TomTom XL 330 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator

Calendar December 25, 2009 | Posted by GPS

51tn0dGmcZL._SL210_

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #1044 in Consumer Electronics
  • Brand: TomTom
  • Model: XL 330
  • Dimensions: .90″ h x 3.20″ w x 3.20″ l, .41 pounds
  • Native resolution: 480 x 272
  • Display size: 4.3

Features

  • Extra-wide 4.3-inch touchscreen with award-winning Fold & Go EasyPort mount that folds flat against the device, making it easy to take it with you
  • Effortless navigation from A to B anywhere in the United States or Canada–3D graphics and spoken instructions guide you door-to-door
  • Preloaded with millions of points of interest to enhance your traveling experience-easily find your favorite gas stations, hotels and more
  • With TomTom Map Share technology, you can instantly modify street names, street direction, POIs, road speeds, and turn restrictions on your own device
  • Help Me! menu provides added safety features so you can easily access local emergency providers, such as police, fire stations, and hospitals

Customer Reviews

Just bought this today – EXCELLENT5
This product is extremely easy to use – I only found one or two of the very extensive options to be a little unintuitive, but after less than a couple hours of poking around the features you really get a glimpse of the depth of the product. It may not have a few of the features that the $400+ models carry, but for my needs it far meets and exceeds. I was a little disappointed when it wouldn’t find a numbered address on a highway ( such as when a smaller state highway runs through a city street ), but the database of points of interest had my destination on file.

I was somewhat concerned about the voice volume issue that I’d read about in a few of these reviews ( after already having put my purchase order in ), but I’d have to say any units with poor volume have to be from a bad batch – even at the default 70% volume it was clearly audible with music playing and a window open at highway speeds. At max volume you really can’t miss it unless you have difficulty hearing in general, though I found a few of the default voices were softer than others. Since it seems possible to create your own voice sets, and some voice sets are louder than others, I would assume one could edit a copy of the default voice and increase the gain / volume and reinstall, but there are a number of built in voices that are wholly satisfactory in the volume department.

If I had to list any cons, it would be that base package voices still show up in the menu even if you remove them from the TomTom with the manager software. The inability to find an address on a highway might be a weakness of all navigators for all I know, as I’ve not had much experience with any others.

If you buy this, definitely spend some time with the management software. There is a goodly amount of user supplied content ( maps, points of interest databases, and even voices ) that are free, as well as the normal software updates.

When I left the store with it the most difficult part of setting it up was getting it out of the evil tough plastic packaging that most of us are familiar with. A car charger was included, so I plugged it in, answered a few basic questions, did a short tour and was on my way to my next destination within only a few minutes. Normally I can’t find my way out of a paper bag, even if I’m still outside of the bag, so this is probably the best $200 I’ve ever spent. A separate data cable is also included for connecting to your home PC ( which will be required to update the software and add new features to the device ).

There is an optional attachment and service you can purchase that will give you real time weather and traffic data. I understand that there is a monthly fee for this additional service, but I’ve not yet bought the extra receiver so I can’t comment on its performance or cost.

In short – if you want a very well rounded GPS navigator for an excellent price, you can’t go wrong with the XL 330. I know what a few friends and family are getting for the holidays this year.

Category Categories: Uncategorized  |  Tag Tags: , , , , ,

TomTom ONE XL-S 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator

Calendar December 24, 2009 | Posted by GPS

519EnaiteHL._SL210_

Product Description

TomTom ONE XL-S. Find your way the easy way with preloaded maps of US/CAN, TomTom MapShare instant map updates, 4.3 touchscreen, and text-to-speech for spoken street names.

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #3128 in Consumer Electronics
  • Color: Silver
  • Brand: TomTom
  • Model: 1S00.082
  • Dimensions: 3.40″ h x 1.20″ w x 4.70″ l, 3.64 pounds
  • Native resolution: 480 x 272
  • Display size: 4.3

Features

  • The world’s largest portable navigation provider
  • Preloaded maps of the United States and Canada
  • TomTom MapShare instant map updates
  • 4.3-inch touchscreen; Text-to-speech for spoken street names
  • Real-time traffic and weather data

Customer Reviews


TEXT-TO-SPEECH AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE5
At long last TomTom has released a GPS model that incorporates a text-to-speech feature at an affordable price. This has been what most TomTom customers have been waiting for. The original TomTom One was first introduced to consumers roughly two years ago and was in direct competition with the Garmin Nuvi 350 model. One of customers major gripes was that the TomTom One lacked the popular text-to-speech feature that the Garmin Nuvi 350 had. It seems that in a two short year span the TomTom One has come a long way with adding features and (with GPS becoming more popular) lowering prices.

