Customer Reviews

Garmin iQue M5 Integrated Pocket PC and GPS

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I have had about a week to use the M5. My first impression is WOW. This IS my first GPS and also my first PDA, so take my review for what it's worth. I would love to give this product 5 stars, but I will get right to the point of why I can't do it.

CONS :
No 802.11b/g - Not a huge deal if you don't mind plugging a bluetooth USB adapter in your PC, but honestly it is a little annoying that I can't connect right up to my 802.11g network out of the box. There are SD/MMC 802.11b cards available that are a option, but I have not ordered one yet.

GPS non-responsive - (see *Edit* at bottom of this review) As one other reviewer also noted, I also had a GPS problem where it acted like it was looking for the satellites, but couldn't see any of them. This was outside, and not indoors. I pushed the reset button, and GPS fired up just fine. As with the other reviewer, I also haven't had this problem reoccur after about a week of using it. The initial problem was about an hour after I took it out of the box. Since then I have used it a good 20+ times without any problems. I will report back if this problem comes back!

The leather flip case(?) - It is a little lame, and offers no protection except for maybe screen...and even that's a stretch.

PROS -
Wow, I opened the box, and it was very complete. A nice windshield suction mount, cig adapter with speaker and the other 'standard' PDA items (cradle, USB cable, travel A/C adapter, etc).

It's a nice size, not to bulky. The battery seems to perform as expected. I don't have any exact #'s, but from what I could tell it was at least 4 hours with some GPS usage.

One thing I would like to comment on is the 'cost'. A lot of reviews elsewhere talked about how expensive this device is. Yes, it's not cheap, but try buying a comparable PDA and a GPS add-on. You'll be close to, if not higher than what you would pay for this fully integrated PDA/GPS.

I have taken one trip (74 miles each way). It did a pretty good job getting me to the destination. I did notice that it was a little slow to recalculate the route if you miss a turn (5-10 seconds on average). Not a huge deal, but could be a problem in inner-city driving. It also did a random "Make U-Turn" in the intersection I was turning at. I believe the intersection came up later than the GPS/mapping software was expecting. The estimated time of arrival is nice, and right on target!

GPS performance : The GPS picks up the satellites fine in my car. My house (2 story) it's fine on the second floor, but the first floor it does not pick up the satellites unless I move over to a window.

Storage - I don't own a memory card yet, but even with the built-in memory I was able to get most of middle-TN and North Atlanta. I hear a 2GB memory card will hold all of the US, and 1GB will hold over half the US. I would say that is about right.

That's about all I can think of at this time. I will report back in a few weeks with an update. At this point I am very pleased.

Edit 4/28/05 - I did have one additional lockup of the unit that required a 'reset', so I went to the Garmin website and found out that there was a new firmware revision. I loaded the firmware and so far the unit seems to be performing perfectly. So, for those who are having GPS lockup problems, download the firmware revision. Garmin states that the firmware fixes several lockup issues.

Overall, I would give this device a 3.5 stars.

Pros
1. Display is larger than most handheld GPS, which is nice.
2. You can find most of your point of interests, though it does not contain the nursery that I go to often.
3. Speaker on included car adapter works well and the voice is clear.
4. GPS is one of those useful gadgets, adding PDA makes it even better.
5. Good battery life.
6. Lots of other goodies like playing mp3 and bluetooth.

