Organizer Reviews

The first Psion I bought was like a dream come true - it had all the features I was going to buy a laptop for;

Large phone and address memory. Downloadable to a P.C., for backup is case of a data crash. Limited, but very useful, word processing.(If you don't mind pecking on a small keyboard.) Connects to Internet, sends E-Mail, and Faxes. Lot's of shareware available on the Internet from fellow Psion users. (I downloaded a chess playing program written by a Psion user in Belgium that only uses 30K - and I haven't beaten it yet.) You can also write your own programs on it (in it's own basic type language.) And it has spreadsheet and data programs that are compatable with your P.C.

Another plus - it uses regular 'AA' bateries. Since I use the AC adapter when at my desk, using the batteries only when away, they last over a month!

The reasons I traded up to a Psion 5 are: The screen's backlit. It has a bigger keyboard (but still not as easy to use as a full-size keyboard.) It has enough memory to support E-mail, Fax, and Internet connection programs at the same time. The spelling function has many useful features, including showing a full line in spellcheck so you can see the context of the word. AND MOST OF ALL - The touch screen, which is as good or better than a mouse, makes moving between programs, choosing options, zoooming in and out, and highlighting text much quicker. And you can draw pictures directly on the screen with the stylus.

To put it simply - I have my whole life on this Psion 5. Since it fits in my side pocket, I always have it with me, and can jot notes while I'm shopping or travelling - times when I wouldn't have a full size laptop with me.

Those are the PROS - here are the CONS: (1) Psions have their own language. Everything has to be translated if you want to see it on a P.C. Once you set this up it goes quickly - but you have to be hooked up and the application has to be installed and there's always a chance that some sort of computer clitch will prevent the connection. This does not affect sending E-Mail or Faxes from the Psion 5 itself, which appear as printed text to the addressee.

(2) There's a small half-to-one-second delay for some functions to occur, like opening a program. It's not always instant, like a P.C.

(3) The screen is a little difficult to read without the backlight. It's better with the backlight, but that uses up the batteries much sooner.

(4) (Minor problems) The coating on the case peels, and the stylus tends to slip out of it's slot.

(5) The Psion records memos using buttons on the outside of the case, but this uses so much memory I hardly ever do it. However, it would be practical for short notes you erase after transcribing into text.

(6) There is a limit to the memory. I've added a few pages of text a day for a year, and soon I'm going to have to move some files permanently to my P.C. - or delete the E-Mail, Fax, or Intenet programs. This estimate is very rough, but gives you some idea of the memory capacity.

At this point I should say I am not an employee of Psion, just a fan who uses it every day and is glad to pass on my opinion to my fellow Amazonians.

- Marvin Silbermintz

I bought mine in 1995 in Europe. It worked fine until last year when the screen stopped working. Even though the warranty period had expired Psion USA repaired it free of charge, within about 2 weeks of my shipping the product to them. I have also found the technical service in the US (via e-mail) to be outstanding.
I have now upgraded to the Series 5mx, which has twice the memory and a faster processor. I only did this as the old one was stolen. I would not recommend upgrading unless you need the extra memeory. The only other advantage of the 5mx is that the paint on the casing is much more durable. ...I would certainly recommend the 5mx to anyone buying now.
The diary and address book work fine. I had about 1700 addresses in a 614k file. The spreadsheet is compatible with Excel, but with less functions. Sketch program is similar in performance to MS Paint. It is possible to record voices or sound, I have never found a compelling use for this feature which uses memeory quickly - 60 seconds takes about 500k.
The monochrome (grayscale) screen is OK. 2 std. AA batteries less about 20-24 hours, less if the backlit screen is used.
The main differnce I notice betwwen the EPOC operating system and MS systems is that the EPOC system never crashes - not once in 5 years, and the computer boots up instantly.

I bought my first PSION when I was due to attend an Austrian Economics Conference at Claremont McKenna in the early 1990's. Rather than lug my overfull Filofax on the 10 hour flight from London, I opted for the PSION rather than a laptop. The little computer did an admirable job but the screen was a little samll as well as dark.

