Comments on: Garmin iQue 3600 Available for Pre-Order

Looks like the specs changed from the original announcemtn. I updated the article to show 200mhz. It, unfortunately, does not have bluetooth.

Well I'll be - which bright spark at Garmin decided not to include bluetooth?! They just cut their sales by at least half.

A GPS unit with no internet connectivity - looks great, I'd love one but no BT no way.

I understood from another post somewhere (I'll have to troll around to see if I can find it) that BT was not included because of interference between the BT tranciever and the GPS receiver.

coop

Why don't Garmin use the 400 Mhz from the Tungsten W?

They can integrate BT and switch between BT and GPS. If you use GPS you don't need BT.

NO Bluetooth !

I was very much interested in having Bluetooth. So I contacted Garmin in this regards.

Here is the answer from Russ Watts, Service Support, MIS & GSM Diagnostics, Garmin (Europe) Ltd:

"BlueTooth is not being included with the iQue 3600 unit. There is a SDIO slot, which you can utilise with third party BlueTooth adaptors.

There are no plans to incorporate BlueTooth into any of our GPS/GSM/PDA devices."

What a petty! But at least we now know where we at in this regards.

presently using m105 - waiting for Garmin iQue3600 with Bluetooth

Nobody is exactly sure at this point, so we'll have to wait to see the specs on it, including the screen and sound API's. If they use the Palm OS 5 screen API and don't create their own like Sony used to do, then the Garmin should be able to take advantage of all screen space the NX series can.

-Bosco
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Well for me, when I finally do get my license, I'll be using a Bluetooth GPS solution with my then current Palm. It'll be so much easier to understand roads and routes to places and cities that it'll be well worth the cost. I'd say the Garmin would be good for frequent travelers. It all depends if you have enough money to spend on such a luxury, really, and if it's worth it for you to spend that money according to the frequency you think you would need it.

-Bosco
Proud Member of the Top Non-Mods
Members: abosco and ImpReza M3
Now accepting new applications

if money is not an issue i would still not like to have GPS to my device which will add bulk on times that i dont need it. i would rather get it separately,,, but anyway doesnt matter as long as we have new brands coming out.

Just don't try it in NYC or other dense metro areas. The GPS signal won't penetrate.

Yes it is. In the discussion forum I posted a link to the Dutch Palmclub-site, which has a lot of interesting pictures of the Garmin taken at the Cebit. It really looks cool and most likely will be my next PDA.

You fiend! You could have posted the URL. I had to go search. Here it is, kids:

http://www.exception.nl/cebit2003/

Man, is that a frigging UGLY Soft Graffiti area!

Well, pre-orders do two things.

1. Guarantee the consumer they will get the product (if demand is high).
2. Put money in the retailers' pockets sooner.

Sometimes pre-orders also include incentives, to help the retailer do #2. Maybe a free case, etc to those who pre-order.

_____
Fammy

Yes, I obviously understand the *idea* of pre-ordering. But not with Garmin products. They are very, very careful to fill the pipeline immediately on new products. For that matter, that's likely why the ship date keeps slipping - nobody gets 'em until *everybody* can get 'em.

A pre-order may help you with a specific retailer, but once they hit the streets, if Retailer A runs out, that's their own stock ordering problem. Retailer B or C will likely have it, and some of them at less than the pre-order prices.

As a Garmin retailer, I can say that your comments are not entirely correct. Garmin has delayed release because they've still been adjusting/modifying & improving the product (the other reason final specs aren't out).

The very first initial production runs will be smaller, to get the production kinks out. After that, larger "normal" production runs will occur, but shipments of enough product to fill the sales channels WILL TAKE TIME. Garmin IS NOT hoarding production runs in order to ship "everyone at once". Garmin will be inspecting 100% of all output for a while, which also slows the release process.

The vendors who will have the units the soonest will be those who ordered large enough quantities, as early as possible to the January announcement date. But since everyone has been selling these since then, everyone should have a large quantity of backorders to fulfill first. There MAY be a few vendors who don't have everything sold from their 1st 4 weeks of shipments - depending on the size and timing of their Garmin deliveries. But as time goes by, more of their future deliveries will also be pre-sold.

Crossing our fingers, Garmin is hoping to start shipping to vendors by early mid-July. I'll believe it when it comes in the door.

So, based on my previous experience with Garmin releases of popular new products - initially (if you don't have it on order yet), you may be lucky enough to get on a backorder list that is only 2-3 weeks long (after initial release), but it may take a lot of looking . Beyond that, if you wait until August to order, you will have to work hard to find one to ship the same day. For very popular products like this will be, it can take 2-3 months to fill the sales channels so that most dealers have them in stock.

But, you are welcome to wait to place your order when you are ready and take your chances.

Regarding price deals on the iQue:
If you wait until August, I don't think you'll find much better prices than what is out there as "unpublished prices" when you add to your cart. You may have to search around to get the absolute lowest price, but I think the low prices are out there NOW, without waiting.

Remember that for most reputable Garmin dealers do not charge you for the product until it is shipped, so if you find a better price or can get it earlier elsewhere, you probably can cancel a pre-order before it is shipped. At least that's how we operate.

Jo Ann

GPS4FUN Lady

The iQue has a headphone jack on the top left, away from the stylus.

They have a holder for it that's a bean bag with speaker and (I think) power connector. It allows you to move the iQue from car to car without having to connect anything other than power.

The base map in the NA versions is the NA map, the Euro one comes with the Euro basemep. You can purchase the "other" mapset and load it if you want.

"AFAIK there is no exteral antenna conneciton"...

There is an external antenna connection, on the top, right beside the stylus...

Go to the website and click on the link for "SD expansion slot". A popup will appear, with a pix of the top of the unit.

The external antenna connection is clearly labelled.

http://www.garmin.com/products/iQue3600/#