Mio C220 GPS Receiver

Lacks a very basic feature. Beware Tech support

By Jennifer  Aug 13, 2007 | 5 out of 8 found this Mio C220 review helpful

Pros: Acquires satellite signals quickly, "Smart Zoom," cheap, works as advertised if you remember to turn it off when done using it, compact aerodynamic form-factor will probably allow it to fly far when you throw it.

Cons: Tech support will make you regret getting this receiver, dead battery when you need to use it most, initial hunting around through the menus and backtracking to find certain settings, the usual complaints as other brands regarding inefficient calculated routes, and as mentioned by others, dim display and difficult to hear in a typical late-model sedan at normal highway speeds.

I tried to like this unit, but a basic flaw and customer support has made me wish that I spent more for Garmin or Magellan. I was even prepared to live with the dim display and weak audio. If you forget to turn the unit off, don't be surprised t...o see a dead or dying battery. Regardless of whether you select never, 10, 20, or 30 minutes, it will only dim the screen after a few seconds("Smart Power Save," turned on), but it will never fully standby, with the screen off; something that even my bottom of the line Magellan unit(RM2000), any laptop, any Pocket PC, or even a 90's vintage Palm Pilot will do. I've sent the unit in for examination, and Miotech simply returned the unit as-is with a note saying, "The device turns off automatically only if it's not charging." My issue with the device is that it will not "turn off" or even go into standby at all, ever. It also seems that maybe there's an english language problem at Mio Tech, as I've explained this to at least three techs and their supervisor. I've grown tired of telling the whole story over and over, resetting the unit, doing this and that, and waiting on hold repeatedly. I've gotten a variety of different workarounds from Customer Support, including leaving the unit plugged in or exiting the MioMap software, which is fine if I remember, but I might as well just press the power button. It seems that when I forget to turn the device off and kill the battery, is also when I need to use it. Customer tech support has only made he hate this horrible device. Pros: Acquires satellite signals quickly, "Smart Zoom," cheap, works as advertised if you remember to turn it off when done using it, compact aerodynamic form-factor will probably allow it to fly far when you throw it. Cons: Tech support will make you regret getting this receiver, dead battery when you need to use it most, initial hunting around through the menus and backtracking to find certain settings, the usual complaints as other brands regarding inefficient calculated routes, and as mentioned by others, dim display and difficult to hear in a typical late-model sedan at normal highway speeds. Read more Less