Rating: 
Summary: Handheld Palm Garmin GPS is GREAT for Boating and the Car
Review: I got my handheld and within a week the software patches were available for download. I used it the first weekend I owned it and took it out into the Atlantic off Hilton Head with the ability to track my trip. I used it for work traveling all over Kentucky this week. It has the ability to switch from street maps to sea charts of the same location. Telephone helpers at Garmin were instantly available to assist me...I am no computer whiz...in the set up. Next week I will take it to northern Europe both in North Germany on the train between Keil and Hamburg and out on the North Sea sailing.
Rating:
Summary: iQue 3600
Review: A great tool and very easy to use. I use Lotus Organizer 5 and was able to download contacts, of course it would download from MS products also.
The audio prompts are great and so is the recalculating feature. I love this unit.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent GPS unit/Palm PDA. Tech support excellent!
Review: The Garmin ique 3600 is a stylish palm PDA, with a well lit, sharp screen. This is my sixth palm/handspring and I like this the best (it's also the most expensive). I have always wanted a GPS unit, and I bought a HandyGPS unit two years ago for my handspring (for the springboard module) - what a sad mistake! I got almost no use out of that device - it was clumsy and almost never connected to satellites.The Garmin is completely different! It's a pleasure to use. Flip up the GPS receiver in the back of the unit, and it powers up and starts searching for satellites right away. I usually get a 3D GPS location in under a minute. Routing to addresses in your palm is easy (after you set the locations), giving you clear directions before you need to make turns, while showing you your position on the on-screen map. While you can use the ique 3600 as a handheld GPS unit, it's battery will not last very long, and since it's not waterproof, if you're caught in the rain, the unit may get ruined. It's main use will be as a car navigation aid, and since it's portable, you can transfer it from car to car. The vehicle navigation kit is essential - in my opinion. It powers the unit, so battery life is not an issue. I like the friction mount and I have found it NEVER moves even if you make sudden stops and starts! The kit also has an in-built microphone, and the base 'locks' the unit in, preventing it from falling out of the cradle. When installing the included software, the instructions have to be followed exactly and in the order they say. You will also need to get an addtional SD expansion card to download a reasonable size area -if you want to make long trips - a 256 MB card would be ideal. I live in New Jersey, and am able to fit most of the east coast, from upstate New York (just south of the Canadian border) to Virginia and as far west as Philadelphia on a 256 MB card with some room to spare. I've bought another card and if I want to travel somewhere else I'll download more maps! The ique's other functions include a built-in MP3 player and voice recorder.
My only major gripe with the product is the fact that the palm software is very sensitive, and using the palm os 'find' icon always got the palm to crash. This was due to a medical program that somehow conflicted with the palm os software - I had to delete the app. This program has co-existed with all of my older palm versions until now! While trying to fix the problem, I contacted Garmin support staff. It took a while to get to them (15 - 20 minutes), but when I finally got someone, he spent a long time with me and was very patient and courteous.
Rating: 
Summary: Can be better
Review: I have used it for about 7 days in Queens, NY. So far the GPS is great. I have had problems with the system - it freezes, and needs a reset to wake up again, so keep a paper clip handy. garmin informed me that they will have a software update in a week to fix this issue. The Auto Kit need improvement. the friction mount does not have a grip on the dash, and the whole unit falls off when ever I start moving after stopping at a red light!! (I have a Toyota Camry V6 !!)
UPDATE: As promised, Garmin released a patch, which was very easy to load. So far have not found any problems. Installed the World base map for fun (on SD card), and it is really cool to see the road maps of all the countries! Regional maps easily fit on a 256Mb SD card with room to spare. If driving cross country, just install source and target regional maps, as base maps cover all major freeways and exits.
Rating: 
Summary: The only product I've returned to amazon.com
Review: I spent over 5 hours trying to install maps on an SD card. 1.25 hours were spent on the phone with a Garmin tech support person who actually called me from his home in the evening (!) because Garmin's support hours are useless if you live in the Pacific time zone. The effort he exerted was Herculean, but to no avail. The map install codes I received didn't work initally. We couldn't install the CD#1 maps from my computer to the SD. Worse yet, we couldn't install CD# 2 (the east side of the US) to my computer. When instructed to install disc# 2, I did, and was told it was the "wrong disc". Tech support said I might have a defective disc 2 and they'd overnight another that day. Nine days later it arrived via FedEx after having been sent the day before. Tech support is helpful when you get ahold of them. I love the idea of what this thing does. And I did get it to work in a small area (15 mile radius) around my home with maps from CD#1 installed to the iQue's internal memory. Ultimately I decided that I had purchased it to make life easier and ended up raising my blood pressure from frustration and anger. I sent it back. I feel much better (even if I am still lost).
