The Garmin iQue 3600 ($590) is one cool combo device. The Palm hand-held computer does a top-notch job of handling contacts and schedules; it also helps you navigate. A sleek antenna flips up to communicate with the Global Positioning System.

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The GPS functions integrate nicely with the Palm–tap a name in the address book with the Palm's stylus to get driving directions from your current location. Comes with detailed maps for most U.S. cities that are easy to read on the 2-by-3-inch, high-resolution screen. A pleasant woman's voice reads the directions aloud. The device's Palm OS 5 can also play MP3 files and record voice messages.

GPS functions run down the batteries in mere hours, instead of the days that most Palms will endure. Because the built-in speaker isn't that powerful, road noise can drown out the driving directions. The 32 megabytes of internal memory hold only a few cities' worth of maps; a $30 add-on card triples the memory.

The best GPS device for the money, and a darn good Palm, though you'll want to add $80 for a Garmin car kit with a better speaker and battery charger.
–David LaGesse