When the series 5 was launched I replaced my existing one with this current model. Why not choose the Palm. Good question. I wanted a computer that could handle word processing as well as a spreadsheet and be more than an organiser. I wanted something small and inobtrusive that could fit in a jacket pocket and that was stand alone. As a reuirement was ease of portability I did not want to carry around all of the little gadgets and add ons that make this little computer such a remarkable device. I preferred a keyboard. These were all advantages over the early Palms.

Why am I writing this review now after years of faithful service? Another good question. This machine has been dropped on several surfaces, it has had hot tea spilt on it, it has been passed around many, many students some of whom went on to buy later models but now it is at the end of the road. the company is getting out of hardware and focussing on software and applications. My PSION is still going strong. I prefer it to my Palm and Clie and BlackBerry. The capacity is good and I still have no add ons.

I just wanted to place on record my testimony about the efficacy of such an excellent machine. Alas no matter how good the product, if the market does not cast it's vote of approval, it is doomed as is the case with the PSION family.

R.I.P. old friend.

I must say, for such a ...piece of equipment, this device is not made very well. Before I purchased the Compaq, I owned a Palm V. Whereas the Palm never failed me, in less than a year of ownership, the Compaq has developed several problems:

* My Compaq has fried its memory repeatedly
* The stylus no longer clicks into place, that mechanism has apparently broken.
* The silver coating is coming up

The color screen is nice, but doesn't make up for the headache or the cost. I wish I'd just purchased another Palm V when my last one was stolen.

Compaq has a winner here in the base technology but it needs a tune-up big time (which is happening as we 'sync').

Summarily, you get a cool little computer with a stubborn streak and a big mouth that can thankfully be turned down, with MUCH more space and operational capacity than a Palm, but still not enough for most people to call it Home.

Thanks to the back light, you can actually >see< the information, which is a clever bonus. Unlike some PDAs, there is no drab olive-green screen to twist your eyes into pretzels. Its like you're in a little office with the flourescents on.

The 'sync' software works (ok), just don't expect any pampering like the Palm people gave us with their one-button push sync. You'll work for this peanut, baby. It has the distinct flavor of rushed-out backroom benchmarking.

But after several knock-down drag-outs you'll (hopefully) find your feet and eventually get your Purple Heart, and then you're ok; you become VALIDATED, a part of the GREAT-SYNC legion - a surviving Groto of the IPAQ challenge, the strong, the proud, the survivors. Or else you'll have a _________ yard-sale or throw it in the trash (I dare you.)

So go ahead and stick MS Outlook in the Start-Up menu, cause she's a legend in her own mind and hates to be left out of the fuss (sync loop), (this is one thing, among others, they don't mention).

If you get through the software installation, wait 30 or 60 seconds til blastoff, and make a connection, you might actually get to build a working relationship or two..but don't get comfortable. LOL.

Hey, why can't the Compaq people invite the Palm people to a pool party, and let them explain how to make (like they did A LONG TIME AGO!!!) that INGENIOUS ONE-TOUCH SYNC BUTTON and that TOTALLY FUNCTIONAL (AND PRETTY) PALM DESK-TOP SOFTWARE, that makes you the king of your castle, not a serf in a wrestle.

The bad news: you just heard some.

The good news: It's a buyer's market baby on the 3670 due to the yard sales from the frustrated and upgraders - and after all, it is a cool little computer. So why not test your skills and pick one up?

Take a hint from Nike..JUST DO IT!!!!!!

I've owned the Palm V (Monochrome)...Palm 505 (Color)...and the iPaq 3670 (Color).

Now, the Compaq screen wins hands down. It's bigger since the keyboard and hand recognition areas hide, releasing the screen space for images, text, etc. Plus, don't forget the MP3 player, which the Palm does NOT have (I think they only beep, how embarassing).

The programs are a bit memory hungry so it would be nice to have internal expansion for memory (64MB is really very little for this unit - the equivalent of 8MB in the Palm). Sounds weird, especially coming from an engineer, but that's how it feels. The Windows environment really gobbles up the memory. You can buy an expansion port that will hold additional memory, although with good management you can get away without expanding it.

