This is my first GPS unit and I wanted was something simple. I needed one quick, so I ordered the TomTom One XL, which was on sale at the time (from Dell, which charges a hefty restocking fee). I had experienced some buyer's remorse when I learned about the Mio c520's text-to-speech function, but after using the TomTom One XL on 6 road trips I think the TomTom One XL is a good choice if you want the latest large-screen GPS w/o all the bells and whistles, which suits me perfectly.

GUI: The user interface is intuitive and though some people may complain about not having enough shortcuts to certain commands, I was able to memorize the menu structure so quickly that I can easily jump through the menus faster than I can memorize some of the shortcuts. I played around with the Mio c520 at Fry's for quite a while and didn't like the interface at all. To be fair, I wasn't able to road test it, but the 10 minutes I spent with it was a lot worse than the first 10 I spent on the TomTom One XL. Another reviewer on this site says that the Mio c220's interface is a lot better than the c520's, so maybe my conclusion was reasonable.

VOICES: Some other reviewers complained about the English speaking voice on the Mio, so it's great that the TomTom has a large number of good quality voices and languages to choose from. I didn't like the sound of the voice on the Mio C520 when I tried it out and I don't think I was successful in changing it.

POI: I didn't have any problems with POIs for the places I've looked for, which were mostly gas stations, airports, and a few restaurants.

ROUTING: Like many mapping systems (including Google and Yahoo!), you have to take their guidance with a grain of salt. I used the TomTom to get to a few places where I know the routes and the traffic patterns (e.g. cars and traffic signs) and the TomTom didn't always choose the most efficient one. To be fair, I'm not a computer running off algorithms so I just know better sometimes. Having said that, the purpose of these navigational systems are for places where I've never been to and it's been a great time saver. Oh, one nice feature I've noticed more recently is that the screen actually shows you which side of the street your destination is on (assuming you enter the street number or it's a listed POI). The little arrow turns to one side when you're close enough to the destination.

BATTERY: The TomTom is rated for 2 hours of use and I'm glad I get about that b/c it bugged me that the Mio c520 is advertised to have twice that. However, I did read one user review (on another website) that claimed that their experience with the Mio c520's battery life was nowhere near the 4 hours that it's supposed to. So maybe it's a tie since electronic manufacturers typically rate battery life based on ideal usage.

PORTABILITY: I typically transport the TomTom in my computer backpack. I don't have a case for it, but I haven't damaged any part of it yet. When I don't have my backpack, I keep it in my front pant pocket along with my wallet. Surprisingly, it doesn't make me any less comfortable.

WISHLIST: Having experienced my first car nav device on half a dozen trips, I now know what I want for my next GPS unit once the prices are more reasonable: Text-to-speech, longer battery life (3+ hrs), voice command operation, and live traffic (assuming it's free). The TomTom One XL should last me until that happens.

This Review is for the Tom Tom One XL (larger wide-screen version of the Tom Tom One).

I have had this product what I believe to be around a month. I wanted to wait so I could form a good idea of how I felt because my initial desire was to run back to Amazon and just put five stars and that would be that. However I do believe that I owe it to TomTom because of their great product to do a more in depth review.

Out of the box the GPS (global positioning system) works flawlessly. There are no (zero) charges (monthly or otherwise) to use this item once purchased. Many people ask me this and so I put this first thing. TomTom does offer "Premium" services like Traffic alerts and such but you decide to sign up for these things yourself. To use the included maps and get point to point navigation you simply buy this GPS (TomTom One XL) and plug it into your cigarette lighter for power and off you go. Without the power cord (which IS included) the TomTom One XL will run for about 2hrs and then will require a recharge. I always use the plug-in so I do not know how close to 2hrs it will last.

Functionality:
The TomTom One XL is extremely easy to use. It has a "touch screen" and that is how you put in ALL information that you want to look up, search for, and/or find. You simply touch the screen and a menu comes up and you choose from what you want to do. If you are wanting to go to an address it asks CITY then STREET then HOUSE NUMBER in that order. A ON-SCREEN keyboard comes up and you type it in using the touch screen. It is VERY easy to do and very intuitive to learn. Those that are not computer literate and/or have problems with techno-babel or geeky things need not worry because a few hours of "tinkering" with this device and you will be able to use it like a pro. Setting up a "favorite" location is simple as hitting the screen (to bring up the menus) then hit ADD FAVORITE and then you can add it from a variety of ways (either by address, lat/long, your present GPS location (the way I normally do it), and other ways. Once you have done this you can NAME the favorite what you want to. I love this feature because even though I can look up restaurants, bars, nightclubs and such in the Points of Interest index (which is VERY full and VERY up2date) it is many times easier just to add a nice "new" place to favorites and put a name you will remember to it. Like you visit an out of town steak shop and want to go back some day you can name it "Nashville Steaks 12oz sirloin Milly ate." Just an example. The "favorite" names can be detailed and helpful. I don't know how many you get but I have put in quite a few already and I know the system's memory is no where near being used up.

Why Buy:
Value. Hands down the value you get with this system for each dollar spent (I paid around $300 bucks with free shipping, thank you Amazon.com for the great price you couldn't even advertise at the time) is many times over what you get value wise with systems that have more "known" names like Garmin and the like. Because something has these names means little when you look at what you end up with. Many times you get over-glorified techno-crappy overly complex systems that because a hassle to use and face it if it isn't easy to use you WON'T use it. With the TomTom One XL you are getting something so easy to use you will enjoy putting in directions, adding favorites, and do the many other things to "make the system your own." It has a very nice and easy to read large screen and the touch screen is extremely easy to use. I have the TomTom One XL with the larger wide-screen and I suggest this version to everyone...you will love the larger screen, trust me.

Additional (advanced) features:
-You can add voices from the web of famous people, robots, cars, etc. Of course my absolute favorite is K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider series but I am completely biased by my love of that show when I was a kid. You can get (if you use google and search) free celebrity voices while at the same time TomTom does offer "premium" voices at their sight. These voices also come is MANY (and I do mean MANY) different languages. There is also differences in the "American English" and the "British English." One cool thing is the British call it a motorway and we call it an interstate.

-You can change the color schemes, screen brightness (separate settings for day and night), type of voices (male/female and language), add an opening splash screen that says owner info (name, address, phone) and even lock that info in the system if you have a PC to attach it to over USB (probably for more advanced users and NOT needed to do unless you want the newest maps and/or other "online" features).

-You can HELP update the map system. Say you drive into a new development and in the TomTom Mapping software a road is not named yet (Unnamed it normally says). YOU can goto "Map Corrections" under a menu and actually put that road's name in. Beyond this when/if you ever sign up for TomTom HOME (PC connection over USB FREE by the way) your corrections are shared with a main server and then ALL OF US who are using TomTom's around the country are helping to improve and update our maps and make them the best in the country. (And my goodness I have put in TONS of info with my job...)

Any what do I do for a living?
I'm a cab driver. Yep, you heard right. I drive all around the area I live/work in and use my TomTom One XL constantly. I am inserting data, correcting map errors (telling them about road changes, new roads, adding road names, etc.), looking up POI's(points of interest including bars, restaurants, nightclubs, hospitals, and more and more and more), correcting POI's (YES! you can do that too!), adding NEW POI's, adding favorites, looking up favorites, looking up "recent addresses," and perhaps giving this little GPS the workout of a lifetime. It is an exceptional piece of equipment and perhaps one of the best investments I have ever made.

I give the TomTom One XL my highest recommendation and completely trust that anyone who buys it will love it just as much as I do. I researched many other systems and not a single one came close in this price range. And even those in higher price ranges with "additional" features seemed to add complexity to a system you DO NOT WANT TO BE COMPLEX. The last thing you want when you are trying to find a place is to accidentally start an audio-book and/or call your house. Such additions to GPS should be thought of carefully because many times you already own the Ipod and have a blue-tooth system with your phone. Therefore to have those "extra" and more complicating apps/features on a GPS is simply either redundant or superfluous.

