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TomTom ONE 3rd Edition 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Vehicle Navigator
By TomTom
Buy new:
$139.90
Usually ships in 24 hours
Customer Reviews:
- Excellent, Excellent, Excellent!!!
This is our first GPS device. My wife mentioned she might like to try one upon hearing the words of encouragement fron a friend of hers. We recently went on a trip to Portland, OR and let me tell you, if your not familiar with a big city,THIS WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE!!!!! It will do anything it is asked to do. Addresses were right on. Freeway routing and changeovers were perfect. The only downside we have found so far is when you are in rural areas, the house numbers and rural addresses are off. It shows our house abouy a block and a half from our actual location, but overall, for the money, you can't beat it.TomTom ONE 3rd Edition 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Vehicle Navigator - the ONE is the one!
Personal navigation systems seem to have popped up aplenty over the past year or two. Along with the marquee brands (TomTom, Garmin, Magellan etc) several Asian manufacturers also came to the fore flauting their 'brand-effectiveness' through value-priced models. Last Christmas season, I was close to purchasing the original ONE, but held on for the 'next-gen'. In hindsight, what a decision it turned out to be!
the ONE is arguably the best value-for-money personal navigation model in the market today. Extremely compact yet packing a full 3.5" screen, precise maps, 3D atlas renderings, and crisp turn-by-turn directions, the ONE is a pocket-sized dynamo that delivers great performance. I know friends that use Garmins and have a gripe or two about the accuracy of the maps. the ONE is pre-loaded with US/Canada maps that has not let me down once since I bought it.
Another great feature for the Tom Tom models is the map-correction feature through their application, which is available free of charge for download. I synch the ONE on a monthly basis and routinely get corrections made by users to POIs, street intersections etc. It's very convenient and not very time-consuming nor does it require much tech-savvy.
A couple of minor gripes I've had with the device are:
1) battery life - even with the audio turned off, the ONE hasn't given more than ~2 hours of juice. Not a show-stopper, just the hassle of purchasing multiple cigarette jacks if you switch between different cars the way I use it.
2) I've found that the ONE routinely takes a good minute or two to synch up with the GPS satellites when the device first powers up. I've had it happen on freeways as well, and don't believe it's the known handicap of GPS receivers around city roads.
3) Text-to-speech - All devices in the market today seem to have reserved this feature for higher end models at premium price points. It takes a little getting used to anticipate distances in the real world based on the timing of the voice-over lady. Well, you can't have the cake and eat it too!
All-in-all, if you're shopping for a navigation system that you can rely on to actually get you to wherever you're headed without denting your picket, look no further than the ONE. - Nice GPS system
Tom Tom has a nice GPS. Easy to use, and works very well. I have found that many of the maps are missing streets and have not been able to add them. But overall, a very good entry level GPS. - one of the BEST things I've ever bought!
No, this is not a PERFECT device, but considering how little I paid for it (seventy bucks after rebate, refurbed model) I am extremely pleased. It has paid for itself countless times in just the two months that I've owned it. I have used it for medium road trips of 800 miles, and cross-country trips of 1800 miles, and for city trips of less than 30 miles. I think I'm addicted to it...couldn't imagine ever going without a GPS unit ever again, esp. for those long road trips.
No, it's not accurate 100% of the time. More like 90-95%. And when it comes to pinpointing an exact street address on that street, accuracy is closer to 50/50, by my estimation. POIs are not that numerous unless you pay extra for them, and a lot of the free stuff that you can download from the TomTom website like locations of gas stations, are pretty much useless.
The best use for this device is when moving to or temporarily staying in a new town. It's also great for long trips to keep you aware of where you are on your journey distance and time-wise (seems to make the trip seem shorter to me), when trying to find a specific address, when wanting to experiment with different routes or shortcuts (the One re-maps your route automatically), and when forced to take detours due to construction or accidents or traffic jams. I just LOVE never having to squint at a paper map ever again!
I also figure that anything which will lessen my chances of getting lost thereby saving me time and gas and money, or my chances of getting into an accident (when lost one tends to be nervous and straining to see signs and landmarks rather than being attentive of other cars, pedestrians etc.)---is worth every penny!
Some tips:
1. Activate the onboard compass. It's very reassuring to know that you're headed in the right direction, esp. when you've totally lost your sense of direction.
2. Set the speed alert to a specified speed rather than by local speed limits, since the TomTom's records of local speed limits is accurate only about 60% of the time, and outside of major interstates, half of the time unavailable.
3. The 4 display gauges I found to be most useful and chose were time until destination, distance until destination, arrival time at destination, and speed. (Above 50mph, I found that the TT's mph reading was consistently 3-5mph above my car's speedometer reading, but nevertheless it's nice to see it in the center of my field of vision instead of looking over or through my steering wheel. - EXCELLENT TOOL; VERY HAPPY
What a great tool to have. I use it both when I know exactly where I'm going (to check TomTom and see if I agree) and when I don't know where I am. TomTom gets me where I need to go on every occasion. It screwed up in Boston so I gave it 4 stars and not 5 stars. I heard "you've reached your final destination" and I was on some street in Boston and where was the Westin? I was not happy. I drove aimlessly straight and saw a glimmer of something familiar and there was the hotel.
I agree that the battery life is not so great. Best to have cell phone already charged if you're going to be in the car with TomTom because there's only one cigarette lighter.
Yes, it does NOT tell you the name of the street to turn on. But THAT IS NOT A PROBLEM. TomTom tells you ahead of time "in 800 yards, turn right" and then at the top of the screen will be the NAME OF THE STREET. And you have the map with the BRIGHT GREEN ARROW showing you exactly where to turn. And then when you are AT THE STREET, it says "turn here" and says it AGAIN so you just KNOW when you're at the turn; plus the maps are pretty accurate as far as where the arrow is telling you to turn. Also, if you picked the wrong street to turn on, you'll see TomTom recalculating the route, so you can always turn around and keep going and wait for TomTom to say "TURN HERE." Or you can just listen to TomTom lead you to your destination from where you are. This time don't jump the gun and wait for TomTom to say "TURN HERE"!
I am very very pleased with my TomTom GPS. It's reasonably priced and very pleasant to use. I recommend it 100 percent. (I've had it for 5 months now and have used it a lot.)
TomTom ONE XL 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Map of the US and Canada
By TomTom
Buy new:
$169.99
Usually ships in 24 hours
Customer Reviews:
- Glad I got One!!