Rating:
Summary: Great Value for a Selective Audience
Review: The IQUE 3600 is fabulous for auto navigation. I purchased the auto nav kit, removed the bean bag, and attached it to a vent clip and it is a perfect combination for my BMW 328. The navigation features work great! However, do not purchase this unit if you wish to use it for hiking. It's limited battery life will not last more than a couple of hours. However, if you want a terrific GPS with all of the Palm's PDA capability, nothing beats it!
Rating:
Summary: Essential for Business Traveler
Review: I travel in cities all over the US and needed something that would help me get around the cities and enable me to find small offices. The IQue was exactly what I needed. Throw away your maps and Thomas Guide. This PDA allows you to input an address and will give specific directions on how to get to your destination from you current location. The Map allows you to go into 2 modes: North Up or Track Up. The PDA does have enough memory to add additional software (such as ACT--sales software). It runs all the same software that you are used to if you already have a PDA. Only complaints are battery life, a car charger is essentail, and the fact this PDA doesn't have the universal carrying case that other PDA's have. Also, you have to load the maps of the city you are traveling to--not enough space for the whole US on the PDA. I definitely reccomend this device for the ease of use and its utility.
Rating:
Summary: All it needs is a phone...
Review: I was impressed. I had a nav system in my BMW and use the Hertz NeverLost system when I rent - typically several times a month. This is better. It is useless without the car kit as the antenna needs to be under the windshield and it sucks power. You also need an SD card to hold the detailed maps and MP3s. If it had a phone, I could replace my Treo 270 and have all the necessary gadgets except a camera in one device. Likes:
- Screen, big, bright and clear.
- When you choose not to follow the Nav, it just says, "off route - re-calculating". It calculates and re-calculates routes impressively quickly - faster than other auto-Nav systems I have used. Gripes:
- The MP3 player hangs the system requiring 2 resets to get back to normal. I sent the exact problem into Garmin which I assume they will fix... I downloaded Pocket Tunes and it crashed too but didn't require a reset.
- The Voice recorder button is on the top left hand side and I often press it accidentally when pulling it out of the case.
- Beware if you already have a Palm. I wiped out my address book categories and had other issues requiring a complete re-install of the desktop SW when I synched using the same Palm user as my Treo 270. Once I set up different users for each device it was fine except keeping the different users in synch is a pain.
Rating:
Summary: Well integrated product but not perfect
Review: I have had the iQue 3600 for over a week and have taken
several trips with it ranging from a few miles to over
300 miles long. In most cases, the iQue 3600 can be relied
on to give you correct directions to your destination.
However the map database does occasionally show its quirks.
On at least two occasions, I was advised to take a particular
road but the displayed name was incorrect even though the
actual direction to the destination was, as it turned out
later, correct. The other problem is battery life. If you don't have the car
navigation kit, expect the battery to be completely drained
in around 8 hours of continuous operation, then too with
the backlight turned off. Happily however the advantages outweigh the above problems.
The integration of the Palm OS Address Book and the GPS mapping
software couldn't be better. Just select an address, ask the
unit to locate it and you are on your way. Satellite acquistion
is fast, dependable and rarely takes more than a few seconds.
(except for the first time.) The 320x480 pixel TFT display is
bright and readable in any light condition. Two features of the
grafitti area are really nice- that it displays your input so
you can see what you are drawing and correct mistakes next
time. And that the entire grafitti area is virtual hiding
itself when its not needed. The increased display real estate
comes in handy when viewing moving maps. Getting a SD card
seems to be almost a neccesity as there is very little free
space on the built in 32 MB RAM to store detailed maps. I
managed to only save about three maps before the memory was
completely full. A 128 MB Secure Digital card on the other
hand is enough to store every detailed map for California. For those familiar with Palm OS apps, all the usual apps are
there. I "beamed" several apps from a Handspring Prism and
they worked just fine.
Rating:
Summary: Garmin iQue 3600 -- works as advertized
Review: Having owned a Garmin IIIplus and a PalmOS device for quite some time I was a bit sceptical about the iQue3600. I got my iQue last week and after using it for several road trips I have come to the following conclusions. It definitely works as advertized. In addition to being a very nice PDA, the GPS functionality is truely impressive. The turn by turn voice directions are very impressive. It should also be mentioned that the FULL set of detailed maps that Garmin includes are a serious value added feature; these maps sell for around 100$ by themselves. The unit is ideal for use in the car, the auto charger is a must though, as is a large memory card to hold detailed maps. The iQue can help find a specific address or business (including phone number) and give turn by turn direction. The GPS features a nicely integrated with the other Palm apps such as the address book. The battery life is definitely the device's biggest weekness. I found using the GPS with the backlight off helped quite a bit during the day. As a PDA the device is very responsive, the virtual graffitti area is a very welcome addition. The screen is both large and VERY bright (hence the poor battery life). If you cradle the device daily then the battery life shouldn't be a big deal; if you travel a lot, the AC adapter is very portable. My only question at this point is why would garmin market such a device when clearly it outperforms other GPS units that cost 2 - 4 times as much; some of which are made by Garmin.
| 