Buy with complete confidence as TomTom also has great customer support but don't take my word for it visit their web-site (google for it or www DOT tomtom DOT com) and see the quality they put into their online presence. They really care about quality and it shows in their maps that they use, in the frequent updates, in their product value, and in their online customer FAQs.

Suggestions: Get some "free" voices to spice up the directions, KEEP that thin plastic screen cover that comes on the screen with the unit as long as you can, it offers great protection and you can STILL use the touch screen even with it on. When/if it ever falls off GET ANOTHER SCREEN PROTECTION plastic cover to give you a small "safety" net in case it gets bumped (I change cars plenty and it just happens with USE). I kept my plastic on and it is STILL on and still works great. And all the little scratches on it AREN'T on my GPS main screen which is great. Don't forget you can turn voices up or down in volume from the main screen (lower left side of screen tap once and the volume control comes up). Helps if you need to turn down to hear customer directions/radio and up if hard of hearing (like me).

On Driving safer:
You talk on your phone you will sooner or later have an accident. Four years is the average time it takes to have one. If you have driven and talked on your phone for four years and have not had one yet, you are 100% likely to have one soon...if that doesn't scare you what will?
You increase your chances of dying at the wheel whenever you do ANYTHING but drive, even chatting with a passenger. Because you have a GPS in the car doesn't mean you should be using it while in motion. Red lights perhaps (even then risky) but NEVER while in motion. Make it a point never to do so and I promise you it is very tempting to try it. The TomTom One XL has great safety features built into it and you can allow the screen to shut off until you need a command if you would like it to, there are other safety features as well please be sure to read the manual and get acquainted with them. Only you can make sure you are using your GPS system to make you a safer, more alert, and less directionally challenged driver. DO NOT LET YOUR NEW GPS GET YOU KILLED. Teens are the worst ones. Make it a rule that they can NOT use their phone, use the GPS, or have more than 2 friends in the car at a time. 15,000 kids a year is too many. Parents, THINK about the feeling you'd have if an officer knocked at your door and take it upon yourself RIGHT NOW to lay down the law about how your child should drive and what is expected of them. And if they won't listen, take the keys until they will. Then you will get to watch them walk across the stage...instead of getting their degree posthumously. It is time everyone took better care of their on-road actions. One last thing: GPS systems DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS A SAFE ROUTE OR NOT. They take (most of the time) the "quickest" route. Many times that could be through gang areas of a city you are "new" to. DON'T let your GPS lead you into a bad situation.
THINK. PLAN. KNOW. Be careful where to are going to and how you get there.

Thanks for reading...safe driving!

A basic GPS that serves its purposes. I have a built-in GPS in my car and bought this one for my Honda mini-van. I also travel a lot for work, so naturally, I use it in rental cars for work as well.
What I like: I like the 3D view and the way the unit present the information to me. The unit provides very good directions; once I get used to the way it directs, I think I am better informed (or directed) thjan my built-in unit. Nice wider screen than my previous HP GPS PDA is definitely a big improvement. The voice level is more than adequate.
What I don't like or want to see improved: There is no adjustment to the brightness of the screen. Although visible, I can use a little brighter screen under bright sun. The power plug is underneath the unit - I prefer it on the side, because the unit is so sensitive, I do not really need to mount it on the wind shield, I like to have the option of leaning it against the instrument panel; with the power plug underneath, I could not let it sit behind the steering wheel and lean on the panel. I still have not found a way to delete the favorite from the database, and there is no where in the manual can tell me what is the SD slot is used for. I plug in a blank SD card, the unit would not boot up until I remove it. Fully charged, the unit would last about 2 hours with the internal battery can be improved as well.
Overall impression: A decent GPS unit that is well worth the money. Since I lost my HP GPS PDA (with all my personal info!!!), I am staying away from multifunction gadgets, this is one is highly recommended.

Like some of the other reviews, I researched reviews of GPS devices for a while before I settled on the TomTom One XL. After a couple of road trips with the XL, I'm confident I made the right choice. A lot of the concerns others have stated never bothered me or were not noticed.
Some thoughts:
1. Simple interface that got me from point A to point B with no major problems--intuitive, I have not needed to refer to the manual.
2. I found the rerouting to be quick and seamless when I made wrong turns or ignored the instructions as given
3. Screen is bright and large--easy to see in daylight. Night colors were not distracting.
4. Voice options are clear and easy to hear---even over radio, highway noise, and crazy kids in the back seat!
5. Maps appear to be up to date and accurate. I read reviews blasting the maps/software used by the European GPS companies like Mio and TomTom. No problems for me so far.
6. POIs could be better organized. Garmin organizes restaurants by cuisine, for example. Obviously, a minor quibble.
7. The enclosed mount was a tad short, but the unit snapped securely in place and did not shake or fall. On my Honda CRV, there is a huge amount of space between the dash and the windscreen. I placed the suction cup above my inspection sticker. I can see the XL clearly, its in reach, but not distracting.

This could be a nice product if it weren't for the lousy mapping information. The wide screen is nice, menu controls are O.K., audio instructions are clear. The point-of-interest information, however, is inaccurate to the point of being useless.

Wanted to look for a Home Depot on my newly bought TOMTOM, nope: generic 'shopping centers' only, you can't look by chain name. Took it on a business trip, had it direct me to the nearest mall - no mall, only the offices of a 'mill' (no kidding). Had it send me to a gas station on the way back to the airport - no gas station, just a fork in the road. Next alternative (supposedly) 10 miles and a toll-road away (went off to find a gas station by sight with better success). Even the name of the street where we live has the wrong spelling ...

Tested all of the above on my wife's Garmin: The mill is not a mall and the nearest (real) mall is indicated correctly. Same for the gas station at Denver airport - it is where it really is, not where the TOMTOM had it. My street is spelled correctly. And 'Home Depot' and 'Staples' come standard with the Nüvi. Grudgingly, I paid the $50 restocking fee and am proud owner of a Nüvi now ...

If you just want to use the TOMTOM for basic navigation, you may be happy with it. If you're used to the flexibility of finding places without having to google them first then the TOMTOM will be a huge disappointment. It may have to do with the fact that it is not a US product (the European market is different, e.g. not many EU-wide retail chains). There are POI upgrades available on the web that supposedly correct some information, but if I have to spend money (and time) for that, I'd rather go with a product that has it right from the get-go.

I bought my TomTom recently when I knew I'd have to deal with a city I don't usually go to, Cambridge, MA. Cambridge has all sorts of crazy streets and cow paths and one-ways and things. I avoid it as much as possible, but I had to go to a reception there. I bought the TomTom and tried it out on places I was already familiar with to get used to how it worked. Some things take a bit of getting used to. It may say "Right turn ahead" when you know there is only a fork in the road, but when you approach, it says "Bear right". It pretty much got me everywhere, not always by the way I'd have chosen, but it got me there. I haven't hooked up the traffic or weather things yet, so I can't comment on those, but it was fairly easy to use and got me where I needed to go with a minimum of muss & fuss. I consider that success!!

With regard to the reviewer who got old software into his TomTom by accident, the FIRST thing I did was back-up the TomTom to my computer. I too had my unit freeze up, but because it was backed up, I was able to restore it from my computer. I owe a debt of gratitude to that reviewer or I'd probably have had a tantrum over that.

I'd say buy this unit, but I hear a newer version, which announces street names, has come out. You might want to take a look at that one first as hearing the street names can be helpful. Then again, this one may be upgraded for that feature too, but I haven't heard anything about it yet.

