GPS...any new options imminent? When to buy etc

Mio/Magellan doesn't have a support forum, and getting support from the company itself is cumbersome and slow. But there is a users' forum at http://cyclogps.com/.

live in Australia and bought what here is branded as the Cyclo500 but is essentially the mio - got because had open streetmap supplied and wanted to be able to find/follow shared routes easily

thought the "surprise me" would be just a junk gimmick but when I've put in distances its suggested good quality routes that I have done but have taken quite a bit of working out and would have no hesitation using this feature if travelling to some where else - which I think was the OP's intentions

downside is regularly fails to communicate with PC via USB but the wifi works great

support wise I had one query and got a prompt answer (but not that helpful)
doesn't seem to be that depth of user knowledge available to google that you get with a garmin

I always thought GPS was out of my price range ... till I saw the Garmin etrex30 for c. £125 on the internet. Its a stout bugger and the screen is small but its pretty good and you can pack it with free Open Street Map maps. I've used it in Scotland, Finland, France, Netherlands, Norway, Hungary, Australia, USA and Canada and its been great. Got a handlebar mount for a few quid on ebay and added a Tempe temperature sensor to record ridiculously high temps in Australia and a cadence sensor for use on the turbo. Main thing is easy to add new maps too (the whole world is free at super scale). My Tablet - a Nexus - has great GPS too which coupled with Open Street Map would make a better option for touring than any GPS.

Yes, I'm in Switzerland, although at the other end of the Zürichsee, so Basel isn't that convenient. There are a couple of Mio dealers around here, but my German's not great so I wanted to have a very select idea of what I want before going in. Besides, I don't think either of them have an awesome moustache!

I think BT might be useful, since I like the look of the Polar H7 HRM. Going for an open standard doesn't tie me in so much to a specific manufacturer (might be useful in Mio's case, since retail is less widespread than for Garmin). And I can live without the extra cost of ANT+.

Toppreise??? Jumbo??? Are you in Swiss-land too?

I got it from a local bike shop in Basel. Near the SBB.
http://www.wenger-2-rad.ch
But the website doesnt work very well, if at all. We dont really do 'interweb' shopping over here!
But he is good when you go to the shop. Knows his stuff. Plus he has an awesome moustache!
He is an authorised Mio dealer. He will let you borrow a 3xx series unit and 'his' 505 for a play. He takes it off his bike and attaches it to yours. People are very trusting over here! Probably not the cheapest place to get it, but it came to about £230 after a bit of discount and with good customer service.

I did indeed forget about BT, but it is not a feature I use, like wifi.
If I am planning a route or looking at the ride stats, i am in inevitably doing it on the computer, so I dont see a hardship in plugging the USB cable in while I am doing it!

Your right, I thought I included the cable tie negative. It wasn't a deal breaker for me, and once it is on, as long as you put the ties in the correct position when you trim them, so you dont tear a hole in your leg, they are fine, really from a functional perspective. Just not easy to swap between bikes, but since my other bike pulls the child in a trailer,,,,,i am not too fussed about not recording that ride data! Probably not KOM bagging on Strava!
It did NOT come with an out-front mount which sucks bums! And i refuse to pay £25 for one! So it is a stem mount for me. Although as I said they do fit a garmin mount, so you can get a cheaper version, but try it for yourself, before you buy a garmin friendly outfront.

I have a Mio 315hc europe. Its basically the same as 505 without the wifi.
I do not work for Mio or Garmin. I'm not a journalist, so apologies for spelling and grammar.

I was assured when I bought it (July 2014), Mac compatibility was imminent (ie end of summer/ mid-autumn, but as of now, Sept 2014, it is not here). For some that is a deal breaker.

What follows is MY opinion and findings.....for road cycling,,,
I have to say I like it a lot.
The touchscreen is a bit slow compared to iphones/pads, but not massively slower than an 810.
In torrential rain, it becomes a bit 'dim-witted,' with touch sensitivity, but I found if you blow the screen, so some water runs off, it works perfectly fine. For me. I have found the 810 also became a bit sluggish in similar conditions.
Mio tended to be a bit slow in responding to emails. Ie it takes a day or two. But the were good over the phone.
The 810 is much better for geeking out over your statistics after a ride. The mio tells me all I want to know. But if you a stats nut you might want the garmin, but you would probably be wanting a 510 as it is smaller and weighs less than an 810 and you wont need mapping as the race marshalls and team car will show you the way anyway.