Glad I purchased one of as a gift for my other half, we took it on vacation and it was just extremely easy to use. Never got lost!! Just Look-up the address and away you go. If you take a wrong turn it will automatically find a different route to get you back on track. Definitely would recommend.TomTom 1S00.080 ONE XL 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator - Map of US and Canada - Tom Tom XL
This Tom Tom arrived very quickly, and we are quite pleased with the product.
Easy to use and self explanitory. Especially for the elderly. - Tom Tom
So far so good. I think it's great. The size is perfect and the screen can be easily visualized. - A WAIST OF TIME AND MONNEY
It barely worked for 1 month, and then turned to a nightmare. The whole unit ended on the side of the Florida turnpike.
Stay away from it!!!
- Stop Me Before I Throw It Through The Window
Very frustrating to use. Doesn't like to connect to the computer on the first try. The software that allows you to operate it via the computer won't always launch. The unit sometimes has a hiccup and won't respond to a touch command, so when it wakes up after the second or third try, it does the command...you got it, three times. I bought it for the larger screen. But overall, it has not been an enjoyable thing to use. UPDATE: I gave up and threw it out. By this time, I didn't want to exchange it for the second time. I'm washing my hands of TomTom.
TomTom 1M00.980 GO 920 Portable GPS Vehicle Navigator
By TomTom
Buy new:
$355.83
Usually ships in 24 hours
Customer Reviews:
- Tom-Tom Tops It
Slimmer, lighter than its predecessors this product packs easily, survives the inevitable drop better and still has all the necessary functionality. International maps for Ireland are good in major cities but not so good in the countryside. Hands free phone functions well. Definite Tom-Tom fan! - Why the Old Maps, Tom Tom?
While this device has some positives, the biggest disappointment is that the maps are clearly many, many years old. This becomes evident at unfortunate points in time, e.g., two weeks ago when I was attempting to reach the car rental location near Philadelphia airport, Tom Tom led me astray (after telling me to exit the highway on a non-existent off-ramp into a field) into a rather seedy neighborhood.
I was very near my destination it turns out, but after Tom Tom realized I was lost it rerouted me into a traffic jam on the highway (fastest route does not take into consideration time of day/highway rush hours) instead of the mile or two through back streets. After I took the first exit and used the "avoid highways" route, Tommy got it. Luckily I still made my flight.
Another example is that the Tom Tom 920, sadly, isn't aware of the traffic routing in Manhattan since 9-11. I wasted 45 minutes going in circles because Tommy wanted me to go through streets that have been closed off since that sad September day.
I suspect that Tom Tom loads the old maps on the device intentionally so that, after your frustration mounts, you will pay the $50+ for the "update" for one map region - which is pretty steep considering this device costs so much new.
Russian, Slovak and other Eastern European maps are included in the Western Europe pack, but for some odd reason Greece is not.
Other than this major shortcoming(the maps), the device functions fairly well and the menus etc are reasonably intuitive (although after 4 months of use I recently discovered the shortcut to the volume - which I previously thought was only accessible in the 4th sub-menu. Trust me, it's not obvious).
There are other quirks, for instance, the American voice actors didn't record the words "meter" or "kilometer", so even though you switch to metric (e.g., when in Europe) it still says "miles" and "feet" even though it is written "meters". Confusing, and could have been easily avoided.
The touch screen is nice, the display is nice, and about 80% of the time the maps are accurate - consider how much the roads in your area have changed since 1999, and that's what you'll get.
Still not sure why they didn't include a "scenic route" option, it would have been a nice addition to the "avoid highways" etc., choices. - Good product - needs perfecting
If you're new to an area, the TomTom GO920 is the near-perfect companion. Expect issues in urban areas amidst high buildings (probably the case for all navigators, though), and in very remote areas: had a very dangerous experience in Yosemite Park, when it directed me to a road that doesn't exist on the local maps: it didn't warn me that the road was unpaved, very steep and only suitable for 4x4 vehicles. But then again, it was my decision not to make a U turn - so not sure how much of it I can blame on the navigator.
On several occasions, the route suggested from A to B changed: one day it suggested one highway, another day another one; sometimes the return leg was completely different from the outbound leg.
The commands are easy to use, with sufficient features and settings.The hands-free feature doesn't work with my business cellphone, looks like the phone overrides the navigator's bluetooth commands. No problems however with my private cell: once it works, it's great!
I travel a fair bit for work, both in the US and in Europe; this machine came with maps for North America and Europe.I worked out the daily rate Hertz charge us for their Neverlost system: the GO920 pays for itself after 32 working days.
Some aspect need improving but all in all very happy with the product.
- Minor flaws, but great to have.
Most place names are spoken understandably, but both US English readers frequently say "thord" or "thorth" for "third", as well as "thorteenth", "thortyninth", etc., which can be confusing. - Sounds good, but could be better with more maps
I'got previously a Viamichelin (many mistakes and long time to acquire gps) and now Viamichelin has left the gps market (no more support, no new maps). I tried Mio (no comment, forget it, you will never be able to read the screen on sunny days). I finally go to Tomtom in order to get North American and Europe maps. Good product, very short waiting time for gps acquisition, accurate and precise. I've bought the 920. Important things to mention :
- after updating a 920 with v8 maps, you have got a 930 !
- if you buy the T version (with TMC) in US, your antenna won't work in Europe and vice versa. If you want to use TMC on both sides, you need 2 antennas (which are physically identical, so don't mix them or it will be a mess !).
- I travel a lot. I can use it in Singapore, Hong-Kong, Australia etc. but you don't have maps of Mexico and Malaysia (that Garmin has). It's a pity.
- remote control is a gadget except if you have a very big car...
- no home charger, no case provided. It's a pity.
- software is very simple to use. You will never be lost !
- some map mistakes, but very good improvements with map share. These improvements are depending on the size of the community : in Europe, maps are perfect due to the large number of users (TT is #1). In US, maps are perfectible and it will take some time which could be short if their products are well sold. No need to buy an updated map, sounds good !
- bluetooth hands free works very well.
- voice recognition exists but forget it (gadget which doesn't work while driving).
Conclusion : quite perfect, reliable, always working (no bugs)... Only one improvement for future : Mr Tomtom, provide more maps, please !
TomTom ONE 130 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
By TomTom
Buy new:
$149.99
Usually ships in 24 hours
Customer Reviews:
- No Speaker Problems
Many people have already hit on the high and low points of this item. On making my purchase, I weighed the different complaints and strengths people pointed out of the TomTom, Garmin, and other brands. One of the major complaints against TomTom is the speaker. I had to send an XL (not the XL-S) back due to some kind of problem with Windows XP Home Ed. not wanting to recognize it either due to mechanical / hardware failure or something in the software. I'm not sure which. I took a chance that this newer version wouldn't have that kind of issue. I could hear the XL fine, as long as I wasn't blasting music but the difference between it and this model was staggering. The speaker on this one made me back up in the seat and feel like I was being screamed at when at 100%. It's very possible that particular issue with TomTom is hit and miss, but this one at least was extremely loud and clear.
