First Pocket PC navigation system shows the way but falls short on features

Taking a computer out on a country walk sounds like a geeky display of self-indulgence. But once you have tried satellite navigation, old paper maps feel hopelessly uninformative.

Most global positioning devices have been proprietary systems with monochrome displays and absolutely no frills. The handful of add-on devices tended to lack integration and add bulk to a personal digital assistant. GPS giant Garmin changed that with its Palm-based iQue - the first integrated GPS handheld.

Now Microsoft enthusiasts can take their windows walking, thanks to Taiwan's Mitac International.

Mitac's Mio 168 is the first Pocket PC-powered GPS system, and runs Microsoft's Windows Mobile 2003.

As a handheld, the Mio has reasonable, although far from spectacular, specifications. It sports an Intel PXA-255 300-megahertz chip with 32 megabytes of ROM, 64MB of user memory and a Secure Digital card slot.

The backlit display offers a resolution of 240x320 and 65,000 colours, and there is a built-in speaker and stereo jack for headphones.

What the Mio 168 does not have though, is Wi-Fi or a camera - both of which one would have thought potential users would appreciate.