Here’s a breakdown on the five new models:

Mio Moov S300 – This is the entry level model with a 3.5-inch screen with 64MB of RAM. The S300 is upgradeable to TMC traffic with the purchase of an optional receiver, but is not upgradeable to MSN Direct.

Mio Moov S500 Series — For mid-level models, Mio upgraded the traditional 4.3-inch screen to a 4.7-inch screen which is quite noticeable. The S500 is MSN Direct “ready” with purchase of an optional receiver and a subscription. 

Mio Moov S556 – The S556 has a flat screen much like the Magellan Maestro 4370 or the Navigon 7200T. It also has a Bluetooth interface that’s the same as Microsoft’s Sync and it supports data networking. You can perform an MSN Live search if your cell phone has a data plan.

Mio Moov S556M – is identical the S556, but includes a bundled MSN Direct receiver and 3 months of service. Both the S556 and the S556M have a junction view that’s quite similar to Navigon’s Reality View.

Mio Moov S700 – features a 7-inch screen. The feature set on the S700 is identical to the one on the S500. However, since the larger screen device is more likely to be used by recreational drivers, Mio includes content from Mad Maps. 30 metro areas and 120 scenic road trips are included.

“Our adoption of Windows Embedded NavReady 2009 is a significant step in our ongoing mission to create superior customer experiences on PND to consumer devices,” said Samuel Wang, president of Mio Technology. “Having a category-specific platform like Windows Embedded NavReady 2009 dramatically simplifies the process of building a connected GPS navigation device, helping us achieve our goal of delivering an outstanding customer experience to drivers and other consumers.”

For Mio Technology, using NavReady 2009 delivers multiple business and technical benefits:

1. Improved time to market and reduced risk. Windows Embedded NavReady 2009 provides a common development environment with familiar Windows Embedded tools such as Platform Builder, lowering development costs and reducing time to market. The platform also delivers production-quality code tailored for the PND, so building a fully integrated Windows Embedded NavReady2009 solution is fast, easy and low-risk.

2. Seamless connectivity. Windows Embedded NavReady 2009 utilizes broader Microsoft content and services assets, enabling Mio Technology PNDs to easily connect and enable online services such as Internet-based Microsoft Live Search on devices to find up-to-date points of interest similar to those provided by Live Search Maps, Bluetooth-capable mobile phones, Windows-based PCs and the Internet.

3. Richer customer experiences. Windows Embedded NavReady 2009 helps enable MSN Direct technologies that make it easy for users to subscribe and access real-time traffic conditions, fuel prices, weather data, local points of interest and more.