I owned the TomTom GO 910 before I purchased the TomTom ONE XL, and I much prefer the ONE XL. Here's why:
1. The ONE XL is more portable, so it fits easily in pants pockets or a woman's purse. This is key because, unlike the chunky GO 910, you won't leave the unit in the car for thieves to smash your window and take it (even when the unit and all wires are out of sight in the glove compartment).
2. The ONE XL sticks more easily to the car windshield because it's lighter. The GO 910 would droop or sometimes fall right off.
3. The ONE XL doesn't have as much storage capacity for music, but I don't mind that. I'm still able to get about 3GB or MP3s on my ONE XL with a 4 GB SD card and the OpenTom MP3 player (free internet download), and 3GB of MP3s is plenty considering that it's difficult to do anything but shuffle playback on either TomTom.
4. The ONE XL is more reliable than the GO 910. The GO 910 has a temperamental hard drive (vs. flash memory for the ONE XL), and it would occasionally go into a frozen, comatose state until I plugged it into my computer.
5. I don't need photos on my GPS, and I actually need a break from photos. I already have them in my iPod, mobile phone, and laptop, wallet, photo frames, and digital photo frame. Enough already.
6. The ONE XL is currently less expensive if you only need US maps, even when you include the price of a 4GB SD card (but if you need Europe and US maps, the GO 910 is cheaper).

My only complaint is that, as far as I can tell, the ONE XL can't read from the SD card and from the internal memory at the same time - it's one or the other. So if you have an SD card, you have to set aside about 1GB for the system software and a map.

Well, I've had a tomtom one xl and a garmin nuvi 250w for two weeks now and have tested both out in Canada and the US, both on streets I am very familiar with and in areas I've never been before. They both cost exactly the same when I bought them so that isn't a consideration in my evaluations. My feelings on both devices are mixed. A quick rundown of winning points for each is given and then I will go into more detail below. I still haven't decided which one I'm going to keep (I still have 10 days to return the one I don't want).

Garmin Wins: Battery Life, Mapping System, Screen clarity in sunlight, Windshield Mount

Tomtom Wins:
Features, Voices, Satellite Acquisition

Details on some of the above:

Itinerary planning - Garmin only lets you program one waypoint, but Tomtom lets you save iteneraries. It's not a true route planning system where you can program several stops and it will tell you the best route taking them all into account, however it will let you program multiple stops so that after you reach one it will direct you to the next. With Garmin the only way to accomplish something similar would be to go to your first destination and then go into favourites and then click the next place you want to go. I like though how if I have some regular stops on a regular route, I can save that itenerary with a name and it will be saved until I delete it. Garmin has no option close to it. Even if you use the faves option I listed above, it won't save that route for future use so it would all have to be redone and you'd not only have to try to remember every stop, but you'd have to punch each in individually again, whereas tomtom will have it saved to go back to with a couple clicks. Plus you can add to a tomtom itenerary later so if you find a new fave stop you can add it in or delete parts of an itenerary you don't want in there anymore.

Voices - Garmin gives you a choice of different languages, but I have yet to find a way to get different voices on the Nuvi 250W. It gives me an American English voice and that is it. I have looked on their website and even hooked up my nuvi to the WebUpdater tool they have and it has no other voices avail. that I can find. The tomtom one xl has quite a few voices to choose from to begin with, plus you can download for free a bunch of fun voices off the internet. I currently have Yoda and Darth Vader taking turns giving my husband and I directions.

Battery Life - Garmin easily wins in this regard with approx. 4-5 hr. batt. life, Tomtom only lasts a couple of hours.

Garmin's screen is easier to see in bright sunlight and the windshield mount is more reliable.

Size - both are small, but garmin is slimmer which is good if you want to put it in your pocket. Tomtom has a bit of a bulge in the back (not huge by any means but still not flat like the garmin. The bulge is handy if you want to stand it up in front of you though.

Satellite acquisition - Garmin satellites can locate me inside my house, garmin I have to go outside to get a signal. Kind of a pain when you want to program a route and have to go out in the freezing cold on your porch or to sit in your car to wait for it to acquire a signal. I like the convenience with the tt one xl of being able to sit inside my house and put in a location and see the directions while still warm and cozy sitting on my couch. Then I can turn it off and when I go to my car the info is all set to go and I already have perused the directions to get an idea of the steps in my route. Also sometimes even outside the garmin takes a few minutes to acquire a satellite, whereas the tomtom always acquires a satellite within seconds.

Detours - tomtom comes out on top again. Garmin lets you hit a detour button and gives you a new path to follow, but tomtom lets you choose how far you want to avoid something. So for example, if road "W" is the best one to follow to get to your destination, but there is construction for a couple blocks, you can choose to avoid that route for just that period where there is construction, and then get back on it. The garmin gives you a whole new route that may or may not get you back on the original road.

Other misc. pros and cons - tomtom comes with a usb cable, garmin does not and considering how cheap they are and that it is necessary for charging if you want to charge from your computer, I think Garmin really cheaped out on that one -- tomtom lets you use a qwerty keyboard format, garmin does not -- tomtom lets you search by zipcode, the garmin makes you enter street name and number

Navigation - both units get you from point a to point b in my experience thus far, though the majority of the time the garmin seems to take the most direct and logical route, whereas tomtom seems to lead you a bit astray to get to your destination. However there have been a couple times when the tt brought me to the doorstep of the place I was going when the garmin was a bit off. Overall though I do feel safer taking the garmin's directions. Tomtom apparently does have some kind of map downloading/sharing feature but I haven't checked it out yet. That may be a great feature and help if you can download maps from others who know the backroads better than a computer system ever could.

So right now I am having a tough time deciding which one to keep because they both have their pros and cons. Both get you where you need to go for the most part, but I do feel the garmin navigates better, which is why you buy a gps right? However the tomtom picks up satellites quicker and more reliably thus far and that is important too when getting somewhere. The tomtom seems to come out leaps and bounds ahead of the garmin in options and features though and that is what is hanging me up on the decision. If my garmin had the features my tomtom has or my tomtom had the navigation system my garmin had the decision would be a no-brainer. Luckily I still have 10 days to decide which one to keep, but it's going to be a tough decision. I think either one would be a good choice though in the end, just different pros and cons to each.

The picture quality is great! It takes some time to learn to use the various commands, but it's not difficult once you spend some time practicing with it. The directions easily adjust if you take a different route than the one suggested. Really like the feature where you can put in an attraction name and it finds it. Also like the fact it keeps city names and addresses previously entered. Seems to pick up satellite feed well. Glad I purchased it.

I did a lot of research on GPS's before I bought one. I paid much more attention to a "normal" user's review of the GPS instead of a formal magazine or business review. I wanted to hear what real world reviews were like.

Every GPS had its good and bad with each but I found that even though the TomTom one XL had a few people that gave it maybe a 1 or 2 star review, everyone else gave it pretty much 4 and 5 star ratings.

It does not have text to speech capability. It might be cool to have it call out the name but after using the TomTom One XL, it is not a big deal. It says "turn left in 2 miles" instead of saying "turn left in 2 miles onto Burton st." Text to speech just verbally gives you the street name. The TomTom quite visibly displays the name of the Street and the direction to turn, like Burton St., on its large widescreen display and along with then verbally telling you to turn right in 2 miles, works just fine for me. It continues to verbally tell you to turn in decreasing increments down to "Turn left now". If you can't turn with this, you wouldn't be able to turn right even if it did call out the name of the street.

I also like the feature of "TomTom Traffic". I have a Bluetooth enabled phone, and it wasn't even one of the so called supported ones, but I got "Traffic" to work and it is just great. To be able to know in advance, any traffic issues like construction or accidents. I can not say anything bad about this product. For the price, it can't be beat as far as I am concerned.

