TomTom ONE Great Britain

...a very satisfied user of TomTom One and would definitely recommend it to any potential buyer. We bought the TomTom One about 4 months ago and to date, it hasn't given us a chance to regret our decision.

The TomTom One is one of the numerous entry-level satnavs in the market, but does not disappoint with its loads of features and reasonable price (We bought ours in Aug 2006 for £199). It has become very popular in the market. There ...
...and my friends' limited experience, TomTom devices are way ahead in terms of the user friendliness, the mapping, the feature set and the sheer performance.

The experience
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Earlier, driving to some place meant that we had to do some prior research about the route to take. Then during the journey, with my husband driving, I had to play the role of the navigator, keeping the map book open, keeping a track ... more

I don't know too much about in-car satellite navigation systems (satnavs, as they call them) and it's not that I have used a number of devices so that I can compare the pros and cons of one against the other. But, I am a very satisfied user of TomTom One and would definitely recommend it to any potential buyer. We bought the TomTom One about 4 months ago and to date, it hasn't given us a chance to regret our decision.

The TomTom One is one of the numerous entry-level satnavs in the market, but does not disappoint with its loads of features and reasonable price (We bought ours in Aug 2006 for £199). It has become very popular in the market. There are, of course, other companies which offer entry-level devices at a much lower price, but I can say from my and my friends' limited experience, TomTom devices are way ahead in terms of the user friendliness, the mapping, the feature set and the sheer performance.

The experience
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Earlier, driving to some place meant that we had to do some prior research about the route to take. Then during the journey, with my husband driving, I had to play the role of the navigator, keeping the map book open, keeping a track of where we are and which route we need to take. Even when you have actually downloaded driving route instructions from a site and printed them out, what use are they if you take one wrong turn? All these hassles actually took the fun out of driving.

But after buying the TomTom One, all we need to do is get the postcode of the place we need to get to, key it into the TomTom and we are ready to go. I can now enjoy the drive, sitting besides my husband without the hassles of juggling the map book on my lap. And my husband can now relax while driving without being bothered of taking the wrong route and getting lost. And he can occasionally pay some attention to me as well! :-) The TomTom has really transformed our driving experience!!

Nowadays, with the TomTom in the car, we can afford to just get lost and take in the sights. When we've had our hearts content, we can then switch on our trusty assistant and we are ready to go home.

The key features
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According to me, the following are some of the most important features of a satnav:

• Ease of use: Since the satnav is to be used by the driver while keeping an eye on the road, it is important that is easy to use and provides clear instructions and visual aids for taking the correct route.
The TomTom definitely scores on this point. It is quite easy to use and also provides a number of features which make planning of your journey an easy task.

• Routing algorithm: This has to be an important feature. A satnav must be able to calculate the best route in the quickest possible time and quickly recalculate if one has taken a wrong turn somewhere. This rerouting feature is of course, what makes the investment worth it.
The routing algorithm for the TomTom is proprietary, of course. But, what matters is the speed and accuracy which is quite impressive. Even for calculating reasonably long routes, it does not take more than 5 seconds and the accuracy is spot on. We actually tested the algorithm with some routes we knew and the TomTom came up with better routes, in some cases, than the ones we were convinced, were the fastest. And according to experts, TomTom devices are the best when it comes to rerouting.

• Map detailing: This has more to do with the mapping provided by the company rather than the device itself.
The maps provided with the TomTom are quite accurate and we haven't had many problems with them. However, one must be ready to accept some level of inaccuracies. For example, when my husband was trying to show off to me when we bought the TomTom, just as we were leaving the area we stay in, the TomTom instructed us to go straight ahead onto an obstructed pathway that passes through a park and that is meant only for pedestrians. On another occasion, when we were inside a leisure park, it instructed us to go through a road with a no-entry sign. But, you cannot expect the mapping to be 100% accurate in all these situations. One needs to temper the instructions with what one actually sees on the road. The TomTom will find an alternate route anyway after it realises that you haven't taken the route it recommended.

• GPS reception quality: The GPS reception quality for a satnav has to be good otherwise you will have to wait for a long time before you get started on your journey and if the reception is not good enough, the device will lose track on the way and create unnecessary problems.
The TomTom One works pretty well in this aspect too without the need for an external antenna. The device uses a newer and much more efficient GPS chipset (SiRFStarIII with 20 channel tracking). This makes the TomTom One far more sensitive than its predecessors.

