The picture is fitting as my TomTom spends ten minutes "Waiting for a valid GPS signal" every time I turn it on. It does this even after updating and whether I am in a city with tall buildings or not. I think I'll be getting a Garmin next.

Sandy106 wrote:Does this mount to the windshield, dash, or both? Windshield mounted is illegal in some states

In NEW YORK STATE its illegal (75+ ticket!!!) to attach to windshield, which is the mount it comes with but a simple clamp will dashmount it or I just beanbag it on dash!

I just bought a TomTom off of Woot two weeks ago and I love it!

KFuette wrote:I just bought a TomTom off of Woot two weeks ago and I love it!

Is this the same one? I don't remember. I just know I was awfully tempted then, but I'm just not so primed to buy something now.

Spotsmom wrote:I love the TomTom I bought here, but mine had lifetime maps. Much better than the Garmins and others I have tried!

I basically have to agree. I have two higher end Garmins. 1490LMT & 550 Motorcycle model. I also have a 3-4yr old cheapo TomTom. I love the layout of the TomTom. Shows more information on the screen at one time. Easier to work with. Examples.

1. Shows not only estimated time to arrival but also has the actual time on screen. Not a big deal but you really have to set your cars clock to help gauge how much time you have left is it 1min till I should be showing up or 3? Align your clock in the car with GPS to help with this.

2.) Not only does it show total trip distance but shows till next turn on screen.

3.) The TomTom seems to remember my latest addresses and state I live in. If I type in Se then it shows Seattle as the first option. Where my 550 I have to spell out the entire city name and then it will show other states even and won't remember the general likely area I would be searching.

There is more issues with the Garmin OSD but that is all I can quickly think of. I do like my Garmins but just surprised to see the lack of on screen information without having to click off the main map screen. TomTom is just more imformative and easier to work with.

FWIW:: I came close to buying one but couldn't justify it with having my MC 550 model with lifetime updates that I use on the MC. I can easily swap it to my car. The TomTom is for the company car that I hope to part with soon and will give back their equipment. So even with my 2 Garmins between our personal 2 cars and 1 MC I almost wanted to buy this to dedicate to my car and keep the Garmin 550 on MC only. But I will save money and stick with Garmin.

mkentosh wrote:do they offer the Homer J Simpson voice option?

"D'oh!"

KyserSoze wrote:Didn't we just have this a few days ago? You're better off paying a bit more for the lifetime maps.

I picked up the XXL535T offered recently. It has the traffic feature... this one doesn't.

mschlitz wrote:In NEW YORK STATE its illegal (75+ ticket!!!) to attach to windshield, which is the mount it comes with but a simple clamp will dashmount it or I just beanbag it on dash!

I use the adhesive disk that sticks on the dash.
It's easier to view and reach (and legal in CA and NY) and doesn't make spots on the windshield.

Here are a couple of Wikipedia pages of interest Traffic Message Channel and Radio Data System

I think the one a week ago had the live traffic updates. This one doesn't seem to have them :-(

One benefit and two drawbacks to this unit:

the good—screen is at least twice as big as your smartphone, so it's easier to read the darn thing. And selecting POIs is much easier when they fit on a bigger screen.

the bad—it does NOT have expandable storage, which means you can't have more than one or two optional voices before running out of space. Not much room for adding user-created POIs either, but at least they are only text files and usually small. And when TomTom says one-year warranty, they really mean it; there are no parts available and it's pretty much impossible to get repairs if one breaks after the warranty runs out. TomTom won't fix out-of-warranty devices, there are no authorized service centers and no one else is able to.

My 730GO fell off my windshield after a year and the yanked power cable damaged the USB port. Couldn't get it repaired, so now the $250 GPS is a brick. Funny thing is, I'd still buy another one because they're so good, if I only found a real bargain.

phacopida wrote:Is there an advantage to having a dedicated GPS device as opposed to a GPS app for a smartphone or tablet?

cell phones use information from signal from towers. If you go out of range of your provider's towers or a cooperating provider you will no longer have location information. Some time ago I found this to be the case in Northeast MN, Western Nebraska, some of Iowa.
GPS uses satelite signals at least 2 and maybe 3 sometines and don't depend on towers that can go out of range.Sometimes the satelites will take a few minutes to acquire a signal.
Both systems will have some trouble in a tunnel of any size.

