Garmin iQue M5 Review

The Garmin iQue M5 is the first PDA I've reviewed, so I covered advantages and disadvantages of using PDAs as GPS devices in my previous post today.

The primary differences between this model and the iQue M4 are that:

• The M4 comes with pre-loaded maps of North America, whereas with the M5 you must transfer Garmin's City Select maps (the CD is  included with the M5) to the 64 MB of internal memory or an SD card.
• The M5 has Bluetooth, while the M4 does not.

19 readers at Amazon gave an average 3-1/2 out of 5 star rating in their Garmin IQue M5 review. The editors there said:

"The all new iQue M5 combines the popular Microsoft Windows Mobile 2003 SE operating system with the dependability of Garmin GPS. Go from the boardroom to the hotel room without stopping for directions. Calendar and contact information is seamlessly integrated with the GPS navigation functions, so the iQue M5 will remind you of appointments, show the location on the map and route you there with detailed, turn-by-turn directions and voice prompts. The mobile office applications will give you the ability to read e-mail and view documents when away from the office, then sync to Outlook when you get back. The iQue M5 includes 64MB of RAM, 64MB of ROM (15MB of ROM is for safe storage) along with a Secure Digital memory expansion slot. Map detail and points of interest data can be stored to RAM or an optional SD card from the included MapSource City Select North America CD-ROM. This software application provides millions of residential streets and business addresses for all 50 states; nearly every town in the United States. City Select also includes extremely detailed road maps for Canada and Puerto Rico."

Here's what others have to say about the iQue M5:

• Dale DePriest posted a Garmin iQue M5 review for GPSInformation.net.
• BargainPDA.com includes lots of photos and screenshots with their iQue M5 review.
• CNet gave the IQ M5 a 7.0 out of 10 rating; 20 of their readers liked it enough to give it a 7.5.
• Gary Krakow wrote a Garmin M5 review for MSNBC.

Here are some additional resources that may prove helpful:

• Links to PDF versions of the iQue M5 owners manual, quick reference and applications guide.
• Want to see how the M5 stacks up against other iQue units? Try this Garmin comparison tool.
• There is even a Yahoo Garmin PDA discussion group!

Compare prices on the Garmin IQue M5 at these merchants:

• Check the current Garmin iQue M5 price at Amazon.com.
• Find the low price on the iQue M5 at GPSNow.com.
• Search for the best prices on the web for GPS devices at Shopping.com.
• Get an amazing deal on the Garmin iQue M5 at eBay.

Product description from the official Garmin iQue M5 web page:

Garmin® Satellite Navigation in a Pocket PC

Mobile Office
  The iQue M5 is perfect for today's mobile professional who wants to get from the boardroom to the hotel without asking for directions. Featuring the latest Microsoft® Pocket PC software, Windows Mobile™ 2003 Second Edition, the iQue M5 supports portrait/landscape screen orientation for easy viewing of documents, videos, and web content. It's powered by a 416-MHz Intel® PXA 272 microprocessor, and it also provides the user with 64 MB of RAM, 64 MB of   ROM and data back-up protection. The embedded Bluetooth® transceiver allows the user to establish a personal-area network with computer systems and Bluetooth-enabled devices such as mobile phones, other PDAs, and printers. Check e-mail and view documents—then sync seamlessly with your laptop.

GPS Navigation
  The GPS antenna on the iQue M5 folds flush with the back of the unit. Press the antenna release switch, and it simultaneously powers up the iQue M5, acquires satellites, and defaults to the QueMap™ interface. Once the antenna switch is triggered, the M5 prepares to navigate. The antenna can  be adjusted for optimal GPS signal reception in any vehicle or rental car. The unit comes with a sturdy windshield mount with integrated charger and speaker.

Detailed Mapping
  Featuring a built-in basemap of North and South America and Puerto Rico, the iQue M5 shows major highways, thoroughfares, railways, lakes, rivers, and borders. MapSource City Select CD-ROM is a standard accessory, so users can download detailed street-level map data, look up more than five million points of interest (POIs), and navigate to an address in the U.S. and Canada. World travelers can also add a European or Pacific Rim basemap from the installation CD. International versions of the iQue M5 will feature respective basemaps, mapping software, and language support.

Que™ Technology
  The integrated Que applications enable consumers to   see where they are on an electronic map, look up a point of interest (POI), and route to it—all the while following voice-prompted, turn-by-turn directions. If they miss a turn, the iQue M5 automatically recalculates a new route to get them back on track. Advanced routing   features include the ability to specify roadways to avoid and find POIs near the current route. The iQue M5 even offers intuitive POI searches that are based on user habits. Another distinct benefit of Garmin’s PDA/GPS integration is the patent-pending capability to attach a “location stamp” to a profile in the user’s contact database or appointment calendar and navigate directly to these important business addresses.

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