+ 1 likes

HP IPAQ 310 Travel Companion

...

is very accurate, as it does so much more than navigation.

Many of the reviewers seem to not know how to read a manual or edit the settings before you set up a new electronics product - and I don't mean a really thick book, I just mean the basic scan of key items, etc. First off, this item DOES have TTS support, you just have to make sure the voice you choose under settings has 'TTS' next to it - simple. Second, the re-routing issue people seem to have a problem with is most likely due to them not having 'auto re-routing' selected - again, under settings. Finally, the issue of the system being slow when showing 3D buildings is partially true, but common sense resolves it. I mean if you are in a huge city and have the setting on high, yeah it slows down, but why in the world would you want that many buildings on your map!?! They are a really nice and flashy feature, but there really is no need to have it on the high setting since with that many buildings it would make the map too cluttered. The medium setting works just fine for me, and I'm in Houston (4th biggest city in the US). Many of the most recognizable buildings are pretty detailed (like the Williams tower here in Houston). Those complaining who live in smaller towns and cities, and therefore are not in 3D, are just nit-picky. It clearly says that it's limited to specific areas (namely the largest cities, of course - not sure how many though). Like I said, this product may not be for everyone. If you want 3D buildings and you live in a smaller city, then wait to see if a product comes out later that appeals to you. Anyway, if most of these reviewers just went into the settings area when they first turned it on and played around a bit, they would find the answers to nearly all of the problems addressed!

I have been very happy with this product so far. The size and weight are perfect, and I like the design a lot. It feels very sturdy and well made. The power button could be located in a better position, but I haven't really had many issues with accidentally pushing it like others had mentioned. However, I haven't really carried it around a lot, so I can't really comment on if that is an ongoing problem or not yet. The screen is incredible! It is extremely crisp and clear, and I haven't had many issues viewing it in sunlight - less problems than my Via Michelin. Videos have to be converted to a specific format, so I haven't used that function yet or really played around with it. Music plays fine and you can select it to play then go and select your navigation (plus settings on how you want the music interrupted, etc.) The device has 2GB built in and has an SD slot for additional cards. Pictures are organized well and look great on the screen. I like the file system for music and pictures. It is pretty easy to use and similar to a computer's explorer. The games are a really neat little feature - quite a few of them are a real blast to play, with nice graphics to boot. They are played with the stylus that is cleverly and stealthily stored on the top of the device. The contacts feature is interesting, but I'm not sure I'll use it straight away. It does seem like something that might be useful. This device is small and light enough to just carry with you on trips (the protective case is really nice and I was surprised to see it included!) so it's good for bored times at the airport etc.

Ok, so now onto a couple of negatives. The speaker is not too great, which others have touched on. It is a bit quiet on it's own, but not terrible. The male voices especially tend to make it vibrate at high volume. At home it sounds pretty loud, but in the car it could be louder due to road noise, etc. However, it has an audio out jack so you can connect it to your AUX in your car. That is how I use it. I have my mp3's, bluetooth and navigation going through my car stereo and it's great to have all this in one device rather than the two or three I had before. Bluetooth with my Motorola V3t worked flawlessly and I'm glad I can finally talk on the phone through my cars speakers just like a dealer-installed option!

The software is decent. I find the menu system easy to follow and there are not a zillion sub-menus to get lost in. It is easy to navigate to where you want to go. There are a few quirks and bugs, but I figure this was only released in November, and HP are pretty good about updates, so most of the little issues that I have run into (like some funky graphics) will probably be fixed later. They are not big enough to cause major issues though. So far I haven't had any crashes that others have apparently experienced, so I can't really comment on stability just yet.

I haven't really been able to test out battery life since it has not drained all the way since I first charged it and I usually have it connected to the cigarette socket in the car. I want to test it using video, audio, etc. to see how long the life is. The device completely charges in about 2.5 to 3 hours.

So, onto the navigation features:

The device is extremely quick at gaining a satellite signal. I switched it on in my apartment and it literally picked up and fixated on my position in a couple of seconds! My Via Michelin takes about 2 or so minutes. The scroll wheel on the side is a great addition. You can zoom in and out with it or press it in to bring up a shortcut menu. Entering addresses is pretty simple. I had no problems with routing or re-routing, and it is extremely quick at both. I really think the C|Net reviewer had auto-rerouting turned off, since she rated that so low. You would think a reviewer like that would have things set up correctly before testing! The POI index is amazing! It has 12 million POI's according to the literature, and it really does seem that way - more than I could ever want. It made me realize how little my Via Michelin had, although they were definitely adequate for my use. The maps are TeleAtlas and I heard they were not as good as NavTeq, which I have in the Via Michelin. However, I haven't really noticed any notable differences between the two so far.

One feature I really like is the IPAQ website. This allows you to register your travel companion and create routes to download to your device. This is REALLY useful for long trips since you can take advantage of the keyboard and computer screen which makes it much easier to find and enter POI's, multiple stops, etc. The website was not up and running until a few weeks ago, so that is one reason for some negative pointers here and in other reviews. It is working fine now and I think it will be a great resource for updating, etc. My Via Michelin has nothing like this, and with this new device being through HP, I know I will have access to support.

Overall, I feel this is a really good GPS system that has gotten some bad rap due to user ignorance, laziness and too early release for reviewing since the website was not even up yet for the major reviewers. For the price I paid it was an incredible value, but I would say even at near the list price I feel it would be worth the money considering the features compared to other GPS devices that are in competition. I guess I tend to go for the underdog too - I feel I discover really incredible products this way and the IPAQ 310 travel companion follows this tradition.

+ 0 likes

HP IPAQ 310 Travel Companion

...

is very accurate, as it does so much more than navigation.



Many of the reviewers seem to not know how to read a manual or edit the settings before you set up a new electronics product - and I don't mean a really thick book, I just mean the basic scan of key items, etc. First off, this item DOES have TTS support, you just have to make sure the voice you choose under settings has 'TTS' next to it - simple. Second, the re-routing issue people seem to have a problem with is most likely due to them not having 'auto re-routing' selected - again, under settings. Finally, the issue of the system being slow when showing 3D buildings is partially true, but common sense resolves it. I mean if you are in a huge city and have the setting on high, yeah it slows down, but why in the world would you want that many buildings on your map!?! They are a really nice and flashy feature, but there really is no need to have it on the high setting since with that many buildings it would make the map too cluttered. The medium setting works just fine for me, and I'm in Houston (4th biggest city in the US). Many of the most recognizable buildings are pretty detailed (like the Williams tower here in Houston). Those complaining who live in smaller towns and cities, and therefore are not in 3D, are just nit-picky. It clearly says that it's limited to specific areas (namely the largest cities, of course - not sure how many though). Like I said, this product may not be for everyone. If you want 3D buildings and you live in a smaller city, then wait to see if a product comes out later that appeals to you. Anyway, if most of these reviewers just went into the settings area when they first turned it on and played around a bit, they would find the answers to nearly all of the problems addressed!