It was easy to set up, gets me where I'm going, and since I was already spending $200.00 I went ahead with the Text to Speech. I need all the help I can get.
The voices you must use for Text to Speech are quite a bit lower than others (Tom and Samantha) so if you happen to have one of the poor speakers I could see this being a problem. As it was, I can hear them clearly and if I don't happen to need the road names the free downloads by community or provided by TomTom are even louder.
In testing it around town, it seems to take the routes I'm accustomed to 95% or more of the time.
This one found my home address from inside the house while plugged into the PC where I had to program the XL.
The packaging felt like I needed a hacksaw and Merlin to get into it, but I suppose in a perfect world we wouldn't have to worry about anyone stealing. That doesn't mean I enjoyed hacking through the evil that is known as the package, but I grit my teeth and endured. It's a small enough gripe and I'd rather have a working GPS once liberated than the inconvenience of whacking through the package. - Do not buy this device
Mine broke (frozen after startup) 1.5 months after I bought it, right when I went on vacation. After going to www.tomtom.com/support and installing TomTom Home and following THEIR INSTRUCTIONS it still was frozen, so I called customer support and here is what they told me:
1) The instructions on their TomTom Home software is wrong - you must always turn the product off before unplugging it. They made is sound like it is my fault for following their faulty instructions "do you ever unplug your computer before turning it off". By the way - I do and it still continues to work.
2) Even after phone support the product still doesn't work, and the support person tells me that I must charge the product before use for 4 hours, and then continue to do so on a weekly basis, or this product could corrupt itself. And I should charge for exactly 4 hours - not overnight - because the battery could overheat and it would shut itself down.
This device is too fragile to be used as a portable device. It should be robust like a cell phone if it is to be used as a portable device, not become corrupt on a weekly basis.
Anyway, my device still doesn't work and they gave me the option of sending it in for repair (4 weeks) or returning it to the store I bought it at for a new one. - Defective upload software
Several other reviewers have mentioned that the unit becomes inoperative when updated online. That happened to me too. I should have listened. Out of the box the unit worked so-so, seemed to make a 15 minute trip out of a 5-minute one. I decided to update online. It took a while to get that going, not user-friendly at all. First of all I made a backup of the software on my computer (that took 30 minutes). After installing the updates, the unit could not connect to the Internet. I tried another computer, did the update all over again. When I tried to use the unit I got a flashing X across the screen. Spent the next 6 hours trying to fix things as suggested by the Tomtom help files. Nothing worked. Tried to reinstall the backed-up software. Did not work either. Thank heavens Amazon lives up to its reputation and makes my return easy. - Inaudible - DO NOT BUY!!!
I bought this item because a friend owns the Tom Tom One which is great and cheap. I bought the 130S since I wanted the voice to also tell me the street names. This product works as well as the old and simple Tom Tom One and has only one flaw but this is really the decisive one: YOU CANNOT HEAR IT! Even turned up to the max, you cannot hear it. The sound is approximately 30% or less as loud as the old Tom Tom One. And sound is really want counts on this product. I even shipped it back to Amazon and they were so nice to send me new one. But still the same. Inaudible sound! So it is the product and not my model. I called the company (TomTom) and they admitted that the sound does not work well on the 130S. DO NOT BUY! You will regret it. - FINDER KEEPER with 2 problems
I have owned the tomtom ONE 130S for a few days.
**IT GETS ME TO WHERE I WANT TO GO ON THE ROAD WITH NO PROBLEMS.** No complaints about it's GPS functionality. It works GREAT.
There are 2 issues though:
1)PROBLEM and Solution! (May help out other customers for this product.)
Paragraph (2) of the amazon Product Description noted that:
"The ONE 130S adds text-to-speech to the base 130 model. This means instead of hearing "turn right in 50 feet", you'll hear, "turn right in 50 feet at Ohio Street". In our experience, this is probably the most useful step-up feature for a GPS navigator, and if your looking at the 130, we'd definitely recommend stepping up to at least the 130S."
I ordered and received a 'step up' TOMTOM ONE 130S GPS. I was unable to get the item to function as a 130S. It functioned like the described ONE 130 (not the upgraded 'S'.) It seemed as though it was the WRONG item, or something else was wrong with it.
This problem, or solution to the problem, is not mentioned in the printed instructions that are included in the box with the GPS or in the Adobe Acrobat Operating Manual available from tomtom HOME.
Solution was found on the tomtom website (www.tomtom.com) under the question/answer section:
QUESTION:
What are computer (text-to-speech) voices?
ANSWER:
((** "SAMANTHA - English US" is the ONLY computer voice included among the 130S voices. The others CANNOT read out street names! THIS IS IMPORTANT!-HawkEYE))
A computer voice, also known as text-to-speech, uses a text-to-speech program to convert written text. For example, an instruction like "Turn right", into the sound of a human voice. Your TomTom device makes use of text-to-speech technology to generate computer voices.
Computer voices can read a wide variety of things that a recorded human voice cannot, including street names. This makes spoken instructions much easier to follow.
For example, the spoken instruction using a human voice is limited to "Turn right". The computer voice will say, "Turn right, Church Street."
Among other things, computer voices can also read aloud the following:
Street numbers
Incoming text (SMS) messages
Traffic warnings
Weather information
POI alerts
Tips
2) PROBLEM NOT solved yet.
The "map update guarantee" map is too large to fit the available memory. I tried to download the 'latest' US/Canada map on three different occasions and the download failed because there isn't enough available memory.
Navigon 2100 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
By Navigon
Buy new:
$160.35
Usually ships in 24 hours
Customer Reviews:
- excellent prize & good performance
i recently bought this product & it came out more then my expectation.
As per my knowledge, The prize i spent for the GPS is the lowest to have new one. The reality view feature of Navigon 2100 is the best part i liked in it. i wl recommand this product to others for sure. - Very good gps
I am using this product from the past 10 days and found this is very good. pros -
fast recaluculation of the route - if i miss the dirction, continue on the new road for few mins and immediately it will show you the correct route
reality view
price - i bought at 129 $ in amazon itself
Cons -
POIs - it takes time to use this, for example if i dont know the category and try to find walmart, it takes hell lot of time, may be i have to use it for more time to find out all the options here. I give 1 mark out of 5 for POIs. Its so bad. I just want to type walmart and let it show all the results near by me.
