Customer Reviews

TomTom GO 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Well, I have to admit really falling in love with this device over the last week. The reason I bought it is actually because of third-party software package provided by a company called Equinux that makes the TomTom Go Mac OSX compatible. This software is not included, but it's easy to find on the web.

It's this software packages, callled Tam Tam, that makes the TomTom Go, to my knowledge, the first, truly MAC OSX compatible car GPS. Which in my humble opinion is a far better solution than jury-rigged coding for extreme hackers who try and force Garmin or Magellan to work with the Mac operating system machinse or the truly sad compromise of using Virtual PC, which, as far as I understand, makes your mac vulnerable to all those nasty virus and techno-terrors aimed at PC/Intel boxes.

In deference to the review guidelines, I won't put the Equinux URL here, but it's easy enough to find them on the web. The main reason I bring Equinux up at all is because if it wasn't for their Tam Tam Mac OSX software, I never would have bought my TomTom Go and, Man, I would have missed out on a wonderful device.

Anyway, the device, TOMTOM GO, is fantastic! The 3D map views are clear and easily read and once you switch to a map section that applies to where you are the TomTom has no problem getting a GPS connection - I'm making this assumption because I live and work in the hills of Tennessee, North Carolina Virginia and if it can get GPS reception here than that's really saying something.

Also, I splurged for the pre-loaded version, and I think I made the right call, just because I didn't want to take too many chances considering the, at the time, compatibility concerns, concerns which have since been fully addressed.

There is one down side, because the US map is sectioned into 6 or 7 maps, even if the maps are all loaded you can't go from a specific address in one section to a specific address in another section. This is a bit of a bummer, but once you get a hang of using the Major US Roads maps, which lack most specific addresses, and see how easy it is to switch maps as you go along, this is soon resolved. It's this flaw and the rather lousy mount that are the only reasons this is a four, and not a five, star review.

On the case of the mount, it too is a problem that is easliy rectified with one of those jell sticky, easy-to-peal off pads you can use on your dash. Better that than the permanted adhessive disc TomTom provides if your planning to attach their mount to your dash instead of your window.

Anyway, aside from the address to address multiple map problem and the dashboard mount problem, this device is great and if, like me, you are a Mac enthusiast who has been waiting for years for a Car GPS complete unit (not just a receiver) that's truly Mac OSX compatible, than it is here... after a fashion.

All in all, the TomTom GO with Equinux Tam Tam software is probably the best investment I made all year!

After owning for some years a Garmin Street Pilot III I decided to try a new GPS, hoping that technology would have improved- not that the Street Pilot wasn't doing its job, but there's always room for improvement. After seraching and re-searching, I went for the TomTom Go Plus with pre-loaded maps. Reasons? Several... A neat feature of the TT is that, with all the maps on the unit, there is no need for computer set up. You don't even need a computer, as a matter of fact, to use the unit right off the box. Another big plus is that there is no need to have all sort of cables across your dash -antenna, audio... The TT has only one cable, the power cable... which in a short trip you can do without, since the unit will run for at least 5 hours on a fully charged internal battery. The Street Pilot would run about 15 minutes with 6 AA batteries... More good stuff: the menus are very easy to navigate -touch screen- and information is entered with a screen keyboard (no more scrolling through the alphabet). I just wish that the keyboard was "qwert" instead of alphabetical. The satellite reception is much better than with the Street Pilot, and its built-in antenna picks up the signal just about anywhere you mount the unit... even inside the house! (magic?) The mounting winshield bracket works well, although in cars with very deep windshield (ie Beetle) places the unit kind of far to be able to read it comfortably. I have not tried the adhesive pad that comes in the box, after reading somewhere that it may become permanently attached to your dash... Navigation is cool, you probably read about the nice strong sound, and is simplified in comparison with the Street Pilot- less info about surrounding streets that are not in your route, only the name of the next street appears on the map. And the 3D view...I don't think I can live without it after trying it! Entering your destination is fast an definetly easier than with the Street Pilot. I have read some reviews that talk about the glare... and yes, that's a problem, and you may have to re-position the unit 'til you find the sweet spot. Downloading the latest software version (4.42) from their site -totally painless- increases the brightness of the screen, and that helped a bit. And finally, a couple of things that could be better: even though all the maps are loaded, you need to swap maps when you travel between regions, unless you use the less detailed "highway map" to route your destination. I that case, if your destination is a smal town, it will not be in the memory, and you'll have to settle for the next best (or bigger) city. The second issue is the points of interest. Garmin maps seem to be "better", including, for example, grocery stores, and above all, phone numbers -yes, it is convenient to be able to call a motel ahead to check availability... but not with your TT... On the other hand, is very easy to make your own list of POIs..to which you can add phone numbers if you wish. Despite these little "flaws", I definetly recommend this GPS...

The Tom Tom GO is an excellent product. With the preloaded maps there's almost no setup required, and it's very easy to use. It works as well or better than any of the original equipment GPS systems provided in automobiles. And because it is not original equipment it is unencumbered by liability-minimizing function locks present on some car systems (for example one car maker's GPS system doesn't allow anyone to enter a navigation destination when the car is in drive.)

The 3D views generated by the Tom Tom GO are uncannily realistic as they track exactly what you see through your windshield. As such they can be a bit distracting at first. But the Tom Tom GO provides an option to simplify the information displayed always or when traveling faster than a given speeds to eliminate potential distractions.

