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Alternative GPS stuff.

879 views 3 replies 3 participants last post by  Bmyrrh 
#1 ·
Anybody using any of the products offered by ALK? I imagine there are some truckers on the list who might be more apt to know about these services. I've just included them in my look-around for thangs GPS-ish. Gonna upgrade from my StreetPilot I this year, and thinking Santa might like the info ahead of time!!! ;)

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#2 ·
Hey Dick, There is no hardware with this. You have to use a Windows Enabled Mobile Phone with a built in GPS. So while the price looks cheap, unless you want to put your cell phone out in the elements, this is NOT a cheap solution for a scooter. JM2CW
 
#3 ·
Steve_R said:
Hey Dick, There is no hardware with this. You have to use a Windows Enabled Mobile Phone with a built in GPS. So while the price looks cheap, unless you want to put your cell phone out in the elements, this is NOT a cheap solution for a scooter. JM2CW
Yup, understand Steve. Not considerin' the price thang; just thinkin' whether or not it's sumpthin' I can use - either with a PDA or a Laptop. Hopin' somebody has some real world experience with one of the product offerings, and it looks like it's geared to truckers and other well-traveled, traveln' folks. ;)
 
#4 ·
At least for their perosnal use product, what they provide is software only. You still have to have a GPS reciever that can communicate -either wired or bluetooth- to the PDA or laptop you use. I've used (in my car) both their co-pilot software and Garmin Que software for navigation on a PDA, with a separate GPS receiver communcating with the PDA via bluetooth. Between the two, the Garmin had more flexible data displays, the Co-pilot better touchscreen "buttons".

Pros:
1.a PDA or laptop is far more versatile for things OTHER than navigation.
2. They allow you to have a Microsoft Outlook contact list that you can select directly as a navigation destination.
3. The ALK product has some "live" features such as web tracking, messaging and traffic but they require web access for the PDA. (I.e. you have to have a cellular high speed card for the PDA AND be connected -burning minutes- while traveling.

Cons:
1. Both the PDA and the GPS receiver require power: twice the cords.
2. The PDA or laptop complicates things precisely because does do other things. You first have to navigate to the nav program just as you would any other program on your computer.
3. PDA displays are not designed for high intensity light environments. My high end iPaq is far less readable in daylight than any GPS I've seen.
4. The touch screens on PDA's are designed around the use of a stylus. They're clumsy for fingers, and even with the ALK product you still have to get TO the nav program with the stylus.


I've stopped using mine, since it was a PITA compared to a Nuvi -although I STILL prefer the date displays on Garmin Que to anything else.

Beyond that, 6 of one, half dozen of the other. The significant difference comes in with
 
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