Anywhere Map/IPAQ

[mikegraycmg]

I am really interested in this product, particularly with regard to the pocket plates feature. Does anyone have any experience with this? I am particularly concerned whether the IPAQ is big enough to see the approach plates well. Any info would be appreciated.

[jsherblon]

Hi Mike - I have Anywhere Map runing on a Ipaq 5550 using a bluetooth gps receiver. I don't have the pocket plates feature, but here's my opinion based solely on my experience.

Pros - Anywhere Map is good stuff. Plently of features to keep a nerd like me occupied - and it gets you where you want to go. The price is not bad.

Cons - After numerous system crashes, freezes, and lockups, I do not trust the pda anymore for navigation. These also occur when using Copilot Live (ironically named software for car navigation) or other generic software, so I feel the problem is not with the Anywhere Map software, but in the pda operating system, bluetooth interface, or one a dozens of other hardware/software possibilities.
Also, the pda screen is difficult to see in sunlight; with some sunglasses, it's almost impossible to see anything on it.

In the car it's very frustrating to try to reset, relaunch, and reload your navigation. Flying VFR, I would keep a sectional and airport data handy. For me, there's no way I'd use the pda as a necessary component of IFR flight.

[hevansrv7a]

The Anywhere software does not use the full VGA resolution of the HP 4700 screen and thus is hard to read compared to the Garmin 496. There is a third party program that is supposed to let you use the full VGA but I found it had some severe conflicts with some programs and I had to rebuild the entire contents of the PDA several times before I gave up.

I also think that having the right number of dedicated buttons plus a hat switch as on the Garmin is good in the cockpit but the 4700 is just the opposite in that environment. It's a very good PDA in other ways, but I don't use it in the air anymore.

The 4700's screen is hard to read in sunlight, too, compared to Garmin and the Garmin is not so great either and the 496 is better than its little brothers.

If the Anywhere software is running on a tablet then you have a whole 'nother situation and I have not done it so I can't say.

Anywhere has some features the Garmin lacks, but I haven't missed them. For me, the Garmin is the way to go. Your mileage may vary.

[mikegraycmg]

Appreciate the info. I still need to know how well you can see the appoach charts. Anybody know?