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Customers most agreed on the following attributes:
I bought the unit for use with travel but mainly to determine the coordinates of a location. I can manually enter in the correct coordinates. When the unit shows the location it might be 20 miles away. I talked with Mio. They said you have to convert the coordinates manually. The GPS unit should do that. Will not buy Mio again.
Help Desk - is no help
very inaccurate. It sent me to local roads when I should have stayed on highway ... added .5 hour to my trip. Also, should have sent me on non-toll roads because it would have been quicker. It didn't as a result it took longer and cost me $12.45 more in tolls. It's junk!
This would be a very nice unit if they would just get the accuracy of the map corrected. Another problem is that the time setting in the unit is not retained on power off. The unit needs a setting for day light savings time. The map in rural areas is very inaccurate.
from Pierre, SD on 4/21/2008
I got my Mio C320 as a Christmas gift and it is one of the best gifts I have ever received. I have used it twice, once to and around Denver and once to and around Minneapolis. It took me there and back and to every place I wanted to go in both cities! I would literally have been lost without it and would have had to resort to using the old fashioned paper maps! Thanks Mio!
This is a very nice product. Does not always give the best route, but has always gotten me where I need to go. It acquires satellites very quickly and next to never loses signal. The battery life is very short, but since it never leaves the car thats really not a problem.
We were on vacation and saw signs for a Sonic restaurant that we wanted to go to. We looked it up in the GPS and followed it's directions. We ended up on a country road next to a huge barn and it was telling us we were at our location? I didn't enter the address, the GPS supposedly "knew" where it was at. Then my husband & I were looking around as we were driving through St. Louis and missed the 70 E exit. We began looking for signs as to how to get back on 70 E and saw one pointing left, but the GPS was telling us to turn right. It probably would have taken us back to 70 E, but we wanted the most direct route, not to turn around and go back to where we missed our exit and get back on. We immediatly returned it when we came home, this is just a couple of examples in what seemed like a long aggrivating vacation with this thing.
This GPS is the best thing that ever happen to me, now I'll never get lost again.(smile) You really need to get yourself one. I love the fact that it lets me know at all times where I'm going without getting lost. I AM SO HAPPY AND PLEASED.
My ONLY complaints about this unit is that it has very short battery life, GPS cannot be used when plugged into a 12v power source, & does not maintain current time when turned off.
Got this to replace a TomTom One that was stolen. We live in Houston, and the directions it gives us to get downtown from Cypress were ridiculous. Set to fastest route, it was taking us through back roads and tollways for what it had calculated to be 1 1/2 hours. We went the highway and got there in 30 mins. Never had this problem with our TomTom. Returning for a TomTom.
from North Carolina on 3/24/2008
Just got mine today. Perfect so far...
I got this for my birthday and so far I like it a lot better than the last one I had, the screen is larger, the maps seem to be about the same and like any new toys it takes a while to learn how to navigate around the menu but I'm sure I'll get the hang of it. I did not like the mount that came with it so I just used velcro tape to mount it where I wanted it.. I love it!
why is it that mio poi has shopping locations listed 2 to 4 times in the map.another thing when u reach your destination it doesnt tell you if its on your left or on your right.Needs some improvement.
This device works quickly but the routes it chooses are extremely strange. It always sends me through residential streets with many many many curves and stop signs rather than through the arterials (no matter what setting I choose "fast" "shortest" or "economical"). Very strange.
this is a good buy you just have to use the right settings for yourself
I must be the only person who does not like this devise.My husband and I used it in familar areas it told us to turn left off a cliff!!!!![...]Good luck to me,I.in AZ
from New Mexico on 3/16/2008
Purchased on sale. Only 4.3 inch screen for under $200 makes it a best buy. Quick and easy to set up, good strong cradle secures it to the windshield, and it can be quickly removed if required.
Images shared by: ke5pjzC320 mounted in my 1999 Grand CHerokee
Tags: Using Product, Picture of Product
from Dubuque Co. Iowa on 3/14/2008
Was able to find AC. adapter, USB Cable, and a "AA" Battery extender on line, [...] The C320 is all I need and ever expected to have for my Disaster work. Bought my C320 at my local Radio Shack[...].