Does anyone know if this device can display the current latitude and longitude?

djames42 wrote:Your first two points are subjective at best. To say something is superior (without basis) is little more than an opinion (I can say that because I have a differing opinion-I don't like the Garmin). As for your second point, I hate the way the Garmin inputs addresses (which is one of the primary reasons I don't like the Garmin), but I fully accept that it's because I find the TomTom's input method more natural and so it's nothing more than my opinion.

I will give you that the Garmin offers some nifty features that I don't think TomTom offers (such as pre-planning routes and the addition of POIs using your computer). Advanced pre-planning is something I could only really find useful if I were going on a long trip and wanted to set up all my intermediate stops in advance.

As for the third point, the only time I've ever had the TomTom suggest that I should input a cross street, it's because my map is outdated and did not have the section of street I was navigating to. Otherwise, it's never asked for a cross street.

RIGHT ON!!! ... TOM TOM ROCKS .... GARMIN SUCKS!!!

kmac87 wrote:The picture is fitting as my TomTom spends ten minutes "Waiting for a valid GPS signal" every time I turn it on. It does this even after updating and whether I am in a city with tall buildings or not. I think I'll be getting a Garmin next.

Garmin is just as bad as TOMTOM in this regard ... takes time to find all those satalites floating around out there.!!

profun7 wrote:cell phones use information from signal from towers. If you go out of range of your provider's towers or a cooperating provider you will no longer have location information. Some time ago I found this to be the case in Northeast MN, Western Nebraska, some of Iowa.
GPS uses satelite signals at least 2 and maybe 3 sometines and don't depend on towers that can go out of range.Sometimes the satelites will take a few minutes to acquire a signal.
Both systems will have some trouble in a tunnel of any size.

Partially correct on the cell tower issue--this is the case for cell phones that use location-based data IF they don't have built-in GPS. However, many smartphones, including the latest iPhones as well as Android handsets, have an actual GPS chipset built in and can utilize GPS satellites as well as cell phone tower triangulation to determine the device's location.

Warning! If you have any problems while the unit is still under warranty be prepared for a long haul! My experience was terrible! Long story short, they do not have a service dept. You will be their service department via the phone!

grtgrfx wrote:

My 730GO fell off my windshield after a year and the yanked power cable damaged the USB port. Couldn't get it repaired, so now the $250 GPS is a brick. Funny thing is, I'd still buy another one because they're so good, if I only found a real bargain.

I frequently clean the suction cup with alcohol wipes (available at any pharmacy). This works extremely well, especially if it's still a bit moist when you attach it to the windshield.

djames42 wrote:
I will give you that the Garmin offers some nifty features that I don't think TomTom offers (such as pre-planning routes and the addition of POIs using your computer). Advanced pre-planning is something I could only really find useful if I were going on a long trip and wanted to set up all my intermediate stops in advance.

It's my understanding the Garmin doesn't offer that anymore. At any rate, you can get it 3rd party for the TomTom, a prime reason I want a TomTom. Being able to route my own trips is handy in a car at times (there are places I don't like to drive) but it's vital on a bike.

Here's where you can get the free software to enable you to upload preplanned routes to your TomTom:

http://www.janboersma.nl/gett/index.php

Personally, I love my TomTom 340TM (lifetime maps and traffic). It was $10 less at Amazon back in June, though it's only a 4.3" model.

TomToms are very easy to modify (if you know what I mean), but you don't even have to do anything if you want my favorite "app": TTTracklog. It creates a data log of your trip, so you can then put it into Google Maps or something.

My biggest complaint about these older models are that they're only USB 1.1 and updating maps takes forever (relative, sure..but it drives me nuts).

BestBuy.com is also reducing prices on TT.

Can it display latitude and longitude?

Nice tribute to Dan Peek, guys!

Will it play Flash? Can it be upgraded to Honeycomb? Since its an older model, can I get Netflix at the older price? What model has HDMI out so I can connect the 32" panel I have where the passenger seat used to be?

Oh, I'm a forum troll and I'm okay!
I troll all night and I sleep all day!

Here are some websites that might be useful if you're never satisfied with products as delivered (especially when they're nearly 2 years old)

- TomTom forums
- Your TomTom (forums)
- OpenTom (mainly covers Go models, but some XL)

- and of course, the official website where you can get this very model, refurbed, for not quite twice as much!

-- Ed

Wholesaleforless wrote:As someone who has owned several Tom Tom and Garmin models over the last couple of years, Garmin is FAR superior to Tom Tom.