The TomTom One XL-S is, in a way, the first of its kind. It is the first TomTom GPS device to offer text-to-speech (verbal pronunciation of street names) at a price tag of under $300.00. This is good news for consumers not looking to invest too much cash into a GPS but wanting this convenient feature. For those who are unfamiliar with past TomTom One devices this text-to-speech comes in handy when not wanting to take your eyes off the road. For example: lets say you are driving on an unacquainted, busy freeway. Traffic is moving at 70mph in four lanes all around you, your exit is close but given the circumstances you have to keep watching traffic and don’t get an opportunity to glance down at your trusty TomTom. Ordinarily you would simply hear you TomTom One say “Exit Right” as you approached your off-ramp. But with the new TomTom One XL-S the street names will be heard as well as illuminated on the screen. So instead of hearing “Exit Right” you will hear “Exit Right On War Memorial Drive”. A very convenient way to keep your eye on the road and know exactly where you are at all times.

Aside from the text-to-speech feature this particular TomTom One comes with a widescreen for easy viewing. I personally have never had any trouble reading the 3.5 inch screen of the original TomTom One but I’m sure a lot of consumers will love the new 4.3 inch widescreen display.

All the new features of the TomTom One 3rd Edition are included here as well. You get the “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 XL-S 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

Compared to the many GPS devices I’ve used (including Garmin products) I’ve personally found that TomTom has the edge as far as map accuracy and route planning. This new TomTom One XL-S is another break through in TomTom technology that would be perfect for anyone looking to either upgrade from a previous GPS or for first-time GPS buyers looking to save themselves the headaches of getting lost in unfamiliar neighborhoods.

Included in the box is:

- The TomTom One XL-S
- (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)

Worth Its Weight in Gold5
We have used our TomTom XL-S on several trips but recently used it on a trip to Chicago. We decided on that day alone, it had paid for itself. It got us safely and accurately to our hotel. The next day and many, many turns later we arrived safely at a specific parking garage we were looking for and from there to the building we needed to walk to. It lets you know how long it will be until your next turn and in which direction you will need to go, so that you can get in the appropriate lane. It announces the name of the street in advance so you know what to look for. If you’ve ever traveled the highly congested streets of Chicago, you will appreciate the comfort in knowing you can never really get lost! So what if only the “Susan or Bob” option will announce the street names. As long as I get to where I need to be, I’ll gladly only listen to Susan or Bob. I can’t tell you how satisfying it is to travel in a big city and not have to worry about missing a turn because you didn’t see it or because the traffic was too heavy to get into that lane. This product takes all the stress out of traveling in unfamiliar territory.

Category Categories: Uncategorized  |  Tag Tags: , , , , ,

TomTom ONE XL 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Maps of the U.S. and Canada

Calendar December 22, 2009 | Posted by GPS

51BVxw6d9BL._SL210_

Product Description

Expand your horizons with the new TomTom ONE XL. The distinctive design combines an extra-wide 4.3 touchscreen and the power of GPS in a slim, lightweight device. Easily taken from car to car. Switch it on and go right out of the box. Just a few taps on the screen and the ONE XL does the rest. The crystal-clear display, 3D view and spoken turn-by-turn instructions help you find your way, worry free. Preloaded maps of the US and Canada and millions of points of interest enhance your traveling experience. With the ONE XL you can access smart extras like real-time traffic, 5-day weather forecasts and celebrity voice downloads. No activation, no monthly fees, it’s that easy.

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #1663 in Consumer Electronics
  • Brand: TomTom
  • Model: 1S00.080
  • Dimensions: 3.40″ h x 4.70″ w x 1.20″ l, .46 pounds
  • Native resolution: 480 x 272
  • Display size: 4.3

Features

  • Widescreen 4.3-inch display offers expanded viewing of maps
  • GPRS- and optional RDS-TMC radio-based real-time traffic information
  • Map coverage in all fifty of the United States, as well as Canada
  • Clear and accurate turn-by-turn voice instructions
  • Built-in Bluetooth connection provides access to TomTom PLUS subscription-based services

Customer Reviews

TomTom vs. Magellan4
I had my choices narrowed down to the TomTom ONE XL and the Magellan Maestro 4040. It was a tough call but I choose the TomTom. In a nutshell, the TomTom is more designed to get you where you need to go and the Magellan is designed to tell you where you are and what’s around you.

