Stymyx
08-14-2003, 11:32 AM
For what it’s worth, here a review of my first-day experience with my new iQue.
Before I begin, I wanted to say thanks to all of the people who listed their experiences here. Because of this, I was able to avoid problems.
First, the color of the case. Is it silver? Is it gold? Is it “pewter”? Is it dull bronze? I would call it “medium gunmetal grey”. :p
The cradle. Yes, the connection on the cradle DOES seem very fragile. When I tilt the iQue forward to fully upright to remove it, it makes a very unpleasant “snap” sound. So far, this is my only complaint about the overall product. It will definitely be worth it for users to be VERY careful when removing their iQues from their cradles. It CAN’T be done in a hurry. Take it SLOW!!
The leather flip cover: It’s nice, but it’s a little strange getting used to the flap being hinged on the BOTTOM rather than the top! I keep the iQue in an E&B CoPilot-20 pouch-type carrying case when I’m not using it or when transporting it.
The software installation: Not ONE single hitch. It was flawless, although I would advise following the instructions carefully when installing!
Installing maps: Again, flawless. I followed the advice of those here and forced myself to be patient. After it indexed the maps and started “syncing” to the iQue, it DID appear that it was locked up (the hotsync icon on the computer screen wasn’t moving), but after about 3 minutes it started moving. Once it did, it took about 2 more minutes to upload all the maps I told it to (the entire state of Georgia) to the SanDisk 256Mb SD card.
The standard Palm apps: No surprises there. They all work as they always have on all the other PalmOS PDAs I’ve owned in the past. There is definitely something to be said for “the elegance of simplicity!” Take THAT, PowerPC!!
My other programs: So far, all of my other programs work fine on the iQue, including AcidSolitaire, Megabowling, Bejewelled, FilZ, PDA Safe, MegaClock and PowerRun. Since I already owned PalmOS 5-compatible versions of these programs (when I was using a Sony Clie NX70V, which also used PalmOS 5), these programs run fine on the iQue. The only problem is that the virtual graffiti (VG) area doesn’t collapse on any of them. I suspected that would be the case, so I wasn’t surprised. My one disappointment is DateBk5. As previously reported here, it runs fine on the iQue, as long as you don’t bring up any menus! Doing so causes the VG area to disappear, leaving you with no way to input data and causing you to have to perform a soft reset. DateBk5 is my most important “serious” app, and I hope the developers have a fix for this soon. Other than that, no problems software-wise. I've had ZERO lockups so far.
Ok, now on to the fun stuff. The GPS: In a word: Joy. Pure, unadulterated joy. I had the perfect real-world test. A friend flew into Atlanta and was staying in a hotel in a part of downtown Atlanta I’ve never been to before. She said she was staying at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Buckhead. I got in my car at work, brought up QueFind, tapped on “Lodging” and searched for the hotel. It came up in the list instantly. I then tapped on “Route to” and I was off and running. It took about 3 minutes for the GPS to lock on, just as the manual said it would take for the first-time GPS aquisition. I put the iQue in my cellphone holder on my dashboard (which I will continue to use until Garmin releases the AutoNav kit) and started following “Bitchin’ Betty’s” instructions (that what I call the iQue’s voice! Anyone who was in the Air Force should understand the reference!) The directions were perfect and easy to follow and I never once lost the GPS signal (a benefit from having it on the dashboard, I’m sure). 20 minutes later I arrived at my destination. It was absolutely flawless! I used it again this morning to route myself from home to work. I purposely “missed” announced turns to see how long it took to recalculate the route. It was VERY quick in doing so. The “speed” readout was about 3 MPH behind my car’s speedometer, certainly acceptable. I was most surprised with how accurate the estimated time of arrival was. It was dead-on correct, occasionally recalculating when I was in stop-&-go traffic. I also used the MP3 player at the same time and I love how the sound of the music lowered when Betty was speaking a direction. I did discover that the sound of the speaker wasn’t quite loud enough for my taste, but I solved that problem by using a cassette tape adapter and playing the iQue through my car’s stereo (again, that problem will be solved with the arrival of the AutoNav kit). Long story short, the entire GPS experience was fabulous beyond my wildest dreams.
Overall, I think this iQue is truly the greatest thing since sliced bread. It really does everything it claims to do and I couldn’t be happier with it. It was definitely worth the wait!!
Thanks once again to all those before me who have posted their experiences with their iQues. I truly benefited from your postings!
