Fossil Wristwatch & Garmin iQue 3600 Delayed

The shipping dates for two of this summers most anticipated Palm Powered models have slipped behind. Both the GPS enabled Garmin iQue 3600 and the Fossil Palm OS wristwatch will ship a few weeks later than previously expected.

Garmin iQue 3600Garmin iQue 3600
Amazon.com, which has been accepting pre-orders of the iQue 3600 since mid April, now reports a shipping date of July 15th. It is listed for $549.99 and ships free.

The iQue 3600 uses Palm OS 5 and is powered by Motorola's 200 MHz DragonBall MXL microprocessor, it boasts internal memory of 32 megabytes, SD memory expansion slot, and a 320x480-pixel transflective TFT display with more than 60,000 color combinations. Additionally, the product integrates Garmin's new Que Technology the company's premier application that delivers GPS-based location awareness to PDA users. The handheld measures 5.0" x 2.8" x 0.8" (72 x 128 x 20.3 mm) and weighs 5.2 oz.

Fossil Palm OS Wristwatch
Amazon has also reported a shipping delay on the Fossil Wrist PDA line. Depending on the model style and version, the online retailer is reporting they will begin shipping on July 21st and July 31st. The Fossil line comes with a choice of either Metal, sport of a leather wristband, with prices of $295 for the metal and leather and $275 for the sport. The Abacus version goes for $199 with a metal band and $179 for the sport version.

Fossil Palm OS Wrist PDA ~ Click For LargerFossil's WRIST PDA is fully compatible with the Palm OS platform and will run most Palm OS applications. It features an illuminated 1.4-inch, 160 x 160 pixel touch screen with a stylus integrated into the watch band for Graffiti input. It runs Palm OS 4.1 on a 33 MHz Motorola Dragonball VZ processor, 2MB internal memory, Rocker switch user interface, infrared port, rechargeable battery, and the classic Palm OS applications.

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Too many delays

gfunkmagic @ 7/8/2003 12:13:31 PM #
I think these two products are emblamatic of what happens when companies reveal too much info in advance. They generate lots of excitment when products are 1st annouced, but then the excitment/interest may start to wane when production/release deadlines keep getting pushed farther and farther back. It very irritating!

----------------------------------------
"Computers are useless. They can only give you answers."

-Pablo Picasso.

RE: Too many delays
edyaw @ 7/8/2003 12:28:17 PM #
I agree. My fingernails are splintering, hanging on to the notion that my pda can tell me where to go, and be polite about it.

RE: Too many delays
Palminator @ 7/8/2003 1:57:55 PM #
Absolutely agree. Having strategic "leaks" of information is a much better approach since this still helps keep interest in the product (BTW Palm, Inc seems to be very good at this). The product should not be launched until you know the ship date.

RE: Too many delays
Altema @ 7/8/2003 2:51:59 PM #
"I agree. My fingernails are splintering, hanging on to the notion that my pda can tell me where to go, and be polite about it."

If it gets delayed much longer, then Navigator for Palm OS will beat them to the punch and significantly reduce demand for the iQue. Navigator has 'on the fly' driving directions with spoken turn by turn instructions.

Truthfully?
mikemusick @ 7/8/2003 4:21:42 PM #
In the case of the iQue, with no competitive product on the horizon, I think Garmin is stretching the lead time as far out as they possibly can in order to clear old product inventory. The markets for their other navigation-type consumer GPS products (namely, the GPS V and the Street Finder III) are going to be very seriously eroded once the iQue hits.

Personally, I'd wish they'd **** or get off the pot. Developers have been hearing about the Garmin/Palm thing for years and something real is way, way past due.

RE: Too many delays
mikemusick @ 7/8/2003 4:30:33 PM #
By the way...

>Navigator for Palm OS

... is not a significant competitor because of the "fiddly bits" of having to deal with a separate GPS (and supplying power to it, too, and the cables). In this application, the integrated approach hold the trump cards.

RE: Too many delays
Altema @ 7/8/2003 5:07:27 PM #
Navman GPS sled. No wires, just clip and go. Also uses WAAS for better accuracy where available. Of course, the iQue would be better in situation where GPS use is primary. However, I did the GPS survey for one of the largest medical centers in the US using only the Navman and a Palm M5xx.

RE: Too many delays
drw @ 7/8/2003 8:32:51 PM #
I'd like to try out the iQue, especially with topo maps. I'm outta shape, need to getta life, etc.

---
David
RE: Too many delays
73939133 @ 7/8/2003 11:31:02 PM #
Navigator for Palm OS... is not a significant competitor because of the "fiddly bits" of having to deal with a separate GPS

Ordinarily, I would agree. However, GPS's are special: the antenna often benefits greatly from being placed separately from the display. A Bluetooth GPS together with a Bluetooth PDA is probably the most convenient way of doing that.

I think the Garmin is primarily useful for handheld and "on-foot" applications.

RE: Too many delays
I.M Anonymous @ 7/9/2003 2:45:23 AM #
Actually, Navigator 1.01 for OS5 is already out (for free with the demo maps). See http://209.143.14.6/palmnav.jsp

RE: Too many delays
Altema @ 7/9/2003 9:06:43 AM #
What? I thought they would drop me a line when it was ready. Thanks for the tip!

