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I posted this on PriusChat, but for you Prius owners that don't hang there or otherwise haven't seen it ...

I've seen this Palm application (and other very useful info from Wayne's Brown's site (http://privatenrg.com/)) mentioned several times in PC, but I've never seen where it could actually be purchased ... until now. Apparently it's been in beta for some time. During a recent visit to his site, lo and behold, there stood this announcement at the top of the page:

"Update June 2, 2007: -- A fully functional Palm OS version of the program is now available as a 15 Day Trial"

I promptly downloaded and installed the trial version (and subsequently bought it), and I gotta say, this is a slick application. How it works is described in great detail on his site, but in short, it will compute estimated MPG for the Prius based on a wide variety of user-defined variables such as weather, passenger weight, tire rolling resistance, etc., etc.

It's $22 to purchase.

In an e-mail exchange with Wayne he said that he hoped to have a Windows version up soon, also $22. Buyers of either version can get the other for only an additional $5. Each version will have its own distinct benefits.

I should mention that this "marketing" post is totally my idea (and for no compensation), though it carries his blessing. He says he's a techie, not a salesman, and is reluctant to toot his own horn.

(Tom: Can you update the thread title to say, "Prius MPG simulator for Windows-based PC and Palm PDA"? Thanks!)

UPDATE: The Windows version is now available. Here's a screen shot:

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/medium/MPG_Simulator.JPG

Hi Jim:

___How is that ;)

___By all appearances, we should all slow down more for better FE! 55 mph is a good number however.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Hi Jim:

___How is that ;)

___By all appearances, we should all slow down more for better FE! 55 mph is a good number however.

___Good Luck

___Wayne
If you're asking about its look and feel, it's good. Well designed user interface, intuitive. Easier to see than the Palm version, but you should expect someone who's been using reading glasses for years to say that. :) Obviously the advantage of the Palm version is its portability.

I was in a rush earlier and didn't take time to explain: Most of the parameters you see in the screen shot are user-definable. But if you're worried about knowing what to enter for, say, "Cd - Crosswind Correction Factor," don't fret. It figures it for you (based on the NHW20). Or for, say, Road Rolling Resistance, you can choose from among several different types of road surfaces including, for example, smooth & dry, dirt, slushy, powdery snow of various accumulation depths, etc.

Just to reinforce your point about speed, I tried 65 MPH with the other variables in the screen shot. Result is 47.15 MPG.

Hi Jim:

___Yeah, I was more teasing then anything else.

___I have been following Wayne Brown’s site for over two years now as well as the continual progress on his Palm based Sim. He is one of the most technologically savvy Prius owners in the world as I am sure you know. I do hope I get the chance to meet him in person someday as he would be someone I would love to talk with for a few hours …

___Good Luck

___Wayne

This looks really slick. I don't have a Palm but I think I'm going to buy a copy now. :) It seems great for concrete answers to questions like "what difference does X really make?" (Where X has recently been tire pressure, road conditions [wet/dry], brand of tire, wind direction and speed...)