Mio gets Moov-ing with its new GPS range

by Daniel Long

Aug 6, 2008

| 18 Comments

Tags: Mio | Moov | GPS | POI | TMC | Suna | 3D | traffic | 360 | 300 | 370 | Navteq | truelocal | TomTom

We got an exclusive look at the latest Mio Moov range, and things are looking really good for Mio. New features include 3D-landmarks, live POI data, Navtech mapping, TMC traffic updates and accident black spot warnings.

The Mio Moov 300, Moov 360 and Moov 370 GPS units were unveiled to the media in Sydney last night, and we're impressed by what we've seen, including live POI data.

Three new Mio Moov models will hit retail shelves from the 1st of September, as Mio embark on the most significant changes to their range since they arrived in Australia little more than a year ago.

An additional 2 year warranty has also been added, showing greater confidence by Mio in their new models (by comparison, most GPS manufacturers only offer a standard 12 month warranty).

- The Mio Moov 300: $349 - For beginner users - a more basic model that lacks a TMC subscription (optional at roughly $129 according to Mio), Bluetooth and live POI connectivity (PC only) and 3D-landmarks. Also includes all safety cameras/blackspots.

- The Mio Moov 360: $429 - For Intermediate users – this unit includes Live POI, Bluetooth, No TMC subscription (optional at $129), 3D-landmarks. Also includes all safety cameras/blackspots.

- The Mio Moov 370: $549 - For advanced users – has exactly the same functions as the 360, but with a prepaid subscription to TMC channel SUNA traffic, which makes it the perfect ‘works-out-of-the-box’ model.
- All models include Safety alerts (speed cameras, accident black spots, etc.), text to speech and 4:3 antiglare widescreens.

Simpler navigation
Gone are the ugly, distracting menus of the past (thank goodness) – the Mio Menu mapping system has been totally redesigned with simplicity in mind. Most noticeably in older editions, the Mio units were often feature rich, but difficult to use, bloated by confusing menus and often useless Mp3 functions (i.e., you could only use the Mp3 player without the GPS turned on, which seemed pointless).

This time however, the units feel much easier to navigate within the redesigned menu system. GPS data is still collated in a table to the side of the unit, but feels miles ahead of the earlier c320 and c520 models that made jumping around the menu a distracting headache.

Destination and speed data are now slightly clearer and more concise, but we found (just as in the older models) that you can still get lost in all the extra features if you don’t take the time to learn the Mio menu functions.

Best feature for dollar ratio
From the time we spent playing around with the new models, we feel that while the design is still not as straightforward as the award winning TomTom , but it’s a great step forward for Mio.

Mio still boast the best feature for dollar ratio out of any of the GPS units on the market today, a desire by Mio ‘to be more than just a GPS’, according to Peter Ferrigno, National Sales Manager for Mio. That feeling may ironically be one of the most common reasons why reviewers have found the Mio menu so difficult to embrace in the past (review link). Too many gimmickry features can render your GPS useless,as we once wrote of the Mio c720.