I have been very happy with this product so far. The size and weight are perfect, and I like the design a lot. It feels very sturdy and well made. The power button could be located in a better position, but I haven't really had many issues with accidentally pushing it like others had mentioned. However, I haven't really carried it around a lot, so I can't really comment on if that is an ongoing problem or not yet. The screen is incredible! It is extremely crisp and clear, and I haven't had many issues viewing it in sunlight - less problems than my Via Michelin. Videos have to be converted to a specific format, so I haven't used that function yet or really played around with it. Music plays fine and you can select it to play then go and select your navigation (plus settings on how you want the music interrupted, etc.) The device has 2GB built in and has an SD slot for additional cards. Pictures are organized well and look great on the screen. I like the file system for music and pictures. It is pretty easy to use and similar to a computer's explorer. The games are a really neat little feature - quite a few of them are a real blast to play, with nice graphics to boot. They are played with the stylus that is cleverly and stealthily stored on the top of the device. The contacts feature is interesting, but I'm not sure I'll use it straight away. It does seem like something that might be useful. This device is small and light enough to just carry with you on trips (the protective case is really nice and I was surprised to see it included!) so it's good for bored times at the airport etc.



Ok, so now onto a couple of negatives. The speaker is not too great, which others have touched on. It is a bit quiet on it's own, but not terrible. The male voices especially tend to make it vibrate at high volume. At home it sounds pretty loud, but in the car it could be louder due to road noise, etc. However, it has an audio out jack so you can connect it to your AUX in your car. That is how I use it. I have my mp3's, bluetooth and navigation going through my car stereo and it's great to have all this in one device rather than the two or three I had before. Bluetooth with my Motorola V3t worked flawlessly and I'm glad I can finally talk on the phone through my cars speakers just like a dealer-installed option!



The software is decent. I find the menu system easy to follow and there are not a zillion sub-menus to get lost in. It is easy to navigate to where you want to go. There are a few quirks and bugs, but I figure this was only released in November, and HP are pretty good about updates, so most of the little issues that I have run into (like some funky graphics) will probably be fixed later. They are not big enough to cause major issues though. So far I haven't had any crashes that others have apparently experienced, so I can't really comment on stability just yet.



I haven't really been able to test out battery life since it has not drained all the way since I first charged it and I usually have it connected to the cigarette socket in the car. I want to test it using video, audio, etc. to see how long the life is. The device completely charges in about 2.5 to 3 hours.



So, onto the navigation features:



The device is extremely quick at gaining a satellite signal. I switched it on in my apartment and it literally picked up and fixated on my position in a couple of seconds! My Via Michelin takes about 2 or so minutes. The scroll wheel on the side is a great addition. You can zoom in and out with it or press it in to bring up a shortcut menu. Entering addresses is pretty simple. I had no problems with routing or re-routing, and it is extremely quick at both. I really think the C|Net reviewer had auto-rerouting turned off, since she rated that so low. You would think a reviewer like that would have things set up correctly before testing! The POI index is amazing! It has 12 million POI's according to the literature, and it really does seem that way - more than I could ever want. It made me realize how little my Via Michelin had, although they were definitely adequate for my use. The maps are TeleAtlas and I heard they were not as good as NavTeq, which I have in the Via Michelin. However, I haven't really noticed any notable differences between the two so far.



One feature I really like is the IPAQ website. This allows you to register your travel companion and create routes to download to your device. This is REALLY useful for long trips since you can take advantage of the keyboard and computer screen which makes it much easier to find and enter POI's, multiple stops, etc. The website was not up and running until a few weeks ago, so that is one reason for some negative pointers here and in other reviews. It is working fine now and I think it will be a great resource for updating, etc. My Via Michelin has nothing like this, and with this new device being through HP, I know I will have access to support.



Overall, I feel this is a really good GPS system that has gotten some bad rap due to user ignorance, laziness and too early release for reviewing since the website was not even up yet for the major reviewers. For the price I paid it was an incredible value, but I would say even at near the list price I feel it would be worth the money considering the features compared to other GPS devices that are in competition. I guess I tend to go for the underdog too - I feel I discover really incredible products this way and the IPAQ 310 travel companion follows this tradition.

+ 0 likes

HP IPAQ 310 Travel Companion

...

is very accurate, as it does so much more than navigation.





Many of the reviewers seem to not know how to read a manual or edit the settings before you set up a new electronics product - and I don't mean a really thick book, I just mean the basic scan of key items, etc. First off, this item DOES have TTS support, you just have to make sure the voice you choose under settings has 'TTS' next to it - simple. Second, the re-routing issue people seem to have a problem with is most likely due to them not having 'auto re-routing' selected - again, under settings. Finally, the issue of the system being slow when showing 3D buildings is partially true, but common sense resolves it. I mean if you are in a huge city and have the setting on high, yeah it slows down, but why in the world would you want that many buildings on your map!?! They are a really nice and flashy feature, but there really is no need to have it on the high setting since with that many buildings it would make the map too cluttered. The medium setting works just fine for me, and I'm in Houston (4th biggest city in the US). Many of the most recognizable buildings are pretty detailed (like the Williams tower here in Houston). Those complaining who live in smaller towns and cities, and therefore are not in 3D, are just nit-picky. It clearly says that it's limited to specific areas (namely the largest cities, of course - not sure how many though). Like I said, this product may not be for everyone. If you want 3D buildings and you live in a smaller city, then wait to see if a product comes out later that appeals to you. Anyway, if most of these reviewers just went into the settings area when they first turned it on and played around a bit, they would find the answers to nearly all of the problems addressed!





I have been very happy with this product so far. The size and weight are perfect, and I like the design a lot. It feels very sturdy and well made. The power button could be located in a better position, but I haven't really had many issues with accidentally pushing it like others had mentioned. However, I haven't really carried it around a lot, so I can't really comment on if that is an ongoing problem or not yet. The screen is incredible! It is extremely crisp and clear, and I haven't had many issues viewing it in sunlight - less problems than my Via Michelin. Videos have to be converted to a specific format, so I haven't used that function yet or really played around with it. Music plays fine and you can select it to play then go and select your navigation (plus settings on how you want the music interrupted, etc.) The device has 2GB built in and has an SD slot for additional cards. Pictures are organized well and look great on the screen. I like the file system for music and pictures. It is pretty easy to use and similar to a computer's explorer. The games are a really neat little feature - quite a few of them are a real blast to play, with nice graphics to boot. They are played with the stylus that is cleverly and stealthily stored on the top of the device. The contacts feature is interesting, but I'm not sure I'll use it straight away. It does seem like something that might be useful. This device is small and light enough to just carry with you on trips (the protective case is really nice and I was surprised to see it included!) so it's good for bored times at the airport etc.





Ok, so now onto a couple of negatives. The speaker is not too great, which others have touched on. It is a bit quiet on it's own, but not terrible. The male voices especially tend to make it vibrate at high volume. At home it sounds pretty loud, but in the car it could be louder due to road noise, etc. However, it has an audio out jack so you can connect it to your AUX in your car. That is how I use it. I have my mp3's, bluetooth and navigation going through my car stereo and it's great to have all this in one device rather than the two or three I had before. Bluetooth with my Motorola V3t worked flawlessly and I'm glad I can finally talk on the phone through my cars speakers just like a dealer-installed option!





