Asus MyPal GPS Pocket PC

Submitted: Friday, Sep 01, 2006 at 12:24
ThreadID: 37317 Views:2752 Replies:1 FollowUps:6
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Just wondering if anybody has had any experience with the Asus MyPal GPS / PC, specifically using OziEplorer and digital maps such as the Hema desert maps.

Thanks

Ian
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Reply By: Member - Oldplodder (QLD) - Friday, Sep 01, 2006 at 13:46

Friday, Sep 01, 2006 at 13:46
Been using one for 6 months. With oziexplorer CE.
Have NATmap 2005 premium (1:250,000), desert tracks and a few other digital maps.
My first foray into GPS and digital maps, but have been used to computers and mapping for a while, being a draftsman and buying my first computer in 1979.
I print out the 1:250,000 maps at 1:200,000 for use in the car and it is useful having the same map on the screen and paper. (Advantage of having access to an A1 colour printer.)
Good being able to switch from 1:1,000,000 maps running the highway to 1:250,000 on dirt roads and tracks.

I got it with Copliot. I will say this in capitals. COPILOT WILL NOT RUN AT THE SAME TIME AS OZIEXPLORER. It is a copliot problem, confirmed by the copilot help desk. Hope copilot heard that time.

Have a 2gb SD card for maps etc.

OK, pluses -
1. Great having the GPs aerial as a flip out on the back of the unit.
Easier than setting up a bluetooth or such external GPS unit and signal strength seems just as good compared to a friends PDA and seperate GPS.
2. Works OK on the supplied mount off the windscreen, even in bush.
3. The speaker is a little louder than most pda speakers so not so bad.
4. It does seem to have a bit of CPU grunt, and will change and find maps OK.
5. Oziexporer CE is great.
6. It is not as big as a laptop so it fits well in the front. I do have a lap top with Oziexplorer and the pajero is just too small to mount it in the front, but PDA works well.
7. The GPS aerial has an extension plug on it if you want to run a remote aerial.
8. The windows 5 functions are useful such as tasks, calendar etc.
9. You can also get an adobe pdf reader if you want to store pdf files for national parks etc.
10. Oziexplorer works well recording tracks etc.

Negs.
Can't access the ear piece outlet to connect the sound to a speaker, but the std speaker gets by.
Usual PDA problem, screen gets a bit of reflection on it so can be hard to read when dash mounted. Have made a little black guard that goes around the screen that helps.
The screen is small. - 3.5" diagonal, so you can't see a lot of map at one go.
SWMBO woh is chief navigator, and not a computer person, is getting used to it and mainly uses it for reference to confirm where on the paper map we have . I havn't sprung the full routing facility on her yet, shhhh about that one for now.
Screen can be dark on the brightest setting during bright sunlight, and very bright on the lowest setting at night. This is a general PDA problem, but survivable.

In summary, good and generally happy with it.
AnswerID: 192178

Follow Up By: Squizzy - Friday, Sep 01, 2006 at 13:50

Friday, Sep 01, 2006 at 13:50
"COPILOT WILL NOT RUN AT THE SAME TIME AS OZIEXPLORER"

Oldplodder, would GPSgate allow this to happen?

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FollowupID: 450012

Follow Up By: Member - Ian M (NSW) - Friday, Sep 01, 2006 at 13:56

Friday, Sep 01, 2006 at 13:56
Thanks for the detailed response Oldplodder - seems the pluses outweight the negs.

Regards

Ian
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FollowupID: 450015

Follow Up By: Member - Oldplodder (QLD) - Friday, Sep 01, 2006 at 14:39

Friday, Sep 01, 2006 at 14:39
Ian, I weighed up the pro and cons of using a PDA with a gps aerial. the asus won. If I already had a PDA, may not have.
Looked at 3.5" screen gps units, which are more useful bush walking.
(Seem to get about 4 hours on the asus with battery.)
But proprietry maps turned me off. Good maps but not as flexible.
Also looked at cheaper smaller GPs unit for bush walking and connecting to the lap top in the car. Vibration and lap top mounts were the problem. Already had the laptop and oziexplorer.
Ian, what is the latest price on the asus mypal 636? Just out of interest.
When I bought mine late last year, with copliot bundled it had just dropped from $1200.00 to $900.00, or about $580.00 bare.

Re Copilot.
Tried GPS gate.
No go. The asus GPS setup supposedly shares the gps and gives multiple ports for more than one programme. Problem is copilot itself.
Problem is that copilot doesn't give you the windows 5 access button top left like oziexplorer to access other programmes.
Thought about using the mode switch.
Got onto the copilot help desk.

Their reply:

"Co-Pilot does not allow you to do this. If you use the mode switcher button
it will take you out of Co-Pilot but you will need to restart Co-Pilot after
doing this."

Looking into oziexplorer, there are now street databases available. But not street number and turn left turn right type route navigation.

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FollowupID: 450026

Follow Up By: Member - Ian M (NSW) - Friday, Sep 01, 2006 at 14:48

Friday, Sep 01, 2006 at 14:48
Oldplodder - have been quoted $599 bare and $890 bundled up from GPSOZ at Mona Vale in Sydney
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FollowupID: 450031

Follow Up By: Member - Oldplodder (QLD) - Friday, Sep 01, 2006 at 15:52

Friday, Sep 01, 2006 at 15:52
Sounds like a good price.
GPSOZ give good support too.
I was getting those cheap prices through ebay and possibly dodgy support.
Ended up paying the little extra ($10.00) and going through GPSOZ.
Waranty on the PDA itself though is direct to Asus I think.

Was interested to see if prices have changed.

Aldi did have a special a few months ago that was less.
But typical Aldi, only had a batch and once gone, that was it.
And no support.
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FollowupID: 450048

Follow Up By: Member - Ian M (NSW) - Friday, Sep 01, 2006 at 15:58

Friday, Sep 01, 2006 at 15:58
I agree re the price - I have seen it even cheaper on the internet but GPSOZ gives good service and advice and not being that familiar with interfacing GPS units and using mapping software I need all the help I can get.

They also run courses on GPS useage and Oziexplorer.

Ian
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FollowupID: 450049

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