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HP iPAQ rx5915 Travel Companion
By: Hewlett-Packard Average Rating: 4.0 Total Reviews: 153
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 On: 2008-06-20
Powerful, convenient, value for money PDA/GPS package. Slightly big and heavy for use as a PDA to carry around everyday, though large enough to display sufficient features for a GPS to be functional. It seems to take a while for the GPS signal to lock in and hold a signal and occasionally the signal is lost while driving despite clear skies and the GPS having a clear view of the sky. The interface is fine, though I think Belkins GPS software is slightly better overall. I do not like the fact that it does not tell you whether your destination is on the left or right hand side of the road. I also wish the input keyboard was in qwerty format and had an auto-complete feature to save time when inputting addresses. I also wish that it would at least pronounce names of freeways when giving directions. Overall though, it has no competition because of its excellent PDA and above average GPS functionality in an affordable price.
On: 2008-06-06
I have owned this unit for 1 month and have to say I am very pleased with it. I have read alot of reviews and the ones that I have read that were bad are no surprise to me. The people who complained are not technically savy. Their are 1,000s of free applications out there to make this device almost the ultimate tool.
This unit runs Windows Mobile 5. Granted it doesnt have all the nice features of Windows Mobile 6, but you can download just about any application for it and most of them are free! Ex: I have installed MS Live search mobile, very cool app. that gives me the directions, movie times, traffic reports, etc. all via the internet. Another nice app. is Yahoo2go... I get syncronized email and contacts, weather reports, news headlines etc. And finally for video I have a blast with Youtubeplay!
The only reason I give it 4 stars is that it does not have a phone. But I purchased this mainly for the GPS and the Windows Mobile features. The GPS does take alittle while to acquire the signal initially. But you can purchase an optional antenna to speed up the acquisition time (approx. $19)
If you are going to purchase a GPS, my thought is you should get more for your money, and this unit is a perfect match.
 On: 2008-06-05
After having and using this unit for 4 months, here are my thoughts:
The HP iPAQ rx5915 works OK as a GPS. It sometimes aquires a fix in seconds, other times it takes minutes. I find that if you enter the address that you want to go to before you are where it can obtain a signal, it seems like it will never get a fix. I usually shut down TomTom and restart once I am in the car. If I then enter the address it will get a fix fairly quickly.
But I mainly bought this to replace my aging Casio E-125 which had its own Mobile Calendar and Contact software. This unit, though over 7 years old, typically responds to alarms and input more quickly than the brand new HP iPAQ. The HP has more memory, a MUCH faster processor, etc. But I guess that the software is more bloated or something because when the alarm goes off, it stutters like its struggling to get the sound out and launch the reminder pop-up. VERY annoying! I didnt like the basic calendar and contact software that came with the unit, to I purchased and installed Pocket Informant 8 which is highly configurable but is still sluggish in responding to commands and alarms. Its a real shame that something so much newer and more sophisticated does the basics so much worse. Also, I usually have to push the on-off button 2 or 3 times to get it to respond. Not sure if this is hardware or software related. But also very annoying.
The wireless portion works OK, but trying to browse the web on a screen that size is an exercise in frustration. It has come in handy a few times, but other than that, I find it to be little more than a gimmick. I guess that if I used it for email it would be OK, but again, I dont usually have to, so I dont.
I would say that the only things to recommend this unit are the brightness of the screen (my old PDA was impossible to see outdoors) and the fact that it is slimmer and lighter than the Casio. Other than that, not much to recommend it and I wouldnt buy it again.
On: 2008-05-24
Typical Hp IPAQ quality combines the ease of a Tom-Tom GPS navigation system with full mobile office capabilities. Easy to set-up and use. I upgraded the Mobile Office for Office 2007 interface with ease. Comes with handy window mount and AC and auto charger adapter. Also charges through USB port on computer.
 On: 2008-05-22
I purchased this product 2 months ago thinking I could solve most of the critical points I read online but I am still struggling trying to run the French map which I successfully downloaded and installed onto an SD card. I did read that the TomTom application also needs to reside on the SD card because no link can be established between the iPAQ File Store, where it lives, and the SD card. The application cannot be moved nor does it exist anywhere else that I can access to install onto the SD card. So as of now, my French maps are unuseable 1.5 weeks before my trip. TomTom does not answer its "contact us" support screen and ignores this particular device on its webpage. I think that HP owes us a better interface and documentation.
 On: 2008-05-15
Dont buy this -- it locks up and quits talking. The Garmin 660 is much better in almost every way. Thats what I bought after returning this one.
 On: 2008-05-12
The rx5915 is everthing I expected it to be. Its a great, versatile, PDA, and the addition of the Tom Tom software with the built in GPS receiver makes it a outstanding bargain!! Contrary to HPs "corporate line" claim that the 5915 will only work with a 1 GB SD card, you can sucessfully run a 2 GB card, just as long as its not SDHC. This give you ample storage for vids, pics and MP3s. This is an all-around great little PDA. My only complaint with the unit is that it does have a tendency to "lose" a Wi-Fi signal even when its at its strongest. The only way you can successfully reconnect to the network is to do a soft reset and then reconnect. Its an inconvenience, but minor, in my book, as the 5915 boots surprisingly quickly compared to my old iPAQ 5555, and to turn the wireless back on is a "press" of the Wi-Fi icon on the main screen and youre back up and operating in no time. My overall impression of the device is great...I would highly recommend it to anyone wanting a full-bore PDA with GPS capabilities built-in. It also comes with a very nice car mounting system to make it a true GPS system.
On: 2008-05-04
I travel by motorcycle, so space is at a premium! Id been bringing my laptop on short trips, but ended up not using it as much as I thought I would. All I really needed was some way of finding hotel locations and phone numbers, plus some way to email or post photos when I had a wifi connection.
Before leaving on a Canadian 2 week adventure last August, we decided a GPS might be helpful. After searching for a month or so, I decided on the RX5915. Im glad I did!
The iPaq paid for itself the first 2 nights we were on our trip - using Tom Tom to find hotels (and their phone numbers) in small towns, then calling ahead and securing the last hotel room in town!
Sure, any GPS can do that, but theyre not small enough to carry around in your purse all the time, and they wont let you access the internet to Priceline a room for the following evening.
The iPaq gives me everything I need, nothing I dont.
The good:
Everything I need in one small package.
Tom Tom Navigation is so easy, even my husband can figure it out!
Large enough to see whats going on, small enough to fit anywhere.
No tiny useless keyboard to take up additional space.
Wireless, USB, and Bluetooth connections.
Accepts SD cards.
Works great as a photo viewer - take the card out of the camera, install in iPaq, and view everything on a larger screen.
The Bad:
GPS takes some time to connect, even after the upgrades (up to 10 minutes occasionally).
GPS kills the battery very quickly.
Tom Tom doesnt offer a way to print out maps or create maps offline.
Doesnt accept HD SD cards.
On: 2008-04-20
I bought this when my old iPaq died recently, and Im very, very happy with this new one. The regular Windows Mobile apps are just as solid as ever, and while the new GPS has its quirks, overall Im very happy with that too. Quirks: sometimes streets arent named (though I was surprised by how many little dirt roads WERE named) and on two occasions, the unit showed me driving to the side of the road rather than on it.
Battery life is excellent and the buttons are well-placed. Its nice that HP has ditched their proprietary power port in favor of mini-USB, so any cable will connect to a PC. I would have preferred a different locale for the stylus, but Im getting used to that.
If youre looking for a pretty good GPS that also doubles as a PDA, this will do the job nicely.
On: 2008-04-14
I really needed a PDA, and I liked the idea of having a GPS navigation system. I travel with my job and making a wrong turn or taking a detour no longer causes the stress that it used to cause. The PDA is compatible with Microsoft Outlook, which allows me to manage my address book on the computer or on the PDA. This was a great investment. I am very happy with it.
On: 2008-04-10
I usually do not write reviews very often, but I thought this may be helpful to others, I have owned two GPS devices which have the usual problems of losing signal under a bridge and take a long time to acquire satellites. The iPAQ rx5915 gets signal inside my house, even in my basement which makes it very easy to enter destinations ahead of time. It is very impressive. The only thing I wish it would have is text-to-speech but it is OK, it displays the name of streets to turn-to. 802.11b/g is awesome too, it took me 1 minute to connect to my wireless access point and getting into my GMAIL account.
On: 2008-04-03
This is a great product even if its been out for a few years now! It works well with Vista but I had to down load a few programs they walked me thru! Also had a problem with the "time" sync unit and Everything was off by 1 hour! Got a daylight savings time patch and now works great! Sync sometimes gets caught up but unplug and re-sync and all goes through. Overall Ive had for a month and a half and find it a great tool. GPS sometimes puts me in a field off roading but I am used to being out there because I come from Northern Maine where we are neglected from time to time! People still think we use outhouses and some of us do! Thats back to the basics. Enjoy your product and try to learn all it can do!
Dean
On: 2008-03-07
This is one of the best buys I have made in the past years. This is an outstanding device in all respects. I just love it and use it all the time for GPS, movies, music and Wi-Fi. Very highly recommended!
On: 2008-02-08
Hi I bought the Ipaq Rx5915 about six months ago and I must say I find it excellent. The GPS can be a bit slow to get going but rarely lets me down. The TOMTOM maps are not great for rural areas especially when your from Ireland but generally they get you from town to town.
The previous reviewer found he could not put Skype on his IPAQ. I had the same problems and the way around it is.....go to www.skype.com and go to downloads for Windows Mobile. You will be given two options of downloads for the your Pocket PC, close the second option which is a .CAB file and is for advanced users. Download this to you IPAQ open it and there you have it. Not advanced at all! Sound is good and chat works too.
The worldmate traveller is great for getting weather conditions in different cities and you can set up about 5 different time zones.
I must say though since I discovered that Skype works I have it with me at all times.
Someone said there are updates to improve the GPS locating its postion but I have been unable to find them.
Enjoy!
On: 2008-02-03
Well, I bought this after much review and rumination over past experiences.
FIRST NEED: Navigation which WORKS and is P.O.R.T.A.B.L.E!!!
I tried the installed TomTom just this past weekend in my car; and in MY HP unit, which I purchased in December 2007, it not only WORKED but it saved me a great deal of money both in GAS & Time. I set-up the four locations I wanted to visit and EYE-balled their locations from above and was thus able to verify by BIRDS-eye-VIEW the BEST way to connect the DOTS...And the TomTom worked w/o any problem what-so-ever! Wow! Yes I could have stopped and purchased a MAP or gotten one free from AAA...But and since this FEATURE was #1 in my book of requirements, it was neat to Braille it and to discover HOW IT WORKS for myself! Which is what I always do before I read the manual? Very intuitive! Hopefully TomTom will work when I am biking across the USA (The Southern Tier) (2008); then thru Auckland (2009) and then across Ireland (2010).
I reconfigured the car window connector to fit on my cross country bike since I will NOT be using my car on any of these trips; and the GPS satellites spotted me like a hawk...Hopefully, it will continue to do so for the next three years or more. I really hate it when something you really NEED and love is stolen OR dies...THOSE are the ONLY two ways I and anything I buy part company.