Link to satelite intially - it takes about 3 min not instant, may be this is the case will all the gps irrespective of brands
Local Routes - If i avoid highways, it will show me some times funny roads, thru which you have to go round about instead of the straight roads. But thats ok, not a big problem. finally it takes you to the destination.
Will update you all if i found any issues
- Navigon 2100 3.5 inch portable GPS
I haven't seen a better GPS, at a cost price of $126, than the Navigon 2100 3.5inch. Very sleek, easy mount, and accurate maps and directions. I read a lot of amazon customer reviews before I purchased my unit but I'll tell you that I haven't found any of the discrepancies listed in any of the reviews with my unit - not to say what those individuals reported aren't true. I live in New York and my unit has never disappointed me once, never missed a turn; it tells you way before you get to the turn, a couple of feet to the turn and while at the turn. 3D units is awesome and the pop up POI is amazing. Can't ask for more at this price. - Average GPS
Prons- Price, reality view
Cons- Slow interface, bad routing and bad maps... Many addresses will not be present and I suggest garmin 200 is much better... After 2 days i got a problem with the MN6.exe error and device is locked. To overcome this i downloaded software update from the navigon website which is 1.5gb and installed it in the card. Then device started working. It took 2 hours to complete the whole procedure.. - Not that cool
My device had a start up problem from the first day I got it. Every time I started my system, it would say "SD Card has been removed. Please, reinsert it". But the real fact was that I neither removed the SD Card nor did I touch anything else. The other disadvantage was that the antena was very weak. It would take 5 to 7 minutes to position me. There were several fitures I liked really, especially turn by turn direction.
When I returned my device, I decided to buy Magellan, which is far more better, though it does not have turn by turn direction.
TomTom 1EE0.052.02 ONE 130S 3.5-Inch Touchscreen Portable GPS Navigator - Clamshell Package
By TomTom
Buy new:
$201.56
Usually ships in 24 hours
Customer Reviews:
- No Speaker Problems
Many people have already hit on the high and low points of this item. On making my purchase, I weighed the different complaints and strengths people pointed out of the TomTom, Garmin, and other brands. One of the major complaints against TomTom is the speaker. I had to send an XL (not the XL-S) back due to some kind of problem with Windows XP Home Ed. not wanting to recognize it either due to mechanical / hardware failure or something in the software. I'm not sure which. I took a chance that this newer version wouldn't have that kind of issue. I could hear the XL fine, as long as I wasn't blasting music but the difference between it and this model was staggering. The speaker on this one made me back up in the seat and feel like I was being screamed at when at 100%. It's very possible that particular issue with TomTom is hit and miss, but this one at least was extremely loud and clear.
It was easy to set up, gets me where I'm going, and since I was already spending $200.00 I went ahead with the Text to Speech. I need all the help I can get.
The voices you must use for Text to Speech are quite a bit lower than others (Tom and Samantha) so if you happen to have one of the poor speakers I could see this being a problem. As it was, I can hear them clearly and if I don't happen to need the road names the free downloads by community or provided by TomTom are even louder.
In testing it around town, it seems to take the routes I'm accustomed to 95% or more of the time.
This one found my home address from inside the house while plugged into the PC where I had to program the XL.
The packaging felt like I needed a hacksaw and Merlin to get into it, but I suppose in a perfect world we wouldn't have to worry about anyone stealing. That doesn't mean I enjoyed hacking through the evil that is known as the package, but I grit my teeth and endured. It's a small enough gripe and I'd rather have a working GPS once liberated than the inconvenience of whacking through the package. - Do not buy this device
Mine broke (frozen after startup) 1.5 months after I bought it, right when I went on vacation. After going to www.tomtom.com/support and installing TomTom Home and following THEIR INSTRUCTIONS it still was frozen, so I called customer support and here is what they told me:
1) The instructions on their TomTom Home software is wrong - you must always turn the product off before unplugging it. They made is sound like it is my fault for following their faulty instructions "do you ever unplug your computer before turning it off". By the way - I do and it still continues to work.
2) Even after phone support the product still doesn't work, and the support person tells me that I must charge the product before use for 4 hours, and then continue to do so on a weekly basis, or this product could corrupt itself. And I should charge for exactly 4 hours - not overnight - because the battery could overheat and it would shut itself down.
This device is too fragile to be used as a portable device. It should be robust like a cell phone if it is to be used as a portable device, not become corrupt on a weekly basis.
Anyway, my device still doesn't work and they gave me the option of sending it in for repair (4 weeks) or returning it to the store I bought it at for a new one. - Defective upload software
Several other reviewers have mentioned that the unit becomes inoperative when updated online. That happened to me too. I should have listened. Out of the box the unit worked so-so, seemed to make a 15 minute trip out of a 5-minute one. I decided to update online. It took a while to get that going, not user-friendly at all. First of all I made a backup of the software on my computer (that took 30 minutes). After installing the updates, the unit could not connect to the Internet. I tried another computer, did the update all over again. When I tried to use the unit I got a flashing X across the screen. Spent the next 6 hours trying to fix things as suggested by the Tomtom help files. Nothing worked. Tried to reinstall the backed-up software. Did not work either. Thank heavens Amazon lives up to its reputation and makes my return easy. - Inaudible - DO NOT BUY!!!
I bought this item because a friend owns the Tom Tom One which is great and cheap. I bought the 130S since I wanted the voice to also tell me the street names. This product works as well as the old and simple Tom Tom One and has only one flaw but this is really the decisive one: YOU CANNOT HEAR IT! Even turned up to the max, you cannot hear it. The sound is approximately 30% or less as loud as the old Tom Tom One. And sound is really want counts on this product. I even shipped it back to Amazon and they were so nice to send me new one. But still the same. Inaudible sound! So it is the product and not my model. I called the company (TomTom) and they admitted that the sound does not work well on the 130S. DO NOT BUY! You will regret it. - FINDER KEEPER with 2 problems
I have owned the tomtom ONE 130S for a few days.
**IT GETS ME TO WHERE I WANT TO GO ON THE ROAD WITH NO PROBLEMS.** No complaints about it's GPS functionality. It works GREAT.
There are 2 issues though:
1)PROBLEM and Solution! (May help out other customers for this product.)
