Customer Reviews

Garmin 010-00579-00 Mobile 10 Bluetooth GPS System

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

A few years ago I had purchased the Garmin iQue 3600 as a PDA and GPS Unit, and with the exception of the battery life, loved the unit. The problem was that it was bulky, required that it always be connected to a power source when it was using the GPS (otherwise it would die within minutes), and I had to have it on a mount on my windshield when driving. At the time I lived with it with one wish; that the unit had a phone built in so that I could have just one device instead of 2.

Along comes the Garmin Mobile 10. I have since upgraded my cell phone to a Windows Mobile based phone, and when they announced this I was more than a little curious.

The Bluetooth receiver is battery powered and can use a car adapter for recharging and normal use. The receiver is nice and small and has rubberized feet so that it stays in place on your dash without any kind of mounting necessary.

The idea of having my phone, PDA, and GPS in one small device was something that I absolutely wanted, but I also did not want to spend a ridiculous amount of money for it. Even though the actual GPS receiver is separate, it is small and easily gets placed in my glove compartment. FYI, the specs on Amazon for this unit are incorrect. At the time of this review they list it as being 7" deep. In reality it is .7" deep.

The problem was that Garmin's site did not list my phone as being compatible when it was released. (I have a Cingular 3125) Yet all of the requirements seemed to have been met based on the specs (Bluetooth, Windows Mobile, storage card), so I finally bit the bullet and resigned myself to trying it and most likely returning it because of incompatibility issues. (Since I bought the unit Garmin has added my phone to the list of compatible devices)

Boy was I pleasantly surprised! I put the DVD into my laptop, installed the map software, hooked up my cell phone, installed the software onto my cell phone on the MicroSD card, chose my maps, and synched everything up.

Then the real fun began! Mobile XT recognized every one of my contacts in my phone as a potential routing point. When I asked to be routed to them, naturally I had to assign the GPS location, which was pretty quick and easy. But then I had the locations assigned and now can route to them simply by choosing them from the Mobile XT Contact directory. You can also search for specific addresses and add them to your contact database as well.

Also there is a complete database with restaurants, clubs, stores, gas stations, etc. Once you find what you are looking for you can store them directly into your contact list for future reference with a single click.

I kept playing and found out that through the Garmin Online service you can also get gas prices, traffic conditions, and weather conditions. If you intend to use these services make sure that you have a good data plan with your carrier, otherwise you'll end up getting charged for a lot of data transfer. As far as the accuracy of the data, I haven't had enough experience with the traffic info (plus trying to read a cell phone while driving isn't all that smart), but I know that soon I will be making trips where I can check the traffic accuracy before leaving and see how it pans out. The gas prices at my local station came up when I used the gas prices function, and the weather info was accurate when I checked it, so that is encouraging.

There is a built in trip computer as well. A bonus would be to be able to save each individual trip as a file, but I think I am being nit picky at that point. I am not yet 100% sure what Peer Points are, but I believe that you can send your current location to others so that they can be routed to you to meet up (I'd check that with Garmin to make sure that is indeed the function).

The best thing though is that you don't NEED to be connected to the Internet in order for this to work. I had tried TeleNav from Cingular, and found that if I didn't have Internet access, I couldn't get the routing information. Also, they charge a monthly fee to GET those routes, plus the data transfer fees associated with your plan. If you are always in an area where there is a good Internet connection this probably isn't an issue, but in some places where there is no signal, you're out of luck, especially if you go off route. With the Garmin it doesn't matter because the maps are on your device, the software calculates on your device, and the signal comes from the Bluetooth receiver in your car. The Internet features are just a nice bonus that you don't have to use.

Another issue I had with TeleNav vs. the Mobile 10 is the cost. I had to buy a $99 Bluetooth receiver, then pay $10.99 a month for unlimited routes from TeleNav. Do the math and 1 year costs you $230.88 plus taxes and fees. I got the Mobile 10 for $174 shipped to my house. No monthly fees. If I want to upgrade the maps, it will cost (I upgraded my iQue 3600 and it was about $135 every few years), BUT that is STILL less.

