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: - * High Definition GPS! ...
I've been using my HP 310, and the resolution is stunning! The Garmin and TomTom units are there are nice, but they only have QVGA (320x240) resolution or the widescreens are only Wide-QVGA(480x272).

This HP device is 800x480!! This is 5x the resoluion of the Nuvi 350. The resolution is so crisp, and the performance is snappy.

I'm a big fan of this next generation technology from HP.

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Buyer's feedback: - Unfinished product, albeit with some nice features
There is a reason why Garmin is one of the leaders in GPS market for the US: it is designed with users in mind. This HP unit has some nice features such as a beautiful screen, relatively fast processor, nice graphic if you live in a major metropolitan such as here in Boston, and a list of POIs that is not too shabby. However, there are three major flaws in my view:
(1) Navigation: route recalculation is so illogical one has to believe the algorithm used is fundamentally flawed.
(2) Sound: What sound? one has to put the unit literally next to your ear to hear anything. Turning up the volume seems to aggravate the tiny speaker as it blares with statics. This is joke if HP engineers have a sense of humor.
(3) Power management: The unit powers on with the slightest touch of the power button. While the manual states that holding down for 2 sec to turn on, a single touch will power it on. As such, do not consider this unit if you intend to keep it in its carrying case to carrying it around, since the slightest squeeze of the case turns it on. The solutions are to set power save to the max and/or take the battery out, else you'll run out of power within a few hours. I called HP tech support and they suggested that I should "tape over" the button!!!

There are some nice features as this GPS unit has its roots traced to the iPAQ handhelds. But clearly, this product is an incomplete and flawed one. HP appears to have rushed this product to production before it is field tested.

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Buyer's feedback: - * Not that good ...
It was easy to use, but it seemed like it had some problems in positioning where I was when it was cold. It also had problems with speech. It sounds like it would not finish what it was saying. The routing was very weird. It would take me around places no matter what settings I choose. It would route me the scenic route instead of the fastest, economical, or shortest route. The other features were nice but did not work great. HP computers work great. The navigation stuff does not work as good, maybe because of the software. Needing to use TeleAtlas and iGo software seems to be the problem. They need their own software. Maybe an APPLE navi will come out. It would work just a little better and look a bit better, but cost many times more, plus it would use iTunes :-) j/k

Anyways, this navi seems like it was rushed. It was not finished nor were things fixed from the last firmware update. Keep looking.

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Buyer's feedback: - Numerous Flaws
Pros:
Nice big wide bright screen
Looks great
Great features (Bluetooth, Text to Speech, 3D Maps, Elevation, Games)
Menus are actually not bad and not convoluted.
Removable battery
Audio out, USB, and Antenna connectors are all in one spot (right)
One button
Rubberized back side
Includes stylus
Scroll wheel + clicky
Comes with a leather case

Cons:
Froze repeatedly. Freeze upon freeze.
Stutters a lot when Text to Speech was working
The street name on top does not show the whole name and always scrolls
Rerouting and recalculations were bad at best (slow & inaccurate)
Processing was slow. Showed my position one block away after a reroute.
3D landmarks are very sparse. Maybe 1% of many large cities.
3D landmarks are inaccurate and not as seen as most photos.
Power button easily hit unintentionally: Short press=on Long press=off
Map refreshes vary slowly because of 3D
Voice constantly speaks.
Rerouting is persistent to stick to original route despite settings.
Audio output=low
Proprietary USB charging (can't use other 5v USB chargers)
No camera warnings
No speed warnings
Does not tell you if destination is on the left or right of you.

Major points:

PERFORMANCE:I can't recommend this. I have three other devices. The Garmin Nuvi 350, Mio C310x, and a built-in by Bose. I would have to say, when compared to these three, these three work much better. This device froze so many times when I was driving that I think it might be defective. Other than that, it freezes in other places too like if you search for movies or music if you do not have an SD card inserted. In general, the device is slow to respond. Load time after a hard reset is slow and starting the navigation software is slow too. Acquiring a signal is somewhat quick, half a minute quicker than other handhelds, but not as quick as the built-in Bose.

THE 3D: The 3D maps are much different that what you see in the pictures on Amazon or their website. For example, the Transamerica Building in San Francisco does not look like what you see in the photo, it is some rectangular tall structure. Although it might be insignificant, I believe it is false advertising. Not getting what they show. Yet, it is different and new compared to other devices, but this is not good enough.

VOICE & RECALCULATION: Text to Speech is very rough. 80% of the time it mispronounces and I can't even guess what it is saying. San Jose sounds like "San Jos Eh" and Junípero Serra sounds like "Jnprlsra" or something like that. Insignificant, yes but if I did not know the area, I would be frustrated. Rerouting is terrible. With the other three devices running at the same time, all except the iPAQ insisted to stick to the original route. I tried changing the settings, yet it still did the same thing. It was not until 3 blocks later, it gave up, but was lagging, miscalculating my position, pin pointing me a block back, even after I had made a right turn. There was one instance I was heading to work. It was about a mile away. I went straight after exiting the highway instead of taking a right and a left to a parallel street. The iPAQ then insisted EVERY block for the next MILE to take the next right then left to take the street parallel to the one I was on. It was really not necessary since I did so right before the destination. It really should have known to give up and reroute me correctly.

ACCURACY: I was driving on Highway 280 at night. For about 2 miles, it kept telling me to take left and right turns for no reason. It sounded like it thought I was on local streets instead of the highway. On the map, it showed me off and on the highway, so I think it was not sure where exactly where I was. Going through short tunnels and even some large overpasses, iPAQ would loose GPS signal. It would clearly say "GPS SIGNAL LOST".

Bottom Line:
If you don't need the 3D, wait for HP to fix the software or look for another device. Bluetooth, Text-to-speech, and more accurate maps are available in other devices for more or less, without the hassles.
This navigation device is a buck fifty from perfect. It has a long way to go. Software needs fixing mainly. My device froze repeatedly for some reason. Maybe it was an isolated case. Everything else is just annoyances to me, but was still usable if the device was not frozen or rebooted itself. I like many things like the scroll wheel and the wide screen. The 3D landmarks were a nice touch, but it was marginal at best. Buildings are not even close and does not 3D the whole city. The map refreshes very slowly and easily over-pans when you are viewing the map. I can go on and on but this thing freezes too much so I ditched it.

This iPAQ uses a modified iGO 8 software. More devices will be released that uses this software, one of which will be Mio in the C620 in the near future.

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Buyer's feedback: - * HP iPAQ 310 ...
Have had this product for two days and so far am very happy with it. Little trouble linking to my Moto Razr, but today it decided it was OK, and linked up with no problem. Love the graphics. Some of the screens are not intuitive, but I have never seen a device with this many features that was. One little quirk reported by a reviewer, it route me off the freeway on an exit ramp and right back on to the on ramp. Beings I had read this, I only found it amusing and not irritating. The map features are outstanding. Features versus price make this a good value in my opinion. I highly recommend it if you don't want to spend the extra money for the high end Garmin. After reading the reviews on Tom Tom and Navigon, I decided against them.