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Average user rating:
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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3 out of 4 people found this review helpful
4.0 stars
"Great little device!"
Pros: Atrtactive, portable, loads of features
Cons: Needs improvment in a few areas
Summary: I purchased the Mio 168RS about three months ago. My review is the result of using the unit only for this period. With more time, I?m sure I will use more of the features and will (hopefully) solve some of the problems I?ve encountered.
After receiving the unit and unpacking everything (including many accessories and four CDs), some dedicated time and effort was required to set up the system, load the maps, set up synchronization, etc. Once it was set up, the unit was ready to go. Battery life is more in line with a laptop than say, a cell phone. New owners will have to get used to charging the unit frequently.
Getting the navigation down took practice and some consultation with the manual. Dial in the correct map (you only need to do this once), flip up the antenna, and the unit will usually lock onto your present location within 30-45 seconds. To navigate to another location, you select the address, press Navigate, and off you go ? most of the time. To pick up the satellite signal, you must be outdoors or in the car with the unit very close to a window.
Would I recommend the unit? Overall, Yes. Its an amazing piece of technology, although it is a device that is better suited for a tech-savvy owner than a novice.
Some pluses and minuses.......
The good.....
Great little tech toy, combining turn-by-turn navigation with a personal organizer and a pocket PC. Wonderful for people involved in Real Estate.
Attractive, portable, and handy. Lots of accessories. Easily synchronizes with the Outlook database on your desktop.
Navigation usually works well. Turn-by-turn commands lead you right to your destination.
The bad....
On/off power is controlled by a delicate pushbutton rather than a more secure toggle switch. Sliding the unit into its case causes the button to be depressed nearly every time, powering the unit back up and draining the battery. I?ve resorted to sliding the unit in backwards to reduce the pressure on the power button.
The sync port is rather flimsy - could spell trouble if handled roughly. A solid, robust connector would be very welcome on a future model.
I would have liked the device to consistently boot into the "Today" screen. Most of the time the unit boots into Mio Map, after which you are issued the audible warning "signal too low ? check antenna" - quite annoying in the office when you only wish to view your calendar or contacts.
To start Mio map, you must always agree to a list of terms like "don?t operate the controls while driving", etc. I think agreeing to this one time only would have been sufficient (imagine having to agree to terms every time you start Word or Excel).
It might be me, but navigation programming frequently seems to fail. To begin navigating, you enter the address sequence (city, street, number), then press Navigate. Roughly half the time I have done this, the unit never begins navigating to the address.
The map is practically invisible in bright daylight, leaving you to depend largely on the turn-by-turn voice commands.
The suction cup window holder is practical and universal, but is an eye-sore. The large, coiled DC power cable only adds to the clutzy appearance. Makes you long for the neat, in-dash navigation unit in your friend?s car.
- 1 reply to this review
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After two and a half years of use only in the car, the socket inside became loose and eventualy detached from the unit. There was no abuse of any kind and it was probably maunfacturing defect.
They did not respect the three years waranty and asked for 65$. after negotiations with varios supervisers the price was reduced to 35$. this kind of experience I had years ago in the "iranian bazzar" in Teheran.
what ever you purchase, at the end you feel cheated.
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