The software is decent. I find the menu system easy to follow and there are not a zillion sub-menus to get lost in. It is easy to navigate to where you want to go. There are a few quirks and bugs, but I figure this was only released in November, and HP are pretty good about updates, so most of the little issues that I have run into (like some funky graphics) will probably be fixed later. They are not big enough to cause major issues though. So far I haven't had any crashes that others have apparently experienced, so I can't really comment on stability just yet.





I haven't really been able to test out battery life since it has not drained all the way since I first charged it and I usually have it connected to the cigarette socket in the car. I want to test it using video, audio, etc. to see how long the life is. The device completely charges in about 2.5 to 3 hours.





So, onto the navigation features:





The device is extremely quick at gaining a satellite signal. I switched it on in my apartment and it literally picked up and fixated on my position in a couple of seconds! My Via Michelin takes about 2 or so minutes. The scroll wheel on the side is a great addition. You can zoom in and out with it or press it in to bring up a shortcut menu. Entering addresses is pretty simple. I had no problems with routing or re-routing, and it is extremely quick at both. I really think the C|Net reviewer had auto-rerouting turned off, since she rated that so low. You would think a reviewer like that would have things set up correctly before testing! The POI index is amazing! It has 12 million POI's according to the literature, and it really does seem that way - more than I could ever want. It made me realize how little my Via Michelin had, although they were definitely adequate for my use. The maps are TeleAtlas and I heard they were not as good as NavTeq, which I have in the Via Michelin. However, I haven't really noticed any notable differences between the two so far.





One feature I really like is the IPAQ website. This allows you to register your travel companion and create routes to download to your device. This is REALLY useful for long trips since you can take advantage of the keyboard and computer screen which makes it much easier to find and enter POI's, multiple stops, etc. The website was not up and running until a few weeks ago, so that is one reason for some negative pointers here and in other reviews. It is working fine now and I think it will be a great resource for updating, etc. My Via Michelin has nothing like this, and with this new device being through HP, I know I will have access to support.





Overall, I feel this is a really good GPS system that has gotten some bad rap due to user ignorance, laziness and too early release for reviewing since the website was not even up yet for the major reviewers. For the price I paid it was an incredible value, but I would say even at near the list price I feel it would be worth the money considering the features compared to other GPS devices that are in competition. I guess I tend to go for the underdog too - I feel I discover really incredible products this way and the IPAQ 310 travel companion follows this tradition.

+ 0 likes

HP IPAQ 310 Travel Companion

...

would consult for electronics advice) and I rarely have to read instruction manual on most of anything I buy in order to operate them. I received the Ipaq 310 from amazon...got in my car, turned the thing on; then for the next 20 minutes could not make it take me to a destination! I was fully humiliated in front of my girlfriend. So, the thing is not very intuitive straight out of the box. It took me a good 1 or 2 hours of "alone time" at home to figure everything out (and I still didn't read the manual). The marked difference between the 310 and all of my previous GPS in navigation is what made the initial learning so difficult. You enter an address and fully expect the unit to just take you there as with all of the other GPS I had before...not the 310; you would have to perform anothe step of assigning the address as either "destination" or "starting point." And repeating entries because you're not sure if the unit registered your destination correctly are simply added onto the route. You would have to go to another menu to edit the route and delete previous addresses. Really, it makes perfect sense now after I've learned the HP interface. And it really DOES provide some really good features that the other GPS lack. Essentially, the 310 allows you to do that route planning thing you do using Yahoo Maps or Mapquest; you can find out the distance/travel time between any two points on the map. Most of other systems only allow you to calculate route from your current GPS position to your entered destination. This is a really useful feature that some newer higher end GPS are starting to offer (e.g. Garmin 700 series). The 310 had quite a few hardware and software issues that are well documented in various user forums, most notably the sound quality and lockups and crashes. But, here's where HP is coming through with some very nice product updates. There had been at least 1 major update and 1 minor update since the product release. Earlier users also experienced unreasonably difficult process with the automatic update. That had improved by the time I did my update; it took less than 1 hour. The sound volume improved to adequate level. However Susan Text-to-speech still sounds annoying and not as clear as I would've liked. Rerouting seems to have improved. The crashes are VERY infrequent now. I think my review of the 310 turned out a bit more negative than I really feel about the unit; All and all, I was so very close to returning this thing back to amazon; but after the update AND after I learn how to use the interface, I find myself liking it quite a bit now. The screen is bright and sharp. I also like the fact that the battery is user replaceable. My Garmin 350 is basically a permanent wired unit now that the battery won't hold charge anymore. Still haven't played much with the video playback, MP3 stuff. But what's very encouraging is that HP is releasing updates...indeed this unit has tons of potential and it's getting better with each update.

+ 0 likes

HP IPAQ 310 Travel Companion

...

would consult for electronics advice) and I rarely have to read instruction manual on most of anything I buy in order to operate them. I received the Ipaq 310 from amazon...got in my car, turned the thing on; then for the next 20 minutes could not make it take me to a destination! I was fully humiliated in front of my girlfriend. So, the thing is not very intuitive straight out of the box. It took me a good 1 or 2 hours of "alone time" at home to figure everything out (and I still didn't read the manual). The marked difference between the 310 and all of my previous GPS in navigation is what made the initial learning so difficult. You enter an address and fully expect the unit to just take you there as with all of the other GPS I had before...not the 310; you would have to perform anothe step of assigning the address as either "destination" or "starting point." And repeating entries because you're not sure if the unit registered your destination correctly are simply added onto the route. You would have to go to another menu to edit the route and delete previous addresses. Really, it makes perfect sense now after I've learned the HP interface. And it really DOES provide some really good features that the other GPS lack. Essentially, the 310 allows you to do that route planning thing you do using Yahoo Maps or Mapquest; you can find out the distance/travel time between any two points on the map. Most of other systems only allow you to calculate route from your current GPS position to your entered destination. This is a really useful feature that some newer higher end GPS are starting to offer (e.g. Garmin 700 series). The 310 had quite a few hardware and software issues that are well documented in various user forums, most notably the sound quality and lockups and crashes. But, here's where HP is coming through with some very nice product updates. There had been at least 1 major update and 1 minor update since the product release. Earlier users also experienced unreasonably difficult process with the automatic update. That had improved by the time I did my update; it took less than 1 hour. The sound volume improved to adequate level. However Susan Text-to-speech still sounds annoying and not as clear as I would've liked. Rerouting seems to have improved. The crashes are VERY infrequent now. I think my review of the 310 turned out a bit more negative than I really feel about the unit; All and all, I was so very close to returning this thing back to amazon; but after the update AND after I learn how to use the interface, I find myself liking it quite a bit now. The screen is bright and sharp. I also like the fact that the battery is user replaceable. My Garmin 350 is basically a permanent wired unit now that the battery won't hold charge anymore. Still haven't played much with the video playback, MP3 stuff. But what's very encouraging is that HP is releasing updates...indeed this unit has tons of potential and it's getting better with each update.