SECOND NEXT: Internet connection to my e-mails while in my beach hammock.
After trying out the HP methodology I discovered that once again GEEKS do NOT always get it right after the first couple of tries and when under the GUN to FINISH the software so we can get the product out the door! So, moving away from HP software loaded, I downloaded a nifty MUST HAVE App called: Yahoo to GO! Why? Because connecting thru HPs portal, the information I was receiving when connected to Yahoo didnt agree with the FACT that I was viewing it through a PDA and NOT a PC portal. This little nifty software package offered FREE thru Yahoo needs to be downloaded to the DEVICE...Why? When you desire to get rid of its footprint from your system, you can simply click on it thru a dropdown menu and ask the PDA system to delete everything about it from the system. If you store it in the OTHER place you will take time to DELETE it, let alone FIND it ALL.
So, we have the 2-items I wanted...Need I HOPE for more? Yep! Yep! Yep! Thats what Ducky said!
NEXT item NEEDED: A Basically FREE WORLD phone!
Here we come to a bit of embarrassment on the part of HP or perhaps SKYPE...Ive gotten nothing but DEAD ENDS with HP...they are as BAD as ORACLE Corporation. But lets NOT get off on THAT sidebar! Since the device I read about on [...] was the OLDER version of this iPAQ (hx2495) and they both had Windows Mobile 5.0, I presumed that Skype would WORK. NOT!
So, hopefully in the next 30-days and iff Skype returns my e-mail request we may have found a workaround for this temporary glitch. My PDA gives me an ERROR message in that it states that: "The App I am downloading is NOT PocketPC (MS) approved." Which according to Skype...it is. So, without ANY HELP what-so-ever from HP I am waiting Skypes reply.
Oh; and I should say that MSN also had a little DOWNLOAD that allows their servers to also detect that I was being connected through a PDA and NOT a PC and also treated me with R.E.S.P.E.C.T! (Great SONG and its on my MicroSD chip along with 758 of my all-time GREATEST HITS!)
SDHC is another subject that could concern me in the future with respect to this PDA, but for now, I am rating this 5-STAR and for me the future is 4-years out.
Final NEEDS? THERE IS SO MUCH MORE HERE AND THAT I LOOK FORWARD TO DISCOVER WHILE ON MY UPCOMING BIKE TRIPS.
On: 2008-01-31
This is essentially a GPS with really good and fully functional PDA features. First off the navigation came ready to use out of the box. Directions are accurate and I have used it in 5 states. The volume is pretty loud and really helpful. Car mount is really a breeze to set up. Only thing missing is text to speech but after using it, I believe it is really not a big deal considering the big arrow which shows which road to turn into. Cold start does take a long time even after having downloaded the patches but is really not a hindrance. Friend of mine has a Garmin Nuvi unit which also almost takes the same amount of time. Could have had bluetooth feature for talking which I think would have been really helpful.
I bought the unit for my wife and she liked the PDA features as it readily synced with her outlook and in a matter of seconds copied her calender onto the unit.The wireless internet is functional and unlike some of other reviews, mine works perfect and signal strength remains very strong. I have never had an issue with it ever after using it for 2 months now. Have not loaded any music since I have an iPod which works for me. I think it is a good buy.
On: 2008-01-28
I was looking for a GPS unit after I borrowed a Garmin GPS while on Vacation. I found it a very useful tool for driving around.
I noticed this unit on sale when CompUSA was going out of business. It costs a bit more than just a plain GPS unit at normal price, but I got it at 40% off.
Ive owned the unit for over a year. I love the GPS function. I was able to get a lock while planning a trip inside my sisters house. My previous GPS receivers could not do that.
The Tom Tom interface is very easy to use. A feature that isnt mentioned is that the Tom Tom GPS software also has the ability to look up popular destinations, such as restaurants, or gas stations. On a whim, I tested this and was able to find a McDonalds restaurant. I did find one error when I searched for Costco, and the unit led me to a Costco distribution center, instead of the customer Warehouse. I guess it was correct, but the name in the directory did not give enough information.
Here are the quirks Ive found.
The unit does need to be reset occasionally. Ive found this is the experience I have with most Pocket PCs. Sometimes I can go for long periods without resetting.
The pocket PC processor is a 400mhz. It is adequate for most tasks, but I would like to have seen a slightly speedier processor.
The battery life is not great. Most of the time, while in use, you will need the Car adapter for power.
The wireless connection isnt great. Although Ive seen this behavior with several of my Pocket PCs. On an unsecured wireless signal, they work pretty fast. Introduce WEP security, even low WEP, it slows down the response time significantly.
Overall Im very happy with the purchase. Its hard to find an item that could replace all your gadgets. As a travel companion, it will get where you are going. The flexibilty as a pocket pc allows you to load up on games or e-books. Ive run movies on this unit. Overall, a worthwhile purchase.
On: 2008-01-26
Purchased HP rx9515 for storing books, information, etc, as well as
GPS capabilities. I lost part of the icons on the desktop (for memory
status, battery reserve, etc) the first week I had the unit. I have
never been able to figure out how to retrieve them, short of re-
installing Windows Mobile (disk not included), and all of the software
I have already placed on the device.
My unit tends to crash at least once a day, requiring a reset to get
things back to normal. This may be due to a number of programs
loaded on the optional SD card, although it is not even half full.
The unit and screen are rather small for my taste, but might
be perfect for others.
On: 2008-01-24
After a year of use, Id say this gadget does well enough for most needs and is still surprisingly ahead of the curve. The WiFi is ok, not great. It does a decent job finding hot-spots et al, but does loose signal at even moderate distances and sometimes requires a hard reset which is inconsequential except for the loss of time. For a network you use frequently its less of a problem; say for at home or at the office. It works okay for VOIP using Skype, and has saved the day a few times but not as reliable as a cell phone. As a GPS, it works wonderfully, so I generally take it with me on business trips for that purpose with the added functionality of a PDA. After using this I cannot understand why anyone would want the small TV shaped GPS units. I have no use for bluetooth personally with this device. My first shock when I got it was how short the battery life is with all of the radio receivers running (WiFi, BT, GPS), in fact, the device can barely seem to charge w/ all three on. But after adjusting my needs to its power needs, I only have to charge it every other day or less. This is a decent device that will either be over taken by tablet PCs or phones, which is too bad. It syncs well enough w/ Outlook on my PC, I dont know how it would far on Macs or Groupwise or other programs.
This is my 3rd real PDA, after a Palm Tungsten3 and a Compaq Aero 2100, the 5914 does all the same things and more. The T3 was smaller, and the collapsible screen would be wonderful on this unit, but it had no wifi or GPS. This device is several generations improved over the old Aero. It does everything better in a smaller package. IMHO HP/compaq has always done a fine job w/ small business machines and handwriting recognition since their early tablets.
Comparing this to a Palm, or ipod, this is more of a shrunken computer and will do more than some of my older desktops (pentium era), but requires you to think like a computer user, rather than a specific application hardware. To get online, you must, turn on WiFi, find network, connect, load a browser etc. The Palms Ive owned seemed to do as much w/ less and therefor made it farther on the same batter power. That said, not having to use Palm desktop is also refreshing, be aware though if switching from Palm to WMobile, they fight like dogs and data migration is terrible (at least for me).
On: 2008-01-20
the iPAQ works fine - I did have a difficult time networking it to my home network - I found the instructions to be a bit lame. Works great now, looks good and am enjoying it. I purchased this mainly for the pda/pocket pc/gps features. I did a lot of research prior to purchasing and found this one to be the most efficient, compact on the market.
On: 2008-01-19
The GPS had no trouble locating the satellites for navigation the first time I used it. It also had no trouble finding my in home network for internet access. I would recommend this GPS/PDA to friends and family.
On: 2008-01-18
The GPS had no trouble locating the satellites for navigation the first time I used it. It also had no trouble finding my in home network for internet access. I would recommend this GPS/PDA to friends and family.
On: 2008-01-13
I live in Hawaii and the GPS function is terrible. It takes forever to get a satellite fix. I dont understand it as my Magellan GPS unit will normally get the first fix within a minute or so. The Tomtom navigator software is not very functional in Hawaii. A lot of the addresses here have numbers combined with dashes (e.g. 99-251 Kamehameha Hwy) but the software doesnt recognize that and wont let you insert dashes. Hence, all the addresses on Kamehameha Hwy become the address 99.
There is also a problem with Wlan connectivity. It has a hard time keeping a connection, even though Im sitting just 7 feet away from my router.
The idea is a good one but the execution is poor. Not recommended!
On: 2008-01-12
I live in Hawaii and the GPS function is terrible. It takes forever to get a satellite fix. I dont understand it as my Magellan GPS unit will normally get the first fix within a minute or so. The Tomtom navigator software is not very functional in Hawaii. A lot of the addresses here have numbers combined with dashes (e.g. 99-251 Kamehameha Hwy) but the software doesnt recognize that and wont let you insert dashes. Hence, all the addresses on Kamehameha Hwy become the address 99.
There is also a problem with Wlan connectivity. It has a hard time keeping a connection, even though Im sitting just 7 feet away from my router.
The idea is a good one but the execution is poor. Not recommended!
On: 2008-01-08
Short version: I just spent roughly $500 for an elegantly designed high-tech paperweight. Further it can provide hours of entertainment on the support lines of both Tomtom and HP.
The unit itself is pretty good as long as you never leave the country. However, I need it for both US and Europe. What the advertising copy doesnt tell you is that this IPAQ "Travel Companion" does NOT run the standard Tomtom Navigator 6 software, and the HP version it runs does not address the storage card, so although you can "install" maps to the card, the software never finds it.
This is a known issue to both Tomtom and HP, unfortunately they are geared to closing the issue, not in solving your problems. As far as Tomtom is concerned its an HP issue, good-bye. And HP says that its a Tomtom problem, and their pricy advice: go to Tomtom and buy the retail version of Navigator 6, good-bye again.
And since I dont have the packaging anymore I cant send it back to Amazon. It does however keep the papers from blowing about my desk.
On: 2008-01-07
Im a technophobe and dont have the time or patience to read the instructions and figure out how its all meant to work. I bought this unit purely because it had wifi and a word editor, so that I could travel without a laptop and still have web access and be able to do work. For the most part its pretty good and intuitive for anyone who is familiar with windows, but there are a few issues.
The first issue, and the most frustrating, is the same as I have when connecting to any new wireless network with a windows device- I wish to god there was a button that said "Look for the internet. Connect to it if its there or tell me if its not so I can get on with my life". There is no such button so if, for example, you are in a hotel with wifi and want to connect you get a list of available networks with meaningless names. When you click on any one of them you are taken to a screen full of options that make no sense to me. It took me ages to discover that you have to hold the stylus on the network to get a "connect" option for that network. Once you click that, the status will usually change to "connecting". It may stay like that and get no further, or randomly change back to "available", or switch to another network on the list and try to connect to that. Sometimes it will say "connected", but no hi-fives yet, as being "connected" doesnt mean you can access the internet. Sometimes you can be connected, with excellent signal strength, and still get one of those windows error messages when you start the web browser. If you do get on the internet the connection will drop about once every 5 minutes. Annoyingly I have not been able to work out how to go back to the network settings to reconnect without shutting down the internet browser so you have to start all over again.