I have used the tom tom one XL for 2500 miles in New England and the Chicago area. The Tom Tom One XL, while not flawless, is quite helpful and well worth the money.
Pros: good clear directions...able to adjust rapidly when you go off the recommended route...large enough screen to read the relevant info...colors and night dimming work well...tracking signal is rapidly acquired...simplified input of destination is helpful...Tom Tom doesn't sound irritated when you take a wrong turn
cons: infrequently will generate what seems to be inefficient routing which may cause up to a half mile detour...thus you have to be aware that your common sense may need to override the computer's instructions...you may be put in the position of deciding to follow the instuctions from Tom Tom or different routing from your spouse-navigator.

I just puchased the tomtom ONE XL and am already very impressed with it. I got it for $316 on eBay and it has been worth every penny. It has gotten me to and from everywhere and is impossible to get lost with. However there are pros and also cons.
PRO's:

Auto route recalculation- my favorite feature. YOu take a wrong turn and it will automatically get you back on track.

Points of interests - find gas stations, food, atms, etc.

The different ways you can tweak your trip. ex: avoid highways, scenic route, avoid certain roads.

PRECISE DIRECTIONS: the tomtom will even tell you what exit number to take or which lane to get in.

Time and reliability: The tomtom found me a new and much quicker way to the golf course saving me minutes off my trip.

CONS:

MOUNT: My #1 complaint is the mount that comes with the tomtom. It can be put either on the dashboard or the windshield yet the tom tom has fallen off from both positions. My Suggestion: BUY A SECURE MOUNT to place the tomtom wherever you want and prevent it from falling.

Battery life: I find myself charging the tomtom quite often

Charging port: hard to get the usb end of the cord into the tomtom (while driving)

Starting up: for some odd reason the tomtom will sometimes need a couple minutes to find a gps signal.

Other than that I am very pleased with the tomtom one XL
and I would highly RECOMMEND IT!

I replaced a Garmin Nuvi 660 which I only had for 3 weeks with the TomTom. The Nuvi kept Loosing the Satelite and left me stranded several times in Maine. Tech. support was unable to remedy this situation to my satisfaction.
I am very happy with my TomTom replacement. It does not have all the features of the Nuvi but it works well and is reliable which is my chief priority. I would reccommend it highly.

There's some piece of mind in being in the car with TomTom. But always check your address. I live in Boston, and when I found Museum of Fine Arts as a pre-programmed destination, I chose it and set off to the galleries. But alas, it led me on some bizarre itinerary that I tried calmly to trust. It is, after all, a GPS. When I ended up on some back road in the middle of a Boston suburb and TomTom announced "You have reached your destination," I was less than pleased. It turns out that the MFA has a mailing address on that road. Well, TomTom, if you have this museum as a pre-programmed destination, the least you could do is make sure it's correct!! How frusterating! I've learned my lesson: I'll always enter an address, and never a point of interest again.

works great glad i bought this item , one point you have to recharge it too much.

I bought a TomTom One about a month ago and used it to drive from the east coast to Nebraska. Used it in lots of large cities, highways and very small towns. It is very easy to use and is a real tension relaxer, especially on the freeways and in large cites where the turns come up before you can get in a good lane to make them.
It was darn near flawless in small, I mean really small towns out in the middle of nowhere How does it store every street and road in every town and city in the US and Canada? Its mind boggling!
I bought this one in particular because it was rated a "Best Buy" by Consumers Reports. They were right on the money.
I love messing with this gadget!

TomTom ONE XL Portable Extra-wide Screen GPS Navigation System I find the unit works great. Sometimes it takes a short time to find the satelites when you first turn it on. It doesn't have true text to speech but it is very accurate. I've used it on long trips of 1,200 miles to South Carolina and 1,000 miles to Ohio with perfect trips. I work as a field service tech. and I use it daily for local streets it never misses a beat. Great equipment!

Other reviewers, including GPS magazines, said this was an easy to operate product and that is one of the main reasons I got it. I love it! I understood how to operate it within 10 minutes of getting it out of the box and turning it on. My confidence in driving had been flagging since I am a grandma type and was starting to worry about making wrong turns, finding exits out of strange airports, etc. I am getting ready to move from a rural area to a metropolitan area and this product will really help me figure out my new surroundings. I love the size, the features, and the feel of it. My only problem has been how to keep it on the windshield, but I just didn't want to attach it permanently. The night driving feature is really cool and the voices are great. It has good volume control and just is really simple to figure out. This is my first GPS and I would recommend this one highly since I am now a believer.

I have a tomtom one XL and hand held garmin etrex cx.

I am on a tight budget and $350 was a huge investment for me. I did a lot of research and comparisons on the unit and even subscribed to consumer reports to get their feedback before purchasing the tomtom one XL.

The biggest problem with tomtom is that it's NOT a US company. So there focus is on EU countries. Good for them bad if you're in the States. US maps are wrong, not traffic warning option (only for EU), and biggest of all NO US TECH SUPPORT. Look at their webpages, "Contact us."

We just moved to a new city and must mapquest many US retail stores as they can not be found in the tomtom unit. So what the point of a GPS if you still have to mapquest things? They can however be easily found in my Garmin. I would like to emphasize that the maps are very much NOT updated and many newer roads are not even listed, which is a real pain when you are in a new area.

Summary: Go with Garmin who has US tech support, updates US maps, and many US retail store/restaurants built in.

I travel to numerous cities in my work in aviation sales, and I bought this product in order to cut down on wasted time asking for directions, getting lost, missing exits, etc. The unit provides a time to destination featurs which allows me to call ahead and avise my next appointment when I'll be arriving as a courtesy.

The satellite acquisition time is not an issue if you do what the directions tell you and plug the unit into your computer to allow updated satellite positions to be downloaed via the internet.

The feature which enables the user to upload routes, preferences, etc through the computer keyboard makes programming a snap.

Like other users have noted, it would be nice to include text-to-speech as a download extra or as part of the basic package.

The wider screen of the XL unit makes programming through the unit and visibility a breeze.

Battery life before needing to recharge has not been an issue, so far.

Bottom line is that I'm quite happy with TomTom One XL and would recommend it to others.

Good and easy to use device. It did take a while understand the directions on when to actually exit off the freeway. "turn right ahead" is not alot help and made me anxious when actually to get off the freeway. Turns out there are secondary instructions later on in the prompt,,but still. Also POI does not have the address available upon first prompt and only the phone number. When you are on the freeway, addreses and exits are way more helpful than the phone number. Also with recent reviews about bad experiences with the wrong version when upgrading. I'm hesistant to muck around with it. Overall still a good GPS, for the price.

This is my first TomTom product. I had been a Garmin user in the past. First things, the product has very nice graphics, set up is relatively easy, and the portability makes it very convenient. In general I think I received my money's worth. The items where it lacks: whereas I purchaed the extra wide screen thinking I would get a larger field of view for maps the fact that the information section on the bottom of the screen takes up 20% of the screen is a big drawback, the sofware should make this section transparant. Nect item is the screen indicates points of interest but there is no way to select them on screen, and finally the map browser is not intuitive. Summary, the item is nice but improvements in software could make this much better.

I was initially concerned that the great price for the XL was due to TomTom's prepping for a new product rollout...however, upon reading the specs for the XL, I was satisfied that this release was pretty current. This was a gift for my son, who lives in upstate NY and he thinks it's a great product - and gets a kick about the extra features. Obviously, the expanded screen and TomTom's rep was the key to this purchase - and you can't go wrong with the price.

I have used this unit on two long trips so far and it has accurately gotten me out of airport congestion on both occasions. I am very pleased with the XL and would recommend it to anyone who wants a basic unit without useless additional frills.

After reviewing most of the GPS devices in the $300 price range I decided on the ONE XL. ($275 was just too good to pass up.) So far the XL works as advertised and after some practice I find it easy to use. Since the device charges when connected to my computer and a car charger is included, I have no issues with the short battery life. However, I can see where 2 hours would not be very useful when biking. If you aren't interested in MP3s, videos and photos, the XL is perfect. I prefer my iPod for all those extras.

