Pharos iGPS SDIO GPS Receiver $229

[mgolanlan]

http://www.gps4fun.com/ph_sdio.php

Who's the first to pop it into the XDA II?
I want one!
I tihnk it will be far more useful than a BT gps.

One can always install a redirecting antenna in his car ...
though I've got a non-metal roof:-)

[shire29]

I have the Sandisk SD Wifi card which works very well with the xda 2 although delivers rapid power drain.

I suspect this will be the same drain on power ?

Also, if you use the SD slot for the GPS, where do you store the map files ?

Just my initial thoughts.

Cheers, Shire

[mgolanlan]

power for WiFi is a problem due to transmission. The way Ethernet
works, the sender "assumes" you didn't "get the message" and resend
it, unless you acknoledge it. You must also acknoledge at the same
speed that you got the data. Even if you only acknoledge in 10 bytes
every 2K you get, it is still doing lots of Transmits [note: I'm not
really familiar with WiFi details, just Ethernet in general]

the GPS is just a reciever. they claim 100mA. This should give us
approx 5 hours use on full charge, with the phone powered on and
the map running ... In fact, I'm pretty sure the BT gps would not
do better, batterywise.

On maps, you got me! I guess most cities can be loaded into
te internal memory or the \storage card. If you design a good
maping software, it will "cache" your SDcard data and ask you
to swap it only when absolutely need. Having NEVER played with
GPS software (tomtom destinator etc) I really don't know the answer.
But my Garmin has just 16Mb of memory which it claims can be used
to give detailed maps - downloading part from the PC one at a time...
so the PPC must be much better.

Also, GPS cards (ie CF) is nothing new, so someone must have the answers - so come on guys, give it to us! :-)

[shire29]

well thats what I'm holding out for, a GPS CF card. My theory being you still have the sd slot free for memory card and plenty of detailed maps.

Plus with the back pack u get a bit more juice and the VGA out.

Can't seem to get it anywhere yet though, but accessories always seem to be slow to market, no point in mass producing stuff till there are enough machines out there I guess.

mmm I digress, sorry.

Cheers, Shire

[mgolanlan]

CF GPS card have been available for over a year, what r u talkin about?
just gogle "cf gps" or go to eg www.ecost.com.

This isn't a real solution. I can go around town with the SD GPS in
my shirt's pocket, and if I need it, I'll use it. When you or a BT GPS
user will need their's, it will be in the parked car or at home ...

mobility! mobility! mobility!

OF course, I want my XDA iii - stable OS, GPS builtin, 512Mb flash builtin,
camera 1.3Mpixel, and WiFi built in. and a larger battery, of course....
I expect to buy it early 2005.

[shire29]

lol, I was referring to the xda 2 back pack, with built in CF slot, Battery and VGA out. It's not available in the UK atm.

I didn't think the CF GPS was that big, the only thing I am not sure of is where the CF slot is in the back pack, and whether a CF GPS will fit.

Cheers, Shire

[applecom]

Looking at that CF bakpak the CF slot is on the bottom, so if have the CF card GPS then the GPS aerial would be upside down.

or do you try and find a program to invert your screen when you start you map software. or get a external aerial for the CF GPS.

or is it just me and the CF slot is on the top of the CF bakpack

John