Paragraph (2) of the amazon Product Description noted that:
"The ONE 130S adds text-to-speech to the base 130 model. This means instead of hearing "turn right in 50 feet", you'll hear, "turn right in 50 feet at Ohio Street". In our experience, this is probably the most useful step-up feature for a GPS navigator, and if your looking at the 130, we'd definitely recommend stepping up to at least the 130S."
I ordered and received a 'step up' TOMTOM ONE 130S GPS. I was unable to get the item to function as a 130S. It functioned like the described ONE 130 (not the upgraded 'S'.) It seemed as though it was the WRONG item, or something else was wrong with it.
This problem, or solution to the problem, is not mentioned in the printed instructions that are included in the box with the GPS or in the Adobe Acrobat Operating Manual available from tomtom HOME.
Solution was found on the tomtom website (www.tomtom.com) under the question/answer section:
QUESTION:
What are computer (text-to-speech) voices?
ANSWER:
((** "SAMANTHA - English US" is the ONLY computer voice included among the 130S voices. The others CANNOT read out street names! THIS IS IMPORTANT!-HawkEYE))
A computer voice, also known as text-to-speech, uses a text-to-speech program to convert written text. For example, an instruction like "Turn right", into the sound of a human voice. Your TomTom device makes use of text-to-speech technology to generate computer voices.
Computer voices can read a wide variety of things that a recorded human voice cannot, including street names. This makes spoken instructions much easier to follow.
For example, the spoken instruction using a human voice is limited to "Turn right". The computer voice will say, "Turn right, Church Street."
Among other things, computer voices can also read aloud the following:
Street numbers
Incoming text (SMS) messages
Traffic warnings
Weather information
POI alerts
Tips
2) PROBLEM NOT solved yet.
The "map update guarantee" map is too large to fit the available memory. I tried to download the 'latest' US/Canada map on three different occasions and the download failed because there isn't enough available memory.
TomTom GO 930 4.3-Inch Touchscreen Portable GPS Navigator
By TomTom
Buy new: N/A
Usually ships in 24 hours
Customer Reviews:
- TomTom Go 930T Review
The product had so many features that attracted me to it. It really is a step ahead of other products out there. The problem is that, even though my BlackBerry 8100 is supported by TomTom for this product, the TomTom services are unavailable.
80 to 85% of the features work for me, but none of the TomTom services work--even though the wide varity of available services and protocols which TomTom should support, they said the US protocol did not meet their specifcations. I am very disappointed. - What are they thinking
I purchased this product for the following reasons. Both North American and European maps included for a reasonable price. The ability to route by shortest distance, lease use and most use of freeways, pedestrian routes and the sleek design.
I unpacked the unit and was happy with the overall interface of the unit and the ability to customize the details that would display on the screen. After that is when it all fell apart. Within a few days I logged on to the Tom-tom web site and began to down load the updates, they included a system update, North American and European map updates. What I quickly discovered was there was not enough room to install the base maps that came with the system on the unit. I called tech support they told me I must be mistaken and the unit must be defective, I should return it for repair. Instead I returned it to Amazon and purchased a replacement. The new unit had the same exact problem, I pushed tech support for a better answer and after a few days I finally got the answer that the updated maps would not fit on the unit as designed. In fact I was told they installed an older version on the units on purpose because they required more than the 4GB worth of memory on the unit. Now even if the last statement is not accurate the fact is, the current maps which were available shortly after release of the unit will not fit. You have to purchase a minimum of a 4 GB SD memory card to install them. Now this in itself is not so awful, even if it is misleading when you purchase the unit. A 4 GB memory card is less than $50.00 but the problem is when you log on to the system you are forced to decide where in memory you want to install map updates or software updates. This is a selection you must make when you first connect to the unit. If you have multiple updates you need to continue to disconnect and reconnect. Then you have to know where you need to apply the changes you want to make. What made this even worse, I removed the 4GB memory card after I applied the European maps and when I reinstalled the card the 930 could not find the maps anymore. By this time I had spent so many hours with tech support getting inconsistent answers I just gave up. Now I think Tom-Tom could easily fix this problem by allowing me to install just the European maps I wanted. They can be purchased as regions if you did not get them with the unit, this would have been an acceptable option since I was not planning on going to Russia or several other countries that were on the base map. I have other suggestions but that would make this review really drag on.
There were a few other problems and limitations that disappointed me as well. I personally think one of the greatest enhancements to come to GPS in the last few years is not the ability to look at your pictures, or play MP3 files. But the ability to have text to speech read you the road and or street names while you are driving. This allows you to keep your eyes on the road and be told the name of the street you need to turn on. The novelty voices do not have text to speech and when you purchase them and load them there is no warning that you will not have this features. In fact at the directions of tech support to increase available memory I mistakenly removed the text to speech voice and could never return it to the unit.
After being frustrated with the unit I went out and purchased a Garmin 880 unit and actually drove with a Garmin 880, Tom-tom 930 and a Magellan 4250 in my windshield. The Magellan does not have European maps available ( or at least that I could find). My findings with this were interesting, I learned something that makes the Garmin the best choice of all the GPS units, but what I also discovered is the Tom-Tom had the worst display and the worst information for letting you know the next turn that you had to make in advance. The Magellan was probably the best with advance notice but the Garmin had the best display and road details. The one killer feature that the Garmin has that none of the others on this list have is real time updates of points of interest. What I mean by this is , let's say you are driving down route 95 and you know you will be traveling on this road for the next several miles. You are looking for a restaurant or a hotel. You can choose your options from points of interest and the Garmin will continue to update showing you the direction and distance of all the valid choices. The restaurant or hotel names and distances will continue to change as you drive. Both the Tom-Tom and the Magellan will only show you the current results and you need to start the search over again if you want updated information. This feature alone makes the Garmin the top choice in any GPS unit, imagine you are driving down the road and need the nearest gas station, you search on the Tom-Tom and all the nearest stations are the wrong direction. If you want to keep checking you need to begin the search again. If you have a Garmin you put your search in and as you drive your choices will update. In the end I retuned the Tom-Tom and kept the Garmin 880 which I think was too expensive but I like it and you can get other Garmin models with similar features for much less. Now all we need is for Garmin to add the two way feature that Dash has to their unit for the perfect GPS.
- Latest Map Guarantee - The bald lie!!!
Hello.
I buy TT930 on Amazon.com (order number: 002-8419487-6748215)
Product Description:
"Due to Amazon's high volume of sales and frequency of inventory turnover, just about every portable GPS navigator sold by Amazon.com will come with the most recent map version.
TomTom however, goes one better. Because TomTom regularly releases new maps, there's always a small chance that a newer map has been released since the production of your TomTom. With TomTom's latest map guarantee, if the map preloaded on your device is not the latest version, you can download it FREE at TomTom HOME. This no longer requires the map check code.
