iPod touch Any experience with Dual XGPS300?

I'm also interested in hearing any impressions. I like the fact that it's been designed more as a case that case be carried around, vs. a car kit type solution. But it also comes with a car kit.

One of my questions is whether it'll work with Google Maps?

So far they missed their release date for the end of November. Almost a week into December and not a word about the status of this product. Starting to look more and more like vaporware to me.

Mugwumper said:

I sure hope not . . . I keep looking in Amazon, since supposedly that's
how we'll be able to buy it initially.

I also can't find the Tom Tom Car Kit. So now I've got this nice new 64GB
Touch, and nothing to put on it . . . ;^) Just kidding - 50GB of music, photos,
podcasts, and audiobooks, plus iCal and AddressBook info, and now a few
apps. I may have to take off stuff to fit a GPS app . . .

So what are our options?

Click to expand...

The problem with the Tom Tom one is you can not use it with out it being plugged into the car charger. its has no battery and will not work with out power. I think the Magellan's GPS Car kit will be similar
So if you want to go geocaching or hiking (the geocaching iphone app ROCKS) Dual is the only option right now. still no word on when it will be released.

I doubt its vaporware. They have a website for it. Dual makes car radios and incar gps systems. They have 2 Car radios with a Ipod touch doc's that will also give it GPS capabilities.

http://gpscradle.dualav.com/

PDF of the product http://gpscradle.dualav.com/pdfs/XGPS300_Fact Sheet.pdf

Looks pretty cool. Wonder how you charge it though. I have a nice large external battery (IMP500), and I would like to be able to charge both the GPS and the iPod with it.

peteo said:

I doubt its vaporware. They have a website for it. Dual makes car radios and incar gps systems. They have 2 Car radios with a Ipod touch doc's that will also give it GPS capabilities.

http://gpscradle.dualav.com/

PDF of the product http://gpscradle.dualav.com/pdfs/XGPS300_Fact Sheet.pdf

Click to expand...

I hope so, it's all I want for Christmas. I'm actually planning a trip then, and I'm hoping it will finally be released in time for me to try it out with Navigon.

Cool design but image looks very flat form the render would look cool if the mountains in the background where blurred and at a darker tone

3 weeks past due

WTF. Nearly 3 weeks from expected launch and not a word from Dual. Apparently they are tired of explaining themselves, because they wouldn't respond to an email I sent. Their website has gone from saying "[available in] late November" to "very soon". Not soon enough. TomTom and others are dropping their prices and are starting to look like better (or at least available) options. So much for having things ready by Christmas. Thanks Dual.

bumping the thread to see if anyone has heard anything else about release date.....

Where the crap is this thing? Stupid Dual. Their products don't actually have the best reputation and I'm starting to wonder if they jumped the gun on this and found some kind of defect in the GPS cradle that precluded them from being able to release it.

I really wanted GPS to be added to the 3rd gen iPod Touch...hopefully this comes out sometime...

I want to use it as a golf rangefinder...

Supposedly Feb 1st

Emailed dual to find out what the delay was, response was as follows:

Sorry for the slow response – I’ve been out of the country over the holidays.

The GPS Cradle will be available February 1st. The delay has been due to the approval process – this took far longer than we had anticipated. However, that is complete and the product is moving through the supply chain now.

Hope this helps!

bonehead1491 said:

Emailed dual to find out what the delay was, response was as follows:

Sorry for the slow response – I’ve been out of the country over the holidays.

The GPS Cradle will be available February 1st. The delay has been due to the approval process – this took far longer than we had anticipated. However, that is complete and the product is moving through the supply chain now.

Hope this helps!

Click to expand...

I'll probably cost $200 or something, so who cares anyway I guess.

Beric said:

I'll probably cost $200 or something, so who cares anyway I guess.

Click to expand...

Ya the rumored list price is supposed to be ~$180...yeesh.

$299 (32GB) + $180 = $479...ouch.

