Wootalyzer's Pricing Post! - The price of today's woot item is saved here for future reference
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TomTom XXL 550T 5" Touchscreen GPS
$79.99 + $5 Shipping
Condition: New

*DISCLAIMER* Wootalyzer! is in no way affiliated with Woot!, and this post may not always be here!

I need this I get lost ALOT!!

I like the Sean Sean better

Lifetime Traffic Updates: Always outsmart traffic and avoid delays. View live, real-time traffic information on your TomTom. You receive non-transferable traffic data until the product’s useful life expires or TomTom no longer receives traffic updates from its suppliers, whichever is shorter. (US & Canada maps only) Details and terms at www.tomtom.com/legal

C-Net review.

Will this work with a Mac?

Yeah, tonight, I'm that guy. It's a living...

And, what's this lifetime traffic, but no map updates? Okay, one map update. Still, pretty meh.

For those who hate Apple. And Google. And the Rand Mcnally map people.

oh cool. but i knew what it was ahead of time because I played WOOT CLUE with Thunderthighs at 11pm Central time. it's a game where you can win prizes if you guess right
lots o fun!

jeffiekins wrote:Will this work with a Mac?

Yeah, tonight, I'm that guy. It's a living...

And, what's this lifetime traffic, but no map updates? Okay, one map update. Still, pretty aromatic.

TomTom Home has been available for Mac for years.

Who is still buying these when EVERY smart phone out there does navigation? I guess... people without smart phones!

I actually really like my old TomTom but I would never again buy a GPS without lifetime map updates. This doesn't have them.

I can't say anything certain about this 550T, but I had a 540MT for a brief time and I have to tell you all that it was an awful headache that I couldn't resolve even with TomTom's so-called customer service. I hope they mad drastic improvements in this model.

If this had lifetime maps instead of traffic, I'd have bought this. No lifetime maps = no sale.

Sorry, woot.

I'd pass on this - this is not the M or TM version, which means you don't get lifetime map updates, which are quite useful (even if you update only once a year). Also, Garmin directions are generally easier to understand than the TomTom ones and GPS units are regularly on sale.

I've also never found the traffic aspect useful on a GPS (even near areas of high congestion) - it just takes up more space near your cigarette lighter.

darrencg wrote:Who is still buying these when EVERY smart phone out there does navigation? I guess... people without smart phones!

My smartphone sucks as a gps when I loose internet signal, want it charging and in a usable spot in the car to see it, when a phone call comes in, etc. There are still some benefits with a dedicated GPS.

ThunderThighs wrote:I like the map features on my GPS better than my iPhone. //shrug

Google Maps Navigation is really slick!

Who needs NAV when we have smart phones that perform even better? :/

I bought the 3.5" Tom Tom here on Woot a while back and from my experience they are so so. If you are used to the speed, accuracy and overall responsiveness of a Garmin - you will be dissapointed. The biggest issue is if you make a wrong turn the Tom Tom doesn't calculate the new route fast enough until you stop or slow down enough for it to catch up to you sort to speak. The other thing is it will take you miles out of your way to get on a free way where if you had just taken surface streets to begin with, you would have saved time. Happy wooting!

darrencg wrote:Who is still buying these when EVERY smart phone out there does navigation? I guess... people without smart phones!

few but not many do not even use a cell phone. Smart phone? funny...naa don't have either yet. but i got a neato robot, except she/he can't call and say" i ran out of power.."

I don't know why people get upset about not getting lifetime maps. I haven't updated my TomTom for at least 4 years, it still gets me where i need to go, or at least close enough for common sense to get me the rest of the way. The major highways and exits don't change much.

darrencg wrote:Who is still buying these when EVERY smart phone out there does navigation? I guess... people without smart phones!

There's alot to be said about a stand alone dedicated box sitting on your dashboard that won't stop because you have a weak signal to your smart phone.

Does this tomtom let you know of traffic ahead?

if you look around you can find the lifetime map version for 89$ and this ids the dumbed down version of the 540 this has the dumbed down menu's and less options for route settings etc..

gravityisweak wrote:I don't know why people get upset about not getting lifetime maps. I haven't updated my TomTom for at least 4 years, it still gets me where i need to go, or at least close enough for common sense to get me the rest of the way. The major highways and exits don't change much.

I suppose it depends if there are new roads in your area. We have a major new road in our area and my current GPS doesn't know it exists and anywhere I go around town, it's clueless as a result.

I've also entered a number of addresses that it simply doesn't recognize, even though those addresses have been around for a few years now.

If they didn't charge almost as much for a map upgrade as the lower tier GPS's cost, it would be a different story. No way does it make sense to spend $59 or so for a map upgrade when I think I paid $89 for my ~3 year old GPS.

showcaller wrote:I bought the 3.5" Tom Tom here on Woot a while back and from my experience they are so so. If you are used to the speed, accuracy and overall responsiveness of a Garmin - you will be dissapointed. The biggest issue is if you make a wrong turn the Tom Tom doesn't calculate the new route fast enough until you stop or slow down enough for it to catch up to you sort to speak. The other thing is it will take you miles out of your way to get on a free way where if you had just taken surface streets to begin with, you would have saved time. Happy wooting!

