BY FAR, the EASIEST GPS Unit I've Seen or Used (3rd Ed.-U.S.)

-------------------------------------------------------"Disclaimer"------------------

This class of product is potentially dangerous, if not mounted in such a way that you won't be distracted while driving. I was in 2 "near-accidents," while looking at this device (while stupidly hand-holding it). MAKE SURE you mount this thing, and that it's not distracting you, because keeping you and your loved ones alive is much more important than getting lost, and it's a LOT easier to pull over (or program the device before you leave); or just listen to the voice prompts.

-------------------------------------------------------Background--------------------

My brother-in-law gave us this for Christmas, and my wife has been tickled pink. I already have Microsoft Streets and Trips 2006 for my laptop, and it got us out of a jam near the San Diego Wild Animal Park," but it's been cumbersome to have someone hold it, or just wait for the computer to boot up. I purchased one for my mother the year prior, but it was so difficult to simply get it going (and this, coming from a computer & electronics tecchie/geekie), that it's been in her trunk, defunct, since then (and it was a major name-brand)--in fact, it was never used. So this product was like a breath of fresh air--refreshingly simple to use, right out-of-the-box!

----------------------------------------------------The Actual Unit--------------------

The unit is small enough to be hand-held (3.8"x 3.2" x 1.0"), and even carried in a pocket. It is a stylish matte-gray, with a very bright, full-color 3.5" TFT LCD touchscreen (320x240 pixels, 64,000 colors), (with high-enough contrast to be) readable even in direct sunlight. It has 1GB of internal memory, but no flash card slot. It can be charged via the included USB cord (a standard USB mini-plug, interchangeable with your flash card reader or mini hard drive), or the 12 Volt car charger, and it seems to hold a charge for about 2 hours (which is specified), via its internal lithium-ion battery. The operating temperature ranges from 14 to 131 degrees (F). The sole button is the "power" one (other than the recessed "reset" button), which must be depresed for 2-3 seconds to turn the unit on or off, and there is a small LED indicator adjacent, both on the top-left edge. Lastly, there is a suction-cupped mounting stalk.

In the first version of my review, I mistakenly reported that the TomTom weighs 2 pounds (bad source). The manufacturer reports that it's 6.1 ounces. I found this hard to believe, so I set out on a "scientific" inquiry. My digital scale would not register something this small, so I compared the weight to a pint (1/2 liter) of bottled water, and judged it to be 1/3 of the weight. I converted the 500 grams (water weighs 1 gram/ml) to 17.64 oz and, sure enough, 1/3 of that is roughly 6 ounces, which appears to be very accurate, compensating for the weight of the bottle itself. It's a good thing I wasn't around during the Inquisition, or you'd have to read the words of a descendent, assuming I had one (hehe).

There are many adjustable settings-such as screen brightness, a "night mode," compass configuration, power-saving settings, etc.-more than the average user might employ, but enough to configure the TOMTOM the way YOU want it. Helpfully, you can also reset it to the factory settings.

The touch screen is well-calibrated, and I've only made 1 or 2 selection errors so far, using, both, the end and the medial parts of my fingertips--I'm sure even a stylus or fingernail would work, as well. And this touch screen really makes this product. I believe the one I purchased for my mother had one, but this one "just works."

---------------------------------------------------------In Use---------------------------

It's about as easy to use as a walk-up digital vending machine, except you have to input some longer words and phrases--in other words, it's "child's play." I simply turned it on, entered some information about my home address and preferences, and it began searching for satellite signals, centering my location on the map. As you rotate, the display does, as well, and you can also zoom in and out of the picture, via touch (screen) controls in the upper left and right corners--A TOUCH SCREEN! Preferences allow you to choose from several male or female voices, and more can be downloaded from the web (some "comical"), for free. You can also download user-corrected & updated maps, for free for 1 year, via their service. An optional traffic receiver will display current traffic conditions (it's about $95, if you look around). And I haven't updated any maps yet, but it purports to more quickly find your locations, once you've done this. It took a while to get a signal inside my apartment (I live near the base of a small mountain, which obstructs cellular and TV/radio signals), but it readily found one once I was on the street.

I initially tested the product by selecting the "Go Home" option, which is a 2-touch affair. It accurately routed me to my home, and when I missed the way-points, it continually rerouted me, making me very confident in its ability to guide even the most technophobic driver to their destinations--my wife and I actually found this kind of funny. You can also recalculate the route, from your current location.

I also tried planning a trip, from Westminster, CA, to a relative's home, in Chino Hills. I was offered the usual variations of entering the start and destination points, after selecting "plan route," on the 2nd menu page--street address, cross streets, and city center (including just the zip code). I could then choose fastest/shortest route; walking or bicycle routes; and limited speed or freeway avoidance routes. A handy keyboard is displayed, complete with options for using punctuation marks. When I was done, the unit searched through the satellites, and produced a result, although on a fully zoomed-out map, which was useless to me. Pressing "options," I was offered choices to view the route as either text, route summary, images, browsable map, or as a route demo. selecting "text," it showed the "Google" style of time per segment. In one confusing segment, I pressed on it, and was instantly shown a zoomed-in image of it on the map. Helpfully, the street or freeway you're on is shown at the top of the screen, and this instantly cleared up my confusion. Left and right arrows allow you to see the prior and next segments of directions on the map. Interestingly, the unit asked me if I wanted to "avoid toll roads." I declined, and it showed me a route I prefer, but that involved no tolls--and this is after I downloaded updated maps. I guess I will have to correct this, or access someone else's corrected map, and I now see that the confusing instruction, which simply read "17C," with a diagonal arrow, referred to going northwest at "exit 17C," which leads to the northbound 55 freeway--the next instruction reads "55 NB," so that clears things up.