For me, it is much nicer/easier/intuitive to use than an 810. Despite having pretty much no instructions in the box. Just spend an afternoon pressing 'buttons' and seeing what they do!
The mapping it comes with is much clearer to follow than an 810 with OSM. I live in a corner of Switzerland so cross from CH into De and Fr a lot so the included europe maps for me are ace.
Battery lasts for 8hr rides, with some to spare. Not run it dead yet. Not sure how many times my wife will let me be on a ride over 8hrs,,,,so it is plenty for me.
Comes with a quality HR strap and cadence sensor. On the 810 the are extra £££'s.
Larger screen than 810. Slightly bigger unit than 810, but still way smaller than having your iphone on your bars, let alone in a waterproof case.
I have been told it links with strava,,,,,if that floats your boat!
'Surprise me' is ace, and works well for me. Always with 3 routes.
It can guide you to the 'closest part of a planned route,' not just the start of it.
Similar 'secure' turning mount system to the garmin. I found it will fit into a garmin mount, but strangely could not get the garmin to fit in the mio mount. Would be happier if it had a tethering loop attachment point so you could tie it to the bars.
It does have a 'car' option for navigation, and different 'profiles' for road/mtb/touring options for route plotting.
Postcode and address search for on device route plotting.
Route me to home function when you have had enough of being wet and cold.

I used it on a JoGLE this August (yes I know I did it the wrong way around ) and it work well. Saved heaps of time with the navigation compared to a map. It does try to get you to turn around for little bit longer than I would like, but does recalculate the route. Finally.

The 505HC review on this site is a pretty fair one to be honest.

Overall, I think it has been a brilliant purchase. For me. No buyers guilt! Prefer it to the 810.
I would advise you to try and get your hands on both a Mio and Garmin unit to compare and contrast for yourself. (maybe even a Bryton 60 one too,,,,if you can find one,,,)
Right i am even boring myself now.....but I hope it has been useful for someone,,,,
P

I have a Mio 315hc europe. Its basically the same as 505 without the wifi.
I do not work for Mio or Garmin. I'm not a journalist, so apologies for spelling and grammar.

I was assured when I bought it (July 2014), Mac compatibility was imminent (ie end of summer/ mid-autumn, but as of now, Sept 2014, it is not here). For some that is a deal breaker.

What follows is MY opinion and findings.....for road cycling,,,
I have to say I like it a lot.
The touchscreen is a bit slow compared to iphones/pads, but not massively slower than an 810.
In torrential rain, it becomes a bit 'dim-witted,' with touch sensitivity, but I found if you blow the screen, so some water runs off, it works perfectly fine. For me. I have found the 810 also became a bit sluggish in similar conditions.
Mio tended to be a bit slow in responding to emails. Ie it takes a day or two. But the were good over the phone.
The 810 is much better for geeking out over your statistics after a ride. The mio tells me all I want to know. But if you a stats nut you might want the garmin, but you would probably be wanting a 510 as it is smaller and weighs less than an 810 and you wont need mapping as the race marshalls and team car will show you the way anyway.

For me, it is much nicer/easier/intuitive to use than an 810. Despite having pretty much no instructions in the box. Just spend an afternoon pressing 'buttons' and seeing what they do!
The mapping it comes with is much clearer to follow than an 810 with OSM. I live in a corner of Switzerland so cross from CH into De and Fr a lot so the included europe maps for me are ace.
Battery lasts for 8hr rides, with some to spare. Not run it dead yet. Not sure how many times my wife will let me be on a ride over 8hrs,,,,so it is plenty for me.
Comes with a quality HR strap and cadence sensor. On the 810 the are extra £££'s.
Larger screen than 810. Slightly bigger unit than 810, but still way smaller than having your iphone on your bars, let alone in a waterproof case.
I have been told it links with strava,,,,,if that floats your boat!
'Surprise me' is ace, and works well for me. Always with 3 routes.
It can guide you to the 'closest part of a planned route,' not just the start of it.
Similar 'secure' turning mount system to the garmin. I found it will fit into a garmin mount, but strangely could not get the garmin to fit in the mio mount. Would be happier if it had a tethering loop attachment point so you could tie it to the bars.
It does have a 'car' option for navigation, and different 'profiles' for road/mtb/touring options for route plotting.
Postcode and address search for on device route plotting.
Route me to home function when you have had enough of being wet and cold.

I used it on a JoGLE this August (yes I know I did it the wrong way around ) and it work well. Saved heaps of time with the navigation compared to a map. It does try to get you to turn around for little bit longer than I would like, but does recalculate the route. Finally.

The 505HC review on this site is a pretty fair one to be honest.

Overall, I think it has been a brilliant purchase. For me. No buyers guilt! Prefer it to the 810.
I would advise you to try and get your hands on both a Mio and Garmin unit to compare and contrast for yourself. (maybe even a Bryton 60 one too,,,,if you can find one,,,)
Right i am even boring myself now.....but I hope it has been useful for someone,,,,
P

I'm still flippin' a coin over the Mio Cyclo 310/500 or the Edge 1000. Both have pros and cons, but the Mio might just have the edge (hohoho).

Wouldn't subscribing to something like RidewithGPS do what you require at much lower cost?

After xmas things drop in price. Sign up to Wiggle and Evans etc to get a heads up on the sales plus discount codes. Also try Amazon.

I've an 810 and I'm really happy with it. As for waiting, I guess stuff will tend to get cheaper and then be replaced.