Magellan GPS Companion for Palm V & Vx:

 There are two solid reasons to buy a GPS: navigating unfamiliar areas by knowing one's exact position on the planet, and the sheer coolness factor of having such a device. The Magellan GPS Companion meets both the geek chic and practical utility tests by working with an existing Palm handheld. The price is low enough that a frequent traveler shouldn't think twice about substituting this device for bulky, conspicuous maps--although you might miss the charm of meeting strangers in unfamiliar empty neighborhoods.

  The GPS Companion snaps right into the Palm V or Vx's serial connector, and uses its own batteries to avoid running down the Palm handheld's power. The unit ships with two software packages, one for way finding and navigation and another for attaching position to street maps. The unit uses the standard GPS interface, so any Palm application that can use a GPS has access to this device's telemetry.

  You'll find yourself turning to the GPS Companion time and again. The accompanying CD-ROM includes detailed maps of the entire United States and territories and protectorates like Samoa. Maps range from a few kilobytes to several hundred kilobytes depending on the scale of detail (cities get more detail), so even if you have several megabytes free on your Palm, you'll have to pick and choose which maps to download.

  The CD-ROM has organized each map into a set of folders by state or territory, and then by county. You can also use search features in the Mac or Windows operating system to find city names, but the CD-ROM uses truncated MS-DOS style naming, rendering Poughkeepsie residents potentially out of luck unless they search on "poughkee."

  Downloading maps is as easy as adding the data file to the installer list in the Palm OS desktop application. The Map Companion application lets you choose to view maps even if you're not in the geographic area of the map. You can also use it to delete any installed map.

  The most useful combination of options in Map Companion is turning on GPS Scrolling and GPS Position from the Navigate menu. The menu doesn't change based on whether the features are on or off--we had to rely on tiny text in the lower right that reads "GPS POS + SCAL" to show when both were enabled.

  It could sometimes be hard to get a fix on our position when we were near buildings or inside. In our testing, we had to be in a clear area for the fix to take; after that, the unit performed well in a car over city streets. The up/down scroll button on the Palm can be used to dynamically scale up or down. The maps automatically add detail with street names and landmarks as you zoom in closer.

  We consistently found about a four-second lag while traveling at 30 mph. And you don't want to use this device when behind the wheel. The display requires too much attention and could cause you to veer into someone else's lane. Hand the Palm and GPS Companion over to a navigator in the passenger's seat.

  The Nav Companion software offers wayfinding tools that allow you to mark positions and then trace your way between them. The software is rather clunky and doesn't provide turn-by-turn information, nor does it integrate with Map Companion to let you overlay a route on top of an existing map. Nav Companion would certainly help for off-road endeavors, such as wandering aimlessly in the woods (which we are not wont to do). But given the limited battery life and the citified nature of the Palm, we doubt you'll take this on your next mountain sojourn.

  We tested the unit with a few other Palm OS applications, including the Vindigo city guide. Vindigo uses intersection information to offer contextual choices for dining, dancing, and entertainment. It worked seamlessly with the Magellan, even as we drove down a street. Vindigo kept updating intersections from its selection menu, and we could find restaurants up to half a mile away as we cruised about.

  The Magellan unit is a great bargain, and relatively easy to use. It requires probably 60 to 90 minutes to become comfortable with the Map Companion software, after which it became almost second nature to use. --Glenn Fleishman

Pros:

  *  Full set of U.S. maps on CD-ROM

  *  Fast learning curve for most features

  *  Uses own batteries rather than tapping the Palm's power

  *  Fully compatible with other Palm applications that use GPS data

Cons:

  *  Nav and Map Companions don't speak to each other and use different interfaces

  *  Mapping lags a few seconds behind actual position while in motion

Description:

  Find your way home with your Palm V or Vx handheld and the GPS Companion by Magellan. This lightweight, 12-channel global-positioning-system receiver clips onto your Palm and links up to GPS satellites in minutes.

  The Companion works with your Palm to display your position on a map, track a course, and provide navigation details such as speed, distance, and time of arrival. Software is also available for applications such as golf, mapping, restaurant guides, and more.

  The GPS receiver interfaces with any Palm mapping-software application that reads NMEA 2.1. The Companion ships with bundled Palm software applications for street mapping and outdoor recreation. It's powered by two AAA batteries for up to 10 hours and doesn't drain your Palm's batteries. It measures only 6.5 by 3.25 by 0.88 inches and weighs only 3.9 ounces.

  It comes with a user's manual, quick-reference guide, two AAA batteries, and a CD-ROM containing Map Companion and NAV Companion software. (The Palm V or Vx is sold separately.) It's covered by a one-year warranty.

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