We recently vacationed in Florida and are very familiar with the Orlando area and know things continually change there. The Mio was great to aid us in manuevering throughout Florida as well. We loved it!
from Indianapolis, IN on 3/6/2008
Great product for the money. Wanted a unit that would do the job but being my first I did not want to spend several hundred dollars. Some directions are off by 1/8 of a mile but it always gets me very close. Some areas need updating. Great on locating restraunts and hotels. Has about every restraunt and hotel already stored in the device. Highly recommend for introductory device.
I purchased this GPS for my Dad as a christmas gift, since the first time he began playing with it, he loved it. It's slim, fits easily in your shirt pocket, easy to use, amazing since my Dad is not used to operate this devices, and one thing we never thought is once we took the wrong way, this little thing recalculated the map. That was the most amazing thing, it was like living the Star Treek TV Show. Since then I always recommend it, instead of the price too, hehe.
from Miami Valley, Ohio on 3/1/2008
For the money it is above any other. I almost think when I read a negative comment I think it could be written from someone from another company. What is there not to like? Once you figure out the set up, it is pretty easy to understand and use.
Great buy, just bought a second one last week.
from Sterling heights, MI on 2/25/2008
The thing is that this GPS unit may have some deficiencies that other expensive ones dont, but the key is expensive, its inexpensive, has a huge screen, takes you from A to B without any malfunctions, what else do you want.
But if you're passing this one because it doesnt have Text to speech feature, well, dont, you can get text to speech feature on this unit in less than an hour's work. Yes, by yourself, just google "mio c320 TTS" the first page will take you to a forum where there are simple steps to download updates and install them to get TTS on your Mio c320.
I think i dont need to say much about it, its my first GPS and i like it, and i think its going to stay with me for a very long time.
from Tustin, CA on 2/25/2008
Bought this for [$] a month ago... and I love it. I've added TTS, newer maps, and additional navigation software to it. With some simple hacking, this is as good as the C520, minus the bluetooth and some minor software.My only compliants are that the battery life on this thing is bad, it doesn't come with the power TMC bracket like the European version and the fact that is now on sale for [$]... Too bad the fiancee doesn't think we should have two...
I like that its slim and u can play mp3 through your car stereo because it don't sound as good otherwise.I recently recommend to my friend and he bouhgt 2 units.
If you are looking for a basic GPS device this is it. The initial advertisement about what came in the box was misleading. I noticed Radio Shack updated this section. In the box is the receiver, mounting brackets and DC charger. In the instruction manual MIO apologizes for not including the AC charger as initially advetised. Radio Shack will not give you one either. This will be corrected in the future with a class action suit. The maps are 2006 and you will have to purchase a cord to down load the new maps when they are available. The GPS is ready to use right out of the box. If you read the instruction and owners manual the company suggests charging the device for eight (8) hours prior to initial use. When I first used the GPS is was very accurate for local points of interest (POI). However, if you are looking for short cuts this is not the device for you. Contact NASA and get a direct link. The C320 keeps you on the main routes and streets. If you are from out of town this may be the easiest and safest way to go. Keeping in mind the maps are 2006 there were several businesses ommited from the POI section. A phone call ahead of time for the address fixed this short coming. Every address I've typed in new or old was calculated and found by the device. The controls can be challenging. Practice with the GPS before actually going on a trip. Once you get the hang of it operation is easy. The battery life is good. The company advertises four (4) hours I have averaged about 5-6 hours depending on use. I read in one review the writer said the charger drained his car battery within 5 minutes. I have not experienced this yet. The longest charge was eight (8) hours and my car started okay. As said you get what you pay for. If you are looking for a basic device with 2006 maps this is for you. I spoke with the comapny "rep" and was told updated maps for the C320 would be released soon. I'm not holding my breath. Overall this is a good product.
I'm a telecommunications tech. and have to find about 15-20 addresses a day. The mio puts me at the driveway everytime. I rely on it for my job and it hasn't let me down yet. The menus are a little tricky to navigate but with a little practice you can get use to them.
this unit is way better than any garmin unit.