+ 0 likes

HP IPAQ 310 Travel Companion

...

is very modifiable for those so inclined.

The 2 glaring flaws that are not fully user addressable are the on/off button logic and the low volume of the TTS. The unit can be turned on much too easily and this could drain the battery inadvertently. The volume can be improved a bit with a software hack, but the better solution lay with HP upgrading the voice quality to the higher frequencies used by the likes of TomTom. I also read that there is a buffering issue with the TTS voices that can also be addressed by HP in a firmware update.

On another point, the early production models with model number FB86.... were flawed and withdrawn. They were replaced by the much better FA97.... series which had way less issues. HP did a software upgrade in Dec. that helped a bit as well.

Here is my list of recommendations to HP to make this unit an absolute slam dunk winner:
1) Fix the on/off logic
2) Make other maps available on SD cards (Coming in a few weeks, I am told)
3) Make TMC traffic available in the US
4) Restore original iGo functionality like PED routing, Carpool lane routing, etc.
5)Increase TTS volume/quality
6)Make the factory default Restore pack available (so modders can fix any screw-ups and thus HP can lower their cust service costs. (actually, now that I have discovered how to enter Engineering mode, I can do a restore to factory default myself, but it is a risky procedure).


Please note.... before this, I had never used Windows CE, so I am no expert, yet I was able with tips on line to do all that. I am no computer expert, but I can potter around.
I had never used iGo navigation software before, and the iPaq runs a modified version of iGo2008 which is NOT YET commercially available.

I find the array of options staggering on this machine. It basically can do just about ANYTHING the competitors can. I can only think of 3 useful functions missing that other available offerings can do at present, Reality View, Lane assistant and Selective (named road) route exclusion. The HP does routes exclusion by distance only. Every other cutting edge function exists like, Where am I? ..a la Garmin, Screen lock, disable snap-to-road, 3D mapping (buildings), contour mapping, tracklog, GPS accuracy readout, user changable battery, 3rd party application loading in the Games folder, 2 games provided in the stock unit, elevation readout, destination side of road indication on map, auto time zone switch, GPS AUTONOMY (extremely fast fix), 40 channel/2 million effective GPS correlators!!!, satellite graphics screen, auto day/night switching, etc, etc etc.

This unit has it all, and can still be improved. SCARY!

To cancel route, depress the scroll wheel on the right side of the unit and that will bring up the option in a small window. The scroll wheel is a hidden functionality in itself.

Great info can be found on the forum at [...]

General info:
The Ipaq 310 new firmware update for North America should be on the server to download this week, the versions for Europe early next week. Both via content manager tool that you download from [...]

+ 0 likes

HP IPAQ 310 Travel Companion

...

is very modifiable for those so inclined.



The 2 glaring flaws that are not fully user addressable are the on/off button logic and the low volume of the TTS. The unit can be turned on much too easily and this could drain the battery inadvertently. The volume can be improved a bit with a software hack, but the better solution lay with HP upgrading the voice quality to the higher frequencies used by the likes of TomTom. I also read that there is a buffering issue with the TTS voices that can also be addressed by HP in a firmware update.



On another point, the early production models with model number FB86.... were flawed and withdrawn. They were replaced by the much better FA97.... series which had way less issues. HP did a software upgrade in Dec. that helped a bit as well.



Here is my list of recommendations to HP to make this unit an absolute slam dunk winner:

1) Fix the on/off logic

2) Make other maps available on SD cards (Coming in a few weeks, I am told)

3) Make TMC traffic available in the US

4) Restore original iGo functionality like PED routing, Carpool lane routing, etc.

5)Increase TTS volume/quality

6)Make the factory default Restore pack available (so modders can fix any screw-ups and thus HP can lower their cust service costs. (actually, now that I have discovered how to enter Engineering mode, I can do a restore to factory default myself, but it is a risky procedure).





Please note.... before this, I had never used Windows CE, so I am no expert, yet I was able with tips on line to do all that. I am no computer expert, but I can potter around.

I had never used iGo navigation software before, and the iPaq runs a modified version of iGo2008 which is NOT YET commercially available.



I find the array of options staggering on this machine. It basically can do just about ANYTHING the competitors can. I can only think of 3 useful functions missing that other available offerings can do at present, Reality View, Lane assistant and Selective (named road) route exclusion. The HP does routes exclusion by distance only. Every other cutting edge function exists like, Where am I? ..a la Garmin, Screen lock, disable snap-to-road, 3D mapping (buildings), contour mapping, tracklog, GPS accuracy readout, user changable battery, 3rd party application loading in the Games folder, 2 games provided in the stock unit, elevation readout, destination side of road indication on map, auto time zone switch, GPS AUTONOMY (extremely fast fix), 40 channel/2 million effective GPS correlators!!!, satellite graphics screen, auto day/night switching, etc, etc etc.



This unit has it all, and can still be improved. SCARY!



To cancel route, depress the scroll wheel on the right side of the unit and that will bring up the option in a small window. The scroll wheel is a hidden functionality in itself.



Great info can be found on the forum at [...]



General info:

The Ipaq 310 new firmware update for North America should be on the server to download this week, the versions for Europe early next week. Both via content manager tool that you download from [...]

+ 0 likes

HP IPAQ 310 Travel Companion

...

switch from 3D back to 2D and show me a rather large area map, therefore i lose the ability to see any upcoming streets. The unit will revert back to 3D when it is time to execute an upcoming turn but by that time i've missed several points of references/landmarks.

Bluetooth/Phone
The phone frequently mutes incoming calls, meaning when i answered a call via my phone or via the unit, the callers could hear me but i couldn't hear them.

Nightmode
Doesn't allow identify dead end streets like normal mode does.


User Friendliness
NONE at all, while it is not recommended to drive while operating the unit, this thing is a HAZARD and you basically have to stop, or plan well ahead because the steps needed to search POI's or enter POI's are very many and very tedious. The instruction manual seems like it was written by the marketing guys versus the Engineers/Tech Guys because it lacks detailed instructions and seems bent on terse praising of the unit and the features versus offering verbose detailed technical information.

Online support
Trip planner is totally useless, updates are far and few in between if any. You cannot enter or download points of interest from online and i cant seem to get the trip planner to work standalone on the unit, there must be some secret trick to get the option to light up on the unit, because its otherwise darkend/unavailable.

I bought this item brand new on Ebay and i have been strugging to give this unit a chance i have had it about 2 weeks and im ready to throw in the towel. I have given it ample opportunity to perform in City Driving, Suburban driving, interstate and state highway driving. One more week and im selling this bad boy on Ebay. The size of the screen and graphics arent enough to out weigh everything that is wrong with this unit.

