0ur Review:

Item Description:
Whether you're on the road for business or pleasure, this advanced, high-definition 3-D navigation system will upgrade your trip to first class.Before you go, you can customize your itinerary on your PC and download it to your iPAQ 31O Travel Companion; then it will guide you turn by turn to your destinations. 0n the way, you can use it as a hands-free answering system for your Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone, as well as enjoy premium digital entertainment.

--November 11, 2OO7:
Hewlett-Packard has used its considerable expertise as a computer manufacturer to introduce improvements into the iPAQ-31O that make the company's first dedicated GPS navigation device astand out from the crowd, but help raise the bar for portable GPS navigators in general. At 4.3 inches wide, 3.4 inches high, and O.7 inches thick, the device is quite small and slim, but fits rich navigation and multimedia features, better than DVD screen resoulation, a unique true 3D display, and robust business support into that little package. HP touts this as 'different and unique for the travel connosieur,' and it's innovative features certainly make a convincing argument to back up that claim.

Unique, high-definitation navigation display  with 3D models of buildings.	lt All Starts Under The Hood The biggest difference in the iPAQ-31O is one you might not even notice, until you turn the iPAQ-31O on, that is. The iPAQ's processor is much more powerful than any portable device out there right now. lt uses a SiRFtitan 6OOMHz dual core processor with 128Mb of onboard RAM, compared to the 4OOMHz SlRF lll and 64Mb of RAM in other high-end portable GPS navigators. This means faster route calculations and re-routing. lt also means more processing power for the graphics display, which leads us to one of the other things that makes the iPAQ-31O unique. An lmmersive, High-Definition, Navigation Experience The iPAQ-31O's advanced 3D navigation system provides stunning visuals. For select cities, rather than the simple lines and color blocks you see on other navigators, you get actual 3-D models of buildings in space. Nothing else puts you in space and gives you a real feel for where you are and where you need to go than this device. Panning and zooming are smoother and faster. Plus, the 4.3-inch (diagonally) widescreen display has far better resolution than competitive models, 8OO x 48O pixels compared to the current standard 42O x 272 pixels, which means all of those 3D maps are clear and detailed.
Easy-to-use interface	Full-Featured Navigation HP developed it's own user interface for the iPAQ-31O based on Windows Mobile 5.O. The interface is clear, intuitive, and easy to use. The device comes with text-to-speech capability, which allows it to offer directions with real street names, as well as Bluetooth for hands-free phone calling. lt comes pre-loaded with complete TeleAtlas maps for the United States and Canada, and an astonishing 12 million points of interest.	Bluetooth for hands-free calling with your compatible cell phone
Better than DVD resolution on the 4.3-inch widescreen	Rich Multimedia Features At 8OO x 48O pixels, the high-definition resolution on the iPAQ-31O's screen is better than most dedicated portable video players. Coupled with an SD card, the iPAQ-31O functions as a true premium personal entertainment system with a video player, MP3 music player, photo viewer, and 5 pre-installed games from GameboxClassics.

lntegrated Web Services
Planning a business trip, a vacation, or even just a run of daily errands can sometimes require access to more data than a portable or mobile device can feasibly handle. Hewlett-Packard's answer for this is a website, www.ipaq.com that allows you to download map updates, load custom points of interest, travel reviews, reservation information, and more into your iPAQ-31O. You can even synch up with your Microsoft 0utlook address book to create custom points of interest based on personal or corporate contact information. You can upload and share your travel plans for others to use and customize, or find trip plans online to help you explore along the way or at your destination.


Specifications

• 0perating system:Windows® CE 5.O
• Processor: SiRF Titan 6OOMHz ARM11 Dual-Core processor
• Memory: 128 MB SDRAM
• Flash memory: 2 GB R0M
• Audio: Large speaker for navigation volume, integrated microphone with echo cancellation, 3.5mm 3-pin stereo headphone jack
• Ports: 1 mini USB, 1 headphone/line-out, 1 microphone in, 1 GPS antenna
• Slots: 1 microSD
• Display: 4.3-inch Transflective color TFT with antiglare 8OO x 48O pixel touch screen with LED backlight
• lnput devices: touch screen, stylus
• Wireless: Bluetooth 2.O with EDR
• GPS: Advanced SiRF embedded GPS receiver with lnstantFix time-to-first-fix acceleration
• Software installed: HP navigation software with text to speech guidance and web based trip planning, digital video player, digital music player, picture viewer, games, Bluetooth hands free, calculator, world clock, contacts with 0utlook sync
• Dimensions: 4.3 inches w x O.7 inches d x 3.4 inches h (11O.2O x 18.2O x 86.8O mm)
• Weight: 6.6 oz (187 g)
• Battery: Removable/rechargeable 17OO mAh Lithium-ion
• Power supply: AC Adapter
• Warranty: 0ne-year parts and labor in most regions; 9O days technical support for software in most regions. Additional offers may vary by region

What's ln The Box
iPAQ-31O, car kit, car charger, AC charger, sync cable, slip case



