Anywhere wx Compaq

I've used a Garmin 295 for two years and just bought AnywhereMap 2 months ago. Here is my opinion.

The 295 is much easier to read in full daylight. AWM washes out and screen reflections are sometimes a problem, even when using the latest 39xx iPAQ with the better screen.

AWM is a nice product and I really like it a lot. I'm straddling the fence on whether or not I'd buy it again. If I already owned a PocketPC, or had a real "need" for one, then I'd buy AWM in a heartbeat. If you need to buy an iPAQ to run it, I'd think twice about it, as the total cost is about the same as a Garmin 196 or 295.

If you already need reading glasses, the iPAQ is very hard to read on a yoke mount. The 295 on the glareshield is much easier to read and the Garmin units sit up there nicely. It's hard to find a place to mount the iPAQ where I can use and read it easily. If you are under 40, or if you wear bifocals, AWM might work OK for you on a yoke mount.

AWM DB updates are currently $115 for a year (12 monthly updates). You get 6 months of upgrades included in teh purchase price. This is a lot less expensive than the cost of updates for any product that uses Jeppesen data. Garmin gets $30 per update on-line, down from the >$100 per update they used to get.

Bob