Introducing the DigiWalker
Most portable navigation products have been designed for use in automobiles, with screen sizes ranging from the standard 3.5" up to 4.3". There are a few smaller handheld units which are excellent for mapping and hiking purposes, but generally don't provide much in the way of automotive use, as powerful as they can be (some handheld units can be updated with detailed city maps for urban navigation). Mio's DigiWalker H610 portable navigator attempts to split the difference between automotive and handheld navigation, combining the necessary aspects of automotive navigation (clear 2-D and 3-D maps, turn-by-turn directions with voice prompts, and automatic rerouting, among others) with the portability of a handheld, including features for navigating on foot or while cycling. With its 2.7" screen, the Mio is geared for personal use (though not for mapping), yet still suitable for the car.

The DigiWalker H610 displays maps vertically instead of the traditional widescreen presentation.

The DigiWalker I was given for evaluation purposes didn't come with all the accessories included. Here's what I found in my box:

• DigiWalker H610 main unit
• Suction-mount apparatus
• Cradle for use with suction-mount apparatus
• Dashboard mounting plate with self-adhesive backing
• Car battery power adapter with mini-USB end
• AC power plug head (2-prong U.S. standard) for use with AC power cable
• AC power cable with mini-USB end and interchangeable plug head
• USB cable
• pair of earbuds on 2' cord
• 2.5' earbud extension cord with remote control
• pair of earbud covers

Here's what my DigiWalker was missing:

• Owner's manual/warranty information
• DVD-ROM with backup maps
• Application CD including MioTransfer software for loading MP3 and picture/video files directly to the DigiWalker from a PC
• Lanyard
• Wrist strap

Big things in tiny packages
The DigiWalker's tiny size drives home its portability — it's the same length as my cell phone when my phone is folded, and about three-fourths of an inch wider. It's also very light, weighing in at less than a quarter of a pound (3.9 ounces). I can envision it getting mistaken for any number of popular portable MP3 players from a distance. The Mio is so compact that I have no problem fitting both it and my cell phone in one pocket at the same time.

The DigiWalker looks sporty without being showy. The clean pearl-and-silver color pattern is a refreshing respite from the typical gunmetal grey or black shading on the majority of navigators. Mio rounded all the edges to make it easy on the palms and fingers. They've emblazoned their logo across the top of the device's faceplate, so one can tell that the display reads vertically instead of the typical widescreen horizontal view most navigators offer. Judging from that, I found the power button and faceplate release switch on the top of the unit. The left side presents the "mapping" button. A Secure Digital™ (SD) memory card slot is on the Mio's right side, along with the lock switch (to prevent accidental power on or off) and reset pinhole. Earphone jack and mini-USB input are positioned at the bottom of the DigiWalker, while the rear is home to the speaker and antenna input. This fun little package would seem to have more cross-gender appeal than some of the more impersonal navigators out there, especially for those who have grown up with portable MP3 players and are looking for something a little more idiosyncratic.

The DigiWalker doesn't take up a lot of windshield space.

Getting started
Before taking the DigiWalker for a spin, I powered it up at home. The AC power cord with a mini-USB connector features a detachable plug adapter, which is useful for international travel — one can pick up the necessary plugs for other parts of the globe without having to track down an entire new cord. I assembled the power cord and plug and let it charge overnight. A simple light at the top left corner of the faceplate let me know it was charging successfully.

The DigiWalker's home screen gives six options to begin with — MioMap (for navigation), MioPlayer (for MP3s, video, and photo viewing), Games, Settings, Contacts, and Travel Kit. The touchscreen interface is very responsive, but the small screen could pose some issues for those with fat fingers as the icons are placed close to each other on the screen to fit (especially on the map). Even without the owner's manual, I was able to click through the screens to find all the necessary settings and many intriguing diversions this handy device offers.

Mio's windshield bracket mounting system is a bit unwieldy and didn't always deliver the best grip, but it was easy to adjust for the best viewing once I figured it out.

I had a little bit of trouble with the somewhat bulky suction-mount and cradle apparatus because of the lack of instructions. It was not immediately clear that the length of the arm of the device could be adjusted, so I started off with a long arm that needed to be stuck almost in the middle of my Nissan's windshield to keep the cradle off my dash. Securing the cradle to the mount was not difficult, and adjusting the cradle angle was fairly easy, using three knobs to change the height and horizontal angle of the display. The suction cup seemed to hold tightly. I turned on the DigiWalker in my car and let it find my location on the planet. It took very little time for the GPS satellites to find the device and it was ready to go. The powerful 20-channel SIRFstarIII GPS receiver which made for the very quick acquisition time is the latest in receiver technology, which indicates Mio takes the navigation features of the DigiWalker seriously.