This is a great product. We have used it several times and it is accurate and gives lots of time for direction. We love it and highly recommend it. It was not the model GPS we thought we wanted to buy but decided to settle for this one and we're glad we did. Fast delivery for this product as well.

I bought this unit three months ago because I was moving to a new state and didn't want to spend a lot of time being lost. It's been very helpful in getting me around, but I've had more than my share of frustrations.

What I like about this unit: display is easy to read except in direct sunlight; user interface is pretty easy (although it has flaws that make you wonder if they ever bothered to look over the shoulders of real users to see what they do -- more below); and audio instructions are loud and clear, even to my old ears.

But what I don't like about the unit and the company's support is a longer list. First off, I found it weird that its default keyboard layout is alphabetic. You can easily configure it to QWERTY instead. Second, when you use the "Back" button while setting up your destination by address, it takes you back one step further than it should, forcing you to make the same entry twice.

But the biggest problem I've had is that the unit no longer avoids unpaved roads. I used their website to ask for help, where I also found several design flaws. If you fill out a form, make sure you save everything you type because if you have to hit your browser's "Back" button after their website says you made an error in filling out the form, the form will have lost EVERYTHING you just entered. Also, the error will have been caused by bad design in their form, not because you're a dumb user.

Anyway, TomTom's support desk informed me that to configure the unit to avoid unpaved roads, I have to select the "Toll Roads" feature. Huh?!? Okay, I tried that but there's nothing in there about avoiding unpaved roads. TomTom's help line informed me that if I've "updated the unit," there's no longer any way to configure TomTom to avoid unpaved roads at all. They "regret" any frustration this may have caused, and they gave no indication that they have any plans to fix it.

Once you get past the initial euphoria of getting where you want to go -- although it's sent me to some dangerous backwoods roads where I should have had a 4-wheel drive -- you find a lot of other annoyances. For example, it doesn't tell me which side of the street my final destination is on. And when I have to make a turn where there are multiple turns close together, it fails to direct me carefully to the correct one. Also, this unit does not say the name of the street that you're supposed to turn on.

Too many reviewers haven't lived long enough with their TomToms before posting their reviews. I should have read all the reviews for all products more carefully before I bought this unit. Even though my unit is 3 months old, I'm going to see if I can return it. There are better ones available.

The TomTom had many great features such as phone numbers with the POI, however it would not pull up some key POI that I needed. The fire department that I work for wasn't on there under the fire stations category. The routes are longer on the TomTom than the Garmin I used next. I plotted a trip to AZ from MI, and the Garmin had it almost 5 hours shorter.

This is the first GPS device that I've owned, so my basis for comparison is limited to ones in my friend's cars. That said, this device is a gem. You get all the functions, features, design, and easy of use as in models costing $100 more. They even throw in a free windshield mount. How cool is that? I would definately recommend getting a carrying case though, since you'll be taking it off the windshield and throwing it in the glove box every time you stop in order to keep it hidden from theives. Buy this and you'll never have to hear "honey I think we're lost," or "nice 'short cut,' honey," or "can't we just stop and ask for directions"? That, my friends, is worth its weight in gold.

Tired of discovering I had either an out-of-date map or not having the map I need, I looked into Magellan, Garmin, and TomTom. After using each, the TomTom seemed the easiest to use (a big plus since the rest of my family is tech-challenged...). The wide screen is really nice, and it finds everything I can throw at it.
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br /Two observations:
br /1. My street runs N/S. Most of where I go is S, but the unit seems to always want me to go N and loop around the block. I 'fixed' it by creating a 'avoid this', but still...and this was not unique to TomTom.
br /2. There needs to be a way to tell the unit 'I'm taking a break'--if you pull off to get gas, hit the bathroom or mini-mart, it starts 'correcting' you....need a 'pause/resume trip' option.
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br /My wife has taken it to TN with her, and has commented that it's been nice to have as she is off on side roads, etc. Her only complaint (other than #2 above) is that the 'remaining distance/time' doesn't update very often....
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br /Be aware that GPS takes a lot of power--the 2hr battery life has been a bit over 3h for me, but I do use the power saving features...so don't forget your charger/adapter.
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br /I haven't used the TomTom Home application yet...so I can't comment on it.
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We bought the Tom Tom to use on our vacation but started using it on simple errands to see how it performed. We were very pleased to see and hear it working, if we missed a turn it was very quick to redirect us to get back on track. We have not had one single issue with it and are very pleased with our choice.

We got the TomTom One XL for our daughter. She does lots of traveling with her job. She loves it. So, we got us one too. One of the best features that this has that some of the others don't, is that you can have multiple stops or side trips in your intinerary before you get to your final destination. Before we gave it to her I programmed in her entire next trip, from the time she left home, going to seven different stops, and three different hotel stays, and added a few things in between that we hadn't planned on, then back home. Great product!!!!

I caught this unit on sale for $214, but it would be a great value at its "regular" price of around $249. The Tom-Tom works as well, if not better, than the factory-installed unit in my Acura - the screen is a little smaller, but after a while you don't notice this. I would rate the Tom-Tom as good as any of the more expensive Garmin units.

I purchased this as a gift and it has more options than I imagined. Great for someone who will use it and take the time to get to know the features and capabilities. Easy to read, understand and essential tool for someone who spends a lot of time in thier vehicle.

After trying the Garmin Nuvi 350 and the Magellan Maestro in which I returned both, the Magellan kept shutting off after a few seconds and the Garmin was just to difficult to use. I ordered the TomTom One XL for my son who moved away for college, we needed something easy to use but did the job. The TomTom has worked great and gets him where he needs to go so I don't have to worry so much. And the price was great.

When it came time to purchase a GPS unit for our son, my husband and I purchased another TomTom. This is our third one. It is easy to understand and operate. All family members give it a thumbs up!

Genuinely happy with this product.
br /Good number of features for the price.
br /I paid less than $150.00 total,
br /[price+shipping/handling].

How could I have survived without it? It shows me routes that I never knew existed, establishes routes very quickly, and is very easy to use. The screen is nice and big, touch screen is responsive, POI are numerous and helpful. Would recommend anyone this product.

Great product used it right out of the box, to make a trip to Mississippi. It worked alittle slow at times but over all its great for the money. There are more expensive ones that would be faster but for me this one does the job. I really like the wide screen.

I purchased a One XL not quite a year ago. With the exception of the battery, it's great!
br /I use it several times a week and for the last couple of months, it's been hard to maintain a charge. It's at the point now where it won't power up at all and from what I've read, this unit has battery issues.
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br /I have no idea how pervasive battery issues are with this particular unit or TomTom in general but it seems to me that I've not used it more than average and for the battery to die after 9 months, is a problem. I am planning on purchasing a replacement battery but based on this expereince, I would hesitate to purcahse another TomTom unit.

This is my second GPS and TomTom is very easy accurate and the user interface is great. Havent found a place it doesnt know about the visuals are excellent along with the voice commands. I dont want to spend time preping to go some where as I had to with my Magellian you can type on the fly (passangerr only) and your on you way. Highly recoment TomTom

The TomTom is super, It has really come in handy with my work. I go to
out of the way places and it get me right to the door.

This is one of the greatest things I have ever spent money on. When I take a shortcut to some place, my Tom Tom remembers that next time. It is great to move from vehicle to vehicle and saves me from having to stare at a map for a long period of time.

TomTom ONE XL Portable Extra-wide Screen GPS Navigation System
This was an excellent buy for our money and well worth the expense. It is accurate and easy to use. Very intuitive. Recommend it highly.

I order this for myself after traveling through Europe with a Belgian friend. The TomTom was so accuate and easy to use...a huge display and clean/clear directions. I've used other products and liked this one far better. After my trip in Europe, I ordered one for myself in the States and it works like a charm.

