Customer Reviews
Unable to activate the product 
2006-11-25
I have tried every link on the tomtom web site and been unable to get an activation code. Without the activation code, the product is worthless.
Tungsten E2 + 3224NA 
2006-08-14
I have used 3224NA GPS Car Kit with Tungsten E2 for the last couple of days. Here are a few points to get strarted.
1. You need an SD memory card to install the maps etc prefer 1 GB
2. Follow the instructions that comes with the kit.
3. While connecting the power cable to the cable make sure the small latch on wire and cradle socket is aligned, otherwise you may run into "GPS Not Found" problem.
4. When you connect the cradle to the car first time, connect without the Palm device. Insert the palm after few minutes of running the car, you should be able to see the blue light steady
5. If you run into problems installing, send a mail to palm support, they will send you troubleshooting steps. I am not sure why they have not provided that in the first place.
When it works, it seems to be a good device for the price. I hope this helps
Good interface using the Palm but poor maps 
2006-06-25
This is subject to update!
I purchased this device in June'06. Found out that the maps were atleast 4 years old. Called Tomtom they promised that a free update will be coming in end of Summer. Called again in Nov, said I have to pay for the update which will be coming in Dec. I feel this is really unfair as I had paid the full price in June'06 which also included the maps from tom tom.
I am going to try again in dec when the updates are available to see whether they will give me a free update.
Works great, 5 stars despite a few quirks 
2006-06-15
I've been using the Palm GPS Car Kit with my T5 for about six days now. It works well together with the T5 and, in spite of a few minor quirks and glitches, I give it a 5-star rating. Part of that is because I am just easily amused by cool technology that works, and the Palm GPS Car Kit clearly meets that criteria IMHO. The other part (of 5-stars in spite of a few quirks) is that even at the current Palm price of $179 (available for considerably less elsewhere), this thing is a *steal*.
Pro:
- The cradle is infinitely adjustable on your windshield, so it can be swiveled and rotated to any position you want to get the best view and minimize glare in the daytime.
- Cradle's GPS signal reception is remarkable. The Car Kit comes bundled with an external antenna, but I have not needed it in spite of several stretches of road on my way to work that are heavily wooded.
- Routine functions can be done simply by finger taps on the screen. This includes changing routes if you want to go a different way, bringing up traffic information if you use that component, changing volume, screen colors, destination (if you have them programmed as favorites or if you are using Points of Interest), and more. If you are changing destinations which require entering a specific location or address, you need to pull off the road to do that...though you can still do it by finger-touch, it requires more accuracy and attention, and you *will* drive off the road or have an accident if you try to do this while driving.
- On-screen information, even on the small-ish screens of a Palm, is clear and very readable. It gives lots of info (which you can turn on or off) including speed, time to destination, miles to destination, direction you are traveling (i.e. a compass), upcoming turns by distance, direction and name of next road.
- If you miss a turn, it simply and quickly re-routes you the nearest way back to the original route.
- It gives you many options to set route including shortest, fastest, non-highway, avoid tolls, and other parameters. If you don't like the route it shows you, you can have it recalculate the route and gives you the option of avoiding specific portions of that route.
- Included TomTom maps seem pretty darn up-to-date to me, though others have noted some errors. The Points Of Interest databases have many, many locations listed, particularly lots of hotel locations. Note, however, that these are more detailed in the State or Regional US maps, than they are on the Major Roads and Cities map.
- You can plan a trip off-line (advance planning) very much like how Mapquest works...i.e. enter city, street and addresses (or use Points of Interest or just "city to city") for your starting and destination points, and it calculates your route showing miles and time.
- Did I mention the great bargain this thing is?
Cons:
- Occasional freezes on the Palm. This has happened after I obtained updated traffic info via bluetooth phone. (You have to first Register with an email address and password on the TomTom site, then from the Palm you can activate a free 30-day trial of the TomTom Plus Traffic service.) I don't know yet whether this will be a persistent issue. Freezes are quickly remedied with a soft reset. After reset, power off the Palm, reinstert in cradle, power back on and you're back in action.
- Cannot navigate or plan trips across multiple maps. Even if you have more than one map installed, the software only works with the currently "loaded" map and you only have one map loaded at a time. If you need to navigate or plan a trip which spans more than one map (i.e. across country), you need to use the Major Roads and Cities map. It works well, but it does not have the level of detail (i.e. smaller roads and addresses, many fewer POI's) as the State or Regional maps.
- Maps are large, so to install a few US regional maps you really should have a 1GB card though this is by no means necessary. Regional maps are typically 140-170 MB in size. The Major American Roads and Cities map is something like 220 MB. Individual state maps are considerably smaller, but it is *much* more functional to install several Regional US maps onto your SD card.
- Included documentation is fairly sketchy. As for the hardware end of it, all you really get from Palm is a fold-out setup sheet. The TomTom software manual on the disc is "ok" but not great. The TomTom support site is likewise "ok" but not great.