+ 0 likes

HP IPAQ 310 Travel Companion

...

some movies on it after shrinking the move to smaller size/resolution, and it is fantastic. With 8GB SD (since it supports SDHC), I could store more than a dozen movies available to watch.
- I found the windshield mount to be pretty good, even better than Garmin ones. It held pretty strong during bumpy ride, and doesn't look like it will "glue" to the windshield like my Garmin mount did.
- Yes, the sound of the device is pretty low. But there is a way to increase the volume if you find a right forum. But it takes some general gizmo knowledge, and probably not for everyone. Wish it had a FM transmitter built-in.
- Bluetooth....well... it works, but even after authenticating the ipaq in my phone, it does not "sync" automatically when it is in proximity like my Nuvi 360 does. I have to manually turn it on everytime, so it is not that useful.
- The 3D thing in some city (40 cities mapped so far I believe) is nice. New Orlease was one of them, and in downtown, it does look quite nice even though it does not look that fance like the picture posted.
- I find it quite annoying the sound and backlight setting is not "remembered". When I turn it on, I have to adjust the backlight seeting. And, it did crash/freeze a few time.
- The turn instructions can be better. If I decided to keep going instead of turning as it recommeds, it should recalculate adter may be 1 warning of turn back. It does say 2-3 times to turn back before route recalculation, which can be annoying. Probably my fault. I shouldn't have turn it on when I know exactly where I am going :) BTW, the route recalculation is pretty fast I would say.

IMHO, if it is cheap enough, and have a courage to "play" with it to unlock some of the stuff, get it. If it is just a navigator you want, Garmin is pretty cheap nowadays. Since most of the people will not using it for everyday, it sounds not bad, but if it can not find your destination when you really need it to, well...

+ 0 likes

HP IPAQ 310 Travel Companion

...

none the less.

It's has minor flaws, which include a less than crystal clear speaker. It's screen depicts alot of info along the edges of the map, which might be a burden for those with less than 20/20 vision (though the map and route are crystal clear). The other flaw is support, if you have a problem or question, dont bother searching the HP site, there is no mention of this product anywhere on-line. I had an issue with a broken cradle, which HP replaced for free, but it took alot of fruitless searching on-line before I gave up and decided to talk with a customer service rep. So make sure you keep the product box and info, cause if you have a problem your gonna need it.

All in all, this is the BEST GPS I have used. It has features that you will only find in much more expensive models and has extremely accurate maps. When it comes down to it, the accuracy of the maps is what counts the most, and this GPS will not let you down.

+ 0 likes

HP IPAQ 310 Travel Companion

...

units were replaced.

Also, HP has released a firmware update which is available when you install the Content Manager software to download and install the update on the iPaq. (It's not available as a direct web download. Must use Content Manager in order to get it.)

I've been using mine for a few weeks now and with all the tweaks and playing around with it, I've not had it lock up even once. I did create a cross country route from Chicago to Vancouver, Canada and the iPaq handled that just fine. The routing calculation took about 30s was reasonably fast compared to other GPSs. After that, it did bog down a little bit, I suspect because I was inside and the GPS position was shifting around causing recalculations every so often, but it never hung.

iPaq Pros:
----------
"Wow" Features: (thing that make me go, "dang! that's good")
GPS Software
- When configured for 2D display, as you get close to the turn, the software zooms in and switches to 3D mode with heading up. After the turn, the software zooms back out to 2D mode with North up. (That's exactly the way I'd like it to work.)
- parts of the map is 3D!! I'm not talking about the 3D buildings, but the terrain. I was driving over a very short bridge the other day, but the screen showed the bridge was curved and peaked at the top and not a flat bridge. Also I could see the hills in the background. At first, I thought maybe it was just "artificial" landscape, but as I drove around town, it seemed accurate, then when I zoomed out, I realized that, yes, it does (or at least appears to) have 3D or relief information. When in day mode, the map shows the terrain as a relief type map would.
- You can configure how close you want to be to the next turn before the software switches to 3D.
- 12Million POIs. Lot and lot of POIs and very well categorized too. POIs include phone numbers.
- Push in rotary knob on the side is a nice touch. To adjust 3D tilt of the map, just turn the knob. To adjust volume, push (click) the knob in first, then turn the knob. To adjust brightness, double click, then turn the knob. (Hold down knob for additional functions)
- I like how the POIs markers are transparent on the map.

Other Pros:
- GUI for finding POIs around a point on the map is very easy to use: Click on a point on the map, hit the location button, then POIs: Voila, a POI list around the point.
- POI map display had a "distance" setting for each of the categories and some of the subcategories. This lets the system determine how close to the route the POI must be before it shows up.
- for a 800x480 resolution screen updates are fast. (It's 5x the amount of information compared to screens that are 320x240)
- MANY choices for languages and accents. (not quite 100, but just for English alone, I counted 10 different selections of accents/genders/styles. Not all voices have text-to-spech though.)
- dynamic volume adjustment (based on speed) is customizable for min and max speed
- "economical" driving mode which appears to be "lowest fuel cost"
- different routing options based on car, bicycle, truck, bus or taxi
- trips can be planned on the PC, picking restaurants, hotels, etc, (requires online connection which uses google maps data) then downloaded to the GPS.
- Outlook contacts can be sync'd (uploaded) to the GPS (but this has a few quirks)
- Full screen mode which stretches the map so it goes into the menu and status bar areas, (like iGuidance).
- good sensitivity and fast time to fix (I can get a signal inside the house pretty easily)
- many software extras: music player, video player, games
- compatible with SDHC cards
- easy to install additional software and get ActiveSync working.
- Internal and external flash shows up as Mass Storage Media in windows
- Content manager makes it very easy to update software and select what software components (maps, voices, information) the user wants installed
- recalculations are very fast
- predictive text entry

Hardware
- 800x480 screen is FABULOUS and very bright
- decent speaker
- solid feel
- mount is easy to get GPS in and out of and feel secure
- has Bluetooth
- 600Mhz processor with DSP

iPaq Cons:
- can't click on POIs (to bring up details) in map mode, only in list mode can they be selected
- 3D map view zoom level cannot be changed, only tilt perspective can be changed. (Zoom level can be changed in 2D mode though.)
- day view is great, but night view is quite bland.
- Contact lookup could use more artificial intelligence. (state names need to be typed out in full and street NAMES cannot be abbreviated in any way while street TYPES can, but they must not have periods at the end of the abbreviation.)
- power button logic is poor: short press on, and long press off. It should be the other way around or at least require holding down the button to turn it on.
- Although I haven't see one of these yet for any GPS except the Michelin X970, It would be nice if there was a drop in powered dock to use in the car. I don't like having to plug in the power adapter into the side of the iPaq when I use the unit in the car.

As for some things that others have commented on, I do agree with some, but others may be misinformed or just completely wrong on some of the technical points.

1. Some people have said the iPaq can't show a complete route. This is completely wrong. It is very easy to show the complete route on the iPaq:
(a) view route graphically on map: Click on the [2d] screen soft menu.
Rotate the wheel to zoom out as far as you need in order to see the entire route. I routed Chicago to Vancouver. I could get the entire route on the screen. I supposed if you routed coast to coast, there is a possibility that you won't be able to see the entire map of the US on one screen, but you would see at least 3000-4000 miles. Then a click-and-drag can move the map over.
(b) view route in text: Click on Route->Details and scroll through the turn by turn directions.