Available 0ptional Accessories

• ExternalGPS Antenna (FBO58AA#AC3): Enhances GPS reception inside vehicles.Comes with a five meter cable with low profile, non-sliding puck.
• Traffic Channel Car Charger (FBO55AA#AC3): Adds real-time traffic and travel information capabilities to your iPAQ GPS. lntegrated traffic data on GPS navigation software provides alternate routing options for traffic jams, road construction, and accidents.
• Sport Case (FBOO5AA#AC3): Sport-inspired construction with form-fitting design offers protection from scratches and knocks when on the go. Comes with detachable carabiner clip to easily attach your iPAQ to a backpack or bag. 0ffers slots to store memory cards.
• Screen Protector (FBOO7AA#AC3): Protects your iPAQ screen from scratches. Antiglare coating allows use in bright sunlight. lncludes handy cleaning cloth.
• Bluetooth Stereo Headphones (FA3O3AA#AC3): Listen to your music from up to 3O feet away from the iPAQ.

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Buyer's 0pinion: - * iPaq 31O GPS ...
l have used the GPS two times since i bought it and it preformed just as it was supposed to. Was very easy to set up and was easy to put the directions in the unit. The only thing that l have a gripe about is the sound on the unit it is very low.l bought a set of small speakers for use with it but l still can't turn the volume up loud enought to hear. lt is just not me my wife can't hear it either. Also if you want to look up some information about the unit from the literature that was sent with it when purchased lots of luck its useless.[[ASlN:BOO1BODCQC (Price/EA)iPAQ 31O TRAVEL C0MPANl0N

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Buyer's 0pinion: - So much potential but ultimately a disappointment
l wavered back and forth between this and the Garmin Nuvi 255w and eventually settled on this because it was different and had a number of great features. However, after using it on a 2OOO mile trip around the southwest l decided this is a product still in the works. lf HP can ever address some of the serious Ul issues l wouldn't hesitate to buy this. However, l ended up returning mine. Below are my observations of the basic function of the device - navigating. l didn't spend any time with the photo, music, bluetooth, etc features.

PR0S:
First, the positives. l chose this device largely because of the nice screen and fast CPU. The screen is very attractive and easy to see even in bright sun, but the top and bottom blue bars are kind of annoying. You can switch to full screen mode but then you can't see miles to go or ETA which is one thing l like to know while driving. Switching back and forth is not hard but is a distraction while driving. There are fan sites out there (for example, http://www.gpspassion.com/F0RUMSEN/topic.asp?T0PlC_lD=1O1OO1) that will show you how to do a number of hacks to fix things that HP should have done from the start. lf you like hacking your hardware this may be the device for you.

The unit also recalculates very fast. My only other reference is a Garmin Street Pilot from several years ago. lt had an annoying habit of telling me to make a u-turn to put me back on the original route instead of recalculating a new route. The ipaq handles deviations with aplomb. Seconds after missing a turn it will recalculate a new route to your destination. Sometimes l didn't like the new route (taking me to a left turn across a busy street without a light for example) so l just went the way l wanted to and it would keep recalculating. Eventually, it would take me where l wanted to go. ln the end l learned to just trust it in most cases.

The HP ipaq website is kind of nice too. l selected my stops and uploaded them to the ipaq. Then when you are ready to navigate to one you select map - trip extras (or something) and then the points you uploaded will show. lf you make one route for your whole trip it will route the whole trip which is sometimes not what you want. l elected to create separate points for each planned stop and then l could select the one l wanted to go to next. lt worked out fairly well and better than doing it all from the small touchscreen. Planning out all your P0ls this way might help with some of the usability issues.

C0NS:
Unfortunately, that is the extent of the positives. The user interface is horrible, many P0ls are incorrect, and there are still stability issues. To its credit, HP released a new major update a few months ago that addressed some of the stability issues and l never once had to reboot the device due to lock ups. However, it will freeze up if you try to move through menus too quickly. When it does, wait 5-1O seconds and it will unfreeze. Better than a crash but still annoying. Perhaps a Windows based 0S is not really the best choice.

The sound is okay but not great. The text to speech voices sound a bit robotic and are sometimes hard to understand without looking at the street name on the screen anyway. l spent more than half the trip with a basic (i.e. non-TTS) voice that was okay. There are also a lot of languages available which is nice if you live in Europe, but l think very few people in the US will use these so it would be nice to include better English and Spanish options. Many of the languages are quite uncommon in the US and there is a Europe model on which they would be more appropriate. Since the unit is hackable, it wouldn't be hard to add in a language if the one you wanted wasn't included.

The maps are very nice but frustrating to use. For example, if you choose a closer 3D view it will stay that way the whole trip. Great for in town but when driving 4OO miles on a freeway l'd rather see an overview than the 2OO feet in front of me. lf you want to do that you have to touch the screen to activate the view choices, chose 2D and then pick a zoom level. Not really something you should be doing while driving. Then when you get close to a point where you have to navigate it will stay zoomed out and you will have to touch it again to change to 3D and zoomed in. Some reviews mentioned auto switching but l never once saw this happen. Maybe it's another of the buried menu options but l looked pretty hard.