All in all, the Palm GPS Car Kit is functional, flexible, and highly entertaining to those like me who are easily amused.
Overall I'm Happy with it but... 2006-06-08
Pros:
- I like that the cradle houses the GPS device and charges the Palm while i drive.
- To my surprise it came with an auxillary antenna that can can be plugged in and mounted outside the car (although the cord is extremely long and awkward).
- The TomTom software seems to work fine so far, but already i came across a major highway interchange that was completely re-built a few years ago and the maps still conform to the way the roads used to be.
Cons:
- I have found that if I do not turn the application off that I have memory problems that I, as a non-techie, can only solve with a soft reset. Once I realised this I started turning the appllication off, and have had no problems since. I am curious to know what 3rd party apps there are to clean up the "memory leak".
- Reception was fine without the aux antenna, until it really clouds up and starts raining. If I plug in the antenna and stuck it on the car roof (it's waterproof with a long cord and magnetic base) it fixes the problem. The cord, however, is very long and inwieldy. It is also very difficult to plug in.
- I notice that if it does lose reception, the whole screen will freeze and that the only way to get it to pick up sattelites again is to unplug the power source from the lighter and start again.
Another point of note; the Palm website says it only works with the T5 and E2 models, but I have it working just as well with our TX too. Palm support was useless in trying to figure this out, but there are loads of good forums out there to help out.
Installation was not an issue at all. The only confusing thing was that I expected to be prompted to put in map software. Somehow you are just supposed to know that you should do two separate installs (once for the software, once for the maps), before moving on to activate the device.
Decent GPS For Value 2008-01-06
It's a good gps accessory for the price, though you have to plug the palm TX in first then once you power it up unplug the gps unit and plug it back in to get it to connect. Other than that, it is well worth the money.
Not bad 2007-11-17
I purchased this GPS for my Tungsten E2 and it seems to perform pretty well. I and my wife had gone on a vacation and the unit did pretty well. It is not perfect and it did have a few hiccups along with somewhat outdated points of interest, but all in all it was a pretty good buy. I was surprised that it had mapped some out of the way places well.
Nice little GPS for the Palm 2007-09-17
I was surprised that the kit came with the external GPS receiver. From everything I read, I assumed that the external receiver was sold separately.
I knew going into this purchase that I wasn't getting a nice, compact portable GPS that are all in one devices. I didn't mind dealing with extra parts, wires, etc. since I really wanted to use the Palm Tungsten E2 for more than just my excel spreadsheet.
It wasn't very clear if the cradle also had a GPS receive integrated in it. Apparently, it does since the unit works without the external receiver. The external one can be used if a stronger signal strength is desired. So far there has been no need for it.
Pros:
1. Nice little unit... works well. Maps are clear and the points of interest really come in handy when needing to find a restaurant or gast station.
2. Cradle and power cord are really all that you need. The external receiver is just a plus.
3. Volume is very loud and clear.
4. Power cord is for both the GPS receiver and charging the Palm.
5. Quick rerouting of courses.
6. Much more but I can't recall all the details.
Cons:
1. It takes the unit about half a minute to pick up the GPS Signal. If you start moving before it obtains the signal, it can take a long time.
2. The instructions about installing the maps is unclear in the instruction booklet. It's a separate install from the main application and the instructions hint that you need to install them but provide no steps.
3. A bit cumbersome dealing with the car cradle... I use the Palm for other things so I need to constantly take it out and put it back in. The cradle isn't so portable like the popular portable GPS units are these days (but I knew this before buying).
My Palm package wasn't clear on the maximum SD Card it supports. I bought a 2GB SD Card and later found out that it doesn't work with the Tungsten E2. I saw other similar reports from others on the web. I had to go with a 1GB SD Card. This is a limitation in the PDA, not the TomTom unit.
I would recommend this product to anyone who knows what they are getting into. It's not a portable GPS unit like the ones out in the market. It's great for people who want to use their Palm for more than just taking down schedules and notes.
Buyer Beware! 2007-01-29
This product works amazingly well on my Palm E2! However, Navagator 5.0, which is what comes with the product, is already out of date. The maps are old. And in trying to update the maps, I find that the Palm E2 is no longer supported. It seems the software requires a more powerful device with Navagator 6.0. GREAT! Just great.
Larry Coffman
Quirks, Glitches, & Joy 2006-12-29
I can agree with all the reviews listed about this product. It's very glitchy and it's also great when it works. Maybe I have a lemon, but it's completely unpredictable as to whether it will work or not. Sometimes, just plug in and go! Other times... nothing. I'm not patient enough to deal with the unpredictability so mine's going back. IF you're a Palm T5 owner and want an extra gadget for fun... this one's for you. If you NEED (or want) a GPS system that works every time, consider one of the higher quality self contained systems.