All I have to say is thi is a good product with minor flaws which I'm sure a few software updates can fix. I'm a cable tech. I tried the whole mapbook route of getting from place to place but it was a time consuming process and I found myself constantly turning around and having to pull over to read the mapbook again and flip pages etc. So i decided to get a navigation system. I wasn't sure which one to get (tomtom, garmin, etc.) but I knew I just wanted a basic one (since I'm only using it for work) I decided on tomtom b/c it seemed to get good reviews from people, including ease of use etc. I ordered the unit, it arrived and believe it or not I literally used it out of the box for a couple of days before I finally hooked it up to my computer for updates. It worked flawlessly. Very easy to use and put in addresses. I definitely love the iterinary feature. This is a feature that other gps systems are missing (according to other reviews.) and thats crucial for me b/c I can type in my whole route before i start for the day. The display is very easy to read and the directions are clearly spoken. It even adjusts the volume according to how fast you're going. It even has a "leeway" feature which allows you to specify a time you need to reach a destination. It'll let you know if you're ahead of schedule or behind schedule at a glance. Very good to know especially if you get stuck in traffic and you have an appt. somewhere. The unit acquires the satellite usually within 30 seconds. Even the very first time I turned it on it found the satellite within a minute. It even has a passcode feature which allows you to lock the unit when you turn it off which means no one can use it if they don't know the code. The only gripes I have are these. It does a great job of getting me exactly to my destination most of the time but sometimes the addresses are off. Sometimes they'll be off by a couple of houses and sometimes I'll have to drive another quarter mile or so. Not a big gripe for me b/c it does a way better job than I could with a mapbook but I expected it to me a little more accurate. Also I downloaded the updates but yet there are still a couple of outdated things in the unit. I know the unit has tried to send me down a dead end street twice. the street name and everything will be right but then I'll hit a dead end even though the unit shows the street continuing. Once again not a big gripe b/c its only happened twice (i've been using the unit for about 4 weeks now) but I've heard (once again through reviews) that garmin uses more updated maps. don't know if thats true though. Tomtom does offer a 2008 map download but I'm hesitant to buy it b/c it costs $80....so that $80 added to the cost of $299 i paid for the unit and I haven't even had the unit for a year. I think tomtom should offer one free map update with their units. mapshare is good but it can't catch everything...especially if users in your area don't turn in corrections or if they haven't even noticed those things to turn in. Plus after I spend the $80 there's no guarantee that it'll solve those two issues with the addresses and the dead ends. Other than those two gripes I love this unit. Its great for an entry level unit. I may eventually upgrade to the 920t for the traffic feature and the fm modulator/mp3 feature. (this unit offers the traffic accessory separately. I think its $99 or $199) But all in all this is a great easy to use unit. I would definitely recommend it to anyone (as long as they're not picky about the addresses. I'm satisfied with the unit at least putting me in the right area, lol) I hope this review helps anyone debating over a gps unit.

My only experiance with a GPS is a Garmin eTrex Legend CX that I use on foot while hunting. While I've read and took all other reviews about the TomTom One XL I must say this is IMOP a GREAT BUY. I did find this large enough to see clearly and small enough not to obstruct my view while attached to the windshield. I loaded updated maps and POI's with no "Locking/Bricking". Now I do not drive professionaly nor alone, I would not recommend this for those whom do so. But I always have a "Navigator" along for the ride to see the name of the next turn on the bottom of the screen and the voice tells me when to turn before I needed to. If I was riding alone or professionally I may have wanted the "S" but I don't need it. I live in Chicago, IL and work downtown (lots of large buildings) and this product put me exactly where I needed to be ... Exactly... every time. I have put my "Home" in as my destination and it always put me there.
Because of the short battery life I would not recommend this to my fellow hunters. I have taken this on trips around town, 200 miles, and 900 miles away and it brought me to my destination without any problems.
But this is just my experiance.

I love the wide screen, easy touch on-screen buttons, and loud volume. It is so easy to use and many of the downloads for is (voices, etc) are actually free. It corrects the route if you deviate from the suggested one. It is just so nice - and even nicer to not get lost anymore!

This product is everything they said it would be. I'm very happy with it and would recommend it. One caviet, the celebrity voices are limited and British, would be fun to have some US voices.

I bought this for my wife for Christmas. She would never go out of town to visit our family or travel to another city to go shopping. Now, she has no angst about leaving our home town without me. It is easy to use. She learned to use the basic features All in all, she loves it.

I have not used any other GPS unit, so I have nothing to compare it to. I could not believe it does not have major truck stops as a point of interest. It did not have the restaurants or the gas stations affiliated with this truck stop.

This GPS system is great as long as your download quick gps fix from the computer! It didn't work before I did that, but now, it works perfectly! This is a very very nice GPS for relatively cheap. Works awesomely, recalculates routes if you miss an exit or go the wrong way...there's no way you can get lost! It will also find restaraunts, malls, schools, wineries, theatres, etc. by name so you don't necessarily need the address to everywhere you go! I would definitely reccommend this GPS item!

Purchased the TomTom because we were told it is the easiest to use. Seniors..not too great with the new gadgets. This is perfect for us - but still learning
how to use it!
Bought two and gave one to son. He has no problem with his and says it's great and easy to use.

I got this as a present as I apparently have a reputation for getting lost. I call it creative navigation myself, but I digress....

I was able to get the TomTom up and running in about 5 minutes. The interface is very intuitive and well laid out. If I any complaints it's the lack of a mute button and no way to schedule an automatic switch to night colours but these are minor quibbles (3 clicks and they're done).

The TomTom I received has the very latest maps dating to Novemember, what really impressed me with the maps is they are even more accurate than the official state maps Florida puts out. I have yet to find a road that the TomTom has not heard about.

Navigation is quite accurate, I do like how it'll remind me when there's a fork on the highway to stay in the correct lane and thus avoid having to quickly merge over in traffic. If I have one complaint, I wish it would notify me a little sooner about when my exit is approaching - 1 mile = less than 60 seconds at highway speeds.

The complaints I have involve one major gripe and several minor quibbles: The control your TomTom on the desktop app. actually locked up my TomTom completely, it would not even turn on until I hit the reset button. Fortunately, none of my configuration was lost (and I had already made a backup). The minor gripes: leaving the GPS off for a couple of days means a 2-3 minute delay whilst it finds the satellites again, other GPSes I've played with don't seem to have this issue; $50-80 for a new map? are you kidding me??; the documentation on the SD card slot is non-existent; finally, I wish the company offered a decent external antenna for when I'm using the unit indoors - I was able to build one myself from spare parts that works great but it would be nice if the unit came with one.

I do not have a cell phone so didn't try out any of the "Plus" features.

Final verdict: A great unit at a great price that justs fall short of perfection.

The extra width was worth the extra dollars and the enhanced 3d effect is an improvement over the older TomTom One I own. If you need to hear the name of the street to turn on versus being told the distance to the next turn, then you will have to pay extra for the "text-to-speech" model. I personally don't have a problem reading the name of the street to turn onto from the bottom of the display.

It's a pretty good device and the price is good. I went to FL last week and took it with me, it was very accurate. I would recommend it. Thanks

Easy to use, quick to catch the GPS signals when turned on. I drive all over upstate NY (lots of country backroads as well as city streets) and I can't suggest this enough. I have tried several other brands and I like this one head and shoulders above the rest. Worth a try for anyone new to GPS.

This arrived in a timely manner and in the condition promised. It was a gift for my wife, and she enjoys using it. Very easy to understand and navigate. My only wish is that I had paid attention to the fact it has no internal battery. Other than that, it is excellent.

TomTom ONE XL 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Maps of the U.S. and Canada
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br /This product works well, has large screen compared to most GPS units. Easy to use and can be carried for walking tours. Great for the big cities. We ordered one for our son also!

I would never be without my tomtom when I am going to places I have never been. I had to purchase another one because someone stole mine right out of my car in my yard. Don't forget, never leave your tom tom in your car unattended. Thieves love tom tom's.

