0ur opinion:

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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 310 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, 2007:
Hewlett-Packard has used its considerable expertise as a computer manufacturer to introduce improvements into the iPAQ-310 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 0.7 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-310 is one you might not even notice, until you turn the iPAQ-310 on, that is. The iPAQ's processor is much more powerful than any portable device out there right now. lt uses a SiRFtitan 600MHz dual core processor with 128Mb of onboard RAM, compared to the 400MHz 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-310 unique. An lmmersive, High-Definition, Navigation Experience The iPAQ-310'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, 800 x 480 pixels compared to the current standard 420 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-310 based on Windows Mobile 5.0. 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 800 x 480 pixels, the high-definition resolution on the iPAQ-310's screen is better than most dedicated portable video players. Coupled with an SD card, the iPAQ-310 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-310. 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 5.0
• Processor: SiRF Titan 600MHz 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 800 x 480 pixel touch screen with LED backlight
• lnput devices: touch screen, stylus
• Wireless: Bluetooth 2.0 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 0.7 inches d x 3.4 inches h (110.20 x 18.20 x 86.80 mm)
• Weight: 6.6 oz (187 g)
• Battery: Removable/rechargeable 1700 mAh Lithium-ion
• Power supply: AC Adapter
• Warranty: 0ne-year parts and labor in most regions; 90 days technical support for software in most regions. Additional offers may vary by region

What's ln The Box
iPAQ-310, car kit, car charger, AC charger, sync cable, slip case



Available 0ptional Accessories

• ExternalGPS Antenna (FB058AA#AC3): Enhances GPS reception inside vehicles.Comes with a five meter cable with low profile, non-sliding puck.
• Traffic Channel Car Charger (FB055AA#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 (FB005AA#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 (FB007AA#AC3): Protects your iPAQ screen from scratches. Antiglare coating allows use in bright sunlight. lncludes handy cleaning cloth.
• Bluetooth Stereo Headphones (FA303AA#AC3): Listen to your music from up to 30 feet away from the iPAQ.

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Buyer's feedback: - * A Great Travel Companion ...
I've been using it for a few days and I've found the Hewlett Packard iPaq 310 to be a fantastic GPS system. If you need only one travel companion, this is the one to choose. The screen is big and has great resolution, so you don't need to be squinting while you are driving, trying to see where on earth you're on this map. Yes, the audio could be a little louder, as others have pointed out, but I found the "Susan" voice to be clear enough to tell me where I need to go.

I live in New York, and found it completely unnecessary to have my travel companion show me all the big buildings around me (I know what they are), so I set the system on medium, and it showed me, quickly and accurately, how to get to where I was going. My son and I have been exploring detailed 3D maps of New York and Washington, which are absolutely dazzling, and the fun geography lesson has been a nice bonus to the system. On top of an excellent GPS system, with the iPaq 310 you get games, a calculator, a photo viewer, and the option to connect your phone (if it's Bluetooth enabled) so that you can talk hands free. What else could you want?

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Buyer's feedback: - Thorough Review: GPS and more - a fantastic travel companion
Well first off, I'd like to say this is a really great GPS and I'm extremely satisfied with it. It may not be for everyone - like anything, you should do your research first. However, I was irritated to read many of the negative reviews here that appear to be due to lack of knowledge or just plain laziness from not reading the manual, etc. I also feel these posters find something that doesn't fit their needs and immediately give it one star. Ok, so it wasn't for you, it doesn't mean the device itself is lacking! Anyway, I felt I needed to write a thorough review to try and identify the true potential of this device.

I upgraded to this item when Amazon had a Friday sale at a ridiculous price. I paid the same that I paid for my previous GPS - A Via Michelin X930, which fails in comparison to the IPAQ 310. While that GPS was a great companion on the road, it was my first system and I found myself wanting some of the bells and whistles that come with higher level models once I had gotten used to how to use GPS navigation.

First off, I trust HP - even though they are new to the scene of GPS - and feel they have built a very solid product. Calling it a '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. Also, it seems they are too quick to give a 1 or 2 star rating without really playing with the device. I mean, this is definitely not a beginners GPS, you do have to sit down and configure some options. 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 'close' 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). I like how the terrain is also in 3D (which I didn't realize until I went to Austin since Houston is so flat!), and the highway overpasses, bridges, etc. are also 'raised' on the map. 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 in it's case, but I'm not really sure how you would press it unless you sat on it it or put pressure on the whole unit - and why would you do that?!

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. I'm just really psyched about the screen, it is by far the best I have seen on ANY GPS today. It really shines when you put it in 'full screen' mode when navigating. The bars at the top and bottom show info you can live without if you have TTS on, so that is how I use it and it really looks good!

Videos have to be converted to a specific format in order to play, 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. One thing I really like is that if you have it plugged in to the outlet in your car, the device will automatically turn on when you turn on the engine. Therefore, if you have music set to 'always play in the background', then it automatically comes on too. I really like that. For those wondering, the music pauses when the GPS speaks, so it can get a bit annoying when you are close to your destination due to the pauses (ie - 'turn right on ... in 500 ft' every 100 ft). I didn't find it overly frustrating though. 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. My favorites are the 3D racing game (although controls can be a bit hard) and Jewel Master. 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. The contacts feature is really cool! I love how you can use the addresses to directly navigate and/or call a contact at the touch of a button. It would be nice if you could sync your phone, but you can sync if you have Outlook (which I don't) so I just entered the people I call/see the most into the GPS.