I've found the included maps (I have the Preloaded USA Maps version) to be very accurate and routes generated to be quite smart. In testing it out in my home town the routes generated have been very close to those I'd choose myself.

I've had another popular portable GPS system and the maps for that system were no where near as accurate or smart as the Tom Tom GO.

It's important to consider the pros and cons of a removable GPS navigation system. It's is an obvious advantage in that you can use it with any car and can take it with you when you travel and rent a car. But being removable it might make an attractive target for theft if left in place in your car. So you have to anticipate the minor hassle of packing it away when you leave your vehicle in any unsecured place.

The Tom Tom GO is a brilliantly designed and executed device that does what it promises and can be used by anyone.

Excellent ease of use coming out of the box, especially if you get the preloaded. Very unclunky looking and as discrete as you can expect from an aftermarket. 3D view is a real plus. No it doesn't give the most direct directions but I didn't know where I was going anyway. I'm still ahead of the game. For the bad news, screen washout is not just an annoyance. Except for the voice prompts the unit is practically useless and distracting in NJ winter sun and likely even more so in summer or sunnier states. Forget about wearing sunglasses. Why wouldn't the company test this before putting it on the market? TomTom customer service says they are working on a screen cover to gerryrig a solution but that's a bs response. It's a hardware problem. Fix it. Drove from Jersey to Florida recently. Not much use in that drive. Get on I-95 and keep south til you hit water. The maps could use some updating. It's missing some sections of major roadways so it tries to swing around when all you need to do is go straight. Some addresses on roads that it does recognize is also missing. (Un)coupling the unit to the swing arm is clunky, especially if you have big hands or are wearing gloves. The unit is too easy to turn on in the carry pouch. The suction attachment doesn't work well in below freezing weather. Works fine once the car is warmed up. All of these are design flaws that should have been remedied in the product development phase. It has a feature that allows you to avoid parts of a route but would like one that allows you to force a route as well. Lack of WAAS makes it less precise than similarly priced products. Having to switch between maps ie. mid atlantic and southeast states is not that troublesome. Avoiding traffic jam feature was helpful. More good things is that I did feel more comfortable veering off my course to get gas and such. They could stand to shave a couple hundred off the price though given weaknesses in execution. My feeling is that they shouldn't be rewarded for selling a product that has such glaring and multiple design flaws. Instead buy the new Garmin c330 clone coming out in March. Looks good except for the fact that the Garmin doesn't seem to have a capture GPS position, which can be very useful.

http://www.garmin.com/products/sp330/

First I would like to thank the reviewer who brought up the TamTam software to make this device macintosh compatible. It was the deciding factor in my purchase. There are only a couple of minor inconveniences that aren't worthy of a star removal. I'm not sure how to put this, but the device is not very "grippable". i'm always afraid of it slipping from my hands because of its shape and smooth contours. Also, it is difficult to see the screen from some angles in bright daylight. However, this GPS system is unbelievable! Very simple and intuitive, portable, long lasting battery, clear voice instructions, 3D visuals and comes with a nice carrying case. You would not believe how small this thing is, yet the maps and menus are easy to read.

I purchased a TomTom navigator system based on good experiences with renting cars with Magellan's Neverlost. The Magellan unit was expensive and I found the TomTom had a superior user interface, was portable and less costly. So I purchased the TomTom Go Plus.

I can't give enough praise to the user interface. It is very intuitive. The graphics are large and easily read from a distance. Its speaker delivers loud and clear speech. Being able to put the TomTom in my pocket and have it guide me in a city while I'm walking is a plus. The battery lasts 4-5 hours.

All of these advantages though, are overshawdowed by an error-ridden map and POI database that is incomplete and old. Some examples from my trips:
- It seems 50% of the POIs in the database no longer or never existed. Conversely, TomTom misses 50% of the existing POIs.
- On every trip, TomTom will not recognize a stretch of highway. TomTom thinks I'm driving through a meadow or woods and constantly tells me I need to get back on the highway. Fortunately, TomTom's volume will mute.
- TomTom thinks some interstate entrance ramps are clover-leaf instead of stoplight, guiding me to turn in a wrong direction.
- Monticello may be Thomas Jefferson's famous home near Charlottesville VA, and featured on US currency, but TomTom cannot find it.
- In southern MD, TomTom guided us to a farmer's house instead of the desired restaurant three miles away.
- In Alexandria VA, we needed to find a hospital. TomTom guided us instead to a restaurant, four miles from the nearest hospital!
- Heading to a friend's wedding near Hilton Head SC, TomTom guided us to a continuous loop through a remote neighborhood 15 miles from the destination. We had to stop at a gas station and ask directions. This was the final incident that lost my confidence in TomTom.

Now I'm back to using paper maps and written directions. I use TomTom as a secondary device mostly for tracking and measuring distance. If I could do it over, I would purchase a Magellan.

After a couple of months of ownership of the product I have nothing but good things to say about it. Put in the address of your destination and let TomTom Go Plus do its thing. I really like the talking prompts that give you ample time to do what ever manuvering TomTom calls for. Since I got it I've had two down-loadable firmware upgrades. One of the additions is the ability to enter a zip code to get a city. New updated US maps are due out in June and will come both on CD and installed on the card for a higher price. If you want easy out of the box navagation help let TomTom do the talking. The newer 300 and 700 versions will have many more capabilities such as Bluetooth. Phone call ability and many more goodies. TomTom rocks!!!!!!