I now own 2 of these gps systems and wouldnt do without them,1 in the semi and 1 in my car.Mio has never got me lost and 99% of the time ,has found the address that i was going to. this unit gives you a 1-1/2 miles on screen viewing to the next road that you need to turn on. Ive had tom-tom and garmin,Mio has far better mapping the the other 2.
This product is not foolproof. Obviously it will not have new developments, but if you know what is close it will get you there. The verbal directions are easy to follow. If you use a little common sense, this is a great tool.
from Pittsburgh, PA on 2/18/2008
I received the GPS as a Christmas gift this past year, just to give you an idea of how long I've had it. I've gone thru 2 since that time. I did keep the box and everything so returning was no problem. On the first unit, the sound went out on it. It would not give turn by turn directions via voice anymore. When used as an MP3 player, the speaker in the back didn't work, nor did sound coming thru the head phone jack.
The second unit I had after returning it the first time lasted a week, before the mapping feature wouldn't come on. The MP3 player worked, as well as everything else, except getting into the maps.
When it worked, it was pretty cool. It did give me some off the wall directions and was really bad with giving a direct route, but over all, it was so-so.
I would not recommend the unit. Yes its cheap and has plenty of options, its really not worth the hassle. Save your money and get a better one.
I had been thinking about buying a GPS unit for travel. I did a little research and was considering the TomTom One. I saw the C320 and the price and decided to get it for the larger screen. The clerk said that I only need to turn it on and start using it. I tried that and was a little confused with the operation. Once I read the manual(about 10 mins.) I understood it completely. Some of the roads were out of date in the area where I live, but other makers are out of date as well. I know this from talking to people who owned GPS units and had to ask for directions. I checked the website to see if maps had been updated and they had not. The mount that comes with it is very sturdy. There is no USB cable in the box, but I already have several.
For what I need, I believe that this unit is just right. I am glad I stopped at Radio Shack.
Not totally accurate, but our area is constantly adding new sub-divisions and streets/avenues. Price was excellent,......fun to play with. Like ability to track speed.
from olympia wa on 2/11/2008
i want my money back as it does not have all the streets in OLYMPIA wA.told to me by mio tech support. i work 3.2 miles from and it takes me thru a subdivision for no reason and out a road that is a dead end.to go to the main road itake two left turns in .3 of a mile and it has me turn left in to the a sub division for no reason.i can not return it because i failed to keep the box.
from Long Island on 2/10/2008
I use this GPS system on my normal routes that I know all the in's and out's of already on eastern Long Island. I'm still trying to fathom how this unit comes up with the directions it gives. It adds completely unnecessary turns and routes for what should be simple directions.
Other than this, the GPS works pretty well. The menu is fairly simple and there are a decent amount of POI's.
Great directions
Tags: Made with Product, Using Product, Picture of Product
from Allentown, PA on 2/4/2008
I bought this on black friday for half price, it works well there are a few streets in my area that it cant find. Battery life sucks my car battery died because i left the car charger in for 5 minutes while the mio was still attached.
from Reno,Nv on 2/2/2008
I was looking for a portable GPS to take on my trip to Bakersfield,Ca. Saw this unit in the store on sale. Well after comparing it to the others I bought it. This thing was dead on most of the trip from Reno to Bakersfield.. The auto re-calculation feature works very well. I purposely took a few wrong exits to see what would happen. And this GPS automatically got me back on the right course.
It just needs a small protective case to store it in when not in use.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Central Minnesota on 1/29/2008
The C320 compares well to Magellan 1000 and 2000 models. The product is in a different category from the Garman Street Pilots. I like the size and the operating functions. On the negative side, There are some functions that do not work as stated in the manual. But, the biggest drawback is that technical support for the product is non-existant unless, you sign up for receiving e-mails, promotional material, notices of new products,etc. from various vendors. You have to sign the agreement to accept this before you can even register the product. I chose not to register and to purchase from other sources in the future.
from Granbury,Tx on 1/28/2008
I got this for 1/2 price after thanksgiving. Works great for putting in an address and going there,or points of interest(poi) - where you are. Big screen, multiple displays are great. BUT, very difficult to find alternate route, poi for a places you are not presently in, and other advanced features,its just not user friendly. There are no snow ski resorts in poi. This thing has a 90+ page instruction manual thats only on disc and not printable.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Franklin, VA on 1/26/2008
I bought this on black friday for the price and size. The [...]clerk lied to by telling me that it could be updated using an sd card. I e-mailed MIO and they stated that the unit is not updatable at all. The maps are old. Roads that have been built for at least ten years are not in the unit. The battery life sucks. It will last 1-1 1/2 hours at the most. The color is good and the screen size is nice, but I would not buy this again. If someone knows how to update the maps, please let me know.