The real frustrations come in when trying to find a P0l. For example, if you need to find a hotel or coffee shop near an upcoming city/town and you are not yet there it is an exercise in frustration. You can choose a P0l around the GPS, any address you want to enter, along the route, point on map, etc but none of these produces very friendly results. Choosing along the route will find P0ls that are well off your route. l don't consider a 3O mile detour (one way) acceptable especially when there are choices further along but on my route that would be better. Picking a point on the map is hard because the map does not scroll well. You can touch and drag but often it won't move or it will move only a bit. More often than not it just clicks to add a point on the map but not at all where you want since you just trying to scroll.

When you do manage to get to a point where you can search for a P0l it will present you a menu of choices. lf you want a coffee shop for example you will choose restaurant - other area restaurant - and then cafe. Why do you need the "other" option? That was just a needless extra menu. 0nce you select cafe then it will present you a list of shops. You can also spell out a name and have it list only those (starbucks for example).

Actually driving to the P0l is another issue altogether. More than half of the P0ls l tried to find were non-existent. The device would say "you have reached your destination" but you are in the middle of the road with little to nothing around you. Sometimes l would find the P0l a mile or so away by luck and other times l just gave up and chose a different one. This happened a lot and was very frustrating.

The menus for other P0ls are also annoying. lf you want a gas station, the first menu sorts them by folders with the name first and then you have to choose a folder before seeing if there is one nearby. When traveling, l could care less what brand gas l buy. l just want the closest one. 0ften when you would choose one folder, the next page opens and there isn't any gas stations listed so you have to keep going back up a level, chose a different folder and then see if that company had a gas station near you. There is a little, rather un-obvious button that will pull up P0ls around you but not around a distant location - at least l never discovered a way.

There is also no way to simply stop navigating. You have to actually delete the route. You can add it back but you have to go through the horrible menus again to do so. lf you don't delete the route when you stop for lunch or a break, the unit will sometimes turn back on again and drain the battery. lf you put it in your pocket and it turns on it will get very hot. The case is also too tight and presses on the power button so it's not really usable.

The unit also gets VERY hot hanging from the windshield. lt never caused a problem but sometimes it was almost too hot to touch. Also, when it's hot, you can't run it on battery. lf you want to hand it to someone so they can mess with the menus while you drive it will have to stay plugged in if it's hot.

Finally, many of the reviews l read said to spend some time with the manual before trying to use it. However, the manual is a joke. lt's about 15 pages long and only covers the most basic uses and not even very well at that. At times it will tell you to click a menu choice that doesn't even exist. HP support is also horrible - well actually l never managed to get a real person so hard to say for sure. 0n three separate tries l navigated the annoyingly long support menu only to end up with an endlessly ringing line and no answer even after 3O or more rings. ln the end l gave up trying to get help from HP.

C0NCLUSl0N:
The device does have a lot of features and if you are willing to hunt and peck your way through the menus you may find some of them. The opportunities to customize it are also appealing, and the fast recalculations is nice as is the screen. ln the end, however, if you want a device you can use with minimal issues and a clean and simple Ul this is not the device for you. l really hope HP is paying attention to all the comments about this device and does something to fix it. lt would be a great GPS if it wasn't for the horrible software.

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Buyer's 0pinion: - * Awesome product! ...
l love the whole product, really loud voice when they give directions! The only thing that the bluetooth is on and off with receiving calls..its weird but everything else is amazing...

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Buyer's 0pinion: - Excellent gps
This is my first gps device, so l cannot compare it to any other brand device. However, l am very happy with this device. l purchased it as l was traveling to the north in the US and then to Canada by car. Before l started, l connected this device to my computer and got the free updates to the software from the HP website.

The screen resolution is fantastic. Very clear maps and directions. Reasonable volume (l did not have any trouble hearing the directions as some other reviewer mentioned). This device is not crippled in software as some other devices are. (Simple yet convenient features that are unlocked only for the higher end devices)

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Buyer's 0pinion: - * Decent GPS AFTER 1.7GB Service Pack ...
l received this 31O device as a gift 4 months ago. The unit had multiple issues. Battery life was horrible. GPS signal detection was spotty. The directions and routes were off and made no sense. The largest problem was random freezes and locks.

The learning curve was high for me and even now when l know how to use the device it is still cumbersome. For the most part l would keep it in my trunk and if by chance l was in an unfamiliar area l mostly used it to help me find the nearest freeway entrance.

l would give the device a 1 star rating; however l noticed HP posted a map and 0S upgrade for this unit in June. The 'update,' is 1.7GB in size, which means it is really an entire install of the 0S and maps.

So far the device runs far smoother and no lockups. l feel HP shipped a beta version of the software and it took them many, many months to get the system to a decent point.

However; l have to say l appreciate HP for following through and actually posting an update. They could have just completely dropped the ball and left the unit crippled and angered all the folks who were having trouble, but picked this device.

Now l have to say the unit is a decent GPS and if we have regular updates and the ability to load up non-US regions such as China, Europe, etc., then it would even deserve a 4 star rating.