Windows Mobile now has its own handheld to compete with the Palm OS Garmin iQue 3600. The Navman PiN offers a Windows Mobile handheld with integrated GPS functionality.
GPS manufacturer Navman announced today the Windows Mobile-based Navman PiN. The Personal Interactive Navigation (PiN) device integrates a GPS receiver into a Windows Mobile handheld.
The PiN is the first Windows Mobile handheld with GPS
The Navman PiN handheld runs on a 300 MHz Intel PXA-255 processor, and is backed by a typical 64 MB of RAM. It sports a 240 x 320 (QVGA) color display measuring 3.5″, also fairly standard for a Windows Mobile handheld. Controls include the usual four application buttons and a 5-way joystick controller. It runs Windows Mobile 2003, with all of the usual software and features that come with that.
As mentioned, however, it then adds a GPS receiver antenna, which flips out from the top back of the device. The handheld ships with the Navman GPS software, SmartST V2, loaded onto a separate storage card that, when inserted, integrates into the Windows Mobile PIM applications to enable address-to-contact routing directly out of Pocket Outlook. It also includes the ability to pre-select areas to avoid, a town-to-town routing function, zooming, and a 3D map display option in place of the 2D line drawing style common to most GPS software. The software includes both visual and spoken instructions and the ability to reroute on the fly in case the user goes off track.
The complete PiN solution includes detailed street-level mapping for the 48 contiguous states, Hawaii, Alaska and Canada, as well as a vehicle power adapter and mounting bracket. Also included is a USB sync cable and power pack.
The PiN is not the first handheld to come with an integrated GPS radio. The Garmin iQue 3600, released a year ago running Palm OS, was the first mainstream handheld to have an integrated GPS solution. Although Garmin said at the time that it was planning to release additional products, none have been forthcoming. Garmin and Navman have both competed in the GPS accessory market before, and now appear to be challenging each other in the integrated market as well.
