New Mio, ViaMichelin PNDs For Fall

FREMONT, CALIF. — Mio and ViaMichelin announced new midtier personal navigation devices (PNDs) including a popularly priced Mio with 4.3-inch screen.

Mio's new DigiWalker C320, at a suggested $299, is aimed at first-time buyers, but it offers a larger, 4.3-inch widescreen display. As a step up to the current Mio C220 it also adds maps of the full United States in built-in memory. Other features include an MP3 player, split-screen map views, 1.7 million points of interest and an SD card slot. The C320 is available now at RadioShack and will ship to other stores in 2008.

ViaMichelin's new model is its second PND for the U.S. market, and it's first to offer optional real-time traffic in the United States. The X-970 also has text-to-speech pronunciation of street names for upcoming turns and Bluetooth for hands-free calling at a suggested retail of $399.

The X-970 ships Oct. 1 with a 3.5-inch touchscreen and split-screen map views. It also has built-in point of interest information from the Michelin Green Guide and preloaded maps on a 2GB SD card of all 50 states and Canada. The unit presents route choices that include shortest, quickest, ViaMichelin-recommended, pedestrian, bicycle and toll avoidance. An optional TMC-RDS traffic receiver for the X-970 will be offered next year.

The company, which launched its first PND at one of the lowest market prices of $199 early this year, said it will discontinue that model, called the X-930, at the end of the year and replace it with another low-end entry in 2008.

The company sells mainly through online retailers including Amazon.com, Buy.com, Tigerdirect.com and Costco.com.

ViaMichelin is a fully owned subsidiary of the Michelin Group which also produces the Michelin Guides. In PNDs, the company claims to hold a top five market share slot in Europe, according to Frederic Radigue, business development manager.

ViaMichelin's new model is its second PND for the U.S. market, and it's first to offer optional real-time traffic in the United States. The X-970 also has text-to-speech pronunciation of street names for upcoming turns and Bluetooth for hands-free calling at a suggested retail of $399.

The X-970 ships Oct. 1 with a 3.5-inch touchscreen and split-screen map views. It also has built-in point of interest information from the Michelin Green Guide and preloaded maps on a 2GB SD card of all 50 states and Canada. The unit presents route choices that include shortest, quickest, ViaMichelin-recommended, pedestrian, bicycle and toll avoidance. An optional TMC-RDS traffic receiver for the X-970 will be offered next year.

The company, which launched its first PND at one of the lowest market prices of $199 early this year, said it will discontinue that model, called the X-930, at the end of the year and replace it with another low-end entry in 2008.

The company sells mainly through online retailers including Amazon.com, Buy.com, Tigerdirect.com and Costco.com.

ViaMichelin is a fully owned subsidiary of the Michelin Group which also produces the Michelin Guides. In PNDs, the company claims to hold a top five market share slot in Europe, according to Frederic Radigue, business development manager.