials, but I haven't seen another PDA in their brochures since I bought mine in April 2006.

I think Aldi was instrumental in generally bringing PDA/navigator package prices down. I paid about $700 for the PDA-Co Pilot package. At the time the same Asus PDA and navigator package was going for up to $1300 at some specialist PDA shops (no names, no pack drill). They've all come down now, I think, though last time I looked they were still about $100 more than what I paid at Aldi. It definitely pays to shop around.

Cheers

Frank

[masso Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close masso]

Hey Hutch

I have an ASUS A636 loaded with Copilot GPS and all the usual PDA Stuff. Got it at Johnny Appleseed and tho they done sell em anymore (they do HP) it has been a great unit. JA also assisted with a couple of software issues for dumbo me..when the SD card with the GPS Software died. I recommend them. Has Wireless networking/bluetooth... all the fruit.

Also got the USA software for our last trip. Was just AWESOME. Fly to a city, pick up the rental, and last off down the highway.. even found our way to an old mate in a one horse town! If you havny got one yet... drop me a line and will let you have a mess about with this one...
Rick

[Hutch Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hutch]

Thanks, Masso, i brought a HP on tuesday for the wife. i saw you cruising up through Aspley tuesday arvo about 5.30.

[Snaga Wishing I was lost Find all posts View Profile Close Snaga]

Was at JA GPS today as I've had no luck finding anyone who stocks the ASUS MyPal A639... must be a recent release.
They are suggesting the HP rx5965 with TomTom and windows mobile v5 preloaded.

Hutch, can I ask what you paid?? JA want $689 and eBay stores have it for $543.00.

[Hutch Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hutch]

Leon, i got a HP 112 for $380.