Glenn

from http://glennmoller.com

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EDIT: This review is over 1 year old... it was bumped and update posted..





Retail $499. Street $350.

I've heard of the Digi Walker from a commercial on an DL.TV show. They just got them in at Fry's and had them on sale for $350 so I picked one up.

I've got a shiit ton of GPS devices (some older I got years ago).. what like 10 units last count, not counting the laptop / usb based GPS receivers I have, but including a few in dash dedicated automotive GPS / NAV systems in many of my vehicles.

BUT

In true geek fashion, I wanted yet another GPS device, this time a TINY / SMALL handheld unit that could act both as a street navigation unit AND a walk around (on foot) GPS. The first thing that came to mind was that I could just use my Garmin Vista Cx.... haha.. but I wanted something that had VOICE commands for the car. When I'm driving I don't want to look at my GPS at all.. I want to hear it. So the entire line of mini Garmin GPS handhelds was out.

I also wanted something that I could put in my pocket... easily. Not some semi egg shaped device that does not fit in my pocket. I also didn't want a windows mobile PDA turned into a GPS, since the form factor is also just too big to fit in the pocket which already has my PDA phone in it anyway.

I wanted a GPS that was smaller than an Ipod, oh and if it had a touchscreen, MP3 player (WITH built in SPEAKER so I can listen like a radio), Video player, SD card slot and a few games on it that would be cool also...

oh and one more thing.. I WANT ALL THE DAMN HIGH DETAIL STREET LEVEL MAPS OF THE ENTIRE US AND CANADA INCLUDED AND PRELOADED ON THE DAMN DEVICE !!!! and in addition I want 11+ million points of interest, street by street speed limit data and more.. ALL included with the unit for no extra charge !

Enter the Mio H610... it has all that and soo much more... it's nuts that it does all this in such a small package.




In addition to having some killer software features, the unit itself has nice hardware to boot, like a 20 channel SiRFstarIII GPS sensor / chip, large (for its size) 2.7" TFT touchscreen, built in speaker, 3.5mm standard mini phone jack, ALL the US and Canada (street level high detail) preloaded on the Device (and your SD Card Slot is still open / free), etc.. The unit is only 2.32" x 3.35" x 0.74" and is powered by a 1300 mAh Li-ion which can be charged via included adapter or right from any USB port via included USB cable.

I'm not exactly sure of the actual processor used in the device, but there must be a graphics chip in there as well who knows. The GUI is very responsive and games are smooth, including a 3D flight game.

There is a loop at the bottom of the unit for a strap, SD card and lock switch is on the right side, mini USB and headphone jack also on bottom, power button on top and a return to main menu button on the left side.



The H610 also comes with a bunch of stuff. I was like whoa. It has 2 CD's (with video editing software and all kinds of stuff), manuals, Headphone, headphone remote control, 2 stick car bases, 1 in car adjustable suction cup arm, usb cable, car adapter, neck strap, wrist strap with stylus, and I think thats it, but it was nice seeing all that stuff in there.

You probably want to check out a video that mio put together about this device:
(right click save as)
http://www.miogps.com/videos/h610-video.wmv

I can't go over all the features, but here are some screen caps of just a few of the things in the device..


The cockpit view of the unit can be in 3D or 2D. Data is entered via on screen keyboard which keys are about the size of a palm treo, so it's easy to type. If a street you are driving on has posted speed limit data it will be displayed as well.

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My MYSPACE Page My Homepage: Glennmoller.com MWGC#2

Glenn

Points of interest can be easily searched, you can enable if they are viewed on the map by clicking them on or off above. There is a cool screen to show GPS status.


The GPS automatically goes into day / night mode depending on the time of day.


Some of the other views of the map.


The unit has a magnetic compass built in as well. Something that works even with GPS off. There is also weather information that can be synced into the device via computer (forcasts) for many cities.