I have had this receiver for about a week and it's my first one so I don't have much to compare it with. I have found this to be a pretty good reciever. However there are some drawbacks. e.g. You can't play the MP3 player while using the GPS. The modes of "fast" "economical" and "short" are dubious - have found better routs using via points which are shorter and/or faster. There is conflicting information as to whether it is TMC (trafic management channel) compatible. The manual, and unit indicates it is and the website says it's not. The unit does have a pannel for TMC settings. I'm still waiting for an e-mail for clarification. I don't think it's to complacated to use but wish it had text-to-speech.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from new york city on 1/25/2008
i bought it and returned it[...]. i live in nyc, and it couldnt find streets that i knew existed, for example, there is a street named broadway in all 5 boroughs in the city, but this unit only thinks broadway exists in brooklyn
from Virginia Beach, VA on 1/17/2008
This is my first GPS unit, and I received it as a Christmas gift. It was very easy to set up, and even easier to use. It sometimes takes a few seconds to acquire a signal when turned on, but I can live with that.
This unit comes with 2006 maps, and it cannot find the addresses of a couple of my friends. To be fair, they live in housing settlements that were constructed just within the last two years. Don't know when updates are coming...later this year, I hope.
When I first mentioned to my fiancee that I wanted a GPS Navigator she questioned why would I need such a thing. Now that she has seen it in action, she wants one for herself!! :-)
All in all, I am loving it.
I searched online for soo many GPS units and I went to Radio Shack and I had never even heard of Mio brand GPS. So I played with it in the store just to see how the touch screen feels. I was convinced that this is pretty sleek and on sale for [$] I bought it and its my first GPS and no complaints. Works fine, just play with it and you will figure it out! easy GUI
from White GA on 1/15/2008
I have a MIO C320 and its good with me. I have a Harley Davidson Ultra Classic motorcycle and the MIO interfaces with the bike’s stereo via a patch cable and all directions come through the stereo speakers. The big plus here is the MP3 player built into the GPS unit which allows me to play my favorite tunes and thats through the bike’s sound system. This can work, as well, through your car’s sound system by using an aux jack or cassette adapter. If your vehicle has neither, use one of those little FM transmitters.You can get all this stuff at your local Radio Shack.
I have hundreds of Harley dealer locations, as POI, along with around 600 songs stored in one 2GB SD card. I have a SD card for each type of music. The music volume cuts back as the driving directions are given. Also, the MIO C320 has a Dynamic Volume option which increases guidance volume as you go faster. I do go fast.
I could go on and on about this thing but what do I know, I’m 67 years old.
My Harley
from Dundalk, MD on 1/14/2008
This unit can be easily make it Text-to-speech (TTS) and basically a baby clone of the higher end unit Mio C520.
This is a Windows CE platform...the sky the limit.
Video Playing, Photo viewer, ..
from Tulsa, Oklahoma on 1/14/2008
I had pruchased this product on Saturday, 1/12. I returned it the nest day. The nav was ok, smoother than normal scrolling, however when stopped at a light or stop sign, the unit seemed to lose it's heading lock. The map would divert or rotate up to 180 degrees depending on your direction of travel. Not a very good selling point. this happened on TWO separate units. I think it may be a software problem. The second thing I did not like, was the speedometer function when in split screen mode. A compass would have been much better as all vehicles I know have working speedometers.
