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I am purchasing another one soon. how can you explain 5 units and no problem. Hmmm I just love them and can't get enough of them. I had purchased 5 of them and they are all great. All my family are using them and they love them. simply I did not have any problem how about 5 years in a row. Yeah I know there are other top brands and I am sure you are asking why is it the best. You probably saying its just luck.
I was also pleased to find the maps were quite detailed and showed forest service roads and jeep trails in remote areas, along with streams and rivers. Indeed, if you use Wi-Fi or even the GPS, the battery life is a bit short. At 6 oz, the Mio is 1 oz lighter than the h-p, though the h-p seems to have a somewhat more rugged case and a display shield. The battery does charge quickly which is nice and I found I could charge the battery with a small 5V, 100 ma solar cell panel. Maybe an hour with Wi-Fi and a bit longer with GPS. As I plan on using this device off road in these remote areas, this will be a big help. Unfortunately, if you want to use headphones, you need to use the adaptor cable to use standard 3.5mm phone jacks. The first thing I noticed was the screen has much better contrast compared to the h-p IPAQ hx2495b I also have.
I haven't tried it in the car yet, but belive it will work well as long as its up next to the windshield. That can be done using the GPS. That will be handy, as I can be away from AC power for up to a week. From the product discription, I could not tell if it came with the maps loaded or not, happly I found that they were.
It is also placed on the back of the case with the mic in such a position you can use it as an internet phone. With the h-p I have to remove the battery. You have to make a number of screen taps to get into the stop program function and no where do they tell you how to disable Active Sync. With the panel in a window and a few hours of morning sun, the battery went from about 50% to nearly full charge. (I have no need for a phone or an expensive service plan)
Your not going to be doing much web surfing with a little hand held anyway. If you need something like this, better get it soon as smart phones are quickly replacing this type of device. I've had my new Mio P550 for about a week now and I like it. I don't see this as a big problem, as often you will have AC power available when using WI-Fi or can charge at some point in the day. Battery life in stand by mode or just using basic PDA functions seems quite good. The only problem with using the on/off switch is the unit has to reboot which takes a minute or two and the date/time needs to be restored. If using GPS, likely you will be in your car and use the 12V adaptor. Thats the one thing I don't like.
Also, there is no need to calibrate the touch screen as is the case with the h-p. Other people have discribed how to do that, so I won't repeat it here. I was a bit worried about this from the other reviews. It helps to learn how to disable Active Sync from always turning on and to stop running programs when they are not needed. Just a quick check of email or of the weather. So all in all, at the current price I think the P550 is a pretty good deal. Now to the question of battery life.
I also like the fact the P550 has a real on/off switch which competely disconnects the battery if your not going to use it for a while. Inside a building its a little iffy, but thats usually the case. Why they make you go through that, I'll never understand. Still, I would not want to drop either onto the floor or sidewalk. Remember to turn off the wireless when your done and you won't have any trouble with running down the battery if your not on AC power. Some people have commented on the joystick navagation button was hard to use, but I find it easy. Another good feature of the P550 is the speaker which you can actually hear and sounds reasonably decent for its small size.
The GPS locked on to half a dozen satellites in a minute or two, so long as your outside and in the clear.
Fast laoding, fast sattelite location and connection and accurate. I have been very satisified with the product. I use this device in my car for street mapping and directions and also in my airplane for aviation guidance and back up navigational support.
SOUND GOOD VIVID COLOR AND VIEW GOOD GUIEDANCE TENDS TO KEEP YOU ON THE ORIGINAL ROUTE
This PDA have a good GPS which works good and have many other fetures.It works good and I am happy with it.
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