RE: Too many delays
Altema @ 7/9/2003 4:49:31 PM #
Looks good, but I did not like having to delete ALL my old maps from the card before it would find the correct map. I'll have to try the turn by turn on the way home. It's obvious that the Garmin whould be easier to see due to the screen size, but this will do for now.

RE: Too many delays
I know nothing @ 7/21/2003 8:43:00 AM #
Actually this note is not about the delay but a mere experience share about handheld GPS... I am a very happy owner of Garmin's StreetPilot III with both US and European maps and have taken the unit to the following areas:

Vancouver, Canada (Driving)
Most of Switzerland (Driving)
Koln, Germany (Walking)

My experience is that the GPS works very well when you are in the middle of a road without too much high-rise buildings around you. However, when you are in a busy city, things could get ugly.

For those who knows about Vancouver, Canada. A drive thru Stanley Park where all the trees are, the GPS would most often loses sync with satellites. Also, depending on the time of day, driving through downtown Vancouver could also be a problem. In the city center of Koln, where most of the high-rises are, I had some problem using the streetpilot as a navigator...

Having said all that, I experience nearly no problem in Switzerland except when driving through tunnels. Now, what I can tell are the following about GPS in case some of you don't know how it works:

1) GPS requires at least three different satellite's timing signal in order to triangulate your location. (thus the word, "tri")

2) The timing signals are usually not that strong so trees and buildings could block the signal. I actually feel good about this or else I would worry about my brain getting fried by all these timing signal.

3) Satellite moves around the world so depending on the time of day and how many satellites are overhead, synchronization could become affected.

Since the PDA version of the GPS is aimed for people walking on the street as well as driving... I would suggest to people who are thinking of buying this device to wait for reviews and trials in big cities. Somehow, I don't have too much concerns about driving with the device but walking around in a city with mostly highrise could disappoint some users...

Anyway, I know nothing. :-)

Difference between Abacus & Fossil

sjthomas @ 7/8/2003 12:22:44 PM #
What's the difference between the Fossil and Abacus Palm OS watches -- other than $100?
RE: Difference between Abacus & Fossil
Scott R @ 7/8/2003 1:08:33 PM #
One's ugly, the other's butt-ugly.

Scott

http://goodthatway.com

RE: Difference between Abacus & Fossil
rsc1000 @ 7/8/2003 2:42:39 PM #
ABACUS is another Nrand that Fossil uses for marketing - so the're bot Fossil.

RE: Difference between Abacus & Fossil
Lucky Bob @ 7/8/2003 4:15:22 PM #
I think the Abacus watches are supposed to be cheaper too.

By the way, what's "Nrand" and "bot"???

(Why do some people say you can kill two birds with one stone when it's hard enough killing one bird with two stones?)

RE: Difference between Abacus & Fossil
rsc1000 @ 7/8/2003 10:03:56 PM #
I really should read what i type before hitting the 'post' button. So it should have been:

ABACUS is another brand that Fossil uses for marketing - so the're both Fossil.


Um...

Lucky Bob @ 7/8/2003 4:16:53 PM #
Yikes, all these delays. I wonder what the problems are?

By the way, I don't mean to be a spoiled sport, but Brighthand reported these delays a week ago...then again, it was a holiday last week, so I understand.

(Why do some people say you can kill two birds with one stone when it's hard enough killing one bird with two stones?)

So what?

mikecane @ 7/8/2003 4:50:15 PM #
As someone who has no interest in either product -- can not use either product, has no use for either product -- let me give the Official Reaction of those of us who share these predilections:

YAWWWWWWWN!

Now where the hell is the WiFied 320x480 SGed PalmOS PDA, dammit?!!?

RE: So what?
mikecane @ 7/8/2003 4:51:43 PM #
Oh geez. Now we had ads in the Thanks for Posting page!!

Pass the Barf Bag...

RE: So what?
mikecane @ 7/8/2003 4:52:16 PM #
Typo. had = have

I was so upset!

RE: So what?
drw @ 7/8/2003 8:34:54 PM #
Yea, and are their other ique specific forums other than the Yahoo Group? Would prefer one in the "vBulletin" format. Yahoo Groups have too much spam.

---
David
RE: So what?
Altema @ 7/9/2003 4:53:31 PM #
"Yahoo Groups have too much spam."

My address was pretty much spam free... until I joined a couple Yahoo Groups. Now I get about a dozen a day. I will never join another Yahoo group :<


RE: So what?
mikecane @ 7/9/2003 5:49:58 PM #
My YMail box is nearly spam-free. But now I wonder... somehow my Yahoo acct is tied to my wildmail email address -- and that gets HUNDREDS of frigging spams! Thank you, I have no need for: teen porn, anatomical enlargement, or aphrodisiacs. Nor would I like another copy of the latest virus (I got *three* of the ATT called "Movie"!).


Latest release date is now September. 2003?

CurlyBrian @ 7/15/2003 6:06:12 PM #
If there are still no review copies then I doubt that date can be met either. I'd bet 1st quarter of 2004. Missed holiday season, boo hoo.

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