2. Route calculations.
I've not seen any issues yet. No wacky routes, no driving off bridges, etc, but I did change the default routing method to Economy and that is all I have been using. I don't have any software that I think routes better. I think Streets & Trips and iGuidance are both comparable in routing to the iPaq.

3. Sound:
Yes, I've heard better sound from AIOs, but if you compare the iPaq to the Navigon 2100, the iPaq is just much better. If I compare my iPaq to my Dell Axim X50v, the iPaq sounds louder. If I compare my iPaq to my Dell Axim docked in the iTrex holder with external amplified speaker, the iTrex holder sounds much better. The speaker on the back of the iPaq isn't that big so it is a bit tinny but at least I can hear it over road noise whereas the Navigon was extremely tinny and I couldn't always hear it. Both Navigon and iPaq get crackly at full volume, but Navigon is much worse. I guess it's all relative on what you are comparing the sound to. In terms of voices sounding computer like, I disagree the iPaq is any different than other TTS systems I've heard. I do appreciate the configurability of languages/voices/accents. I think it's a lot better than the iGudiance "young lady (digitized), old hag (TTS)", which although comical is somewhat distracting. I do wish they would have put the speaker so it faces the front. HP and Navigon both put the speaker so it faces the rear of the screen.

This is a great GPS! I highly recommend it.

+ 0 likes

HP IPAQ 310 Travel Companion

...

units were replaced.



Also, HP has released a firmware update which is available when you install the Content Manager software to download and install the update on the iPaq. (It's not available as a direct web download. Must use Content Manager in order to get it.)



I've been using mine for a few weeks now and with all the tweaks and playing around with it, I've not had it lock up even once. I did create a cross country route from Chicago to Vancouver, Canada and the iPaq handled that just fine. The routing calculation took about 30s was reasonably fast compared to other GPSs. After that, it did bog down a little bit, I suspect because I was inside and the GPS position was shifting around causing recalculations every so often, but it never hung.



iPaq Pros:

----------

"Wow" Features: (thing that make me go, "dang! that's good")

GPS Software

- When configured for 2D display, as you get close to the turn, the software zooms in and switches to 3D mode with heading up. After the turn, the software zooms back out to 2D mode with North up. (That's exactly the way I'd like it to work.)

- parts of the map is 3D!! I'm not talking about the 3D buildings, but the terrain. I was driving over a very short bridge the other day, but the screen showed the bridge was curved and peaked at the top and not a flat bridge. Also I could see the hills in the background. At first, I thought maybe it was just "artificial" landscape, but as I drove around town, it seemed accurate, then when I zoomed out, I realized that, yes, it does (or at least appears to) have 3D or relief information. When in day mode, the map shows the terrain as a relief type map would.

- You can configure how close you want to be to the next turn before the software switches to 3D.

- 12Million POIs. Lot and lot of POIs and very well categorized too. POIs include phone numbers.

- Push in rotary knob on the side is a nice touch. To adjust 3D tilt of the map, just turn the knob. To adjust volume, push (click) the knob in first, then turn the knob. To adjust brightness, double click, then turn the knob. (Hold down knob for additional functions)

- I like how the POIs markers are transparent on the map.



Other Pros:

- GUI for finding POIs around a point on the map is very easy to use: Click on a point on the map, hit the location button, then POIs: Voila, a POI list around the point.

- POI map display had a "distance" setting for each of the categories and some of the subcategories. This lets the system determine how close to the route the POI must be before it shows up.

- for a 800x480 resolution screen updates are fast. (It's 5x the amount of information compared to screens that are 320x240)

- MANY choices for languages and accents. (not quite 100, but just for English alone, I counted 10 different selections of accents/genders/styles. Not all voices have text-to-spech though.)

- dynamic volume adjustment (based on speed) is customizable for min and max speed

- "economical" driving mode which appears to be "lowest fuel cost"

- different routing options based on car, bicycle, truck, bus or taxi

- trips can be planned on the PC, picking restaurants, hotels, etc, (requires online connection which uses google maps data) then downloaded to the GPS.

- Outlook contacts can be sync'd (uploaded) to the GPS (but this has a few quirks)

- Full screen mode which stretches the map so it goes into the menu and status bar areas, (like iGuidance).

- good sensitivity and fast time to fix (I can get a signal inside the house pretty easily)

- many software extras: music player, video player, games

- compatible with SDHC cards

- easy to install additional software and get ActiveSync working.

- Internal and external flash shows up as Mass Storage Media in windows

- Content manager makes it very easy to update software and select what software components (maps, voices, information) the user wants installed

- recalculations are very fast

- predictive text entry



Hardware

- 800x480 screen is FABULOUS and very bright

- decent speaker

- solid feel

- mount is easy to get GPS in and out of and feel secure

- has Bluetooth

- 600Mhz processor with DSP



iPaq Cons:

- can't click on POIs (to bring up details) in map mode, only in list mode can they be selected

- 3D map view zoom level cannot be changed, only tilt perspective can be changed. (Zoom level can be changed in 2D mode though.)

- day view is great, but night view is quite bland.

- Contact lookup could use more artificial intelligence. (state names need to be typed out in full and street NAMES cannot be abbreviated in any way while street TYPES can, but they must not have periods at the end of the abbreviation.)

- power button logic is poor: short press on, and long press off. It should be the other way around or at least require holding down the button to turn it on.

- Although I haven't see one of these yet for any GPS except the Michelin X970, It would be nice if there was a drop in powered dock to use in the car. I don't like having to plug in the power adapter into the side of the iPaq when I use the unit in the car.



As for some things that others have commented on, I do agree with some, but others may be misinformed or just completely wrong on some of the technical points.



1. Some people have said the iPaq can't show a complete route. This is completely wrong. It is very easy to show the complete route on the iPaq:

(a) view route graphically on map: Click on the [2d] screen soft menu.

Rotate the wheel to zoom out as far as you need in order to see the entire route. I routed Chicago to Vancouver. I could get the entire route on the screen. I supposed if you routed coast to coast, there is a possibility that you won't be able to see the entire map of the US on one screen, but you would see at least 3000-4000 miles. Then a click-and-drag can move the map over.

(b) view route in text: Click on Route->Details and scroll through the turn by turn directions.



2. Route calculations.

I've not seen any issues yet. No wacky routes, no driving off bridges, etc, but I did change the default routing method to Economy and that is all I have been using. I don't have any software that I think routes better. I think Streets & Trips and iGuidance are both comparable in routing to the iPaq.



3. Sound:

Yes, I've heard better sound from AIOs, but if you compare the iPaq to the Navigon 2100, the iPaq is just much better. If I compare my iPaq to my Dell Axim X50v, the iPaq sounds louder. If I compare my iPaq to my Dell Axim docked in the iTrex holder with external amplified speaker, the iTrex holder sounds much better. The speaker on the back of the iPaq isn't that big so it is a bit tinny but at least I can hear it over road noise whereas the Navigon was extremely tinny and I couldn't always hear it. Both Navigon and iPaq get crackly at full volume, but Navigon is much worse. I guess it's all relative on what you are comparing the sound to. In terms of voices sounding computer like, I disagree the iPaq is any different than other TTS systems I've heard. I do appreciate the configurability of languages/voices/accents. I think it's a lot better than the iGudiance "young lady (digitized), old hag (TTS)", which although comical is somewhat distracting. I do wish they would have put the speaker so it faces the front. HP and Navigon both put the speaker so it faces the rear of the screen.



