Customer Reviews

Plenio VXA-3000 7-inch Portable GPS Navigator

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

Some of the cons are bad user manual. It says charge the unit even though there is no internal battery. It has USB ports but no usb cable. There is charger for car but no power adapter if you need to take it home or so. I wish it came with at least those 2 accessories when you are paying 500 for this baby.
However, the gps itself is really great. Inserted the sd card, plugged in the car charger and the unit was ON. It picked up signal immediately. 7 in screen is really great. Tried few addresses and got voice guided directions immediately. Even tried nearest gas station which worked nice. Took some wrong turns and it recalcuated new route instantly.
I think it would be a great buy if you are looking nice GPS. I haven't exercised other features such as mp3 or video but I am really not intersted in them.

I have been using GPS navigation since 1993 (when it required a computer in the car) and own many iterations from many brands. I am traveling to remote locations for the first time often. My comments are in the context of comparing it to subtile design and functional issues of many GPS units.

The Plenio VXA-3000 has a 7" screen. Having used a laptop navigation system for year, I really prefer a large screen as it is more like a map, and you can judge where the system is thinking of sending you before you get in trouble-- unfortunately, this doesn't have enough detail to really do that job. I don't care about all the non navigation features of most, but I did like the idea of the video in for a backup camera.
1/3/08
first impressions; manual starts with trouble shooting guide= not a good sign. Translation of the user manual was not done by an English speaker. Entering my zip code does not yield the correct city name (or even one that is near by). Generally it is intuitive, but some things like when you tell it to locate an address, there is not easily available "go there" option.

Funny stuff- it has the option to navigate using "pedestrian routes" like battery powered GPS units, but since there is NO battery, you would need to carry a 12V battery with you=not likely. That also means you can't set up your routes without being plugged in the car.

A Windows PC (no Mac) is required to use there software.
No live traffic update options
Very slow to acquire satellite compared to other systems, also slow to calculate routes
when viewing 3D maps, some street names are upside down
has more icon data than others such as mail box locations.

Bottom line, if you really want a screen for video and might occasionally use it for navigation, it might be good, otherwise forget it.

I purchased this GPS after looking at the specs and a few reviews, i was fooled by the suggested retail price and actual prices available through various sellers. My second mistake was to purchase from TigerDirect, they wont accept a return unless the device is malfunctioning. The most major flaw with this thing is the lousy TFT display which resembles the first TFT's on the market twenty years ago. Its grainy and you can actually see the pixels and spaces between. It was totally useless for viewing photos and video playback was a complete joke. The GPS functions fair but the maps are out of date. Dont bother with this one. Live and Learn!!!

I honestly do not know how this GPS could receive so many negative reviews! My husband and I bought the Plenio (we call it Plee Plee :) ) in January of 08. We used it constantly and traveled from Washington State to North Carolina using it.

It is not perfect. It will not do your dishes, change dirty diapers or fill up your tank, but for finding where you need to go without printing off directions from mapquest its wonderful. It has big "buttons" on the touch screen, a video option for the kids, games, and accurate directions. We never had any problems.

Our Plenio was stolen out of our car in September and I fully intend to by the same one as a replacement.

Bottom line: If you want a GPS that will do your daily chores and find you your soul mate....this isn't it. But if you want a GPS that will get you where you are going, you can't find a better one.

Plenio VXA-3000 GPS Navigator
This BIG screen GPS could be the greatest. I just bought it and used it to drive from Washington DC area to NYC area via Delaware Bridge and NJ Turnpike and back. It gave numerous weird and some incorrect prompts. It would say things like "Stay Left and Change The Highway" when passing an exit ramp for example. Several times it gave instructions to Stay Right and Exit The Highway at times which would have taken us WAY off route. The fact that instructions were difficult to understand and often incorrect limits greatly this GPS. You need to take along a MapQuest and follow signs VERY carefully if you want to USE the VXA-3000 as you cannot trust it totally. I hope they release a replacement mapping system with understandable prompts. The SEVEN INCH SCREEN is fantastic. This could be the TOP PRODUCT if they would fix the software that makes it tick and is supposed to fulfill its purpose.

