Tag Archives: TomTom

I purchased the TomTom XXL 540S a couple weeks ago. This gps is the big brother for the TomTom XL 340S. This gps device just has the bigger and also brighter 5″ screen.

I have very combined feelings in regards to the gps. There are a lot of things that I like about it, but there’s also so several small information and functions which can be lacking on it that TomTom either didn’t work on or decided to exclude. These little items that are absent drive myself absolutely crazy at times and I don’t know if I can stand all of them or not really. I may consider going back this gps device and getting either a Garmin or perhaps Magellan rather. I don’t know yet. I truly hope TomTom starts addressing many of these issues.

Some regarding my benefits vs negatives are below that we hope may help others who want to decide over a gps.

Pros:

IQ Avenues (TomTom uses historical speed data for roads good time regarding day and also day from the week, so that it can supply you with the best achievable route)
Large 5″ Screen, which is easy to see.
Very loud loudspeaker. (Alternative in Amount Preferences in order to link the quantity to your cars speed if you want)
Satellite acquition is actually fast (under 10 sec personally). Shows generally around 9 satellites.
Map Color could be changed.
Can transform the color from the car mark in three dimensional mode
Auto Day/Night mode changes the brightness and also color.
Ability to prepare any route together with any Go away and Destination coordinates.

Shows the current street that the on at the bottom of the screen and also the next street to turn on inside the top proper corner.

Sophisticated Lane Guidance traveling is displayed really nicely. Shows a good arrow using the lane that you need to be in and also sometimes displays a three dimensional sign for your exit. It is actually nice and also big and it stays about the screen extended enough being viewed to ensure that its straightforward where you need to go.

Status bar could be customized to the method that you like it. It could be displayed either horizontally or perhaps vertically. Can show the rest of the time, remaining length, current time, arrival time, your speed and also the speed limit, distance for your next turn, compass, ect.

TTS (textual content to talk) instructions have become helpful in letting you know where to turn and furthermore preparing you for your next turn too. For instance it will say something similar to “After a single qurter distance turn right”. Then while you get closer to the street it will say “Turn proper Main Saint. Then take the second left”

Cons:

- POI (Tourist attractions) Map Screen displays the POI name, street and also cross street, phone, city, and state. But it gives SIMPLY NO street addresses! So you don’t know the address or perhaps what side from the street the POI is actually on, unless an individual call the area in advance and request. All you get is any checkered flag shown in the middle of the street with TomTom saying “you have reached your final destination”. On the Go design the POI Map Screen has a “Details” button that shows the road address, zip signal, and meals cuisine type for example. Why TomTom decided to remove this about this model I don’t know.

- No AutoZoom enable/disable choice (like away from home model). You may manually move in or on the map, but concerning 5 sec later AutoZoom will activate and consider you right back to just what TomTom wants one to see. Its really frustrating because I like to zoom inside and out there sometimes to ensure that I is able to see more map detail, but TomTom won’t permit me to for any longer then concerning 5 sec. When I start the gps device the move level in which TomTom provides picked is indeed bad that many all the street describes around myself have totally vanished from your screen. All which i see are a lot of street names just boating on the map without streets getting shown.

- Won’t speak which side from the street your destination is actually on. (In the event you enter any street address to get a destination however it does show just a little arrow about the map pointing to the left or proper hand side from the street if you are approaching your destination. Along having a little checkered flag privately of the road your vacation spot is on.)

- Modify Preferences screen is 6 web pages deep in support of has any button in order to advance foward to the next page. There isn’t any back button. So should you say accidently go at night screen you desired to be on you have to then media the foward button 5 a lot more times in order to return to that page.

- No simple way to find yourself in the Browse as Text message turn listings display from your main screen.

- Browse as Text message route guidelines, the textual content and arrows for that turn list is simply way in order to small. Also there’s no Auto Scroll perform. To view the following page regarding new forthcoming turns you have to scroll lower the record manually oneself.

- POI Map Screen inside Night mode shows the cross street text inside black, which is incredibly difficult to see unless you get very near to the screen.

- three dimensional mode in the daytime the routes background lighting isn’t consistent over the whole screen. There are usually noticable lines over the screen to see the various brightness stages. Towards the bottom of the map the the brightest and as an individual pan up the screen it gets somewhat darker.

- Can’t enter the road name untill once you have entered the town. Its negative news knowing the street but unsure from the city. You will be able to search for that street in a city in your area or nearby the city that you simply entered (if it had been incorrect).

- TTS (textual content to talk) regarding multiword street names seems sometimes garbled.
- TTS pronounces several words and also streets fairly poorly.
- Can’t change along with of the car symbol inside 2D mode.
- Can’t search dining places by cuisine type.
- No MicroSD memory slot for expansion. Room is actually pretty tight with only 2GB regarding internal expensive memory. After removing all the voices aside from computer words Susan and also removing a lot of the car emblems. I nevertheless only have 105mb regarding space free of charge remaining.
- Just supports HARDWARE 1. 1 transactions. So once you install routes or executing backups the very sluggish.

Miscellaneous details: gps chipset on mine has been a GL2 BCM4750 (Global Locate a couple of), The PC speed is actually 266MHZ. 64MB regarding RAM. (more…)