HP iPaq 310 Travel Companion

Summary: I have been using this PND for a bit over a week now, and I'm impressed. Admittedly, the learning curve is a little steeper than with some other systems ...

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Summary: I have been using this PND for a bit over a week now, and I'm impressed. Admittedly, the learning curve is a little steeper than with some other systems I've used. But there is so much routing flexibility built-in that I think this is a fair compromise. If you want things simple, with no itineraries, no multi-destination routing, no on-line trip planning, no 600Mhz CPU/GPS chip combo designed specifically for navigation... then look for another product, a simpler product.

Yes, the sound level is not one of the 310's strong points. But for fairness sake, I think one should look at the package as a whole, not just one aspect of the audio features of the 310. You can't look at the audio capabilities of the 310 WITHOUT taking into account the Audio-Out port which, by the way, is not a feature common to all GPS devices. Once you connect your 310 to AUX port on your car audio system, directions and videos come out LOUD and CLEAR, much better than any FM Transmitter type connection that some other devices offer.

But more importantly, the claim that the 310 is inept at route recalculation is not only incorrect but absurd. I have been using the 310 for over a week now, and never once experienced a problem with route recalculation. If the CNET reviewer got such poor results on this point, then I suspect that the unit they were using was defective; or else, which is the more likely cause, the 'Off-route recalculation' was NOT set to 'Automatic.' This is a setting that one will find under [Settings][Route]. Bonnie - even if you did set the route-recalc to Automatic, if subsquently you chose a start point on the map other than your current GPS location, did you know that in doing so, the off-route recalc is automatically turned off? That's another possible explanation the poor results you obtained.

No, this is a very good GPS system, one that certainly deserves better than a 6 rating. I deplore the fact that the CNET review is incomplete and flawed in many ways...but eventually, user ratings will speak themselves and prevail. I still think that CNET should make a correction here though.

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Summary: HP, I hope you're listening... I've noticed some issues with HP not having the correct support on their website. Also if the points of interest have a phone ...

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Summary: HP, I hope you're listening... I've noticed some issues with HP not having the correct support on their website. Also if the points of interest have a phone number, and if my phone is connected to bluetooth, then WHY can't I tap on the phone number and have it dial? I hope this is an oversight that is fixed in a nearby release. All in all though, great unit, VERY accurate. I feel it's a good showing for HP being the new kid on the block.

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Summary: I've owned the Ipaq 310 for almost a week. This is is very nice device. It uses NavNGo's IGO8 software. The Ipaq acquires satellites very quickly from a ...

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Summary: I've owned the Ipaq 310 for almost a week. This is is very nice device. It uses NavNGo's IGO8 software. The Ipaq acquires satellites very quickly from a cold start (less than 10 seconds). Routing is good and recalculating is VERY fast! Certainly on par with the two leaders in the GPS market (Garmin and Tom Tom). The screen is magnificent! The graphics are the best I've seen on a GPS device, although I wish I could modify the screen colors. You see terrain, texture, overpasses, bridges, etc. in 3D! The buildings and attractions are quite interesting, too. I can't wait to visit a 3D rendered city that's included in the map. (I browsed Atlanta and NYC). There are a few icons on some screens that are not accessible yet because HP has not yet opened their new Ipaq website for updates. I cannot add any contacts, etc., from Outlook yet. I'm sure the website will open soon as it is already up, just no way to access anything. Overall, a good device and one I would definitely recommend.

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Summary: Bonnie, please please please rate the unit what it is worth. A 6 is Good but you tell us to pass on it. Does not Compute.

Summary: Bonnie, please please please rate the unit what it is worth. A 6 is Good but you tell us to pass on it. Does not Compute.

Summary: I got my iPAQ 310 a week ago and so far, I love it. After about half an hour with the manual, I had the everything figured out and was ...

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Summary: I got my iPAQ 310 a week ago and so far, I love it. After about half an hour with the manual, I had the everything figured out and was using it like a pro. I've used an iPAQ 5455 for my GPS so I'm not new to the GPS realm.

I really like the features of this unit:

-The bluetooth works great (although the bluetooth indicator light is really bright - especially at night, but it's a minor thing).
-I like the text-to-speech function and unlike other reviewers, I think the speaker is plenty loud. Sure, you can't drive 70 down the highway with your windows down and expect to hear it clearly, but that's true of any device.
-The Points of intrest list is impressive, and they all include phone numbers of businesses. Couple that with the bluetooth function and it makes for a great resource for your trip.
-The website HP has designed for planning your trip is a bit cumbersom and lacking in the features of the iPAQ, but hopefully that will change with updates in the future.
-The route calculation and recalculation is accurate and fast. Some reviewers complain of weird routes or recalculations, but I haven't experienced that yet, however there's always a chance any device will take
you a route that you wouldn't typically go to get to your destination.

Overall, I'm impressed with this unit and can't wait to take it on my summer trips this year!

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Summary: This is one of the good examples of low quality hi-tech devices where company outsourced their engineering to India. Engineers out there are not qualified to do such job, in ...