Cheers,
Jeff
Before I begin, I wanted to say thanks to all of the people who listed their experiences here. Because of this, I was able to avoid problems.
First, the color of the case. Is it silver? Is it gold? Is it “pewter”? Is it dull bronze? I would call it “medium gunmetal grey”. :p
The cradle. Yes, the connection on the cradle DOES seem very fragile. When I tilt the iQue forward to fully upright to remove it, it makes a very unpleasant “snap” sound. So far, this is my only complaint about the overall product. It will definitely be worth it for users to be VERY careful when removing their iQues from their cradles. It CAN’T be done in a hurry. Take it SLOW!!
The leather flip cover: It’s nice, but it’s a little strange getting used to the flap being hinged on the BOTTOM rather than the top! I keep the iQue in an E&B CoPilot-20 pouch-type carrying case when I’m not using it or when transporting it.
The software installation: Not ONE single hitch. It was flawless, although I would advise following the instructions carefully when installing!
Installing maps: Again, flawless. I followed the advice of those here and forced myself to be patient. After it indexed the maps and started “syncing” to the iQue, it DID appear that it was locked up (the hotsync icon on the computer screen wasn’t moving), but after about 3 minutes it started moving. Once it did, it took about 2 more minutes to upload all the maps I told it to (the entire state of Georgia) to the SanDisk 256Mb SD card.
The standard Palm apps: No surprises there. They all work as they always have on all the other PalmOS PDAs I’ve owned in the past. There is definitely something to be said for “the elegance of simplicity!” Take THAT, PowerPC!!
My other programs: So far, all of my other programs work fine on the iQue, including AcidSolitaire, Megabowling, Bejewelled, FilZ, PDA Safe, MegaClock and PowerRun. Since I already owned PalmOS 5-compatible versions of these programs (when I was using a Sony Clie NX70V, which also used PalmOS 5), these programs run fine on the iQue. The only problem is that the virtual graffiti (VG) area doesn’t collapse on any of them. I suspected that would be the case, so I wasn’t surprised. My one disappointment is DateBk5. As previously reported here, it runs fine on the iQue, as long as you don’t bring up any menus! Doing so causes the VG area to disappear, leaving you with no way to input data and causing you to have to perform a soft reset. DateBk5 is my most important “serious” app, and I hope the developers have a fix for this soon. Other than that, no problems software-wise. I've had ZERO lockups so far.
Ok, now on to the fun stuff. The GPS: In a word: Joy. Pure, unadulterated joy. I had the perfect real-world test. A friend flew into Atlanta and was staying in a hotel in a part of downtown Atlanta I’ve never been to before. She said she was staying at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Buckhead. I got in my car at work, brought up QueFind, tapped on “Lodging” and searched for the hotel. It came up in the list instantly. I then tapped on “Route to” and I was off and running. It took about 3 minutes for the GPS to lock on, just as the manual said it would take for the first-time GPS aquisition. I put the iQue in my cellphone holder on my dashboard (which I will continue to use until Garmin releases the AutoNav kit) and started following “Bitchin’ Betty’s” instructions (that what I call the iQue’s voice! Anyone who was in the Air Force should understand the reference!) The directions were perfect and easy to follow and I never once lost the GPS signal (a benefit from having it on the dashboard, I’m sure). 20 minutes later I arrived at my destination. It was absolutely flawless! I used it again this morning to route myself from home to work. I purposely “missed” announced turns to see how long it took to recalculate the route. It was VERY quick in doing so. The “speed” readout was about 3 MPH behind my car’s speedometer, certainly acceptable. I was most surprised with how accurate the estimated time of arrival was. It was dead-on correct, occasionally recalculating when I was in stop-&-go traffic. I also used the MP3 player at the same time and I love how the sound of the music lowered when Betty was speaking a direction. I did discover that the sound of the speaker wasn’t quite loud enough for my taste, but I solved that problem by using a cassette tape adapter and playing the iQue through my car’s stereo (again, that problem will be solved with the arrival of the AutoNav kit). Long story short, the entire GPS experience was fabulous beyond my wildest dreams.
Overall, I think this iQue is truly the greatest thing since sliced bread. It really does everything it claims to do and I couldn’t be happier with it. It was definitely worth the wait!!
Thanks once again to all those before me who have posted their experiences with their iQues. I truly benefited from your postings!
Cheers,
Jeff