iPaq 4700 or Tomtom 300/500/700?

Pedro-G · Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2005 4:39 am Post subject: iPaq 4700 or Tomtom 300/500/700?

I'm a techie but a newbie to GPS systems. I'm thinking of buying either:

- iPaq 4700 (or other PDA) and a Tomtom Navigator 5 with Bluetooth, or
- One of the new Tomtom 300/500/700 units

Naturally I realize that with the PDA I do other things as as well, such as using topographical software.

1) Other than that, what are the pros and cons in either choice, when considering using them for street routing in-car?

2) A Tomtom 300/500/700 has a 320 x 240 3.5" screen with 4096 colours, while the 4700 has a 640 x 480 4.0" screen with some 6400 colours. What is the significance of this when using the Tomtom software? Is the screen of the iPaq 4700 clearly better (or worse, for some reason) for using for streer routing in-car?

3) The iPaq 4700 also has a a faster processor than the new Tomtom units (624MHz vs. 200 or 400 MHz) and more memory, is this significant?

4) Someone has noted that the iPaq 4700 may be bit of an "overkill" for street routing, since older PDAs work as well. But say I'm willing to pay more for getting a better screen and possibly a faster working system. Do I get what I pay for, when specifically considering street routing in-car?

Any comments will be greatly appreciated, but especially from those who've had the privilege of trying both the iPaq 4700 and a dedicated Tomtom unit (older GO or a new 300/500/700).

SimonCatlin · Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2005 9:14 am Post subject:

You missed expense as a reason as well.

The Go will be cheaper as you will still need to buy a gps (and pda mount) for the Ipaq as well as thje TomTom software.

You say you are a techie, then go for the Ipaq as you will use the wireless and bluetooth in your normal days work. You will also use it for the Pocket Office functions as well. The screen is great and the map detail (now) is excellent, but the icons are not as smooth as I woud have liked on 4700. They probably look very good on the Go though.
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iPhone5, TomTom, Google maps, Navfree, Viewranger and Apple Maps (ekk)

Pedro-G · Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2005 6:21 pm Post subject:

The expense is not really an issue. I don't mean I want to throw money away, but I'm prepared to pay more for a better solution.

Also, as I tried to emphasize, I'm mostly interested to know which solution is better for in-car use. I can assess the PDA's other uses myself.

What do you mean by the icons not being as "smooth" as you'd like?

CoolJB · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jun 14, 2005 Posts: 8

I use a 4700 with tomtom 5 and an Acore Bluetooth GPS had minor trouble setting up the bluetooth but that is now solved thanks to this forum! If buying from scratch I would recommend buying tomtom GPS then it should all work from the start.

I had a 5550 previously and the 4700 is better screen easier to see. Speed wise not to much difference but the screen size does make a difference easier to see in-car and it seems to be clearer/sharper which I presume is due to increased colors.

Hope that helps in making your decision.

Pedro-G · Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2005 4:29 am Post subject:

bdollerup · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jun 17, 2005 Posts: 1

I have the 4705 with Mapopolis using Parrot's CK3300 (Handsfree and GPS). It rocks! I previously used the IAQ 2215, the difference in screen size is amazing.
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Bjarne

<b>HP IPAQ 4705, Parrot CK3300, and Mapopolis - Loving it!</b>

mikealder · Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2005 3:00 pm Post subject:

I use a 4700 and its great with tt3, the real plus is wifi, I can use the internet for free in the pub where I am typing this from. The volume for sat nav in the car is a bit low so get a mount with on board amp and speaker - alternativly for real high tech check out the O2 XDAIIs I think this unit is even better phone, pda, bt, wifi and 128mb ram - no speed diff noticable between phone or 4700 - mike

mikealder · Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2005 3:03 pm Post subject:

Sorry I also forgot the price the O2 unit cost me less than 100 sterling - a great bargin considering what it can do - mike

SimonCatlin · Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2005 3:56 pm Post subject:

mikealder · Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2005 4:09 pm Post subject:

I fully agree it could be sharper but bear in mind the 4700 runs in normal screen res for a pda, to get the full res needs other software and a soft reset to activate, if in VGA mode (hi res) tt3 only displays in the top left quarter of the screen - I only use vga mode when running Ordinance Survey maps or internet access, other software just will not support vga so the auto pixel doubling cicks in and negates what should be a very clear tight image - in vga the os maps are much better, with tt3 it makes no difference - mike

Pedro-G · Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2005 12:25 am Post subject:

Thanks for all the answers!

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