TomTom ONE 3rd Edition 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Vehicle Navigator
by TomTom
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of TomTom ONE 3rd Edition 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Vehicle Navigator
Customer Review: TomTom One (3rd/2nd/LE) VS Magellan 3200
Summary: 4 Stars
I purchased both the TomTom LE (This is basically a combination of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd editions) and the Magellan Maestro 3200 and was undecided as to which unit to keep. The LE is basically the 3rd edition, with a few minor differences. So, I decided to open them both and try them out. After reading numerous reviews/opinions from owners of these two devices online, I finally decided to keep the TomTom LE. My
reasons for this are:
1. Customization...I feel the LE is more customizable. What I mean by this is it had more options such as itinerary planning, changing guidance voice, `help me' features, display features, etc. I just felt after using both that the LE had more options/features compared to the 3200. I like being able to have as much control of my GPS as possible and being able to alter multiple settings which the TomTom proviced.
2. Mapshare...In my opinion, this is one of the best features of the TT LE. Allowing you to edit the map and share/get updates from others is a wonderful tool because it allows you to keep your map current. The other nice thing is that the LE comes with a USB cable already, while the 3200 does not. You may have the USB cable needed for your 3200 at your house already, but if you don't, it'll set you back a couple more dollars on top of your $169.99 price tag.
3. Navigation...When I took both units out to test, they both navigated me to multiple places equally well. There were times when the 3200 took me to a faster route as opposed to the LE, but for the most part, both were able to find locations in an equal manner. I found that the TomTom was able to reroute just as fast if not a little faster than the 3200. What I do like about the 3200 is the fact that it tells you what side your destination is on when you are about to arrive; the LE does not have this feature from what I've noticed. Another feature that I liked better about the 3200 is the display while navigating. It seems more organized and better overall compared to the LE; for example, right before a turn, the Maestro goes into a split screen type of mode. I haven't downloaded the newest TomTom map yet, but in terms of routing and navigation, both worked great. Picking up satellite reception wasn't a problem with either unit as well. I was able to get strong signals indoors and outdoors.
4. POIs...After searching through the POIs in both units, it seemed like the LE had a more extensive selection. There were a lot of POIs I found in my LE that I wasn't able to find in the 3200. Both units show information of the POI such as the name, phone number, and address. However, I believe the 3200 did a better job of organizing the POIs. If you're missing a POI, or if you need remove a POI, it is much easier to do this on the LE.
5. Customer service...While I have not had to call either companies yet, I have read a lot of negative comments regarding Magellan's customer service. This is one of the most important aspects to me when I buy a product because I always want to make sure that my problems will be resolved quickly and professionally if they ever arise. As for TomTom, I read negative comments as well, but not nearly as many as Magellan. In terms of customer service, my research has lead me to believe that in terms of customer service:
Garmin=Excellent TomTom=Average Magellan=Poor
To sum it up, I chose the TomTom LE because it seemed to offer more for my money. While it did provide Teleatlas maps as oppose to Navteq, both the 3200 and the LE seemed to be equal in terms of navigation/map accuracy. To be honest, I felt the 3200 was more user friendly. The menu is easier to navigate through in my opinion, and is better suited for a first time GPS user (The menu icons looked better in the 3200). I also think that the 3200 came with a better suction mount than the LE. The Maestro is slimmer than the LE which makes it look a little nicer, but that's just personal preference and not something that was really much of a factor for me. Both units have a pretty short battery life when compared to the Garmin units (3200= 3 hours; LE= 2 hours). In my opinion, if you want something that gives you a lot of freedom to customize and you're pretty good with technology, go with the LE. If you want something a little simpler to use, go with the 3200.
Customer Review: Crazy routing - missing POI's (big ones at that)
Summary: 3 Stars
Update - The GPS recently got updated to a more recent version of software (the update process landed up being confusing). I haven't re-checked on the errors I mention in my earlier review after this update - but I can tell you that it does take a while longer to cold boot now (I thought it had hung up). In terms of functionality, the routing now seems to work better. It made no mistakes while I was driving around in Monterey (California) and that too on vague streets. It really was a life-saver late at night in a strange place. I'd up the stars to 4 now. Lack of tactile buttons for common functions is still a negative - so one star taken away..