This is a great GPS! I highly recommend it.

+ 0 likes

HP IPAQ 310 Travel Companion

...

state road driving.

If you miss a turn, the iPAQ 310 will tell you that you're off course and instruct you to turn back. It will even tell you where to turn around. If you fail to reverse in order to get back on your original course, it will plot a new route and continue to give you instructions to the destination address you've entered.

Once you've reached your destination, it automatically starts providing the return directions.

Graphics are excellent - bright, clear, and easy to read. Even when you can't quite make out what the unit is saying, it displays the name of the next street in a scroll band across the top of the display and a relatively large picture-in-picture arrow shows the direction of your next turn. While doing some interstate driving at dusk, I noticed that the background color changed from green to black at the official time of sunset. It made things noticeably easier on my eyes as I glanced between the road and the GPS screen.

The audio can be difficult to understand while the car is in motion. This was very bad when I had the unit lying on the console,or when my co-pilot was holding it - even holding it up to my ear. After I had the unit suspended in the windshield mount, the spoken directions were less muffled and much easier to understand. The speakers could be improved in the next generation model.

Although the audio can be indistinct, the unit repeats instructions at frequent enough intervals that you should be in no danger of missing your turn. For example, "In one mile turn right on Broad Street." "In one half mile turn right on Broad Street." "In one quarter mile turn right on Broad Street." "In 400 feet turn right on Broad Street." "In 20 feet turn right on Broad Street." "Take the next right." Not all GPS units give the street name for the next turn, and having that is a huge help.

Even if you can't hear the audio announcement, a chime alerts you that an announcement is being made for upcoming activity, and graphics indicate the direction of the next turn and the street name.

The delivery format for directions can be toggled between a map showing your vehicle as a moving arrow passing cross streets in real time, or you can view a list of turn by turn directions.

If you're trying to quickly enter a lot of commands, or if you're trying to enter new commands while the unit is processing a command, it may freeze up. There is a reset button to correct this. I have not experienced any freezes while the GPS is giving directions or providing mapping en route.

The charger for this has an unusual configuration. One end of the cable plugs into the GPS device, the other end has a USB port that can plug into your computer to download trip directions, or you can plug it into a USB slot on either the AC wall outlet or car cigarette lighter adapter. Be sure to take the cable and car adapter with you on trips. If the battery dies it may not be easy to find your way.

To sum it up, as noted in other reviews there are some flaws, but they seem minor overall. This is a reliable unit that acquires satellite quickly, and provides clear reliable instructions to reach your destination and get home again. If you haven't used GPS before, be prepared for one of those life changing devices that you'll never want to be without again - think first VHS, microwave oven, or cell phone. Highly recommended!

+ 0 likes

HP IPAQ 310 Travel Companion

...

state road driving.



If you miss a turn, the iPAQ 310 will tell you that you're off course and instruct you to turn back. It will even tell you where to turn around. If you fail to reverse in order to get back on your original course, it will plot a new route and continue to give you instructions to the destination address you've entered.



Once you've reached your destination, it automatically starts providing the return directions.



Graphics are excellent - bright, clear, and easy to read. Even when you can't quite make out what the unit is saying, it displays the name of the next street in a scroll band across the top of the display and a relatively large picture-in-picture arrow shows the direction of your next turn. While doing some interstate driving at dusk, I noticed that the background color changed from green to black at the official time of sunset. It made things noticeably easier on my eyes as I glanced between the road and the GPS screen.



The audio can be difficult to understand while the car is in motion. This was very bad when I had the unit lying on the console,or when my co-pilot was holding it - even holding it up to my ear. After I had the unit suspended in the windshield mount, the spoken directions were less muffled and much easier to understand. The speakers could be improved in the next generation model.



Although the audio can be indistinct, the unit repeats instructions at frequent enough intervals that you should be in no danger of missing your turn. For example, "In one mile turn right on Broad Street." "In one half mile turn right on Broad Street." "In one quarter mile turn right on Broad Street." "In 400 feet turn right on Broad Street." "In 20 feet turn right on Broad Street." "Take the next right." Not all GPS units give the street name for the next turn, and having that is a huge help.



Even if you can't hear the audio announcement, a chime alerts you that an announcement is being made for upcoming activity, and graphics indicate the direction of the next turn and the street name.



The delivery format for directions can be toggled between a map showing your vehicle as a moving arrow passing cross streets in real time, or you can view a list of turn by turn directions.



If you're trying to quickly enter a lot of commands, or if you're trying to enter new commands while the unit is processing a command, it may freeze up. There is a reset button to correct this. I have not experienced any freezes while the GPS is giving directions or providing mapping en route.



The charger for this has an unusual configuration. One end of the cable plugs into the GPS device, the other end has a USB port that can plug into your computer to download trip directions, or you can plug it into a USB slot on either the AC wall outlet or car cigarette lighter adapter. Be sure to take the cable and car adapter with you on trips. If the battery dies it may not be easy to find your way.



To sum it up, as noted in other reviews there are some flaws, but they seem minor overall. This is a reliable unit that acquires satellite quickly, and provides clear reliable instructions to reach your destination and get home again. If you haven't used GPS before, be prepared for one of those life changing devices that you'll never want to be without again - think first VHS, microwave oven, or cell phone. Highly recommended!

+ 0 likes

HP IPAQ 310 Travel Companion

...

state road driving.





If you miss a turn, the iPAQ 310 will tell you that you're off course and instruct you to turn back. It will even tell you where to turn around. If you fail to reverse in order to get back on your original course, it will plot a new route and continue to give you instructions to the destination address you've entered.





Once you've reached your destination, it automatically starts providing the return directions.





Graphics are excellent - bright, clear, and easy to read. Even when you can't quite make out what the unit is saying, it displays the name of the next street in a scroll band across the top of the display and a relatively large picture-in-picture arrow shows the direction of your next turn. While doing some interstate driving at dusk, I noticed that the background color changed from green to black at the official time of sunset. It made things noticeably easier on my eyes as I glanced between the road and the GPS screen.





The audio can be difficult to understand while the car is in motion. This was very bad when I had the unit lying on the console,or when my co-pilot was holding it - even holding it up to my ear. After I had the unit suspended in the windshield mount, the spoken directions were less muffled and much easier to understand. The speakers could be improved in the next generation model.





Although the audio can be indistinct, the unit repeats instructions at frequent enough intervals that you should be in no danger of missing your turn. For example, "In one mile turn right on Broad Street." "In one half mile turn right on Broad Street." "In one quarter mile turn right on Broad Street." "In 400 feet turn right on Broad Street." "In 20 feet turn right on Broad Street." "Take the next right." Not all GPS units give the street name for the next turn, and having that is a huge help.