Excellent product! I don't know how I found my way before I bought it...good price and nice features.

Fantastic! Customizable! Never get lost again! What are you waiting for???
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br /I have tried both the 4.3 inch and a 3.5 inch TomTom (called XL and version 3 respectively)
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br /I paid $150 for the small TomTom and am ecstatic with it.
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br /You can download software off the TomTom website to update your maps and add POI (points of interest) - I downloaded all the lighthouses as I am on the East coast and like to photograph them, but you can add whatever you like, stores, strip clubs, churches, state and national parks, whatever you are into they have the locations all to download on their website.
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br /Fantastic!
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br /I give the TomTom an A+

This is my 2nd Tom Tom and I love the bigger screen. The larger screen allows the icons to be seen at a greater distance and allows for easy navigation between screens. Tom Tom added a SD Slot with this unit but only allows you to use either the SD card or the main unit memory when attached to the computer for file transfers. This unit should also have MP3 capabilities built in and lacks that function. Tom Tom web site does have Free voices and sounds but Tom Tom also charges for every little extra features such as red light info, traffic updates, etc.

I purchase the Tom Tom XL after seeing my sisters Garmin. I decided on the Tom Tom XL because of the price. It was half of the cost of the Garmin. I really like my Tom Tom. It does a good job and I think they are making upgrades all the time. I do not think it is a user friendly as the Gamin Nuvi nor does it have the points of interest that the Garmin has. If they ever get all the points of interest and show the addresses and phone numbers then I think it would be great. Those are the only things I wish it had. For the money, if you just want to put in a address it will get you there and I do think that they are making upgrades all the time. So over all I am Happy with my Tom Tom xl and for the money I dont think I could beat it.

Happy Tom Tom owner

Setup was fast and easy, and directions to a given location were amazingly accurate. Once you try it, you will wonder how you ever got along without it. I may even get a second one for the other vehicle.
On the downside, onboard battery life is short, and sun glare might be a problem if you mount the device on the windshield, as recommended. A sunvisor or shield of some sort would be a handy solution, but this is not a major problem.

First I bought the Garmin nuvi 200 I was very impressed except it did not have canada pre-loaded so I paid the restock fee instead of ordering the sd card and got the ONE XL I thought the bigger screen would be nice it turns out even though the nuvi has a smaller screen the information is stratigicly placed for minimal impact to the screen- the Tom Tom looks and functions like a generation behind Garmin with the huge information bar and no way to minimize it - it take up 20% of the screen. Any way that is only the tip of the iceburg although I use the tom tom and don't plan to take it back and pay another restock fee I have recomended the Garmin to everyone I have talked to.

Worked like a charm on my recent trip down Chesapeake Bay...except did not find St Mary's College, neither St. Mary's City!
Very handy concerning distance, time of arrival etc.
Does not show North, but that's what we have the sun or the moon for...
Love the big bright screen and day and night settings.

Works great and is portable between vehicles. No mater how many time you screw up, it never gets irritated and just recalculates and new solution.

My children and husband gave me $ to purchase a GPS for my birthday gift. After a lot of research and reading of reviews, I finally chose this one and I like it very much! I only wish there were more voices to choose from (humorous ones) and that it allowed you to save a route that you make--not just choose.

So far it has gotten me everywhere I've needed to go!

Very good product. It's very helpful. Of course the only complaint would be the suction cup. It will hold for a bit but will pop off eventually!

Was unsure of the reliability of tomtom until I was in Los Angles/Long Beach area of Ca for the first time, and it took me right to the entrance of every address I was looking for, and again driving from Eastern Virginia to Toronto, Canada with the same results. Very good companion, and very accurate.

I am new to GPS and have been hesitating buying a unit. The TomTom brand came recommended by a neighbor and by a taxi driver.

I live in a major city. TomTom seems to have fairly accurate directions and street ID. The directions sometimes are not the most direct, but when I take the shorter route, the unit accurately recalculates the path. It also picks up signals very very well. The destination addresses are easy to enter into the unit while on the road (which was the biggest obstacle to buying a unit).

The battery is limited to not more than 2 hours. Otherwise, it needs to remain plugged into the cigarette lighter - a bit limiting when wanting to walk with the unit.

Also, beware of where you mount this unit. I mounted it on my windshield (below the rear view mirror, as instructed), and it falls off once every hour. Mounting it on the dashboard probably is better . . . it also won't fall as far.

Overall, I am happy with my purchase. I think a smaller screen (less than the One XL) is useless, as my taxi driver was also explaining. However, the larger screen on the One XL is easy to read.

Lastly, I do not understand why this unit does not have "speech to text". It does have "spoken instructions", which means you hear "turn left in 500 feet" as opposed to "turn left on Main Street". The speech to text is another $50 - $100 dollars, depending upon where you buy the unit.

Still, I would recommend this unit to anyone.

After four other GPSs and countless reviews I decided to but the XL as it was offered for $185. After receiving it and installing all of the updates, including a new map, only released a few weeks ago, I took it for a test spin.

Boy, was I disappointed. First the good bits :) -

It picks up a signal very, very fast, is easy to use and has legible maps. It also had some nice features such as speeding alert, a selection of voices and many customizable features. And now for the bad :(

Its navigation system failed four time out of five to get me to the correct destination. For example, I drove to an in-town hotel by using the hotel's street address. The system guided me without incident, but told me that I had arrived several miles away from the destination. As I said, I used multiple addresses and it only took me there 20% of the time. To me, this is make or break for the GPS. No amount of fancy features is superior to basic guidance. Any GPS will get you to the freeway, but its the last mile that separates the quality products from the bad. And this was bad.

I also found that the POI, points of interest, were limited and not very accurate. It's a shame that they couldn't link with Google to extract the Google POI database and import it into the entire TomTom line.

As an editorial note, I wonder why the car icon is centered in the middle of the map when using 2D screens, but at the bottom for the 3D version. Since you are always driving forward, having the icon at the screen bottom would allow a lot more map to the visible and let you manually select a better route. After all, isn't that what the wide screen if for?

I still like TomTom, but I would pass on the XL. Perhaps the 3rd edition would work better.

I am very pleased with my purchase of a Tom Tom GPS. It was shipped as promised and arrived in a timely fashion. The GPS worked excellent right out of the box as advertised.

This product is great! It gets me wherever I want! Though, some problems on streets surrounded by tall buildings, caused by problems tracking the GPS-sattelites. But this is a minor issue!

This TomTom 1 XL is one of the most fabulous piece of technology that is available to the public today. Gets you where you want to go and even if you change course it still tries to bring you back to their quickest way.
If you have problems just get in touch with their support team and they will see that you are up and running in no time, right from your computer!
I love the different options available and can change to suit the situation at hand. Screens are user friendly, clear, concise, well defined and one who does not know the latest in technology can easily program the unit to suit their needs. I give this a five star rating with thumbs up in all catagories. You won't be disappointed with the unit ever. Make sure you put your name, address, city and state, phone number and select a PASSWORD when you get your unit! In case of losing it no one will be able to use it and if they are honest will use the information you provided to return the unit to you! Happy driving!

I bought this last week and it works great. All but once it found satellites within a few minutes. Most of the time it was read to go before I was.
I chose this over a Garmen Nuvi, in the same price bracket, because you can back up favorite destinations and set up an itinerary. I don't know about the backup feature but the similar Nuvi would only allow point to point navigation.
It was a tough choice - other users felt that the Garmin had better maps plus it "says" the street name you are approaching which is available on the TomTom oneXL S not mine.
I'll be using this for sales calls so the itinerary feature was the real selling point and you can load 48 favorites into it.
I was given a Cobra for Christmas but took it back because you can't back anything up and you lose any data when you upgrade the maps.
So far this has done everything I expected & more. It tried to lead me down a one-way street the wrong way, but I found out later that it was set for walking - not driving mode!