The Mobile 10 display is great even on my small screen. Off route calculations are very quick. Searching locations is a little slow, but I would think that is a function of my phone rather than the software.

This baby is a home run! My only regret is now what do I do with my Garmin iQue 3600?

Before buying the Mobile 10, I used TomTom 5 with my Verizon XV6700. TomTom was great, but the maps were really out of date, and the software would consistently say that you had "arrived at your destination" when in reality you were still at least 1/2 mile away. Quite irritating. With the Garmin, I was looking mostly for better, more up to date maps and a larger POI database. To that end Garmin does not disappoint. There are some minor things that could be improved on that would take this system from good to great.

-Unlike TomTom, Mobile XT does not automatically keep the backlight/PDA on while you are navigating. Consequently you get 5 minutes from your start point and the unit turns off. Then you have to go into your settings and turn off the automatic shut-off. Not a huge problem, but TomTom had that feature and I guess I got spoiled. Another associated problem is that when you power cycle the unit (on/off) it seems that the voice prompts stop working until you restart the software. Again, just a small annoyance (them again TomTom would crash most of the time if you turned the PDA off/on while navigating).
-You have to use the Garmin GPS to be able to use the Mobile XT software. Apparently the DRM/copy protection for the maps is tied to the GPS unit rather than your phone. This could be considered a good thing though, as if you get a new phone you don't have to go through the hassle of re-activating the software to your new phone by calling the manufacturer.
-The TomTom software would animate your navigation, whereas the Garmin just updates your position every 6 seconds or so. Doesn't look as fluid as TomTom, but this in no way affects navigation.
-Method of entering addresses is slower than with TomTom.

That was the bad, now for the good.
-Uses standard mini-USB charger, I can use all of the chargers I already have for my phone to charge the GPS.
-Battery life of the GPS is excellent!
-Navigation software does not have inter-map navigation problem. For example, with TomTom, you had the option to load up maps by individual states or regions, but you could not travel to a destination outside of the currently loaded map. Let's say you had Florida and Georgia maps loaded and you wanted to drive from Jacksonville to Atlanta. With TomTom, not happening. The best you could hope for was to navigate with the Florida maps to the Georgia border, then switch over to the Georgia maps. No such problems with Garmin.
-Displays the street you are on and the street you are going to in large, easily readable print, and does not display too much information on the screen.
-Comes out of the box with free online services (I think you have to subscribe to comparable services with TomTom). The Garmin services include traffic info for major roads, gas prices, hotel prices, and weather. Traffic info is very nice to have, and integrates into the system much better than TomTom. Colored lines overlaid on the roads show you the traffic conditions (green good, red bad, etc.).

Overall, both software packages are good and most of the things I mentioned here are very small things. No matter which you choose, you should be happy and have no excuse to get lost again.

Compare which is better: GPS on my Pocket PC PDA vs. a regular GPS car unit?

This review is based upon using the Garmin Mobile 10 Bluetooth Receiver with UPDATED Garmin Mobile XT software (https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=139&pID=10901) and a Pocket PC version phone (Garmin XT also available on Palm, Blackberry, and SmartPhones).

---------- TOP "10" LIST: Why GPS on a PDA is superior to GPS on a standalone GPS unit ----------

1) YOU ALWAYS HAVE IT WITH YOU (always have maps on you, always able to plot a course or search for POIs i.e. Points Of Interest)

2) EASY PHONE CALLING - You can search the POI Database even when disconnected from GPS. When you find a POI such as a hotel, museum, store, fast food, restaurant, etc -- you can auto dial their phone number by clicking one button!

3) EASY CONTACTS - When you find a POI, you can immediately add directly to Outlook Contacts on your phone. This will add the phone number, the address, and even the EXACT GPS Coordinate to your contacts. You can even tap on any random spot of your map (2D map not 3D map) at any time, and instantly add as an Outlook contact!