Also - I dropped the GPS from my car roof to the garage floor in a bad way. Well - nothing happened. I was amazed. Quite tough..
Earlier review below -
It does get me where I need to go - but in a sort of convoluted way on some occasions.
Case in point - to travel from Sunnyvale Fry's to the Walmart in Mountain View - (UPDATE ADDED LATER - Following its directions, I landed up at the Target in Mountain view rather than the WalMart which is on the other side of the road - it told me to make a left when I should be making a right. This type of mis-routing is happening in a fairly urbanized setting. Wonder how this will fare in less travelled locales?)
Firstly - the GPS unit POI thinks that Wal Mart is in Los Altos (a neighboring city) while the WalMart web site lists it as Mountain view. How does this get a POI as big as a Wal Mart wrong?
The most sensible and fastest direction is to take Central Expwy almost all the way to the Wal Mart, and this is what Google Maps tells me - but this unit makes me take Central Expwy then exit Middlefield Rd and then take an extremely slow road (El Camino Real) to the WalMart. A rather suboptimal solution both in terms of distance and speed of travel.
On another occasion I had to make a slightly convoluted left turn. The screen indicated the left turn, but the voice directions got confused and told me to make a right turn!! There sure was a right turn as well over there - but going opposite from where I needed to go.
OK - so the routing certainly has problems - and these were fairly simple routings. (update added later - tried to find - "whole foods store" "near me" - while in Cupertino, CA. It didn't find any. I asked a passerby - he pointed to a large building almost across the street. A store as big as "whole foods" is not in its database. Incidentally - I did multiple searches - using just the world "whole" for instance)
The other thing I don't like so much about this unit is that there are absolutely no buttons you can push to make certain adjustments. Everything is touch screen based - meaning you have to touch the screen and look at it (instead of the road) when you are trying to adjust the volume or get the screen to dim. This is ridiculous on a device meant to be used in the car while driving!!.
Tom Tom allows you to update the map - Once - within 30 days after you buy it. I don't know how Garmin and Magellan do this - but the devices are basically disposable unless you pay a stiff premium to keep your maps updated.
Otherwise the unit works well. Acquires satellites fast (from even inside the office) and the display is clear. I don't like the map graphics that much but haven't yet experimented around to see if there is any other option. It appears to be sturdily built.
I am yet to find out if the screen on this unit will dim automatically to the "night mode". Mine certainly does not do so out of the box.
I don't like its suction cup mount too - a lot of force is needed to make the unit slide off the mount and in the process the suction cup comes off most times I need to take the unit out. A better solution would have been a spring based latch that hooked to the suction mount (so that force is not needed) or some kind of magnetic mount. I am investigating my own magnetic mount solution using a bunch of hard disk magnets I have lying around.
I don't agree with the leading consumer reporting publication that gave this model (rather its earlier incarnation) a "best buy".
Customer Review: Garmin vs TomTom
Summary: 4 Stars
I have owned both of these GPS units for many months now so I feel a comparison is in order. I'll skip those features specific to the Nuvi (Bluetooth, MP3 playback, speaks street names) since that wouldn't be a fair comparison to the basic TomTom One. There is a higher end TomTom, which has these features if desired.
Both GPS units have huge Points Of Interest databases. However, the Garmin unit can use sub-categories, so you can search for, say, Italian Food. This is an edge to the Garmin, since the TomTom only lists them by category---such as Food. Also, the Garmin allows you to navigate to multiple destinations (and it will even sort them), making it more efficient if you have to make several stops.
In addition, the Garmin automatically switches between day and night modes, based on the current time of day. Also, when you are near your destination, the Garmin will tell you on which side of the street you can find it.
Beyond this, the Garmin has an Aux out port, allowing you to plug it into your car stereo system. The TomTom only has its speaker (although it is a good quality speaker)
However, in my opinion, the TomTom unit also has many advantages. The first one is MapShare. With this, TomTom users can correct map errors (such as "This street became a 1 way street"), keeping the maps up to date.