• Portability: This has become an important feature nowadays. A satnav easily costs at least upwards of £150 and has become a key incentive for someone to break into your car. Therefore, when you park your car in a public place, it is important that you take the satnav with you and portability becomes a key issue.
The TomTom One is very handy and portable. With its dimensions of 116mm x 91.6mm x 67.6mm, it is very easy to carry in your coat pocket or in your purse. Also, since we haven't felt the need for an external antenna in any situation, it is easy to dismantle and carry with you.

Customization features
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Some customization features worth a mention are as follows:

• It is possible to customise the colours of the map display by using the number of colour schemes available in the device or for download online. A useful feature is the setting of two colour schemes, one for the day with high contrast and the other for the night.

• You can store your frequently visited locations as favourites which you can simply select when going to that destination. Of course, you can configure a home location so that you can simply select home as your destination at the end of a trip.

• You can plan and store an itinerary when going on a long trip. You can then go step by step from one destination to another.

• You can specify the default logic used by the routing algorithm i.e., fastest route, shortest route, one with a maximum speed limit, one avoiding motorways for learner drivers, one avoiding cycle routes, etc.

*You can select from a choice of male and female voices for instructions.

Other features
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Other key features which we found useful are:

• The device comes with a software CD for installing the TomTom software on your PC. This allows you to download and install free software updates from TomTom and other add-ons like TomTom weather, TomTom traffic, etc. which you can download and install at a price. The software also comes with a handy feature that allows you to change all your configurations on the TomTom One device through a simulation.

• It is possible to download and use other country maps from the TomTom site (for a price, of course) when visiting other countries. The device also supports TomTom's .ov2 POI format which means that the ever increasing compilations of user POI set and various safety camera databases available online are fully supported.

• While on the go, you can connect your device via Bluetooth to youe mobile phone to connect for traffic and weather updates.

Advantages
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The TomTom One has many advantages some of which are listed below

• As mentioned earlier, the TomTom One is quite handy and portable in terms of dimensions and weight.

• It has excellent GPS reception thanks to a superior chipset.

• The Navigator 5 software used by TomTom is tried and tested and is one of the best navigation softwares available on the market. The display is clear and leaves no ambiguity about the route you need to take except in very tricky situations. If you come to think of how it must be working out the details, it is really impressive.

• The TomTom One with its loads of features and reasonable price is excellent value for money

• The TomTom One mapping supports full UK postcode support which makes it simple enough to just type in the postcode of your destination and get going. When the postcode is being typed in, a list of possible destination choices comes up, from which you can select. You can even pinpoint to a specific house number in a particular postcode area.

Disadvantages
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Some of the few disadvantages of the TomTom One are:

• The charging indicator LED is placed at the top of the device making it difficult to see whether the device is being charged properly.

• The charging cable has to be plugged in from the bottom of the device (unlike some of its predecessors) where there are a host of other connections possible as well, including the headphone. This makes it a bit difficult to plug in the charging cable when the device has been mounted onto its cradle.

• The cradle itself is a bit hard to stick onto the windscreen. It takes some effort to turn the lever which secures the cradle onto the windscreen.

• The software that comes along with the TomTom One to connect to a PC could be more user-friendly. It is definitely not up to the mark.

• I have had to reset it sometimes when starting it up, but this is not a major issue.

I have heard people say that the TomTom One's loudspeaker is not as good as its predecessors'. I myself have had no problems with it. The volume is also linked to the car speed so that the volume is increased at higher speeds to improve audibility.

Technical specifications
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Processor: 380MHz ARM920T
Screen: 3.5" 320x240 colour TFT LCD
Memory: 32mb RAM
Battery: Internal Li-Ion
Memory Card: SD including software and maps
GPS Receiver: Built-In SiRFStarIII with 20 channel tracking
Sound: Internal loud speaker
Power Supply: Cigarette lighter socket (included) or Universal Mains Adapter (optional accessory)
PC Connection: Via mini-USB cable
Dimensions: 116mm x 91.6mm x 67.6mm
Weight: 310g

What's in the box?
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• TomTom One device with integrated GPS antenna
• Detailed maps of Great Britain already installed on SD Card
• Cigarette lighter charger
• Easy to install car mount
• USB cable
• Software CD

Conclusion
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The TomTom One is without doubt the No.1 entry level satnav in the market with its accurate mapping, ease of use, portability, superior GPS reception, along with its budget pricing. With TomTom One, the company has definitely come out with a winner that has captured a majority of the entry-level market. I would strongly recommend the TomTom for anyone driving a car in the UK. Believe me, it will change your life!! 

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