4) CONTACT ROUTING - When searching for a location in Garmin Mobile XT you can also search your Outlook Contacts Database on your phone. When you find the contact you want, Garmin XT will automatically add the exact GPS Coordinate to your contact (creates a FIELD in Outlook called "RADIO"). This is very beneficial in two capacities: Firstly, the next time you search for that contact it will use the GPS Coordinate and IMMEDIATELY plot the course. Secondly, when driving around, your GPS screen will show any contacts for which you have added a "Radio" field (i.e.: GPS Coordinate). This is really great as you will see a little Outlook Contact Icon with the name of the contact as you are driving around town. The only downfall is that I could not figure out how to add a 2nd GPS Coordinate for the same contact (ie: Home & Work addresses). So one would need to add a Waypoint (ie favorite) for extra addresses on same contact.

5) CONTACTS & WAYPOINTS - Generally speaking, most of us add tons of waypoints - My dad's house, my brother's house, friends' houses, etc. We quickly end up with dozens or even hundreds of waypoints. When using a PDA however, we can use our Outlook Contacts for those personal waypoints. As such, there are fewer Waypoints that we have to wade through when looking for a recorded Waypoint location. It is especially nice to have fewer waypoints when GeoCaching (cf. below).

6) GEO CACHING - Handhelds are great for Geo Caching (http://www.geocaching.com/faq/). Just grab your tiny receiver and run with it! The Garmin Mobile 10 has a whopping 22 hours battery life! Half the unit is the battery! Again, hats off to Garmin. Also, my experience so far is that the unit generally brings me within 7 feet of a GeoCache! Even better, the included Garmin Desktop Software (MapSource) enables direct and instant opening and converting of GeoCache files (.loc & gpx.) into Waypoints! GeoCaching Couldn't be any easier!

7) CONTACTS & CALENDAR - At any time while in your contacts, you can go to your MENU and there will be a GARMIN command which will give you the options to either ROUTE TO IT or to VIEW ON MAP. When in a Calendar Appointment, you can SET LOCATION POINT. By doing this, when your appointment rolls around you can instantly ROUTE TO IT or VIEW ON MAP. What a great tool for a salesperson or someone who travels to many appointments

8) STORAGE SPACE - Garmin Mobile XT (that is, on DVD version - cf. below for more information on this) installs software on your Home Computer which gives you the ability to EASILY send only the Countries, States, or Provinces you need. I frequently travel from Buffalo, NY to Toronto, Virginia, and Kentucky. So I have added NY, IN, KY, MD, OH, PA, VA, WVA, & Ontario. All these take up only 196.6MB of space on my PDA's storage card!! Kudos to Garmin!

9) CAR THEFT - This devise is very unlikely to be stolen out of your car. It is tiny and it is useless to someone without a PDA. You can easily install in inconspicuous location or put right on your dash and leave it there! Also, because it is Bluetooth, you can put the receiver on the dash and mount your PDA anywhere you like (PDA doesn't have to be in a high glare area by the windshield). I actually use my GPS all the time b/c I do not have to hassle around hiding it from view in fear that someone will break my window to steal my GPS.

10) CITY RECEPTION -When in a city with tall buildings, open your moonroof cover and place the receiver between the glass moonroof and the plastic moonroof door (or any spot with high visibility). Now you have ultimate GPS reception. And don't worry, the Garmin Mobile 10 has 22 hours of battery life and can broadcast the Bluetooth for 30 feet! On the downside, I do not believe there is any way to hookup an outside antenna to the receiver.

11) EASIER & SAFER NAVIGATION - Garmin has done a nice job of mapping the phone buttons to the GPS maps. For example, you can use your PDA Phone's Soft Buttons for most commands. Also, push the Joystick UP and the map zooms out. Push the Joystick DOWN and the map zooms in toward the ground (whether on 2D or 3D). Push the Joystick straight in and the map instantly switches from 3D to 2D. In fact the joystick just makes GPS easier all the way around. You can quickly look at the screen and then look away while using the joystick (when using touch screen one needs to keep eye on the screen while touching).

