ique 3600 vs ique m5

[btbt]

Is the m5 worth the extra money?

[Bokkie]

Do you want Palm or PPC? You can spend $300 on Palm and you can spend $300 on PPC. It's your money.

The M5 is much closer in approximation to the apps on the iQue than the cfQue or GPS 10 provide.

True, the M5, cfQue, and GPS10 have much in common but it's the subtle differences that make the bolder statement.

[btbt]

I have been a palm user, but am not necessarily married to it. i have never used a pocket pc. i am a mac user, but the cross platform issues seem to be about the same with both palm and ppc. there aren't any stores around here who sell these things, and i am a hands on guy, so i am having a hard time deciding. that's why i am looking for some input as to whether one's functionality is better than the other

[reinbeau]

Don't look into his eyes, Bokkie is trying to lure you over to the Dark Side......;)

[Litespeed]

I like the user replaceable battery and the Bluetooth support on the M5.

But Fast Finger and wayQue are reason enough for me to recommend the IQue 3600.

[btbt]

thanks....what is fast finger and wayque? i haven't read about those features in reviews....

[Litespeed]

They are not native features but excellent user created applications.

Do a search on this forum for them. Fast Finger is a sticky on this forum, 2nd post from the main forum page.

Fast Finger (in effect) lets you turn the IQ 3600 screen into a menu with Large buttons that can execute scripts to do specific things like "Route Home" or "Find Gas".

Way Que helps to manage your way points and provides a slightly easier to use "Route To" button.

[si4xp]

As they say, "Spouse makes you complete" - some would say, it is a moot point - so is FastFinger. It completes Betty:D

I would go with Betty, if I were you.

[0gopogo]

> Is the m5 worth the extra money?

IMO, no. The replaceable battery is a big, big plus. Bluetooth is, too, if you actually use it. You probably will if you use the device for PDA tasks but not for GPS-only use.

In any other sense and without knowing it I consider the M5 a step backwards, certainly not ahead of the iQue 3600. The 480x320 screen has a lot to do with it. I do not own a M5 but I do have a Dell x50 PPC. The PPC replaced the iQue for daily PDA use but I still use the iQue to navigate. The x50v can do more things than the iQue but I find that the iQue does the common things that it can do almost as well, and snappier, and in some cases even better. The software needed to make the iQue useful as a PDA is cheaper, too. (All moaning aside, even though the x50 is slower than the iQue for typical PDA functions I know I can not go back to a lesser PDA. Reasons are e.g. the bright 640x480 screen, BT, WiFi, dual CF and SD, and available software.) GPS-wise I do not see how a PPC with a Sirf II BT receiver is superior to the iQue with an external Gilsson antenna. The iQue is a nice and integrated solution, and should cooperate well enough with OS X.

The iQue's non-replaceable battery is one major drawback.

The other caveat to consider is that the device was released two years ago. The technology is old. If you buy now you buy yesterday's tech.

But the same applies to the M5. Only its release date is newer.

[jonasolof]

Originally posted by 0gopogo
> Is the m5 worth the extra money?

The other caveat to consider is that the device was released two years ago. The technology is old. If you buy now you buy yesterday's tech.



In what respect is the technology old? The non-replacable battery has nothing to do with technology. The GPS receiver itself (with the exception of the antenna) is as good as any in other navigators, except the newest SiRF III which aren't yet found in navigators. The HVGA screen fills its purpose perfectly. Full VGA wouldn't make a significant improvement.

The only point where I'd like to see an improvement is screen visiblity in intense diffuse light, as in the Loox 720 and possibly iQue 3600a.