It's a GPS with all the pocket PC features, not a PPC with GPS features. This is a GPS first! It's basically the same as a TomTom One navigation system, but with the added PPC functions. I've had other GPS/PDA/PPC combos in the past and they don't stack up to this one at all!Lets look at the GPS first:
The map issue that others are having is going to depend on where you live or where you will be using this unit. Try different GPS's software, as they aren't all the same.
Personally, I like the Magellan software for it's "Dings" when approaching a turn, as well as it's "Approaching destination on the left" notifications. TomTom doesn't tell you what side of the street your destination is on, except for the location on the screen (no verbal prompt.) TomTom however has a much better itinerary planning capability than the Magellan, one feature I liked more.
You can load your own custom POI's if you want, but the TomTom POI's are a little lacking. It's not like I found everything in my Magellan either though. It depends on how much you want to rely on the POI's. As an advantage, since this is wifi enabled and has pocket internet explorer, you can always use the internet to find the POI you are looking for.
The biggest negative I have is with the GPS fix time. It's slow. I mean really slow. Sometimes it can take a few minutes, and if you are already moving it seems to take even longer. Up to several minutes.
I wish one of the buttons was a mute/un-mute button, but it's something I can live without.
The car cradle is the best one I've ever used. It's very easy to mount, and it's even easier to insert the GPS and remove it. Takes no time at all. Since it's powered by mini-usb, this is an added bonus for me, as my cell phone charges on the same connection.
Battery life is excellent, it lasts about 5 hours for my use so far. Enabling wifi or bluetooth will of course lower the battery performance.
Onto the PocketPC functions:
As a PPC, this thing rocks! With wifi and bluetooth you have every connection you could need. I use the internet on this more than I thought I would. I check my web based email, browse the news headlines, watch streaming video and listen to online music. It's got a few hundred megs of extra space for MP3's if you want, but I use my ipod for my mp3 listening. I also use this to store my photos. I have a phone that runs pocket windows as well, and with it's camera I can take a photo and send it via bluetooth to the PPC and add a contact in no time!
Pocket Internet Explorer doesn't always work for me. I like the Opera browser more (free 30 day trial) but I've found a few sites that wouldn't work in Opera, or looked better in Pocket IE.
It came down to this or a Magellan 3050T GPS system. I chose this because it's smaller, lighter, and has a ton of options over a stand-alone GPS. You can't compare this to a stand alone GPS because it's not. It has many more options that you may or may not use. If you are considering buying a TomTom One GPS, then get this instead. It's about the same price, runs the exact same software (TomTom 6.0) and has all the PDA features in a smaller package.
I hope this was helpful, but in the end it depends on what your looking for. I travel a lot, and needed something that had all the maps built in, was small enough to take on my carry on, could travel with me and was easy to use. I think I've found it in this unit. Just try and take one of the stand alone GPS's and casually put it in your pocket, good luck getting it out!
Additional Information:
TomTom and HP are currently working on an updated map release for this product and will (hopefully) have it available on the HP support website by the end of January. TomTom is hailing this update as "The most detailed and accurate maps of the US and Canada ever produced.." This update will also be free to owners of the RX5900 series Travel Companions.
Update 02/08/07:
HP Hasn't released an updated map pack yet, however they did release a firmware update for the unit. This update improves the GPS functionality and accuracy. I now get GPS locks in seconds, where it used to take minutes. While driving, I get a lock in 10 seconds. I get a lock faster if I'm stopped. It is definitely a significant improvement and I recommend everyone that owns one of these updates the firmware.
One drawback is that the device is very MS centric. If you use an email application other than outlook, additional software is required. Having said that, transfering data to and from the rx5915 is a snap. The mobile office tools work well with Word, Excel and Powerpoint slides. You can even view the ppt animation. Calendar, task management and pda functions work very well.
Would recommend purchasing the additional memory for use as an mp3 player or if you are going to use it as a secondary PC. Audio quality is excellent from the headset, the speaker on the back is only ok.
