Newbie using MobilePC

[gruponox]

First of all, I'd like to thank roadguide.ph for sharing the PH map for free. I've loaded it into my laptop with MobilePC installed and it works wonders! The voice navigation helps when I'm going to a place for the 1st time, but the real advantage I get is the digital map. Searching for roads is easier & faster than looking at a printed map.

My setup is a bit bulky cos I use a laptop that I usually bring with me when I go out. One of those low-priced netbooks would solve the bulkiness but it's not logical for me having 2 laptops (for now). Has anybody used a touch-screen netbook? Any good?

I don't travel much so I doubt I'll be of any help contributing to the map itself. How else can I contribute to the roadguide.ph community (other than contributing to the map itself)? Thanks!

[Borgie]

First of all, I'd like to thank roadguide.ph for sharing the PH map for free. I've loaded it into my laptop with MobilePC installed and it works wonders! The voice navigation helps when I'm going to a place for the 1st time, but the real advantage I get is the digital map. Searching for roads is easier & faster than looking at a printed map.

My setup is a bit bulky cos I use a laptop that I usually bring with me when I go out. One of those low-priced netbooks would solve the bulkiness but it's not logical for me having 2 laptops (for now). Has anybody used a touch-screen netbook? Any good?

I don't travel much so I doubt I'll be of any help contributing to the map itself. How else can I contribute to the roadguide.ph community (other than contributing to the map itself)? Thanks!

Welcome to Roadguide gruponox! Your setup is indeed bulky but if you're used to it, that set-up makes for a faster waypoint marking and editing as you can edit waypoints on the run. Re your doubts about not being able to contribute, please search this forum on other ways how to. There are members who are based abroad yet they were still able to attain contributor status and one member, Roadguide2000, even became a major contributor. If you check the threads, you'll see that some contributor members are out of the country yet that did not stop them from continuing to send in their contributions and being active contributors. As the saying goes, "if there's a will, there's a way". Hope to see your contributions soon...

[oj88]

Instead of a 2nd laptop, consider purchasing a dedicated GPS. Of course, you can still opt to navigate using a laptop, but sooner or later, you'll get tired of using it due to the preparation and hassles involved hooking it up to the car.

[yaozer]

Nice to have you onboard Gruponox! Regarding getting another laptop/netbook, I've recently acquired a Viliv S5. It is an Atom based netbook that's pretty small and light. You might want to check it out. Great performance with Garmin Mobile PC, and is a quick and easy internet device...

[Roadguide2000]

Welcome to Roadguide gruponox! Your setup is indeed bulky but if you're used to it, that set-up makes for a faster waypoint marking and editing as you can edit waypoints on the run. Re your doubts about not being able to contribute, please search this forum on other ways how to. There are members who are based abroad yet they were still able to attain contributor status and one member, Roadguide2000, even became a major contributor. If you check the threads, you'll see that some contributor members are out of the country yet that did not stop them from continuing to send in their contributions and being active contributors. As the saying goes, "if there's a will, there's a way". Hope to see your contributions soon...

Hi gruponox,

Sir Borgie is correct, you can contribute even without leaving your desk or bed. You can do many things like tracing roads and polygons from Google Earth. You can submit also existing road and polygon corrections also from Google Earth. And don't tell me that once in a while you go out to the neighborhood, in the countryside or in the city where you can find and submit names of unnamed roads, buildings, cemeteries, rivers etc. There is a lot of oppurtunities to contribute.

Please download the demo map into your PC and there you start browsing and sure you will find something to be corrected like routing correction, etc.. Submit it and you earn a point.

I'm sure the above will earn you a prized Contributor status very soon.

But try to have a GPS for more exciting and effective tracking.

[gruponox]

Thanks for the warm welcome!

@Borgie - You're right, if there's a will there's a way. Will do contribute soon. I'll check out the POIs along the roads where I usually travel and send any updates (I still have to browse the topics on how to do that).

@oj88 - Not much hassle preparing the laptop since I usually drive on my own. I just put the laptop on the front passenger side and plug-in my USB GPS (I was using Bluetooth GPS for wireless setup but it drained the laptop battery faster). Also, I don't really use the navigation feature everytime I go out - just when I'm going to a new place. The Mobile PC comes in very handy for me when I need to look for something near where I am.

@yaozer - Where in the car do you put your netbook while driving? Do you use Mobile PC everytime you drive?

@Roadguide2000 - Thanks alot for your suggestions! Will do take some time to browse the standard map for any corrections. And yes, I have a GPS - just not in the usual setup.

BTW, any of you familiar with the Garmin Mobile for BlackBerry? Based on my understanding, you can't load maps into it. It needs to connect to the Garmin server to retrieve the map. Is this correct?

[Borgie]

BTW, any of you familiar with the Garmin Mobile for BlackBerry? Based on my understanding, you can't load maps into it. It needs to connect to the Garmin server to retrieve the map. Is this correct?

AFAIK and based on info in the net, blackberry phones are not compatible with garmin mobile XT, as we know it. Garmin's website says that you can buy maps for it from them but i think no maps are available for our region from Garmin. And from the different BB forums info, even that has generated a lot of complaints from users because of very bad customer support... HTH

[yaozer]

Thanks for the warm welcome!

@yaozer - Where in the car do you put your netbook while driving? Do you use Mobile PC everytime you drive?

Gruponox, I bought my Viliv S5 from www.dynamism.com. Currently, they are offering a free car package, extra battery, and leather case whenever you buy from them. So I got a car holder plus car charger for it. The car holder has the typical suction cup-to-windshield mount, since the Viliv S5 is quite small (just a little bit taller than a PSP). And the holder is made in Germany, so its build quality is quite good.

I always use this setup (and Garmin Mobile PC) whenever I drive.