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It's easy to see the appeal of PDA/GPS combo devices like the Mio DigiWalker 168RS, especially for those who value technology but don't want to carry around a different gadget for every purpose. Devices that serve multiple functions can often have limitations relative to stand-alone products though, and that's certainly true of the 168RS. While it's very good at GPS, as a PDA it leaves quite a bit to be desired.

The $499 168RS's PDA-related hardware specs are decidedly basic. The unit - which uses Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition (not Windows Mobile 5.0) is powered by a slowish 300 MHz Intel XScale CPU and has a mere 32 MB of ROM and 64 MB of RAM. There's no Bluetooth or Wi-Fi built in, and adding these features via the 168RS's SD/MMC card slot isn't an option since you need a memory card to hold the several hundred megabytes consumed by a set of regional GPS maps.

To it's credit, the 168RS is small and light, measuring 4.7 x 2.75 x 1.0 inches and tipping the scales at 5.1 ounces. The unit's TFT screen is standard-issue Windows Mobile, a 3.5-inch, 240 x 320 display capable of 65K colors. It's bright and clear but throws off a lot of glare in extremely bright sunlight making it tough to see clearly.

To get maps loaded into the 168RS, you have to download them onto an SD card using the included MioMap software. A 256 MB SD card is included in the package, and the 168RS also ships with a USB-based SD card reader (though MioMap will work with other readers if you already have one). One thing we wish the software would you do is insert the memory card into the 168RS and then download maps directly to the unit via the USB cable, to minimize the chance of forgetting put the card back in the device.

GPS Interface
On the 168RS itself, the MioMap software has an excellent user interface that makes it very easy to interact with the device, especially when you're on the road. For instance, clicking an option menu doesn't present a tiny pull-down column of choices but instead calls up a large grid with 9 buttons that are easy to see and press, even when when the unit is at arms-length. This makes it easy to switch between things like 2D, 3D, and birds-eye views, as well as between day and night color pallets.


Menu

MioMap also makes entering address information as painless as possible—instead of having to tap complete address information into individual fields, you can select components off an alphabetically-sorted menu. First you choose the city, then the street, then the house or building number.

Because the map sets can be quite large (most cover a handful of states), the menus are extremely long, and if you call up the on-screen keyboard and start spelling a city or street name, the menu will jump to the item you're looking for. In lieu of entering a specific address, you can choose a destination from an extensive POI (Point of Interest) list, ranging from amusement parks to ATMs.


Destinations

Driving Directions
Out on the road, the 168RS's driving directions were generally accurate overall, and the device successfully got us to all our destinations. When we were following a route and diverged from a proscribed path (say, to avoid a traffic jam) the 168RS recalculated the route within 30 seconds or less. While voice prompts helpfully announced upcoming turns, you still needed to glance at the screen if you wanted to know the name of the street in question since the voice didn't provide this information.

In our experience with the 168RS there were a few minor problems—mainly that on occasion, the step-by-step directions provided could be either incomplete or somewhat imprecise.


Maps

In one instance, when we got to an upcoming turn, the 168RS reported it as still being about 60 yards away. In another, the on-screen route map clearly indicated a left turn at an intersection, but it was omitted from the turn-by-turn directions. Finally, there was a situation where a left turn was desired but impossible due to the presence of a median—it was necessary to make a right, proceed about 100 yards and then make a U-turn. Although this route was clearly outlined on the map, the software called for a left turn both on screen and via voice prompt.

The 168RS comes with all the accessories you need to use the unit GPS in a vehicle, including a cigarette-lighter power adapter and suction cup-mounted windshield bracket. The 168RS's built-in flip-up antenna can be substituted with an optional external antenna.

Considering its $499 price tag, we'd prefer to have seen a stronger set of PDA features. But the 168RS's main mission in life is to be a GPS, and in that role it does a good job. If you need a GPS but can live with just basic PDA features, the Mio Digiwalker 168RS could serve you well.