The new Mio Moov 360

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Comments: 18

bbjai Aug 6, 2008 10:21 PM	This is excellent news to me, I have been waiting for a good GPS for ages, the Tom Tom's seemed too simple and live traffic management news was what I really wanted. Im really thinking of buying one now! Comment made about the PC Authority article: Mio gets Moov-ing with its new GPS range? We got an exclusive look at the latest Mio Moov range, and things are looking really good for Mio. New features include 3D-landmarks, live POI data, Navtech mapping, TMC traffic updates and accident black spot warnings. What do you think? Join the discussion.
totoaus Aug 8, 2008 10:41 PM	I'd like to hear more about products from the traditional GPS companies: Magellen & Garmin to name two. Only a couple of years ago, these and others were the names, in an era when only boats had GPS and chandlerys were the supplier, apart from a few outdoor suppliers and map agents.
Slatts Aug 9, 2008 11:54 AM	How about reviewing some marine GPS /chart plotter / sounder combos? Think about it. How else can you blokes get the boss to pay for a fishing trip?
Jim.Dude Aug 9, 2008 4:06 PM	Meh, another GPS, um yeah, wahoo sarcasm ... I guess they'd be handy if you did alot of driving where you specifically had no time to figure out where you were going before hand, but since google maps is totally free and entirely up to date, GPS offers nothing for moi. :-(
Slatts Aug 9, 2008 7:07 PM	Jim.Dude wrote: Meh, another GPS, um yeah, wahoo sarcasm ... I guess they'd be handy if you did alot of driving where you specifically had no time to figure out where you were going before hand, but since google maps is totally free and entirely up to date, GPS offers nothing for moi. :-( I guess you've never been out of sight of land and found someone has spilt coffee all over your nav chart just when you need to find the channel through the reef:shock: Yeh well me neither. But it could happen! Then you'd want the best coffee proof chart plotting GPS sounder that PC Authority could point you to.[-x
Jim.Dude Aug 9, 2008 8:15 PM	It's called a compass and they cost about $3.95.
Slatts Aug 9, 2008 9:50 PM	Jim.Dude wrote: It's called a compass and they cost about $3.95. actually a proper small ships compas will set you back something in the order of $120 upwards. It'll tell you which way is north, not where you are. from there, if you know where you are, you can use it to steer a course. That course is affected by set and drift. set is caused by the movement of the water EG tide or currents and drift is caused by wind. Navigation at sea is as much an art as a science. A compass is also affected by variation and deviation. Variation is caused by the difference between the magnetic poles and the geographic poles and any magnetic anomalies in the area and can be read off the local chart. It changes over time. Deviation is caused by steel and other magnetic sources on the ship, for example radios or electric wiring. The amount that it affects the compass is dependent on the course you're steering. Remember Jim, error East, compass least, error West, compass best. Oh $hit! We've just hit the reef! Damn that $3.95 compass! A GPS tells you where you are, how fast you're going, how long it'll take to arrive at a waypoint, the sum of your set and drift and the course to steer by compass to get to said waypoint. Throw in a chart plotter and a sounder and you'll know where you are on the map and exactly how much water is under your keel. $3.95 bloody compass indeed. Bloody boy scout. Do you rub 2 sticks together when you want to get warm Jim?
Jim.Dude Aug 10, 2008 3:22 PM	If you can afford a BOAT you can spring for the GPS...so no, I wouldn't expect you to use a compass. :-P But would I use a GPS to drive/walk around the CBD? No. You'd have to be both ignorant and stupid (a feat indeed) to get lost in a place where every street is named and signposted. GPS for cars is like the American's spending a billion dollars inventing a pen that writes in space...everyone else just uses a pencil. :-)
Slatts Aug 10, 2008 8:58 PM	Jim.Dude wrote: If you can afford a BOAT you can spring for the GPS...so no, I wouldn't expect you to use a compass. :-P But would I use a GPS to drive/walk around the CBD? No. You'd have to be both ignorant and stupid (a feat indeed) to get lost in a place where every street is named and signposted. GPS for cars is like the American's spending a billion dollars inventing a pen that writes in space...everyone else just uses a pencil. :-) Arrr! couldn't agree more Jim lad. That's why I went here: Slatts wrote: How about reviewing some marine GPS /chart plotter / sounder combos? Think about it. How else can you blokes get the boss to pay for a fishing trip?
Jim.Dude Aug 10, 2008 11:02 PM	PC Authority should change it's name and focus slightly, and become PC AND Fishing Authority. Woot!
