HewlettPackard iPAQ 310 Bluetooth 4.3Inch Widescreen Portable GPS

I would have given it 5 stars but……………..
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
HP has abandoned users and there will be no more updates. They have pretty much fixed most of the problems with the units but forget them for maps updates. Thankfully, map updates are available [...] from the navigation software manufacturer. Is a real shame that HP left everyone in the cold as this is a very powerful unit with lots of potential. I updated the maps and also added speed/safety cams software which does not come with the unit in the US. Also, this is a very user “unfriendly” device. Spend time reading the manual and learning how to operate it and you will be pleased, but this is not a plug and play device so if you are technically challenged this is not the device for you.

Returned it twice.
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I bought this device a year ago but I am writing a review now. I had problems from the start with the HP 310 GPS. It would always freeze up so I returned it than the last one would no longer charge. This was all in about a months time. I now have a different device.

Pros= nice screen.

Cons= I am pretty good at working these devices but I had problems with this one. One thing I did not like was the street that you were on would not stay visible when the device was on and not navigating, and when navigating it was not there just the next turn. To make the street you are on appear you had to tap the screen, that means not concentrating on the road. That is how accidents happen. The MIO 610 is every thing the HP 310 is supposed to be and more. The MIO 520 has the same size screen. The MIO 610 displays on that little screen the street you are on and the road you need to turn to without fiddling with the device while you are driving.

I only paid $199.99 and it still was not worth that with all the problems.

Excellent but could be faster
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The iPAQ 310 is an excellent machine but, perhaps due to its very high image quality – resolution and colour definition – the load on the processor is also very high and the result is that the speed of the device is not so brilliant. Nevertheless I am happy with the acquisition.

Save your money if over $200
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I bought it for 199 and got an extra 30 off, but even then the system and maps included and upgradable in US through the HP site is old technology.

The dual core 600 seems misleading- looking further I see 570MHz total and have seen it at 285 (only one core firing up)…I assume it is actually a 300Mhz Dual Core as my 400Mhz Processor in a Mio is seen as 397Mhz and runs much better…

Navigation is built on an IGO8 platform with its own custom Skin and after downloading the 1.7GB HP upgrade the Oasis Interface and system is upgraded along with the IGO8 Software release I believe May 2008, but the majority of the 1.7GB being the Content for navigation remains at the same old Oct 2007 release for maps and poi files.

Back to processor performance – my two sons were playing the same game that is included on the HP and also on the mio, and when they were running a course that is showing 50 seconds at completion, my one son on the mio completed in 57 seconds actual time elapsed, and the one on the HP completed at ~95 seconds time elapsed where screen shows 52 seconds…after a device reset it dropped down to 62, and after the upgrade requires less resets.

The sluggish performance also is apparrent at times with TTS stop and go stutter issues.

The internal Media Player has its quirks, and the system restarts on its own too often when I try to do too much, this is before I added my own additional software…

The reasons I am keeping it is that through the games menu I was able to load my own freeware software TCPMP to play my music and video with much more control and it only has issues with large .mov files it seems, all else play great. I do have to get better video resolution when I convert my files though because the screen is excellent. You can also find much newer releases of IGO8 that are available and release dates in July and September 2008 and Content sets from 01/08 and 2008Q2, and make that software accessible either through the existing menu navigation or alternate within games.

Having this newer release and customization available makes it worth keeping, along with the Screen Resolution – I was almost ready to return it.

I put a 16GB SDHC in it and works great- I’m ready to sell my 30GB Media Players now…

Great potential with a few issues
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I bought a refurbished IPAQ 310 and used two weeks; then returned it. If you bought a new one, your experience may vary.

The unit’s appearance is attractive and in good quality, the screen is bright and big. When I purchased it, I had three expectations:

1. GPS, of course

2. Ebook reader.

3. Multimedia player

The device has potential to fulfill all of them. As a portable media player, it plays avi, divx, mpeg and other type of files. However, you need to install TCPMP to play some types of media files. Playing quality is very impressive, I didn’t notice lost frames or sluggish.

As an ebook reader, you need foxit pdf reader. Currently it is in the first version and the program is not easy to use. but book is still readable and clear. Forget about CHM format. There is no reader for CHM for Windows CE. I probably is writing such a program if I didn’t return the device.

As a GPS, it disappoints me most and is the reason I returned it. I used it three times, only first time it acquired GPS signal. At first, I thought the problem was caused by modification of the software, so I restored it to factory default using HP current patch. It didn’t help. I reset it multiply times without putting any SD card in it, walking in my back yard with no tree blocking the sky. No signal! Another time, I drive to downtown from my house for about half hour. No signal. I didn’t see any switch to turn GPS on or off. So I assume it should be always on.

Based on my experiece, there are a couple of issues preventing the device being a gread gadget:

1. Difficult to acquire GPS signal. This could vary by device. I have no doubt that other units may not have this problem;

2. Using Windows CE as its operating system. In my opinion, this is a big mistake. There is literally no software for Windows CE. This is a lesson I learnt from this device and I would NOT buy another device with Windows CE on it. Before I bought it, I thought Windows CE is a variant of Windows Mobile or Pocket PC version. Big difference! If it runs Windows Mobile, the potential of this device is unlimited.

3. Could not charge it with car charger. I found this on the road. When I saw a warning of low battery, I plugged it with car charger and the device still turned off in 10 minutes and no matter what I tried, I could not turned it back on. The only way to charge it is to use dual power USB cable with both USB ends plugged into USB hub. Apparently, the unit needs higher power provided by single USB cable. The problem is worsened by relatively short battery life. With a full charged battery, I can only play two hours video, then the unit shut off.

The one I bought has product #: FA974AA#ABA. it is not clear whether this is first revision or second. I would suggest you to avoid it if you want to buy refurbished one to save money.