Pharos or TomTom? Or something else?

el_yotcho · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jun 11, 2004 Posts: 3

Hi,

I'm new to this whole GPS thing, and it's been a bit confusing, but I think I've narrowed down what I'm looking for to two models:

url here

url here

Both are serial/cable accessories for the iPaq; the first is TomTom, the second is Pharos. They're both about $250, which is the price range I'm looking for. They both seem to be based on the SiRF StarIIe/LP chipset, so I assume they perform similarly. The TomTom is a bit more expensive, but it comes with a nicer car cradle.

I don't know anything else about these devices, or manufacturers. Which has better maps, Ostia or TomTom? Do either of them come with free map updates? Do either of them have horrendous customer service? Does anyone recommend one over the other? Or a different model entirely? I don't want to spend more than $250 (about 136 pounds) unless there's something really unacceptable about these models.

There's also a cheaper Pharos model that seems to be identical to the one above, except the receiver is a bit less precise:

url here

It's $100 cheaper; are the savings worth it?

Thanks,
Patrick

lbendlin · Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2004 4:18 pm Post subject:

Unfortunately we haven't received any review copy of Pharos Ostia yet so we can't really judge it. Subjectively I would say that TomTom is by far the superior package when it comes to functionality.

They do use different map providers, so you will see different map quality (but you should never expect perfect maps anyhow)

As far as support is concerned I can only suggest that the Pharos support must be better - TomTom's has a few things they can improve...

Both receivers are good, I like the TomTom receiver more because it looks nicer.
_________________
Lutz

Report Map Errors here:
TomTom/TeleAtlas NAVTEQ

el_yotcho · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jun 11, 2004 Posts: 3

lbendlin · Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2004 11:41 pm Post subject:

you should expect to pay 50 to 100 USD a year for map updates.

Where did this 10m versus 15m come from?
_________________
Lutz

Report Map Errors here:
TomTom/TeleAtlas NAVTEQ

el_yotcho · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jun 11, 2004 Posts: 3

lbendlin · Posted: Sun Jun 13, 2004 6:48 pm Post subject:

Don't worry about that . 15m is good enough for street navigation.

The only time when it gets hairy is in urban canyons. There a receiver with XTrac may give you some advantage. but it is also slower in following the position.
_________________
Lutz

Report Map Errors here:
TomTom/TeleAtlas NAVTEQ

	PocketGPS
	Web