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.

Battery life is also decent. I have a little 'cubby' in my car that lets me just put it there so I can glance at it (but I mostly use the TTS) but it's also in easy reach for entering details. Anyway, for me the charge lasts a week or so with use solely when I'm the car (with music set to 'always on' and backlight at roughly 50%) before the handy 'battery getting low' message appears. I really like this feature since usually you have a little battery icon going low or turning red. This is a full-out message that you have to press 'OK' to get rid of. If you continue to leave it, it eventually has a message telling you it will shut down in 10 secs. I would say the battery lasts about 3+ hours if you had it on continuously. I heard with Bluetooth on it drains the battery faster. 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. Don't let the negative reviews sway you if you are seriously considering getting this device, you really need to test it for yourself and decide if it's for you. I feel I discover really incredible products this way and the IPAQ 310 travel companion follows this tradition.

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Buyer's feedback: - * A Very Bad Product ...
At first look the specs look impressive, but when I actually tried the unit I saw it was only half baked.

The audio is worthless. Low volume and muffled. You can not hear a thing ! Very disappointing !

Routing is inaccurate and slow.

The unit continuously locks up and freezes and I had to take the battery out to get it to reset.

It powers on by just touching the button. So, my battery is always dead.

3-D coverage while a cool idea only covers the center of very large metro areas. I do not live in downtown Chicago !

Back it goes to the store ASAP.....

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Buyer's feedback: - HP iPAQ 310 - Best In Class Graphics And Good Navigation
QUICK REVIEW: This is a great GPS unit. It has outstanding graphics on 3D maps with good routing capabilities. The sound could be a little better, but it is good enough for me. It comes with additional features for Bluetooth, media, and utilities as the cherry on the sundae. Detailed review based with usage comments follows.

SETUP: There are a couple of things to do to set up your iPAQ GPS. First is charging. I used the wall adapter and the USB charging cable to charge my unit. It was fully charged in about 90 minutes. Once you power on the device, the on screen instructions are simple. There will be a couple of things you will want to change. Under Settings -> Time click on the double clock icon in the lower left portion of the screen. The "Use Auto Time Zone" setting was not working properly for me so I unchecked it and set my timezone manually. At this point my unit began to show the correct time. Then under Navigation -> Settings -> Regional you will want to choose a voice. The ones with (TTS) in the name are the only ones that support text-to-speech during navigation that speak full street names. I have been able to work with the default settings for essentially everything else.

As for in the car usage, it comes with a windshield mount that works well. In addition it has a disc that you can affix to your dash and attach the windshield mount. I am not using the dash disc as it is not removable/reusable once you put it in place. The USB charging cable is plenty long to reach from the windshield in our van to the power port on the console.

NAVIGATION: There are two main ways to navigate that most people will use if you are trying to find a specific address. For the simple cases I recommend going into Navigation -> Route -> Edit Route and clicking the turn sign with the "+" sign. From there you can either enter a new address by selection "Address" or you can selection a previous address from History. From there use the back navigation to get back to the Navigation menu and select "Go to".

For more complex trips, you can use HP's web site dedicated to the iPAQ Travel Companion to plan trips over multiple days with 1 or more stops per day. I used this to plan a trip for Christmas Eve that went looked like this: my house -> church -> my house -> my brother's house -> my house. The site allows you to specific the time of day for each stop along with a duration of stay. The target use for this is business travel as you can share your itinerary with others and optionally allow them to edit it. Once your itinerary is complete, you can sync the trip to your iPAQ using a download that is available from the HP web site. You also need this software to sync contacts to your device. Once you transfer the trip to your device, your trip is available under Navigation -> Nav Extras. Simply select your trip to begin navigation. I actually found that you want to begin with your first stop rather than your starting point when planning a trip. If you begin at a different starting point than planned, the unit will try to send you back to your planned starting point. This may seem obvious, but I thought it was worth mentioning since I made this mistake.

ROUTING/REROUTING: The device performs well in both areas. Despite what I've read in other reviews on both Amazon and CNET, I have been please with the routing capabilities and accuracy of the device. It does a good job of quickly generating an accurate route to your destination/stop, and it reasonably handles the situations when you go off course. It initially tries to send you back to the original route, but if you go far enough off the original route, it will give you a completely new route. I tested this while going between my house and church. Due to traffic flow patterns, it is faster to come home a different way than we used going to church. The route selected our route that we use going from home to church. Coming back, it eventually locked on to our alternate route after trying to get us to go back to the original route. I found this to work in a similar manner to other navigation software that I have used.