I returned the Pleneo VXA 3000 GPS after fooling with it for several hours trying to get it to work. The irrelevant game features worked fine but it wouldn't access the GPS signal. The bright spot though is the excellent return policy of Amazon... a quick refund including S&H and insurance. I then went with a Garmin c240 Street Pilot and have had no problems with it. L

I bought this dog of an electronic appliance, with similar hopes and aspirations, like yourself, the one who may be reading this review right now. Don't be fooled, this piece of junk won't come near your expectations. A part of my list of cons is as follows: freezes controls on video playback, no rechargeable battery - car cord power only, touch control slow/unresponsive, graphic menus cumbersome/unintuitive, big/heavy, windshield mount attachment/removal complicated/time consuming, tech support slow/unhelpful, only supports 2 GB SD cards, leaving only 164 MB free space for videos/pictures/MP3s, remote does not control GPS function, GPS has taken up to 10 minutes to acquire satellite link. Dan, at tech support, answered the video problem by saying that "the unit is primarily designed for auto navigation." Check retailer's return/exchange policy. Preserve your sanity and avoid this product at all costs. If you have a question then email me at minovate at yahoo dot_com. Late, M.

The gal friend and I bought two of these units, a couple of months ago... They are working far better than we expected, because of a couple of negative reviews.. Love all the "extra" features... It will play a full length movie, if you will use a separate 2 gig SD card, convert to 320X240 AVI format.. Slideshow(different from photos) is a little pricky.. The photos MUST be 480X234 format and started from the MAIN menu.. Strange, but works well... Remote Video input works fine, too.. Gal friend can watch her horses in the trailer, with the addition of a remote camera.. Oh yes, it does GPS, also... Two voices... The year old maps and POI are just fine.. Really, how often do the maps change?.. Before GPS, I used 10 year old maps from somewhere stuffed in the glove compartment... Hmmm, I wonder what that USB plug on the side of the unit is for???

Poorly written instructions provide no information on how memory card, CD with maps, and download of map updates can actually be installed on the nav system. In other words, the big question is, "How does the device actually interface with a computer?" My favorite instruction simply and only states, "Connect the safety cable to the handbrake." The purpose is to prevent video watching while the car is moving. The directions imply that no one ever plans on actually connecting this legally required safety device. Also, no mention is made if there is an internal battery that will eventually charge the unit from the car's 12 volt supply. I'm assuming this is the case, but did not have the opportunity to know for sure. If this is not the case, then what would be its source of power (no AC adapter is mentioned) while it is eventually connected to the computer for updates? I plugged it in and turned it on; I waited more than 30 minutes for the device to acquire a satellite signal (the directions say wait 5 minutes for the first use and then 30 second waits for subsequent uses). It never did acquire a signal. The touch screen worked initially and then became inoperative. The manual explains how to activate the touch screen by pressing a series of buttons on the included remote control. Unfortunately, the remote control (after removing the battery shield) was also inoperative. Of course tech support hours are inconvenient (M-F) with a non toll-free number. I am immediately requesting a replacement from Amazon. I'm hoping the replacement will work. The device has several lofty features and would be a great product if they all worked: 7 inch screen, includes 1 gig SD memory card to play MP3 and picture files, auxilliary video input for a DVD player/game system and possibly a rear view camera (but would only work without "safety cable" connected and since it doesn't have "mirror" image switch, it isn't expressly designed with this in mind), an audio out to connect to the car's sound system or via an FM adapter, and even includes simple video games to keep the passenger occupied while the driver is ordering that double latte super expresso red eye. I plan to modify and update this review after trying the replacement system.

We have now had this for a little over a month. We took it on a recent trip. Had no less than 8 satelites at any given time. It readjusts very quickly when deviation for original directions. The software was completely updated so we did not have to purchase any updates. We will be using it on our next trip. It is very easy to use. We have not used the MP3 options yet but most likely will. Great product! Easy viewing screen!