The second issue is with scrolling in web pages. Im getting better at it now but for the first few days whenever I pressed the scroll bar with the stylus I instead got a pop-up list.
The unit also locks up when I change the clock, and sometimes the Quicklaunch button doesnt work. Also the internal memory seems to be very low. I tried putting the card from my camera into the device and transferring photos to the "my photos" folder. It only transferred 15 photos before declaring a critical memory shortage and refusing to work at all until I put a blank memory card in.
Also the GPS does not "work out of the box" to the extent I had expected. I bought this in the States on my way to Europe. Being called the travel mate, and given that Europe is a fairly significant continent, I assumed it would be good for navigation there. Wrong. It couldnt even find a satellite and there were no Europe maps anyway. Hours spent attempting to download or purchase maps using the Tom Tom software were unsuccessful.
Finally, being a windows device, this thing is determined to take over your life from appointments to contacts to email, and is obsessed with providing weather forecasts for various cities all over the world, updated at regular intervals. Like everybody else I have a work and a home computer and a cell phone which all have different sets of contacts and appointment information. This seems to annoy the handheld. I also installed the HP photo software on my home PC and its now trying to take over my laptop.
Im sure many of the above are user issues rather than faults but people like me who just want a couple of basic functions to work intuitively will find that this device comes with all the usual windows irritations. On the plus side the word and excel programs are excellent, the handwriting recognition works well and the internet browser, when it connects, gives you the real internet.
On: 2008-01-07
Im using for almost 8 months. Touch screen sometimes does not work well. It is annoying. Other than that, cant complain. One advantage of it is that the GPS navi works even inside.
On: 2008-01-06
Ive had the 5915 for a little over a week. Over all, I love this product.
Off hand I would say that those that have had a bad experience, have perhaps gotten a bad unit(which I suppose isnt a good sign for quality control, but...).
As far as the hardware goes, this unit has performed flawlessly. I connect to my wireless network and it never loses the signal or connection. I check my mail all over the house, even while the router is in the basement, and Im on the second story(so two floors up from the router).
Note that I did immediately download and install the firmware and map updates from HP.
The Windows Mobile 5.0 is just like Window Mobile 5.0 on any other machine, so I cant put any issues WM 5 might have on this unit. It runs quite fast for me, but I cant compare the speed to other machines as I havent tried the other machines. My previous PDA was a HP Jornada 568, so its quite a bit older.
So the GPS and machine is great as far as reliability and general working. I have only reset the machine about two times, and that was for minor things. It never locked up or anything like that.
The only issue I have had are with POIs. First, Tom Tom does not have quite a few POIs that are in our area that have been here for at least 3 years. Secondly, some POIs I tried to find in our extended area(even though I knew where they were), did not get you very close to your destination. For example, at one point Im driving down a major road and it tells me I have arrived at my destination. I was right next to a very large shopping center, near the mall, where the POI is located, but it could take you quite a while to drive around the shopping center trying to find your actual destination. And it also didnt tell me which side of the road I should be looking at.
I almost gave the unit 4 stars due to that and a couple of other small issues with Tom Tom, then realized that issues with Tom Tom are not the fault of the 5915.
Im in a good position to review the Tom Tom software to the Garmin Street Pilot. We also got a Garmin c550 for my wifes vehicle, and heres how we compare the two.
First, the Garmin is ultra easy to use. Open the box, and off you go. The menus couldnt be any easier. Accuracy is perfect and it does have text to speech, so speaks the street names. Tom Tom does not, but its not as bad as it sounds. It still guides you very well.
The Tom Tom is also pretty easy to use, and you can also use it out of the box, but does have quite a few more options, that could confuse some people. The screen is a little easier to see on the Garmin in bright light, and it changes to night mode automatically.
Overall, the Garmin is probably just a little better in terms of a straight GPS unit. However, the 5915 works very well as a GPS and fits my needs more. I really wanted to have the wi-fi and blue tooth ability, not to mention upgrade my old PDA, so this has been perfect for me.
One thing I thought was pretty chintzy on HPs part is that the USB cords are proprietary. You cannot use your other mini USBs to charge or operate this unit. So now I have to have yet another cord in my car to charge this. Would have been nice if it used the same cord as my phone(also mini USB) to charge.
Ill update later if something changes.
On: 2008-01-03
I ordered this product because of having both a navigation system & what I thought would be a more functional browser/pda assistant than could get on my Blackberry. The GPS function works great; I didnt notice much difference on the satellite synch times after I downloaded the firmware update.
I havent tried the other other MS Mobile office programs yet, but I hope they are better than the Mobile Internet Explorer.
I found the Internet Explorer on the Pocket PC side to be fairly weak however. For the web sites that I use for my work, Internet Explorer couldnt display much of the content. I was about to give up on this device, until after some investigation, I found a third party browser for the Windows Mobile, called Opera, that provided a much more functionality in viewing different websites, as well as being faster. I would give it 5 stars if I didnt have to get a 3rd party browser.
Battery life so far is average if you leave on the WiFi & bluetooth. I could not find a way to turn off the GPS.
I wish there was also a friction dash mount; the product comes with a plastic disc that is adhesive on the back to stick on the dash, and then the suction cup is attached to the disc.
On: 2007-12-29
HP rx5915
GPS + PDA = GREAT!
As an all in one device, I have found this to be good for my needs.
Although there might be better GPS devices out there, this one provides the extras that accompanies a PDA. The Tom Tom Software is good, since I havent used any other software I cant rate it any other way.
I spent a lot of time with hands on and reviews of GPS devices and I ended up with this one. Nuff Said.
On: 2007-12-26
I used this device more than one month. I can say I glad to have it.
On: 2007-12-24
I was initially looking for a GPS, but, when I came across the IPAQ was excited by the idea of having a device that had the capabilities of a GPS and a PDA. Got the product and set right into figuring out how this bad boy works!
My main problem came when I was trying to sync up my existing calendar with the device. It took quite some time - but the HP online chat support was awesome, and, eventually, it all worked out. The only thing I dislike about the calendar is that there is no search feature.
Ive used the GPS a lot! I didnt run into any trouble getting a signal (but you really do need to be outside with a clear view of the sky on the initial setup). Ive only had trouble twice (out of say 20 uses) with it - on a cloudy day it put me quite a few streets over from where I actually was and once out in the country (couldnt get a signal at all).
I bought a 2GB memory card and easily transfer music from my desktop to the device.
Overall, Im really pleased with this product and highly recommend it.
On: 2007-12-23
I was initially looking for a GPS, but, when I came across the IPAQ was excited by the idea of having a device that had the capabilities of a GPS and a PDA. Got the product and set right into figuring out how this bad boy works!
My main problem came when I was trying to sync up my existing calendar with the device. It took quite some time - but the HP online chat support was awesome, and, eventually, it all worked out. The only thing I dislike about the calendar is that there is no search feature.
Ive used the GPS a lot! I didnt run into any trouble getting a signal (but you really do need to be outside with a clear view of the sky on the initial setup). Ive only had trouble twice (out of say 20 uses) with it - on a cloudy day it put me quite a few streets over from where I actually was and once out in the country (couldnt get a signal at all).
I bought a 2GB memory card and easily transfer music from my desktop to the device.
Overall, Im really pleased with this product and highly recommend it.
On: 2007-12-21
Espero que les sirva a quienes no leen en ingles.
El producto es recomendable. Toda la seccion wireless es increible, se conecta con increible velocidad de transmision. El Windows Mobile permite manejar Word, Excel y Office como si estuvieras en la PC. Inclusive el messenger funciona a la perfeccion.
Es indispensable agregar una tarjeta SD porque la capacidad interna es bastante limitada, con una tarjeta de 2Gb se soluciona todo.
La funcion de sincronizacion es muy simple, se conecta al USB y en pocos segundos esta todo actualizado. Hay funciones como la del clima que tambien se actualiza a traves de wifi.
El GPS es excelente, pero lamentablemente TOMTOM no posee mapas de sudamerica por ejemplo, tuve que instalar varios programas para poder cargar mapas de Argentina. Actualmente el Tomtom esta siempre apagado y en su lugar uso el Garmin QUE. Para poder usarlo hay que instalar un programita llamado GPSgate.
En sintesis, es un excelente producto. Lastima que tiene poca capacidad interna y que Tomtom no posee mapas de todo el mundo.
On: 2007-12-18
The HP RX5915 is a fantastic device. I am very happy with it. It goes with me everywhere. I got mine May 31, 2007 and have used it everyday on Long Island, New York for the past six months for navigation, wi-fi, IE, word and excel. Ive also used it in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Florida.
It came preloaded with the latest Tom Tom map Version 660.1323, so I didnt have to download it from the HP website. However, based on all the comments other users have made, I downloaded the firmware update. I downloaded it to my PC and then used Activesync to transfer it to the IPAQ. The download was easy. When I startup the GPS, the Tom Tom locks in a satellite within a minute. Its very intuitive to learn to use and its very user friendly. It has a ton of options. I downloaded the manual anyway for reference from the Tom Tom website. The Tom Tom maps and navigation are very accurate and the unit instantly reroutes you when you dont follow the recommended route. Calculating an alternate route is also very fast. The only downside to the Tom Tom is that the POI search could be better.
The anti-glare touch screen works great.
The wireless WLAN/Internet Explorer works very well picking up signals easily and effectively. Surfing is very fast and responsive. The screen display is very clear and bright. Word and excel mobile works very well as does the transcriber. The picture viewer works well.
I also downloaded TCPMP to play movies which also works well. I have not tried the Bluetooth.
Battery life is very good. The owner replaceable battery is a great feature when the battery fails in the future.
I also downloaded Worldmate which is a very convenient tool showing the weather and time at selected cities throughout the world.
The windshield mount is very sturdy and works well, except in cold weather. The mount comes off the windshield easily in cold weather.
I highly recommend this product.
On: 2007-12-11
I dont have time to go into detail, but dont buy it. I know it sounds like a great bargain; who wouldnt want a GPS navigation system and Pocket PC all in one, right? Well, the reason theyre able to sell it to you for such a great price is, the TomTom software is bottom-of-the-barrel, and it can literally take up to a half hour for this piece of **** to get a signal.
Well, obviously, I should have tried to get it (my SECOND unit, that is) replaced, right? Yeah, good luck with that. HP customer service is a joke.
This easily ranks among the WORST purchases that I have EVER made. If you want GPS that actually works, youll have to shell out and get a Garmin. I learned that the hard way.
As for the Pocket PC functionality, its okay I guess. Could be better though- the screen is unresponsive (I mean, my screen is LITERALLY unresponsive, as in, I cant even use it anymore... still trying to get HP to help me out, haha, yeah right...)
So yeah, dont be cheap like me- get a Garmin. As for the PDA functionality... I dont know, get an iPhone or something. The bottom line is, in this case, you really do get what you pay for. (Although, considering the fact that this thing still is rather expensive, I suppose even that isnt true.)