"Browsing the map" was very useful, as I was shown a zoomable screen, with the route highlighted, and a sliding zoom along the right edge. I was also able to quickly find my current location by clicking an octagonal icon.

"Show route summary" was the most useless feature. It returned to the unzoomable map, with the highlighted route. Clicking on the right side of this field showed the current GPS status, with the positional coordinates to 5 decimals (ie. "I'm under the short oak tree, 3 meters from the bird-of-paradise"), the speed, and what looks like a table with numbers representing satellites, which are plotted on a compass; it also displays the current, and "UTC" time. Attempting to return to the route summary simply changes the route from your current location, and there doesn't appear to be a way to save your route. This forces you to frustratingly reenter your route, but recent destinations are stored, and addresses are pre-entered.

"Show route demo" was the most intuitive (and fun) feature. It displays a zoomable animation of your route, with the street/freeway at the top, and tapping the bottom-right will speak the last instruction. The speed can be adjusted, from 30 to 500% (400% was the slowest I could bear, as the others were painfully slow; 500% zooms right along, though). It even shows the expected speed (apparently, it is "legal" to go 75 MPH on one stretch of highway), and the expected arrival time, calculated from the present time. Clicking on the bottom-right speaks the next, imminent instruction. The bottom-right also shows the distance to the next turn. Very nice!

Pressing "options," I was presented with receiving the instructions in various configurations. They were: distance to instruction; distance since departure; time to instruction; time since departure; time-of-day; distance from GPS position; and time from GPS position. I stuck with "time to instruction."

It defaults to a 3-D map, although you can switch to a 2-D mode. The small screen is much more suited to the 3-D mode, however. There are also different color schemes available, besides the very cool "night mode," which gives you mostly shades of gray, but is bright enough to use even during the day.

------------------------------------------------Another Insightful Experience------------

Today, I programmed the device, from home, to estimate the time between my daughter's preschool, and a work location that would be tricky to find from the freeway. This was helpful, because I often underestimate my commuting time, and it helped me to determine how much time I would need, and give myself a little cushion.

All was going well, until I ran into some initial traffic. However, knowing how long the 2nd leg of the trip would take, I was able to call the site and let them know, averting a last-minute, desperate call.

On the 2nd leg, both immediately turned "glacial," and I spent 15-20 minutes literally sitting still. I kept the GPS on, and eventually got to my exit. I was a little worried about navigating through some tricky one-way streets in the area, and was concerned about the GPS's accuracy. Once or twice, the GPS said "turn right in 2.2 miles," (which was wrong), but soon gave the correct distance (and it gave me prompts about every 30 seconds).

A little concerned, I again called the site. There's no easy way to adjust the volume, so it was tricky talking at the same time (hands-free phones help a LOT!). By the time I got off the phone, I was right at the corner and looking at the site. I was able to back up and park, literally when and where it said, "You have reached your destination." I was floored, because it led me through an unfamiliar residential neighborhood. I was really pleased with the unexpected way I was able to avoid stress, by advance route planning, and plan to use it more frequently, in this way. I also can't wait to get the traffic module.

--------------------------------------------------------Caveats---------------------

One of the few negatives I found was the suction-cupped mounting stalk. Just looking at it drained my confidence, and my suspicions were confirmed when I was unable to get it to stick to the windshield for more than a few seconds. It's so small, however (and is fairly flat in the back), that it will be a cinch to add some velcro fasteners, making it even easier to transport between 2 or more vehicles. I found a sturdy air vent mount, specifically made for this model, on Ebay, at the following url--http://item.express.ebay.com/__GPS-Accessories-Cables_Car-Vent-CUSTOM-Car-Mount-for-TOMTOM-ONE-3rd-Edition_W0QQitemZ170163286241QQihZ007QQptdnZGPSQ20AccessoriesQ20Q26Q20CablesQQptdiZ171QQcmdZExpressItem It's just under $16, shipped.

Update--I found the "black disc" that this is supposed to mount to. I will experiment with it, but I also read that someone else had an issue with it falling off. I still prefer velcro, however.

Update II--I finally used the black disc, which easily adhered to a slightly convex/uneven surface. The suction cup instantly adhered to it, and remained so for an entire trip, from Long Beach, CA, to Palm Springs, and back, and the suction cup easily peeled off, via the tab, when I finally needed to remove it. It stayed absolutely adhered, allowing me to position the unit to suit my vision, via the ball-and-socket joint. It is a bit of an eyesore, sitting there on the dash, but at least the dark color "hides" somewhat well. And it's a lot better than getting potentially fatally distracted. On a shorter jaunt, however, the unit fell off of it-twice-so I'm considering putting some water on it. It looks like a fairly proprietary design, but it's stiff and very hard to depress.

