Customer Reviews

Mio C710 Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is one greate item.
I have been looking for a portable navigation system that can also serve as media player. This little thing plays MP3, Movies, and photos.

Here are some pros and cons:
PROS:
- Plays MP3, Movies, Photos. This gadget can be your MP3 player.
- The battery lasts upto 5 hours. I've tested this. The map and the traffic alerts works like a charm
- Touch Screen. It makes menu navigation MUCH MUCH easier

CONS:
- Movies have to be converted into mp4 format and the software that comes with it only can convert one at a time!!!
- There is no screen saver feature when using it as a MP3 player. I think the battery can last longer, if the screen can be turned off
- There is no screen lock, which means if you have this in your bag or in your pocket, the screen buttons can be pushed accidently.

NOTE: This review is for the C310x but the C710 is essentially the same unit with the additon of video playing

But the TeleAtlas map data they use is not bad, my unit was made in July 2006 and the map data is about 1 or 1.5 yrs old but I guess that's normal for all GPS devices on the market. You can change from 2D to 3D or viceversa using the 2 buttons on the screen without having to click on a menu and then change it, very awesome. The speaker is very good even at loud volume the voice is still clear, you can also change to other languages if english is not your tongue. This unit is very light, stylish and portable, the white case is nice though I like the black case of the C710 better but that's a matter of preference. The chipset they use is very sensitive, it locks on the sat signals within seconds and I mean it and it works even inside my home unless you're in a building or a parking garage. The route calculation is fast, as fast or faster than my Alpine system in my Acura that cost me 2K. The only thing I don;t like about this device is the way it plots your route, the route might not be the most straightforward route that you would pick yourself (compared to my 2K system which does it very well) but it will get you there. The touch screen is also very responsive unlike some of the other GPS units I tried such as the Clarion 4000, in short I would recommend this unit and if you can get it for less than 350 than it's a good bargain

A month ago I would have told you this is a great product. But Now.... Not so. Don't buy. The unit locks up regularly and when the trial subscription runs out for TMC alerts there is no link on MIO's website to renew. My unit is now a paper weight because I cannot get past the TMC expired warning page. I have a week old inquiry into MIO to try to get assistance and have heard nothing from them.

I've been using the C310 for a while now, and I absolutely love it. A friend of mine was really impressed with it and wanted one of his own. Unfortuntely, the C310 was discontinued in favor of the C710. So he bought one of those. He returned it soon after.

On paper, the C710 looks great. A really nice list of features. And the hardware may in fact be superior to the C310. But the software was a huge, HUGE disappointment.

The mapping and guidance software on the C310 is a joy to use. It's not without its flaws but they are minor, and on the whole the application looks and feels much more polished. The graphics for the maps in both 2D and 3D view are wonderfully clear, and the refresh speed as you're driving is nice and smooth. There are lots of useful features and a well-organized menu. The voice prompts while you're driving are nice and friendly too.

The software on the C710, on the other hand, is ugly as can be. The maps do not show enough detail when you are zoomed out even a little, and the interface is very frustrating to use. And the voice guidance is downright harsh.

Whereas the C310 has polished, well rounded software, the C710's software looks amateurish by comparison. It does what it's supposed to though, and if I had never seen the C310, I might not complain so much about this one. But considering it's supposed to be the latest and greatest, it definitely feels like a giant step back.

If you look hard enough, you may still be able to find a C310 for a lot less money. If you can do without the bells and whistles of the C710 (traffic, video, bluetooth) and all you're looking for is a good, solid, easy-to-use GPS device, don't waste your money on this thing.

The C710 is a very compact GPS with a good sized screen. The voice prompts are clear and can be configured to be delivered at many different distances from upcoming turns or directions.

Some of the nice features include:
Bluetooth (for file transfers or phone dialing)
Lots of preprogramed locales
SD memory slot that allows for tons of expandability
A nice, but not super-functional MP3 player
Decent address book
3D or 2D maps on the GPS
Night vision mode on the GPS
Live-Traffic updates
Fantastic battery life and quick charging

There are a few things that aren't great, but nothing that warrants giving the product an inferior review. My main complaint is that one can't simply take an address-book entry and hit a single button to make it the destination in the GPS. Rather, one has to remember the address and re-enter it into the GPS program.

All in all, it is a great piece of equipment. One would be hard pressed to find another item for a comparable price that offers the same functionality.

I wrote a very good review for this device 2 weeks after I used it. Now I regreted like hell. This device is too slow in finding satellite (like 2 mins sometimes). Also, the device will tell you the address you entered is to a unreachable destination when I entered to go back my home!! The deadliest, the whole purpose that i bought this one was due to the Live Traffic Update service, after 3 mo of trial period, you will find out that the company don't have contract with TMC (live traffic provider) to let you subscribe. it's B8ll Sh8t.

The map for Dallas TX has huge errors, like not knowing the correct addresses or cross streets for Central Expressway, the oldest, and most central highway through the middle of town.

The TMC does not tell you anything about traffic or construction.

Neither of the service desks are interested in helping at all- they say they regret that the info is not accurate.

Recieved as stated. The Mio came with Ulead video Studio 2, and Mio mapping program. Could not install the ulead program onto my HP desktop, requested tech support, which I belive is from MIO, they tried their best, got it installed, converted some movies and copied them to my MIO, worked great. A few days go by, reopened ulead studio 2, no work, went to Ulead tech support, not to good, they stated to upgade my video driver, it was current. Downloaded studio 10 plus trial, it worked, including fixing stuido 2, will end up buying studio 10, as MIO tech support states only mpeg 4 - divx 3 or 5.1.1 works. Music works while in GPS, the favorites and turns will come on during tracking while music is playing. Wish it will tell you the street name when turning, will tell you when to turn. Traffic manager worked in Vegas. Great lock on to satellites, small enough to carry around. Bluetooth features are great. Music plays during photo slideshow. Hope that MIO adds some external devices to it. Wish it changed to nightmode on auto, and return to the last song played after off-on, GPS does. overall great device, they need to fix the ulead studio program issue, and or an upgrade feature.