On: 2007-12-10
I dont have time to go into detail, but dont buy it. I know it sounds like a great bargain; who wouldnt want a GPS navigation system and Pocket PC all in one, right? Well, the reason theyre able to sell it to you for such a great price is, the TomTom software is bottom-of-the-barrel, and it can literally take up to a half hour for this piece of **** to get a signal.
Well, obviously, I should have tried to get it (my SECOND unit, that is) replaced, right? Yeah, good luck with that. HP customer service is a joke.
This easily ranks among the WORST purchases that I have EVER made. If you want GPS that actually works, youll have to shell out and get a Garmin. I learned that the hard way.
As for the Pocket PC functionality, its okay I guess. Could be better though- the screen is unresponsive (I mean, my screen is LITERALLY unresponsive, as in, I cant even use it anymore... still trying to get HP to help me out, haha, yeah right...)
So yeah, dont be cheap like me- get a Garmin. As for the PDA functionality... I dont know, get an iPhone or something. The bottom line is, in this case, you really do get what you pay for. (Although, considering the fact that this thing still is rather expensive, I suppose even that isnt true.)
On: 2007-12-08
I bought the IPAQ 5915 a little over a month ago. I was very unhappy with the unit, until I found a software update at HP that updated the GPS, The Windows 5.0, and the TomTom MAPS. I have been thrilled with ot since. It did take 7 hours to download all the fixes (and thats on a broadband card in my PC)but was well worth the time. HELPFUL HINT: Close all programs prior to using GPS and Close the GPS prior to using windows mobile. I HAVE NOT HAD A PROBLEM AT ALL SINCE FOLLOWING THIS ADVICE.
Buy it, you wont go wrong.
On: 2007-12-04
I bought this after reading several reviews that were written soon after the product was released. Some patches were issued that seemed to fix the issues raised. I got mine, went to the HP web site to download and install the updates. After that the GPS quit working. Customer support was great.
On: 2007-12-03
I bought this after reading several reviews that were written soon after the product was released. Some patches were issued that seemed to fix the issues raised. I got mine, went to the HP web site to download and install the updates. After that the GPS quit working. Customer support was great.
On: 2007-12-02
I bought this for the ppv function so I use it for this.The GPS is useless.I have never had it even find a signal.If I could do it over I would get a dedicated ppc and if I need a GPS Ill buy one.
On: 2007-12-01
I bought this for the ppv function so I use it for this.The GPS is useless.I have never had it even find a signal.If I could do it over I would get a dedicated ppc and if I need a GPS Ill buy one.
On: 2007-11-30
Damn nice GPS PDA unit w/WiFi. None are better, only 1 other comes close. (and I personally tested them ALL)..
On: 2007-11-22
The Ipaq is really great. I used it locally as well as when I travel to new cities. It is also very useful to friends who are visiting and need to get around the city.
On: 2007-11-21
I bought this because of my job. I provide home care to patients so my schedule changes frequently and I have several people who set appointments for me. After having a few "double booked" appointments I realized I needed something I could check my schedule on the road. I also needed a GPS since I drive all over the state. This is perfect. It easily logs into my work VPN and updates my Outlook calendar so Im always up to date (uses my cell phone as a modem due to its BlueTooth capability). It will also pick up a wireless network when available (and since I have wireless in my home it gets right on when Im there). Since it gets right online theres no need to hook it up to the computer via USB. Which also means that I can easily update the Tom-Tom software without any wires! Love it! The drawbacks? Well, my only complaints are with the Tom-Tom software. While I love it, there are some inaccuracies. Mainly with country/rural addresses, it almost always drops me off anywhere from 1/2 - 5 miles off. Its guaranteed to get me to the correct road, it just doesnt get me to the correct house. Almost always it will have me turn Right, when I shouldve turned Left (so when Im looking for an 800 house, Ill turn and be in the 900-1000s). No biggy, but its still annoying at times. And it can be off sometimes with new roads/intersections. Despite the few inaccuracies with the Tom-Tom software, I love this product and cant imagine being without it!
On: 2007-10-13
HP iPAQ rx5915 Travel Companion with GPSThis is a very nice unit. The instructions leave a lot to be desired. I still havent figured out how to use the navigation system.
On: 2007-09-18
It is a fantastic gadget, but there are few things that you need to know to make this gadget work well.
1. The microsoft activesync 4.2 doesnot work, download microsoft activesync 4.5 from microsoft website it is free and workes better than 4.2 version, and it syncs readily.
2. The GPS will lock readily if you download the freeware from HP website and install it, also new tomtom maps are available from HP website download it and install it, after instaling the maps re-install the firmware update, then doanload daylight fix time and install it, it helps to speed-up the gps, and gps locks within 30 seconds.
3. GPS should work fine with above installations, if it doesnot then you can try external antenna, i have not tried it personally but I have been told that it helps locking gps quickly.
The day i bought it HP launched tons of new PDA phones with gps and cameras init, I hope they will be on microsoft mobile 6.0 and mor advanced, but for now this little tool is awesome and good to go.
Hope this review helped, good luck.
On: 2007-09-18
I bought it in late January from Amazon and it has been "dead" more days than it hasnt. Ive had it to the HP service center, and they supposedly replaced the motherboard. Now, it will not boot, and I have to start the whole process over. I have requested a refund (admittedly months later) from Amazon, but to no avail they want me to work through sending it back to HP etc. etc. etc. Youve been there...I think were just asking too much of PDAs to be GPSs etc. I will say that everyone has been "nice" to talk to (both Amazon and HP) but as an entrepreneur, I have wasted a "man-week" (at least) trying to get this to work for me. If anyone has any suggestions please call me (208-921-5073). Im a routine buyer from Amazon...but if I had bought it at COMPUSA, I would have had this resolved by now! Shame on me for "saving a few" bucks...
Needless to say, if you want a GPS, buy a GPS. If you want a PDA, do not buy this IPAQ...just NOT THERE, YET! I dont really care about "return policies"...TAKE CARE OF YOUR CUSTOMER!!! If you dont you will lose them...one at a time!!!
Make me an offer for a "dead IPAQ"...PLEASE!
Clyde Brinegar
On: 2007-09-17
It is a fantastic gadget, but there are few things that you need to know to make this gadget work well.
1. The microsoft activesync 4.2 doesnot work, download microsoft activesync 4.5 from microsoft website it is free and workes better than 4.2 version, and it syncs readily.
2. The GPS will lock readily if you download the freeware from HP website and install it, also new tomtom maps are available from HP website download it and install it, after instaling the maps re-install the firmware update, then doanload daylight fix time and install it, it helps to speed-up the gps, and gps locks within 30 seconds.
3. GPS should work fine with above installations, if it doesnot then you can try external antenna, i have not tried it personally but I have been told that it helps locking gps quickly.
The day i bought it HP launched tons of new PDA phones with gps and cameras init, I hope they will be on microsoft mobile 6.0 and mor advanced, but for now this little tool is awesome and good to go.
Hope this review helped, good luck.
On: 2007-09-13
Ive used Ipaqs before and to have GPS and wireless interet now is great. I havent had to use the manual yet. The TomTom software and system was easy to figure out. The directions have been right on. Fits in my purse, has my music, works for me. If only my Groupwise would sync without having to buy more software, itd be perfect.
On: 2007-09-10
My rating for this item is very low as I have not been able to use it yet as a GPS device. I never managed to get it to workk properly. Following HP phone support I upgraded firmware and maps. But behavior was still erratic. I shipped it back to HP in early August under HP instructions. It worked properly for a couple of days when I received it back but has started to behave erratically again and it is going to be shipped back to HP again....
To say I am not satisfied is an understatement !
On: 2007-09-09
I love the iPAQ, its great. I keep my calendar, my contacts, my tasks all in one place and it helps me get where I need to go. I have used the GPS even when I knew where I was going because it gives you your arrival time and count down for how long you have left to travel. I would definitely recommend this product.
On: 2007-09-08
The HP Travel Companion does a great job on navigation, except for local destinations where it seems to stumble a bit on best routes. It is quick in acquiring satellites and accurate on mileage and times.
It has been good on my home WiFi network, connecting as quickly as my laptop computers do, and battery life has been good.
The user manual is rather short on details and the learning curve on the operating system is, so far, fairly steep.
The HP iPAQ rx5915 packs a lot of power and functionality in a small package. Im hoping that I can use it rather than a laptop for e-mail while traveling.
On: 2007-09-08
First of all, I dont believe in convergence. I dont like a camera-mp3 player-pda-cell phone-web browser-gps, because 1. you dont want to lost all the devices if you lost one and 2. i firmly believe in the "stick it on what you do best".
That said, I love this product.
I was a loyal customer of Palm and before buying this one, Ive already owned 3 different Palms. So, when the time for an upgrade come, I was very doubtful about continue with my loyalty to Palm (and the LifeDrive) or move to the Windows Mobile world.
Then I find the Travel Compannion.
This product is awesome. It does everything as adviced and then a little more. Some reviewers said that this is a GPS with PDA features, some said its a PDA with GPS. Either way you look at it, it excels in both fields.
Two weeks before buying it I have the chance to travel to Miami and rent a car. You must know Im chilean, and that was my first ever travel to USA. I went to the rent-a-car desk, and the guy said: reservation number
please. I took the Travel Companion, got connected to the internet using my cell phone as a modem, and bluetooth as interface between both devices. Download my email to the preinstalled Outlook and get the reservation number. Give it to the guy at the desk. He asked "do you want GPS". I said no thanks. Take the car, intalled the car craddle included in the package in less that 30 seconds. Power up my iPaq and the car, wait another 30 seconds, search for the hotel I was staying (remember, first time in Miami, not a clue about addresses or roads or anything) and followed the directions. Get to the hotel in less than 10 minutes without a single turnaround.
Amazing. 21th century stuff.
2 cons:
1. TomTom only have maps of Europe, USA and Canada. I knew this before buying. But they told me that theyre not planning any extension of the maps. So in South America, the GPS is useless (as far as a navigation tool goes. You can still get the coordinates of the point youre standing)
2. This device is so easy to operate and so trustfull, that youll tend to rely on it too much. I was so scared that Id lost it or it was stolen, because I simply couldnt make it back to the hotel without it. I still dont have a clue about the street of Miami.
Still, I love this product. Its the best device Ive buyed ever.
On: 2007-09-07
I have just purchased the HP Ipaq hw5915 today. I like the product with the integrated GPS/PDA funtionality. It is a bit quirky with the navigation through the menus but I can live with that. I have puchased an SD card 4g and brought it home. I installed the card and the device would not recognize it. I opened an HP support chat session and the service tech said he did not know the issue and said he would pass it off to another person and closed the chat session. I had tried another SD card 2g card and it recognized the card. I have not been able to find the documentation on the SD card and apparently the service techs do not know either. I am trying to get documents to sync to a folder on the SD card and cannot. It keeps filling up the core memory. I opened another support chat session and since I had a support call already submitted, they cancled the second support call and would not answer any questions.
