Aldi/Medion Bundle Queries

edge · Posted: Sun May 09, 2004 11:53 am Post subject: Aldi/Medion Bundle Queries

Hi Everyone,
I am seriously considering purchasing the Medion PPC250 bundle from Aldi. I am reasonably familiar with PCs but have never owned a PDA system. ThePDA would be used mostly for in-car navigation. Can anyone please tell me what UK road coverage is like, particularly England & Wales? Also, does the system give good, clear voice instructions in adequate time to safely follow them? Finally, is there any need to keep checking that you have good satellite locks--does it lose lockeasily?
For £270 it does seem a very good deal, but is it really a case of getting what you pay for and spending a bit extra gets you a far superior system?
Thanks,
edge

Roy124 · Regular Visitor Joined: May 09, 2004 Posts: 162

Can I add to the question? What does the Aldi map bundle call major roads? A roads, B roads or even unclassified? Living in the sticks the nearest A road is 6 miles away. I use juts 200 yards of A road, and cross one other A road in a 25 mile journey to work.

Can the PDA use the Microsoft Autoroute maps?

walpurgis · Occasional Visitor Joined: May 09, 2004 Posts: 32

I think the wording on the Aldi web site is misleading. The flyer from the store says the package has "complete UK road maps and major roads of Europe".

For a fuller description of what the package contains, I think it is the same as the recent £399 package from Tchibo:

http://www.tchibo.co.uk/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/uk/-/GBP/TdUkDisplayProductInformation-Start;sid=aWjYCxrNfA3Y0lpT_tfSbxlVogkTlkDVbj0=?ProductSKU=0005587

There is one 256MB MMC memory card, not two as posted elsewhere in this forum.

dracula · Occasional Visitor Joined: May 10, 2004 Posts: 2

I Bought the £349 bundle last year and it was money well spent. It hasnt failed to get me where im going yet. Ive found myself ignoring a turn off before now then eventually due to a traffic jam i take the route suggested and found myself driving up dirt tracks, how B road do you want.

The only complaint I have is the lack of map updates - but these may appear on the medion web site any day. E.G. M6 toll is still a field. I dont know if this is the same with TOMTOM

Since I purchased POI Warner (about £20) the sat nav has gone from a very usefull tool to an invaluable navigation aid.

The ALDI / Medion PDA last year was a 400mhz processor. I dont know what the latest one is, but have a look on the box Thursday when they are in stock.

Hope this helps.

budgie55 · Posted: Tue May 11, 2004 7:50 am Post subject:

The new spec has a Samsung 266Mhz processor which has had decent reviews from what I have read up on.

The lower speed seems to compete on par "ish" with the 400mhz Xscale and less power = less power consumption I guess so perhaps better bettery life.

edge · Posted: Tue May 11, 2004 1:37 pm Post subject:

Many thanks for the replies. The Aldi bundle does look like a pretty good deal at £270. At that price, even if the supplied navigation software wasn't all you expected it to be, you could purchase TomTom 2 or 3 or something similar, already having all the hardware from the bundle--hope I'm not showing my ignorance by assuming that!

vicky · Posted: Tue May 11, 2004 2:09 pm Post subject:

Hi

Yes you would be able to use TT2 or 3 with the Aldi Bundle if you did not like the supplied software, but to be honest I think you will like the Navigon Software (If that is what is supplied this time),

I had access to both on my old unit, and always used the Navigon Software in preference to TomTom when in the UK, it seemed more concise and produced less errors than TomTom, but when travelling to the USa on business once a month I always use TomTom US (Still waiting for something better to come up)

At the moment I am using TomTom 3 on an XDA2, and find it a poor second the the Navigon Software on the Aldi/Medion Unit from last year

Regards

Vicky

edge · Posted: Tue May 11, 2004 6:45 pm Post subject:

Thanks, Vicky, that's a very useful contribution, great to hear from someone who's used TT and Navigon on the same PDA for a direct comparison. I'd read that TT was the best PDA navigationn software in tests, but I suppose that actually living day in, day out, with a system you get a truer picture of its capabilities, and what you said regarding the Aldi bundle impressed me very much (I think it is the same Navigon software, from what I have gleaned from Medion). I shall be down to my local Aldi store first thing thursday morning.

Regards,

Edge

mastertek · Posted: Tue May 11, 2004 7:44 pm Post subject:

YES BUT ASK YOUR SELF IS THE AFTER SALES SERVICE ANY GOOD?
MY EXPERIENCEIS NO!
BUYER BEWARE!

budgie55 · Posted: Tue May 11, 2004 7:56 pm Post subject:

I hear what you are saying mastertek and have followed your post regarding the problems you are/were having with your Aldi PDA.

But having said that this is a new spec PDA from ALDi and may not have the problems the last one had. Worst case scenario is it can be taken back for a full refund.

I'm going to take the gamble.

BTW have you taken yours back now or are you still trying to fix the problems?

To be fair when there are so many programs and hardware in the mix its very hard to sometimes find the causes for bugs etc.. with PDA software and hardware still really in its infancy and when you look at the bugs etc that MS Windows XP has had since launch its kinda understandable. Its taken MS years an years to get windows anywhere near a stable home OS.

Dont take this wrong I feel for your problems, I really do, but posting a post in caps without at least giving a little background for people that may not have read about your problems is a little one sided.

As people have said and I agree take it back to Aldi get a refund of £350 or whatever it cost and buy the new one at £270 that way you make an £80 saving and PERHAPS the new one will work flawlessly?.

Best of luck whatever you decide to do.

Allan

budgie55 · Posted: Tue May 11, 2004 7:58 pm Post subject:

forgot myself here is mastertek post regarding his problems etc ....

http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=7620

Roy124 · Regular Visitor Joined: May 09, 2004 Posts: 162

Aldi had sold out by the time I got there. Halfords now sell the 266MHz model but at the old price of £399.99

What do you do with a penny nowadays?

budgie55 · Posted: Tue May 18, 2004 10:18 am Post subject:

Hi Roy

I have read that Halfords will price maych the Aldi bundle if you ask.

Before hand it may be worth trying to obtain the Aldi branch number so they can ring through at Halfords to price match.

Some people have had some success some haven't really depends on the Halfords store manger and staff I guess!!

Best of luck

Allan

Roy124 · Regular Visitor Joined: May 09, 2004 Posts: 162

Budgie, good call. Aldi/Halfords no problem as they are on opposite sides of the parking lot, I would just have to point.

The catch though is that Aldi is out of stock although our manager is trying to get more. I will try tomorrow.

I got some brilliant buys from Aldi. 21inch flat screen telly, 1st of 12 and sold out in an hour. 24v cordless drill, my wife bought the last off the pallette with a queue behind her. Ditto cordless keyboards.

On Monday they had just one camera left, ditto the RAM key.

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