TomTom ONE XL 4.3-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator by TomTom
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List Price: Our Price: $59.99 You Save: $239.96 (80%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: GPS or Navigation System See more digital camera details and other models |
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Digital camera reviews of TomTom ONE XL 4.3-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator
Digital camera Review: Basic navigation only - POIs are useless!
Summary: 2 Stars
This could be a nice product if it weren't for the lousy mapping information. The wide screen is nice, menu controls are O.K., audio instructions are clear. The point-of-interest information, however, is inaccurate to the point of being useless.
Wanted to look for a Home Depot on my newly bought TOMTOM, nope: generic 'shopping centers' only, you can't look by chain name. Took it on a business trip, had it direct me to the nearest mall - no mall, only the offices of a 'mill' (no kidding). Had it send me to a gas station on the way back to the airport - no gas station, just a fork in the road. Next alternative (supposedly) 10 miles and a toll-road away (went off to find a gas station by sight with better success). Even the name of the street where we live has the wrong spelling ...
Tested all of the above on my wife's Garmin: The mill is not a mall and the nearest (real) mall is indicated correctly. Same for the gas station at Denver airport - it is where it really is, not where the TOMTOM had it. My street is spelled correctly. And 'Home Depot' and 'Staples' come standard with the Nüvi. Grudgingly, I paid the $50 restocking fee and am proud owner of a Nüvi now ...
If you just want to use the TOMTOM for basic navigation, you may be happy with it. If you're used to the flexibility of finding places without having to google them first then the TOMTOM will be a huge disappointment. It may have to do with the fact that it is not a US product (the European market is different, e.g. not many EU-wide retail chains). There are POI upgrades available on the web that supposedly correct some information, but if I have to spend money (and time) for that, I'd rather go with a product that has it right from the get-go.
Digital camera Review: Battery life is a problem
Summary: 2 Stars
I purchased a One XL not quite a year ago. With the exception of the battery, it's great!
I use it several times a week and for the last couple of months, it's been hard to maintain a charge. It's at the point now where it won't power up at all and from what I've read, this unit has battery issues.
I have no idea how pervasive battery issues are with this particular unit or TomTom in general but it seems to me that I've not used it more than average and for the battery to die after 9 months, is a problem. I am planning on purchasing a replacement battery but based on this expereince, I would hesitate to purcahse another TomTom unit.
Digital camera Review: Be warned. The POI and user interface really really suck :(
Summary: 2 Stars
This is my second GPS. I had a Mio before, but my car was broken into. In all fairness, Tomtom One XL receives a much stronger signal than my old Mio (think it was a C310?). That being said, that is probably the only thing I like better about the TT One. This review will be a comparison between my old Mio unit and the TT One XL. In summary: DO NOT BUY THIS UNIT UNTIL THE USER INTERFACE AND POI ISSUES ARE CURED AND IMPROVED
1. Maps: I decided to buy a Tomtom instead of getting another Mio because I was not really happy with the Mio maps for that it often instructed me to go down one way streets in the wrong direction (note: there has been a map update since then, and i cannot speak to the quality of the current map as of the date of this review). However, the Mio map was very good about showing street names. It seems to me that the TT One is always hesitant in giving me the street names for some reason. I believe it only shows you streets that are 2 blocks away in local traffic. This is really lame because you won't be able to get a good grasp of the roads and will not be able to provide detailed directions to others that are trying to get to the same place. i.e. you won't be able to tell your friend that the street to turn on is after so and so street in advance.
I used the Tomtom One XL for the 2nd time yesterday and it already told me to take a road that did not exist. Also see below "6. Auto zoom"
2. CPU speed: it takes the TT One XL a lot longer to calculate/recalculate routes than the Mio.
3. Satellite signal: TT One has a much better signal than the Mio.
4. POI: This is, in my opinion, TT One XL's biggest weakness. This is what I said about the POI function elsewhere on Amazon: I can't believe all these websites reviewing Tomtom One (and XL) failed to address this issue!!!! I bought my TT One XL last week, and do think that the POI is the biggest problem with the unit. There are several issues. 1. Input: the unit does not have a real-time auto complete like my other GPS (a Mio). 2. Results: there are soooo many useless POIs on the database that would simply obscure the POI's you actually need. For example, if I am looking for a store and does not want to search by category, the unit will give you POIs of parks, hospitals, pharmacies, etc. 3. Lacking the real important POIs: no grocery stores, no useful shops or stores. 4. Hidden info: I believe the unit has the address and the phone number to many of the POIs. However, this info is not easily accessible. On my Mio GPS, when you search for a store, it gives you the phone # and address on a business card-like screen and then asks you if you want to go there. This is extremely useful if you want to call to make sure the store is open or to make reservations.
