Mio C310x 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator

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. 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 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. 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. 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. 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. I think the user interface engineer in this company is much better than others.
- 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.

I actually bought one of these several years ago when they first came out. This is my second and I keep it around just in case anything happens to the first one. I like it that much!

Out of the box it's an okay GPS unit. 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. 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. I added a calculator, a calendar, a note pad, I think 7 additional apps that did not come from Mio on it. It's fabulous. I now have the functionality of a $1200 GPS unit for under $300!

PROS: it's a sturdy, hardy little beast. Mine have been through thousands of miles of travel, on several airplanes playing full length movies, basically all over the world. It's highly expandable, customizable, and user friendly. It has turn by turn guidance, and gets me where I need to go. Price!

CONS: Maps age much faster than Mio is updating them. 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). Memory is extremely limited. 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.

I bought one of these back in 2006 at a black friday sale for[..]. Great price at the time. I does the job ok, [..]. There was ONE map update released around August of 2007, but none since then. [..] 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. GPS works ok, not exceptional but very acceptable. 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. when in actuality you're only 50 yds. from the turn) Once you realize this anomoly, it's not a problem. Screen is very bright with nice colors. Initial signal acquisition may be a little slow in certain locations but is easily enhanced by getting an external antenna (under $17). The BEST thing about Mio is that it is easily hacked to be a full function Windows based PDA, music and video player. I downloaded a free program from a forum site that enabled the unit to have full compliment of games, utilities, and useful programs. I loaded a 2GB SD card with the programs and my favorite mp3 songs and still have a lot of free space available. 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.

Bought 2 on Black Friday just for the toy affect. Gave one to my girlfriend and kept one. Then along came my gear-jamming daughter with her Atlas. Yep, mine went with her. I bought another one for me. The GPS is well worth the money. Simple to use and has the MP3 to use while running in the wind. Must say, Mio has a hard time working on the Big Island of Hawaii. IF it had Text to Speech, it would be the ideal GPS. I say buy it!

I've got the product. It works great, but unfortunately I didn't get the DVD and the original box, as described in product ad.

You get what you pay for they say: With the Mio C310x that is what you get... clumsy menus and the issue many are talking about: The voice is off by 100 yards which is not only confusing but DANGEROUS when driving because you constantly have to compare the voice to the display. The maps are from a European based company and are not as up to date as Navteq.

Last but not least, I put a 4 GB memory stick with MP3s on it and it does not allow sorting by folder... so you are stuck scrolling through 1000 songs! UNBELIEVABLE! SO BAD!

I give it 1 star - it works somewhat ok

I like this GPS because it has all the features I need. Its maps are upgradable at a reasonable price. It's really compact, very portable, can play music through the SD card slot. All the maps are in its own memory (1 gig internal). It allows you to set wave points. Though I don't care much for the mount because it's bulky and it has limited freedom to move it. All in all, it's a great product that I would recommend. Cold Eyes

2/26/08
The price was the defining factor for me, I wasn't expecting anything amazing because it was so cheap but it came in handy many times. The accuracy is off by maybe a house or 2 in some cases but no biggie. The options of color scheme and views are good. It took me a little bit to figure out how to work the map but I didn't read the manual so what can I expect.
The mp3 player is nice and works fine with or without headphones. I use it at work (I don't have an IPod or anything else)and can charge it on the computer using the USB cord when I step away. The random mode doesn't seem to be too random, it picks the same songs everytime unless you add or delete some songs...wierd but not terrible.
Overall, great for the money,most navigation systems don't even offer the added mp3 player so that counts for something.

very easy in use
comes without ac charger and no Canada maps inside. The Miomap v 3.2 is a an old version from 2006. You can't add any maps others than of USA

I have just moved from Washington DC to Southern California and bought a Mio C310X for only $150. Here is my review:

Pros: In a nutshell, it's impressively resourceful for a $150 device. It can do as much as a Garmin can do for less than half the price. Instructions are detailed, loud and clear. It will take you wherever you want to go. I was in Los Angeles when I first tested this product. I had no problems driving in LA and other parts of Southern California so far. I live in an area that has been newly developed and even here maps seem to be fairly up-to-date. It's even got an Mp3 player, which I never bothered to use (I have an iPod to play my music). Volume buttons on the side are easy to use.