Cons
1. Lost GPS capability once and had to do a reset.
2. It gets you there but routing can be way off. With all avoidances unchecked and fastest time chosen, it consistently gave me MUCH longer routes and time. A trip that should only include going on ONE freeway, M5 routes a total of THREE freeways, making a 17 mile trip into 24 miles!
3. Device have been inexplicably locked up; unable to use GPS from time to time except for this last time. Device was reset. Received "out of memory" error when tried to open Garmin apps after reset. Downloaded "fix" v2.50; fix app does not run. GPS right now USELESS until Garmin comes up with another "fix".
4. Business addresses can be totally incorrect, for example, listings a Church's Fried Chicken and Papa John's pizza were about two miles off and the streets and numbers don't even come close!
5. Totally not user friendly.
6. Screen can be insensitive, requiring multiple taps.
7. Expensive.
8. Windshield mount is almost a joke; should have included friction mount instead. Most vehicles have fairly slanted windshields, which would be a hassle mounting the M5 and also would potentially block your view of the road. Besides, it's illegal to mount stuffs on your windshield in CA.
9. Acquiring satellites can be slow; you can be a few miles from home before getting a signal.
10. Cover flap attachment is poorly design which partially block the adapter connection. Snapping in the device may cause a mild shock, which may reset your device.

As a longtime palm user I was a little reluctant to move into the Windows Mobile world, but my old dependable M130 was dying, so I started looking for a new PDA. I travel a ton for business and was fascinated by the GPS in the M5. I was also interested in the WiFi capabilites (with a WiFi Card, I bought a Spectec....it's great, and small enough you won't break it off) of Windows version of the PDA....I read all the reviews and almost didn't buy it, but if you look at the reviews ... the later ones are much better, obviously Garmin has been working on the bugs.

Pros:
The GPS is top notch, accurate to about 10ft in the car, when mounted on the windshield. The mount that comes with the unit is fine, you don;t need another one. Just make sure the windows is CLEAN....If not it will fall off. Windex it first. You'll also want to move it around some until you find a spot where you can easily get it in and out of the cradle. It will take a few trys until you find the perfect spot in the car.
The Windows mobile has abilities my old palm would only dream of, I sync it with lotus notes via intellisync and it works great.
It's a tough bugger, I had it a month and dropped it in a parking lot, put a nice gouge in it and it's still going.
Battery lasts a long time with steady use, Wifi in the airport, etc.....doesn't do so well with the GPS though, only about 40 minutes.
The ETA display is right on, handy when you are calling your next appointment to confirm. If it says you'll be there at 2pm....short of a major traffic jam, you pull in at 2pm.
****
Cons
The mapping sofware that came with mine is about 2 years out of date. I can tell by a few road projects that have been done locally and are not yet in the mapsource software. Garmin does allow you a free update, which I ordered. I would think that will help. The points of interest are about the same. Even after the free update, from what I can tell the software update only costs about $50
The routing is a bit odd, when you select fastest or shortest routing it will do exactly that, even if it makes no sense. For example, on a local road near my house there is a highway that was expanded and moved, it will actually take you off the new road, down the old road and back to the new road because it cuts off a corner. playing with the settings helps, but you will still see it do some odd things. Honestly It always gets me there, just sometimes not the simplest way.
****
Bottom line is this work just about as well as any in car I've used, and is a solid PDA as well.
With a 1GB card I added the entire Northeast, FL, TX and AZ. It took about 450MB of the card.
****

I have just used the product for 14 days. I can not describe how happy I am with the performance of this tiny little gadget. First of all, for all those people complaining about bluetooth or wi-fi connectivity, I think this pocket PC is more focused on being a GPS/Navigation system and all the additional stuff should be considered a bonus. Hands down, pricewise this is one of the top navigational systems out there. My brother bought the Microsoft Streets and Trips USB add-on which he attaches to his laptop, and I bought this Garmin unit. Trust me, this GPS is 10 times better, its all in one package, comes with EVERYTHING you would need to get set and get going.

Highlights:
-Points of interests: finds atms, movie theatres, restaurants (really really handy when you're out with family and need to drive to another restaurant)
-Integrated: comes with everything you need to be mobile; dashboard kit, windshield mount, desktop charger, etc
-great software: the MapSource is excellent.
-great design, good price compared to its GPS competition.
-voice prompts work great when you are driving and its a loud clear speaker voice telling you exactly where to turn. If you miss a turn, it automatically recalculates and tell you where to turn next. basically, its really really hard to get lost if you have this thing. This product will save you money and time if you are driving in inner-cities and have a hard time with directions (so true for me driving around NYC metro area especially long island)

If we were to compare it within the GPS/Navigation category, this product takes the hat, no doubt about it. Compared to the $700 magellan unit, this is slicker, easier to set up AND did i forget to mention its a full fledged pocket PC with MS Windows Mobile Edition OS.