bbjai Aug 11, 2008 7:44 PM	GPS is fairly important if you ask me. Anyone that uses a car around Sydney would admit this. The suburbs have a pathetic amount of street signs, and you mentioned the CBD, well the CBD, Parramatta, Chatswood et al all have a crap load of No right turns, one ways and yadda yadda that make a motorist's life hell. Today I had to pick up a friend to go to work at a clients at Parra station, took me 45 minutes as I went into the wrong turn in and I ended having to back track for around 20 minutes. GPS is useful mate,im sure a map is much better to use, but when your travelling on the road by yourself and there is literally no where to stop to go look at a map. Its pretty hard
Jim.Dude Aug 11, 2008 8:54 PM	bbjai wrote: GPS is fairly important if you ask me. Anyone that uses a car around Sydney would admit this. The suburbs have a pathetic amount of street signs, and you mentioned the CBD, well the CBD, Parramatta, Chatswood et al all have a crap load of No right turns, one ways and yadda yadda that make a motorist's life hell. Today I had to pick up a friend to go to work at a clients at Parra station, took me 45 minutes as I went into the wrong turn in and I ended having to back track for around 20 minutes. GPS is useful mate,im sure a map is much better to use, but when your travelling on the road by yourself and there is literally no where to stop to go look at a map. Its pretty hard True, but you can download directions from google maps that will plot of every street corner and how long you should spend on each one for free. So GPS still seems like an expensive option, unless you were unable to get a look at the map before driving.
Slatts Aug 11, 2008 9:30 PM	Jim.Dude wrote: bbjai wrote: GPS is fairly important if you ask me. Anyone that uses a car around Sydney would admit this. The suburbs have a pathetic amount of street signs, and you mentioned the CBD, well the CBD, Parramatta, Chatswood et al all have a crap load of No right turns, one ways and yadda yadda that make a motorist's life hell. Today I had to pick up a friend to go to work at a clients at Parra station, took me 45 minutes as I went into the wrong turn in and I ended having to back track for around 20 minutes. GPS is useful mate,im sure a map is much better to use, but when your travelling on the road by yourself and there is literally no where to stop to go look at a map. Its pretty hard True, but you can download directions from google maps that will plot of every street corner and how long you should spend on each one for free. So GPS still seems like an expensive option, unless you were unable to get a look at the map before driving. Full speed ahead and damn the torpedos hay Jim? Safety issues aside, driving without due care and attention caries a nasty fine.[-x
Jim.Dude Aug 11, 2008 9:38 PM	...ah, cause repeatedly taking your eyes of the wheel to look at a brightly screen sitting on your dash is so much safer than memorizing a map the night before? :-k
denis789 Aug 12, 2008 6:08 PM	I have one of these unit and it has been working flawlessly since I bought it. My girlfriend also used it and she loves it. She does not get lost anymore on the streets thanks to the Mio GPS. ;p It is very portable and good unit. Good response and route recalculation. I am also looking forward to the Mio Map 2008 that I redeemed.
Slatts Aug 12, 2008 6:38 PM	Jim.Dude wrote: ...ah, cause repeatedly taking your eyes of the wheel to look at a brightly screen sitting on your dash is so much safer than memorizing a map the night before? :-k You've got to listen to the voices Jim. "move to the left hand lane" "Turn left in 150 meters" "Speed camera ahead" "Pick up the knife" OH! sorry, not that voice.8-[
Jim.Dude Aug 12, 2008 9:40 PM	Slatts wrote: Jim.Dude wrote: ...ah, cause repeatedly taking your eyes of the wheel to look at a brightly screen sitting on your dash is so much safer than memorizing a map the night before? :-k You've got to listen to the voices Jim. "move to the left hand lane" "Turn left in 150 meters" "Speed camera ahead" "Pick up the knife" OH! sorry, not that voice.8-[ Yeah I dunno about that...last time I listened to the voices I went out to get milk and woke up on a Russian submarine somewhere in the Atlantic dressed as a gorilla... ](*,)
Slatts Aug 12, 2008 9:50 PM	Jim.Dude wrote: Slatts wrote: Jim.Dude wrote: ...ah, cause repeatedly taking your eyes of the wheel to look at a brightly screen sitting on your dash is so much safer than memorizing a map the night before? :-k You've got to listen to the voices Jim. "move to the left hand lane" "Turn left in 150 meters" "Speed camera ahead" "Pick up the knife" OH! sorry, not that voice.8-[ Yeah I dunno about that...last time I listened to the voices I went out to get milk and woke up on a Russian submarine somewhere in the Atlantic dressed as a gorilla... ](*,) Don't worry about it Jim. happens to me all the time. Not as bad as the alien abductions though. I just wish they'd get over that probing thing. What is it with that?!8-[

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