Cons: This is not a "cons" to me, but some people have complained about the C310x not having the Text-to-Speech feature (i.e. it says "turn right in 1000 yards" but doesn't say the name of the street). As much as I would love my Mio to say street names, I just don't think this feature is worth the extra $300 I would have paid for another GPS.

When you first turn the device on, it may take as long as 5 minutes to get a signal and calculate your position. However, the manual explains that the device has to learn satellites' patterns, which change daily. After that, it's much quicker and you won't have to wait that long for a signal.

There are three different setting menus and that might be a little bit confusing at the beginning. I'm kind of computer savvy and did not have any problems learning my way thru, but I think other people may have a problem with this.

The number of points of interest have dropped from 3 million + to 1.5 million after the 2007 map update. I can care less about "yellow pages" services, but some people do.

By the way, I read some reviews from customers saying they couldn't get their C310X to work after a map update. Mine is working fine and the only inconvenience I had, per se, was that I wasn't able to get an activation # necessary for the completion of the update over the internet. But I called customer service and they were quick to email me the number and I had no further problems finishing the process.

Excellent product... Have not tried the MP3 player yet, but the side mounted buttons make the device especially easy to use... The only drawback to the device is the case color... The dark case makes the device harder to see from outside the vehicle... Otherwise, highly recommend the product, price was outstanding, delivery was very fast...

This is very nice GPS. If you want very simple and essential GPS, this is what you need.

Except this has small LCD screen but this is fine for me. I do not use MP3 much, but if you do is will be even better.

The Mio Digiwalker product is ok but their support is non-existent. I have called them over 9 times, from Sep 2007 to Feb 2008, to get an RMA completed. Each call took an average of 1/2 hour. They have no idea how to treat customers and God forbid you ever want to return something.

Trust me! You will NEVER get your money refunded, even if they issue you an RMA. This is by far the WORST service I have ever experienced. This is not a crank review, it is the truth, HONEST!!! I guess I will have to take them to Small Claims Court to get my money refunded. Then I will try to get the Newspapers to recount my ordeal to warn others.

The Mio 310x GPS device comes with instructions on how to navigate menus, what buttons do, etc, but does not teach a beginner how to start and until this day I don't know how to only erase my last entry. I wrote to Customer Service and did not get an annser.

It delivers what have been promised. I have considered this GPS because it has 64Mb internal memory and more 1Gb flash memory for under 150USD. It has a bright screen, fast navigation and good sound. Unfortunately its USB is still not 2.0 and it takes forever if you want to update its internal flash memory.

It is my second MIO GPS and I definetely consider buying more products from them.

The Mio 310x is OK, especially for the price paid.
The problem is not with the unit itself but rather
with the tech support. If you purchase an update
disc from Circuit City , you will have quite a
hassle in getting it to work. Took me numerous
emails and telephone calls before getting a person
who could help me.

Don't buy this! It takes forever to figure out where you are (and by that time you've driven by the turn you were supposed to take), and then it gives you the wrong directions -- I tested it out at home and it told me to travel in circles. Very difficult to enter addresses, and it doesn't have many points of interest near me. Plus it doesn't come with an AC adaptor or a stylus -- the only way to charge it is in the car. Very cheap of them not to include that. I'm sending it back and getting a Garmin.

I was thinking about a GPS for a while now.. I wanted one for both road trips by car and motorcycle. The ones that are bike specific were a little too pricy. I started looking at reviews of all GPS's Garmin/ Tom Tom were top on my list but when I read about Mio I looked more and the Mio C310X sounded like it fit the bill.. I figured I can run a wired earpiece from a Tank bag up under my jacket would save me over $300 (not getting Blue Tooth or a Waterproof unit) For $179 shipped.. I figured that's worth it..And I wont cry much if it falls.
I have it now maybe 3 weeks, haven't gotten much use out of it but what use I did it worked fine. You have to read the instruction manual (PDF) to understand all the extras..
This GPS DOES NOT come with an AC adapter .. just a USB and car plug... I have my concerns about battery life. Now that I bought a cheap ac/dc cigarette plug adapter ($6.99 compared to $14-$24) I put on for a long charge ..I get around 4-5 hrs of use.
I have more reading to understand more features or lack of... I'm not sure if there is a way to get an alternative route to a destination, it does recalculate the route if you deviate but I'm looking for a complete revision of the route..
I wasn't looking for a MP3 player so I haven't picked up a card yet..
Now if it can only tell me where the potholes are I'd be that much more pleased.
I have and will recommend the product to others. I'm very much satisfied at this point.
Hope this helps...

