Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2006/02/20/mio_gps_cebit_rollout/

Mio eyes CeBIT for mass GPS device roll-out

Six models lined up for launch, apparently

By Tony Smith

Posted in Personal Tech, 20th February 2006 15:26 GMT

Mio is preparing to announce six Windows Mobile-based navigation devices with integrated GPS receivers, it has emerged. The line-up includes a pair of GPS-enabled PDAs, and four dedicated navigations systems in a variety of form factors. The machines' debut is reportedly set for next month's CeBIT show in Hannover, Germany.

Mio will launch two PDAs at CeBIT, the P350 and P550, according to a report at French-language site Mobinaute. Specifications seen by the site point to Windows Mobile 5 support, a 400MHz CPU, SD slot and, in the case of the P550, built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, which the €399 P350 apparently lacks. Both are said to be set to ship with Skype.

The Mio C710 and C510E are said to be based on Windows CE .NET 4.2 and use the PDA-on-its-side form-factor established by the aging Mio 268 and 269. The new models feature a more streamlined design inspired by Mio's still unreleased A701 GPS-equipped smart phone. The new models incorporate Bluetooth for headset support, and the C710 can also pick up real-time traffic information. It's also likely to ship with more extensive maps.

The €299 Mio C210 looks more like a tiny TV than a PDA, its form factor clearly suggested by Tom Tom products and recent offerings from Sony, specifically its NV-U series. The C210 is dedicated to navigation, but the Mio H610 has movie and music playback as well as GPS navigation. It's not clear at this stage whether it's a hard drive- or Flash-based device. ®