Additionally, the unit does not come with POI on retail stores. You will have to get a free download on a platform called TomTom Home. TT really really should have just included the retail stores on the unit. It was a serious pain to upload it to my TT One XL.
Update: I looked up a Target store yesterday and it gave me a list of the stores. However, the unit only provided me with information on how far the store was from me and failed to include any information which would allow me to determine which particular Target branch was listed. This is really frustrating because, as most of us know, not all the Target stores are the same in quality and since TT One does not have the phone numbers listed I was unable to call the stores in advance to find out which one it is. (I don't think this would be as big of a problem for people with a better sense of direction than I do, but hey... that's why I need the GPS!!). Also... SOMEHOW THE UNIT WENT CRAZY AND KEPT ON RECALCULATING THE ROUTE when I hadn't even had the chance to start driving. Since I wasn't sure how many more times the unit was going to recalculate the route, I simply turned the unit off.
5. User interface: I bought the TT One XL partially due to many people's review on its great user interface. However, I completely disagree with that assessment. Aside from the user interface associated with the POI, there lies a major problem in the main navigation screen. On the Mio, a user is able to drag the map on the navigation screen should he/she wishes to see more of the map. However, this is not possible on the TT One XL. This is a very important function because it allows a user to anticipate his/her route.
6. Auto zoom: maybe it is just me, but the auto zoom function on the TT One XL tends to zoom in either too much or too little for me and is hardly ever "just right". This is very frustrating because there is little I can do to cure that issue.
7. Support: I called the TT support this morning. The wait was very short, but their phone line sucked. I called from a landline and yet the signal was somehow breaking up and I had to repeat everything I said about 3 or 4 times. The support rep confirmed my concern with the POI. She said that there are currently no POI info available on grocery stores... she made a standard empty promise that it is a work in progress with no definitive deadline. She was obviously lying because she didn't even know that the unit had no grocery stores prior to my complaint.
8. Instructions: the instructions that came with the TT One XL told me next to nothing about how to operate the unit beyond getting me from point A to point B.
9. Hidden costs: While I was on the phone with the TT rep. She recommended that I BUY a newer version of the US map. I told her that I had just gotten my unit last week and should not have to pay extra for maps that had been developed since my unit was manufactured, but she still insisted on me having to. I told her that it was ridiculous and it just made me laugh.
10. Mount: this is actually a pretty serious issue. I never really appreciated how great the Mio mount was until I used the TT mount. The TT mount is so flimsy that the GPS unit shakes like crazy on roads that are moderately bumpy. This is a frustrating problem because the only solution is to purchase a mount upgrade for $30-$35 (which sort of looks like the mount that comes with the Mio units). There are 2 other issues with the mount. First, the mount is very short, which means you either have to attach the GPS unit really high on your windshield as to block your view of the roads or keep it so low on the windshield that the unit will be really far from you (keep in mind that the windshields are slanted thus the lower you place the unit, the furhter it will be from you). Second, the suction cup is hard to remove by pulling the release tab if the mount is fully secured. On the Mio mount, there is a hard switch which increases and decreases the suction pressure which made installation and removal of the mount a breeze. Also the Mio mount has no flimsy parts and thus holds the unit very well.
11. Hardware: In case you think the Tomtom one XL is as thin as it looks in the above picture throughout the unit, it is not. The unit is actually a lot thicker than I expected. Seriously, look at more pictures from different angles before you buy (which you really shouldn't be doing in the first place).
As I am writing this, I realized that I should give it 2 star as opposed to my initial generous rating of 3 stars. As a matter of fact, I think I am going to return this unit today or tomorrow.
Update: I am returning my Tomtom One XL today. I just got a Mio C520 and will probably write a review on that unit soon.
Update: Knowing that everyone here is looking at multiple GPS units, I will leave a brief note about Mio C520. The Mio C520 has a much better user interface and POI than the TomTom One XL, but the positioning accuracy is very low and route recalculation speed is slower than my old Mio :( Wouldn't recommand the Mio C520 either.
Digital camera Review: Beat the drum for this one
Summary: 4 Stars
Love it...makes me want to just keep on driving if it weren't for the price of gas.
Aside from the fact that it's just plain fun this GPS does it right.
Digital camera Review: Best Recent Purchase I've made
Summary: 5 Stars
I am so pleased with my purchase. I have used it several times now, and it has always taken me where I've needed to go. Highly accurate, easy to use. Voice Sound is easy to understand, Screen Size is awesome. I can't say enough good things about his product. You won't be disappointed.