Mitac Mio DigiWalker 168 GPS Enabled PDA - Mitac Mio DigiWalker 168

One aspect of CoPilot Live that may disappoint is the absence of 3D maps, with only a top-down view on offer. I asked ALK’s marketing manager why this was so and he stated that this was deliberate, to ensure that drivers’ eyes remained on the road rather than staring at maps - fair enough I suppose.

Indeed while driving, the interface provides all necessary information in an efficient and concise manner. In driver mode maps are shown only as you approach the junction with voice instructions and arrows providing enough information to be taken in at a glance. However in passenger mode the maps are shown the whole time. If you miss a turn the software quickly recalculates an alternative route without fuss. There’s also a detour button that will force this behaviour, which is useful if the road ahead is blocked by traffic.

The speech system can be setup as prerecorded samples or as a text-to-speech option. The latter delivers a less pleasing Steven Hawking style delivery but it does provide more detail such as the name of the road you’re turning into, which can be very helpful. Icons are provided for ‘Home’ and ‘Work’ so you can quickly plan a route to them from wherever you are.

As a PDA, the Mio DigiWalker 168 is nothing special but as a GPS solution it’s superb. Performance is excellent, the mapping accurate and unlike car based wired or Bluetooth solutions you can use it while walking, as long as you have a clear view of the sky. When making trips, I very quickly got used to having it to having it with me.

The Mio DigiWalker 168 is thoughtfully designed and will get you where you need to go, on foot or by car. It’s also cheaper than buying a separate PDA and GPS add-on. I for one, have looked forward to when technology enabled me to carry an interactive map around in my pocket. With the Mio 168, it’s now a reality.

Verdict

While there are certainly improvements that could be made - integrated Bluetooth and VGA resolution wouldn’t go amiss – the Mio DigiWalker 168 is a good value and highly effective GPS package. It’s certainly one that I’m going to miss once it goes back.