Mio C320 GPS Review

heenaluthra · 25th August 2009, 18:33

OK,

Now, I downloaded MMI from a certain website. But it does not have instructions on how I can install the software on the C320. Do I just upload the MMI files on the root directory of the SD card? It has MMI.exe. Would that run on the device?

Anyone who has already tried this? bigman/tsk1979/indie?

Regards

Quote:

Originally Posted by indie

yes its the unlock, unlock means you are able to use the capabilities of win ce device to a full extent.. like in miopocket you have many softwares/games but default u can only see one screen with four icons viz. miomap, audio player, file explorer and settings.

as far as maps/ software for india are concerned the best is from mapmyindia, you can d/l the software's from Forum - Navigator

if you face any problem, post in the forum or pm, with your doubts.

cheers

trrk · 25th August 2009, 20:00

Hi,

Quote:

Originally Posted by heenaluthra

Now, I downloaded MMI from a certain website. But it does not have instructions on how I can install the software on the C320. Do I just upload the MMI files on the root directory of the SD card? It has MMI.exe. Would that run on the device?

Anyone who has already tried this? bigman/tsk1979/indie?

In its own folder or root. It SHOULD work. I have the old MMI and the new one in different folders. Both work when the exe is double clicked.

No harm in trying.

heenaluthra · 26th August 2009, 18:43

Hey trrk,

Funny thing - when I run the MMi.exe, it opens the MMI sofrware but when he the "opening maps" comes in the start-up screen of MMI, it closes the MMI application. Any help?

Quote:

Originally Posted by trrk

Hi,

In its own folder or root. It SHOULD work. I have the old MMI and the new one in different folders. Both work when the exe is double clicked.

No harm in trying.

heenaluthra · 26th August 2009, 18:49

I suspect I have the application but not the maps in the MMI? The total size of MMI rar file is 6MB with the biggest file "LanguagePackAmerican.cpf". Is that the reason the MMI.exe startup screen does not get ahead of "opening maps"?

Can someone share India maps and whether all I need to do is paste the maps folder in the root directory of the SD card and bingo?

trrk · 26th August 2009, 20:53

Hi,

Quote:

Originally Posted by heenaluthra

Hey trrk,

Funny thing - when I run the MMi.exe, it opens the MMI sofrware but when he the "opening maps" comes in the start-up screen of MMI, it closes the MMI application. Any help?

Quote:

Originally Posted by heenaluthra

I suspect I have the application but not the maps in the MMI? The total size of MMI rar file is 6MB with the biggest file "LanguagePackAmerican.cpf". Is that the reason the MMI.exe startup screen does not get ahead of "opening maps"?

Can someone share India maps and whether all I need to do is paste the maps folder in the root directory of the SD card and bingo?

I think the problem is that you do not have maps.

I will let you know what to do tomorrow.

heenaluthra · 26th August 2009, 22:00

Guys..

I feel on top of the world! ! !

Finally... MMI works... the thing works man!

Kudos to all of you guys! Thanks for the effort man! My 6 month old brick actually HAS life!

Cheers,
Heena

trrk · 27th August 2009, 12:23

Hi,

Quote:

Originally Posted by heenaluthra

I feel on top of the world! ! !
Finally... MMI works... the thing works man!

Congratulations!

Post a picture please!

indie · 2nd September 2009, 22:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by trrk

Hi,

Congratulations!

Post a picture please!

u can check the screenshots on my device here..

Unlock : Mio Devices - Home

satish_appasani · 22nd September 2009, 17:40

I use Noni GPSPlot on HP IPaq 111 PDA. It is a freeware and has lot of features.

Noni GPSPlot

The developer also has freeware tool to download the maps from Google Maps and use them in GPSPlot.

tsk1979 · 22nd September 2009, 17:46

Actually I also use noni to download osm/google maps, but for the unit I decided to purchase oziexplorer, as I wanted something with advanced capabilities like logbook, etc.,

satish_appasani · 22nd September 2009, 18:13

Where do you use OSM maps?

tsk1979 · 22nd September 2009, 22:04

For my ladakh trip I used OSM maps as most roads are mapped, those which are not will be mapped soon by me.

satish_appasani · 23rd September 2009, 11:31

I tried OziExplorer yesterday. I felt Noni is much better for my use. Accessing various functions is much easier in Noni. It requires less number of stokes and buttons are easily readable on the move.
Another feature i liked in Noni, as a donor user i can create a Navigation map from multiple .map files in a folder in a single shot. This feature is available only for donor users. This allows to split the maps in to multiple small files and the software loads each file on demand. I couldn't locate this feature in Ozi. I am able to import only one .map file at a time.
I will continue to test Ozi for a few more days.

tsk1979 · 23rd September 2009, 11:44

@Statish, in oziexplorer CE, not PC version, you can put all map files with jpg and .map in one folder(or subfolders in the Maps directory).
Depending upon your location Ozi will automatically pick the map file.
For example I had some 100 map files for Ladakh and Himachal, and more detailed ones for Changthang Plateau(with self created hand drawn GPS trails) etc., etc.,
Ozi will pick up one automatically.
In case it finds 2 maps for same location, it will pick up more detailed one.

sriturl · 20th February 2010, 23:26

Hi Mio Gurus...
I was impressed with this thread, and purchased a Mio C320. I am now into "hacking" my way through the device.
Here is what I have gathered, and going to try. Please validate my understanding so that I donot do anything funny and silly.