12) $$$ MUCH CHEAPER - I purchased my Garmin Mobile 10 for $130 (MegaGPS.com) which included Desktop Software, PDA Software, Bluetooth Receiver, Charging Cable, DVD, etc. BTW, it was $130 with free S+H and no tax: https://www.megagps.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1094

13) LIVE UPDATES - Garmin offers many free services such as traffic, weather, etc and you can connect instantly with your PDA's Internet Connection. Of course, you could also do this with a stand alone unit that had Bluetooth.

14) PORTRAIT VS. LANDSCAPE - You can view the Garmin Mobil 10 either Vertical (traditional PDA view) or Horizontal (traditional GPS view). Personally, I find the Vertical View to be much nicer. This is a great feature as most of us, when in 3D View, like to face the way we are heading (that is, we are always traveling Up on the map as opposed to always facing north). If this is the case, then it makes more sense to have greater screen real estate on the vertical as opposed to horizontal. In my opinion, all GPS units should be facing vertically or at least have the option.

---------- OTHER ----------

HARDWIRING THE GPS RECEIVER UNIT
I highly recommend hardwiring your Receiver unit. DO NOT cut the automotive lighter cord that comes with the receiver. The cord has a step down transformer built in (USB units such as PDAs or GPS Receivers run at 5 Volts as opposed to the normal 12 Volts). Also, the original cord has a fuse built in. Instead, purchase a $10 female lighter adapter and run it from your car radio's Accessory line behind the dash. Simply PLUG IN the original GPS Receiver's cord into the female. Now you are utilizing the Car Radio's Fuse, the Receiver's fuse, and the proper step down voltage. For help, contact Circuit City or any car installation palace. Be sure to connect to the radio's ACCESSORY and not the ALWAYS ON so the receiver shuts down when not in use.

DVD, OR STORAGE CARD
You can generally purchase any PDA GPS Software on either DVD, or a storage card. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE DVD:
1) You can reinstall later on a different PDA

2) The entire mapping system will be on your PC as well as your PDA. This means you can use your notebook as a GPS devise. This also means that you can easily create Waypoints on your PC and transfer them to your Phone.

3) You can easily select which maps you want to install on the PDA. E.g.: You do not need to install the entire North American Atlas but just the States/Provinces you need.

4) DVD version is cheaper.

CURRENT GPS SOFTWARE FOR THE PDA
The UPDATED Mobile XT Software is FAR superior to older versions. As such, older reviews may be inaccurate (you may find discrepancies between my review and others). I highly recommend the fantastic review posted at http://discussion.buygpsnow.com/forums/thread/4060.aspx BUT, keep in mind that since that review was written, some/most of the bugs have been fixed/changed in Garmin's most recent releases of the Garmin Mobile XT software. Also, that review shows all screenshots in the Landscape View as opposed to the Horizontal View.

TOMTOM NAVIGATOR VS. GARMIN MOBILE XT
I have both TomTom Navigator and Garmin Mobile XT on my PDA -- I started with Navigator. They ARE NOT EVEN CLOSE. At first glance the TomTom seems a little more friendly and a little more powerful. However, once you get below the surface, you will quickly discover that the Garmin, though it is a little trickier to access the advanced settings, is far more powerful. The TomTom zooms quicker and redraws maps a little faster, but the Garmin has FAR GREATER DETAIL. The slow lag is worth the extra map information and the far superior view. And, in case you want to move faster, the Garmin offers 5 levels of detail quality -- if you really need the speed, simply choose the poorest detail. By the way, I never use my TomTom Navigator any longer.