This is very unacceptable support and terrible documentation. I will be returning this device tomorrow.
On: 2007-09-06
Before buying this product I was worried about the GPS functionality. Apparently they had some problems with it, but with the new Firmware you can download from HP website, the GPS connects really quick and signal strenght is very good (provided you are not inside your room).
The second amazing thing is the wireless, very easy to use and has a good range. The product comes with Hotmail for pocket pc, so you can download your messages from the web and sync with your pocket pc (without any extra cost). I could install skype on it an then make calls using the HP RX6915. But be aware that just one old version of Skype works on the HP. You can download it from HP Pocket pc forum.
You couldnt get a better product, go for it.
On: 2007-09-06
I have just purchased the HP Ipaq hw5915 today. I like the product with the integrated GPS/PDA funtionality. It is a bit quirky with the navigation through the menus but I can live with that. I have puchased an SD card 4g and brought it home. I installed the card and the device would not recognize it. I opened an HP support chat session and the service tech said he did not know the issue and said he would pass it off to another person and closed the chat session. I had tried another SD card 2g card and it recognized the card. I have not been able to find the documentation on the SD card and apparently the service techs do not know either. I am trying to get documents to sync to a folder on the SD card and cannot. It keeps filling up the core memory. I opened another support chat session and since I had a support call already submitted, they cancled the second support call and would not answer any questions.
This is very unacceptable support and terrible documentation. I will be returning this device tomorrow.
On: 2007-09-05
My old palm pilot was dying and I thought this would be the thing to replace it and get a GPS at the same time. I see now why IPAQs never made it big. The Windows operating system is the biggest drawback, its VERY SLOW and not very intuitive. The initial battery would not charge and was replaced by HP under warranty. I have had lots of problems getting it to lock onto a wireless signal. HPs recommendation is to do a soft reboot, and if that does do it, do a hard reboot and lose all the data. Not the best solution. Generally once it finds the signal, it seems to do good. All in all the Pocket PC portion rates a low three stars, its does the job, but just seems to be lacking in so many ways. BTW Google maps mobile integrates great with outlook and can make use of the GPS receiver also.
The GPS is a bit better. I like Tom Toms implementation and maps and have found them to be very accurate. The POIs could use some improvement. Reception is generally very good but start up times vary considerably. Sometimes it takes a minute or less and sometimes 5 minutes or more to lock in on a signal. Be sure to update your updated maps and updates from the HP site. It does a lot to improve performance and gives you newer maps.
I really wanted to like this device, but wish now that I had stayed with a new Palm Pilot and gotten a separate dedicated GPS. But then that would have cost a good bit more. For the money (especially if you find a good sale), its a decent deal. Its just that with a better operating system that improved performance and improved user interface, it could have been a great device.
On: 2007-08-24
HP has done a magnificent job with this product not only incorporates all the features of a palm but the GPS is so accurate.
I was a little bit concerned that since it doesnt seem to have an antenna the signal was going to be a little bit weak, turns out that after it gets the signal that it takes less than 2 minutes most of the times it almost never loose it, I live in an area with heavy forestry and it works perfectly fine I can even get signal inside of my home, Inside of a train, NY city, Mexico, Philadelphia city, those are the places that I have tested it and it works wonders, I have only had a couple of address that I couldnt find in the map, but thats Tom Tom responsability not HP.
Some people complains that it doesnt tell you the name of the street to turn but honestly that doesnt bother me at all if you get lost using this product you better stay home.
On: 2007-08-23
HP has done a magnificent job with this product not only incorporates all the features of a palm but the GPS is so accurate.
I was a little bit concerned that since it doesnt seem to have an antenna the signal was going to be a little bit weak, turns out that after it gets the signal that it takes less than 2 minutes most of the times it almost never loose it, I live in an area with heavy forestry and it works perfectly fine I can even get signal inside of my home, Inside of a train, NY city, Mexico, Philadelphia city, those are the places that I have tested it and it works wonders, I have only had a couple of address that I couldnt find in the map, but thats Tom Tom responsability not HP.
Some people complains that it doesnt tell you the name of the street to turn but honestly that doesnt bother me at all if you get lost using this product you better stay home.
On: 2007-08-21
I wanted GPS but felt that it was basically just a fun toy. I knew I needed to upgrade my PDA, and over time, the Amazon reviews on the Rx5915 improved, so I decided to buy it.
I expected to go into PC hell for a few weeks getting everything sorted, but in fact everything was fine out of the box. The GPS just works, though I havent read the book yet, and just hack away at the screen until I get what I want. I will say that the GPS did hang up the entire pc and I had to download the software again. I dont know why, but I think because I turned the device off while TomTom was writing route information. So now I make sure to exit the application before shutting down.
And the GPS has come in handy. We always have trouble find restaurants on the freeway, even though we know there are hundreds. Either you dont see them or you see them too late. About 10pm we were about 100 miles from home and felt an urgent urge. I turned on the restaurants POI and found what we needed right away. Awesome. Its also good for gas stations. Less effective for wineries. An improvement for TomTom would be to show the name of the restaurant.
On my desktop I had to upgrade my 97 outlook to 2007 to sync my calendar and contacts. That works fine, but I also upgraded to Word/Excel 2007 and the PDA wont accept files in the 2007 format, so I have to save in 1997/2003 format if I want to move the file to the IPAQ.
I attached the Stowaway Universal Bluetooth Keyboard to it with no problem, except that I had to download the current drivers for the kb. I also loaded the eReader software and tons of books. Plus some foreign dictionaries and conjugators. I had no problem with any of it.
Now my challenge will be to attach my bluetooth headphone so I can listen to music wirelessly. Also see whats needed to change maps for travel in Europe and the Middle East.
On: 2007-08-19
Ok this is the first PDA that I have owned in 4 years. I bought it because I needed an easy way to check my emails from the road without lugging around my laptop and I was also in the market for a GPS. So for starters, the GPS function, it is slow when you first turn it on to locate the GPS signals from the satellites. However once it is connected as long as you keep the Tom Tom software running it will remain connected. I hooked up an external antenna this did make it connect quickly. The Maps are accurate but updating them does take some patients. Wifi gets signals everywhere and connects easily. I was able to back up all of my contacts from my phone through the Bluetooth easily, have not had the need to use it as a modem yet though. Before I purchased the rx5915 I did read a lot of negative reviews about this product. Now that I have used the rx5915, I would have to say most of the reviews sound more like people had unrealistic expectations. What more do you want? Its a PDA not a lap top. It can do a lot of fun things, such as Games, Music, Movies, GPS, Internet, Outlook email and Excel spreadsheets and it fits in your pocket. This is not a replacement for you lap top or home computer. But if you are on the go it is helpful to keep you connected and up to date. It just takes a little time and patients to figure out how to set it up and get it running. Read the directions! HP did a good job with this one, if you are looking for a good PDA this one has a bonus GPS. If you are looking for a GPS this one has a bonus PDA.
On: 2007-08-19
I needed a new PDA for contacts and calender functions (as well as some other applications). I was also interested in a GPS unit. This really does both quite well as far as Im concerned. A good GPS unit costs about the same as this, so why not get both PDA and GPS for the same money?
On: 2007-08-12
Ive owned this product for several months now and feel it is time to give up. It works fine as a GPS, but not as a PDA. Windows Mobile 5.0 performs very slowly on this unit. The wireless loses contact with routers that are in the same room, and cannot be counted on to hold a signal for more than a few minutes. The machine requires several soft resets per day due to lock-ups. Ive had to do several hard resets as it will suddenly mysteriously delete programs and have other problems that require factory resets. This then requires an update to the newer TomTom maps, which can take several hours.
Nice concept. Poor implementation. Not recommended.
On: 2007-08-08
Nice little unit. It locks on sats from my kitchen, nice for trip planning. The POIs for around here ( MN Iron Range) seem quite extensive and complete. The battery life on the shelf is good, unlike my Dell Axim PDA, that slowly goes dead in a few days of non-use. I just use the iPAQ as a portable map, the screen is really too small to eye ball on the road while driving. If the TOMTOM GPS is left turned on, the battery drain is on the order of 3 or 4 hours of usful life. And the battery is owner replaceable, one of the reasons that I opted for the iPAQ.
On: 2007-08-07
Nice little unit. It locks on sats from my kitchen, nice for trip planning. The POIs for around here ( MN Iron Range) seem quite extensive and complete. The battery life on the shelf is good, unlike my Dell Axim PDA, that slowly goes dead in a few days of non-use. I just use the iPAQ as a portable map, the screen is really too small to eye ball on the road while driving. If the TOMTOM GPS is left turned on, the battery drain is on the order of 3 or 4 hours of usful life. And the battery is owner replaceable, one of the reasons that I opted for the iPAQ.
On: 2007-08-05
Chevy 2001 Venture winsheild tint block the GPS signal. Attached an external antenna, fix problem. Finds satelites in 20 secs.. Highly recommend picking up an external antenna. I found one on Amazon for $12-14. Note:: You will need the find one with a (MMCX connector). Overall a good product.
On: 2007-08-03
So far, so good. I am very, very satisfied with my new purchase. Defenitely worth the money. The unit has delivered everything thats promised. I am a sales rep and travel alot between Canada (Quebec) and the US. Lst weekend we had a little event to attend and the TomTom gave us directions through a mountain road that only the locals know about. That was simply amazing. I bought it to replace my iPaq that got stolen. The GPS interested me but thats not the reason why I got. The whole thing has been great and I recommend it to anyone.
On: 2007-08-03
I sell AG GPS software and I have been looking for something like this for 3 years. Having a PDA and then either a CF Card or Bluetooth receiver is a pain. I have been able to use MMSirf to turn WAAS on and I have an external antenna coming to allow it to pick up WAAS all the time. Sirf III receivers sometimes need the help of an external antenna to pick up WAAS, or so I have been told. But to get an Ipaq quality PDA, GPS built in, large memory and TOMTOM navigation software... This is a great bargain and it feels and looks good too.
For reference:
Ipaq 2495 - 390 or so delivered
GPS Receiver - 100
TOMTOM Navigation software - 150
Total of around 650 so you can see how much your saving but to have TOMTOM built into memory and no extra piece of equipment for GPS, priceless...
On: 2007-07-29
just wanted to comment on something that a few reviewers have mentioned before. Apparently some reviewers are finding that the gps can take a couple of minutes to get a fix (and until it gets that fix, it doesnt know where it is, and is therefore not able to get a route planned). Not only was this happening the very first time the device was used, it seemed to be happening everytime.
my solution was to apply the firmware update ( i applied it sometime in feb07) and since then it has been working like a charm. i wanted to point out a few gotchas though in applying the firmware update, that may result in less than optimum usage. i had applied the map updates after the firmware update, and for some reason it looks like the map updates were again making the gps take a long time to get a fix (4+ minutes). so, i reapplied the firmware update a couple of days ago and ensured that with activesync on, when there is prompt on the device asking whether i want the files to be copied to device or ipaq file storage, i chose the ipaq file storage option (which wasnt the default).
with this firmware applied, while driving, it now gets a lock in 10 seconds or less. so, if you are driving and then punch in a destination (punching in can take a few seconds as you scroll thru and select city/st name/house # etc), the directions will be nearly instantaneous. this happens because the gps now gets a lock even as you are typing the destination, so when you hit the done button for destination, the gps instantly calculates the directions using the current location that it already knows.
