Product Description

The iQue M3 is a user-friendly automotive GPS navigator in a sleek, lightweight Pocket PC design. The attractively priced iQue M3 features larger, more-intuitive icons that make it easier for consumers to select navigation applications using their index finger, rather than a stylus. No other unit on todays market combines straightforward in-car navigation with Pocket PC applications like the iQue M3. This powerful time-saving tool is ideal for anyone who wants to simplify their life with one integrated device for their automobile, home, or office.The iQue M3 features Microsofts Windows Mobile 2003 Professional Edition software package, Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition, which supports portrait/landscape screen orientation for easy viewing of multimedia content. The GPS antenna on the iQue M3 folds flush with the back of the unit. To navigate, simply raise the antenna to enable Garmins patented antenna-release switch that simultaneously powers up the device, initiates the satellite-acquisition sequence, and defaults to the QueMap interface. Once the antenna switch is triggered, the device prepares to navigate. The antenna can also be adjusted for optimal GPS signal reception.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #21124 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: Garmin
• Model: 010-00437-00
• Dimensions: 10.00" h x 14.00" w x 12.00" l, 8.00 pounds
• Display size: 3.5

Features

• Product Type - GPS
• Computing Software - Microsoft Pocket Outlook, Internet Explorer,Word and Excel, Windows Media Player, MSN Messenger Service.
• Processor - 312-MHz Intel PXA 271 Xscale processor, dedicated 48 MHz ARM7 GPS coprocessor.
• Unit size/weight - 5.0 x 2.8 x 0.74 inch / 5.9 oz.
• Screen dimensions - 3.5-inch diagonal.

Customer Reviews

Disappointed- Never Buy This Product
I purchased this GPS 2 years ago and was extremely thrilled to see the features that this GPS/PDA system contains. However, I was extremely disappointed with the system and would suggest nobody to consider it for purchase in future. It takes forever to connect to the satellite, responds slowly and often after the wrong turn has been taken, loses signal every now and then, hangs in the middle of the road and has even started updating maps in the middle of the drive- a huge safety hazard because you have to turn on the GPS again after the updates have been installed while driving. The GPS does not take the addresses from the address book correctly and tends to misguide you. Garmin is unhelpful on this and often unresponsive. Beware of this product and its nice looks.

Best in the market
It is about 1.5 year that I have my iQue m3 GPS/PDA.
This is the most easy to use GPS ever. I spend one year to find something close to this for my gf who has no interest on gadgets but nothing worked like this for her, so I purchased another one. M3 "Garmin" is the only GPS I could relay on in my trips to VI, Costs and even Germany. Best thing is that you can walk and bike and still get the directions.
Apart of a GPS it is a pocket PC with lots of uses such as MS Word and Excel that I need. The only problem was lack of memory capacity that I simply used my cell phone memory and works perfect.

It's good, but perhaps not for the long haul.
I liked this unit, actually I love this unit. As a "on the road" salesman I store customer data in it. I can route to and from customer sites. I use the Excel spreadsheets. I take notes on customer sites and hot sync it to my laptop in the car. I can edit my customer notes on the laptop and then sync back to the M3.

A couple of issues though that will prevent me from purchasing another unit from Garmin. My unit began to develop a screen issue. I use the palm style of entering data, and the screen started doing weird things when I would attempt to enter text. To Garmin's defense, they did warranty it. However the replacment unit is barely a year old and now the screen has a dead spot in the middle that is getting larger. Unfortunatly there are things you cannot access without the touch screen so it is a problem. Garmin will sell me a "refurb" for 99 dollars. I think that buying a new unit every year for 99 dollars is asking a bit much.

The other issue is that it is not possible to really manage the memory. Garmin claims you can, however I find that one needs to periodically 'reboot' the unit to free up enough ram to effectively run the GPS side. When you close programs they stay in memory and consume it. Saving data to the SD cards is a cool way to minimize the effect on the limited ram, but the operating system still stores the executable in the memory. There is a slide to select the amount of ram to reserve for operating programs, but is is not effective and always defaults to a 50/50 split. Since I use all the Handheld PC features and the GPS it gets to be a problem.

Now Garmin has discontinued the line completly. Only a matter of time before support is discontinued as well.

Hope Apple comes out with a GPS enabled iPod soon!