实践与HP iPAQ 312旅行伴侣GPS

我说我是相当好与地图，并且为那个原因我从未需要GPS设备。说到这点，我由技术深深地也吸引。今天我接受了a HP iPAQ 312旅行伴侣到回顾。

在此之前，我不知道惠普做了一个GPS产品。这实际上是他们的秒钟。但是，我一少许担心他们也许跨步入不熟悉的疆土，并且这个产品的质量在领域将反射他们的缺乏经验。现在被演奏与它，它克服了所有我的恐惧，并且我相信没有理由为什么寻找GPS设备的任何人应该从他们的名单排除此。这我什么我发现了。

在第一次印刷，您将来敬佩多么美丽用户界面在这个华美的高分辨率(800×480)决议屏幕。每个像精巧详述，并且有大量他们。凉快的蓝色题材是一致，刷新。

为接触也是好的优选的接口，输入唯一的方法。不同于电容多接触时尚，这个设备用途意味的传统抗拒接触技术所有对象被强迫显示将登记。铁笔是包括的并且在槽孔坐在设备顶部，但，因为按钮无论如何是，很大有一点，如果所有原因使用他们。

您也许被带领相信或许这个设备跑一习惯操作系统-它跑窗口的Symbian或Java，但实际上象大多其他HP iPAQ设备，窗口铈5.0 确切。并且没有，它未碰撞。这是不尖叫窗口窗口设备的一个了不起的例子。

通过看某些这个设备的增进HP图象，您也许容易地说服这是一个大设备，但实际上它是非常紧凑的。在比较，它我的老鼠小于。有最小的斜面在慷慨的4.3英寸屏幕附近。屏幕尺寸不妨害可读性，它将是好的，如果是一少许更大的少许更间隔更小的按钮的它。

On the right side is a rotatable and clickable scroll wheel - similar feel to a mouse scroll wheel, this serves as an easy way to zoom in and out of maps as well as changing volume and screen brightness. There is also a rubber flap for antenna, headphone and USB connectors. And at the very bottom, a small reset button.

On the left side is the slot for the Secure Digital card. No SD card is required to operate the device, however you can access the media stored on it.

A big selling feature of this device is the 3D map capability, which is a combination of the software and third-party mapping data. Unfortunately the digital map data in Australia is very primitive and does not show buildings and other structures as it would in US or Europe, but you can still see some of the 3D effects on bridges as above.

Personally, I find myself switching back to 2D view again and again because 3D view is quite processing incentive, and doesn’t give the fluid experience of panning around a map very well.

This device had no problems routing all the routes I threw at it, including those in outer suburbia. All the returned routes were exactly the ones I know are the best from personal experience. Routing journeys of around 40 kilometers (25 miles) took less than 4 seconds. Route recalculations such as those from a wrong turn were under 2 seconds. In the route details screen, it was smart enough to show me how many kilometers were traveled on highways and if there were any tolled highways or roads.

However if you’re a freeloader like myself, you can easily set up to avoid toll roads as well as many others unfavorable road features.

The turning point of this device for me from just a digital map to a useful driving tool is this feature of address filtering. I’m not too familiar with GPS devices so I’m not sure how many of them offer similar functionality like this, but what it does is it prevents you from typing addresses which do not exist such as road names and suburb names.

For example, after you input a suburb, it will only allow you to type the roads that exist in that suburb. This filtering continues to cut down letter-by-letter. When appropriate, it will switch views to present you with a list of options you can select.

The same applies to street numbers too.

The text-to-speech synthesizer is equally impressive as well. Whilst it doesn’t announce street names, but does provide very clear and natural directions via the loudspeaker on the back.

Having walked around on foot with the device, the GPS accuracy has an error margin of around 10 meters which is not that much of a deal in a car. However after turning a corner and changing orientation, it is able to correct itself pretty much instantly. Surprisingly with the internal antenna, I was even able to receive some GPS signal on and off under a tin metal roof.

In addition to the navigation features, this device also includes a range of basic entertainment functions like viewing pictures, videos, music and a range of arcade games. I applaud for HP for trying to extend the device with useful multimedia features, but it really falls short.

The Achilles heel of this device is that it is severely underpowered. For example, when trying to play a standard-definition Windows Media Movie video, it was downright unwatchable almost like a picture slideshow. On top of that, when the announcer informed me the GPS signal had been lost, the video actually froze so the speech synthesizer could do its job. Either the multimedia software is severely unoptimized or the processor is not powerful enough, I hope HP takes this problem seriously for the next version. It could have been a serious PMP-contender, but the software and hardware is just not up to scratch.

Since I don’t have a Bluetooth phone, I wasn’t able to check out the Bluetooth connectivity features but at the least it offers hands-free answering capability to receive and dial calls. Most points of interest on the map also has a telephone number which makes it even easier to book reservations at your destinations without ever touching your phone.

The device comes with a standard set of accessories including USB cable, wall-socket power charger, car charger, car windscreen mount, dashboard mount as well as faux leather pouch.

At a recommended retail price of US$450, this GPS device does slip a little into the pricey side. Having briefly compared it with some competing products, I think the user interface alone might be worth its difference. For its second try, HP has built a very solid device with a great piece of software that really shows they’re committed to the GPS experience as much as any of the other competitors. Can’t wait to see where they’ll go next.

Check out my Flickr gallery for more pictures of this device.