As someone whose wife has used MANY Garmins which needed replacing (mostly due to her) and one TomTom...

My TomTom one 3 has been better than all of her fancy Garmins.

EdZachary wrote:Nice tribute to Dan Peek, guys!

I have this exact same model, and although the screen is nice and large, there is a few things I don't like about it.

Pro - I like the nightvision. After a certain time, the screen displays darker colors, which is easier on the eyes if you are night driving.

Con - For some reason, and this happens on a lot of the TomTom's, when the battery is drained, it loses the saved addresses. I spent a good portion of the day programming my friends addresses in other towns that I planned to visit during a road trip. It retained them only until the device was shut off for a week or so, needing a recharge. Those saved addresses were gone, but it saved my "home" address.

Pro - plenty of free icons that are usermade on the TomTom Website. My vehicle is a can of Dr. Pepper.

Con - Speaking of the website, the TomTom goes into PITA mode when the map update gets installed incorrectly from the TomTom website.

Great deal! I'm a bargain shopper and the lowest I can find this in new condition is $92.99. I'm going to pick one up just to have on hand for a birthday or Christmas present!!
Thanks Woot! for another great deal!

Nice write up. But, sometimes a GPS isn't so good in the desert:

http://www.npr.org/2011/07/26/137646147/the-gps-a-fatally-misleading-travel-companion

Things things are the next palm pilot. remember when these things used to cost 400 dollars? the fact that smart phones all have nav devices is going to put tomtom out of business. when's the last time you saw a tomtom commercial. they need to change their business model to sell maps and realtime updates to the smart phone community.

Cell phone GPS is unreliable. Just drive into a roaming area. Data roaming is a joke. Maps don't update in real time if at all. First you have to enable the extra data charges. $ $ $ and maybe you get to a map that tells you where you are.

The ability to download maps ahead of the trip might help. But that feature has just been enabled and we'll have to see... Plus you have to remember to do so before you're lost.

TomTom's are horrible! We have one and hate it. It actually has gotten us lost a few times! It takes forever to locate a GPS signal,the plug is annoying and really hard to attach to the unit, the suction cup thing that attaches it to the windshield doesn't stay and it falls off the window...thats to name a few things. We are saving money for a Garmin. Take it from a current TomTom owner, pass on this deal!

showcaller wrote:Good question. Depends on the smart phone. I had the android google phone and its'GPS technology was right up there with stand alone GPS units like this one and Garmins. Yes there might have been some isolated instances where a Tom Tom or a Garmin had the edge but I liked the Android's GPS so much I didn't feel bad when my Garmin bit the dust. Now I own an iPHone. Totally different story. It comes with a GPS built in but its a joke. I have bought two GPS apps, one for $49.00 and the other for .99 The .99 GPS works better than the $49.00 app and neither of them hold a candle to my stand alone Garmin. Honestly my only issue with the .99 version is:

1. It has taken me on a wrong turn! But... after a half mile it corrects itself. The problem is that in southern california when you get on the wrong freeway, it can take 10 - 15 minutes before you are on your way in the right direction.

2. Related to number one... If you do make a wrong turn, because it doesn't warn you as cleanly as the Garmin, it takes longer to correct itself. The Garmin responded right away and mapped out a new route. The .99 one waits up to a half mile before it realizes I screwed up or it screwed up.

I was convinced with the Android I would never need a stand alone GPS unit again. With the iPhone I am not sure about that.

The only thing I can add to this is that I have the iPhone4 from Verizon. I purchased the $.99 MotionX "GPS Drive" program. I used it for a road trip to NYC and it was absolutely fantastic. The main reason that I went with that program over the ones that you pay $50-$70 for is that I only need a GPS two or three times a year. I can't see paying that much money when I don't have to.

The MotionX App charged me $.99 for the first months service. Once it ran out, the next time I need to use it I will pay $1.99 for the next month. It will run out again and the next time another $1.99, etc. They also have a version for unlimited use which I can't recall off hand how much/little that was, etc.

kjmattson wrote:I have a TomTom. Do I like it? NoNo.

I like it better than the GarminGarmin

This may be a foolish question, but I see people commenting that you have to pay for new maps. Can someone please explain this in more detail? Will the existing maps expire and have to be repurchased? Do maps in areas you already have (US, Canada) get updates if, say, a new highway is built, or do you have to pay for it? Or is it just if you want maps of a different region? Thanks for the clarification.

glubash wrote:Nice write up. But, sometimes a GPS isn't so good in the desert:

http://www.npr.org/2011/07/26/137646147/the-gps-a-fatally-misleading-travel-companion

Just to be clear, it's not GPS that's at fault, it's the maps that a device loads that can get you into trouble.

