Managing your personal information and finding your way around has never been easier, with the plethora of combined GPS/PDA devices on the market today. In fact, it's becoming increasingly difficult for vendors to make their products stand out. The Mio A201 is a case in point.
It does everything it's supposed to do well, but the only thing here that we've never seen before is a rotational antenna.
If you do plump for the Mio, you'll find the experience perfectly satisfying. Setting up the device inside your car presents no problem, and the MioMap software provided does a good job, providing clear, precise instructions. You have the option of using any other compatible navigational app you wish. The product is described as pocket-sized in its promotional literature, though it would have to be a pretty big pocket.
The rotational antenna helps the Mio pick up satellite signals more rapidly than competitor products and maintain them more reliably. We've yet to test a wildly inaccurate GPS product, so even if this assertion is true, it would make little difference to most users.
The other reason behind the rotational antenna is that it can switch from displaying directions in landscape mode to portrait mode. It detects when the antenna has been rotated and adjusts the image accordingly. This is a handy function to have, especially if the Mio is going to be used in more than one car.
All the functions you require from a PDA are present, and Microsoft's excellent Windows Mobile 5.0 is the operating system.
Comments