On: 2007-07-28
In my review Ill talk about Pros & Cons during my experience using iPAQ rx5915.
CONs
My Intention when I purchased iPAQ rx5915 was to use SKYPE. Unfortunatelly, this model uses a ARM920T S3C2442A processor that do not support voice calling using the version "Skype 2.2 for Windows Mobile", just chat conversations. Im using SKYPE for voice calling in iPAQ rx5915 but I have to find a way to "dribbling" the limitation exposed above.
GPS Software (TOMTOM) in ROM memory has a great limitation: US & Canada Maps. Its almost 2Gb of useless data to consumers that lives in Regions where TOMTOM do not have Maps Avaiable(like South America). Im using "GPS tuner" and "MS Pocket Streets" to solve my Maps problems in Brazil.
PROs
The others functions like Wi-Fi and WLAN works very good and I can "surf" and make voice calling in Cybercafes or in my home.
Music, video, text, PDF and compressed files works very well, too.
The options available to connect to internet through GPRS and EDGE works excellent and are very simple to configuring.
The "pack" are almost complete: In my opinion it could have one external antenna for GPS in-the-box.
My iPaq rx-5915 is really my "Travel Companion" for everyday activities.
My 2 strong reasons to rate my iPAQ rx-5915 as 4 stars are: Skype(just Chat in 2.2 version) and TomTom Maps limitations. If SKYPE or HP solve the voice calling problem in SKYPE 2.2, I change my opinion and rate it as 5 stars.
On: 2007-07-28
I got an rx5915 to replace my iPAQ h1910, so some of these comments are a comparison between the two.
In the box:
- No headphones. The h1910 included a nice pair of earbud headphones.
- No Microsoft Outlook for your PC. The h1910 included Outlook 2000 on the installation disk.
- Car windshield mounting accessory. I dont use it when Im using the GPS because the iPAQ fits nicely in my cars knicknack tray.
- 2 USB charge/synch cables. These cables can plug into the included 120VAC and car accessory outlet adapters, which is a nice touch...less cord means less tangle.
- Case. Its inconvenient for me because I keep my rx5915 in my pocket, and the case makes it bulky. It doesnt flip open, so its hard to use with only 2 hands. You need one hand to hold the pda and the other to hold the stylus. I have installed a screen protector, so I dont worry about the screen getting scratched.
The pda:
- The rx5915 is significantly larger than the h1910, but it is comparable (or smaller) to most pdas and gpss on the market today, so I cant really complain.
- IR is gone. You can beam info such as tasks and contacts via Bluetooth, but I would assume that this is not as effortless as IR. You also can no longer do fancy things like use your pda as a tv remote, though Im sure tvs will support Bluetooth in the near future if they dont already.
- The screen rotation button is very useful. I use portrait mode almost exclusively, but I like different sides to be the top depending on what I have plugged into it.
- If you use a password, you now have to type it in before the record (or other buttons) will work. With my h1910, hitting record would turn the unit on and bring up the password screen, but it would start recording without requiring you to sign in.
- Overall, it feels good in my hand, and the buttons are easy to reach with my usual screen orientation. My only complaint is that, when I press the record button on one side of the pda, there is a pinging sound that comes from the plastic on the other side.
ActiveSync:
- ActiveSync 4.2 comes on the installation CD. This seems to work more reliably than 3.5, which came with the h1910. With the h1910, I often had to stop ActiveSync from the pda or hit the reset button in order to get it to connect to my pc. I havent had to do either yet with the rx5915.
- The time I save due to 4.2s robustness is more than made up for by the fact that it takes significantly longer to connect and noticeably longer to sync.
- 4.2 doesnt have a backup/restore option.
- 4.2 doesnt have a "do nothing" option when resolving synch conflicts.
Software/firmware updates:
- Before you get too far into configuring the pda, you should get the gps firmware update, the WinCE DST update, and the TomTom maps update from the hp website. Oddly, there are no installation instructions with any of the three updates. When you install the maps update, it will tell you that it will delete your iPAQ file store. I would hope that this isnt true...what if you "accidentally" install either of the other 2 updates in the iPAQ file store? The other locations you can install the updates are "device" and "storage card" (if you have one).
- Others have said that the acquisition time is faster with the gps firmware update. I have noticed this as well, but sometimes, in locations where I once got a weak signal, I now get no signal.
GPS:
- The GPS has a "3D" display option, which is usually helpful. If, however, you are in a area with tall buildings, the map will constantly zoom in and out, spinning the view around as the gps loses and reacquires the satellite signals. Luckily, you can avoid this issue by switching to 2D mode and selecting north to be at the top of your map (instead of the direction of travel being at the top).
- The GPS is somewhat integrated with the contacts list, but not in a useful way. Its very slow (could be because I have over 1000 contacts), and it can only search your contacts list by name. What if you are looking for a business for which you havent entered a name? What if you have more than one contact with the same name? It would be nicer if you could select an item from your contacts list, and have a menu option come up, such as "set tomtom destination".
- The favorites list is somewhat non-intuitive. There is a menu item for adding favorites, but, to delete them, you need to go to "change preferences | manage favorites".
Windows Media Player:
- Windows Media Player 10 is included. It plays mp3 and wma files. I dont know how to find out what other types of files it plays. I can understand why it doesnt play movs, but it doesnt make sense to me that it doesnt play mpgs.
On: 2007-07-28
just wanted to comment on something that a few reviewers have mentioned before. Apparently some reviewers are finding that the gps can take a couple of minutes to get a fix (and until it gets that fix, it doesnt know where it is, and is therefore not able to get a route planned). Not only was this happening the very first time the device was used, it seemed to be happening everytime.
my solution was to apply the firmware update ( i applied it sometime in feb07) and since then it has been working like a charm. i wanted to point out a few gotchas though in applying the firmware update, that may result in less than optimum usage. i had applied the map updates after the firmware update, and for some reason it looks like the map updates were again making the gps take a long time to get a fix (4+ minutes). so, i reapplied the firmware update a couple of days ago and ensured that with activesync on, when there is prompt on the device asking whether i want the files to be copied to device or ipaq file storage, i chose the ipaq file storage option (which wasnt the default).
with this firmware applied, while driving, it now gets a lock in 10 seconds or less. so, if you are driving and then punch in a destination (punching in can take a few seconds as you scroll thru and select city/st name/house # etc), the directions will be nearly instantaneous. this happens because the gps now gets a lock even as you are typing the destination, so when you hit the done button for destination, the gps instantly calculates the directions using the current location that it already knows.
On: 2007-07-27
I got an rx5915 to replace my iPAQ h1910, so some of these comments are a comparison between the two.
In the box:
- No headphones. The h1910 included a nice pair of earbud headphones.
- No Microsoft Outlook for your PC. The h1910 included Outlook 2000 on the installation disk.
- Car windshield mounting accessory. I dont use it when Im using the GPS because the iPAQ fits nicely in my cars knicknack tray.
- 2 USB charge/synch cables. These cables can plug into the included 120VAC and car accessory outlet adapters, which is a nice touch...less cord means less tangle.
- Case. Its inconvenient for me because I keep my rx5915 in my pocket, and the case makes it bulky. It doesnt flip open, so its hard to use with only 2 hands. You need one hand to hold the pda and the other to hold the stylus. I have installed a screen protector, so I dont worry about the screen getting scratched.
The pda:
- The rx5915 is significantly larger than the h1910, but it is comparable (or smaller) to most pdas and gpss on the market today, so I cant really complain.
- IR is gone. You can beam info such as tasks and contacts via Bluetooth, but I would assume that this is not as effortless as IR. You also can no longer do fancy things like use your pda as a tv remote, though Im sure tvs will support Bluetooth in the near future if they dont already.
- The screen rotation button is very useful. I use portrait mode almost exclusively, but I like different sides to be the top depending on what I have plugged into it.
- If you use a password, you now have to type it in before the record (or other buttons) will work. With my h1910, hitting record would turn the unit on and bring up the password screen, but it would start recording without requiring you to sign in.
- Overall, it feels good in my hand, and the buttons are easy to reach with my usual screen orientation. My only complaint is that, when I press the record button on one side of the pda, there is a pinging sound that comes from the plastic on the other side.
ActiveSync:
- ActiveSync 4.2 comes on the installation CD. This seems to work more reliably than 3.5, which came with the h1910. With the h1910, I often had to stop ActiveSync from the pda or hit the reset button in order to get it to connect to my pc. I havent had to do either yet with the rx5915.
- The time I save due to 4.2s robustness is more than made up for by the fact that it takes significantly longer to connect and noticeably longer to sync.
- 4.2 doesnt have a backup/restore option.
- 4.2 doesnt have a "do nothing" option when resolving synch conflicts.
Software/firmware updates:
- Before you get too far into configuring the pda, you should get the gps firmware update, the WinCE DST update, and the TomTom maps update from the hp website. Oddly, there are no installation instructions with any of the three updates. When you install the maps update, it will tell you that it will delete your iPAQ file store. I would hope that this isnt true...what if you "accidentally" install either of the other 2 updates in the iPAQ file store? The other locations you can install the updates are "device" and "storage card" (if you have one).
- Others have said that the acquisition time is faster with the gps firmware update. I have noticed this as well, but sometimes, in locations where I once got a weak signal, I now get no signal.
GPS:
- The GPS has a "3D" display option, which is usually helpful. If, however, you are in a area with tall buildings, the map will constantly zoom in and out, spinning the view around as the gps loses and reacquires the satellite signals. Luckily, you can avoid this issue by switching to 2D mode and selecting north to be at the top of your map (instead of the direction of travel being at the top).
- The GPS is somewhat integrated with the contacts list, but not in a useful way. Its very slow (could be because I have over 1000 contacts), and it can only search your contacts list by name. What if you are looking for a business for which you havent entered a name? What if you have more than one contact with the same name? It would be nicer if you could select an item from your contacts list, and have a menu option come up, such as "set tomtom destination".
- The favorites list is somewhat non-intuitive. There is a menu item for adding favorites, but, to delete them, you need to go to "change preferences | manage favorites".
Windows Media Player:
- Windows Media Player 10 is included. It plays mp3 and wma files. I dont know how to find out what other types of files it plays. I can understand why it doesnt play movs, but it doesnt make sense to me that it doesnt play mpgs.
On: 2007-07-27
I bought this a few months ago primarily for the GPS function and I have not been disappointed by the TomTom software. It locates satellites quickly and rarely loses the signal, even in "urban canyons." My only issue with the GPS is that it takes an excessively long time to find the satellites when I travel a long distance (I like to use it on business trips in unfamilar cities)... most other GPS devices will notice the change and ask something like, "have you travelled since last using the device?" The iPAQ doesnt and basically just "thinks" for 10 to 20 minutes before finally figuring out what part of the country youve relocated to.