The only real problem that I have with this unit is the battery life. Well, actually, WHAT BATTERY LIFE? If you play any game for 1.1/2 to 2 hours...you're out of battery!! If you leave the unit, WITHOUT USING IT, overnight - for two nights - you're out of battery again! Did I get a lemon? Do they all work like this? Does anyone sell battery packs that also include memory expansion? How does battery life compare with the Palm, you ask? Well, the Palm 505 (Color) will last about a week with decent everyday use and a lot of playing each day. The Palm V will last about 2 weeks (yes, WEEKS), with average use. The iPAQ will last 1 to 2 days with average use (and I'm being kind).

It's sad to see the best selling Pocket PC with such few options where accessories are concerned, shame on Compaq for not providing incentives to other manufacturers. Let's see how HP plays the game. Congratulations to the NEXICAM for bringing the first digital camera adapted for this unit. Now, they should have combined it with a battery pack, GPS, Cell Phone and Memory Slot - that way I could get rid of all the other gadgets that clutter up my night stand.

Want the best ? If you can live with low battery life, then this is your unit. I have a car charger and 110VAC-12VDC adapter that goes with me when I travel or I lose access to my contact information while I'm away.

As others state here, it is very easy to use! It's the cheapest and simplist solution to solve the lacking of memory issue. Howeve, be careful when you move your data files to the flash card. In my case, half of my applications will still function properly after the data files being moved to the flash card. The other half either crash or the application can't find the data files any more. So, you have to test each of your applications after the move. Fortunately, if it doesn't work, you can always move them back to HS memory.

If you own any Visor from the Visor family model-line and need extra RAM, this is for you.

Pros:
--easy and intuitive to use
--should be all the extra memory you'll need in one package
--I got it for only thirty two dollars (big factor for me)
--no major problems encountered so far

cons:
--certain applications or parts of an application won't work correctly or at all if its only on the module and not internal memory (however, It'll still store them)
--the above usually results in fatal errors and will require soft resetting and/or pulling out the module (but NOT permanently, just long enough to restore files back to the handheld) to remedy it
--MAY put a small drain on your battery life
--usually won't work in low battery situations (due to safety reasons to when transferring your data)

This is a good alternative to upgrading and shelling out unnecessary money on a new PDA that may not have enough enhancements/improvements to justify another few hundred bucks. Is memory shortage about your only issue? Then you're set. But before you do buy this memory module, here are some things that you should consider:

If you're buying this and some 8MB PDA as opposed to buying a PDA that has 16+MB of internal memory, u may want to reconsider. Typically the former will be the same price as the latter, if not more.

Certain applications won't be able to run directly off the module. If you have something on both, your Visor will automatically access the one on the PDA's internal memory. Otherwise, it'll try to run it right off the module. Problems arise when the application you're using (or parts of the application, such as database files) requires modifying data, and the module doesn't let you do this directly, as the process of updating stuff on the module is really just deleting the old stuff and replacing it with a newer version of it. This means you'll still need to keep certain stuff on internal memory. You'll also need to figure out which stuff will "blow up" if you don't do this and which won't if you want to store as much as possible on the module (The documentation that it comes with gives you some recommended guidelines, but I've discovered that some of them can be broken without any fatal errors when running the app).

There's also other memory formats available for the Visor, such as flash memory and compact flash. In a nutshell, get the Springboard format if:
--you won't need more than 16MB or memory (or any large amounts of memory)
--don't need the compatibility with other media devices such as MP3 players or digital cameras.
--Just want something that'll work, without any headache from worrying about limitations from the other formats...If your using this to backup info then this is very good at backing up specific items or group of items. If you want to back up your ENTIRE handheld, get an appropriate backup module. It's faster and only requires 1 tap on your screen

Oh, and finally, This Hagiwara Springboard module also has the same type of functionality as the one made by Handspring, so there shouldn't be any reason to shell out more money for the latter when Hagiwara's module is usually offer at a cheaper price

It couldn't be easier to use. I opened my package from Amazon, inserted the 16MB Springboard Module, and voilà, I have more than double the memory. The file mover is simple to understand, and it's easy to move both applications and data to and from the module. I've had no problems with reliability, and the only drain on battery life has resulted from increased usage since I have I have a lot more applications and games.