Moving along
The MioMap screen lets you choose a destination by plugging in an address, checking your favorite addresses or recently made trips, finding a point of interest anywhere in the vicinity, or by simply tapping a point on the map. I first assigned my home and work address and told the Mio to get me from one to the other. It gave me a route fairly quickly and I was on my way. One thing I noticed on the way to work was that the sun's glare on the DigiWalker's screen was a bit harsh, and since the screen was a little smaller than I was used to, seeing the map was slightly problematic. It became clear I was going to need to make some adjustments to fully enjoy this thing. However, following the voice prompts was no problems with the crisp, loud voice giving me directions; I was able to easily adjust the volume of the voice and the units of measurement which the voice prompts delivered (miles/yards/feet/kilometers/meters). The mapping button on the left side of the DigiWalker allowed me to toggle the display to show the distance to the next maneuver and what the maneuver would be.

Once I got to work, I borrowed an SD card loaded with MP3 music files to check out the Mio's playback capabilities. You can also use the application disc's MioTransfer software to transfer MP3s directly to the DigiWalker from a PC via the included USB cable. The DigiWalker H610 should have roughly one gigabyte of free memory for storage with all the maps loaded on it. Using the SD card slot was a simple maneuver, and the MioPlayer interface brought up the songs in an orderly fashion. From there, the player can be used to program the songs or access them randomly — you can even generate playlists. I didn't use the included earbuds, but the little speaker at the back of the DigiWalker broadcast the tunes with ear-friendly clarity that was on par with most cell phones i've heard.

Get all kinds of musical pleasure from the Mio with its MP3 player controls. You can create playlists, shuffle songs, and do much more. The DigiWalker even comes with headphones.

Mio provides other electronic extras beyond the music interface. You can view digital picture files with MioPlayer (from an SD card or transferred to the Mio itself), in addition to DivX video files. The video games are fun, challenging, and easy to learn, featuring vastly improved graphics over those found on my cell phone. The included digital travel kit accessory includes a compass plus a wealth of international information, including world clock, currency converter, and weather updates, plus other helpful travel tidbits like clothing size chart and international area codes. Some of these features require a PC connection to ensure accuracy, and the software to do so is most likely found on the application CD.

Some struggles
After I brought the Mio back home, I tinkered with the mounting apparatus to get it to fit better in my car. I figured out how to shorten the arm length and adjust the cradle angle to reduce the glare on the screen. Unfortunately, after the adjustments were done, the suction cup wasn't quite as secure on my windshield as before, and the whole shebang came down a couple of times during my next long trip to Washington, D.C.

That wasn't the only problem I encountered; I also had a hard time entering the street address of a well-known rock club in our nation's capital, which is unfortunately located on a street which is split up three times in the city's northwest section. The DigiWalker only recognized the westernmost section of the street, which was not where I wanted to go. Luckily, I remembered a hospital was near my destination, and I was able to find it in the points of interest database and set my navigation to that. On the way up to D.C., I hit some traffic due to an accident near Manassas, and was able to find a nearby route with a couple of taps on the DigiWalker's screen. That's always a welcome feature, though Mio provides so many variables for routing that it took a few minutes to determine which would be the best course of action for my trip.

Night vision
As I traveled towards D.C., it started getting dark. I used the settings feature in MioMap to engage the night colors setting, which turns the background color of the map to black for better visibility when it's dark outside. It's a really cool look and complemented my car's dashboard lighting well. The route still appears red while the streets turn blue, and the text for street names is still quite legible. Of additional use was the feature that counts down how many miles to go until the final destination, plus estimated travel time remaining and arrival time. These time estimates are calculated using posted speed limits along the way, so if you're cruising you'll see the display adjust accordingly.

Mio's night display screen provides all the necessary information without filling your car with a distracting glow.

I didn't get a chance to test the pedestrian or bicycle navigation features of the DigiWalker H610, which would provide directions by ignoring or enforcing certain road restrictions, i.e. one-way streets are okay to travel on foot, but you can't walk along highways. And I didn't use the earbuds to check the sound quality of the MP3 playback or use the MioTransfer software to see how intuitive it could be. However, the automotive navigation gets a solid grade B-, and here's hoping they can work out a few of the kinks soon. The features and ease of use of the DigiWalker rates an A-, as the device is most delightful and packs a plethora of extras, the main drawbacks being lack of Bluetooth® and live traffic updates. It's a very competitive navigator for the price, but I would recommend comparing it against a larger navigator (in a vehicle if possible) to get a feel for how easy it is to see if you're going to be using it for automotive navigation for any significant amount of time.