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I think the user interface engineer in this company is much better than others. but if you like traveling and need a digital map, it's perfect.I have used this GPS in my 4600-mile coast to coast trip and it really helped me a lot.
It's has the best presentation (not in picture quality, but in usefulness) of routes, while you are driving, all its zooming (to make you focus on turns) and spinning animations (like on ramp) are smooth, automatic and CONTINUOUS, and you can pan and move the map whenever you want, which are also done very smoothly. This GPS device probably didn't get as much as stars as others, but I really loved it, not because it has the latest map, not because it has best POI data, but because of its superb interactivity.
If you like to play around with things like Google Map, this is the product for you.If you are directionally challanged, cannot recognize road or read map at all and plan to completely rely on a GPS while driving, and don't really want to look at the map itself, then this is probably not for you. This makes it a superb portable digital map.
Garmin and TomTom's map is very hard and unintuitive to navigate using human fingers, I am always frustrated on them. I had also used it in various trips, including Hawaii (well, it got some crossings marked wrongly, once or twice).Pros:- Cheap.- Best human-computer interactivity, easy to add, modify your route.
- Real human voice, although it cannot read the street name, but instructions hears nice.- Provides plenty of geographical information.Cons:- expensive update package, I never bought update since 2007.
Now I'm running a video player, I'm running a geographic geocache program on it that is very useful for those out there geocaching. It's highly expandable, customizable, and user friendly. Except for the styling and colors, it's pretty much like every other GPS unit out there.However, I found out it was running on Windows CE, and that means I could load other programs and applications on it. I like it that much.Out of the box it's an okay GPS unit. I actually bought one of these several years ago when they first came out. Memory is extremely limited. Mine have been through thousands of miles of travel, on several airplanes playing full length movies, basically all over the world. PROS: it's a sturdy, hardy little beast.
Price.CONS: Maps age much faster than Mio is updating them. It's fabulous. This is my second and I keep it around just in case anything happens to the first one. It has turn by turn guidance, and gets me where I need to go. I added a calculator, a calendar, a note pad, I think 7 additional apps that did not come from Mio on it. I now have the functionality of a $1200 GPS unit for under $300. Does not have voice navigation, as in it tells you "turn right in one half mile", but does not say any street names (not a con for me, but some have said it is). USB port is a throughput only, and not a hub, so you can't really do much more than swap programs and files, and charge the Mio through the USG port.
There was ONE map update released around August of 2007, but none since then. I bought one of these back in 2006 at a black friday sale for[.]. [.]. Great price at the time. I does the job ok, [.]. If you're ok with 2 year old maps, then by all means this is an acceptable unit. On the plus side, it is hackable and you can easily access the underlying WinCE operating system.
Just got a used one for under $40. I loaded a 2GB SD card with the programs and my favorite mp3 songs and still have a lot of free space available. Screen is very bright with nice colors.
One note, the voice direction is off for the 300 yds or less as it announces the yardage a little late (for example it would say turn left in 100 yds. The BEST thing about Mio is that it is easily hacked to be a full function Windows based PDA, music and video player. GPS works ok, not exceptional but very acceptable.
Initial signal acquisition may be a little slow in certain locations but is easily enhanced by getting an external antenna (under $17). when in actuality you're only 50 yds. from the turn) Once you realize this anomoly, it's not a problem.
I downloaded a free program from a forum site that enabled the unit to have full compliment of games, utilities, and useful programs. Only drawback is that the maps are from '06 and don't think it's worthwhile to upgrade the maps as I've read that it isn't much of an improvement.
IF it had Text to Speech, it would be the ideal GPS. Simple to use and has the MP3 to use while running in the wind.
Gave one to my girlfriend and kept one. Then along came my gear-jamming daughter with her Atlas.
Bought 2 on Black Friday just for the toy affect. The GPS is well worth the money.
Yep, mine went with her. I bought another one for me.
Must say, Mio has a hard time working on the Big Island of Hawaii. I say buy it.
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