Battery life is very good (taken recently on a 7+ hour plane flight).
Was initially pricy, but even a week after release, the price has dropped on $100 Amazon. When you consider the cost of a PDA, GPS and an MP3 player, the price is a bargain. I Highly recommend it.
Buy HP iPAQ rx5915 Travel Companion Now
I travel frequently for business and recreation, and I've been carrying this device on a daily basis for the past couple of months. Though the iPaq rx5915's GPS may be slightly inferior to Garmin, Magellan, or other top end dedicated GPS receivers, this is the perfect device to meet my daily needs. I consider it to be a viable option for most users. Instead of listing the features, I'll describe what I use it for, and list the pros and cons based on my two plus months experience with it.I've been carrying this device on a daily basis so I can listen to music (replaced my ipod) during my commute to work. I spend a lot of time traveling domestically, and many times I would be surfing the Internet or reading work-related documents at the airport. I would watch movies or play games while flying, and I would use the GPS feature to help me navigate to my hotel/client site once I arrive. Other features I use frequently during business travels are: alarm clock (purchased Spb Time application), check-and-update weather (Worldmate comes pre-installed), read various e-books and e-magazines, and keep track of my finances. During my free time, I enjoy going hiking and backpacking. I purchased the National Geographic Topography map and last week was the first time I used this device to help me navigate in the back country. It works great in the outdoors, but could be a bit difficult to read in direct sunlight (despite that it's coated with anti-glare reflection and I have an anti-glare screen protector). I also have to baby it when I'm in the outdoors since this device is not waterproof and "drop-proof" like the dedicated outdoor GPS.
HP iPaq rx5915 Pros and Cons:
Pros:
* Integrated SirfStar III GPS chipset with an mmcx port (for optional external antenna) For those of you who are not familiar with SirfStar III GPS chipset, it is probably the best chipset currently available. Many high-end dedicated GPS devices such as the Garmin Nuvi uses Sirf Star III.
* Pre-installed TomTom Navigator 6 (supposedly one of the best navigational software)
* 2 GB Flash ROM (1.5 GB used for TomTom) this is probably the largest available ROM space available
* Wi-Fi and bluetooth makes communication easy
* Comes with a sturdy window mount
Cons:
* Some inaccuracies with the GPS Note: I've already updated the GPS firmware. I'm not sure if it's a bug with the GPS receiver or with TomTom, but ocassionally (usually in congested cities such as NYC and DC) TomTom will think I'm on another street and starts re-routing and/or sometimes it thinks I'm heading the opposite directions and ask me to make a U-turn when possible. I haven't experience this glitch outside of the city.
* The time-to-first-fix (TTFT) is relatively long for a Sirf Star III chipset. It takes probably 2-3 minutes for the initially satellites lock.
* Only have SD card slot. I wish they have CompactFlash slot as well so I could either get more memory or use it for other IO devices.
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TomTom Navigator 6 Pros and Cons:
Pros:
* Extremely easy and intuitive to use I figured out how to use it without reading any instruction manuals
* Uses very updated map
Cons:
* TomTom is really big in Europe, and supposedely the brand name TomTom is synonomous to GPS over there. I think it's a great software, but I personally don't like the POI feature. Other navigational software has POI broken down by sub-categories. For instance, Under "Food and Drink' POI category would be broken down to "American, Asian, Cuban, etc". It's just my personal preference.
* I've been testing it in location where I know where I am, and I don't really like the route TomTom takes me. I'm really just nitpicking here since chances are all GPS takes you to a less-than-ideal route. The most important thing is you get to where you need to go.
Conclusion
Although this device might have a few minor issues here and there, overall, it is a device with good value for your money.
Read Best Reviews of HP iPAQ rx5915 Travel Companion Here
Without trying to sound like a cheerleader, I'm thrilled with the purchase of this IPAQ Travel Companion, and I think you would be, too.I upgraded from an IPAQ 3635 PDA for several reasons; I wanted longer battery life in a technologically superior device--and I got it. I wanted wireless connectivity to the Internet for times during travel--especially at airports-when I wanted to check email, but didn't want to have to pull out my laptop--and I got it; I've seen some amazing results since purchasing the unit.
