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Including of the Canadian maps makes more common sense to me, why do the others include maps of an island every one flies to. The only problem I have had is if you check that you want to use major roads in the setup, it can choose some unusual routing when the roads do not go in your direction. The best was when I drove from Kingston CA to Perth CA, a larger city with old streets to a country town. Getting older as I am I loved the larger screen, the voice announcements and really nice graphics. I have since used the unit and I have been impressed with the accuracy of the mapping.
It was a very good purchase and I have recommended this product to many friends. Every road came up on the screen with correct notations. Choosing points of interest in Philadelphia, PA it gives me flawless directions through the maze of one way streets and alleys that make up Old Philadelphia. I purchase Kitt after testing it in store with several locations in the US and Canada. In Lancaster county PA where you still meet horse and buggies every day, every trip, I found shorter and better routes on roads that do not have signs, just county fire numbers.
The computer can make some round about routes that make sense to the program but appear to be a little round robin in directions.
But I may be bias, because I love Knight Rider. (there is a fee, I don't remember the cost) I LOVE IT. Downside - to update the maps you need a PC and sign up to receive map updates.
It came VERY fast and everything was fine. Actually I think she liked Michael more than Kitt but the show wouldn't have been the same without Kitt in it. Received the Knight Rider GPS that I ordered for a gift. My daughter LOVED it as she loved watching that show when she was growing up.
On the other hand, that also largely defeats the purpose of having a Knight Rider GPS.Aside from the whole KITT voice thing, what prompted me to buy this unit was the available traffic module available on Mio's website. However, if you do choose the Kitt voice, you won't get actual street names when it routes you. Not good if you're also driving.Given the price of the unit compared to other units with similar features, it's apparent that you're paying a major premium for that voice. Then the power cord plugs into the other end of that. One complaint about the 2D: Some major roads disappear from the display too early as you zoom out.The main reason most people will purchase this unit is because of the KITT voice. Very confusing.I don't know about the other traffic services out there, but the one provided by TMC is next to worthless.Even worse, when I called Mio to return the module, I was told that once it is activated, it can NOT be returned. William Daniels recorded a number of phrases for the unit.
I love the fact that you can get a route mapped out using only a street name, an intersection, or even just a zip code (in the latter case it will route you to the center of the zip code's geographic area).You can also pick from several different color schemes for the display. It plugs into the USB port on the bottom that normally takes the AC adapter cord. A separate thin wire then plugs into the module, and you have to run that across the dash and along the windshield.The traffic service is provided by an outfit called TMC, and they are next to worthless. They supposedly cover the DC area, but as it turns out, their coverage of Northern Virginia is very limited. There are little tiny arrows that are supposed to do that for you, but they sometimes conflict with one another. Too bad it also limits the unit's abilities.There are a quite a few other voices available from the Mio website. Given this area's sprawl, that's a severe limitation.Also, looking at the display, it's impossible to immediately tell which direction is backed up on an interstate. I tried to point out that I had ordered the item in good faith expecting a quality product, but they wouldn't take it backAlso, some other reviews I had read complained about the out of date maps.
You have to zoom down to a level where you're looking at less than a two mile section of highway before you can differentiate between the east bound and west bound lanes. Displays are crisp and offer a choice between 2D and 3D. You can even pick from among 300 or so first names with which "KITT" can greet you.
Those are synthesized and will give you street names as part of the turn-by-turn directions. It let me sign up for the offer, but the next day I got an email telling me I wasn't eligible because I had purchased the unit on January 26. One review, however, said that Mio will provide a free 2009 map update when it becomes available.When I tried to sign up for it on their website, I discovered that the offer had expired on January 20, 2009.
I've had the unit for about a week now, and for the most part it's a good unit. Instead you can expect things like "Turn left in 350 feet." That can get a little confusing in densely built subdivions and you end up having to watch the 3D map much more closely for guidance. You start losing the traffic updates about five or six miles outside of the Capital Beltway.
You'll know if it's not plugged in completely because you'll get a low power warning and it will turn off.If you're a fan of the original Knight Rider series and you need a GPS, treat yourself to some fun and go with the Mio Knight Rider GPS. When the unit is in the window mount, it is difficult to connect the power cord. Nice way to watch your speed without the cruise control. I love it.There are some great features:1. If your speed exceeds the limit you program, the GPS lights up and a tone sounds. Won't keep a charge.
You'll need this plugged in when you use it.2. Sounds like KITT.2. You can set an alert. Shame they didn't program it for KITT to say something catchy instead of just the tone though.4. You can select the street you want to get to without needing a house number. I was lucky enough to get this as a Christmas gift.
Believe it or not, this has come in handy.3. The unit and display both look great.The only negatives I have with the unit are:1.
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