[img]


In various formats it will play MP3, WMV9, Mpeg-4, .Mov, Divx, AVI, JPEG, BMP, ASF, etc.. Now before you take a dump that it can play all the formats, note that it will only play a particular set of video formats within an AVI or Mpeg or WMV file (like divx, H263, etc) matched up with with the right audio codec, etc.. check the MIO site for all the file frmats you can play / view.

All in all, for the price, it's a pretty nice unit. It's by far one of the smallest self contained GPS units that has ALL the high detail US and Canada maps built in (included) and leaves your SD card slot open. Add to this the fact it will play photos, mp3's and video files and the value begins to improve. As a last mention the device IS based on a windows mobile OS but you never see the OS pop up, not even during startup :-) The touch screen works well with just your fingers (which is all I use on all my PDA's).

I'm impressed with this little device.

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Retrosnipes

DUDE, that's PIMP. I want one now...

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subtle02GT

that's badass glenn!

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ford fvcked up and put a 4v in my GT

Markstang

Very Very cool. I wish my 300 had voice activated Nav, instead of the joysticknav. Can you download updates on that thing as new streets are added?

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MWRealEstateCrew #1 (MW official Realtor ) - MW80sCrew - MWJortsCrew

bored

pretty cool for $350

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sig by smokdya

Glenn

yep

You can download new POI and maps.. on Mio's sie however in their download section there are no files... my guess is because the device is new.

On the unit itself it's awesome.. you can go to the stats menu and see exactly how up to date each state map section is.. the oldest map data in there is from 2005.. each state is listed, the map size (in kb) the date the data was last updated, etc..

another cool thing is you don't need to install a any kind of full blown or scaled down version of MS active sync to hook it up to your computer.. like a PDA.. nothin.

just a simple driver install and the mio software communicates with the device.

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C17chief

Something like that would really come in handy flying if maps for other countries are available and can be loaded onto an SD card for the spare slot. I have a GPS reciever for the laptop and nav software for europe as well as the US. Comes in handy quite a bit when we get our own vehicle and are somewhere or want to go somewhere no one on the crew is familier with. Have pulled out the laptop setup a lot for that. Some shiat like that would be even better vs throwing my laptop in the van when we need it.

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09 Escape
03 F-150

Glenn

yeah the got maps for Russia, and Europe for it.... the unit already comes with like 10 different voice languages built in.

This thing is actually from a company in Germany.. all the accessories are made in germany (the device itself is made in china though). but Mio is one of the largest GPS suppliers in Europe.

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FWP!

I frickin love the GPS Nav on my cell phone. Bonus - it's free Updates every second and I can search for anything and it'll take me to the address or any place I pin point on the map, and it gives me turn by turn directions through the speaker. It'll also tell me how fast I'm traveling, direction and elevation above sea level. Just nuts to do all that in a phone.

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Daytona '10

http://willpphoto.smugmug.com/

PimpMyStang

thats sick... i got the c310 circuit city has them for $199...alittle bigger but no bells and whistles like urs...navi works great tho...quickly finds sattellites...my buddy has a gps that takes a good 10 minutes to find sattellites and a good 20 minutes if hes moving...one thing i heard tho is Mio maps isnt planning on updating thats why they are going for so cheap...

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2003 Expedition EB

2"Eibach Sport kit-Bilstien shocks/struts-22's-Drilled/Slotted Rotors

Glenn

yeah I wish I had free GPS service on my cell phone... I tried it (cost me per month though) and it worked better than I thought.. heh. If it was free.. shiat.. that would be awesome.. heh.





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the Garmin c310 is an awesome GPS. For $199 you can't beat that for what you get.

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ForPointSex

Garmin>Mio

I'm very happy with my Nuvi 350.

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2002 Mustang GT, 5 speed; 256 RWHP, 296 TQ

Cobra Rob

Cnet comments.. basically they say its to small to use for incar... I was REALLY leaning towards picking up the new NUVI but damn this is alot cheaper though..........