The Magellan has more current maps and identifies the roads that appear on the screen. The TomTom has fairly current maps but only identifies the roads you are approaching and a few adjacent roads.

TomTom has auto-zoom where the faster you travel, the map zooms out. The Magellan has the zoom feature but nothing automatic. I like the auto-zoom because when your traveling interstates speeds, it’s nice to see out ahead of you.

I think the TomTom has the better screen, by a slight edge. The colors/contrast seem to be more pleasant. On the TomTom you’ve got various map colorizations where the Magellan doesn’t. There’s one map scheme on TomTom where the roads are outlined in black. It helps distinguish them from the tan background.

Tap the screen on the Magellan and you can scroll around the map. Tap it on the TomTom, you go to the menus. What I’d like to see is a menu button and if you tap on the screen, it tells you where your tapping (i.e. road name).

Reception on TomTom and the Magellan was great and the screen refresh on the TomTom was slightly better than the Magellan. The Magellan seemed more choppy where the TomTom was smooth.

Magellan can double as a speakerphone and the TomTom has the PLUS services.

While I would like TomTom to allow you to show more road names, in the end, this didn’t justify the price difference of the Magellan (about $100). I think if you combined these two devices, you’d come close to having a perfect GPS unit.

As they stand, I think the TomTom has a slight edge mainly due to it’s screen clarity, redraw/refresh rate, and auto zoom (the various voices you can choose from is a nice touch too).

TomTom, if you’re listening on the next map update, please allow us to see road names on any road that appears on the screen! A menu button would be nice too and as an alternative, allow us to tap/identify the roads.

THE TOMTOM ONE GOES WIDESCREEN… 5
Welcome to TomTom’s latest creation, the TomTom One XL. With the ongoing war between GPS manufacturers in full bloom it appears that TomTom has decided to counter against Garmin’s latest GPS products. The Garmin Nuvi 200, 250, and 270 were released early this month and, from what I understand, are selling quite nicely. Never being one to take things lying down, TomTom announced their new One XL.

Customers should be informed this product isn’t exactly a “new” item from TomTom, it’s more of a “modified” version of the previous released (and extremely popular) TomTom One. What I mean is besides the obvious fact that this is a widescreen unit, this product is identical to the TomTom One (New Edition) Versons 3 and 4 which were released earlier this year. The TomTom One XL is equipped with a 4.3 inch screen, (as opposed to the regular TomTom One’s 3.5 inch) because of the added screen space the TomTom One XL is slightly heavier than it’s little brother. It now weighs in at 7.4 ounces instead of 6.5.

As far as the technical specifications…well, it’s all still the same. You get the high sensitivity GPS chipset (which is the new GlobalLocate chipset found in recently released TomTom devices), the 32 MB of RAM space, the CPU runs at 266 MHz, a 2-hour internal lithium-ion battery, and 2.0 Bluetooth technology. The only real difference in the technical specs is the pixel count which is now a slightly higher 480×272 because of the wider screen.

One thing I did notice was the missing 1GB SD card full of maps I’m used to seeing with TomTom products.. It appears all the info (maps, points of interest…etc) is now stored on a small flash-drive inside the unit. The TomTom One XL does, however, have an open SD card slot for future map updates and expansions.

The unit itself is just as powerful and accurate as it’s little brother. It has been reported that some test units have been preloaded with the Tele Atlas maps (version 665.1293)of The United States and Canada. However, TomTom has announced they will be preloading the One XL with Tele Atlas Maps version 675 making this the most accurate GPS on the market to date. This seems to be the subject of much debate, the clichéd’ argument is that because Garmin is a North American based company their maps for The United States should be more accurate then the European based Tele Atlas maps which TomTom uses. I can tell you from personal experience (see my other reviews) that this is not so. I’ve found the latest maps from TomTom to be the most precise of any other GPS unit on the market today.

The TomTom One XL carries a $399.99 price tag, $100.00 more than the regular TomTom One, which may leave some buyers wondering if $100.00 is worth that extra inch of screen space.

Category Categories: Uncategorized  |  Tag Tags: , , , , ,