I bought three of these, one for each of my parents and one for myself. It is a disposable unit because they do not offer map updates like other companies. As time passes, it becomes less and less useful. I could write about the pretty good UI and hardware, but the fact it is a throw-away unit makes all of that pale in usefulness.

I would have bought one for the other car, but the lack of map updates made me get a Garmin.

I bought this a year ago. I never did like the way it would route me to some places. Then they offered a software and map update and I jumped at the opportunity...only to find out that it made things worse. Now a four lane road in my area is off limits. There is no way to get it to take the route I want (even when I tell it to take dirt roads) and the stupid thing routes me 4 miles out of the way because sees the road as inaccessible. More than once when trying to get out of an unfamiliar neighborhood it told me that roads went through to a main road and they were really dead ends. Good luck trying to tell it not to use a dead end road. Good luck trying to get a map updated. Also, after a year the battery won't hold a charge for more that 30 seconds. The MP3 player has a loud hum that makes it impossible to use a FM transmitter and play through the car radio. The only use the SD memory chip has is to play MP3s.

This is the second c310x I have purchased. The first was for me - the second was a gift for my brother.
The unit is light, quick, and feature packed. The graphics are clean and crisp - with smooth scrolling.
Although the styling may be a little less sexy than other GPS units - it isn't ugly by any means.
Battery life is around 2 hours - but the unit is only used in the car so it's not an issue for me.
If a few extra dollars are available opt for the next model up, which is very sleek and also has bluetooth.

Whatever you do, do not purchase the Mio Map Update on their website. It will cost you $69.99. You can purchase the exact same map update at Circuit City for $17.99 two days ago. I did just that. I then called Mio Customer Service and spoke with a representative that said he did not know why the price differential but that it was the exact same map update and they recommend customers to purchase from Circuit City.

I have owned this unit for a little over a year and have done some extensive traveling with it.

Pros - auto switch between day & night modes is awesome - tough to go back after having it.
Battery life is good & cordless option is great.

Cons - The mapping software is terrible! If you have any idea where you are going it will drive you nuts! If staying on the highway one more exit will save you time it does not recognize it. The directions it takes from my home to office are almost 20 minutes longer! Having said that, if you don't know where you are going it will get you there just the same!

Overall it is not a bad option & way better than a car load of maps. I just upgraded to a TomTom One & love it. The mapping is far more accurate but it takes navigating through several menus to switch the screen to night mode.

Maps are out of date and Mio does not have map updates. Mio has said they would have the updates for months now.

I feel these are the important things you should look for, in a GPS:
1) The Price: this is one of the cheapest GPS in the market with the best value for money.
2) The ease to operate: This is the feature I like the most about this GPS. This is my third MIO (I have already lost two). The reason I always buy this one is that even a novice can operate it very easily.
3) Maps: Now the most important part. I agree that the maps are nor updated. But if you go at 40 places, once or twice you will find that the MIO was not accurate. But still, with the quality of the maps, I will pass on that.
4) Show: I have seen many GPS' of atleast 5-6 big companies and I feel that this is one of the best in its show. And in this regard specially the 310x is the best.

I received the product and it was in factory sealed condition , the price is still none can beat. Good service and support when there was a delay in shipping.

I was absolutely overjoyed when MY Mio GPS finally arrived in the mail. The unit is fairly easy to figure out and operate. There is a new map update available in many stores for only $15. The update is a must, and well worth the cost. This is a fantastic unit for the price!

When you buy a GPS solely for the price, you do not expect much. The Mio C310x is a pleasant surprise. It is full of features and is extremely accurate, something you really want in a GPS. That said, there are some drawbacks that preclude a five star rating.

On the plus side:
Accuracy. It is not just location, the unit accurately tracts your speed, even giving you if you want, warnings that you are speeding. I create track logs to monitor my bike exercise program, and get very accurate map, average speed, and distance data.

Portability. It fits easily in your pocket and comes with a windshield mount.

POIs: It has a huge database of points of interest, which is fully searchable.


The minuses:

Your favorites. Only two favorites Home and Work can be preprogramed.

