Introducing...GEORGE! (TomTom One)

Member Name: clairmay

Product:	TomTom One
Date:	20/03/06 (3548 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Never getting LOST ever again . .

Disadvantages: None None None . . . . .

My best present ever is the Tomtom One. For those of you out there saying WHAT??!! It's a satellite navigation system ('sat nav' for short). It gets you from home to places and back home again without having to look at a map or an A-Z, of which I have about 12 lounging on the back seat of my car.
I do a lot of travelling, mostly at night, when, in winter, it is almost impossible to see street signs. That's if you are lucky enough to be in a town where they haven't all been nicked or vandalised! This tends to add about another hour onto my journey because, if it's somewhere I am not familiar with, I have to keep stopping and re-reading the map. You don't need me to tell you that you can't read and drive at the same time. Well, you're not supposed to… let's put it that way! So I needed a co-pilot. Enter George…my name for the Tomtom One. Yes, it has to have a name…OK…


What's in the box
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The Tomtom One.
SD Memory Card.
Mounting Kit.
Car Charger.
USB Cable.
CD for Microsoft windows.
Product Code Card.
Booklet telling about the accessories you can get for your Tomtom.
Booklet telling about the Tomtom PLUS services.
An installation poster.


Getting Started
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Remove the sticky label covering the front of the sat nav and push the SD card into the slot on the bottom of the machine. You will also find holes for the USB connector, the power connector for the car charger (the other end of the cable fits in the cigarette lighter socket) and the headphone connector. The Tomtom One has a rechargeable battery that can be used continuously for up to 2 hours without charging. My advice is, when you are using it in the car, to keep it plugged into the cigarette lighter. Press and hold the on/off button, which is found on the top right of the Tomtom One for 2 seconds. When you first fire it up you may need to hold down the button for about 20 seconds. Once the screen is on just touch it anywhere and answer the questions. These are whether you would like a male or female prompt voice. Your Tomtom One will then display the driving view which is in black and white. It remains this colour until the Tomtom One locates your position. It may take up to about 5 minutes to do this. If it takes longer just go to an open space away from tall buildings or trees. You may find that if your car has a heat reflective shield built into the windscreen that your Tomtom One may have difficulty finding a signal but this is easily rectified by the purchase of an external antenna.


Mounting Kit
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This is very easy to fit. Just follow the Step by Step guide supplied with the Tomtom One. I have mine positioned at the bottom middle of my windscreen which is to my left. I was a little worried about this as my windscreen is at a funny angle, due to my car being a convertible, but I need not have worried because the bracket onto which you slide the Tomtom is movable, so you can position it wherever you want to enable you to see it. It attaches by suction. This is activated by the movement of a lever which expels all the air from the rubber suction cap device enabling it to stick solidly to the windscreen.


Your FIRST Journey.
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1. Tap the screen to bring up the menu.
2. Tap…Navigate to.
3. Tap address.
4. First type the name of the town or city you want to go to…. (As soon as you have the first few letters the Tomtom One will give you alternatives so just click on the correct one to save time)
5. Tap in the street name (Again same as above)
6. Tap in the house number.
Your Tomtom will then calculate your route.
7. When this is finished tap 'Done' and your Tomtom One will immediately start giving you directions for reaching your destination.

Your Tomtom One will not only give you voice commands but will also give you an on screen moving map to follow.


Following Instructions.
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I am not going to tell you that this is easy because the first time I used my Tomtom one it was to try it out, so I used it on a journey I know well, and because the Tomtom One wanted to take me a route I had never been before it completely freaked me out. I did try to override the instructions and it became quite belligerent with me telling me to 'Turn in the road when safe to do so!' (a term I have become quite familiar with) However, I decided to let George do his job and… wonder of wonders… not only did George get me where I wanted to be but he also found a quicker route…OK I have learned my lesson…'George Knows Best!!'
You will get used to the commands. An example is 'In 800 yards turn right' then at the junction you get 'Turn right ahead' (I have George set to yards and miles because I am very old and don't understand metres). George tells me when there is a motorway exit I need to take and what exit to use at a roundabout. All of these instructions are given with plenty of time to complete them. And on the bottom left of the screen an arrow shows you which way to go and how far before you have to do it.


Measurements.
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My Tomtom One measures 4 ½" or 12cm across 3 ½" or 9cm in height and 1 ¼" or 3cm deep. So I can get it into even the dinkiest of handbags, which is handy because you do not want to leave it in your car, as it's just another excuse for some idiot to break in.


Technical Information.
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Not only will your Tomtom One make sure you never get lost again but it will also give you:

An anti glare screen, which is even visible in direct sunlight.
Points of Interest.
Petrol stations and their distance and route.
Restaurants… anything from McDonalds to the finest dining places and their distance and route.
Hotels/Motels and their distance and route.
Attractions and their distance and route.
Parking areas and their distance and route.
You can also work out routes by using a postcode. Just follow the instruction as before but using the postcode icon.

If you want to you can take a demo of the route you have selected. Selecting the browse icon can do this; you can either do this in images or you can listen to George as he takes you through command by command.

If you decide to visit attractions on your route just press the itinerary icon and you can add places to visit


The Technical Stuff.
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Integrated GPS receiver based on SiRF Star III with 20 Channels.
32 MB RAM - CPU: 380 MHz.
Operating temperature: -10 to +55 °C.
Internal rechargeable Li-Ion battery.
Built-in Bluetooth Connection.

Along with the route finding George also has a number of extras…these are part of the Tomtom Plus services.

1. Information on traffic jams as they occur.
2. Information about changing weather conditions.
3. The wherabouts of speed cameras.
4. A more detailed view of the city or town you are in.
5. I saved this one until last because I think it's the best. How do you fancy getting your route instructions from John Cleese or a New York taxi driver. These are only two of an assortment of funny voices that you can download along with all the other services that come with Tomtom Plus. I can't wait for the Ozzy Osbourne voice (I have a feeling that he would probably not say'turn in the road when it is safe to do so' …I'll leave you to fill in the 'blanks' on that one!)
All the above can be downloaded using bluetooth technology and your mobile phone, provided it is enabled with bluetooth. However, there is a small charge for all of the above. Just visit the Tomtom website at www.tomtom.com and see for yourself .


Where to buy and how much
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This was a Christmas present and I did not want to ask the person who bought it how much they paid so I went onto the internet and the best price I could find was at Carphone Warehouse where it was £249.99 with free next day delivery, Dixons also had the same offer and, after that, Comet came in at £296.99 with free delivery.


My overall recommendation
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I love George. It is official. I do not know how I managed all that time without him. He is my constant companion. This little gem is so much more than a simple route finder. It is an entertainment guide, a traffic reports system, a weather man, and a money saver. I am sure I am not the only one to be caught by a dreaded 'speed camera' and, before you say anything, I know I should not be speeding, I will go and stand in a corner and beat myself about the head with a wet kipper, and No! I am not going to start driving like Stirling Moss (A racing driver… for those of you only just out of nappies). I give my Tomtom one 12/10….
I have given my best answers to the Dooyoo product features although some of them are not applicable.

Summary: The Tomtom one is the only travel companion you will ever need.