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Lost & Found:
While GPS systems should help you find your way, the flood of new Pocket PC GPS products on the market can leave potential users lost and dumbfounded. Since you have already spent $500 on a PDA, why not spend a few extra dollars and add one of the the most powerful features that an everyday user might enjoy: a Global Positioning System. But which GPS system is right for you? And what products coming out in the future should you be aware of before making a purchase decision? QUICK INTRO TO GPS If you haven't heard, there are dozens of satellites orbiting the Earth. These satellites have been put in to space and are maintained by the U.S. Military. Each of these satellites emits a unique radio frequency signal down to Earth. GPS (Global Positioning System) devices listen for these signals and can fixate on each satellite in the sky. Once a GPS device has located four satellites, software can calculate your exact position, the time in your time zone and even your elevation. And, when combined with mapping data, a GPS device can establish the fastest route to a destination, provide turn-by-turn directions as you drive and helps ensure that you are on course at all times. But, best of all, there are no monthly fees involved when using GPS, since the government pays for the satellites. This means once you purchase your GPS system, you'll never have to pay another penny to keep it running. THE FOUR PRODUCTS AVAILABLE TODAY
Currently, there are four different commercial GPS products available for the Pocket PC. The first three systems (Pharos Ostia, PowerLOC Destinator and TravRoute Pocket Co-Pilot) all use custom cable systems to connect to the synchronization port of the Pocket PC. This keeps the device's memory port free so that you can copy the large maps to a memory card. The fourth product, designed by Teletype, (the most experienced GPS manufacturer in our review), is the recently released World Navigator, a solution designed exclusively for the iPAQ with a PCMCIA card sleeve. SOFTWARE The most important part of a GPS system is the software. The ease-of-use combined with a clear and concise driving screen are essential to following turn-by-turn directions. Each of the applications takes a slightly different approach to the User Interface and to establishing a route. To be fair, they must be examined individually. PowerLOC Destinator
Destinator, the newest GPS system in our review has -by far- the most options and the fewest taps required for entering an address. (The Features At-A-Glance chart below has a complete comparison) The application also does a wonderful job of warning you of a turn at 500 yard, 200 yard and 10 yard increments. The application has a clear and easy to understand voice and -in our extensive tests- the program was bug free and performed very well because of a quick screen refresh as the map scrolls during driving. Another feature we really liked was the use of the action button to zoom in and out on the map. However, Destinator does have a few problems. The icon bar at the top of the screen is difficult to understand and menu system is a massive set of buttons that make it tough to use in a vehicle. Moreover, the one fatal flaw is that Destinator did not list itself in the Pocket PC uninstall window, making the application impossible to remove without manually deleting all of the program files. Pharos Ostia
One of the very first GPS systems to debut for the Pocket PC (as well as the one with the strangest name), Pharos Ostia is short on features but long on stability. This application is the most stable of all four products, and provides a clean, simple interface. The voice prompt gives you a single warning before your turn and then plays a pleasant chime when you've reached street or exit you need to turn onto. The Ostia displays are the simplest and easiest to read, but they also lack information. The program calculates ETA (estimated time to arrival) for the entire trip (displayed on a separate "directions" screen), but lacks the ability to show current ETA as you're driving. We would have made this application the editor's choice, if they had included ETA and had a map screen as nice as Pocket Co-Pilot, our next contestant. Pocket Co-Pilot v2.0
Because Pocket Co-Pilot has just released v2.0 of their software, they have had the time and the ability to fine turn their application to perfection. However, it is important to note that this is the biggest memory hog of all the applications we tested and that simple fact prevented us from giving it a perfect score. That said, this product is absolutely top rate. With a map screen that shows distance to next turn, total trip mileage remaining and a clear direction arrow, this screen is absolutely unmatched by any other GPS system available today. In fact, the design is perfectly suited for the Pocket PC, giving the right amount of map space combined with a generous amount of text information. The street name at the bottom of the screenshot shows you the name of the road you currently traveling on and the compass in the upper-left side of the map reveals your direction. While we could go on for hours about this product, check the Features At-A-Glance chart below to see how the system stacked up. World Navigator
This product is so bad that it makes us wish that we had a zero stars rating. The hardware is the slowest to locate your position (see the Features At-A-Glance chart below) and the software is absolutely unusable. Getting a map from the CD to the Pocket PC was an extensive and exhausting procedure (even for our superior intellects) and setting the system up used the last of our patience. The software is cludgy and poorly designed. Just so you don't think we have anything against TeleType (or if you already own the software and want to feel better about the purchase) there are some bright spots... But they are few and far between. Tapping on any city reveals the population and location information in a pop-up window. From there, you can load/unload detailed maps of the city, as well as setting it as a destination in just one tap. It also has the ability to quickly measure distances with the stylus. Finally, this is the only application that allows you to use the addresses from the Pocket PC contacts database to create a destination. Of course, since TeleType designs solutions for laptops and PDAs, they are the only company that does not make a GPS system which plugs directly into the synchronization port. But when you add the iPAQ PCMCIA sleeve and memory card expenses to the facts that Teletype does not include a mounting bracket ($69 extra) or external antenna ($59 extra) and they have the highest priced unit ($499), anyone can conclude that this system is outrageously priced. FEATURES AT-A-GLANCE
THE FUTURE OF GPS
Talon Technology is just finishing work on their NavMan GPS sleeve for the iPAQ. Although we downgraded the score of the Teletype World Navigator for its use of the PCMCIA card format (which necessitates the purchase of the iPAQ dual PC card sleeve to add external memory cards), we praise Talon for their use of the iPAQ sleeve complete with a CF memory card port. The company was not available to disclose further information on pricing and availability. However, we did learn that the NavMan will use Pocket Co-Pilot software, our Editor's Choice in this review. CONCLUSION Unless you own an iPAQ and want to wait for the NavMan, your first choice should absolutely be Pocket Co-Pilot by TravRoute. The software will provide the best overall driving experience once you overcome its need for mucho memory. If you know your Pocket PC is low on space, consider Pharos Ostia, the close runner-up in our GPS review. But whatever you do, stay away from TeleType's World Navigator! It's evil, we tell you! Evil!
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