Mio 269 Review by c|net
c|net has reviewed the Mio 269 GPS system and has given it less than stellar review… 4.3 out of 10… ouch!
They liked the 1 GB free for mp3 files, preloaded maps, fast startup times, and that it was portable enough for recreation as well as vehicle navigation. However they found it difficult to use, slow screen refreshes, you can’t use the mp3 player while navigating, and that it only had a USB 1.1 connection.
Like the Lowrance iWay 500c, the $799 Mio 269 is an automotive GPS with a built-in hard drive, an MP3 player, and a touch screen. However, unlike the iWay, the Mio 269 makes a poor first impression. It’s slow, unintuitive, and maddeningly difficult to use until you study the instruction manual. It employs a flaky points-of-interest (POI) database and provides a mere 1GB of dedicated MP3 storage–a far cry from the iWay’s 10GB. The few bright spots include a smartly designed windshield mount and a special mode for walkers. And once you read the manual, the Mio is easier to operate. But there’s absolutely no question that if you have $800 to invest in a GPS, the Lowrance iWay is the better buy.
