TomTom, First class PART TWO ADDED. (TomTom One 3rd Edition Great Britain)

Member Name: firemanspam

Product:	TomTom One 3rd Edition Great Britain
Date:	27/07/08 (158 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: So many.

Disadvantages: Not a lot.

Tomtom One V3 Part one. Now with part 2.

Having owned and used a Tomtom One, version one for two years, I can recommend them, unfortunately mine developed a fault, and I need one for work, so I ended up buying a new one. I am going through the process of sending my old one in for repair, although this will take time, and will have to be paid for, so may not be an economic repair anyway.
If Tomtom do quote too high a price, then there is another alternative, I know of at least one company specialising in the repair of these units, at a more reasonable rate than Tomtom.

The procedure is that you contact Tomtom, they send you a flat pack carton, and you take this containing your device, to the Post Office. After a while, you receive an e-mail advising you of the cost of a repair, you accept or decline, and receive your Tomtom back in the post. As I have not yet completed the process, I will not comment on it.

This version three, is the latest model in the One range, and can now be bought for less than £120 - this is an absolute bargain. You also receive a £10 voucher for any Tomtom accessory, although these branded items are expensive, and you will more than likely use it up on purchasing extra voices etc. There are a lot to chose from, although the John Cleese voice is £6.99 so they are not cheap. I got a free carry case with mine, which came from Argos.

I just missed the opportunity of buying one at £99.99 from Tesco, they had them on special offer, until I needed one of course, worth taking your time & looking round if you are in no rush. Another discount method, is to buy from a website & go to collect yourself, PC World do this, and it will shave a tenner off the price.

I would advise against buying from ebay, the prices are very nearly as much as you pay on the high street, and in some cases are even more when you add p&p.

The main difference is the size, this newer version being slimmer and therefore lighter. The next difference is the software, it now contains Ireland. You can still download the latest versions, maps and upgrades, and download them onto your Tomtom.
I must also say that it does find it's position quicker than the original.

One more difference is the looks, from a design point of view, I feel that the looks are a little bland. The older model seemed a little rounder, even sturdier in its appearance. Although I don't doubt the resilience and quality has not gone down, the very plain appearance manages to be not minimalist, simply boring. Perhaps this is a harsh criticism for a solely functional item, but consider this - compare the looks with a modern mobile phone. See what I mean?

The device itself is very simple to set up & operate, and many reviews and opinions have been written on this subject. My opinion is that the simple instructions and pictograms are enough for anyone to get it to work. This little device will work perfectly, even without the mounting bracket, simply lying on the passenger seat, although after a couple of hours the battery will let you down, so a charging lead (which is included) will need to be plugged into the cigarette lighter socket of your vehicle.

As this is a long review, I will split it into two parts, the next part tomorrow night. This review has been previously posted on Ciao.

Right - Little problem, I said I woould post in two parts, well Dooyoo will not let me do "another review" on the same subject, understandable I suppose. I will leave it until tomorrow and delete this review, then post the part two version, unless anyone has any ideas??? Thankyou.

PART TWO here

The new style mounting kit, is very secure, and a lot smaller, although still a little obvious for my liking. These are becoming an easy target for thieves. In my car, I have fashioned a small bracket, fitted beneath the instruments, very easy for the driver to see, but not the would be thief. Also, when I leave the vehicle, I simply slip the unit into my pocket, it is small enough, even in it's case.

TomTom do recommend that you don't leave the mounting kit fixed to the windscreen overnight, as this may lose suction, I will agree with them, although more for security reasons.

I use my TomTom in different vehicles, including trucks, and find that battery life is ample, seeing as you can leave it on charge all the time, apart from perhaps when you need to use the cigarette lighter socket for some other purpose, like charging a mobile phone.

The carrying cases are OK to keep the dust off them, but there is not sufficient room for the mounting bracket or leads, I keep mine in an old cine camera case, just the job. A friend of mine stows his in a little biscuit tin! If the carrying case had belt loops, you could simply remove the unit from your car, and take it with you. The fact that it does not is a shame, and perhaps this is why many are left in the vehicle.

My Tomtom gets a lot of use in HGVs, and I have been caught out by low bridges, there is software out there which gives bridge heights, although I have not used it yet. Tomtom will also want to send me down roads which have weight limits, luckily as I drive past these roads, the trusty Tomtom simply re-routes me without me having to do a thing. I can't fault TomTom on this really, you just need to use a small amount of common sense.

You can add more POIs (Points of interest) just like you could with the older versions, these include everything from the location of all McDonalds to local hairdressers. An anti-theft idea is that you can only turn on your TomTom when you enter a 4 digit pin number, I admit I have not got round to this yet. I will keep you informed.
The V3 uses software which needs either the address or postcode. There is also an address book where you can go directly to "favourites" saving you time.

There are many more additional goodies in the new version, including the "Help" button, this asks you what you require & offers assistance, it gives basic first aid advice, provides routes to nearest hospital, gives information like phone numbers to pharmacies etc.
Also on offer is a "Where am I?" button, this is an obvious boon if you break down or have an accident.

You can charge this new version while at your comp, as the power lead is a USB. There is also a lead so you can connect to Tomtomhome, here you can "interact" with Tomtom's website, and download upgrades and extras.

I have had very few problems using this piece of kit, apart from the odd time when the road has been re-routed, and the software has not been updated, but on these new versions, you have the facility to report mistakes, road closures, one way streets etc.

I have avoided telling you how the device works, this has been well covered, and to be honest, it is so simple you just do it.

I nearly forget, the v3 comes with the speed cameras already installed. This allows you to decide on a warning tone to be sounded, and a display is given as to your speed, as well as the speed limit in force on the road you are on. and you can add new ones on a regular basis, although you do need to subscribe for this service, the cost is £19.95 for one year. You could use your free voucher & half this price.

These TomToms can be bought very cheap now, so I can only describe the price as a bargain.

If you want to look at Tomtom devices, their website is :-
http://www.tomtom.com

Summary: Very good piece of kit.