Mio C710 will tell you where you are

THINGS ARE moving very fast in the world of GPS and satellite receivers. The C710 has a features list for which you could easily have paid twice the price twelve months ago.

Its supplier, Mio Communications, calls the C710 a personal navigation device (PND). That's to convey the meaning that this product is designed to work for pedestrians as well in-vehicle. And the C710 comes with a mounting bracket as standard for you to install it on a motorbike as well as a pedal bike.

Not sure how waterproof this thing is though! Bizarrely, the C710 will also work as an MP3 player, too.

Anyway, let's look at the specs. For starters there's seven digit post code recognition as standard. Previously, manufacturers used to offer four digit recognition and charge extra for the full seven digits.

There are maps for 24 countries pre-installed on the C710. If you want to install them yourself from DVD, you can pay £110 less for the C510E model. But then you'd lose the TMC (Traffic Messaging Channel) function as well.

TMC is meant to provide you with live traffic updates which the device will automatically apply to the route you are travelling. Sadly, the radio antenna required for this function was missing from the box. So the INQ hasn't tried it yet.

Another feature which hasn't been tried yet is the built in safety (speed) camera warning facility. Apparently you get 12 months of free updates included in the purchase price. Another former top-of-the-range capability.

The actual navigation part is handled by Mio Map version 3. It was very difficult to pick holes with this software. When changing cities and roads, for example, Mio Map will beep as soon as it has matched your initial input.

So it's only necessary to key in 'Birm' before Mio guesses you mean Birmingham. The company seems to be particularly proud of Map's POI (Point Of Interest) function but that depends on how well you know your final destination.

Mio Map defaults to a 3D version of the route you've selected but there's also a traditional 2D mode for those who'd prefer it. There also seems to be a night mode so you can see what the route looks like at night!

The number of choices for mode of travel is impressive, too. In addition to pedestrian, car and bicycle, you can also pick 'lorry' - a nice touch since us Brits don't use the word truck - and taxi.

Here's the most disappointing bit. The INQ can lay claim to being something of an expert in the use of Bluetooth. In theory you should be able to pair your handset with the C710 and use it as a hands-free kit.

As yet Mio's technical support hasn't responded as to why our product reports that 'the Bluetooth device' cannot be activated.

That's one clue that Mio might possibly have rushed this device out a whee bit too early. It's not easy to tell exactly what version of Windows CE the C710 uses but our loan model has crashed twice already.

That's something which somebody accustomed to using Symbian/EPOC32 might find strange. Plus the fact that despite having loads of memory and a 400 MHz processor, the C710 is actually slow to respond to its touchscreen commands.

On the plus side, the C710's GPS capability is courtesy of a SiRFstar III receiver. This worked far better indoors than anything the INQ has tried previously.

If you can get the Bluetooth facility going, you'll be able to dial from the C710's memory. You're also supposed to be able to use Bluetooth to sync with a Windows based PC and therefore Microsoft Outlook.

That way you can transfer names and phone numbers from an Outlook addressbook. The INQ can't confirm whether that works either.

Curiously this product also boasts a photo viewer option. There's a SD/MMC card slot in the C710's slide so you can load photos from a standard digital camera or a cameraphone. Which means it's compatible with Nokias, for instance.

The trick lies with inserting the memory card correctly. The INQ was more than suitably impressed by the sound quality when you're using this device as a hands-free MP3 player. It turns the C710 into a regular little ghettoblaster.

Overall this device represents good value for money - especially when you consider that features like speed camera warnings and the TMC are normally sold as optional extras. ?

More Info
SatNav with all the extras at competitive cost
Supplier: Mio Communications
Web: Mio Europe

Price: £359.99 (inc VAT)