For me, the PDA function is secondary, but I am happy with the issue-free synching with Outlook. I have had trouble figuring out how to synch my files onto the external memory I bought, rather than the default built-in HD. The instructions are pretty much useless in this (and any) regard. I really wish that the instruction book was clearer, as I feel like I may be missing out on some features simply because I dont know they exist.
The Wi-Fi function is great at finding networks, to a fault. I have to turn it off when using the GPS or an annoying "network found" screen pops up every time I drive by a home or business with a wireless network!
So, great device with poor instructions and GPS-travel problems knocking it down to four stars. I would still buy it again.
On: 2007-07-26
Goods
- TomTom navigator/GPS capabilities are outstanding.
- Included Office software (Word, Outlook, .ppt viewer) Very useful for email, calendar, reviewing Word and .ppt documents.
- Included car kit (for navigation)
- Microsoft (.wmv, .wma) and .mp3 media playback. I can listen to and watch all the media I currently have on my Windows-based PC.
- All-in-One (minus phone) features (Bluetooth, WiFi, navigation, Windows Mobile software)
- Memory card slot, greatly expanding the memory capabilities
Bads
- Interface is not very intuitive. Much like on Windows for PCs, it takes too much effort to browse files stored on the system
- Internet Explorer software not very useful. The pages do not automatically change to fit the smaller screen.
On: 2007-07-26
I bought this a few months ago primarily for the GPS function and I have not been disappointed by the TomTom software. It locates satellites quickly and rarely loses the signal, even in "urban canyons." My only issue with the GPS is that it takes an excessively long time to find the satellites when I travel a long distance (I like to use it on business trips in unfamilar cities)... most other GPS devices will notice the change and ask something like, "have you travelled since last using the device?" The iPAQ doesnt and basically just "thinks" for 10 to 20 minutes before finally figuring out what part of the country youve relocated to.
For me, the PDA function is secondary, but I am happy with the issue-free synching with Outlook. I have had trouble figuring out how to synch my files onto the external memory I bought, rather than the default built-in HD. The instructions are pretty much useless in this (and any) regard. I really wish that the instruction book was clearer, as I feel like I may be missing out on some features simply because I dont know they exist.
The Wi-Fi function is great at finding networks, to a fault. I have to turn it off when using the GPS or an annoying "network found" screen pops up every time I drive by a home or business with a wireless network!
So, great device with poor instructions and GPS-travel problems knocking it down to four stars. I would still buy it again.
On: 2007-07-23
If you have upgraded to Vista, I would recommend against purchasing this unit if youd like to sync it to your computer. Vista uses Windows Mobile Device Center for syncing. This unit doesnt have a compatible driver. Below is the conversation I had with HP. I explained the issue and received the following response from an HP rep.
[Monday, July 23, 2007 8:32 AM] -- Automatically generated message:
This is an automated message. Your request has been received by the Technical Support Center and has been queued until a support analyst is available. Support for HP and Compaq handheld products is available 24hrs a day, 7 days a week. You will receive a response to your support request in 5 minutes or less.
[Monday, July 23, 2007 8:33 AM] -- Automatically generated message:
A Support specialist, Shiden H has been assigned to your case.
[Monday, July 23, 2007 8:34 AM] -- Shiden H says:
Hello Hayward, thank you for contacting HP and for your interest in our Active Chat online support. My name is Shiden and I see you have a question regarding your iPAQ . Im going to take a few moments to review your information and will message you back very soon. The SR ID is 1072609.
[Monday, July 23, 2007 8:35 AM] -- Shiden H says:
Microsoft created windows Vista independently of the hardware producers like HP. We do not have any available support on through this operating system and all Patches and updates will corrupt device if done through Vista, for any service for this device you must either call Microsoft or downgrade operating systems to windows XP or lower
[Monday, July 23, 2007 8:35 AM] -- Shiden H says:
We do not have any driver updates that you can apply through VISTA.
[Monday, July 23, 2007 8:37 AM] -- Hayward Oblad says:
Youre saying that this product is incompatible with Vista
[Monday, July 23, 2007 8:38 AM] -- Hayward Oblad says:
?
[Monday, July 23, 2007 8:38 AM] -- Shiden H says:
It should work with the Mobile Device Center. But this unit was designed to work with XP. If youre experiencing problems with the sync, try re-installing the Device Center, if that fails then I would advise approaching Microsoft.
[Monday, July 23, 2007 8:44 AM] -- Hayward Oblad says:
I have reinstalled Mobile Device Center several time. The issue is an appropriate Ipaq driver compatible with Vista. Microsoft would not prepare such a driver for the Ipaq, thats HPs job. Is this unit incompatible with Vista or is it solely my unit?
[Monday, July 23, 2007 8:45 AM] -- Shiden H says:
This iPAQ was built for the Windows XP OS.
On: 2007-07-20
The GPS portion of the product works well. It can take a couple of min. to initially locate, but the maps are accurate. In comparison to the Honda in car system, the maps are more accurate and more complete. The alternate routes and routing options are much better (in the honda, I cannot tell that choosing different routing methods actually gives you different routes). The three dimential map is OK but I would like to swich between viewing options more easily. I would also like a better zoom in and out on the maps. I would also like it to have a context sensitive map Zoom where in city, it would automatically give you a close zoom, and on the highway, especially on long trips, it would zoom out. The Points of interest are acutally useable on this system (as compaired to the honda system, where they are a joke). The ability to set up Itineries and advanced plans, as well as avoiding certain points or roads is great. I am not sure if the trafic and weather features work, I think that they require a cellular connection, which this device does not have, but it can link to a phone via bluetooth. Being able to pull favorite address from the PDA address book is great.
Bluetooth and wireless lan features work great and were easier to set up than I anticipated.
PDA functionality. I have used a palm based PDA for years and this is my first Pocket PC. If you are used to the Pocket PC it is probably a good PDA, but I had no Idea how clunkey the OS would be. If you are used to a palm, things run very slow, the system is much more limiting on allowing you to do things the way you want, and basic functionality of things like the address book and calendar are lacking, although there are other bells and whistles. Tasks are not integrated into the calendar, scheduling of recurring events is weak, especially for irregular schedules, color coding for events or appointment types is not supported.... The contacts do not let you select which fields show up in the quick look screen. I use epocrates (medical software) that is available both in palm and pocket PC. It runs so much worse in the Pocket PC system, that I usually just get a book out and look it up that way (which I have seldom done in the last 10 years on the palm).
Finally HAVING THIS MUCH MEMORY ON A PDA IS GREAT!!!!! In addition to having a medication database, I have thousands of pages of books and reference material, and enought memory to carry several books in MP3 format for when I have a few moments to relax.
Overall I love the product but am chaffing at some of the weaknesses PDA OS. I knew that there would be transition with it, but I had been under the mistaken impression that the Pocket PC would be an upgrade.
On: 2007-07-19
The GPS portion of the product works well. It can take a couple of min. to initially locate, but the maps are accurate. In comparison to the Honda in car system, the maps are more accurate and more complete. The alternate routes and routing options are much better (in the honda, I cannot tell that choosing different routing methods actually gives you different routes). The three dimential map is OK but I would like to swich between viewing options more easily. I would also like a better zoom in and out on the maps. I would also like it to have a context sensitive map Zoom where in city, it would automatically give you a close zoom, and on the highway, especially on long trips, it would zoom out. The Points of interest are acutally useable on this system (as compaired to the honda system, where they are a joke). The ability to set up Itineries and advanced plans, as well as avoiding certain points or roads is great. I am not sure if the trafic and weather features work, I think that they require a cellular connection, which this device does not have, but it can link to a phone via bluetooth. Being able to pull favorite address from the PDA address book is great.
Bluetooth and wireless lan features work great and were easier to set up than I anticipated.
PDA functionality. I have used a palm based PDA for years and this is my first Pocket PC. If you are used to the Pocket PC it is probably a good PDA, but I had no Idea how clunkey the OS would be. If you are used to a palm, things run very slow, the system is much more limiting on allowing you to do things the way you want, and basic functionality of things like the address book and calendar are lacking, although there are other bells and whistles. Tasks are not integrated into the calendar, scheduling of recurring events is weak, especially for irregular schedules, color coding for events or appointment types is not supported.... The contacts do not let you select which fields show up in the quick look screen. I use epocrates (medical software) that is available both in palm and pocket PC. It runs so much worse in the Pocket PC system, that I usually just get a book out and look it up that way (which I have seldom done in the last 10 years on the palm).
Finally HAVING THIS MUCH MEMORY ON A PDA IS GREAT!!!!! In addition to having a medication database, I have thousands of pages of books and reference material, and enought memory to carry several books in MP3 format for when I have a few moments to relax.
Overall I love the product but am chaffing at some of the weaknesses PDA OS. I knew that there would be transition with it, but I had been under the mistaken impression that the Pocket PC would be an upgrade.
On: 2007-07-18
I was VERY hesitant to even try something other than a Palm. I have had a Palm since 1997. I am extremely pleased. The GPS doesn¡¦t speak out the street name, but it does tell you turn at the right place at the right time. I don¡¦t think there is as much software for the Pocket PC as there is for the Palm. It is an adjustment switching over from the Palm, so just be prepared º
On: 2007-07-18
I finally decided it was time to replace my old Lowrance Iway 100 with a new GPS system. What a difference! Though the Lowrance still got me home or to work if I was lost, the display was hard to read and it took forever to recalculate a route. I imagine I would be happier with just about any new system but, its nice to have the PDA as a plus. I love that I can navigate to addresses stored in the PDA. I love the 3D display, it really takes the guess work out of which road you are actually supposed to turn on. Routes are recalculated with blazing speed if you take a wrong turn or just decide to ignore the current directions (I often take back or lighter traffic roads when leaving home or work which the GPS may not put me on). Occasionally I dont think the GPS tells me the absolute "best" way to go but again it does better than my old Lowrance. I know Garmin units tell you verbally what street to turn on. That might be nice but its easy to take a quick glance at the screen and see the street name on the unit plus the 3D map really helps. I was worried that I might have trouble seeing the fairly small screen but everything is very clear. I drive a Toyota Prius and because of the windshield shape I do have some problem with glare. I got a WriteSHIELD anti-glare screen protector that seems to help. I have no problems with the unit locking a position very quickly. It seems that new filmware has fixed that problem.
One thing I am disappointed with is that even though the rx5915 has PowerPoint, there doesnt seem to be anyway that I can output presentations to a large screen. I teach a college course and was hoping that I would not need to carry a laptop anymore. It seems that in the past there have been solutions to use the SD slot for output (Margi use to do this). I have not been able to find anyone that makes a PowerPoint output solution specific to this IPAQ. If anyone knows how to do it, please post a solution. This is the only reason I give the unit 4 stars instead of 5.
Also if anyone has come up with a way to affix this to a bicycle please let me know. A waterproof or resistant solution would be ideal. BoxWave makes a metal case but someone on Amazon posted that the GPS did not work when in the case.
