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: - * Disappointing ...
Let me start by saying that I really wanted to like this device. The screen is great and the graphics are very crisp. However, like other reviewers have stated, that it is more about the routing than the graphics and this is where the unit performs very poorly. There were many cases where the route it created would have me going miles in the opposite direction of my destination before heading back in the correct direction.

The menu layout is poor and the unit is not user friendly in general. Couple that with a manual that is not very detailed (and not available in hard copy form except for a Getting Started guide) and you will have many hours of frustration gettin ghtis thing to work. The map shows many Points of Interest (POIs) but you cannot click on the map to get information on that POI. You have to click on the map, then go to a "cursor" menu where it will show you all of the POIs near where you clicked. This is not helpful if you are looking for a POI located in a highrise with dozens or hundreds of other POIs at the same address.

The speaker volume does not go very high which makes the TTS function almost useless at times when outside noise gets high (usually when you are going over 50mph). The TTS also stutters at times which also makes it difficult to understand. The screen does not allow you to see the whole route for your trip and the "next turn" space at the top of the screen is too small to give full information. For example, when you are merging on a highway it frequently doesn't tell you which direction to go. It will say something like Exit 33 --> Highway 270. You don't know if it's Highway 270 West or Highway 270 East until the last second.

The screen lets you adjust the tilt of the map and the distance, but most views do not allow you to see your turns as well. I also don't believe it shows you which side of the street your destination is on and it definitely does not tell you with the TTS.

The bluetooth feature allows the unit to import address book information from many cell phones. My phone would not allow the import, but I was able to make calls with the unit. To make it easier to dial out, I manually entered address and phone information (the address allows yoou to make a route to your contacts). The problem is that it has a problem with most addresses entered. I had to type the city name in twice in the city field of the address for many of the contacts for it to be accepted and usable by the unit. There are more issues with the device, but I think I have listed enough to get my point across.

Unfortunately, with all of these issues I had to return the unit. It is dissappointing as the specs on this device looked really good on paper, but the interface, routing and user-friendliness made it too frustrating for me.

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Buyer's feedback: - A totally submersive experience
I've had my 310 for a week and have enjoyed every aspect of it. The interface is simple to use, and the graphics are sharp and very easy to see - even in direct sunlight. The screen is huge for a GPS device - larger than I expected from the online pictures.

One great experience compared to my last GPS is that the 310 picked up on my location as soon as I turned it on - I didn't have to wait for a minute or two for it to pick up the satellite signal. Also, it calculates the route (and re-calculates) in what seems like less than a second. It's definitely the next-generation in portable GPS.

Just to test it out for a flight I'm taking with the family next week, I loaded an .mp4 movie onto an SD card - and the experience was like watching a DVD... flawless.

I haven't loaded any of my contacts into it yet, but I can just imagine how much easier it's going to be to make phone calls from my car (hands free) using the huge touch-screen... I'll figure that out over the Christmas break.

All-in-all I have no complaints, and am excited to push the limits on what this new toy can do. View pictures from my digital camera (uses the same memory card type), load movies for air-travel, and blue-tooth with my cell phone... yay !!

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Buyer's feedback: - * THIS DEVICE IS A HAZARD ! ...
I own other HP technology I'm quite happy with, but I am appalled by the quality of this product. Yes, it has a very nice high-res screen (not very useful IMHO). But the main functions of this device, namely- GPS and navigation, don't deserve even a single star. Route calculation is whacked and a straight line ride cross-town turned into a zigzag back and forth route for no apparent reason. What's worse is that after 20m the unit generated a very familiar Windows Application Error and I had to cycle the power. 10 minutes later the device hung on "Please wait" screen forever and could only be remedied by resetting the device. Driving at 80 miles/h and trying to fix it is not just a nuisance- it is a hazard. I realize the Mickeysoft OS has some blame to take here- it's not all HP, but overall this Ipaq GPS is terrible. I've had a garmin nuvi 350 unit for over a year, which I "upgraded" to the Ipaq 310. My garmin never hung once or needed to be reset. It did exactly what a GPS unit should do with no failures.

Other cons-
Ipaq 3D maps had only a handful of buildings in New York city, where I'd expect it to have at least most, if not all
The unit does not show a complete route with step by step turns- all you get is the very next turn, so you can't even tell what route it's chosing.
To make things worse, the unit doesn't show the whole route on the map even when zoomed all the way out. It's blind leading a blind !
Voices on the GPS are "computer" like, not human can be very irritating

This is truly a half-baked product and I'm returning it tomorrow.

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Buyer's feedback: - Good device, not yet done
Pro:
Good hardware specs. I like the gorgeous screen that comes with the wvga resolution.

Con:
For the hardware part, if only it has wifi support or SDIO...

But the bad story is that Software is immature. A lot of stuff left unfinished. The CPU clock is locked at 300MHZ instead of the boasted 600MHZ.

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Buyer's feedback: - * An Enlightening Experience! ...
First, to the guy who wrote the review stating there is no "text to speech", it is included! You just have to go to the languages and choose a version with a "TTS" option...

This is is very nice device. If you have looked on the web at videos of the IGo version 8 software, then you know exactly what you are getting. The unit acquires satellites very quickly from a cold start (less than 10 seconds). Routing and recalculating is good. Certainly on par with the two leaders in the GPS market (Garmin and Tom Tom). The screen is magnificent! The graphics are the best I've seen on a GPS device, although I wish I could modify the screen colors. You see terrain, texture, overpasses, bridges, etc. in 3D! The buildings and attractions are quite interesting, too. I can't wait to visit a 3D rendered city that's included in the map. (I browsed Atlanta and NYC). There are a few icons on some screens that are not accessible yet because HP has not yet opened their new Ipaq website for updates. 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

UPDATE: Go to GPSPASSION.COM to find the many enhancements made to this device. The possibilities are endless!