Palm-Powered Unit Combines Best Features Of Handheld PDA Computing, Garmin GPS Technology

By ANN Associate Editor Juan Jimenez

A short while ago, I wrote a small piece letting our readers know that we were reviewing the Garmin iQue 3600a and Lowrance 2000C products. The Lowrance review is still pending, but I've completed the iQue 3600a review. Without further ado, let's talk about this nifty product.

The iQue 3600a is the Garmin-branded version of the Palm iQue 3600, a handheld PDA that incorporates a GPS into the design of the unit. Garmin apparently liked the unit so much that they've negotiated with Palm to produce their own version of the unit, and bundle into it quite a bit of advanced technology that the company has incorporated into their other aviation and land navigation products.

The feature list of the unit, straight from the Garmin website is thus:

• Powerful 200 MHz processor powering Palm Garnet 
• Standard PIM applications: Address, Date Book, Memo Pad, To Do (all of which can be synchronized with Microsoft® Outlook®), Calculator, and Palm Reader for e-books 
•  Internal memory: 96 MB of ROM for pre-installed data and applications; 64 MB of SDRAM for downloading Palm OS-compatible applications and map data from Garmin MapSource CDs 
•  Expandable memory: SD/MMC 
• GPS receiver/antenna: 12 parallel channel WAAS receiver/ Flip-up integrated GPS patch antenna with remote antenna capability 
•  Aviation calculator applications: QueE6B and QueWeight & Balance 
•  GPS applications: Location awareness, electronic mapping, address lookup, automatic route generation, turn-by-turn directions with voice guidance, trip computer, track log, route avoidance, and Contact Locator™ (geocoding a location within the Address or Date Book applications) 
•  New and enhanced Que™ applications 
• •  QueMap: Displays a comprehensive set of mapping data, such as a basemap of North/South America; aviation navaids, airports and airspace; navigation arc overlay with configurable data fields; Sectional chart-like topographic data; and U.S. obstacles like towers and obstructions 
  • QueTerrain: Takes advantage of the topographic/obstacles database to alert the pilot of potential terrain conflicts within the proximity of the flight path using pop-up windows 
  •  QueNav: Displays GPS-derived speed, altitude and guidance features in an aircraft panel format 
  •  QueFlights: Keeps a record of flight time, mileage and start/end point as a digital logbook (also interfaces with Garmin’s PC-based FlightBook software
• Unit size (WxHxD): 2.8 in x 5.0 in x 0.8 in 
• Weight: 6.2 ounces with stylus 
• Display: 320x480-pixel, transflective TFT display with 16 bit color 
• Screen dimensions: 3.8” (diagonally) 
• Rechargeable lithium ion battery/ Up to 9 hours of continuous use (at minimum backlight setting) and four weeks on standby

At first glance, the 3600a looks just like any other modern Palm PDA with color screen. The controls are all standard Palm except for the buttons and wheel on the left side of the unit which control sound recording, application/mode exit as well as icon selection. A closer examination, however, reveals that this is not Dad's trusty Palm IIIxe.

The top of the unit has the standard infrared port and sound jack, but there's also an SD/MMC card slot, and a tiny coaxial connector, covered by a plastic button that gets removed and promptly lost unless you put it in a small bag and save it. On the rear of the unit, however, is what's really different about this Palm. There's a square tab with a place on the left corner to put your finger into, and sure enough, after a finger pry, out comes the built in GPS antenna. It is spring loaded, has a solid feel and features two locking positions with positive tactile and audio feedback -- a healthy "Click!"

Included in the package is the standard Palm docking device, with a USB connection on the other end to plug into your computer. The end that plugs into the computer also has a female power plug into which a wall wart power converter plugs into. I'm not sure why Palm designed it this way, since the wall wart puts out 5 volts DC, the same output you can get straight out of the USB port on computers and USB hubs. It's not a big issue unless you're short of places to plug into to get power. At least the converter handles 115-240vac automagically, saving you the worry of turning the wall wart into a wall splotch.

Also included in the package is an extremely well designed yoke mounting device for your aircraft. Whomever put this one down from mind to drawing was well aware that the chief complaint from pilots using PDA's on airplanes arise due to the need to use a stylus. Since most of us don't have slender digits, trying to select an item on a PDA screen with our fingers usually causes totally unexpected results. This yoke mount solves that problem by putting the most useful commands and input functions next to the PDA, on large buttons. The PDA slides right into the yoke mount holder. You do need to remember that if you will be using the internal patch antenna, you will need to extend it before putting the unit into the mount -- the rear support for the unit does not allow it to be extended once the PDA is in place.

A cigarette-lighter power adapter that plugs into the back of the yoke mount comes standard with the product, as well as suction-cup and permanent mounts for a remote antenna, also included. The CD included with the manual contains support for Windows and Macintosh computers, though in this case we only reviewed the PC version of the software.

Installation of the software is fairly straightforward -- follow the instructions and plug in/power on things when told to. The standard Palm desktop acts as the conduit between your computer and the 3600a, and allows you to exchange files and data with your PC, as well as synchronize databases, addresses, memos and other types of information. For those of you using Microsoft Outlook, the installation asks you if you want to synchronize with it rather than the Palm Desktop software, in which case it installs a "conduit" software package that takes care of that task. One thing you may want to do is get yourself an SD/MMC card before installation. The unit does not come with one, and it comes in handy if you want to install a different base map when running the installation.

I will not delve into the details of how to synchronize and operate a Palm-powered PDA, since that is out of the scope of the review and is best left to the tutorials bundled with the Palm software. The only issue I will mention is that if you have been using one of the older PDA's like the Palm III, there is a new version of Graffiti in this unit that will take some getting used to. Graffiti, for the uninitiated, is the way a Palm understands the squiggles you make on the bottom of the display. By interpreting your movements on the special screen area, the PDA translates them into letters, numbers, special characters and actions. On Graffiti 2, some of the old motions -- for the letters "T" and "X," for example -- no longer work the way they used to. It takes about 10 minutes to relearn the motions -- the rest comes with practice.

The power button is on the top of the unit, and pressing it reveals a color display of startling quality and clarity. The colors are bright and very readable, and Garmin has most definitely put a lot of effort into using just the right combination of colors and contrast to make for very readable screens. Some companies throw color displays into their products, do a half-baked job of mapping black and white or grey scale into a few colors and leave it at that. The result is usually awful. This is not the case with Garmin. The only problem I had with the display is that viewing it in full sunlight can be difficult if the light is hitting it at just the right angle. It has been pointed out to me by 3600a users on the Internet that a screen overlay takes care of that, as well as protecting the screen from scratches and damage from day to day use. The 3600a also changes color selections for day/night use on its own, a very nice feature, and provisions are in place to adjust contrast and brightness manually.

With the patch antenna retracted, the unit is just another PDA with Garmin software installed. The GPS engine remains off until the antenna is extended, which saves power if you're only fiddling with data, contacts, etc. To start the GPS engine, you insert your finger and flip it open, and the GPS engine fires up with a warning about VFR-only use, and not trying to adjust the unit while driving your car in land navigation mode. The QueGPS program screen comes up and displays the satellite tracking status, as well as the position mode, speed, elevation and location accuracy. WAAS capability is standard, but if you want to save power you can turn it off and rely on standard GPS accuracy without the additional WAAS-derived accuracy.

In the next installment, ANN looks at the major mapping and software features of the iQue 3600a.

FMI: www.garmin.com/products/iQue3600a/