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More than any other GPS manufacturer out there today, Mio Technology has really focused its attention on creating GPS devices for use outside of the car, such as the Mio C710. The company's latest device, the Mio H610, is the most ambitious to date in terms of being a hybrid navigation and entertainment gadget. It has an ultraportable design that makes it great for on-the-go use, and the unit's multimedia functions aren't half bad; but the compact size also makes it less than ideal for in-car navigation as viewing maps, and entering information on the small touch screen is difficult. We think it's a better navigator for bicyclists or city dwellers on foot, and drivers who want a navigation-first system should take a look at other devices, like the Magellan RoadMate 2200T or the Garmin StreetPilot c550. The Mio H610 is available now for $499.99.

Design
At 2.3x3.3x0.7 inches and 3.8 ounces, the Mio H610 more closely resembles a PDA or an MP3 player than a portable navigation system, which helps in its function as a handheld entertainment device though not as an in-car GPS solution (more on that later). With the compact dimensions, the H610 easily slips into your bag without weighing you down and feels comfortable to hold in the hand, albeit a bit slippery. The device also has a pleasing design with its curved edges and white casing (a la iPod).

There's a 2.7-inch TFT touch screen on the front that displays 65,000 colors at a 320x240 pixel resolution. Text and images were sharp and bright, but we noticed that it often picks up glare that makes it difficult to read the display. In addition, the smaller size of the screen doesn't make the H610 ideal for in-car use. It can certainly help in a pinch, especially when coupled with the voice-guided directions, but you'd have to look pretty closely at the screen to see everything on the map, and that's not exactly the safest thing to do while you're driving. We think the H610 is perfect if you're navigating a new city on foot and perhaps even if you're on a bicycle (though you'll have to come up with some kind of mounting system), but if it's a serious in-car GPS device you seek, we'd recommend looking at other systems.

Overall, the interface is pretty intuitive. The main menu page has clearly marked, large icons for all the major functions of the H610; however, once you get into the subsections, things can get a bit confusing. For example, the map view takes some acclimation as the onscreen icons are sometimes hard to see because they blend in with the map or are hidden in the corners. Plus, it's not always clear what they do. We recommend you give the Quick Start Guide a read before setting out to familiarize yourself with all the functions of the H610. Also, the onscreen keyboard for entering information is really tiny. The included stylus helps, but once again, not ideal for use inside the vehicle.

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Blog link and pictures
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Twitter page: http://twitter.com/CobraRob

FWP!

I have Verizon, there's an easy EASY way to make it free

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Daytona '10

http://willpphoto.smugmug.com/

Starscream88

V.Cool,
Glad I seen that before I bought another I was looking to get,

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Imola Red Roadster

RobertB

could do some good stealth tracking of your kids/wife/girlfriend/gay lover etc. with that thing.

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Glenn

If you get the chance... try out all the devices in the store...



seriously... get your hands on it and test it in the store... and compare it against the other handhelds...






you'll see just how fast and intuitive the mio is (for the price).


I'm a Garmin fanboy.. and this thing is the first GPS to get me looking the other way.



it's not as cumbersome as cnet says it is in terms of the menu system... takes all of 10 seconds to learn it.. then you know it forever


I'm gonna pick up a Garmin 360 for my parents... and also to review it.. hahaha




My aunt as the Garmin 350.. it's also cool


the mio navigates with the best of them... and is the smallest form factor so far... 20 channel SiRFstarIII rules.. I have that same sensor on my laptop system http://glennmoller.com/comment.php?comment.news.35


but the mio is so small you can clip it to the rear view mirror... and sooo easy to pocket.. standard USB charge, and on and on... and you can choose which mode to be in (car, bike, on foot) this influences how it routes you..

in foot mode it can send you walking down one way streets or through parks, where car's can not go for example.

the speak is loud to boot...

it's one of the most impressive true hand held GPS units I seen in a while (for how complete it is and how well it works on the road and off the road) and for the price.




its soo small that it really is an iPod video replacement (solid state) with GPS and SD card slot... touch screen, etc..

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Starscream88

Glenn whats the battery life on that like?

also WTF is frys? Cheapest I find it here (Best buy Cir City) is $500 and $400 respectively

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Imola Red Roadster