TomTom ONE 3rd Edition 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Vehicle Navigator
by TomTom
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List Price: Our Price: $34.99 You Save: $215.00 (86%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: GPS or Navigation System See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
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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 EDITION - AMAZING!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have had my TomTom One 3rd Edition (TT1/3)since November. I LOVE IT. And to think I almost bought a Garmin!
I am from Ontario Canada and since early March I have been doing deliveries in rural areas of the Great Lakes states. My wife made me a large "bean-bag". I glued a plexi-glass disk onto the top and some rubber mesh onto the bottom. I filled it with about 2.5 pounds of aquarium pebbles. The windshield mount sticks onto the disk. I now have a custom mount that stays put on the dash even on rough rural roads. When I leave the truck, my TT1/3 comes with me, often in my shirt pocket. Try that with your STREET-PILOT! I have driven thousands of miles and still am impressed with the performance of my device. I have compared its features with the Garmin 250 and yes the 250 has some features not found on my TT1/3, but the TT1/3 has so many more USABLE features that it seems impossible that it sells for sometimes $100 less than the 250. TomTom devices are designed to be USED and do not have many of the "toy" features that today's SUV crowd seems to expect.
I have had to contact the support folks a couple of times and was impressed with how quickly my emails or phone-calls were handled.
If I had a case of these devices, I could have sold them all by now. Anybody who rides with me is really impressed with the performance and price.
In some areas, especially in Ontario, the rural roads do not have the correct current name. This is a TeleAtlas mapping error, not a device error. Such as this is, it is still better than what I found with Garmin. If I encounter a mistake, I can correct it on my device then upload this correction to TomTom. When they verify it, it is downloaded to all other users. TomTom is continually upgrading their mapping and then downloading these corrections to all users. Since November, I have had over 20,000 changes made to my on-board maps. As the maps are always kept up-to-date with these downloads, I will never have to buy another map update. You will note that OTHER GPS companies basically charge you up to the price of of a new TT1/3 for their annual map upgrades.
The TT1/3 at first seems rather generous in its ETA calculation, but it is surprising how often this extra time seems to get used up before you arrive. Other brands essentially use the speed limit and distance for each segment to calculate the total time needed for the trip. This works out well under ideal traffic conditions. Each time a TomTom user connects the device to his/her internet enabled computer, our driving history is up-loaded to TomTom. They now know how long it took me to travel a certain route segment at a certain time of a certain day of the week. Their ETA calculations are modified to reflect the actual average performance of thousands of drivers. Yes this does open the door for certain "Big-Brother" concerns, but I have nothing to hide.
The one problem with the TeleAtlas mapping (NOT a device weakness!) is the assignment of street numbers in both urban and rural areas. They assign a house number (usually NOT the correct one) at one end of a street and blocks or miles away they assign another number (again often incorrect)for the house at the other end of that street/road. This range of numbers is then divided up over the distance covered. The device will always get you onto the correct street as long as you selected the correct one. This is the best you can do following a map. In certain Ontario communities I am usually about 1/2 block away from the actual location and have been as far as 3 blocks away. Again this is better than trying to drive while reading a map and is a mapping error, not a flaw in the device. In many communities, it does get right to the driveway. As the maps are upgraded this type of error will disappear.
Any GPS user will tell you how much more relaxing it is to drive in an unfamiliar area following a GPS. All you have to do is focus on driving safely even through the most complex city freeway systems. I shudder to think there are drivers out there steering great big 18 wheelers or tour buses along unfamiliar highways or streets while fumbling with a map or directions written on the back of a cigarette pack. Any good GPS device will eliminate this danger to the motoring public.
HAPPY MOTORING!
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.
Customer Review: A Great, Affordable GPS-Nav
Summary: 5 Stars
Features
-Tomtom One 3rd Edition
-Windshield mount
-Windshield mount adhesive, if you want to mount the unit on your dashboard
-Car to USB charger
-USB cable for connecting your Tomtom to a PC
I have not used any other GPS-nav systems so I can't provide a comparison. But putting that aside, I am very impressed with my investment. Upon opening the box, I found that the instruction manual was not comprehensive. However, the manual came with directions on how to get the full instruction manual from the Internet. As long as you can view .pdf files, you should be fine in terms of getting the full instructions.