Even if you can't hear the audio announcement, a chime alerts you that an announcement is being made for upcoming activity, and graphics indicate the direction of the next turn and the street name.





The delivery format for directions can be toggled between a map showing your vehicle as a moving arrow passing cross streets in real time, or you can view a list of turn by turn directions.





If you're trying to quickly enter a lot of commands, or if you're trying to enter new commands while the unit is processing a command, it may freeze up. There is a reset button to correct this. I have not experienced any freezes while the GPS is giving directions or providing mapping en route.





The charger for this has an unusual configuration. One end of the cable plugs into the GPS device, the other end has a USB port that can plug into your computer to download trip directions, or you can plug it into a USB slot on either the AC wall outlet or car cigarette lighter adapter. Be sure to take the cable and car adapter with you on trips. If the battery dies it may not be easy to find your way.





To sum it up, as noted in other reviews there are some flaws, but they seem minor overall. This is a reliable unit that acquires satellite quickly, and provides clear reliable instructions to reach your destination and get home again. If you haven't used GPS before, be prepared for one of those life changing devices that you'll never want to be without again - think first VHS, microwave oven, or cell phone. Highly recommended!

+ 0 likes

HP IPAQ 310 Travel Companion

...

settings, because you can download code into the games library and run it from there. You could thus gain access to the CE operating system. Of course, you are then very much on your own.

The overall design of the iPAQ is attractive. The slightly protruding power button has caused some users problems, as it can be pushed accidentally if you carry the unit around in your pocket. I carried mine around in the leather case and did not have that problem.

Note that you need to buy an SD card if you want to download music, etc. It takes high capacity SDs. The slide show capability is very good. All in all, the iPAQ functions very well as an entertainment device.

So, is this the GPS for you or not? If the visual display is most important to you, and if you think that the non-GPS features (music, etc) will be useful to you, and if you can get a good price, then yes, go for it. If you want a purely GPS device, and are content with an average display, then for the moment you are better off with a Garmin, for example. Talking of price, the cost of an iPAQ varies tremendously from one supplier to another and even fluctuates violently from day to day with individual suppliers. So spend a few days shopping around.

+ 0 likes

HP IPAQ 310 Travel Companion

...

application is horrible designed and crashes all the time. I've been unable to sync the 150 or so contacts I have in outlook as their outlook sync program crashes for me in Vista. Since this device runs Windows.CE, there was no need for HP to invent its own contacts and sync software when Microsoft provides one that works perfectly with ActiveSync and Outlook. Unfortunately this silly device will not recognize any outlook contacts sync'd by Microsoft's ActiveSync. Even contacts that are sync'd with HP's own program cannot be used for navigation because the navigation program does not seem to like the format of any of the addresses.

3. The Bluetooth hands free feature is a joke. Rather than connect to your phone when you start the device, it waits until you try to use the phone functionality and then tells you to wait for about fifteen seconds while it "connects" . This occurs as you are navigating on the road and the "please wait" message obscures the map.

4. Waste of multimedia capabilities. Despite the fast processor, gobs of RAM and large display, the included multimedia player does not play the most common formats such as the motion JPEG movies that I captured with my digital camera or any of the DiVX movies that you can download online. It only plays WMV movies which pretty much limits it to to playing the sample videos that come with Windows.

5. Badly designed and unchangeable navigation display. Instead of using the 4.3" wide screen display to provide more situational awareness, the HP navigation program (actually written by Nav'n Go/IGO) is very miserly with screen space and instead of placing the next upcoming road on the bottom of the screen like every other nav system out there decides to place it in a small sideways scrolling section on the top of the display where one's eyes do not look at and where the bright power LED blinds one at night.

6. Long boot times. This devices takes as much time as my computer to start up. Geez!!!

7. Proprietary USB cables and chargers! Whoa! Why does the USB SiG allow these manufacturers to sell "USB" devices that refuse to follow the standards! HP uses an incompatible USB charger so that if you try to save money by using an existing USB charger, the device will appear to be charging but will actually be draining the battery. This applies both to charging via the cigerette lighter and charging via the USB connection to a PC. Apparently HP wants you to fork over a few more dozens of dollars before you can get chargers for both the car, home and PC.

8. Substandard mapping database and points of interest. At least for the Seattle Metro area. It also chooses weird routing for driving to Seattle instead of the most obvious one that every GPS selects.

9. The "3d maps" feature is very useless and simply clutters the screen and slows the device down. I hate it. its a marketing gimmick!

10. There is talk about "traffic" support but there is currently no way to add traffic management to the USA version of this device.

11. Scrolling through POI's and other lists suck. This is not a computer I don't want to have to aim carefully at scroll bars. What is wrong with buttons for paging???

In all I am very disappointed in what HP has produced and I'm sure many other purchasers of this device feel the same way. HP did not manufacture the device, they did not write the navigation software or the operating system. So was it too much work for them to have done a good job of testing this device for quality assurance and fixing the little things before putting it into a little box and *trying* to charge $400 for it?

HP, please take this device back to the drawing board and fix it. Make sure that your testers have actually used competent auto navigation systems like Garmin, TomTom etc...

With the hardware specs of this device the following features should have been implemented:

1. Voice recognition/command. Just like in the built-in automobile GPS navigation systems or even the high end TOMTOM 920

2. Full bluetooth support. Synchronize phone address book. Automatically connect to phone when device is started and phone is nearby. Allow voice calling. Allow data connection via bluetooth DUN or PAN to provide additional features over the internet such as download of routes.traffic warnings, gas prices,movie listings, etc...

3. 3rd Party games & applications download for the multimedia features usage outside of navigation

4. Full video/music player to support common video and audio formats

5. LOUD stereo speakers

If you're from HP and worked on this Device I would really like to talk to you!!!!

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HP IPAQ 310 Travel Companion

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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. Here are a few more features:

Navigation - HP UI built on latest iGO8 engine from NavNgo-Text to Speech, Loquendo engine
Maps - TeleAtlas2007.07 full US and Canada with 3D terrain, landmarks, 2D buildings
Points of Interest - Extended Info USA database, over 12 million
Planning - IPAQ web services to tailor and integrate your travel
Screen - High Definition 4.3"WVGA (800 x 480) 3X -5X higher resolution
Processor - Centrality (SiRF) Titan dual core 600 MHz with 3D graphics
GPS - Centrality 40 channel with Autonomy TTFF acceleration
Memory - 128MB fast DDR memory with 2GB flash storage
Entertainment - Music player with MP3 and DRM, High Def Video player, photo viewer, games (Gameboxclassics, Flux Challenge)
Productivity - Contacts manager with Outlook sync, dial and navto contacts, calculator, world clock
Bluetooth - 2.0 EDR with phone hands free and A2DP stereo headset capable
Connectivity - miniUSB2.0 for high speed data sync with your PC
Digital Terrain Data - Realistic display shows elevation of roads and surrounding landscape
3D City Data - 60+ North America cities
3D Landmarks - North America, NY, 1,400 by end of 2007
3D Icons - North America, 500