Secondly, the TomTom has a much more flexible display. You can choose to display a lot of information such as time to next turn, that you cannot display on the Garmin. The Garmin only displays estimated time to destination (which is WAY too optimistic when it travels through cities), time to next turn, and next turn (such as "Left onto Main St.").
Beyond this, the TomTom displays nearby Points of Interest on the map, as icons. This allows you to see if, say, a gas station is near, without explicitly searching for it.
In terms of cute little extras, the TomTom can speak driving directions using custom voices such as Darth Vader, George Clooney, the Don, etc. Not a big deal, but it is amusing.
More fundamentally, when turned on, the TomTom takes about 10 seconds to start. The Garmin takes at least 20 seconds, possibly much longer, since it always has to load the maps. Also, the touch screen of the TomTom is more sensitive than the Garmin, so it is much easier to use while driving.
Also, only the Garmin has a proprietary connector for the car charger (the TomTom uses a standard mini-USB connector). This means you can't use another charger in a pinch (such as a mini-USB cell phone charger).
In addition, the Garmin has an integrated traffic receiver (which works well in the Baltimore area), but it's built into the charger. If the charger breaks, say goodbye to your traffic receiver (and $60 activation after the first 90 days of use).
Both GPS units can take a long time to acquire satellites, and both can pick up the satellites almost instantly if they have a clear view of the sky---it really depends on your area.
Both units provide good routes, automatic re-routing if you miss a turn, and allow you to simulate the route. Both will sometimes produce strange routes, depending on your area.
However, only the TomTom allows you to simulate the route up to 5 times faster than real time (this is VERY helpful for long drives). In addition, the TomTom continues to update the road display while it is recalculating (the Garmin freezes the display).
Also, in my experience, the Garmin gives directions on the highway very close (around 1 mile is usually the first warning, where it is 2 miles for the TomTom). That may be a bit dangerous in heavy traffic.
Basically, for me, the TomTom has more of what I need (flexibility, frequent map updates, high speed route simulation, standard USB charger) so I can overlook its quirks (no automatic day/night mode switch, no sub-categories for POIs, no telling me on which side of the road my destination lies).
They are both fine units, but it really boils down to what you need in a GPS. No unit is perfect, they will all have some quirks.
Customer Review: The TomTom One Gets An Upgrade...
Summary: 5 Stars
Christmas is here again and that can only mean one thing...the GPS market is introducing new toys for consumers to play with. What we have here is the newly updated TomTom One (3rd Edition) which is the exact same dimensions and weight as the regular TomTom One ( 3.8" x 3.2" x 1.0" and 6.1 ounces ) with added features and of course newly updated Tele Atlas maps.
Lets start with the basics, for consumers looking to upgrade from the prior released TomTom One, the cosmetics of the product have changed slightly. The thin black plastic that outlined the screen has been replaced with the ever popular color silver. This gives the TomTom One a new space-age look that may appeal to some people while others (myself included) will find the new look cheap and clichéd. The SD card slot on the bottom of the unit has been replaced with an RDS-TMC antenna connector which is used for traffic reports. The antenna itself does not come with the unit and is available separately for roughly $129.00 but I find this accessory unneeded and pricey.
Moving on to the interface...needles to say the TomTom One (3rd Edition) borrows heavily from past TomTom operating system software so anyone who has used TomTom products will have a decent idea on how to maneuver around the already user-friendly interface. They have managed to add a few extras to the touch screen interface such as a "Help Me" button which when pressed opens features such as "Phone For Help" which displays emergency numbers for the current location (such as and typically 911) "Drive To Help" which show you the quickest way to the nearest police station or hospital and a "First Aid Guide" which is provided by the British Red Cross.