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Summary: This is one of the good examples of low quality hi-tech devices where company outsourced their engineering to India. Engineers out there are not qualified to do such job, in many cases not capable thinking out of box, prompt to produce a lot of mistakes while coding and testing that leads to the products like iPaq 310 with extremely low quality. They cheaper, but is it worth loosing reputation on the market by saving few thousands dollars. Another thing you should take in account that you don?t have Customer Support, because those idiots in India are not capable to troubleshoot any issues. Generally speaking you don?t want to buy peace of device with LOW QUALITY and EXTREMELY POOR CUSTOMER SUPPORT!

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Summary: Bought on Saturday while on sale. Used only for 2 days, screen frozen for 3X - had to reset. Routes not up-to-date. Screen darkened without cause! Will return before end ...

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Summary: Bought on Saturday while on sale. Used only for 2 days, screen frozen for 3X - had to reset. Routes not up-to-date. Screen darkened without cause! Will return before end of this week.

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Summary: This is a novel concept but it seems to have been rushed to the market without being tweeked or proofed.

There are some problems i've seen in other reviews

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Summary: This is a novel concept but it seems to have been rushed to the market without being tweeked or proofed.

There are some problems i've seen in other reviews that can be resolved by reading the instructions, however the instructions arent as detailed as they should be an appear to be done by the marketing guys rather than the technical guys.

Some aspects of maps are woefully out of date not chronologically consistent, in that some aspects of the maps in my area are anywhere from 4 to 10 years out of date while other locations are current. Considering this unit came out on Nov makes the inconsistent and out of date maps unforgiveable.

The unit's memory seems to be incapable of retaining settings at times and will revert to settings on its own.

Route recalculations are incredibly stubborn when you have traveled off route, meaning that it will tell you to turn back 3 or 4 times before it decides to recalc an alt route.

The bluetooth seems to mute calls at times, i havent determined if it is my phone, i have a motorola w385 however if i answer a call using the phone, the other party can hear me but i cant hear them, it only works if i answer the call from the unit, sometimes.

The instructions does not adequately explain some of the operating procedures well enough and seem to be centered on bragging about the unit rather than offering substanial information.

The trip planner that they promote has parameters that are too restrictive because not everybody who uses this thing will be going to a business meeting and adding POI's favorites or marking positions is tedious, the search option as well as other options are hard to find and require alot of screen tapping so it is definitely not to be used while driving, perhaps not even riding a bike.

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Summary: My wife bought this for me based on assumptions about the brand called iPaq. I wanted a PDA and nav device, and she figured that the iPaq brand was all ...

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Summary: My wife bought this for me based on assumptions about the brand called iPaq. I wanted a PDA and nav device, and she figured that the iPaq brand was all about PDA, so this would give me both in one. NOT. Despite even the pictures on the box showing calendars and contact lists flowing into the 310, it has zero to do with any PDA like function. Even the "download your contacts" functions are crippled and don't work well. Long thread on the HP support forums as users try to help each other figure out how to make it work. This is NOT representative of the iPaq brand.

OK, so how about as a nav device? In three hours of driving, I've experienced some of the worst behavior of any nav device I've ever used. It tells me to turn left, from one divided interstate highway onto another! (exit was on the right) It tells me to exit right to drive around side streets when in fact a direct left turn can be made. Yeah, OK, this is in New Jersey, where generally you have to turn right to go left, but the iPaq managed to get it wrong both ways in only a handful of nav opportunities.

I spent a half hour trying to find how to select NJ State Route 27 in a town I was going to, but never did figure it out. No attempt using any part of that string got me anyplace. Even the first nav devices were more intuitive than this. I was going to a business on US Route 1 - the iPaq 310 DID list US Route 1 in the town, but did not allow me to enter any address. Other streets, sure, but I guess Route 1 doesn't have addresses? Worthless.

At this price point, for a navigation only device, not having a text to speech option is absurd.

I have been unsuccessful at adding POI to the device, and finally figured out why. I wasn't waiting 15 seconds after tapping the new POI entry screen, for the device to open up the next menu. Once I decided to give the device infinite time to execute a response to a tap on a menu item, I find that some of the functions do work - but yikes, aren't we past the days of sitting around waiting for a computer to think about its next screen?

If I filtered out all the wrong directions as to getting from one road onto another, the device did a fine job of mapping efficient routes. It also gets satellite fixes really fast. But if it's putting you in the wrong lanes, and asking you to turn where you can't turn, all that is worthless.

Unfortunately I can't return this piece of junque because my inlaws used their HP employee discount to buy this so my wife could give it to me. I shudder to think what she probably spent on it - I could have had a good nav device and a good PDA for the same money. Perhaps some poor sod will buy this from me on eBay.

It has a beautiful, bright, crisp screen. From there, it goes downhill. Sad. And sadly, mine.

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Summary: The function of this NAV is as good as other touch screen NAV on the market.
But the most important function is to take you from point A to point
...

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Summary: The function of this NAV is as good as other touch screen NAV on the market.
But the most important function is to take you from point A to point B "appropriately". A few times when my destination is right in front of me on a major street, this NAV directed me to make a rout change to another street and come back to the same street. After I ignored the direction, the NAV will reroute to go straight. (I don¡¦t have traffic service enabled).

When I arrived at my destination, the route will keep continue. When I pass the destination and try to find a parking, the NAV will keep telling me to turn back. It¡¦s very annoying.

There are simply too many NAV on the market now, look for a different one for less.

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