I bought this for my T-Mobile Dash (Windows Mobile 5.0 Smartphone Edition). I have a 2 GB micro SD card. I put about 7 states in the memory and it doesn't even consume 1/2 of the card. So far it does exactly what it says -- turn by turn spoken directions and mapping with automatic recalc. Perfect, inexpensive solution compared to a dedicated GPS unit, and more portable. I highly recommend, unless you need bigger screen

Purchased this unit to use with a Sprint Motorola Q running Windows Mobile 5.0 after my Hyundai Pontus was stolen from my car. The OS on the Q is Q2-BP_C_06.26.00R. It was a slow start getting things running, about 3 days, but once off the ground I was very happy with the Mobile 10. The software that came with the unit was not able to connect the phone to the Mobile 10 (blue tooth problem). This took a phone call to Garmin to solve, but after downloading the latest software from the Garmin web site that problem was solved. The second problem was a setting in the phone that I had changed to get active sync to see the phone. Because of the firewall on my machine, I had to uncheck the "Enable advance network functionality", this option MUST be on for the Mobile 10 to work. The third problem was caused by having a older map set on my machine. It took a second phone call to Garmin to figure out that the software defaulted to the version 7 maps (the last used) and a simple click on a drop down list to change to version 8 maps had me up and running.
Pros: The software uses the phones internet connection to check traffic and displays the problems in colors on the map(you must have a data plan for this). I can receive and make calls while the software is running. So far I have not had a single crash.
Cons: this is more a problem with the phone than the GPS, the Motorola Q can not use the messaging feature of the Garmin software to send your location to others (or maybe I just haven't figured it out yet). The Mobil 10 does not work with Google Maps locate.

From the picture on amazon I thought this little gizmo was gona be a brick but to my surprise I opened the box and boy is this little guy small. Smaller than my Cellphone about the size of a Purell Anti-bacterial gel bottle. I charge it it up (it uses a mini USB plug so the adapter for my blackberry works right from the start special note it only comes with a DC [Car] Charger no AC [House]). I turned on my palm T/X and in under 5 min had them synced and transmitting data. The one drawback to the "10" is that the software that comes with it seems a bit complicated and me being a Mac person could not load it. I already had GPS navigation software on my Palm so this was no problem for me but might be a problem for others. The "10" has great reception even getting a few bars inside my house. The bluetooth comes in very hand because I can now mount the "10" any wear to get a good signal. My new favorite place is to stick it on in the sunroof of my car gets great signal there (will be a problem when things warm up and I want to open my sunroof) I also used the "10" walking around downtown DC (I know DC lived here all my life just wanted to test the "10" in an urban area) and it preformed wonderfully. I am giving it 4 stars for great performance and style out of the box its missing the 5th because of the software but as I said you can work around that.

From the hardware to the software, everything works great. I've owned several GPS units over the years and this is by far the best. The GPS is easier to use and more responsive than my wife's factory Lexus unit. The size and battery life allows me to take it everywhere. I can install the software into multiple devices so I can select my laptop, PDA, or phone depending on my need. I hesitated before buying because I thought an integrated unit might be better. After using this unit for a week, I'm glad I decided to buy it. One thing I noticed is that if I place the GPS receiver in my pants pocket close the the side of my car, the reception is not good. I don't fault Garmin for this though since my other GPS units are much worse.

It's rare to find a PPC program that works as advertised. This one does! The GPS finds satellites quickly and the software works great. I am using a Dell Axim X51V and I think the combination works as well as high end navigation systems. An added bonus is I have a Bluetooth data connection set up between my PDA and Cell Phone. If I let the Garmin software check traffic and weather, the software makes the data connection to my phone and gets the information just like the high end navigation systems.

Being a relatively new product, many websites did not offer reviews for the Garmin Mobile 10. After a lot of research I decided to give it a try, the price was right and so is the value. I've only used it for a few hours but this is an excellent device. The screen constantly updates (contrary to other reviews) as you are driving and the maps are clear and fast. The directions and accuracy are excellent. The actual receiver is very small, easily fits in your pocket. Overall, I would highly recommend this item.

I bought this product expecting marginal at best GPS functionality on my Axim X51v but was astounded at how well the product worked. My family and I drove from Boston to Ontario and back having turn by turn directions all the way. I especially love the waypoint feature in the included software as it was indispensable in finding places to eat, shop, fuel, etc in unfamiliar surroundings. Thank you Garmin for making such an amazing product.