Checking in TomTom HOME is easy:
Make sure you have the latest version of TomTom HOME installed on your computer
Connect your device to your computer
In the 'File' menu click 'Use Latest Map Guarantee'. NOTE: if this option is not shown your device has the latest map.
You can check as many times as you like within 30 days from the date you first use your TomTom device."
On my device preinstalled map 800.1765 "Western and Ñentral Europe"
On TomTom HOME i see new version this map - " 805.1801", but TomTom Home write - "This item cannot be download".
I write 15 days complaints in support TomTom(Question Reference No080724-006459, ), but to me do not give a new map and cannot tell terms when will give!
To me suggest it to buy!!!!!! "If you would like this map, you would be require to purchase it."
What lies!!!
- Simple and easy to use
This is a great product it works as advertised and it works reliably.
Pros:
Large easy to read screen
Easy to keep up to date.
User friendly interface.
Cons:
Battery life is not long enough for trips over 3 hrs.
Traffic info required an accessory and a subscription
Most premium features require a mobile phone that is able to provide data connectivity
Suction cup mount stem is very short and it is just adequate for windshield mount only.
Weather and Gas Prices require a subscription - Pass on this one
I own the 910 and am looking to replace that piece of crap. Some of the features in the 930 is very enticing such as the IQroute and advanced lane guidance but in looking at the screenshot, much of the GUI has remained the same from the 910. One of my biggest complaint is reading the direction when driving. I have no idea what the next exit is on the highways as the text and highway number are just way too small. It makes me feel like some sort of senior citizen, because I definately have a hard time reading it. I've missed countless exits because of this.
TomTom 1CH7.058.00 GO 730 4.3-inch Touchscreen Portable GPS Navigator with Bluetooth
By TomTom
Buy new:
$399.99
Usually ships in 24 hours
Customer Reviews:
- Perfect for the price
I was able to pick this up for $359 on Amazon. I previously owned a TomTom One 3rd Edition which I gave to my wife so I am familiar with the TomTom Nav software. One of my co-workers owns a Garmin. I could never get over the bone jarring female voice on the Garmin that you are stuck with. The bluetooth/handsfree was also sub-par. I decided to try the TomTom instead. It is much easier to re-route using a TomTom. I drive over 3,000 miles monthly and re-routing is essential. The I.Q. feature really works well. I also purchased the traffic update. The 730 connected to my Blackberry; however, it wasn't straightforward as I had to dig to find T-Mobile's APN settings. Overall I am very satisfied with the TomTom 730. - Maps are more up to date than Garmins.
I just bought the TOMTOM GO730 and have been using it for a few days.
I also have a Garmin 2720 that I bought a couple of years ago.
TOMTOM Maps seem to be more up to date.
We had recently moved so I bought the Garmin Map Update 2009-City Navigator North America NT. I was very annoyed to see that my new address was not shown in the so-called 'updated' Garmin map. Even my street was not there!
The TOMTOM map had it.
GO TomTom!
- Best GPS Ever
This is my second GPS unit and all I can say is WOW. If your are thinking of buying a TomTom GPS - Just go ahead and do it! - Very Good Product. Like it better than Garmin Nuvi
I have used a PPC related GPS software program as well as the Garmin Nuvi which my daughter owns. This product is by far more superior in comparison to the PPC program. Routing is very reliable and more accurate than that of Garmin, though Garmin's attachment to the windscreen works better. This GPS locks on almost instantly ... my PPC has taken up to 10 mins! Very convenient and user friendly. Particularly appreciate the fact I can find most POI by simply typing in the name.
However, I do have two issues with this:
- Living in California, it's against the law to have it attached to our windscreen. So, cannot conveniently see it while driving.
- The screen is not as bright as the Garmin products in bright sunlight. - Very pleased with the Go 730
After about 3 months of research, I had decided I was going to buy the TomTom Go 720. I waited for a few weeks while I shopped around for the best price, and during this time, the 720's successor (Go 730) was available on the market. The 730 now includes IQ routes, which from what I understand, works similarly to the Dash - it gathers speed information from other TomTom users on every road, so if a certain route is known to have a very low average speed at a given time of day, the 730 will route you around that road to avoid the potential traffic. It also has the new lane guidance pictures - I've only seen this once so far in the month or so I've owned it, but it looked cool! At first I was torn between this model and the Garmin nuvi series, but the nice thing about this TomTom that was the selling point for me was that you can easily add/remove/edit points of interest. This is done on the unit (not via new map updates or mapshare) and can be done pretty quickly. The Garmin's brag that they have more points of interest in their bank, and while that might be true, there is always going to be some missing somewhere, so this is a nice feature to have. In fact, in my new town, a nearby grocery store was missing from the TomTom bank. I chose to look up the address of the store online, then store that address in the GPS as this type of POI with this name. You can also accomplish the same thing under the "Browse Map" option and find the proper menu option for adding the point.
Suction cup:
I've seen other reviews online about people having problems with the windshield suction cup mount. All I can say is that I used this GPS during my move from NY to NC, which was about an 11-hour drive. Not once during that time did the suction cup mount fail, however since then it has fallen off the windshield a couple of times. The trick that seems to work is to actually lick a few of your fingers and moisten the suction cup before pressing it onto the windshield.
Washed-out screen:
Some users have commented that in intense sunlight, the screen becomes difficult to see. I've seen this happen maybe once or twice, but it only lasted a few seconds. From what I've experienced, the sun has to be at just the right angle, and this doesn't happen very often. In the absolute worst-case scenario, you have a little trouble seeing the screen for a few seconds, so you simply listen to the voice commands. I don't see that as a very large drawback at all.
Other features and comments:
The nice thing this model does (I'm not sure if lower models do this as well or not) is that it predicts what time you'll arrive at your destination based on the IQ route information, current speeds, etc. I found this to be a handy little feature.
The actual routing seems spot-on so far. Re-routing after you miss a turn is nearly instant (literally 1 second at the most, from what I've seen). Also, initial positioning after powering-on the unit takes only a couple of seconds. I did notice some fun things after coming out of a tunnel - my car seemed to be flying in the middle of nothing for a second or two before all satellite signals were locked on. No big deal, and kind of amusing, I thought. You can also very easily route yourself via roads or POI's. For example, I needed to do some shopping at both Target and Home Depot. I first calculated my route to Home Depot, then went to "Find Alternative", then "Travel via..." and chose Point of Interest. I found Target in the list, and it then routed me to Home Depot with a stop at Target first. My only complaint about this is that when I got to Target, it didn't say anything like "you've reached your first destination" - it's up to you to realize you're there, park, shop, then continue your route to your next stop. As far as I know, you can travel via several (more than 2) stops as well.
