Mio C310x 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator Review

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(More customer reviews)I researched all GPs units for over a year. Two GPS's I have experience using plus I spent countless hours researching on the Internet and I played for hours in the store demonstrations.
Some generalities one needs to realize concerning "ALL" GPS units. You will not find any GPS unit that is 100% accurate 100% of the time. You will find that "ALL" GPS units at one time or another will not always take the shortest route or fastest route no matter what you try. This is due to many reasons which include the number of satellites tracking you, weather, map accuracy, etc..,. I have heard often that to buy a unit using NavTeq mapping and avoid the TeleAtlas mapping. Personally, I have ran 2 different GPS units that used "current" NavTeq mapping and I was not impressed. Locally I would sometimes find myself being shown off road with no roads existing while the roads I were on were major secondary roads and had been there for 10+ years and then while driving several long trips on major highways, I would be shown as being off the interstate driving ¼ to ½ mile off in the pasture somewhere. I have found just the opposite with the TeleNav mapping. I have run the TeleNav mapping in the same spots that I had trouble with the NavTeq mapping and I have not had one problem with its mapping navigation. Locally, the NavTeq mapping would sometimes only take me within 1/4 to 1/2 mile of my destination saying I was there when I wasn't. Not with the TeleAtlas, most of the time right on the money but has never been off more than 200 feet. Even running address look ups and points of interest in the demos at the stores, the NavTeq mapping did just not show updated information. Just the opposite with the demo of the TeleNav. "Personally", I like and support the TeleNav mapping over the NavTeq mapping, but please remember this is based on using the TeleNav mapping only with the Mio C310X with the note that this GPS unit comes with the most up to date mapping available (Aug 2006) to this date.
You will find that the majority of GPS units in the GPS market are Garmin and Magellan units. "Personally", I do not like the interface of the Garmin GPS units. In general, the public has Magellan units rated less "overall" compared to Garmin units plus Magellan is known not to have good customer service. "Personally" I do not know but that is the general consensus you will find when one researches. There are many brands out there now which are trying to compete with Garmin and Magellan GPS units. Some are rated pretty good and some are rated quite average or below. BUT there is now a unit that competes head to head with the best of Garmin and Magellan GPS units and depending on your taste, leaves them in the dust. Such a unit is the Mio C310X.
I was very impressed when I bought the Mio C310X and now after driving several long trips, it has not only lived up to its new reputation on the market but has even exceeded my initial review. Here are my thoughts and please realize when you read anyone's pros and cons that some pros and cons can be things that are not "NEEDED" but just nice to have.
Pros:
Uses 20 channel SIRF GPs satellite tracking
Uses TeleAtlas mapping. Has been accurate 99% of the time I have used it
Auto screen dimmer switch from daytime to nighttime use
Speaker is loud and clear
Over speed limit alert on some roads
Can play MP3 while navigating
Small and lightweight unit
2D or 3D viewing with automatic angle viewing
Displays mountains of information for you to see on the screen to include your speed, distance to destination, and time remaining on trip. Also displays cameras at stoplights.
Power is provided by DC car plug, computer USB , or built in battery (approx 2 hours)
Superb windshield mounting bracket
Some units will have 1GB extra memory (check box)
Impressed with customer service (used twice to ask a general question)
Cons:
Comes only in white color
For some people......No built in wireless Mp3 transmitter (easily fixed by using headphones, cassette adapter, or wireless fm transmitter unit and do remember that the built in speaker is a pretty good speaker)
For some people.....does not announce the name of the road you are turning onto ( I don't find this a problem as it displays the name on the unit's screen)
You should be quite happy with this GPS unit. Its fast, accurate, and has lots of bells and whistles that only come with much higher GPS units. Good hunting deciding on which GPS unit that will fit your needs and budget.



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The Mio DigiWalker C310x is a stylish, pocket sized device which combines GPS based portable navigation with a fully featured MP3 audio player. Whether you're heading across town or across the country, the Mio DigiWalker C310x is the perfect travel companion. Wherever the road ahead takes you, the C310x makes it easy to get where you're going.
Design One of the most striking features of the C310x is its stylish design, which invites you to take the device with you no matter where you're going. Completely self contained and ultra portable, the C310x slips easily into pocket or purse and truly adds a new dimension to the concept of portable navigation. The unit is also easy to use; large, easy-to-read icons, a bright 3.5-inch display, and a user-friendly touch screen make it simple to set your destination.
The C310x weighs only six ounces and measures 4.33 x 2.76 x 0.79 inches (W x H x D). Under the hood, the unit features a WAAS-enabled, SiRFstarIII GPS chipset for extreme accuracy, 1 GB of onboard ROM and 64 MB of RAM, as well as an SD/MMC card slot for memory expansion. The unit connects to your PC via USB, and the included lithium-ion battery lasts up to five hours.
Navigation The C310x comes complete with preloaded maps of the entire U.S. (Alaska and Hawaii included) to make sure that you're up and running right away. You also get a huge database of preloaded points of interest (POIs) so you can easily locate restaurants, hotels, gas stations and more. The device guides you every step of the way with clear voice instructions and user-friendly menus in 16 languages, including English, French, and Spanish.
Entertainment To make sure your road trips are complete, the C310x also features a full-featured MP3 player. Great for listening to your favorite albums or audio books while you're on the road (or on the plane before you get on the road) the C310x MP3 player boasts a number of customized EQ settings, a built in speaker and a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack. And for the ultimate in convenience, you can use the integrated SD memory card slot to easily carry your music collection with you.
What's in the Box C310x, USB cable, car charger, mapping DVD, device holder, mount

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