HP iPaq 310 GPS

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Some of the hottest gadgets now are GPS devices. They are quickly becoming almost as important as any other feature in a car. If you're still not convinced you need a global positioning system, keep reading as we review the HP iPaq 310 GPS. You just might change your mind.

  

Why do you need a GPS? I could grab directions from no less than half a dozen sites that will provide me with the same directions as a GPS. But I have a real life example for you. 

I recently moved and didn't know where everything was. I needed to go to a grocery store, so I plugged in the directions and printed them out. After I got off the highway, I was looking for a road, and I found it -- 30 minutes later. 

What was the problem? I could read the directions fine, but the road I was looking for had changed names since the last time that the maps were updated. A GPS would have at least let me know when I was approaching the turn, even if it still had the wrong street name.

I quickly learned the need for a GPS. Today we are going to take a look at a GPS, the HP iPaq 310. HP? iPaq? Is this a PDA or GPS? HP saw the great demand for GPS and decided to get their foot in the door. Is this a half-assed attempt or truly a big dog in the GPS market?

What you get

The box is probably the best looking and constructed I have seen in a while. The fact that it comes in a box is a great perk, when many GPS devices come in those plastic containers which are hell to open. The box is attractive and shows you all the features of the GPS without really overdoing it. 

Inside you find a few different manuals, a USB cable, a car charger and home socket adapters, a car mount device, and of course the GPS. On an important note, you can't simply use any USB car charger and cable to charge this GPS. The included car charger and cable allow more voltage than normal cables do, and if you use normal ones, you will actually end up draining your battery when in use.  This definitely is a downfall of the device. If you lose one of these parts, you're going to have to go back to HP and pay a premium for a replacement.  That is NOT cool HP, not cool at all. 

Now it's time to take a closer look at the actual GPS.

The first thing most people notice is the screen on this device. It's drop dead sexy, at 4.3 inches and 800x480, which is a little better than DVD quality. At the bottom right is the LED for Bluetooth, to tell you if it's on or off. 

Above the screen is the power button. It seems to be designed backwards. To turn the device on, you have to hold it down for about four seconds; to turn off the device only requires about a two second push. It should be the opposite way because the device accidentally turns on frequently. 

Next: More of What You Get >>
 

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