GRAPHICS: This is an area where the iPAQ is amazing. The generous 4.3 inch screen is very crisp. The 3D maps allow you to choose different perspectives. The overhead view essentially gives you a 2D map that allows you to keep the heading up at all times. This is mysteriously missing in 2D mode where you are stuck with North up. I don't like this setting so the 2D map is essentially useless. However with the 3D maps and all of their features, I don't know why anyone would ever use 2D anyway. In driving around downtown Dallas, I saw many buildings rendered quite lifelike such as the American Airlines Center and Reunion Tower. This seems like a potentially useful feature for additional visual queues in unfamiliar cities. You can also select different orientations with various depth of field ratios. These are available by tapping on the map during navigation in the center of the screen. This is also how you select the zoom features.

While navigating the street of your next turn along with the direction and distance are giving along the top of the screen. In addition there is an icon on the left side that gives you the direction of the turn along with the distance. In the center along the bottom are two times: the top is the time remaining on trip while the bottom is your absolute arrival time. The only drawback that I noticed on the graphics is that the direction of your heading is mysteriously missing. While this is relatively minor, it does seem like an odd omission.

SOUND: The speaker on the device is not the best. Given the lack of bass that it has, I found that the "Susan" voice gave much better TTS directions than the "Dave" voice. This is probably the one area in the device that could stand some improvement. If I concentrate, I can understand the directions ok. However my wife thinks it is difficult to hear/understand.

BLUETOOTH: In addition to standard GPS features, this device will pair with your cell phone and act as a hands free device. The one thing that is missing in this area is a way to initiate voice commands on your cell phone. The Motorola T305 (see my review) has a "multi-function" button for interacting with your phone. So you will have to initiate calls from your phone. This limits the usefulness to receiving incoming calls which can still be done truly hands free as long as your phone has auto answer features.

MEDIA: This device also comes with an MP3 player, movie viewer, and photo viewer that all work with SD cards. The speaker on the device does not really lend itself to being a multimedia player for use in the car. However it works well with headphones so it can be handy while killing time at the airport or elsewhere. The photo viewer can play slideshows of photos. The general picture viewing experience is pleasant, but I would consider all of these media applications to be nice to have features.

GAMES: The iPAQ comes with 5 games preloaded on it. The graphics are pretty good, and they work will with stylus navigation. I liked Jewel Master the best. These are also a nice to have that are useful for killing time, but are not a real selling point of the device.

EXTRAS: If the above is not enough, the device also comes with a calculator, clock, and phone utilities. These do about what you would expect. The phone utility is integrated with your contacts.

OVERALL: This is a great device. While the price tag seems steep, the 4.3 inch screen and 800 x 480 screen really make a difference. I have not seen comparable graphics in other units. While the sound could be better, it is acceptable to me. I would highly recommend going to a store where they have a live device to test the sound prior to purchasing. All of the other extras are gravy in my opinion.

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Buyer's feedback: - * Needs a lot of improvement ...
I don't understand all the negetive ratings for my review? I have tested this and I also tried a garmin and the garmin wins hands down on performance, maps and satellite aquasition.

Update- I have used this GPS for a couple weeks and I have found it to be horrible in accessing the satellite signal as I received a garmin for Chistmas and that one has no problem with the satellite signal and is much simpler to use. Sorry HP but the ipaq needs the satellite reception improved in a major way. Plus the ipaq kept wanting to make one of my destinations as my home address and wouldn't let me change it.

I have never owned one of these before but have read many reviews on the different brands.

Pros: 1. I love the removeable battery, it makes it easy to replace unlike some GPS that the battery is integrated.
2. the screen size is good and the touchscreen is responsive.
3. Somewhat intuitive interface.

CONS: 1. I feel the interface could be improved since it tells you no where that the thing has to access a sattelite signal before it will show the entire route.
--For the turn by turn I feel it would be much better if the input would read Starting point-- input address or allow the satellite input it then have a destination point-- input the address. Plus when you do this it would be so nice if they would show an overall destination map that would show your route. (maybe I missed something but I didn't see this)

2.I have had it freeze up on me a few times and the one time I had to press the reset for it to even shut off.
3. Very difficult to see in bright light
4. Takes forever to aquire a satellite signal inside of the car. (If I stand outside I can get a signal in half the amount of time or less, this is supposed to be for a car so I think they need to make improvements in aquiring the satellite signal)
I wanted to test it so I input the address of a local place we were going to, it took the HP Ipaq at least 15 minutes to aquire a signal, it tried to take us in a circle before heading us to the main road but it did compensate for the different turn we took, we reached our destination and I set it down until we came back out ( iwas holding as a passenger so that I could hear the voice). It lost the satellite signal. I wanted to have it guide us back home (which in a real world situation I would need this, luckily this was a route that we did know) It took until we were 2/3 of the way home before it finally aquired the signal again. "This is much to long to aquire a signal" and there weren't a lot of tall buildings but was a cloudy day.

5. The sound level is much too low and difficult to hear, make the sound more adjustable and a larger speaker would help tremendously.

The way this has performed so far I would not recommend it and I would not buy it. The games are nice and the music features some may use but this is to be a GPS first and I feel it fails in this area since it loses signal too easily and takes a very long time to aquire a signal and the mapping system trys to take you in circles. I would love to try another HP if they improve the GPS.