On: 2007-07-17
I was VERY hesitant to even try something other than a Palm. I have had a Palm since 1997. I am extremely pleased. The GPS doesn¡¦t speak out the street name, but it does tell you turn at the right place at the right time. I don¡¦t think there is as much software for the Pocket PC as there is for the Palm. It is an adjustment switching over from the Palm, so just be prepared º
On: 2007-07-16
Ive now used my RX5915 Travel Companion over 40 hours, including a drive from Dallas, TX to Cincinnati, OH and back, as well as another trip in Newark, NJ.
My last experience in a GPS system are the laptop based CoPilot 2000 and TravRoutes Door to Door GPS and Streets and Trips 2006 and 2007 (as well as Hertz and Avis systems). Ive logged well over 100 hours of use time with those systems, so I think I have some great comparisons for you.
Im one of those anal researchers for all things and the fact that I bought this one, means, you should too. ;-) I wanted a multi-function device, but didnt want a bulky smartphone (Treo, IPhone, Blackberry, Blackjack, Motorola Q) *AND* I didnt want to PAY for GPS which is a "free" service provided by our own tax dollars. (Ie. I didnt want to pay for TeleNav or the other cellular provided GPS systems at $10 a month! - GPS signals are free, people...)
I make lots of cross country road trips and I used to carry a laptop, a cigarette power inverter, a 3 way cigarette lighter Y-adapter and my CoPilot, Door to Door, or Streets and Trips software over the last 8 years - I wish the HP iPaq rx5915 Travel Companion existed a long time ago.
So far every list that I thought the laptop based GPS systems beat the rx5915 were my own ignorance and after using this for many business trips thus far, I love this device. In Streets and Trips - you could choose a hotel and get the phone number and call them and make a reservation or see if theres vacancies (this has come up a few times). In the rx5915, you definitely get Points of Interest (POI) but the phone number to the hotel (or restaurant, etc) does not appear until you choose to Browse Maps - Find POI. Im not expecting it to act identical to all other GPS systems, but at least it has the same features, just in a different, not as intuitive place. (We had to use this at Yosemite National Park, while searching for an inexpensive hotel with vacancies, what a blessing it is to call in advance while you drive and you keep your passenger busy)
One of my complaints with Streets and Trips was that if a street was immediately after your next turn, a lot of times, youd drive past the next turn, by the time you got to hear the instruction (that scenario will make sense if youve used a lot of GPS systems)
The Tom Tom Navigator 6 software in the rx5915 is awesome in that it tells you at least 2 instructions if they are relatively close to one another, "In half a mile, turn left and then keep in the right lane." Or it will tell you "In one quarter mile, turn left, and then immediately turn right" Streets and Trips and other GPS systems would say "In half a mile, turn left" and after you turn left, you may miss the next turn while it then tells you "Turn right" since the next turn may be half a second after you just turned left - thus you have to turnaround with the "competitor" systems.
Also, many roads have multiple names and may gently fork left and right - the Tom Tom will tell you to "stay right" or "stay left" while other GPS systems may just say, stay on I-20 for the next 180 miles. Tom Tom helps keep you alert for those mysterious road name changes and forks in the road. Also, say you are going 80mph in the left lane, Tom Tom will tell you to get in the right lane when you have 2 miles to go as opposed to telling you to take the next exit and having to cross 3 lanes of traffic to get there to make your exit as Ive experienced with other GPS systems (slight exaggeration, but you get the idea)
One complaint is the whole Finding a GPS Satellite thing - in Dallas, TX I have no issues, but in cloudy days in Cincinnati and then in New Jersey, it can take as long as 3 minutes to even find a signal. I definitely did not experience the 45 minutes other people reported, but it was a little disappointing. I usually kill that time by turning it on whenever I am getting ready in the hotel or leaving the office and by the time I get to the car - it found a satellite. Also, I never leave it plugged in the car - if I did, the satellites would always be ready, its the whole power off thing that takes it awhile. (Yes, I have the GPS update and maps update from hp.com - which was easy to do after I did a soft reset, but I was initially frustrated because I could not get the maps on since the app was already running. I went to Hp.com Live Chat support and he said that a soft reset would allow me to get the maps on - and this was all free support and took less than 5 minutes to find an agent with a heartbeat) Also, the suction cup mount is excellent and I use it on the flip down door in the center console of my Honda CRV and its a perfect fit. You can put an adhesive disc for the suction cup anywhere and you can then choose when you want to "suction cup" your GPS in or if you want to take it down and hide it, I think the windshield is too far away for me to suction it to there.
So GPS is just HALF of it. The other half is the fact this is a POCKET PC. This means you can use it for any of the hundreds of Windows Mobile 5 games out there and I WATCH MY TV SHOWS on this that I download off the web. Whether youre waiting at the car dealership, doctor, dentist, airport, travelling solo - you can watch a saved DVD movie or tv show with 4+ hour battery life. This is actually the biggest factor in buying this - it basically replaced those functions of my heavy laptop. BEWARE - the Windows Media Player doesnt play AVI and WMV can be jittery, however there is a freeware app called TCPMP that plays AVI and WMV without jitter and you can easily watch full length movies!
It gets better, this has bluetooth (and regular headphone jack) so you can wirelessly watch your movie and listen with headphones without disturbing anyone.
What about storage? Well its basically infinite - it has a SD memory card slot. I purchased a 2gb because thats the only official literature I could find, but I have read only ONE review where someone put in a 4gb SD card - but who cares, before my trip I can get all the movies or tv shows and mps on a couple of 2gb SD cards that I know will work.
Okay, so you used GPS, you watched your movies, listened to your MPS, now get back to work - well again this is a POCKET PC - so I practiced my Powerpoint slides since it runs Microsoft Office! (Word, Excel, Powerpoint)
Excel on this is useless, but ok for looking something up, since you only see 3 columns and a few rows, but yes...it works fine to view almost any spreadsheet Ive needed.
Word works fine and the window-wrap of text makes it easy to read, but I love this for my Powerpoint slides - practice your slides anywhere, without having to lug your laptop.
I havent used it, but you can download Mobile book software and basically use it for reading an electronic version of a book, but I would rather just listen to it - which you can with TCPMP or Windows Media Player. It keeps track of where you left off, which is very nice.
Wow, what a device, but I havent mentioned WI-FI access through your existing cell phone data plan or a Wireless hotspot (like inside of Starbucks) you can surf the Internet or use Live Search Mobile and find movie listings and phone numbers, etc, or read MSN Mobile for news.
I have my Home Wireless profile stored on it so I can take it while getting ready for bed and check email, Instant Message, etc. or check tomorrow mornings weather.
It has a universal design mini-USB charging and connection adapter, so none of this proprietary connectors - I use the same one for my phone for my rx5915.
I got this device because I wanted all those things, BUT I didnt need it everyday (ie, a smartphone) - I wanted a small, tiny phone that I use frequently through out the day, but then, a nice pocket PC device for when I know Ill need it and not have to deal with a laptop.
In summary, I am very happy with my purchase, which costs about the price as GPS only systems (Garmin, even the Tom Tom 910), and it does so much.
I had some initial frustrations trying to get an update on it, but HP.com live chat support helped me, and I thought it couldnt play any action movies until I found TCPMP that handles movie playing better than the built in Windows Media Player. Since I live in Dallas, my satellite signals are fast, but I understand some locations are not that great in locking into a satellite. Turning this on in advance while travelling (walking out to the car) takes care of the satellite finding for me (which so far has never exceeded 3 minutes)
So that said, yes, it does everything I need it to do and much much more!
On: 2007-07-15
Ive now used my RX5915 Travel Companion over 40 hours, including a drive from Dallas, TX to Cincinnati, OH and back, as well as another trip in Newark, NJ.
My last experience in a GPS system are the laptop based CoPilot 2000 and TravRoutes Door to Door GPS and Streets and Trips 2006 and 2007 (as well as Hertz and Avis systems). Ive logged well over 100 hours of use time with those systems, so I think I have some great comparisons for you.
Im one of those anal researchers for all things and the fact that I bought this one, means, you should too. ;-) I wanted a multi-function device, but didnt want a bulky smartphone (Treo, IPhone, Blackberry, Blackjack, Motorola Q) *AND* I didnt want to PAY for GPS which is a "free" service provided by our own tax dollars. (Ie. I didnt want to pay for TeleNav or the other cellular provided GPS systems at $10 a month! - GPS signals are free, people...)
I make lots of cross country road trips and I used to carry a laptop, a cigarette power inverter, a 3 way cigarette lighter Y-adapter and my CoPilot, Door to Door, or Streets and Trips software over the last 8 years - I wish the HP iPaq rx5915 Travel Companion existed a long time ago.
So far every list that I thought the laptop based GPS systems beat the rx5915 were my own ignorance and after using this for many business trips thus far, I love this device. In Streets and Trips - you could choose a hotel and get the phone number and call them and make a reservation or see if theres vacancies (this has come up a few times). In the rx5915, you definitely get Points of Interest (POI) but the phone number to the hotel (or restaurant, etc) does not appear until you choose to Browse Maps - Find POI. Im not expecting it to act identical to all other GPS systems, but at least it has the same features, just in a different, not as intuitive place. (We had to use this at Yosemite National Park, while searching for an inexpensive hotel with vacancies, what a blessing it is to call in advance while you drive and you keep your passenger busy)
One of my complaints with Streets and Trips was that if a street was immediately after your next turn, a lot of times, youd drive past the next turn, by the time you got to hear the instruction (that scenario will make sense if youve used a lot of GPS systems)
The Tom Tom Navigator 6 software in the rx5915 is awesome in that it tells you at least 2 instructions if they are relatively close to one another, "In half a mile, turn left and then keep in the right lane." Or it will tell you "In one quarter mile, turn left, and then immediately turn right" Streets and Trips and other GPS systems would say "In half a mile, turn left" and after you turn left, you may miss the next turn while it then tells you "Turn right" since the next turn may be half a second after you just turned left - thus you have to turnaround with the "competitor" systems.
Also, many roads have multiple names and may gently fork left and right - the Tom Tom will tell you to "stay right" or "stay left" while other GPS systems may just say, stay on I-20 for the next 180 miles. Tom Tom helps keep you alert for those mysterious road name changes and forks in the road. Also, say you are going 80mph in the left lane, Tom Tom will tell you to get in the right lane when you have 2 miles to go as opposed to telling you to take the next exit and having to cross 3 lanes of traffic to get there to make your exit as Ive experienced with other GPS systems (slight exaggeration, but you get the idea)
One complaint is the whole Finding a GPS Satellite thing - in Dallas, TX I have no issues, but in cloudy days in Cincinnati and then in New Jersey, it can take as long as 3 minutes to even find a signal. I definitely did not experience the 45 minutes other people reported, but it was a little disappointing. I usually kill that time by turning it on whenever I am getting ready in the hotel or leaving the office and by the time I get to the car - it found a satellite. Also, I never leave it plugged in the car - if I did, the satellites would always be ready, its the whole power off thing that takes it awhile. (Yes, I have the GPS update and maps update from hp.com - which was easy to do after I did a soft reset, but I was initially frustrated because I could not get the maps on since the app was already running. I went to Hp.com Live Chat support and he said that a soft reset would allow me t | | |
