3. HP iPAQ Rx1950 Navigator

The IPAQ rx1950 is first and foremost a PDA, with GPS features added. Unlike the other GPS units tested here, the device offers a host of PC office, email and multimedia applications.

Weighing in at 4.4 oz., the rx1950 Navigator's Samsung SC32442 300-MHz CPU and 96 MB of memory offer enough horsepower and memory bandwidth to handle the bundled Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system with Microsoft Outlook, Excel and Internet Explorer applications and the 3.5" TFT display. An 802.11b chipset offers Wi-Fi connectivity, which worked reasonably well with my home-office LAN 802.11g network. For all practical purposes, the rx1950 Navigator is the same device as the rx1950, which we previously reviewed, without the GPS functionality.

ViaMichelin, designed by the same French company that makes Michelin tires and travel guides, serves as the navigation software. To activate the navigation functions, you must lock in the PDA to its cradle, which is powered by a connection to your car's cigarette lighter. Voice-prompt directions are channeled through built-in speakers.

ViaMichelin Navigation X-950T running ViaMichelin GPS navigation software

Battery life for the rx1950 Navigator when used for GPS applications is irrelevant, since the cradle must be plugged into the cigarette lighter in order for the PDA's navigation applications to be activated. The device cannot thus be used to navigate outside of your car while walking or on a bike, which is a drawback.