Mounting the unit was simple. However, I found that the ball and socket joint, which lets you rotate the screen around the mount, to be very stiff. This can be a good thing or a bad thing. It's good in that the screen will never move when you are driving, even on uneven roads. It's bad if you ever plan on rotating the screen while driving because it's pretty hard to rotate with one hand.
When I start the Tomtom, sometimes it will not be able to find the GPS location for a while. I can't say how long it might possibly take for you to personally find your GPS location. But for me, it usually takes around 30-50 seconds upon turning on the Tomtom. This can vary depending on where you are on the globe, but I think most people can spare one minute.
I found the route calculation to be fast. Ususally, the Tomtom can calculate a route between 4-10 seconds. When I deviated off-course, it took around the same time to find a new route. When planning a route, you can choose to avoid freeways, find the shortest route, find the fastest route, and find bike paths among other things. You can also choose to pass or avoid certain streets.
The Tomtom One comes a lot of POIs, over a million I think. And it lets you select which types POIs you want displayed on your map. The Tomtom also includes directions by voice, in case you were wondering. Also, you can customize the blue status bar to show various info, including the time to destination and your speed. Finally, you can choose to enable certain safety features. One that I found interesting was that you can choose to disable certain buttons and menus while driving. This helps to keep you focused on the road instead of punching in a long address while driving. It also helps you to access other menus and features faster. Overall, for the price, I was impressed with the amount of customizable options allowed on the Tomtom.
Overall, for $170, not including tax, I found the Tomtom to be worth every bit of my money. While I personally wanted a GPS with a larger screen, I am able to live with the small screen. A lot of GPS units on the market let you upload photos and music, but if you are looking for a no frills but dependable and affordable GPS system, the Tomtom is worth considering.
Customer Review: The perfect GPS unit for under $200
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this unit when it was on sale for $140 (usual price is $200) at a local retailer. Took it home and had a heck of a time opening up the packaging which is made to stop thieves from breaking it open in the store... I turned it on and found that it already had a charged battery (very nice touch) and it asked me for my home address (so that it could sync up with the satellite for navigation). Next thing you know I am up and running!
I had to go to a family garthering that day and decided to let the TomTom direct me there (even though I knew where the place was). I attached the suction cup to the windshield and the TomTom took me all the way to the front door. I even made a wrong turn on purpose to see what would happen, without a hiccup it directed me to where I should be. I actually brought the unit inside with me to show my family. My mom was so impressed she asked if I would buy one for her the next day, which I did. (To which my Dad remarked "Thanks for making spend $140 dollars!")
Fast forward a few months and I am using this thing all the time. I go to Sandy Hook pretty much every weekend in the summer and the TomTom has been a blessing. They are doing construction on the bridge right by the beach and it takes forever to get on the Northbound side of Rt 36 coming out of the park. If you take the Southbound lane it's a lot quicker but you go through Rumson which I'm not familiar with. So as soon as I got over the Rumson bridge I powered up the TomTom and before you know it I was on Rt 35 and on the Garden State Parkway on my way home. I also have to mention that there were really no signs on the roads to show me how to get to the highway, so I would have been driving around for a while and would have had to stop and ask directions without it. (Also considering the price of gas these days it's nice to have something that will save you from wasting it driving around in circles)
One of the things I really like about it is that it will tell you your estimated time of arrival from where you are. A nice touch if you want to figure out how long it will take to get to a destination. (Great for making sure you're not late to a first date, or job interview).
It comes with a lighter plug so you'll never run out of juice on the road (A note, I find that the unit will work for about 60 mins before needing to be recharged or plugged into the lighter socket). You can also plug it into the USB port on your computer at home for recharging the battery.
I also hook it up to my Mac once a week and download map changes to keep it updated. That service is free for the first year I believe.
All in all, for the money you really can't ask for more. This is a simple yet effective GPS unit that anybody (even my Mom!) can use and enjoy! Go out and buy one now!
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