I was recently on a trip which took me on one of those big coach buses. A friend inquired to me as to whether the bus driver was using GPS or if he just knew where he was going. I assumed that he’d be using some sort of GPS, but I wasn’t expecting that he’d be using a popular ultra mobile PC at the center of his navigation solution. It was interesting to see a Samsung Q1 Ultra [Portal page] in the wild, and apparently being used quite effectively. I was able to snap two quick images with my iPhone; sorry about the quality, the lighting was not in a favorable position.
The bus driver was an older man who looked to me nearing or into his 60’s. I wasn’t sure if the Q1U based navigation system was devised by him or supplied by the bus company. Again to my surprise, the system was set up by the bus driver himself. I suppose the old “book by its cover… inch adage is suitable here. I exchanged just a few quick words with the driver about the setup. I wasn’t able to capture all of it, but it sounded like he was using some pretty powerful industry navigation software to map routes effectively. I believe he was using a Bluetooth GPS unit to obtain nav data, and I saw an AT&T branded unit which I’m assuming provided 3G data, but it looked a bit old and could have been EDGE only.
Nearly every part of the setup was mounted right on the windshield, it was pretty cool. The Q1U looked to be using a suction mount designed specifically for it. There was a DIY looking sunshade to block direct sunlight and make sure that the screen stayed readable. The sunshade looks to consist of two separate pieces and be resourcefully held together with velcro, which I would imagine makes it easy to break the setup down and pack it away. On top of the sunshade was a USB hub which provided four USB slots, in one of them a USB memory stick was plugged in. The GPS unit and AT&T data unit were both mounted to the windshield as well.
Pretty cool to see this nice navigation setup. I imagine that the driver is able to do much more than similar drivers who are using simple consumer GPS units.
Is anyone else out there using a ultra mobile PC for their in-car navigation needs?
Both the Viliv s5 and the samsung Q1UP running my nav system, but now the Q1 has not been out of the house since the Viliv arrived, time to find a new home for my old best friend.
I”m using a Q1 for my nav (iGuidance) + music, etc. in my Toyota Avalon. I’m 64 and put it together myself. I’ve been in computers since the ’60’s..
I use a Fujitsu U820 with the included Garmin MobilePC software for my on-road needs and Overland Navigator for my off-road needs…..
Now if I could only install a SSD with Widows 7 it would be about perfect. By the way – the RAM mount for the U810 will fit the U820 with a slight bit of modification..
Sat nav is actually one of the primary reason why I bought my Fujitsu U810. It has Garmin MobilePC and iGuidance installed, paired with bluetooth GPSr all on a RAM mount. I just recently started using Garmin MobilePC but I have to say iGuidance is still a more superior product. There are a bunch of people that run laptops/umpc as sat nav, check out http://www.laptopgpsworld.com/ for software reviews and so on.
I just bought a mtron 1.8″ ssd and going to install it this weekend and my system is finally 100% ready :-D
oops…forgot to mention, the software that this bus driver is using seems to be Delorme Street Atlas 2009. It’s not as polished to be used on a small screen umpc as the Garmin MobilePC or iGuidance, but there are a lot more features and the database seems to be more detailed.
I use my Raon Digital Everun (original, not the Note) with the car adapter and a Haicom BT GPS. The iGuidance system is perfect for a UMPC. I also have MS Streets and DeLorme 2009 but iGuidance is far superior though I need to upgrade from v.3 to v.4. This has rescued me many times, the last being on May 17 when I got lost in Orlando on my birthday (64). We had two cars traveling and even though I got lost the iGuidance was able to get me home (90 miles) almost at the same time as the other car that didn’t get lost. Anyway, this is a great setup and it’s very easy and simple to dismount the Everun. That bus setup is awesome!
Same here (original Everun, car adapter, BT GPS, & iGuidance). Works like a charm.
I am 62 and have been using Copilot navigation software since the first version in 1998. I have used it for business and pleasure on laptops and PDAs. I highly recommend it even though it is pricey.
Dude!
I’ll be 58 in August (nearing 60)and age doesn’t have anything to do with passion and learning and keeping up with that passion. I worked on IBM 360 and 370 mainframes back in the early and late 70s. My first laptop was a Tandy Trs-80 model 100 which I still have; I could go on and on…
Right now I have two Dell mini 9s,one HP mininote, an Asus EEE 701 running XP (took a while to get the audio working on that one), Nokia N800, numerous PDAs, laptops, and desktops.
I was a subscriber to Carry Pad when it first came out! (you’ve come a long way!!!)
People come to me when their having computer problems (especially those computers that have been “fixed” by their son’s friend who is a “computer Geek”).
So no, don’t leave us “old” folks out.
//bob
I didn’t mean to imply that older individuals can’t use technology effectively, but in my experience, it is less common ; P.
I’d be equally impressed by someone using a professional navigation setup like this regardless of age!
Hey a Techie is a Techie no matter what the age!
I, for one, am impressed by “Younger” individuals who can use technology effectively, but in my experience it is less common, too!
Thanks for the reply!!!
//bob
I am using the wibrain on a gps/carmount with —>
Mapfactor PC Navigator 8 and it work very good.
bitch is that the gps is sirf3 no do navigator 8.
Thank u gpsgate
Cheers from the Netherlands.