Magellan GPS Companion for PalmV
Written: Jan 10 '02 (Updated Jan 10 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: You'll wanna toss it... into the trash can
Cons: if you've got good coordinates for the trash can, you'll know right where it is
The Bottom Line: Fussy, buggy, battery eating Klingon you snap your Palm into.. run away, run fast!
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| Mark_A.'s Full Review: Magellan GPS Companion for Palm V / Vx |
I really like the Global Positioning System (GPS). My personal belief is that it is one of the most useful government programs ever created, a program that benefits the entire population of the globe, and a program that has so many applications. Truly, it is a marvel of modern technology. It is also a project of the Department of Defense that benefits our military operations, but with a spillway full of benefits. More precise agricultural practices, better surveying and map making, and a bevy of recreational uses and many, many more benefits (aviation, freight, etc.).
I'm a person who has used GPS during outdoor activities. I've depended on GPS for enhanced situational awareness while boating, I've fixed my position while hiking, and I've even found street directions using GPS. I'm willing to try new GPS applications at every turn.
As an owner of a neglected PalmV PDA, I wondered if I could use it to render maps and connect it to a handheld GPS for use while navigating streets. Not that I really need more than a map, I considered that it might be more convenient and expeditious. I searched around and found map rendering for the Palm OS in many places. During that search, I also learned that Magellan had created a GPS companion to the PalmV that would actually act as a cradle for the PDA. This was something I was definitely interested in, but not something readily available at stores like Circuit City or Wal-Mart.
That said, I bought myself a brand new GPS companion for my Palm from a seller on Ebay. I got a very good price on the unit, with shipping, I believe I paid about $95.
The Skinny: The Palm Pilot snaps into the GPS unit using the proprietary docking system and interface ports available on the Palm. The fit is pretty good, with a little trouble unsnapping the duo in order to place the Palm in its PC interface/charging cradle. The GPS requires two AAA batteries for its power supply, the Palm runs off of its internal rechargeable batteries. The unit is of fairly sturdy design, features a helical antenna with shock absorption (a nice touch), and a non-WAAS 12 satellite receiver.
The Workings: The lowdown on how this set-up works? Well, it's fairly simple. The GPS requires the CPU of the Palm to handle computations. The GPS also requires the memory of the Palm for mapping. The GPS Companion ships with driver and mapping software that is uploaded to the Palm OS via the software upload session initiated by the Palm's upload manager during hot sync operations. There are two applications, the mapping app and the navigation app. There are also maps for just about every county in the United States, although they are rudimentary. The maps feature no topo data, no terrain or water boundaries, only roads. I'm sure this move is in part due to the need for economy when dealing with PalmVs that only have two megs of RAM. Once the applications are uploaded, the Palm commands the GPS unit to power up, so there are no external switches on the Companion, with the exception of a button on the face of the bottom of the cradle that does.... drumroll please, nothing.
How well does the GPS work?: Great question. If you want to know how sensitive the Magellan GPS Companion receiver is, I would tell you that it is very sensitive and very accurate. It is a true twelve satellite receiver that works just as advertised. The huge short fall for this unit is the interface. The two interfaces, the GPS Companion to Palm interface, and the Palm to human (or the man/machine) interface.
Software Nightmare: There are actually two applications shipped with the Companion that will work with it, but it is not well understood (by me) if they will work together. The Nav application is straight forward, offering positional data, time, speed and the ability to use routes. Waypoints are also attainable, but not as easy as pushing a button. The Nav software is not easily manipulated, and the use of the stylus is mandatory. Here's where I started to dislike the system as compared to the handheld GPS of standard designs. Getting out the stick compared to fat-fingering was a huge drag. Some of the Nav pages were pretty cool, there is a speedometer in there with and acutal needle, as well as an automotive style odometer as a tripometer. These are fairly entertaining to play with. That said, with the Nav application, there is no appreciable relative plotting function. I hope you like to read numbers, because there is no Nav screen that will show where you were and where you are, and the tell-tale bread crumb trail in between.
There is a satellite status screen, and an acquisition screen that shows a graphical tell-tale of the NMEA string that passes between receiver and CPU.
Mapped Out: The Map application is GPS driven, and fairly straight forward, but just as difficult as the Nav software to manipulate. One out of ten times could I get it to boot and then make the appropriate connection to the GPS (as compared to the Nav, which would hook up every time). Once in the Map (or the Nav), for that matter, you could not exit the application and access other functions on your Palm without physically disabling the GPS by undocking the Palm. You would be met by a halted and blanked screen Palm if you tried it.
One thing to remember about the Map function is that there effectively is no base map. You must upload maps from the provided CD ROM, which is done by municipality or county. This could be a tedious chore if running an interstate run from, say Mobile, AL to Atlanta, GA. Do you know all the counties between here and there? I don't. Besides, it is unlikely that your Palm has the requisite memory to eat all the maps between these regional locales. This makes the software practically useless for the road warrior. The software is already useless for the mariner, because no maritime information is provided. One infuriating thing about the software maps is that there is no zoom, at least no easily invoked zoom function. This is where the standard handheld GPS beats this thing about the head and shoulders, you at least have a zoom button on the handhelds that allow you to zoom in and zoom out, certainly a much accessed feature of mappers, hikers and travelers.
Another notable downfall of the mapping, and moving map icon, is that the updates to the map screen are slow and spurious. To seriously navigate city streets that you are not familiar with, you'll need to spend some extra dollars on a better product, such as a Street Pilot by Garmin. Heck, even decent mapping handhelds would be more user friendly and useful than the Companion.
Ergonomics? As previously briefed, the ergonomics of the receiver and Palm as a unit are pretty good. The combination is low profile and easily managed in one hand (which is good news, because you'll need to hold the stylus in the other). As far as working with the unit and software, I'd rate it a real bother. Enough of a bother that you may put down your Magellan GPS Companion to PalmV and never pick it back up.
Recommendations: Leave this unit at the store, go out and buy a good mapping handheld. You'll spend a little more money, but you'll likely get base mapping, detailed mapping, a hugely improved interface, and better power management. You also won't end up with a GPS that is almost impossible to manipulate while driving (ed note: no driver should manipulate handheld electronics while driving, the problem with this one is that it is impossible, because you need two hands!). Also, due to its flat design, it's nearly impossible to find a place on the dashboard for this thing that allows the operator a good view of the screen. For this, one has to throw down more dollars for a mount. After you get it all mounted up, you'll soon learn that there is no DC adapter for your Palm, so what do you do if you go on a two week trip? After about three days your batteries are dead. To keep updating maps you'll have to pack along a laptop and the Palm cradle. Man, that's crazy talk.
This unit is just too fussy, too buggy, and too limited for you to waste your valuable resources and time with.
It is simply a gadget for the gadget loving gadgeteers like myself. For near the same money, and without having to pack in the resources necessary to support a missile launch system, you can have an ETrex.
Consider a good quality handheld before you spring for this thing.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
Mark_A.
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Member: Mark A
Location: Schauerberg, Germany
Reviews written: 117
Trusted by: 74 members
About Me:
The time will come when we are no more, so let's just eat some BBQ...
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