The Best of Both Phone, and Tablet
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"Worth the money" on by dgl6666
Pros: Fast, maps latest
Cons: menu could have been little better
Summary: I tried Tomtom and garmin and then finally endedup with Mio. Exceeded my expectations in all ways. It has the fastest route recalcuation compared to TT One and G C340. Though the display is not all that visible during day light, didn't find the others to perform greater either. Don't go by the editors review as I do feel they don't try to give balanced review for new not so famous products..
Good bang for the bucks ! -
"very good deal for the money" on by hhaumann
Pros: accuracte, good maps, good directions, small size
Cons: screen fades in direct sun, no PC connectivity
Summary: Bought for US$199 from Staples + US$25 for 2 year store warranty.
The good:
For the simplest tasks, like get me to a certain address, the C220 is very easy to use. In one week of testing in in the Los Angeles suburbs, and checking areas in Hawaii which I am familiar with,the directions have been right on. Obviously, there will be some areas of the US where it works less well. Many Forest service dirt roads, including some closed to the public, are marked in light grey on the screen and the C220 followed road, but was unable to give directions (not surprising). The c220 is so small and light weight that I initially attached it with rubber bands to the rear view mirror. The receiver is much more sensitive than my old Garmin 12. For more complicated task one has to carefully read the manual and experiment. Lots of options to zoom in, read the maps in north orientation or in the driver direction and more. Lots of space in memory for saving routes and points of interest, including in groups. Fits comfortably into shirt pocket for walking. I verified that internal battery lasts for more than three hours continuous on without using the suspend feature, five hours usable away from the car is not unreasonable. Charging the battery with the included car charger takes about one hour. There is a speed limit alert and a warning for camera equipped intersections.
The not so good:
The C220 has powerful features, but the menu is not intuitive. After enough use this issue may become less important. The screen is virtually unreadable in the bright California sun (for use away from the car). The c220 connects to a USB output on a PC (cable not inclued, but most digital camera cables fit) and can be charged this way in about 4 hours. New maps and key software can be reloaded this way (runing a program on the included DVD), but there is no obvious other connectivity, like downloading tracklogs or waypoints. -
"Thank you fellow reviewers." on by o2setup
Pros: Works right out of the box.
Cons: I wish the mount was smaller.
Summary: Were do I start?I had it 3 days and can't find anything wrong with it.It has taken me into four drivways already(4 for 4).As far as the sunlight goes its not a problem at all,and I live in sunny Florida.I don't recall anyone talking about the SiRF111 chip,it is a new chip,and it is very,very,good.I can use it in my house.The POI's are great to,it even has all the stores,and malls for miles around.I'm very happy with my GPS,and oh I have yet to read the owners manual,the quick start is all it took,I can't wait to see what ele it does.
Updated
Well I had it one week and I took it to work to use on my route,and it was dead on balls.I did about 80 stops in three cities even unpaved roads and not one problem.The only thing I can't fiugre out is how to set the time.I live in Fl. and don't know what time zone to use.As far as the sun goes no problem at all,it has the SiRF III chip(brand new)so you can lay it on the seat if you have to,thats how strong the chip is,it also will pick up signals in the house.Well I hope this helped,I am so glad I got it. -
"Better than CNET rates it" on by coast2
Pros: Very fast/sharp screen/auto zoom/good POI interface/size/price
Cons: low volume/screen a little dim/buried volume control
Summary: Maybe CNET's review unit had a defective screen--I've been using a C220 for two weeks and the screen, while not terribly bright, is far from "unreadable" even in daylight. And it is very sharp, so that even the tiny street names that invariably appear on 3.5" GPS screens are easy to read. Inputting addresses is a snap, directions make sense, route calculation and automatic recalculation (if you deviate from the existing route) are very fast. Everything about this device seems "snappy"--it doesn't make you wait for results when you navigate among screens or input information. POI search results are accurate and well organized. The auto zoom feature does a good job of widening and narrowing your point of view at appropriate times, though of course you can turn it off. The form factor is small enough to be truly pocketable.
Dislikes: The screen could be brighter. The sound is a little tinny and maximum volume isn't loud enough for high speed, open-window driving. The only U.S.-English voice is a male one--and with what sounds a little like a Brooklyn accent--I'd prefer a female voice. The volume control takes too many taps to reach. Styling is a little old fashioned.
But, really, considering that this thing is selling now for $180, while competitors with equally up-to-date maps are going for up to twice as much, and considering how well it works, it seems like a bargain. My rating of "9" takes the price into account--I think that reflects the real world, where price does make a difference. -
"Terrific little performer for the money." on by twags01
Pros: Works great, screen crystal clear on the brightest day.
Cons: It wasn't free.
Summary: This is my second GPS and what a sweet performer it is. Easy to setup and use. I had to adjust the screen brightness down so I don't agree with the CNET reviewer. It powers up quickly after the initial boot up. It performs route calculations and re-calculations very fast. It only set me back $119 so who can complain about such a powerful little package for such a paltry price. It would be nice to have a small carry bag for when I take it out of my vehicle. But, I saved enough on the purchase to go buy an addon.
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