Initial sync of material was flawless; everything--in every file--from the old IPAQ transferred to the Travel Companion with no errors. I opted to add a 2 MB SD Card so that I could add all my Power Point Presentations, copies of documents, etc., to my specific file mix. The calendar, contacts, and notes features work very well.
If there is a negative, I've found that I have to be "two fisted" when it comes to removing the stylus. The stylus exits the machine on the left underside of the unit, and I'm right-handed. If you're left handed, you'll find the unit perfect; if you're right-handed, like me, you'll find that you learn to cope!
The brightness is good--even in daylight, I don't have trouble reading the screen; bright sunshine in the tropics isn't it's friend, but how often are you going to be in bright sunshine and trying to view the screen? I don't have the best eyesight, but I'd say you'll find it--like I have--easy to read the screen. The "night" mode for the GPS is excellent, and works like a charm.
I've found that I use the Travel Companion in "landscape" mode more than in what I would consider the standard IPAQ "Letter-orientation" mode. Landscape seems to be the way that IPAQ designed the Travel Companion, because the front panel controls are labelled for a "landscape" design. You do have the option of moving the viewing window 360 degrees in 90 degree increments, which is a nice option to have, too.
Before you even think to ask it, my first question was/would be in battery life. My previous IPAQ ate it's battery in a short time frame--the old unit normally died within three-four hours of charging. Even battery replacement didn't solve that problem, and I found it to be very inconvenient on long airplane flights...and even on coast to coast flights, I'd be running into the terminal to find an electric outlet and give it a shot of "juice" until the next longer layover.
Conversely, I've found that the battery on the Travel Companion--which is removeable, so you can have an extra battery charged and ready to go--lasts me all day. I don't normally leave the Travel Companion on all day...but I do sometimes leave it connected via USB when I'm doing a full day of work on my laptop.
The GPS function is good, and has a variety of options programmable, from the voice you choose, to saving a trip if you'll make it again. It's what I believe is the basic Tom Tom program, so if you're acquainted with this very stable and reliable platform, you'll appreciate the GPS function is a good one. Drilling down to the target address takes some getting used to, but once you think that way--as opposed to simply keying in an address--it becomes second nature. The volume of the GPS "voice" is more than sufficient for normal use in a car with the built-in speaker in the Travel Companion.
I did some extensive research to be sure this was what I wanted before purchasing the Travel Companion, and I'd suggest you do the same. It has bluetooth as well as WLAN facilities, and I viewed the GPS as a value-added feature.
I had read in several reviews during my research on this device that some users had trouble with the unit initially finding where they were located. Not me. Mine "spun up" within 30 seconds, giving me the number of satellites it saw and the relative latitude and longitude of my location--which it found, it seems, within a few feet. I was using it the first day..it works right out of the box. Nothing additional is required. They even send along a neat multi-axle adjustable holder for your car. Great idea.
On balance, what are its drawbacks? All I've found is where the stylus is stored, and if that is the only drawback, I'll take it, left hand down, so to speak.
If it sounds as though I like it--let me correct the assumption--I love it! It's the perfect blend of functionality for my lifestyle and travel--and I can't imagine anyone purchasing this and not being thrilled with it. More than just a "big boy's toy," it's truly a dream machine.
Excellent choice for a new generation. HP has outdone themselves.
ag
Want HP iPAQ rx5915 Travel Companion Discount?
I owned it only a few days and been testing it around the area this the best thing that came for travlers in years. The Tom Tom GPS work great coem with everything you need to hook it up to a rental car and when you not using the gps it's also great in picking up my email and doing my spread sheets in excel. Then when all done you can relax with the window media when play your mp3. Only thing I wish is came with a better case to pack all the plugs and bracket for traveling and I think a good idea to buy a big SD card and extra battery. But over all great unit you won't reget it.Save 71% Off
