Brief review of Android XCSoar on the Streak 5 and LK8000 on the MIO 400

Just received a Streak 5, updated to Froyo and installed XCSoar for
Android, and thought I would compare it to the MIO 400 with LK8000
that I used last year and give a quick review.

First of all, if you purchase a Streak 5 on Ebay, expect to pay about
$300-$400.00. If it is a used Streak like I bought you may have to
update from 1.6 to Froyo. It is not difficult, but there is always a
chance you could brick the device. I could not get the 1.6 version of
the Streak to find XCSoar on Android Market and could not install
XCSoar, or any other program, that was not downloaded from the market.
If there is a way, I could not find it. The Froyo update fixed that.

The used MIO cost me $40.00 from Amazon and I had to do a fairly
simple hack to install LK8000. There is also a slight chance you could
brick the MIO. All info, step by step, is on the LK8000 forum, and
help is available if you get a baffled.

Both devices were like new, although the MIO battery was replaced for
$15.00.

Which system was better?

It was easier to load XCSoar from the market on to the Streak, than it
was to load LK8000 on to the MIO.

The screen on the Streak 5 is 5" measured diagonally, while the MIO is
about 4.25". The moving map section of both screens are about 4".

The Streak 5 is better in direct sunlight at all angles. Although
there is a slight amount of glass glare, it is not a problem. The MIO
is more effected by glare than the Streak, and at times is next to
impossible to see, but a slight angle change solves the problem.

There are other considerations.

If you are wearing polarized sunglasses, things change, and the MIO in
landscape mode improves, being quite good, while the Streak's screen
becomes black. When the Streak is viewed in portrait mode, it is again
very good. The MIO's screen in portrait mode, becomes as poor as the
Streak's in landscape.

The MIO 400 is a great deal, especially if you are wearing polarized
glasses. If you are not wearing polarized glasses, the Streak is
quite a bit better, and in my opinion, worth the extra money.

Mike