-----------------------------------------------------What Else---------------------

The "Help Me" function can find and guide you to the nearest hospital, fire station, car repair station, pharmacy, dentist (seems a little out-of-place, but still helpful), and (if walking), the nearest transportation service (bus or train stop). That's right--it even will provide walking-specific directions, suiting the route, and explaining in meters (this can be changed, under settings, to the U.S. system).

On one occasion, a truck stalled in front of me, in the carpool lane, in rush-hour traffic. I got out right away, and the guy couldn't start his car. I thought about pushing the truck to the other shoulder, but it looked impossible, plus I would be leaving my family in the carpool lane, and would have to dash back across. So I pulled out the Tomtom, went to "Points of Interest," and was able to look up a car repair shop, which was 2.3 miles away--it also gave the phone number. I was about to call for a tow truck (the guy didn't have a cell phone), when one pulled up, with the lights flashing. The guy thanked me profusely.

Another fun option is adding and finding points-of-interest on the maps. These include hotels, restaurants, beaches, gas stations (in case you're interested in filling or emptying your tank), ATM machines, border crossings, camping grounds, etc.--actually, a long, alphabetized list, including a few eclectic entries such as swimming pool, places of worship, and "shop," as well as "shopping center." Oddly (and helpfully) enough, the "shop" function yielded major individual stores like Radio Shack, Wal-Mart, and Office Max, as well as more obscure ones like "American Container Trading Company," and "Temco Trading Company." I've never seen or heard of the last 2 (and I've lived in this neighborhood more than 10 years), but I'm interested now... And this is a lot faster (and a HECK of a lot more convenient) than booting up your laptop and trying to find a signal, to "Google" something, or trying to do the same on your mobile phone--VERY USEFUL (and fun). You can also manually enter points-of-interest to search for (and I'm certain more are available on the downloadable user-corrected maps).

There are a number of "safety preferences," which allow you to select certain functions to not be available while driving, or while driving above a certain speed. And it can even be set to suggest driving breaks, show safety reminders, or "warn when near places of worship or schools"--now that's a responsible option that could help save lives! Also, there is a settable reminder to "warn not to leave the device in the car."

After you've installed your updates, there are other, optional, features to browse. Besides a few, standard voices, there are those ranging from "sexy" men and women, to a New York cabbie, and even a "grandma" voice--all for about 4.95 pounds (English). You can add more U.S. retail store locations for free, but (for a fee), you can also add the locations of Dunkin' Donuts, and certain other chains. Most intriguing, however, is the ability to integrate with Jiwire's wireless hotspot finder, and locate them, worldwide (about 15 pounds). Next most interesting is the ability to find the "safety cameras" ("before they find you") in most of the major Western European countries. Evidently, they are speed-busters. And after a little browsing, I was able to locate at least one chap who was able to hack his unit and find hotspots for free, while linked to his Apple ibook.

Just when you think you are done with the features, you come across the "guided tours," which walk you through different functions. There are overview, menu options, map browsing, and route planning tours, and a grayed-out one for "TomTom Traffic," which will be available, should you connect that peripheral (about $99, street).

A word about connecting to your computer, and downloading the TomTom Home software. I didn't dig into the manual extensively, but simply connected the USB cable, turned the unit on, and let my (Windows XP computer) detect it; after which a reboot was necessary. When I next connected the unit, I opened it by double-clicking on its icon, under "My Computer." Therein, I found an icon for "Install TomTom Home," which does just as its namesake, and enables the downloading and updating of maps, voices, etc., to one's heart's content.

Lastly, there is 84.3MB of unused storage space on the unit, which functions like a portable hard drive. This could be used to store any manner of data, but may be particularly useful for storing travel-related stuff, such as pictures of passports, hotel reservations, medical/identification data, etc., and could simply be plugged into any available pc or mac desk or laptop. There's no reason why one could't store mp3, or other music files, and attach it to in-dash receivers with a USB input, or various MP3 players. As a test, I copied a picture file to it, which I was able to open, in Windows XP. As a precaution, I've copied the other files to my computer, because "you never know."
-----------------------------------------------------Summary-------------------

This is a great little device that would make a nice gift, even for the non directionally-challenged. It is small, relatively light, and is full of functions that could reduce reliance on several other gadgets, and even help save the lives of, both, loved ones, and total strangers. It doesn't include whiz-bang functions like adding blue-tooth speakers for your phone, or display weather, but it also isn't chunky (like my friend's Garmin that has those functions). Highly-recommended!

For more information, see the official product page, at http://www.tomtom.com/products/product.php?ID=397&Category=0&Lid=4

And if you're seeking your direction in life (or just need more "push," if you've chosen "the path less taken/high road"), then please examine my review of my friend, Tom Muzila's incredible book, an Incredibly Useful Guide to the Average Person Seeking Mental Strength.


For some interesting travel pics and related activities, check out my profile, HERE.

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