Customer Reviews
huge screen but very slow 
2007-12-21
Would ke perfect if not for being slow and rather stupid. otherwise its nice design, additional functions like musics player and maps of SD card - although unknown where to get updates
Faulty Navigation Prompts Cripple Promising GPS 
2007-12-17
Plenio VXA-3000 GPS Navigator
This BIG screen GPS could be the greatest. I just bought it and used it to drive from Washington DC area to NYC area via Delaware Bridge and NJ Turnpike and back. It gave numerous weird and some incorrect prompts. It would say things like "Stay Left and Change The Highway" when passing an exit ramp for example. Several times it gave instructions to Stay Right and Exit The Highway at times which would have taken us WAY off route. The fact that instructions were difficult to understand and often incorrect limits greatly this GPS. You need to take along a MapQuest and follow signs VERY carefully if you want to USE the VXA-3000 as you cannot trust it totally. I hope they release a replacement mapping system with understandable prompts. The SEVEN INCH SCREEN is fantastic. This could be the TOP PRODUCT if they would fix the software that makes it tick and is supposed to fulfill its purpose.
Plenio working great 
2007-11-25
System right from box to dashboard and operating great.....I do not mind yards vice feet or tenths of a mile.....turn info timely and road sign turn indicators work good for me. I don't play games or music systems so I don't have an opinion for those functions, however size of screen was No. 1 priority and it is much better than 3 or 4 inch screens.
unit did not access GPS signal 
2007-11-14
I returned the Pleneo VXA 3000 GPS after fooling with it for several hours trying to get it to work. The irrelevant game features worked fine but it wouldn't access the GPS signal. The bright spot though is the excellent return policy of Amazon... a quick refund including S&H and insurance. I then went with a Garmin c240 Street Pilot and have had no problems with it. L
Not up to par 2007-10-09
Well! I do not own this system but I do own a TomTom GPS system. Just this Saturday me and my friend took our kids to the Zoo. We both don't know the directions so I offer to bring my TomTom w/ me but since she's the one doing the driving and said she have a GSP system in the car so I thought we'd be fine. On the way to the Zoo she took it out from under her seat. Well! At first looking at it, I thought to myself it is big, so it must be better than my TomTom-w/3.5in screen.
For one she doesn't know how to use it. I was thinking since we are going to the Zoo, I'd just tap on POI(point of interest) and it'd have the direction available (my tomtom does), but Franklin Park Zoo wasn't in the system, not only that, the name of the POI aren't in alphabetical order so I'd to read the whole list of the POI before finally typing in the address. On the way to the Zoo was fine, but it got me mad on the way home. During our way back, the Plenio gives direction as it should, [Turn Right ahead], so we did but then after 5 seconds it told us to turn back then it stop function for about a minute. So we turned and pull over to wait for it to get the singal back. Then it told us to turn back again (onto the same road again). Since the area we're at are not so safe so we got fairly upset that we're lost for the whole ride home. My friend got so mad that her husband had paid so much for this piece of junk.
I think it really should only be use as a MP3 player and play game or to watch video w/ then as a GPS.
I should've been the one driving w/ my tomtom. I do like my tomtom because it's easier to use, and never gave me any false direction. Guess size does not matter but the brand does.
DON'T WASTE YOR TIME OR MONEY! 2008-05-15
I bought this dog of an electronic appliance, with similar hopes and aspirations, like yourself, the one who may be reading this review right now. Don't be fooled, this piece of junk won't come near your expectations. A part of my list of cons is as follows: freezes controls on video playback, no rechargeable battery - car cord power only, touch control slow/unresponsive, graphic menus cumbersome/unintuitive, big/heavy, windshield mount attachment/removal complicated/time consuming, tech support slow/unhelpful, only supports 2 GB SD cards, leaving only 164 MB free space for videos/pictures/MP3s, remote does not control GPS function, GPS has taken up to 10 minutes to acquire satellite link. Dan, at tech support, answered the video problem by saying that "the unit is primarily designed for auto navigation." Check retailer's return/exchange policy. Preserve your sanity and avoid this product at all costs. If you have a question then email me at minovate at yahoo dot_com. Late, M.
Wonderful product 2008-04-27
We have now had this for a little over a month. We took it on a recent trip. Had no less than 8 satelites at any given time. It readjusts very quickly when deviation for original directions. The software was completely updated so we did not have to purchase any updates. We will be using it on our next trip. It is very easy to use. We have not used the MP3 options yet but most likely will. Great product! Easy viewing screen!
Plenio lacks quality, dont bother with this one!!! 2008-04-04
I purchased this GPS after looking at the specs and a few reviews, i was fooled by the suggested retail price and actual prices available through various sellers. My second mistake was to purchase from TigerDirect, they wont accept a return unless the device is malfunctioning. The most major flaw with this thing is the lousy TFT display which resembles the first TFT's on the market twenty years ago. Its grainy and you can actually see the pixels and spaces between. It was totally useless for viewing photos and video playback was a complete joke. The GPS functions fair but the maps are out of date. Dont bother with this one. Live and Learn!!!
Nice and big, but that's all 2008-01-27
I have been using GPS navigation since 1993 (when it required a computer in the car) and own many iterations from many brands. I am traveling to remote locations for the first time often. My comments are in the context of comparing it to subtile design and functional issues of many GPS units.
The Plenio VXA-3000 has a 7" screen. Having used a laptop navigation system for year, I really prefer a large screen as it is more like a map, and you can judge where the system is thinking of sending you before you get in trouble-- unfortunately, this doesn't have enough detail to really do that job. I don't care about all the non navigation features of most, but I did like the idea of the video in for a backup camera.
1/3/08
first impressions; manual starts with trouble shooting guide= not a good sign. Translation of the user manual was not done by an English speaker. Entering my zip code does not yield the correct city name (or even one that is near by). Generally it is intuitive, but some things like when you tell it to locate an address, there is not easily available "go there" option.
Funny stuff- it has the option to navigate using "pedestrian routes" like battery powered GPS units, but since there is NO battery, you would need to carry a 12V battery with you=not likely. That also means you can't set up your routes without being plugged in the car.
A Windows PC (no Mac) is required to use there software.
No live traffic update options
Very slow to acquire satellite compared to other systems, also slow to calculate routes
when viewing 3D maps, some street names are upside down
has more icon data than others such as mail box locations.
Bottom line, if you really want a screen for video and might occasionally use it for navigation, it might be good, otherwise forget it.
Almost, but not quite there 2008-01-01
Should be such a great product, but----the user manual is just short of being useless. Fortunately the device itself is quite intuitive. Spend a little time with it, and it is easy to figure out, at least for the most part. I have no interest in any feature except the navigation, so haven't tried any other one. Having tried smaller screens, the 7 inch screen is SO much better than the small ones. The small ones may have great voice commands, but you really can't see much of anything when they're up on the dash. This one is an exception. you can see lots, and there is a lot of other info displayed as well, such as speed, etc. It is also extremely useful at night, for seeing ahead how sharp curves in the road are, so you can navigate safely through unfamiliar territory, especially when road conditions are questionable.
Plenio, please get your act together on the user manual. This is otherwise a great product. Also make sure you have software updates quickly and easily available, as maps get outdated quickly in this time of rapid road construction and development. Your product has showed me out in a field when I'm on a fairly new section of road.
HN
