HP iPAQ 312 Travel Companion

Overview

• GPS Navigation, mp3 playback, DVD-quality video
• Bluetooth Phone Connectivity
• 600MHz Processor, 2GB ROM, 4.3" WVGA Colour Screen

The HP iPAQ 312 Travel Companion is a portable navigation device, with extras. It enables you to play-back videos at DVD quality, listen to mp3s, and enjoy some games. With a compatible Bluetooth enabled mobile phone, you can also take and receive calls through the iPAQ 312, turning it into a handsfree kit. The HP 312 uses HP's own mapping and software, with a crisp 2D or 3D view of the mapping, original colours, and storage of routes, POI's and favorites. You can even add custom POI's on the screen. It is supplied with a robust windscreen mount, and 12v cigar lighter cable, which also doubles as a USB connection.

Displays dynamic position as latitude and longitude, AND elevation, along with GPS accuracy (the Garmin Zumo and Quest are other units that show elevation), keeps a track log, which can be displayed on screen, and which is computer readable in either .gpx for Garmin, or Magellan format, you can add multiple via points to any route and change the endpoint of the route, text to speech can be enabled (spoken street names at turns), but is very electronic.

Transfer Outlook contents from your PC; 500,000 additional businesses, Post Office, Police etc already built in.

Web based trip planning tools available for visitors to the USA at ipaq, along with news on map updates etc. This is a very competent navigator, and possibly the cheapest unit with the Bluetooth phone hook up. The interface is multi-layered, which some may find confusing. But there are enough features to make this a useable portable navigator for many.

Driving the device is a 600MHz CPU, 2GB of ROM, 128MB RAM, and a 4.3" WVGA colour screen.

This device is a portable navigator with some extras, but is not a typical PDA running the Windows Mobile operating system. See the iPAQ 112 Classic Handheld for such a device.