Search functions. Searches are clunky, and it takes a while to learn how do searches efficiently.

I've had this for almost a year now so I've got some experience using this in comparison to some of the other reviews after only a month or so of owning it. Plus my job consists of driving so I use this thing on a daily basis.

Pros:
Very nice looking piece of equipment and screen graphics.
Added mp3 player for extra uses. Decent job as a mp3 player (but if you want an mp3 player I suggest an ipod)

Cons:
The fact is this is a pretty poor "GPS" system. For what you buy a GPS system for this item is terrible.

I (and most people) will use a GPS unit for a few reasons. Primary among them I believe would be...

1. To find a specific place that we have PLANNED to travel to. Like a hotel or a mall when we're on vacation. etc.

2. To find ON THE FLY a place we might need to go to. Like the nearest gas station when we're low on gas on a trip.

3. To find the QUICKEST and most expedient route to a destination.

Now here is the problem with Mio's GPS system...

Mio's POI (points of interest) listing is very very limited in comparison to other systems out there, for example a Garmin i2 or i3, which are in it's price class. The reason for this is Garmin has POI for REGIONS of the USA. That is if you are planning a trip to an area on the West Coast you download the POI for that region. If you are going to the East Coast you download that map file. This makes POI coverage extremely robust. Mio only has the option to download POI for the entire USA. The memory on the Mio 310x is not capable of storing the entire USA's points of interest so the actual listing is very limited. Many of the restaurants and other POI's in my home town are missing.

So with this in mind imagine how situations 1 and 2 are when you use the Mio. In the 1st situation it's quite possible that the system does not even have your planned destination. You'll need to find out the actual coordinates of the destination and have to manually enter them if that is the case. In the 2nd situation it is very possible that the system would bypass the closest gas station or rest area because it's just not in the map POI list. This actually happened to me a few times.

Now when it comes to the 3rd most important use of a GPS. That is, a quick and expedient route... the Mio once again fails. The pathing system of the Mio is unbelievably faulty. I've tested this unit and entered in locations I am quite familiar with. Nearly half the time the route it suggests is just plain incorrect or is actually much longer.

Bottomline: When making a purchase we consumers want the best item for our money. The Mio isn't it. There are much better units out there for nearly the same price.

I have had a Mio 310x for about a year now. I've never had any problem navigating with it. This past summer I went to Corpus Christi TX to see my Dad and used it from VA to there. On the way home we stayed in the French Quarter in New Orleans. Used it from TX to New Orleans and then home with many stops and via's in between with no problems. My kids jokingly inserted SEVERAL Starbuck's stops along the way and we didn't miss a single one. Only downside I see is that the mp3 player is very basic. You can't navigate folders, (or at least I haven't figured out how)and can only play them in the order that they come up. Besides that! I love this thing.

Be very careful about installing the mount on the windshield. Mine fell off, the screen impacted the gear shift and cracked. Mio is denying warranty repair. They tell me I installed it incorrectly. They are willing to spend $133 to send the suction cup mount to Germany for testing, but they are unwilling to make a customer happy.

I guess you get what you pay for.

I've used this little unit for over a year now and I have to say that it works well as a gps unit. It has nothing fancy like bluetooth but in terms of getting you to the place you want to go it is highly effective. Rerouting is fast and it uses the Sirf III chip just like the top of the line Nuvis. The company itself is getting bigger by the day and their website is getting better, but support is definitely not as strong as that of bigger companies. The menu system is effective but does require a little getting used to. People new to GPS systems should check out the cheaper alternatives with garmin which is easier to use. If you're looking for an effective cheap GPS unit it's hard to find anything better than this.
Overall I have been pleased with this device and would buy it again.

The mio c310x is cheap and reliable. Althought he POI is not updated with new developments and all POI out there, for a price of less than $200 you get a good deal and an MP3 player included.

This is a great little unit. I was really impressed with all the features, and yeah, it had a couple little quirks (like it doesn't read my SD card) but nothing that wasn't overridden by the rest of the unit's greatness....until I got the map upgrade a week after I had the unit and KABOOM...now the thing will not respond due to a limit in memory, at least that is what it is telling me. I have contacted support on numerous occations with no response (they say within one workday, but good luck). Now I am the proud owner of a really cool looking chunk of plastic that I can suction cup to my forehead and act like the jerk I am for buying this thing. All I need now is to return it and look for something that actually functions!!

