Garmin Announces Less Expensive GPS-Enabled Pocket PC

[Ed Hardy]

Garmin will release later this month its second Pocket PC with a built-in GPS receiver. This will cost somewhat less than its predecessor.

Read more at http://www.brighthand.com/article/Ga...unced?site=PPC

[neuron]

So the rumor about Garmin backing out of PDA field is not true?

[surur]

Only the Palm OS PDA field, like everybody else.

Surur

[Ed Hardy]

Originally posted by huangzhinong
So the rumor about Garmin backing out of PDA field is not true?

With Garmin releasing its second Pocket PC this year, and a Palm OS model aimed at pilots too, it seems clear that there's no basis for this rumor.

[surur]

Rumor: Garmin pulling out the iQue 3600?

This week, OfficeMax has put the Garmin iQue 3600 on clearance. Is this a sign that Garmin is pulling out from the Palm OS space or is there a new iQue coming out?

For those not familiar with the iQue 3600, it is the only Palm OS device that integrates a GPS. The GPS automatically turns on when you flip it up and turns off when you flip it down. The iQue 3600 has a 320x480 screen, runs Palm OS 5.2.1, a built in MP3 player, and voice recorder. Since my review of the iQue 3600 when it first came out, having used other navigation apps for the Palm OS, even without 3-D navigation, I can still say that Garmin's the best one, hands down.

Sometime May 2004, Garmin released the cfQue, a compact flash GPS accessory for the Pocket PC. Early this year, Garmin introduced the iQue M5, a Pocket PC version of the iQue 3600. Garmin also released the GPS 10, a bluetooth GPS, bundled with software for the PC and Pocket PC, but surprisingly nothing for the Palm OS. Garmin was recently at the PalmSource Developer Conference, but no major announcements were made.

http://www.1src.com/scripts/show/111...Que_3600_.html

Turns out Garmin was replacing the POS iQue with a WM one.

People have long mistaken the long slow death of Palm with the death of PDA's. WM devices have always gone from strenght to strenght.

Garmin made a mistake by betting on the wrong horse, but they are now trying to correct that. They may be a bit late in the game though, with competition from the likes of Mitac in exactly the same area. They still have a name for ruggedness and reliablity though, so they may just prevail.

Surur

[gfunkmagic]

Oh stop trolling surur!

Like always, your'e making facts up again...

btw, where are those Lifedrive sales reports?

[surur]

Which part is made up?

Surur

PS: Like everyone else I will have to wait for September for Q2 2005 figures. Unlike most I will be paying attention to them.

[Ed Hardy]

Originally posted by surur
Garmin also released the GPS 10, a bluetooth GPS, bundled with software for the PC and Pocket PC, but surprisingly nothing for the Palm OS.

This is incorrect. As I pointed out earlier, couple of weeks after announcing the iQue M5, Garmin released the iQue 3600a, a Palm OS bundle designed to help pilots navigate.

You can read more about it at:
http://www.brighthand.com/article/Ga...600a?site=Palm

[surur]

Originally posted by Ed
This is incorrect. As I pointed out earlier, couple of weeks after announcing the iQue M5, Garmin released the iQue 3600a, a Palm OS bundle designed to help pilots navigate.

You can read more about it at:
http://www.brighthand.com/article/Ga...600a?site=Palm

a) I did not write the Garmin rumor article, but its quite recent (06-29-2005).
b) the iQue 3600a is clearly just a variation of the iQue 3600, to a small and limited market, more than 6 months ago.

As that 1src article says, what has Garmin done for PalmOS lately?

Surur

[pocketfactory]

Garmin is not an active participant in the PDA space, so judging their moves by the same standards we analyze Palm or Dell is flawed at best. They are a niche player selling a niche product.

Clearing out OfficeMax inventory doesn't necessarily spell a pullout from the PalmOS segment. And even if they did, it's not like we're losing a Sony here.

Of course, now that PalmOS is down to just one licensee in the handheld space, combined with the slow implosion of PalmSource, and and the steady decline of PalmOS in the market...PalmOS's future couldn't possibly look any worse.