Owners of 2MB Visors need to be forewarned, however, that individual data files and applications are still limited by that 2MB barrier since they are first installed onto the Visor's internal memory and then moved to the module. Chances are this won't be a problem for you.

This combo pen is a 3-star product in appearance and functionality, but feels cheap. The weight of the pen is fine, but the mechanical function is not crisp. The pencil lead loading function is very difficult and slow. I am not planning on returning the pen, but would recommend against ordering it.

I have looked at other 3-in-1 pens but this is the one that caught my eye. First of all, it looks and feels great. The pen has some substance and it actually helps when writing on your PDA (personal digital assistant) versus the provided stylus. It is also cheap enough that you don't feel that you're making a huge investment in a fancy stylus that you might lose. The pen is also great when using it as a pen or mechanical pencil. Just turn the upper portion and the tip changes from stylus to pen. The pencil is located on the opposite side of the pen. The ink flows very well on any type of paper. The pen even comes with an eraser (located when you unscrew the top of the pen). It is a great gift for any PDA user as well as your favorite gadget fiend, I mean friend.

Before purchasing this pen, I looked at a number of multi function pens, including others available through Amazon as well as those from other makers, i.e. the Cross DigitalWriter Duo. In my opinion, this pen does everything well.

With a simple twist, it goes from a black ballpoint to a PDA stylus to a mechanical pencil. I differ with the previous reviewer in that the mechanism feels solid and of good quality. The pen can be customized of sorts by replacing the pen or stylus with a red ballpoint or a fine point highlighter. The PDA stylus that comes with the pen is red in color, thus preventing mistaking for the ballpoint and scratching the surface of your PDA. Also, all three options are stored unexposed, thus preventing any damage.

The top of the pen has a cap that screws off with an eraser underneath. The black ballpoint that comes with the pen is of very good quality and is a fine point. The stylus is much better than the ones that come with the PDAs.

The pen has a very good "presentation" quality about it. It looks very professional. I use both a pen and stylus equally in my job and this one has a very nice balance of form and function at a great price.

I've had this Sharp YO-290P organizer for some time now. Among its better qualities, is the expense manager feature which enables you to categorize your expenses and even calculates it up for a given time. In addition, it has two somewhat entertaining games, a Spanish/English converter, a good telephone directory, and a conversion calculator. However, it does have some drawbacks. For instance, its backlighting is very poor. The touch screen is also poor and instead have to constantly switch from using the stylus to the buttons located on the bottom of this PDA in order to save any information. And its scheduler/calendar leaves something to be desired. The free software it comes with (which I myself have not installed but a friend of mine has), which is contained on a floppy disk, has some problems on as well. However, this may not be the case for those with different PC systems, etc. Overall, I find that this PDA is decent enough to use, especially for a first-time PDA user. However, if you want a good PDA with better features for a similar price or somewhat higher, you'll need to look elsewhere, perhaps at a Royal brand organizer.

...I've used other "touch screen" organizers and found that they have several problems. You will often hit the wrong key or the key will repeat and also they seem to have a lack of features in the lower price range. This organizer suffers from none of these problems though I have found that sometimes the key I press doesn't enter (but at least it doesn't repeat 2 or 3 times).

The size is great (easily fits in my palm), the case is sturdy, the stylus entry is more reliable than any other unit I've seen, the SEARCH FUNCTION for the phone, memo, schedule, etc. Works just as one would expect it to.

There is one thing that it was reported to do that it simply does not. The functions and prompts are supposed to be able to be displayed in 7 languages but on this model only English is available.

All in all a wonderful organizer though...

Excellent value for money! Pocket size is perfect for on the go. No more bulky address books!I love the way it configures with my computer. Very user friendly. I would recommend this for any one on the go. A little money for a lot of PDA!

No one is a bigger gadget geek then me. I love innovated products and rather have a gadget over diamonds any day. With that said, I fell in love instantly when I saw the Casio's Pocket PC with the Camera attachment at a business meeting. From the moment I purchases my own (in 2000) I knew I would find multiple uses for my new toy.

