What is best hardware? What is best software?

[DavidK]

I am a automobile user that will be using tablet PC and pocket pc devices with a Bluetooth GPS receiver. I want to purchase the BEST hardware (fast, accurate, software-indifferent, long battery life, etc.) and the BEST software (intuitive, best graphical depiction, strong POI database, hardware-indifferent, etc.) as long as they play well with each other. I’m willing to pay for the best. Can you advise?

The hardware and software indifference is VERY important to me as I expect the software to change over the years but would like to continue using the same hardware.

[icsys]

From your post we can see that you want the best, we all do. Buying the wrong kit can be expensive.
However, in order to suggest the 'best' you need to give more information on how you plan to use your kit. Your location and the area where you plan to use it is also important. Please update your profile with your location.

Will it be purely for in-car use? Used for business travel where accuracy from a to b is very imprtant, or more recreational?

Will you use it for other recreational pursuits, on foot perhaps, walking around town or in the hills?

These questions can have an impact on what is the BEST for your needs.
_________________
Ian.
iPAQ 2210 | Navman 4100 BT Receiver
Navman iCN 635
TomTom GO
Anquet OS mapping

[DavidK]

I am anticipating only in-car use, but am unsure what other uses there are other than hiking. Am I missing any other use (no aviation or marine travel).

I do travel for business to all stretches of the US and may be taken abroad. US Travel outside of Colorado is a secondary requirement, abroad is a distance nice-to-have.

My in-Colorado automobile travel requirements far outway any other requirement.

[Dave]

If you ware mainly looking at in-car use and you want to be able to use your Tablet in-car and also a Pocket PC then you'll have to purchase software for each, but if money is no object here and you're prepared to spash out for two different piieces of software then I'd suggest going with CoPilot Live Laptop 7 (or soon to be 8 ) for the Tablet and CoPilot Live 5 for the Pocket PC.

The learning curve will be low because you can use it on both devices, or you could purchase a different piece of software for the PPC.

CoPilot Laptop 7 review is here
http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/copilot-live-laptop7.php

Hardware wise, a Bluetooth GPS that will last for around 6-7 hours or more would be best. Emtac/Transplant Buetotoh GPS, or even a DConnex BT GPS would be better as this has more battery power.

We have reviews of all of these on-site.

[ohm62]

Copilot might very well be the best indeed, but it sure is by far the most expensive, on total cost of ownership: base package, hardware / software upgrades, additional maps, if you want a solution that works with a GPS on both a laptop and a PDA, etc...

ALK also had a tendancy to lock their users in by not allowing them to sell the software, say, on eBay: they'd track down such sales and get seller's eBay accounts disabled, on the basis of their very stringent EULA (if you want evidence of this, a simple Google groups search on "CoPilot ALK EULA eBay" should bring it up).

If you go with ALK, read VERY carefully the EULA (End Users License Agreement) and make absolutely sure you are fine with the terms, as they WILL enforce them. Now, it looks like ALK recently changed a bit their policies to less stringent application, maybe recognizing that while it is certainly important for them to fight fraud, they still have to let honest customers get fair value from their products! I sincerely hope that is what is really happening...

-- OHM

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