GPS satellites only provide time and location information. Down on earth, some device (the TomTom in your car or a computer at Google) has to look up that information in a database of features in your vicinity and display it to you.

If the database is wrong about what roads are there ... well ... oops. The same thing happens if you buy a street atlas at the store. Old data ==> old maps ==> bad advice.

-- Ed

phacopida wrote:Is there an advantage to having a dedicated GPS device as opposed to a GPS app for a smartphone or tablet?

Having been one that used to swear by my cell phone GPS... here is my current opinion.

I love Google Maps/Navigation. It works great, is (fairly) up-to-date, and best of all: it's free. It was all I used for years, and prior to that I did VZ Navigator on my non-smart phone. Earlier this year I purchased my first vehicle with a built in navigation system. When I first got it I said, "Well that's one feature I'll never use..." But, I was wrong. Here are the reasons I like having a stand alone GPS over my cell phone:

1. I can use my cell phone for something else like: making calls, letting my daughter play games on it, internet radio, etc.

Not to say it can't multitask, but if I have Pandora up playing music then I can't see the map which... is nice to see.

2. Going off of point 1, I love that with the stand alone GPS I can ALWAYS see the map. My phone doesn't get a text message, low battery alert, go to sleep, etc etc etc. I realize there are lots of ways to turn off all these things on your phone to assure you always see the map, but I don't want to. I don't want to turn off my low battery alert, and at the same time I don't want to have to have to try to close the low battery alert while I am driving 70MPH and trying to decide what exit I am suppose to get off.

3. Depending on your cell phone and the GPS, the voice instructions are typically much louder from the stand alone GPS. This isn't always the case, but it is something to consider especially if: you really like voice instructions and/or you have loud people traveling with you often.

4. The stand alone GPS is (or should be at least) always in your car. Cell phones get forgotten, lost, broken, etc. and if you need navigation and don't have a phone... then you're screwed. By having a stand alone GPS that you leave in your vehicle, you insure that you always have a GPS.

5. The stand alone GPS can be used by other drivers. If someone borrows your vehicle, a spouse/parent/child for example, they now have a GPS too. You can even pre-program it for them (good if you have older less tech-savvy parents). If you rely on your cellphone GPS then they don't have GPS when they borrow your car, unless you let them borrow your phone too.

6. As great as Google Maps/Navigation is, or VZ Navigator, they are simply not as easy to use as any stand alone I've seen. The stand alones have large buttons, less clutter, and (typically) bigger screens. Depending on who's going to be using your GPS, these the GUI factor alone could be reason enough to purchase a stand alone.

Now, with all that said, there are some advantages to cell phone GPS...

1. If you need a navigation system while you're walking with traveling with a friend. You probably won't have your TomTom in your back pocket, but you will have your cell phone.

2. Maps are updated on cell phones for free (usually). Map updates with stand alone GPS units typically cost some money.

Hope that helps.

StCarl wrote:Three and a half stars on Amazon with lots of reviews.

(Amazon reviews)

These are a year old; perhaps some things have been updated?

msingerman wrote:This may be a foolish question, but I see people commenting that you have to pay for new maps. Can someone please explain this in more detail? Will the existing maps expire and have to be repurchased? Do maps in areas you already have (US, Canada) get updates if, say, a new highway is built, or do you have to pay for it? Or is it just if you want maps of a different region? Thanks for the clarification.

Existing maps will not expire, they'll just get... old :-)

I didn't look at this product specifically, but from all my experiences you don't get any updates for free (unless that's part of your deal, like 1 free update or lifetime updates, etc). So if you buy it today and a new road/neighborhood/park/etc is built tomorrow, then your map will not include it until you update it. You can, however, use the "old" maps in the system indefinitely.

barbarianprince wrote:RIGHT ON!!! ... TOM TOM ROCKS .... GARMIN SUCKS!!!

I have to agree - I am here looking to upgrade from our Garmin. Its really freaking annoying. Despite what setting you give it, the maps continuously take you through major cities, never the alternate route, and despite "detouring" several times, can take a long time to update to the better route.

but does TomTom let you drag your route on screen (sort of how you can on google maps)?

That's what I want in a GPS.