I will be completely honest; this device does not take the greatest pictures in the world! HOWEVER, this camera has been a lifesaver on many occasions. I have met stars unexpectedly and taken pictures with them, stored pictures of my home to compare items in the store, endless job related purposes. It also came with video caption software and you can take 30 seconds of video and transfers it to your device and link up to your computer. Especially living in New York City, you just don't know what you're going to see! You can also transfer pictures from your pc to the handheld to cherish your favorite pictures on your mobile device. My only complaint is you have to have good lighting and you have to be completely still you get a decent photo. As for printing the pictures, the smaller you print the pictures the better the print. I never excess 4 x 6 prints and usually print 3 x 5.

This camera is for someone you love gadgets, loves pictures, and just loves to show off. No matter where I go people (including stars) always seem to be impressed with this device. Most important I'm impressed and I look forwarded for Casio to create one with better resolution. I purchase this about two years ago and I'm still happy with it. The price has dropped from when I obtained mine so that's even more reason to get this. Sometimes you don't have room in your bags or briefcase for a separate camera, and with device your camera is where your handheld pc is!

NOTE: Keep in mind if you need a digital camera then this is not for you the resolution is too low. Strictly for the gadget geeks.

Very cool gadget for the Cassiopeia but the picture is indeed rough especially when blown up on a PC. Photo quality is also dim without sunlight. Definitely not for pro or serious photo shoots. Okay for casual image capture. You may have to wait until they come up with higher pixels. ...

I give it 5/5 starts for the following reasons:

1) User friendly, not complicated at all.
2) One of the lightest cameras doesn't add weight to your device.
3) Excellent quality, it is Casio ;)
4) Flexible, it can be rotated in different positions with focus.
5) Price! Because I got 50% OFF ;)
6) It supports Siemens SX45, and I am using it.

Check for compatibility if you are interested you can visit casio for additional information.

Have fun...

Para resumir mi apreciación de las 4 estrellas puedo decir a favor que es genial contar con un verdadero PC portatil, en la practica de bolsillo, ya que puedo recibir e-mail con imagenes en colores ideal para mi trabajo y con una buena resolución.Puedo preparar textos para presentaciones en la empresa ya que cuenta con un teclado practico y funcional lo que le da una gran ventaja comparativa a una Palm. El equipo funciona muy bien, aunque solo unos detalles me gustaria mejorar como la corta duración de la batería y aumentar la capacidad de su memoria. Sin duda lo recomiendo con estas salvedades.

i bought my c2010 this september 2003 and i was supariesd how much cost,but it is brillant for it money,i love because it has got a color screen and word,powerpoint and excel,and voice memo so i can record songs on it,and the infra-red is brillant because i have got a irda mobile phone if you are going to buy a pda buy the compaq c2010
john boulter,cholsey john_bou2001@hotmail.com

i just purchase this item a few days ago, it is very well design,and practicalbut it`s very hard to get components,and accsesories specially when it comes donw to software,and conecting cables.this is a good machine,but don`t make the mistake that i made by buying this with out any software,cables,pim software,and no cradle because you will not be able to get anything for this unit that easy,not even from compaq/hp parts store.

I originally bought the Palm Glove case but didn't like it. I bought the Sumdex, which suits me better.

The Palm Glove case was a teensy bit too small for my M125, so I was constantly stretching it and, finally, the stitching blew out. Also, because it didn't fit quite right, the cool little button to show the time was often misaligned.

The second main issue was my fault -- I thought it had a belt loop but it doesn't. (I know, having a Palm organizer on one's belt is the hight of geekiness but that's the best place for it!)

Also, I wish it had a little pocket to hold 2 AAA batteries (the Sumdex doesn't either. It would be a very useful feature.)

If I kept my Palm in a briefcase or jacket pocket, the Palm Glove might be a better choice but if I kept it only those places, I probably wouldn't even use a case.

This is a great case for the Palm M100. I bought it with my Palm and am very happy with it. The Palm is held by the case with no problems. It has a plastic window, which covers only the Palm buttons (applications and scrolling buttons).

A total of 3 pockets gives you the ability to put in credit cards or anything else which can fit, but I really don't use them since it looks better only as a protective case for your Palm. One pocket is behind the Palm Glove, another inside and the last one is in the flip cover of the glove. The last pocket, gives you the ability to put in the flip cover of the Palm M100. I didn't have to remove the flip cover from my palm, since it gives you more flexibility to open or close the cover if you use it with the Palm Glove.