Cons:
only comes with 64 mb of storage. Which isn't bad, and it will load up maps of almost an entire state. I live in Queens, and I'm able to load up NYC and half of long island for about 20 megs. So i guess its not really a con.

If you need an excellent GPS system, this is it. Just think of the pocket PC functions as a free additional bonus.

i have never written a review in my life but after using this product, I was so satisfied that I told all my friends to get it instead of getting a $2k navigational system installed and now i'm writing a review to tell others what they MUST try for themselves.

I had an IQUE 3600 for more than a year and that was great for the GPS use. Rarely used it for the Palm. The M5 is almost identical GPS-wise and the city map got upgraded to V7. Easily found Starbucks on Sun morning in a unfamiliar town. PocketPC is more familiar than Palm because of the WinXP similiar interface. There are a lots of games and other productivity software available for the PocketPC! The IQUE 3600 had some problems when attaching to the cradle mount at times ... the M5 doesn't because of the newer design. Comes with a suction mount for the auto so don't buy it separately. The supplied auto mount also can be mated with a 3rd party adapter to be powered by 110vac instead of 12vdc like in your hotel room when traveling (actually, I used a GameBoy advance AC Adapter and & car kit for $10 and that works fine). Used my 1GB SD card from the IQUE 3600 and it works like a charm. 700MB used for the 1/4 NE part of the US from the Mississipi to Atlantic, from Canada to Tenn. A 2GB card would be more than enough for the 1/2 Eastern US and with loads of room left over for other data.

Actual Use Experience: ~ 11,000 miles : 140-150 Trips

I use this device almost EVERYDAY. While it does do it's job, it does have some quirks.

Pros:

1. Large Screen & Customizable Directional Data: You can set the detail of a map according to the journey/road you are on. For e.g. When on a highway and have to drive, say 80 miles - you can program it to show a holistic view to the nearest city, as soon as you reach a junction or need to partition off a main road, you can program it to zoom back at the highest resolution, so you know which road to get on to.

2. Route to Home: This functionality is really good, will orient you well when you might find yourself in the most desolate or dangerous areas. (Have your GPS set to "Take Highways" if you want to escape dangerous neighborhoods without traversing through the whole place to get out (it happened to me once) and it will jump you off right on the nearest highway exit.

3. Auto Route: Set it to Automatic, and it works wonders - the Con here is that it does take a LOT of time to re-route and by the time you have figured out your way on the right track, the GPS will now show you the re-routed track instead and hence you can get even more confused. This happens to me often on the major crossroads in West Chicago. There is an option for "Ask before Re-Routing" - But the problem is that it just asks - You cant do anything after that! No user Interface to say "Yes" or "No". I even tried yelling into it. it does not work. So - Bad Idea

4. PDA - The PDA functionality works Great. I use it at my workplace to load meeting schedules for the day. But there is a MAJOR downside to this. The PDA will turn on by itself to alert you for the next schedule. So if it's left unattended the battery will die out as it turns the screen on and just stays that way. I personally got annoyed by it - as it got reset a few times due to the absolute battery drain. I don't use this feature anymore.

5. Points of Interest are decent, but not the best. It does find the traditional/ old shops. It has got me around unknown places with searches. The new ones are not available and can be difficult on any mapping system.

6. Portability: Highly Portable, I carry it in my pocket, in a leather case, in my bag, in my car desk, on my seat (bad idea). I have used this thing in another city with my friends, just holding it in my hand as well.

7. Battery Power: Adjust setting to extremely low LCD brightness on battery power and auto sleep (this does not affect the actual GPS tracking - it keeps positioning you in the background). Tap it back and you will know your current position. It runs for MANY hours like this.

