Taxi Driver Online

Morning All,

First time on here so go easy on me!

Just after some feedback on some of the PDA's you guys currently use in terms of reliability and practicality. I know the software will differ depending on your supplier ie. datamaster, autocab, excel etc but just after the actual handset performance feedback - and where better to ask for the good, the bad and the ugly points!


I primarily supply the HTC Touch 3G model but am interested in starting to supply a higher spec device (got in mind either the HTC desire or HTC Touch Pro 2 with a bigger screen.)

Ultimately price (or longer tenure) will be a factor on the higher spec models but interested in feedback to see if you feel this would be a worthwhile price increase.


Cheers

N

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Network Provider

Right hold on for a tough ride.

Whoever thought up the idea that PDA's should be used for Taxi dispatch wants hanging. These things are about as much use as a plastic fireguard, you suffer from dead spots, PDA's constantly crashing, losing connection I could go on.

Anyone going down the PDA route "AVOID AVOID AVOID", stick to a data head.

Hi NetworkNoddy, first of all welcome to TDO. We have just started using PDA's (HTC Touch 3g) and after a few initial teething problems things seem to have settled down, we do get the odd problem with the odd handset, but nothing that cant be sorted.
As for the Touch 3g, I guess they are a little on the small side, and we do have the odd driver moaning that they can't see things properly on the screen, or the buttons are too close together (on the screen).I am about to install Datamaster software on a HTC HD2, so i will let you know how that goes, we shall see if bigger is better.
As for would we want to pay more for larger devices, then the answer as a company is no!, if individual drivers wanted to shell out for a bigger screen then thats up to them.

A PDA is technically a mobile phone. Operating it whilst driving is illegal

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http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

you sure? I thought one touch was allowed, eg accept.



quote from http://www.nopenaltypoints.co.uk/TheLaw ... iving.html

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My heart is heavy, but my consience clear,
I voted Yes, without any fear.

Well i put the software on the HTC HD2 and it looks brilliant, would people ever pay for the HD2 though?

Cheers Westside!

I think the HD2 is a great device & maybe worth looking at the option of using this device on a longer tenure i.e 3-4 years rather than 2-3 in order to keep the same fixed monthly costs.

Nigel - Not a fan then!?

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Network Provider

No never have been.

PDA's aren't for Taxi dispatch and never will be. Anyone who tells you different wants their heads looking at.

If anyone is thinking about going down the PDA route I'll advise them otherwise.

If you want a proper data system go with a company who's been supplying data systems for years. These PDA merchants / dispatch software makers make more money from you on data useage, when you've finished you've paid for the system 5 times over.

There are systems out there which use the PDA system costing upwards of £60,000. looking at the system and what it does I wouldn't pay £60 for it. A decent software writer can knock a system up in a few days, the lad who supplies our radios has done has done just the thing. Price? Rent his radios and he'll do you the data system and full software at cost to him. It works, it cheap and it's good.

Many PDA companies are false advertising saying you can have it free for 12 months or lease it for 5 years, what they don't tell you is they are making shed loads of money from you in data useage.

One firm round here has just had an Auriga system fitted, it makes our system look like something from the stone age. It can dispatch jobs much quicker, it can tell the difference between plots, plots don't move, GPS works "all the time", and best of all it can drop the nearest car onto the closest job, (at £1.23 a litre we need more of them). All this is run on good old data.

PDA's if anyone needs to get rid of any I'll gladly dispose of them for you.

In 20 years of driving Taxis systems have come and systems have gone. These PDA systems will be the next to fall by the wayside in a year or so.

I totally disagree with you nigel i dont think that pdas will be finished in a year or 2 time i personally think many more companies will go down the line of the pdas rather than the data heads. I have a company with 350 drivers i have been an auriga customer for many years i have about 80 drivers on pdas and the rest on data heads the pda drivers love them the freedom it gives them also they have many more features on the pda being a windows mobile unit also the data usage is becoming very cheap & it will fall with years to come so i suppose going onto pdas & it not working very well is down to the despatch company your with if i remember your with mercurey i wud not av their system if it was totally free

You know of them to??

How many times a day do they freeze?

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IDFIMH

My original PDAs used to freeze quite a bit.

But we realized that it was to do with the 'flash card' with extended mapping on.

We changed that around and they are virtually antifreeze now.

You very occasionally have a problem if they get caught in a comms loop when they lose signal for a second or two.

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A member of the Hire or Reward Industry

Drove me f***ing mad.

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IDFIMH

To be honest sussex i had a lot of problems with the accer units but the htc units i have now are fantastic almost 0% freezing on them yes you will have the odd bad days drivers driving thru bad signals etc but fingers crossed they have come a long way from my first batch i had 18 months ago

Give me a data head over a PDA any time.