TomTom update or replace

[Johnd52]

I have an old XL2 TomTom which has served me well. I use it a lot in mainland Europe but have recently found that there are quite a few new roads in Germany and France that are not on the maps. I have done regular map updates, but wondered whether it would be better to replace the device with a current package. Any advice gratefully received.

[Slushbox]

If it's very old the internal battery is probably shot, it doesn't use the current faster fix methods and the maps out of date. This may not matter much.

The new (Garmins with LMT) now come with free Lifetime Maps, live traffic updates, and free safety camera updates. They mostly have larger touch screens, voice-command, BlueTooth phone hookups, fuel computers, louder speakers, more choice of voices and languages, dual or triple map overlays, GLONASS capability for that trip to Russia, and so on.

Also, although many people don't use the feature, most sat-navs now have PC route and waypoint mapping and planning capability, route logging and graphing, export to Google Maps cand many other features.

Current sat-navs now mostly have MicroSD expansion slots so that you can add points of interest, (POIs) larger maps and so on. Again, few people seem to use POI's but if you tour, being able to find nearby hotels with their phone numbers, and call them from the handsfree in the sat-nav seems like science fiction. POI's can be added easily, I have most UK Hotels and gas stations in mine, plus most gas stations in Western Europe, restaurants and so on.

Finding nearby gas stations from POIs is extremely useful, especially on European back roads on a Sunday, and these functions need updating frequently to be current.

I don't use TomTom but my Garmin updates maps and POI's for free three or four times a year, and I use it constantly in the car. Voice command is usful for dialling calls.

Edited by Slushbox on Wednesday 5th August 07:09

[rich888]

Johnd52 said:

I have an old XL2 TomTom which has served me well. I use it a lot in mainland Europe but have recently found that there are quite a few new roads in Germany and France that are not on the maps. I have done regular map updates, but wondered whether it would be better to replace the device with a current package. Any advice gratefully received.

The newer TomToms use a new interface which is horrible compared to the XL which I was previously using, there is no 'Home' button, it doesn't remember previous routes, if the road is blocked you can't click on the screen and select 'road blocked in....yards' as you could before. The new version allows you to accidentally mute the verbal turn instructions, but no quick way from the map screen to put the volume back up again, and if you accidentally tap the screen in the wrong place it changes from actual view to zoomed out plan view.

And of course you have to select each route every time, or scroll sideways through the confusing options and then remember to 'save' the route, it's been ill thought-out by TomTom developers.

The latest TomTom is a little bit faster than the previous version which it should be considering that it is newer, but that is probably down to the use of a faster processor that has been installed, and certainly the directions and map is far clearer when you are driving, it's just the new menu layout that is awful.

It's a real shame TomTom messed with the interface because there wan't very much wrong with the old XL version I was previously using, it just needed clearer directions.

Steve Jobs would have said where the hell is the Home button, and I agree with him, where the hell is the home button!!!