Also included in the safety features is an option to sound a custom alarm if any of the following occur:
1. When approaching a school or church
2. When driving faster than a set speed
3. When driving faster than allowed
A nice addition to the TomTom One (3rd Edition) is the ability to make your own map corrections. For example the city I live in recently shut down an existing department store and rebuilt a Super Center about a mile down the road about 3 months ago. Because of this recent change the Points Of Interest database had to be updated. I simply used the "Map Correction" feature to edit and move the existing Point Of Interest to its correct location on the map. Very convenient. The "Map Correction" feature also allows users to (Un)block A Street, Reverse Traffic Direction, Edit Street Names, Add Missing POI, and Report Other Errors.
Without say the TomTom One (3rd Edition) has been preloaded with the best maps on the market. The unit now runs on USA and Canada maps version 705.1481 provided by Tele Atlas. When compared to other GPS products on the market I've personally found that TomTom products have the edge when it comes to accuracy and map detail. The TomTom One is even polite enough to warn me when there is a toll road on a calculated route and then has enough courtesy to avoid it if I so desire, I've never gotten this kind of respect from my Garmin Nuvi 200.
The only down side to the TomTom One (3rd Edition) is its battery life. Even with all the upgrades we still only have a 2-hour battery charge that leaves us dependent on the cigarette charger in our cars. Oh well, can't win `em all.
For consumers interested in purchasing their first GPS unit the TomTom One would be perfect if not only for its quality then for its simplicity. Other units might come close but I've found that the TomTom One delivers time and time again.
What's in the box? I'm glad you asked:
- The TomTom One (of course)
- (1) Car Charger
- Documentation Pack (Quick Start Guide, Installation Poster, Accessories Catalog, and Warranty/License Agreement)
- (1) Windshield Mount
- (1) USB Cable
- (1) Adhesive Disk For Windshield Mount (for mounting the TomTom to your dash)
Customer Review: If you want a beginner GPS, this is what you need
Summary: 5 Stars
My wife and I just got home with this device, and we are amazed. We feel this will greatly simplify and enhance our travel experiences.
If you are already a GPS user, you may want something fancier. So far I have found that you can only plan one point of interest in a trip and I have found some of my favorite stores, mostly small or specialty businesses, that are not included with the points of interests. Since the device is inexpensive, it fails to offer an SD slot for more memory. It also cannot play mp3s, display photos, or anything else that is fancy.
For basic or beginning users, purchase this unit. Allow me to espouse the great things about this device.
SIMPLICITY The Tom Tom One had the easist to use navigation menu of any device I looked at. The menu is ran completely with the touch screen and my wife and I can both use it with ease. When you first turn the unit on it asks you to set your home address and choose your settings. A cheaper version that my father received for Christmas took him an hour to figure out! The screen is extremely visible with vibrant colors and great brightness. It locks onto a GPS signal almost instantly. Setting a route to a destination is simple. If you are wanting to return to your home, you need simply press 2-3 buttons on the screen. To get to a point from your current location, simply add a few steps by entering an address or choosing a point of interest.
FUNCTIONALITY If you have a favorite store, friend, family or other location, you can easily add the location to your favorites with a name of your choosing and that makes sense to you. If you have ever added a Internet site to your web browser favorites, you can do this and love it. The internal memory contains tons of points of interest from hospitals to restaraunts to shopping centers that you can easily search. You can search for these by points nearest your location, points along your route, or points near your destination. The voice prompt is loud and easy to hear. You can even set the volume to increase as your driving speed increases. The settings allow you to customize the screen to show what you want to see such as a compass, points of interest, remaining time and remaining distance.
As much as I love this device, I caution anyone to be aware that this device will meet all of travel needs. Browsing a map is not easy, so I will probably still print and study Mapquest maps of any area at which I will be staying. If you want to visit multiple locations on a trip, you may still need to make a list of addresses you want to visit. Since I don't trust the device's list of points of interest to be as comprehensive as I would like, I will definitely google things I want to do in an area.
However, it will be very nice now to locate gas stations or restaraunts that are near our hotel or along our route. As a hater of driving in big cities, I also think we will be more adventerous and willing to venture into large metro areas.
So in summary, you couldn't do much better for an inexpensive and easy to use GPS device.