The Palm Glove has a snap closure which does not only protect the HotSync port, but does also secure your Palm M100 from any damage.

The case also does not make the Palm M100 more bulky, you can still carry it in you back pocket. But be careful not to forget that you have it there, since you can sit on it and....well....you know the story.

Anyway, I really recommend this case for your Palm. I have read the features and reviews from other cases and I really think this is the best one. I as an owner of it, I guarantee you that you won't regret you bought it.

The Palm Glove is as elegant and clean a design as anyone could wish for. The machine is held in place with a clear plastic window covering the area below the screen. Although sturdy, the plastic in no way interferes with the use of the four application buttons or scrolling buttons.

There's a pocket on the back of the case, another small one on the inside of the top below the window for the time/date, and a final one behind the PDA. The Glove opens up from the bottom and has a snap closure that shuts by folding around the bottom of the case, nicely protecting the Hotsync port from most potential damage.

The case has the standard feel of neoprene and the accents are true black, clear royal, and bright yellow.

The only curiosity to this case is what to do with the flip cover that comes standard with the M100. I've tried sliding it into the top pocket, folding it behind the machine into the inside back pocket and removing it. Have yet to decide whether it should stay or go. Right now, it's still on my Palm and not inserted in any pocket, serving as additional protection. As the other case styles do suggest removal of the flip lid, I can only assume that it should stay (somewhere).

This is a terrific protective case. Highly recommended!

Unfortunately, this device will not work with the palmOne Treo 600, despite the Product Specification sheet for the Treo 600's specific claim that its SDIO port could be used to support a bluetooth card... This is apparently because of an incompatibility between the Palm OS5 operating system used on the Treo600 and the palmOne bluetooth card.

Beyond that, the form factor is "problematic" at best, as the "antenna" on the bluetooth card sticks out quite a bit from the edge of the phone.

When I first was introduced to bluetooth I found myself looking for bluetooth devices. The first one that came to mind was the Palm handheld. I decided to fork out the [money] and buy one of these cards for my Palm m505, and I don't regret it. The card is extremely small, and fits in my Palm carrying case.

The card works well with MacOS X and my D-Link Bluetooth USB Adaptor. I can sync my m505 wireless using this bluetooth card, and better yet, I can be 30 feet away from my computer, I can sit on the couch and sync my m505.

The card should also work with bluetooth compliant phones, this is another nice touch.

I use this card w/ my m505 to interact with my Sony Ericsson T68i. Works real well to provide GPRS data access to the Palm, also for SMS and phone dialing. I have also printed to a Bluetooth-enabled HP printer which was pretty cool. I plan to Bluetooth-ify my laptop and printer at home and have Bluetooth talking between Palm / Phone / Laptop / Computer - cool!

Wish there had been some mention of this before I got it. The antenna on the 5400 and 5500 series of iPaqs makes it physically impossible to plug this in using a standard CF sleeve. Supposedly it can work if you use a dual CF sleeve.

Bottom line: Huge improvements needed but gets a 4 because it's the most comprehensive of what's available for PDAs.

I am a financial consultant and am on the road everyday to new residences and businesses, giving me in-depth knowledge about this particular product. Because many good reviews are listed, I will focus more the drawbacks. Read on for the nitty-gritty details.

The Maps:
The maps can be huge, ranging from a couple megabytes to 15 megabytes. You'll need plenty of memory and a fast PDA. What a map covers depends on how dense the city is. Los Angeles requires about 4 maps while Riverside county is covered in two maps. You can only load 3 maps at a time, so if you're travelling long distances, your destination may have to be somewhere along the highway. Once you get there, load a different set of maps. Loading more maps, though, will reset your start/end points as well as your route. So you'll need to renter the information. Also, the more maps are open, the slower it is to pan across the map.

Finding yourself:
Unlike a static map, the GPS can track your location or you can search by contacts, address, intersection, or major points of interest. Unfortunately, it only lists major venues (e.g. stadiums, major shopping centers) and not places like gas stations (a major drawback). Searching for an intersection without knowing the city can be quite tedious. You first enter a street name, then the city, then the next street name. So if the city is unknown and the first street appears in several cities, you have to try each city until you find the second street.

