Tablet a good choice for GPS overseas ride? ?
 

I am about to travel around Asia on a postie bike for a couple of years and have decided to carry a tablet as my prime GPS, wifi , book reader etc.
As charging from a 110cc motorbike cannot handle multiple gadgets I would like to carry one device.

I am very interested in the 8.9"Samsung tablet as this would be easy on the eye in the tank bag.

Guys/Gals, am I being too optimistic in hoping this samsung model is capable of serving my needs overseas ? the GPRS function being a priority.

I'd be very surprised if it was rugged enough to be used as a GPS system whilst on the move. I took an Asus Netbook to Morocco, but it was only used during the evening for plotting the next day's route.

Does the tablet have a solid-state memory? Forget it if it's got a 'proper' heard disk, it won't last long at all.

Why the objection to taking something like the Garmin 60CSx? They run on batteries too if you really can't be bothered to hard wire them...

I will probably take a dedicated gps but as I will be travelling for some time I'm being a bit anal about weight, also slack batteries in asia and another peice of gear I've got to keep an eye on. But your're right gps units are so cheap so no great loss if stolen.

I agree with Dave (above) - I don't think that a tablet computer would be rugged enough to serve as a GPS navigator on the tankbag.

Another concern is that power consumption of a tablet will be much higher than power consumption of a dedicated GPS. The power that a dedicated GPS would demand from your motorcycle (presuming you supplied it with 12 volts) is close to negligable - less than one amp (12 watts). Most netbooks and tablets require quite a bit of power, somewhere in the 60 to 100 watt range.

I would recommend you get a dedicated GPS for navigating, and a small netbook (not a tablet) for email, internet, etc. The advantage of a netbook over a tablet is that the netbooks are typically clamshell designs that close up to provide the screen with more protection than a tablet (with its exposed screen) would have.

Don't underestimate the mechanical stress that being carried on a motorcycle for long distances places on a computer. I used to carry an IBM ThinkPad in the pannier of my ST1100. After encountering a couple of problems with little internal parts coming loose, I switched to carrying a Toshiba Toughbook (a ruggedized computer designed for shop and outdoor work).

It doesn't sound like you need that level of computing power (I occasionally had to respond to requests from work while on tour), but the point about ruggedness still applies. If you get a small netbook, you can wrap it up in the middle of your clothing supplies, that will provide it with a reasonable amount of cushioning and protection while you are riding. On the other hand, putting a tablet on a tankbag will be (in my opinion) suicide for the tablet.

Michael

" A couple of years travelling around Asia"

ou aint in any hurry then.Get a compass, getting lost is half the fun.

Yeah, I recently bought a Minsk in Hanoi and did 6000 ks through se asia with only a compass and no guide books, only bought a map half way through.

But I found I missed out on a lot of points of interest and with my deteriorating age and eyesight I want to temper my adventures (this time a mild "active volcano" hunt )
Thanx for the advice guys

I guess I'm looking at these tablets as large mobile phones (that seem reliable ) than small computers (that aren't )
the main moving parts in pcs' are the hard drives so I am attracted to the ram drives in the tablets, also some models have metal casing, gorilla glass, etc.
The problem of longitude was solved by the invention of an accurate ,small and solid watch. I was hoping the smaller factor of the tablet would also be tougher.
I think what I'll do is to take both for a while and compare
I'll report back (probably leaving sept.)

Have you looked at the asus models?
I have an old eeepc 901 that has been with me without any problems.
The T101 model should have the same stuff, but it can be turned into a tablet.
Mine has an SSD instead of a normal HD, and it has even survived falls from over a meter while beeing turned on, I think the T101has the same drive.

Hi,

Rather get a Garmin Nüri 250 for onely US$100. Im selling my. You can even run tracs4africa on it and its easy to store in your pocket. he tablets i know are toys but not realy to be used outdoor...

LG, Tobi