On the Mini International website they have links to a "Mini PDA" section. You are able to plug a PDA into the car which serves as a navigation device, phone, you name it. Does anybody know if this will be available in the United States. I was also disapointed to find out that other countries have the option to choose a minidisc reciever instead of the CD reciever. Being a supporter of minidiscs this angered me a little bit. Why do all the other countries always get the good stuff???

 

If you can track down some people that live in other countries, you could have them pick up stuff for you.

Farnk

 

All I saw was that it would work as a nav system and phone. It seemed to make more sense to me to get the Nav system than to use this PDA option.

First you would need to run cables from a GPS receiver to the PDA, as opposed to the Nav system where they are already integrated with the vehicle.

Next you have that ugly bracket cluttering up your dash, plus the fact that at least in the US, if you leave the PDA in the cradle and leave the car somewhere. Eventually somebody's going to break in and steal the thing. Especially if you live in a metropolitan area. The Nav system won't attract that kind of attention.

Finally that system uses a stock IPAQ, there aren't too many accesories in the US that are available to turn the IPAQ into a cell phone. Only 2 cell phone companies in the US support the Pocket PC phones right now. European Mobile Phone networks support much much more of the gee whiz wireless gadgets that are only available in limited areas here in the states if they are even available at all.

 

I've posted a few times on this before, and my sentiment is, I already have an ipaq, so I may as well turn it into something for my car. The problem with MINIs internal NAV system is just that, it's internal. You obviously can't take it from one vehicle to another, and of course with the ipaq can. The wires are a down fall, along with the bulky receivers, but soon enough I'm sure someone will come out with something more user friendly. Until then, I still have my trusty friend Rand McNally to get me around.
-Storer

 

Their are several GPS units that will plug into the IPAQ PDA, I have a Delorme unit that works with my laptop and also works with the PDA. It gives you the mobile capability to swap vehicles if you like. http://www.delorme.com is the address here is the link. Delorme Maps and GPS