Better still, a gps that's more than half the price of a iPod Touch 3G. If it was around a hundred, maybe.

Date changed once again!

I, too, have emailed Dual. First, they said look for it to be available by mid January. Then it was the 1st of February. Now they're saying the end of February. I hope the most recent update is the last. Still, the XGPS300 appears to be better than the TomTom or Magellan solutions since it's a portable system. I just wish it would get here already. I've already downloaded the NavAtlas app. That was a headache. I have an 8 GB itouch, and apparently you have to have 5-6 GB available in order to download the app (odd since the description says it's a 2 GB app). The actual file size of the app appears to be about 3 GB. Had to uncheck everything, download the app, and then recheck a few things that I wanted back on the itouch. A tedious process for an app when you can't even preview the interface prior to purchasing the hardware. I think I'll wait for reviews before I actually buy the device. Who knows? it could be a flop. Let's hope not.

often emailed with Dual Electronics

want to share some informations about the xgps300
i hope its ok to quote one-on-one dual electronics

december

We will have a model available in Germany early next year. We are completing the necessary regulatory certifications for the EU now.

Unfortunately, though, there is no TMC receiver in the GPS Cradle.

Click to expand...

The product will be available in the US in about 2 weeks. It will be available from Amazon.com.

Click to expand...

january

The approval process took much longer than we had originally anticipated. However, manufacturing is underway and the product will launch in the US on February 1st. It will be available in Europe in late March.

Click to expand...

Yes, there will be a European map option for NavAtlas when the product becomes available in Germany. However, there is no problem using a navigation app from a different company. I recently tested both the European TomTom and Navigon apps and both work fine with the GPS Cradle.

Click to expand...

The speaker on the Cradle is louder then the iPhone speaker, but comparable in quality.

You can use the headphone output on the Cradle for the best sound quality. The car mount also has a 3.5mm audio output for connecting to an AUX input on a car stereo.

Click to expand...

Yes, the windshield mount is included.

Click to expand...

answer of the question "is the 1st Februar still the releasedate of the XGPS300?"

No, it will be more toward the middle of the month.

Click to expand...

This time the delay is related to logistics, and the how the product will be released. That’s cryptic, I know, but it’s all I can say for now.

Click to expand...

PS: newest information about the releasedate:
click

PPS: The website was even down for few minutes and got now some little updates

best regards, pascal

EDIT

reading the "new" FAQ (see last PPS) turned out that maybe the cradle will not available at amazon.com

Q: Where can I buy it?
A: The XGPS300 will be available online in February.

Click to expand...

previously they said it will be available at amazon.com

Last day in February...

Well today is the 28th and still no word on the availability of the Dual XGPS300

rconnor said:

Well today is the 28th and still no word on the availability of the Dual XGPS300

Click to expand...

You noticed that huh?

3 and a half months and still waiting. How long before I finally get a chance to use Navigon on my iPod? How long Dual? HOW LOOOOOONG!?!??!?!111*dies*

Giving up on Dual...

I'm giving up on Dual coming out with their unit. I've contacted them a few times with no response. I just can't trust a company that doesn't reply to their potential customers, nor do I trust a company that gives false hope in a product.

I'm going to buy the TomTom car kit for the iPod Touch and use it with the Navigon app. It may not be what Dual is offering, but at least I won't have to wait another 3 months or more for it.

The problem is them being the only company offering a solution of this type for the iPod (unless you count the module that requires a jailbroken iPod and some technical savvy). If other companies would get into this market as well I'm sure it would have lit a fire under Dual's butt balls. Ah well.

update on the XGPS300

My name is Greg, and I work for Dual. Someone just pointed out this thread to me (thanks Ray!), so I thought I would volunteer to answer questions.

MacRumors forum rules require commercial promotion (which I guess this could be considered) be restricted to the App Store forum, so I've started a thread over there to respond to any questions.

Thanks,
Greg