I cant see mylself living without it for now on , everywhere i go i take my GPS with me , i live in Sao Paulo (Brazil), wich is the 2nd biggest city in the world , and it works perfect , I love everything about it . And it takes me wathever i want to go .

This is an excellent GPS for the price. The route recalculation is great and really quick on it. We have used it a lot! It has already paid for itself. I would highly recommend this if you are looking for a cheap affordable GPS.

In just 10 minutes out the box and my brand new Mio 310x was not working !!! I could check some functions and it was working well but suddenly, the screen froze and the device didn't answer my commands. I turned it off manually. When I turned it on again the navigation function was not working.

Apparently, the software that manages the US Map is corrupted (that what the FAQ into the Mio's website says. I tried to reinstall it, but it is not a simple operation.)

Besides that, my Mio cannot read my SD Card (in spite of the fact that this latter is working properly in my computer and my dig. camera).....so, 2 big problems in just 10 minutes!

Well, I spent another 10 minutes writing an email to Mio and I hope that tomorrow they have a solution to my case and another 10 minutes writing this review .

So...all that happened just 30 minutes ago.....

Note: The seller was great ! Delivered in just 2 days !

This relatively inexpensive portable GPS navigator performs pretty well for the most part. I use it in the Los Angeles area, although I recently took it down to San Diego, where it performed very well in getting me to my destination. It sometimes takes a minute or two to find the GPS signal when first "firing it up," but works well once it does. I noticed that diamond lanes sometimes confuse it. Rarely, it makes an outright error as far as turning left or right. As other reviewers note, it does not voice the name of the streets, only the directions, but one has to spend a lot more to get this feature. Like computers, there is no doubt that better ones will appear on the market at comparatively lower prices; but for the time being, I can honestly say that I am satisfied with this device (which I nick-named "Max."

I am please with the Mio for the price. My first GPS and it gets me to my destination. It does take rather long for it to acquire the satellite, not sure why. You have to get used to distances as it calls out your distance to next turn. I have found myself turning early and late sometimes. Overall a good product.

Excellent Product and Price. Fast Shipping. A happy customer who will be shopping at Amazon !!! Thanks.

This may have been the first GPS that is priced cheaply enough that pretty much everyone can afford to have a GPS in their car. Note I didn't say a "good" GPS because the unit I had bought kept losing satellite signal in the middle of Seattle. I would ignore the directions and would take what I knew surely to be a shortcut and the GPS would be completely oblivious for a FEW minutes! It got to be so useless that I didn't keep it for more than 3 days. Back it went to the store.
Mio has brought back the old dictum that I thought no longer applied to commoditized technology, namely, you get what you pay for!

I will just mention problems I experienced during my trip from Philadelphia to LA.

Some of the roads are not real and recent road information is missing.

- I lost my way in Birmingham, Alabama to find 78 from I-20. Mio C310x directed a road that is not exist.
- The new road from Birmingham, Alabama to Memphis (future I-22?)is not updated yet. It mis-directed several times.
- Often the map shows a left turn sign but the voice directs right turn. This was found when I was changing from I-15 to I-10 (LA).

And, the most serious problem was when I missed the direction indicated by the map. Automatic re-directions always guided the original route even after passing quite a lot (go back or turn back). Finding alternative new routes were serious problems.

Overall, Mio C310x looks fine for finding final destinations, but one should be careful when driving unfamiliar area. Recommend to have Google Maps directions too.

Simple to use, good device, very good for its money, the map is not very uptodate.

This Gps is outstanding. Its pinpoint accuracy and its so easy to use. It is my first GPS and I love it even thow I am using it strictly for directions and not the mps option. My friends are amazed about the price and how good of a gps it is for the money. I did my research before the purchase of this unit and every site I looked on it got a 4 or 5 star review which is top notch. I cant complain about anything on this it is perfect to get you where you want to go... :) I would reccomend it to anyone

This GPS is absolutely amazing in terms of features. It has all the points of interest around any given location, it will readjust heading and re-route if you go off track. You can zoom in/out, you can have the map rotate, you can even see which satellites are connected and what the signal strength is. There's more features than that, but there's not enough space here to log them!

