HOT!!! Mio C310 GPS with touch screen $249.92 after coupon @ Staples

[ibear]

http://www.staples.ca/ENG/Catalog/ca...AffixedCode=WW

price is $269.92 and you can use any $20 off coupon to bring the price down to $249.92

Features:
High Sensitivity SiRFstarIII GPS Receiver
Larger icons and a brighter display with a user-friendly touch screen make it easier to set your destination
Built-in Audio Player (MP3)
Map of Canada pre-loaded and ready to use out of the box (Map of USA is provided on bundled DVD)
Clear voice instructions and user-friendly menus in English, French and Spanish
No monthly service contract required
512MB ROM, 64MB RAM
3.5" TFT with touch screen and 65k colours
SD/MMC memory card expansion slot
Supports external TMC antenna
USB 1.1 connectivity
1200mAh Li-ion battery lasts up to 5 hours
Dimensions: 4.33"W x 3.03"H x 0.78"D
Weight: 6oz (170g)
1-year Limited Warranty.
Included in the Box:
AC Adapter and Car Charger
Car mount and holder
USB cable
Application CD, Map DVD

[Firestorm]

Hm... this looks perfect for my mom. The other GPS device seems a bit hard to use. Anyone have experience with the quality of this product?

[sportmiester]

The specs do look good, particularly SiRFstarIII and touch screen

Some reviews:
http://www.gpslodge.com/archives/006225.php
http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives...ps_review.html
http://www.amazon.com/Mio-C310-Porta.../dp/B000ENQSRW

[frogger]

I wonder how good the TeleAtlas maps are/and whether Mio and TeleAtlas publish updates ever year or so.

[Jrawk]

What is the map support like for these things?

Comparatively speaking it has a much larger screen than the Garmin i3 I'm going to pick up today, but I have bought a lot of electronics that were cheaper than the rest on the market and ended up getting little to no support down the road.

[punchy_head]

Possible price match opportunity on this:

Best Buy
http://tinyurl.com/y4j6bv

Not good with the math, so the $20 coupon may be a better choice, but just in case if they run out of stock in a hurry.

Punchy

[can2000]

Thanks OP!

Compare to Garmin C3xx, which one is better? Thanks

[imnew]

How is this unit compare to the Garmin C530 that the Source has on sale?? Okay - not everyone at once... I know this is cheaper.. ahahha

thanks..

[T3rry]

3.5" screen... that's pretty small. Probably not good for those with sausage fingers.

[Jrawk]

3.5" screen... that's pretty small. Probably not good for those with sausage fingers.

3.5" is actually pretty big by GPS standards.

The i3 has only a 1.7" x 1.2" or something.

its tiny!

Mind you, a huge screen is not really necessary in most cases, but its all a matter of preference.

My main concern is the support.
Map updates, tech support, parts supports, repairs, etc.

By going with a large company you are getting their company backing as well, knowing they'll be around providing support for your product.

I dont think Mio is a small company, but Garmin and Megallan seem to have a large portion of the GPS market.

[82]

Great deal but support is questionables. Check their press release, they have a dozen news in 2005 but nothing since Dec 2005!

The download page shows 404 Page not found.
http://service.mio-tech.com/visitor/v_FileDown2004C.asp

Picture is incorrect!
http://www.miogps.com/imagebank_C310s.htm

[cpoole]

I looked at their web site - lots of pretty pages and lots of links to awards. Customer service pages are very slow. There is no mention on the customer service pages and nothing in the FAQ that indicates that they will release newer maps for any of their GPS units.

Magellan states that they will occasionally release new maps - I have not found any GPS on their support site that has received a map update.

Garmin does have newer maps on their web site and there are people on this forum who have upgraded their maps.

Nextar (Canadian Tire) finally released a US map for their early GPS units but they have not released any map upgrade for their models.

If you are OK using the same maps for the lifetime of the unit, then go with the best price. If you want support, then the list gets much shorter.

[andreid]

I've been using a similar product (see www.gpspeople.ca then click on Altina) with great satisfaction.
The hardware is typical flimsy and cheap China-made but the software ( http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/destinatorsw.php ) is outstanding.

It have always found my destination and if sometimes the directions are BS, it generally is my fault (put it in "shortest route" while in a city).
Never really used POI.
One facility found in more expensive units is the "speed limit" even if it is annoying... constant beep beep!

P.S.: Watch out GPS with HDD as it will refuse to function in cold weather.
Watch out for big display unit, or where you install it in the car, as it might be stolen.

[TurboTronix]

Well based on prices it seems soon all GPS will be under 300$. I use my Axim X51V when I need GPS but its way to complex for users such as my mom who need a simple GUI interface.

3.5" is ideal, not too small yet not too big, perfect for transporatation purposes.

Built in MP3, touchscreen, voice narrated, maps (USA and Canada), I think for 249$ its a hell of a deal

[virgoan]

Possible price match opportunity on this:

Best Buy
http://tinyurl.com/y4j6bv

Not good with the math, so the $20 coupon may be a better choice, but just in case if they run out of stock in a hurry.

Punchy

Damn because of BB price, I wanna get this from staples IMMEDIATELY, without research