8. Car Charger: This is one NEAT Accessory. The Vacuum I put on my shield is rock solid as I had it 5 months ago. I have no Idea what another popular reviewer below is talking about. There is a lever that you have to pull and tighten the air space. Common sense really. The extension to hold the device is also pretty neat, it adjusts variably with 4 degrees of freedom.

9. EXCELLENT Garmin Customer Service: They regularly release software fixes and updates. I had also lost my MapSource CD. All I had to do was to call and tell them, the intimidate response was "Where can we send you the replacement CD, sir?". And it's free. You don't have to shell out, like you might have to do with other companies.

Cons:

1. Gets upset in cold weather: This device gets upset, REALLY upset sometimes in cold weather (10 -20 F). And behaves un-responsive funny. Staggers, freezes or even resets.

2. Buggy Source Code: I once had my Garmin reset by itself and ring like an alarm bell out of nowhere ! I have no explanation for this - but it did & and worse, it reset EVERYTHING! So I was lost at that location and had to use my imagination to get back to my home.

3. Worlds Worst User Interface: I have yet to see one crappy and highly un-intuitive user interface. ABSOLUTE junk CGI. It does take a while to get used to and is not at all optimised for comfortable interaction and ease of use.

4. The screen definitely needs a few taps, if you don't use your finger.

Suggestions

1. Buy this device if you need portability with GPS and PDA. For GPS only The Garmin Nuvi is better, IMHO.

2. Buy Screen protectors and apply it on the screen, buy a simple leather case to protect it from water.

3. Learn the device. It wont work great with out - of - the- box functionality. Like the popular reviewer says that it routs to '3 different highways'. You need to learn your way to program it. The shortest route option will not give that. And that's definitely not the device's problem.

4. Don't use the MP3 functionality- its BS*. Don't get enticed by this 'feature' to buy this device.

Overall - definitely a good buy and I am EXTREMELY happy with it.

It is interesting to see the range of reviews from "junk" to "fantastic". Maybe the reason is that different people have different EXPECTATIONS.
My experience has been completely positive. The interface seems to be very intuitive , satellite finding seems to be pretty quick (compared to my old Magellin) and the built-in points of interest (including restaurants, hotels and gas stations) seems to be very accurate and up to date.
The versatility of this unit is why it deserves 5 stars. I use it to get around every day and it works great. I never lose satellite in the car and I never TRY to find a satellite in my office...why would I???
Unlike other GPS units, this one, a pocket PC, allows me to use Intelligolf so that I can use the unit on the golf course for yardage measurements. Try that with a built-in or a non-Pocket-PC device.
Anybody who wants a small portable GPS that finds location quickly, comes with detailed maps and integrates with other programs will absolutely love this unit.
To add some perspective to this, consider that I own a color Magellin , a Mercedes with built-in navigation and several different hand-held devices including Palm Treo. I feel that I have a wealth of experience with GPS and with handheld devices and I thus feel very comfortable sharing this positive opinion with prospective buyers of this product.

The Garmin iQue M5 is one of the best GPS/Windows Mobile combinations I know. I really appreciate the fact that this device is oriented around the GPS first and pocket pc functionality. One button provides instant details on GPS connectivity. There's also the ability to keep the GPS running when the device is in system timeout. Garmin includes QueMap navigational software which is really handy even when I'm simultaneously operating other GPS related software. I get about 4 hours of use on my battery. This would be the perfect device if it had the new SiRF III chipset, WiFi, a little more memory and a bit more screen brightness.

Since this is a rather hefty investment, most people want a more thorough review rather than "I like it a lot". So here goes.

I purchased the M5 about a month ago for $550.

Due to other reviews that I read, I was aware of installation issues and decided to follow the step-by-step instructions as opposed to shooting from the hip as I sometimes tend to do. The instructions were simple and easy to follow. I didn't have any problems with the installation process. After completing the installation I went to Garmin's website and downloaded the most recent version of the Unit software. This was also a painless process.