Now, the reason why this GPS doesn't get 5 stars for me is that it gives non-optimal routing. It will get you from point A to point B, but not very quickly, or efficiently. It seems to really like to take you through neighborhoods when large streets (though taking slightly longer distances) would be way faster. This happens even when you set it to the 'fastest route' setting.

It also does not seem to comprehend that taking corners and going on streets with stoplights will drastically slow you down. So for example, if you're in downtown, it will do left->right->left->right, etc... instead of just left for a while, then right for a while. This can quadruple your time going through a city, and it's unbelievably annoying.

I have only had the unit for a day, but so far I am very impressed. Attained a signal quickly, the address input was painless, and the unit makes sure you know when a turn is coming up.
The display is clear and crisp, and the tracking was accurate. For the price, it is very much a good investment.

While I have nothing to compare it to, this being my first GPS, I love it for several reasons. For it's price, it's more than I could ask for but then again, why not take it to next level?

First, with what I consider pros:

1. I love the touch screen.
2. Integrated mp3 player is a bonus.
3. Audio out lets me connect it to my car stereo for improved audibility. [I agree with the other users that by itself, it's low on the volume, esp with road noise comming into play on interstates and if you roll your windows down, forget the c310x exists!]
4. Voice guidance
5. Night/Day Display changes
6. POIs
7. GPS mount

What I consider cons:

1. The c310x will get you from point A to point B. Reliable? Yes. Efficient - I doubt. It instructed me to make unlawful u-turns somewhere in IA.

2. The C310X offers simple left and right voice directions as opposed to TTS[text-to-speech] based GPS systems like streetpilot c340 that give out street names. So, while a streetpilot might say "Turn right on La fontane", the c310x's verison is "Take next right in 300 yards" .... "Take next right in 100 yards" ..."Take next right". I consider this both an advantage and a disadvantage. It's true that street names can be confusing. When you're in an unfamiliar territory, that's confusion enough without you having to decipher pronunciations. Simple "take next right/left" directions help here. However, when you're heading towards a concrete pile of endless and very closely spaced exits, "exit in next 300 yards" can confuse the heck out of you. It happened me to more than once. "100 yards!! What?? what do I exit on, gulf freeway? 610E? 610W? - They all seem like 100 yards to me!" I would prefer road names for highways probably but I realize I might be asking for too much at this price.

4. I've noticed that it pauses between instructions and this can be very annoying. For ex: The I394-->169 exit in West Minneapolis immediately parts out into 169N and 169S. The c310x observes a code of silence until you chose your favorite direction and then lets you know you've made the wrong turn a little later.

3. I hate the random play mode for the mp3 player. There is nothing random about it. The only thing that's random is my frustration about it not being to play all those songs that I painstakingly copied into the SD card. I downloaded a 100. Why does it keep playing only 5 plus there's no easy way to skip to the next one if the maps are on.

That being said, I believe it's benefits outweigh it's cons. No more printed directions, McNally maps, scribbles or "Hey Mike, I just drove past a Wal-Mart. Rings a bell?" phone calls. It does it's job faithfully to the best of it's abilities and that's what I like about the c310x.

Bottom line: If you're on a budget and don't mind the c310x's occasional errors, go get it - you will be glad you did. If you insist on state-of-the-art intelligent mapping skills, skip this one.

I do not own a GPS unit, but will buy one soon. I've had good experiences with this MIO, but the last time when I was in LA it had me totally lost when I was trying to get back to my friend's house in South Gate (Downey). I was still on the damn highway and it kept telling me I have reached my destination. I was totally lost and didn't know how to get back to my friend's house. I had to call him and luckily he answered the phone. So, I am not sure I will be buying this particular unit. I will be moving to LA and will have important appointments to keep & I can't afford to keep going in circles and being lost and being misdirected/misinformed by a GPS unit.

This is better then a Ipod (Ones you hack into it) Very Simple to hack into it by going to www.hugginsnet.com/ilovemymio.3.5" bright touch screen, 3D view, easy to use (after practices!), Plays MP3 while Mapping!
You could have a video Player (Watch Movies by using 1CLICK DVDTOIPOD(tm) Software) and even change the MP3 player. So far I had no problems with it. Battery life is short. Gives me 3 hours full charge. GPS takes around 3-5 minutes to find satelite signal. If you own a Razor phone you could charge it at home. Great Software easy to install music. Higly Recommended.