I have an Apple computer (Powerbook G4, so not even an Intel mac) and have had no troubles with the TomTom Home software. I was able to download a bunch of free voices, a new car icon, and there's tons of other stuff in there, both free and not.
Another minor feature is that it has a bank of POI symbols for the major chains. For example, McDonald's, Wendy's, Starbucks, and quite a few others have their company logo in there. If you pass by Wendy's (for example) you wont see the typical knife and fork logo for a restaurant POI, you'll see the Wendy's logo on the map.
I was also able to easily pair my Bluetooth cell phone (LG VX8350). A lot of phone numbers for POI's are stored on the GPS, so if you need to call any one of them, it will forward the call to your phone for you.
I haven't really used the spoken road names feature - this is only available on the computerized voice, which is the main reason. Nice feature, but not all that necessary for me. There's also a voice-input feature when you're entering town names or zip codes in your destination search.
Overall this unit seems like a great bang-for-your-buck. I purchased this at $400, and it really is packed with features. I'm glad I went with the TomTom Go 730, and would recommend it to anyone in the market for one. I've had some experience with other brands (Garmin, Magellan) and didn't like their menus, features, or price tag. Hope this helps!
TomTom 1M00.780 GO 720 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator
By TomTom
Buy new:
$319.99
Usually ships in 24 hours
Customer Reviews:
- TomTom melted in Hawaii heat
TomTom melted in car after 11 months of use. Went on TomTom website and read the following under care of TomTom: Do not expose your TomTom to high or low temperatures, which can cause permanent damage. For example, don't leave it in the car on hot summer days or during cold winter nights.
What do they expect me to do? Remove the TomTom from the car everytime I stop at a store, etc? Should have a warning: Do not use in Hawaii or summer and winter in other states!
- Avoid this GPS!!!
I have owned this GPS for 6 months and although I like the interface, it is useless if you want to take your family on a trip using the POIs. They are consistently wrong. When you do a search for a Mcdonald's for example, it lists it with the correct address but doesn't get within a mile of the correct location. I took my family to New Hampshire to Santa's Village and although the address was correct in the GPS, it took me in the opposite direction as I got close. It also took me up a gravel road in the mountains that was 7 miles long and only for campers. I've updated the software and received the most recent map, but this thing is horrible. Definitely not worth the $500 I paid for it when it came out. - drive slowly and take a map, just in case.
At first, I loved the Tomtom 720. But, the problems began. First, there were times it would simply not turn on (I had power, the little green LED was lit, etc.) The only way I finally got it to power on was by resetting it, and then it had deleted the waypoints/favorites I had programmed for that particular trip (which was actually dangerous, since it was in the desert near Moab, Utah, and we then had to backtrack, rather than continue. Destroyed our plans =o( This problem with not being able to turn it on has happened several times since, as well.
On subsequent trips, I have noticed that the Tomtom 720 is off by about 200 yards. For this price, I would expect a much more accurate GPS system. It has told me to turn on streets/exits/onramps I have already passed, or has told me that an exit/onramp in on one side, but when I arrive, it's on the other.
These are just some of the problems I have had. A quick list of some of the others...
bluetooth connection with telephone: I can hear the other person, but they cannot hear me, no matter how loud I have the volume set, or if I am 2 inches from the mic, etc. Junk.
FM transmitter: fades in and out, and I have tried it on several cars.
Favorites: Sometimes you set a favorite to your current location, but later, when you'd like to return, the 720 can't find a route. It has taken me to different locations using the same favorite/address, as well. Frustrating.
Technical Support/Customer service: Good luck! Tomtom customer service simply ignores you, doesn't respond, etc. I guess they know their product has some serious issues, and have no idea how to fix them, and don't have the guts to communicate with anyone foolish enough to purchase their product.
Voices: I bought a celebrity voice (Dennis Hopper) to guide me, but he seems to be stuck in a rut. In the beginning, there would be occasional funny comments. Now, whenever I make a left turn, he says he is losing it. Every damn left turn. Annoying.
Settings: Sometimes, after the power problem I noted earlier, the settings are changed. Example: Text to speech of road names gets turned off, and I cannot turn it back on.
Finding streets/addresses/POIs/cities: Sometimes it cannot find well known streets, addresses, POIs (even though the POI came directly from their site) and even cities. I have it not find Atlanta, GA and Dallas, TX at times...not exactly podunk towns.
Overall, I am beyond frustrated with this product and Tomtom in general. Very disappointed that Tomtom couldn't care less about supporting this product, after spending $350. Let the buyer beware. - Bluetooth issues
This unit had massive problems with connecting to my Blackberry Curve through Bluetooth. It simply wouldn't do it regardless of whether attempted through the GPS unit or the Blackberry. The point of having this syncing is to allow additional features that might make the TomTom fun to use and versatile. I returned it for a Garmin instead. - Best GPS
I have now bought 2 TomTom GO 720's one for myself and one for a present. I did alot of research and for the money you can't beat them. I dont know how i ever traveled without it. I take it with me everywhere.
TomTom 1EG0.052.01 XL 330S 4.3-Inch Touchscreen Traffic-Ready Portable GPS Navigator - Clamshell Package
By TomTom
Buy new:
$254.49
Usually ships in 24 hours
Customer Reviews:
- Good GPS
The TomTom XL 330 S is a good GPS. I have been using it for the last 2 months and have made the following conclusions.
Pros
It has pretty good maps which can be upgraded for a fee.
It calculates re-routes within 15-30 seconds depending.
It has a nice size touch screen at 4.3 in with Google-Like "Click and Drag" ability to scroll across maps.
POI(Points of Interest) and other customizeable features(Backgrounds, Color Schemes, Icons, Voices etc...) are upgradeable via internet or manually by yourself.
Routes and Maps can be user updated to reflect Roadwork and changes of Traffic patterns (ie. 2-way street becomes a 1-way)
Route options include a choice of Fastest Route to Walking Route which means you can use it somewhat to walk around a city.
Cons
The included computer voice which speaks the street names has a low volume even at its maximum setting. It's audible when the car is quiet but a highway speeds it is sometimes tough to discern what she is saying.