My first experience with the GPS was wonderful. I stepped outside for the initialization process which the manual warned could take several minutes. I was pleasantly surprised when it was ready for use after 40 seconds! I downloaded the Dallas maps onto the GPS and went for a drive.

I had problems with the suction cup sticking to the windshield. I struggled with this for the first couple of days until I realized that I was using it incorrectly. After learning how to use the lever to increase the suction it has stayed solidly in place on all four of the windshields that I tried it on. It is compact enough to travel with and I can have it set up in a rental car in less than 30 seconds.

This was my first time to use a GPS and I found the learning curve to be very easy. I drove around town having the GPS guide me to my destinations. The voice was very clear to understand and the directions were usually the path that I would have taken. Sometimes the path chosen was illogical, but considering that my primary reason for this purchase was to get from point A to point B in unknown cities I find it more than adequate.

I did find a couple of neighborhoods that were not on the map. They were built in 2003 and the most recent set of maps were released in June of 2004. I guess it's inevitable that they can't keep up with such rapid growth.

I purchased two other items along with the M5. I purchased a 1 GB SD Card. I put almost all of the southern states along with the four corner states on it and it took up 340 MB of space. I wanted more space for work documents and other states that I may travel to in the future.

I also purchased a Bluetooth PC Card for my laptop. I now have no need for the cradle since I sync up with my laptop wirelessly via Bluetooth. (There are a lot of reviews bemoaning the fact that the M5 came with Bluetooth as opposed to WiFi. I believe they are underestimating the advantages that Bluetooth can give them. i.e. Wireless keyboards and headsets).

There have been a few times where I would start to experience quirky issues and would end up doing a soft reset. This was a painless process and no data was lost.

I've used the Garmin iQue M5 on a couple of business trips and the gps was an invaluable tool that worked flawlessly. On both trips I compared the driving directions to what I would have chosen on a map and it did very well.

I have also taken advantage of the M5 as an MP3 player. I put roughly 80 songs onto my SD card and listened to music while the gps was active on a long road trip. At first this worked great. After a couple of hours it started to have 1 second pauses in the songs every once in a while. I ended up having to reboot it. I haven't tried this again, but I'm assuming that working as an MP3 player and a gps simultaneously may have been too taxing for it.

Another problem with my M5 is that the button to open the gps antenna is rather sensitive. If it is bumped around then it will open the antenna which turns on the gps and sucks your battery power. On a couple of occasions I've found my M5 with low battery power because this happened without me being aware of it.

All in all I have been very pleased with this purchase. The only reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars is the soft resets that I've had to do and the sensitive antenna button.

Setup was easy, I got the 1 gig SD card and loaded half the US, and still have 400 meg available for mp3, jpeg, other files. This is my first GPS, first PDA, and I've had it a week, so this is a preliminary review:

Pros:
pocket size
accessories all included
can see screen easily in daylight
PDA processor is fast
Voice recorder is cool
jacks for external antenna and speaker

Cons:
Long time to acquire satellites
Lost satellites several times
Manual is just ok
HAVE to buy the SD card ($100)

The speaker on the unit is not loud enough for navigation if there is any background noise, but the speaker on the power adapter is plenty good, plus there's an output jack for external speaker if needed.

I have a Toyota Tacoma truck, and lose signal a lot - may need the external antenna. If I put the unit all the way forward on the dash it acquires satellites in a minute, but on the windshield mount it can take 10 minutes. It also seems to take longer if the car is moving, so I just wait a minute before taking off.

The manual was aggravating - it comes with a quick setup guide that was easy and accurate, and an application guide for the navigator software, but the general instruction manual is on CD only - no paper copy! I had to print the 88-page pdf.

The unit froze once - had to reset, so I was glad to read the other reviews about the updates available from Garmin.

Screen resolution is half what other PDA's are, and I was concerned about that, but I really can't tell any difference - pictures look great, videos too, and the maps look like Magellan or any other.