[aprssig] Messaging on the NUVI GPS

[Brian Webster]

The problem with these devices is getting the people capable of programming
to find the time to do it. From day one there has always been an interest to
use PDA'S and other small devices. APRSCe support was dropped years ago and
Windows mobile has not trickled down enough to spur developers to write
something. I'd like to use the ASUS EePC as a device for mobile APRS, but
there again someone needs to do all the hard work to make it easy for the
rest of the ham radio masses to implement. As always in ham radio it takes a
huge amount of time from one or just a few individuals to get something like
that off the ground. It's usually a thankless job and you get a lot of
attitude from people who complain about free stuff and they have no clue
about how much something like this would cost in the real world. This
attitude, I suspect is keeping people from doing just what you are saying.
Over the years I have seen such crass behavior towards product developers
that I am surprised they don't just give up and walk away. I'm certainly
glad they had tough skin and worked through the comments, but that takes an
extraordinary person. There just aren't a lot of people who will put up with
that......sorry to say.



Thank You,
Brian N2KGC


-----Original Message-----
From: aprssig-bounces at lists.tapr.org
[mailto:aprssig-bounces at lists.tapr.org]On Behalf Of Jeff N0JUH
Sent: Tuesday, September 02, 2008 11:48 PM
To: TAPR APRS Mailing List
Subject: Re: [aprssig] Messaging on the NUVI GPS


>
> And as for the nuvi, the alternative would be to go with a small touch
> screen PC, which isn't cheap, and you'd have a hard time getting it to
> match the nuvi for plain old navigation use.
>

I'm not knocking the Nuvi approach - I think it's a brilliant adaptation
of existing technology.  But it's a dead end if you need anything except
its fixed feature set.

I picked up a Nokia 770 on ebay for $70.  Very powerful linux-based
system.  Could run an xastir-size program with no problems. Has a nice
GIS-enabled google-maps type of app (MaemoMapper using open streets.)
Has touch screen, usb and bluetooth.

You can pick up an older tablet pc for $300-$400. Some people pay that
much for a dedicated APRS device.

I guess I need to get off my rear and develop the killer "mobile
software APRS on commodity hardware" app :)

   --Jeff n0juh

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