I agree with most of the reviews I've read. I have a Garmin 2610 (older, bulkier unit) which I replaced with this one, primarily because it is smaller and mounts on my windshield. I've compared them side by side and the directions, accuracy, and features are similar. This unit DOES give some strange directions sometimes(several turns rather than a more direct route), but it will always get you where you want to go. It acquires satellite quickly and holds onto the signal well. Overall, especially for the price, it is a good unit. Yes there are units with better menus, larger icons, graphical interfaces, etc., but if you are an intelligent person and computer literate you will get used to this one and be fine after just a few uses.
great value for the money, however intiallly the instructions are hard to follow and some POI are not updated
This unit is my favorite of all we use for everything whither it be a cross country trip to a weekend ride in the mountains.
from Concord, NC on 1/9/2008
Need a soft case for storing the unit when not in use. Love all of the features, no real complaints. I am very impressed with this product!
from Houston on 1/8/2008
This is an in-expensive unit for its size and features offered. This unit comes with 2006 maps though later version are available at an additional cost. Fast connection to satellite. The internal ROM is only 1GB. Updated map files can only be used through SD card( US and Canada 2007 maps together are ~1.8 GB). Text to Speech function doesnot come with the unit. However, after taking backup of the maps in a SD card (or deleting a few to free its ROM "Text to speech" function (~50MB files) can be easily added by downlaoding patch from their MIO Australian website.[...]The voice directions are sometimes very chatty. The routing is dependent upon how well the location is mapped in the first place. Therefore a small degree of error is common for all GPS units.Bottomline- Good value for money.
great value for the money, very accurate even shows some private roads with names even in our small town. Radio Shack is the place to buy it also. [...]
This is a nice unit. Good size with a nice face size and very nice graphics. It has a nice amount of POIs, although I would like to see some more. The maps are the best part of the unit. Dependable and accurate. I definitely would trust this unit to get me any and everywhere!
THIS IS A GOOD PRODUCT, MY ONLY COMPLAINT IS THAT RURAL ROADS NEED TO BE UPDATED.
i like the slim black look. it looks almost like a flat screen tv. in fact people mistake it for that often. however, the maps are not accurate at all for this to be new device. all of the features on there do not work as specified in the manual. it needs just a little "umph" to be compared to the big names like garmin and tom tom. For example, this unit does not show the actual signs to the poi as does other gps systems do. simple signs like [...]are represented bya a spoon and a fork. there is not very much detail. also, the number of poi are scarce. there are banks that have been in existance forever and they don't show up but structures that are only 5 - 6yrs old do. that was strange to me. i would buy again for the look if the features and battery life are improved.
Got this for [$] over the holidays. At that price it's hard to beat. Had originally considered a Mio 230 for [$], because it had text-to-speech (speaks street names), but the screen was smaller. Happily, I found that the Mio 320 (a Radio Shack specific model) can be updated using firmware for the 520 (public model equivalent) to add text-to-speech capability. Instructions can be found with a Google search, and doing the update was easy. Used a USB cable from a digital camera (none included with GPS).My one beef is that the maps are a little out of date. Apparently, there are unofficial ways to update those too, but I tried updating just my state and it didn't work for me. Maybe Mio will release official updates soon.
Let's be fair,I got it on sale for [$], and its my first GPS, But I do have to mention a friend of mine bought a [$] Garmin (he wanted Bluetoot)and he is always tellin me he should of just bought the Mio, for the price I got it at it CANT BE BEAT. Never had any issues with the POI's (its not gonna get everything) most of it though. Love the wide screen (so does my friend)I do wish it came with a USB cable or at least a home charger, gotta love Marketing
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
The directions that this provides are terrible. It suggests long, round-about routes; misses turns for efficient routes; gives confusing directions (or no directions) when a highway splits, instead of saying to stay to the left or right; gets lost on main roads. I've used it about 5 or 6 times, and each time it was wrong.
from Abilene, TX on 12/31/2007
Got the unit for Christmas and it works great for my uses. Surprised to see just how many county roads it has on the maps since I live in the country. It is hard to learn how to navigate but after a few days of using it is better now. Good unit and would recommend it for the sale price. Regular price would be hard to pay for the unit. Would have like to had a PC cable in package to help with loading updated maps.
everything works great, only down is there is alot of construction in Miami, and there aren't any new updates, other then that I havn't gotten lost yet.
The Software GUI could have been done better. The unit takes a little while to figure out (I am an EE and use to GUI design). Good platform, but the software needs some fine tuning to make it simpler to operate. Once figured out the unit operates just fine. I would not buy this for my parents.