I'm sorry but how is this different than the Garmin GPS 10 and the updated Garmin Mobile both of which use Bluetooth to connect the Garmin Receiver to the Garmin Mobile XT software on the phone. I say this because I'm using it and I don't see anything mentioned here that is new. Can someone provide some clarification?

I agree, I have been using Mobile XT and GPS on my Treo for a while now and the only difference I see is a cable that will charge both the phone and the GPS receiver.

Oh, NAVTEQ. Well yes, they are a world leader but they also have signficant errors including some geocoding for addresses, and if you contact them about the errors--they don't give a damn about correcting them.

I'd rather give my business to someone else, there's no excuse for ignoring errors for months and years at a time when you claim to be in the "mapping" business.

NAVTEQ aren't the only ones who act this way. Shame on 'em all.

I'm sure all mappers have errors and oversights, and it'll be great when things are fixed quicker than every few years, with an annual-or-so $100 "update." Maybe, someday...

What I wonder is - am I alone in finding a cell phone a very ridiculous target for a driving GPS device? I mean - unless while driving you never use the phone for ANYTHING except a GPS (with the cell radio off, of course), it's barely usable as a trustable device. Phone rings and you instantly lose your navigation. Talk on the phone and you got nothing. Considering the Garmin 200s can be found in the low $200.00 range - exactly what is the point of crippling my Treo and complicating battery life and losing a phone and email device just to gain a bluetooth GPS host?

Honestly - I really want to understand the real-world usage pattern that would sacrifice all the Treo offers in order to make it a full-time GPS? Maybe a Zodiac or other "spare" PDA - but your Treo?!?

Oh - just noticed this: "it comes preloaded on a microSD card." Great. So you're telling me that if I want to check mail or otherwise use an application while driving that needs access to my "regular" flash card, I would need to pop out the dedicated Garmin card, put in my working card then later pop out that card and stick in the Garmin? Has one Palm or Garmin employee EVER tried extracting that frigging MiniSD card without needing excessive effort? There's only ONE flash slot (Handera's idea of two was SO 1999...).

I love maximizing the abilities of my Palm devices, but GPS seems like a stupid and dangerous addition for use while driving.

Irony of ironies - Palm was a major player in persuading California to enact a hands-free cell requirement. And now I'll need to worry about clowns in SUVs fading into my lane as they squint at the Treo screen or stab at the MiniSD slot to extract cards at 75 m.p.h.

Well at least you get the traffic, weather and online update feature, not found on the 200 and only on upper end Garmin units. I still think $249 is a bit high, a good price at $199, and anything below $175 is a steal. I used Tomtom for about a week on busniess and I can tell you Garmin makes a great product.

I just started using the Palm Navigator based on the TomTom software. I agree that it makes little sense to tie up your Treo in the car by using it as a GPS unit. But I had a spare Treo 650 that I was not using. It is not activated. I just kept it around in case my 755 or my wife's 700P went down and I needed something until I could get a repair or an insurance replacement.

So since I had this extra Treo anyway, I do really like the TomTom based set up. Perhaps it makes me feel I am using an old friend which served me well for years(my old Treo 650). But objectively, I would state, get an independent GPS for the car.

I have tried out both systems, and each system has pros and cons associated with it.

With the Garmin Mobile XT I particularly like that it shuts off the screen when you are driving a long stretch, and turns it back on again when you are approaching a turn or some other action. TomTom doesn't do this, so the screen is always on, which drives me nuts.

TomTom, on the other hand, is easy to use when you want to navigate from a point other than where you currently are - useful to find out how long it would take you to get from A to B when you are currently at C.

But TomTom has a few other issues that drive me up the wall. For instance, if Bluetooth isn't on, then it keeps reminding you that you should turn it on. Then, once you have turned it on, it beeps and beeps and beeps until it finds the bluetooth receiver. Therefore, the aforementioned pro is wiped out by the annoying continuous beep con.

Garmin also has the ability to disconnect the Bluetooth receiver when you get an incoming call - therefore you can (in theory - never tried it) receive the call on your bluetooth headset, and then go back to navigating.

That's just my few cents worth.

I've been using the Mobile 10 (with the Garmin XT Device for about a month). The software comes on a 1GB micro SD card that is only about half full (and you can free up more space by deleting unnecessary language files too). With the most recent version of the software, the combo works very nicely on the Centro.

It will disconnect the GPS on an incoming call, if you have your BT headset on, and the reconnect to the GPS at the end of the call and resume your routing. Unfortunately that means that you get no active routing instructions while on a call using a BT headset, but you can bring up the turn by turn route instructions to peruse while the GPS is inactive.

All in all, it is not as elegant a system for in car routing as a dedicated GPS device, but it is quite serviceable and can be outse out of the car as well. (The GPS device will supposedly run 21 hours on its battery.)

Plus there are a few UI issues withe the software I hope Garmin will refine. Also, searching for POIs can be a bit slow at time.

Still, for the $179 I paid for the device and software, I am quite happy.

i recently purchased the freedom keychain receiver and telenav service. what a cool toy. one quirk is the volume is really low and i can't find any way to adjust it. the other is on an incoming call, it disconnects and have to go back and restart the process. outside of that, it has been quite handy when caught in a traffic jam or in an area i was not familiar with. anyone know about the sound thing?