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CoPilot Live Version 6

I can’t leave this review without a short word on the navigation software I chose to use – ALK CoPilot Live version 6.

ALK kindly provided two copies of this software so I could run it simultaneously on both devices.

The software installed and worked with the built in GPS antennae on both devices with no difficulties. Neither device delivered significantly differently in terms of performance, except for the noted better audio volume of the Mio A701. The CoPilot software itself is a joy to use, delivering clear spoken instructions and strong visual information and being easy to feed with destinations.

It supports full seven digit postcodes, and, if you enter a town name, you can be directed straight to the city centre, which is a very handy and quick way of setting up a trip to somewhere new. The large icons in version 6 are ideal for finger-tapping.

Verdict

Choosing between these two handhelds is a difficult call. There are variations, but they tend to be small ones – battery life differs by just a few minutes, on board memory is also pretty close, and they cost about the same too.

The G500 is a shade larger and heavier than the A701 and this and its proprietary mains and synch connector count against it. Neither device has Wi-Fi, and that counts pretty heavily against them both.

In the end the Mio A701 comes out a whisker ahead, but it is just a whisker.There is no doubt, though, that if you are looking for a navigation solution built around a PDA rather than standalone, that the built in GPS antenna is definitely a better option than a separate antenna.

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