By Matt Vella / November 27, 2006, 6:15PM EST
Move over, MP3 and stand aside, DVD. A lot of electronics makers are hoping the letters G, P and S find their way onto wish lists this holiday season. They stand for global positioning system, the technology that relies on satellites in orbit to help travelers find their way here on earth. It's working its way into all manner of consumer electronics, just in time for the anticipated yearend buying boom.
The Mio GPS DigiWalker H610, from Mio Technology, is one of these gadgets, and it dabbles in music, games, and the features common to many personal digital assistants, as well as the de rigueur GPS navigation. Don't let the rather sizable feature list turn you off, though. The Mio's designers have managed to make this jack-of-all-trades charming to use and, better yet, adept at all the tasks it tries to tackle.
Mio starts with a good-looking package, wrapped around a gorgeous 2.7-inch touchscreen that oozes color and outstanding graphics. The case has only two buttons, one to turn the unit on and off and another to quickly access the main menu. There's also a hold switch to deactivate the screen while the unit is in your pocket.
Take Me to Your Leader
To the Mio GPS DigiWalker H610's advantage, designers also borrowed shamelessly from Apple's (AAPL) iPod. The case is clad in Jonathan Ive white, with a smart-looking band of silver plastic skirting the edges. At about 2 in. by 3 in. and less than 1 in. deep, the package fits easily in your palm. It weighs only 3.88 ounces, just enough to feel substantial but not hefty.
The main draw, of course, is the device's sophisticated GPS navigation software. The preloaded maps help you get from A to B whether you're walking or in a car. Sound is pumped through the small speaker and voice-guided directions are loud and clear.
I was impressed by the number of advanced navigation features, some of which aren't even available in other dedicated GPS units. These include using coordinates to navigate. I found it easy to set up routes with one or multiple destinations and find nearby points of interests—everything from ATMs to emergency rooms. As you'd expect, the Mio also remembers recent destinations and favorite routes.
Entertainment Center
The Mio GPS DigiWalker H610's screen may appear to be out of step with rival systems that boast increasingly large screens. Some have as much as twice the H610's real estate. But this device—with its crisp, bright screen—manages to personalize the experience in an unconventional, entertaining way. Thanks to tools that let you scroll and zoom around, it's kind of like having Google's (GOOG) maps function in your palm, complete with neat animations. Map junkies rejoice.
This Mio GPS DigiWalker H610 also does music, photos, and movies, using a slot that accepts secure digital (SD) and multimedia card (MMC) cards that allow you to expand on the 64 megabytes of built-in memory. The integrated software handles these tasks well, and the sound quality of the included headphones is very good, too.
The Mio GPS DigiWalker H610 also works in the car and comes bundled with a dashboard mounting kit. But its diminutive size and small screen effectively render it useless unless your vision is razor sharp. Even with loud, audible voice directions, it's more likely to find its way into a passenger's mitts, where the small display can be scrutinized. Luckily, the satellite-powered directions are likely to make even the most directionally challenged co-pilots infallible.
Source of Information
The device can be charged through a USB port like a standard MP3 player. And battery life is a decent, though not astounding, five hours. I got considerably more mileage than that when I used the device primarily to listen to music, rather using than energy sapping, graphics-intensive applications such as the GPS maps.
Mio throws in other extras, too. There's a PDA-like contact manager, a compass, and WorldMate software that offers a grab bag of useful functions, everything from converting currency to calculating tips. The device also ships with four mini-games similar to the ones you might play online in the waning hours of the day. I particularly like Flux Challenge, which enables you to pilot a 3D spaceship.
Something for Everyone
I have just one major gripe. At $449, the price seems high. If the DigiWalker could legitimately replace your iPod and dash-mounted navigation system, that would be more than competitive. But if the H610 is likely to be an addition to those devices, the price seems a little steep.
Still, you do get a lot for the money. The box, for one, is packed with accessories—everything from a windshield mount with an in-car charger to a neck strap and wrist wrap. Gadget hounds are bound to fall in love with the H610. And, if the price isn't an impediment, given the easy-to-use software and something-for-everybody functionality, I could see non-techies getting a lot of mileage out of the Mio, too.
Matt Vella is a reporter for BusinessWeek.com in New York
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