I had a similar experience. I have a 3 year old Garmin in my wife's car, and bought a Tom Tom for mine. She definitely has the better nav unit. The Garmin grabs a single faster, holds onto it better, selects better routes, and I find the interface easier to use.

showcaller wrote:There's alot to be said about a stand alone dedicated box sitting on your dashboard that won't stop because you have a weak signal to your smart phone.

And now you know why I was one of the 4 people to buy a Garminfone.

I have the 540M and love it (I think I updated the maps like, once, 2 years ago, I'm in NYC).

The 550 has an "additional feature" over the 540 called "EasyMenu". This means that to make the menus simpler, TomTom has thoughtfully removed features, which makes the menus simpler, and is why the 550 is always cheaper than the 540.

Of course I think that's just stupid.

But I do love TomTom, and I don't use half the features on mine anyway.

Entering the initial city destination is a pain because it searches through its entire database of cities as you type, which causes major lag. You can get around that by entering zip codes instead; plus this is only a problem the first time you enter a new city, since afterwards it's saved in previous destinations.

Windshield mount is eh. You need two hands to adjust the angle without it popping off (it doesn't pop off the windshield, but the device pops out of the windshield mount kinda easily). I'm used to this but lots of people buy beanbag mounts to get around it.

I don't have traffic on mine, but this is FM traffic, which most people will tell you is useless. Cellular is the only useful traffic feature, and it's only on units about 6 times this price.

Those are the quibbles. Why do I love it?

The screen is big, quality, and gorgeous, interface is clean, lane guidance is awesome. I always know exactly where I need to be with plenty of warning and reminders. Hasn't steered me wrong yet. I like the British voice. If you want to pay for voices there are some great ones recorded by celebrities. Yoda is wicked -- he actually says the directions sort of backwards, the way Yoda talks: "At the end of the road, left you must turn." Ha! Homer Simpson is also great.

Yeah so... I'd get it.

darrencg wrote:Who is still buying these when EVERY smart phone out there does navigation? I guess... people without smart phones!

I hope you aren't under the idea that the whole national map is stored on a smart phone. It isn't happening. Only a portion of the map is stored in the smart phone, and is downloaded. That requires data coverage. I can look at my coverage map for Verizon, and notice that there is NO data coverage on CA-49 or CA-88. This is near Jackson, CA, and Sutter Creek, CA.

In fact, if you drive along CA-88/CA-89, you will have a nice scenic drive, but your phone will display "No signal". And, this is speaking from my own experience.This is what happens when you go off the well-driven road and take the time to drive instead of driving for time.

In fact, checking the CA-1, there are chunks where there is no signal. Sam thing, second verse.

So, if your travel plans involve traveling within the big cities or the well-traveled route, then smart phone would probably work. Take the road less taken, and you may be in for the dreaded "No signal". And, we won't even go into the issue of people who don't have a good unlimited data plan.

Thus, that's the reason why I own both a GPS and cell phone.

The only thing that I have a problem with with this model is that I could never get the pressure clip on the back of the unit to firmly seat in the mount; it kept popping off the windshield every time I hit a bump in the car.

Is this geocache friendly? Can you enter coordinates into it or just addresses? Does it have pedestrian mode for when you are on foot?

I'm still using a Garmin iQue 3600 with the original 2003 maps and haven't made a wrong turn yet!

darrencg wrote:Who is still buying these when EVERY smart phone out there does navigation? I guess... people without smart phones!

Some of us will NEVER own a "smartphone." Actually, I don't even own a cellphone! I know, right? I must be living in the stone age or something!

Which is why I bought a Nokia, they have updated maps of the entire world for you to download for free.

It is funny how different brands do different things...my previous gps, a Magellan, had a little tone as you made the announced turn. My TomTom does not have it. Also, it tells me, 'after one-quarter mile, turn left/right...' but I find that annoying--is it AT the one-quarter mile, or actually AFTER?!
And I hope they have improved the button situation...it takes several taps of 'back' to get to the main screen sometimes...not very safe while you are driving!
Also....I have lifetime maps, but do Not need Canada or Mexico, and hoped to save some space by deleting them. In order to do this I would have to REMOVE All Maps, and then BUY Just the USA Map...and Continue to Buy the updates!!

^^X^^

I had one but I lost it.

I at least it knows where it is.

ZLoth wrote:I hope you aren't under the idea that the whole national map is stored on a smart phone. It isn't happening. Only a portion of the map is stored in the smart phone, and is downloaded. That requires data coverage. I can look at my coverage map for Verizon, and notice that there is NO data coverage on CA-49 or CA-88. This is near Jackson, CA, and Sutter Creek, CA.

In fact, if you drive along CA-88/CA-89, you will have a nice scenic drive, but your phone will display "No signal". And, this is speaking from my own experience.This is what happens when you go off the well-driven road and take the time to drive instead of driving for time.

In fact, checking the CA-1, there are chunks where there is no signal. Sam thing, second verse.

So, if your travel plans involve traveling within the big cities or the well-traveled route, then smart phone would probably work. Take the road less taken, and you may be in for the dreaded "No signal". And, we won't even go into the issue of people who don't have a good unlimited data plan.

Thus, that's the reason why I own both a GPS and cell phone.

If you're driving in Jackson or Sutter Creek, you're unlikely to need GPS since the towns together have a total of maybe 15 roads. But maybe you just appreciate the company of the soothing voice while you drive.

Almost as big as my Galaxy Note... Not nearly as useful!