C320 can be unlocked with Mio Pocket 3.0 software. This is just a utility to unlock but doesnt provide any of the maps or plotting software.
Its good to use a SD unlock mechanism because it would be easy to fall back atleast to test the software.

The next step is to utilize the GPS hardware and WinCE OS within the Mio device, and use the Mio pocket application, and we need to install another "plotting software". Plotting software is basically an application which would plot a map, as x, y coordinates of latitude and longitude, which it obtains from the hardware, and presents on the UI. However, if there are no maps for that area, it would show only coordinates.
I am looking at Pocket GPS and noni GPS plot applications for this purpose.

The next step is to actually see what you where you are on a visually understandable format which is map.
For this, we need bit map images, which contains meta data of latitude longitude location, so that when the plotting software provides lat, long positions, it shows correct location on the map.
This can be done by copying google maps through mobile gmaps.

As of now, I still didnt unlock my Mio, since the SD card which I purchased, I am not able to access it on my laptop. I suspect a bad card reader, which is around 7 years old. Once I am able to write into SD card, I will unlock, and then let you know the results.
Meanwhile, please let me know any corrections or pitfalls in what I understood about this process.

26th August 2009, 18:49	#34
heenaluthra Newbie Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Mumbai Posts: 1 Thanked: 0 Times	I suspect I have the application but not the maps in the MMI? The total size of MMI rar file is 6MB with the biggest file "LanguagePackAmerican.cpf". Is that the reason the MMI.exe startup screen does not get ahead of "opening maps"? Can someone share India maps and whether all I need to do is paste the maps folder in the root directory of the SD card and bingo?
	() Thanks

26th August 2009, 22:00	#36
heenaluthra Newbie Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Mumbai Posts: 1 Thanked: 0 Times	Guys.. I feel on top of the world! ! ! Finally... MMI works... the thing works man! Kudos to all of you guys! Thanks for the effort man! My 6 month old brick actually HAS life! Cheers, Heena
	() Thanks

22nd September 2009, 17:40	#39
satish_appasani Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 1,112 Thanked: 104 Times View My Garage	I use Noni GPSPlot on HP IPaq 111 PDA. It is a freeware and has lot of features. Noni GPSPlot The developer also has freeware tool to download the maps from Google Maps and use them in GPSPlot.
	() Thanks

22nd September 2009, 17:46	#40
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,717 Thanked: 22,825 Times View My Garage	Actually I also use noni to download osm/google maps, but for the unit I decided to purchase oziexplorer, as I wanted something with advanced capabilities like logbook, etc.,
	() Thanks

22nd September 2009, 18:13	#41
satish_appasani Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 1,112 Thanked: 104 Times View My Garage	Where do you use OSM maps?
	() Thanks

22nd September 2009, 22:04	#42
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,717 Thanked: 22,825 Times View My Garage	For my ladakh trip I used OSM maps as most roads are mapped, those which are not will be mapped soon by me.
	() Thanks

23rd September 2009, 11:31	#43
satish_appasani Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 1,112 Thanked: 104 Times View My Garage	I tried OziExplorer yesterday. I felt Noni is much better for my use. Accessing various functions is much easier in Noni. It requires less number of stokes and buttons are easily readable on the move. Another feature i liked in Noni, as a donor user i can create a Navigation map from multiple .map files in a folder in a single shot. This feature is available only for donor users. This allows to split the maps in to multiple small files and the software loads each file on demand. I couldn't locate this feature in Ozi. I am able to import only one .map file at a time. I will continue to test Ozi for a few more days.
	() Thanks

23rd September 2009, 11:44	#44
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,717 Thanked: 22,825 Times View My Garage	@Statish, in oziexplorer CE, not PC version, you can put all map files with jpg and .map in one folder(or subfolders in the Maps directory). Depending upon your location Ozi will automatically pick the map file. For example I had some 100 map files for Ladakh and Himachal, and more detailed ones for Changthang Plateau(with self created hand drawn GPS trails) etc., etc., Ozi will pick up one automatically. In case it finds 2 maps for same location, it will pick up more detailed one.
	() Thanks

20th February 2010, 23:26	#45
sriturl BHPian Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: KA-03 Posts: 514 Thanked: 85 Times	Hi Mio Gurus... I was impressed with this thread, and purchased a Mio C320. I am now into "hacking" my way through the device. Here is what I have gathered, and going to try. Please validate my understanding so that I donot do anything funny and silly. C320 can be unlocked with Mio Pocket 3.0 software. This is just a utility to unlock but doesnt provide any of the maps or plotting software. Its good to use a SD unlock mechanism because it would be easy to fall back atleast to test the software. The next step is to utilize the GPS hardware and WinCE OS within the Mio device, and use the Mio pocket application, and we need to install another "plotting software". Plotting software is basically an application which would plot a map, as x, y coordinates of latitude and longitude, which it obtains from the hardware, and presents on the UI. However, if there are no maps for that area, it would show only coordinates. I am looking at Pocket GPS and noni GPS plot applications for this purpose. The next step is to actually see what you where you are on a visually understandable format which is map. For this, we need bit map images, which contains meta data of latitude longitude location, so that when the plotting software provides lat, long positions, it shows correct location on the map. This can be done by copying google maps through mobile gmaps. As of now, I still didnt unlock my Mio, since the SD card which I purchased, I am not able to access it on my laptop. I suspect a bad card reader, which is around 7 years old. Once I am able to write into SD card, I will unlock, and then let you know the results. Meanwhile, please let me know any corrections or pitfalls in what I understood about this process.
	() Thanks