Re-routes are not the most logical(if you are familiar with the area-Common GPS problem)
Overall, this GPS is a good value. It is easy to use right out of the box and has enough features and upgradeability for the seasoned driver. If you don't need Bluetooth Cell Phone features or a built in MP3/Photo viewer, this definitely fits the bill. With software updates this product should keep growing. - I like it so far
I got this for the wife. She works weekends & goes from house to house in various neigborhoods ( professional clown). I can give her great directions & she still gets lost. She's used the Tom-Tom & loves it. Volume is fine. Ease of use is great ( she can't turn on a computer). I like the mounting & the quick re-routing aspects. I did notice that some directions did not initially pick the most direct route. Fortunately for our usage we traveled in the right direction & let the re-routing take over. No problems thus far. I did buy at Costco knowing I could always return it. I needed that safety net- I guess. I definately would recommend it - Some nice features, but major problems! Bought 3, all had speaker problems.
I have a Garmin c320 GPS unit and wanted to upgrade to a model with more features - particularly coordinates and "Where Am I" features. After reading the reviews, I really liked the features in the TomTom XL 330. The only hesitation I had was with the speaker volume. The Amazon reviews showed some buyers that had speaker problems with their units. There were enough positive reviews to make me buy it.
PROS:
1. Lots of customization. You can change color schemes, choose your voice, change viewing angles (Garmin c320 & 205W can't do that).
2. "Where Am I?" This is far superior than Garmin. It shows in what City, Township, Municipality, etc. you are and the nearest address. This can be very valuable when calling for help. Garmin only gives nearest address and nearest intersection (which I like to call "some random intersection within a few miles")
3. Alternative routes. If you don't like the route you're given, you can ask for a new one. Read more in the Cons.
4. Tons of route control. You can look through a list of every turn ahead of time and ask it to avoid a certain place on that route.
5. Compact, attached mount. I didn't use it, but it was a cool idea. The mount would detach from the unit or you could leave it on and fold it in.
6. Fixing map errors. I never got to see this in action, but it sounded really cool.
7. Results as you type. I loved this feature and will really miss it with my new Garmin. As you type a street name or city, it will show you the results as you narrow them down. This can really save time and effort.
CONS:
1. Routing. (Deal-breaker one) The routing seemed to have a large bias toward driving on interstates. It seemed to me that the reason was insufficient non-interstate speed limit information. For example, I asked the Garmin and TomTom for a route from Irwin, PA to Oakland, MD. The Garmin used state routes and backroads to get us there in 2 hours. The TomTom insisted we take mostly interstate (and adding many, many miles) at an estimate of 2.5 hours. The TomTom alternate route was even longer. (Google Maps, Yahoo! Maps, Mapquest all were similar to Garmin's route.) When we took the Garmin route, the TomTom said it would take over 2.5 hours (adding existing travel time + time left), but as we drove, the time remaining kept decreasing super fast. The Garmin's arrival time was rock steady all the way.
2. Address entry without City. (Deal-breaker two) There are many occasions in which I have a street address, but don't know the city. You know -- maybe someone lives in a Township with a city's mailing address, or any area known as "North Hills" has many post office names, but you don't know which one. Garmins give you a "Search all cities" option. TomTom has no option. You must enter a city. If you don't know it, you won't get there.
3. SPEAKER. (Deal-breaker three) I had read two problems with the speaker; 1) too quiet, 2) garbled. I figured that if I got a bad one, I'd exchange it and I'd get a good one. How widespread could the problem be? Well -- the first unit was very quiet. If you have the radio on, you can't hear this thing. I called TomTom and the nice rep seemed to be very familiar with the problem and suggested returning it to the store. So fine, I shipped it back to Amazon. The second unit was much louder. Wait -- you couldn't understand it, it was all garbled. Well, third time should work. NOPE -- just like the first, you couldn't hear it.
4. POI annoyances. On my first unit, when searching for a POI, it would show the distance you were from the POI, but not which direction it was from you. This made it unusable. I won't make a big deal of this, because my unit #2 did have a directional arrow for each POI. This may have to do with software version on the unit. Secondly, though, it only listed a few pages of POIs. I would have liked to see more choices.
5. Graphics. The graphics rendering was very jagged and old-looking. Garmin is far ahead here.
After doing all this testing, my decision was easy. Even if the speaker actually worked, the first two cons make it unusable for me. I returned them all. I recommend the Garmin nuvi 205W 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (although it has it's own weaknesses, watch for my review there).
My final question is -- TomTom, don't manufacturers test products before they get shipped to poor American consumers?? - XP Issues - But Not Bad
I get lost in a paper bag with air holes in it. It's a sad fact of life I have to deal with, and when some friends introduced me to a GPS I saw my life coming back to me. No longer would I be limited to well traveled areas and wasting gas looping back around paths familiar because I was sure to be lost, otherwise. What price can you put on freedom?
I tested all the different brands at Best Buy. The TomTom line found the most addresses which I personally used, including my home. Garmin didn't seem to realize there was such a street. There were some places which eluded all brands, but TomTom seemed to have better maps for me. I read all the reviews and noticed the main complaints about the sound on the TomToms and the slow connection to satellite on the Garmins. They seemed to have their strengths and weaknesses, so I decided to take the gamble on getting a decent speaker.
And I did. I have no trouble hearing Darth Vader directing me to the Dark Side. In using it to take the paths I'm familiar with it seems to pick a good route. If it's good for long distance... well, just get me there. If I knew how to get there in long vs. short routes I wouldn't need the thing to begin with. I understand the gas price issue, but for me this hasn't been a problem. Sound is fine. Easy set up. Quick connection and route plots. Even the software started out just fine. It was easy to download and use. Yes, you do have to adjust the screen if you use 800x600 but that's becoming more and more common with larger monitors and smaller settings. I connected, updated my map, and played with a few of the free voices for fun.
Everything was delightful, until I upgraded Windows XP Home with the standard required / recommended update from Microsoft. XP no longer recognizes the TomTom is connected and declares there's an unidentified device that may be malfunctioning.
I've attached 2 scanners, 2 different printers, my MP3 player, and my digital camera. Those are still recognized just fine. I've gone through all the troubleshooting tips with TomTom Home as well as Win XP. I realize XP Home is becoming a dinosaur, but there's which went awry in the update. My map is current for now, but this issue will have to be resolved if I ever want to update it again. - No subcategories on POIs
Garmin and Magellan show subcategories of points of interests like restaurants: Italian, Greek, etc. TomTom doesn't. It didn't even show a full list of restaurants; if I typed a name in, it found it. This is not acceptable as in a new town; how am I supposed to know what name of an Italian restaurant to type in? I won't recommend TomTom to anyone based on this.