The GPS:
If you use the system in your car, as I do, the GPS is a mixed blessing. When first starting the system, it may take a LONG time before getting a fix - if you're stopped. If you try to get a fix while moving, that drastically reduces your chances of getting a fix at all. After that, however, it is quick at requisition after going under tunnels and such. Because being in a car weakens the signal, it has a hard time following you after making turns. You may have made a left, but it still shows you as going straight. This is especially frustrating when you cannot stop and wait for it to tell you which way to turn, as in a highway exit with a green light. If you know this will happen, you best look at the directions and memorize the turns. Also, because of the weakened signal, the voice might keep saying, "you are off-route," either because it hasn't yet taken into account that you made a turn or simply because it can't quite pin-point where you are and has you located as driving off-road through blocks of houses. Expect this to happen frequently in mountainous areas or in downtown areas with tall buildings.

Routing:
Routing is a mixed blessing as well. You can route by fastest, shortest, or no highway, and you have a voice telling you where to go. It is fairly quick at routing when you only have one map open. If you're travelling across three maps, it might take a while. Also, it is supposed to reroute you when you have gone off-course, but it rarely ever does that, meaning you have to take your eyes off the road and manually tell it to find a new route. Perhaps the biggest drawback is the amount of time it gives itself before telling you that a turn is coming up. On streets, it makes announcements 0.1 miles before street turns and 0.5 miles before highway exits, meaning you better keep an eye on how far away you are from your next turn. Also, the maps do not use highway-exit names. For example, the Santa Monica exit off the 405 North in California puts you on a street called Cotner Ave, which in actuality is just an off-ramp with a street name. The directions will tell you to exit onto Cotner Ave, meaning you will miss it because you will never see a Cotner Ave. exit on the highway signs. And if the off-ramp does not have a name or does not immediately exit onto a street, it will simply say to exit onto the off-ramp. Along those lines, you better remember your destination address because it doesn't show it to you in the text directions. I always have to switch back to my Outlook Contacts to look at the address because the map will get you to the block, not the specific address (probably to save memory). By the way, the voice simply tells you a turn is coming up - it doesn't actually say the name. But that is forgivable in order to save memory. The map always displays in large font what is coming up and the distance left to make the next turn as well as the distance remaining to your destination.

Battery Life and Memory:
This product drains your batteries and the maps take up a lot of memory, so it would be prudent to get a car adapter and at least a 256MB flash memory module. Do NOT get compactflash because that slot will be taken by the GPS unit.

Bottom Line:
Obvously, there is MUCH room for improvement. I tried many competing products and this one was, by far, the most comprehensive. There are products that list restaurants and gas stations, but use TINY maps of which you can only load one at a time and have limited search, routing, and GPS features. Others have better GPS sensitivity but are much more expensive. Others can show a cross-country route from start to finish on a single map but again, lack in other features.

I use the Pharos module for the Siemens (ATT) PocketPC phone. For the most part this device is limited because it uses a handheld to display the information. (limited by resolution and screen size, beyond the scope of this review) It will never approach a printed map for clarity, readability or comprehensive data. I have used this device quite a bit.

That said this device does things that a printed map could never do. It will show you exactly where you are, and give you directions to where you want to go - quite accurately. I think the software for the PDA is quite straight forward and intuitive, but the PC side is clunky - and needs further refinement.

The maps are regional only - for example if you are driving in the San Francisco Bay area - you will need to load three separate maps on to your PDA. (I have a 256MB SD/MMC card that has allows me to load the entire state of CA on the PDA).

Don't expect to have the entire US at your fingertips - unless you plan on bringing a laptop with you to synch and load new maps as you travel. I recently drove from San Francisco to Ft Lauderdale - I didn't use the device. It would be good though if you were going to fly somewhere and loaded maps of that area before you left.

My chief complaint is that it will not load neighboring regional maps as you move into new territory - even if they exist on your memory card.

Bottom line: (1) Not a replacement for you atlas or map(s), but a useful aid/enhancement to both. (2) Not a device for non-technophiles. (3) Well-designed software (at least the PDA side). (4) Very accurate.