Palm GPS Navigator Smartphone Edition...

[SL-10]

Palm GPS Navigator Smartphone Edition

16-Aug-2006 [Source: Palm]

[Treo smartphone users can now use the Bluetooth-enabled Palm GPS Navigator Smartphone Edition bundled with TomTom's new Navigator 6 software to provide turn-by-turn driving directions.]

Sunnyvale, CA -- For Palm(R) Treo(TM) smartphone users and GPS enthusiasts, Palm Inc. announced the Palm GPS Navigator Smartphone Edition, featuring new TomTom NAVIGATOR 6 software. Drivers using the new GPS Navigator with their Treo smartphones can rely on voice-guided, turn-by-turn directions to easily find their destinations as well as millions of points of interest, including gas stations, restaurants, parks, airports and more. TomTom NAVIGATOR 6 is available today exclusively for Palm's GPS Navigator Smartphone Edition.

Palm's new Bluetooth(R) enabled SiRFstarIII(TM) GPS receiver, which features a sleek design and easier-to-see LED lights, seamlessly pairs with Palm Treo 650, Treo 700w and Treo 700p smartphones. The product is simple to set up, thanks to a 1GB memory card preloaded with maps. Travelers simply pop the memory card into their Treo smartphone and pair the GPS receiver to access highway and street-level maps covering the United States and Canada. No desktop syncing or downloading of maps is required. Using the smartphone's high-resolution screen, TomTom's NAVIGATOR 6 software automatically shows the receiver's (and hence, the car's) current location.

"The convergence of portable navigation devices is growing in the United States," said Jocelyn Vigreux, president of TomTom. "Palm's bundle offering with TomTom's new NAVIGATOR 6 software reflects our joint efforts to continue providing customers with essential smartphone solutions. The Treo smartphone series provides an ideal platform for portable navigation."

TomTom is the leading provider of personal navigation products and services. TomTom NAVIGATOR 6 software offers coast-to-coast and cross-border navigation, as well as new and enhanced options. New features include trip planning based on preferred arrival time, speed-limit information and integrated navigation to the smartphone's contact list.

How It Works

The Bluetooth technology-enabled receiver identifies the car's position using satellites. By communicating with the GPS receiver via Bluetooth, the Treo smartphone obtains real-time location information and displays 3-D maps on the Treo smartphone's high-resolution screen. After a destination has been programmed, TomTom NAVIGATOR gives voice-guided, turn-by-turn instructions in one of more than 30 available voices. It will also automatically recalculate a route after a wrong turn, avoid roadblocks or circumvent traffic congestion.

Pricing and Availability

At $299 (estimated U.S. street price), Palm's GPS Navigator Smartphone Edition includes a Bluetooth enabled SiRFstarIII GPS receiver, TomTom NAVIGATOR 6 software featuring the latest Tele Atlas(R) maps, a 1GB memory card with preloaded maps of the continental United States and Canada, a vehicle device cradle with windshield mount and a charging system.

The GPS Navigator from Palm is now available at Palm's online and retail stores

[henele]

I just ordered one for my new 700P. :)

[SL-10]

I just ordered one for my new 700P. :)
Keep up posted on it's performance. ;)

[cliffr39]

wow $300 is a bit steep IMO
you can get a few different TomTom / Bluetooth Sirf III bundles for $170 - $220
http://www.buygpsnow.com/tomtom-bundles_116.html

[mowog]

This allmost same package was $200. It included the GPS unit but the maps/software were on CDs. I needed a 2G card to put the entire US and Canada along with the program. The install was a pain but once done it works fairly good. I ran it side by side with my Audi nav system and it was just about as good, matching it almost turn by turn. On the Treo if a call comes in the nav kicks off and you have to resume it after the call is finished. The directions are good but you need to see the screen as an aid. For example my car system will say "take the second right onto state route 100", while the tomtom says "take the second right". We took the GPS on a trip to California where it came in handy. Several times I had to ask my wife "what do I do?" when the system said to turn at a confusing area- a quick look at the display cleared it up but you need a navigator (as in co-pilot) or the ability to see the screen.

[gr8sho]

The only downside to this is that if you have a car that uses the phone's BT for voice, you need to retarget the pairing from voice to nav and vice versa. Even at $300 it's still a lot cheaper than most integrated solutions plus it's mobile.