Time calculations and traffic calculations are very inaccurate, but if you just need it for wrong turns and unfamiliar areas, it's big screan is easy to refer to when driving.

The Tom Tom One XL was very easy to set up and use. The large screen was easy to see both at day and night. It worked well 99% of the time as far as accuracy. The only mistake so far was through a section of Boston's Big Dig. For the price and for those that don't want a complicated gadget, you just want simple and go- this is it.

I like my Tom Tom and it has helped a lot when I traveled. I had to get used to what it means when it says "Right turn ahead". That means what it says, not necessarly the next right turn. You can view the map and see where the turn is. I would like to have street names announced as in "turn right on to Mary Street" and a sound at the Mary Street turn to tell me this is the correct place. Other than that, we are enjoying Tom Tom. The large screen helps a bit and we have tried a couple of the different languages just for fun.

I wasn't sure if I'd need a GPS, but my 20 year old son convinced me it was worth a try - especially at the price you offered! It's accurate, easy to use, and somewhat comforting to have in the car.

I used my tom tom to go to S.C. a couple weeks ago and I loved it. I was shown all the right turns and when I got off track I was told immediately to turn around and get back on the road. I had a blast and I recommend it to any one who does a lot of traveling and its great for people who wants to save gas for yard sales (finding the address with out hunting all over the place) Its wonderful. Not only for long trips. Thanks it was money well spent

I love the TomTom One XL! It's easy to use and has a lot of great features.

I really like the product. The only thing I found wrong is that when I went
to register it online, and get the free online first time map update is that it wouldn't go through and it didn't work. I also found that when I tried to download a voice to the Tom Tom that didn't work either. I haven't had the time to mess with it online and figure out why those features weren't working.
The Tom Tom itself is awesome. I have had a fair amount of practice with
it, and it works very well. My only concern is when I try to update maps,
etc. online that I don't know if I will be able to activate them directly
on the Tom Tom.

Love my TomTom! It even exceeds my highest expectations. Don't know how I could ever get along without it.
The operation is very easy, even for my 80-year-old brain! I do extensive traveling and am looking forward with great pleasure to my next driving trip.

Thank you, TomTom

We have been very happy with our tom tom. The larger screen is very nice. Our son has the 3.5in but we wanted something larger and are happy with the widescreen. We'll never get lost again!!! .... and now we have found shortcuts that we didn't know existed - thanks tom tom!

Would definitely recommend to anyone! Was so easy to use and is always very accurate!

TomTom One XL Easy to use and always up to date Liked it so much I bought one for my son for Christmas. I recommend it for anyone who is on the go.

The TomTom One XL is a great purchase and I got it at an even better price! It gets me wherever I need to go in Germany. Of course I had to download the European maps, but at the price I paid for it plus the cost of the maps, it still did not equal the price I would have paid retail. Excellent choice if you're thinking of purchasing a navigation system.

Tom Tom One XL is a wonderful GPS system. I can 'program' it at home or in my hotel room, as well as in the car, but I'm not restricted to doing it in the car. It is a great companion for traveling to new places, whether close to home or far away. It provides both visual and audible directions and has a night color display option that is a plus. I can alter the route selected by Tom Tom, by specifying "go via" whatever street or highway I want to use. Needless to say, it is great when you have to take a detour. It also helps me find gas stations, restaurants and a huge variety of points of interest. I am totally pleased with this product!

This TomTom ONE XL is a very decent GPS system for the C-note paid for it. Sure, some would say TTS is worth the extra money and I have borrowed my sibling's Garmin to gauge it's usefulness; but I don't see the extra need for it personally. Also the TomTom seems to acquire satellites quicker than the Garmin with a side by side test. Bottom line: the ONE XL is a terrific value GPS Navigator with no frills.
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br /For those "stuck" in Guam after updating maps on the TomTom, try SWITCHING maps with the following menu options: Change preferences Manage maps Switch map menu. It worked for me.

Do not update the US map using the software provided by the company. If you do so, you are stuck to Guam map!!! I cannot believe that they have this type of problem in the software. You cannot switch back to the US map again from the GPS. Complete waste of time. If you do not update, everything works fine.

I must say I am disappointed with the mount for the GPS. I had difficulty keeping it on my windshield. It fell off 3 times during a 1.5 hour trip. If I missed a turn it would tell me to turn around. My daughter has a Garmin and the mount is much nicer. The Garmin also recalculates the route if you miss a turn. The Garmin seems more user friendly than the Tom Tom. If I were to recommend one to a fried I would definitely recommend a Garmin.

I bought this for my boyfriend as a Christmas gift because he had been wanting a GPS for awhile. I couldn't have gotten a better product for the price! It's works great. The only downfall is that a lot of the newer construction in our area is not on there or the street names are missing, but that's all excusable for the great price!

The TomTom One XL is an inexpensive, entry level GPS. For the price, this is a great value and has some features that rival much more expensive units. For me, the range of features vs the draw backs puts the TomTom One XL firmly in the "Buy" category.
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br /We bought this for my 67 year old mother because she has no sense of direction at all. Every time she wanted to take a trip to some place new, she would ask us to do a "MapQuest" route for her (she is also a technophobe). Since getting the TomTom One XL, she hasn't had to call us for directions at all.
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br /We like that the unit was easy for my mother to program and use. The large screen is very clear and she has no trouble reading it day or night.
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br /The major fault with this unit is that it does sometimes take the "long way" to places where we know much faster routes. Not really a problem since it always finds the destination, just not the fastest way there. As a side note, my very expensive, feature rich GPS that came built in my Minivan sometimes routes us the long way as well (not really sure why).
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br /Recommended, remembering that this is an entry level GPS and it is very inexpensive. Also see the TomTom ONE 125 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator, we bought one of these for my daughter.

A disappointing purchase. If you don't know anything at all about traveling, the TomTom will get you where you want to go. But if you are familiar with most of your travels and want to "plan" your trips, the TomTom isn't very "user friendly" for changing routes . . . though it's not impossible to do so. I assume the higher quality GPS systems are better?

I like the GPS it has all the features the I wanted but I tested it many times in areas by my house (places I know) and it doesn't always give the best directions. There are a couple of places when it tells me to turn right and make u-turns instead of just telling me to turn left.

Product appeared to be just what I needed. Simply GPS unit without paying for a lot of extras. The windshield mount is not the best (wife has a Magellan mount is superb) but functional - it did not fall down once securely fastened via suction cup. The display is flaky with near road titles appearing only as you approach them. Looking at the 2-D display in my neighborhood (several visible roads on the screen) only the road I was on displayed the street name. Lastly, the routing is sub-par as compared to my wife's magellan. The unit had me cut through a shopping mall parking lot to reach my destination. Consistently had me take extremely long out-of-the-way routes, did not pick the fastest route, at one point I was looking at my house from another road in my sub - the unit had me going back out to the main road and looping back around another entrance instead of taking the next road about 150 yards to my house. That sealed the deal. I am returning this GPS. It appears you need to spend around $150 for a good unit. This was onsale for $99 so I thought I would try it. lesson learned.

Its easy to use. I went to CA on vacation got AAA directions the Tom Tom had the same directions. If I decide to go another way it quickly changes the directions. I love it. Thank you! I would highly recommend this Tom Tom. I am going to buy it for my father-in-law.

I absolutely love this unit - I can take it in anyone's car. It's fantastic! I recently drove up North and it got me to a gas station, a Starbuck's, and a liquor store when I needed it. I don't know how I ever lived without it! AND, the kicker is when I bought my car I didn't have to spend an extra $2,000 on a navigation unit.... I just spent $150 on one I could use ANYWHERE....

In the USA, TomTom has the reputation as a "value product" since their models are often priced lower than similar offering from Garmin and Magellan. However, they enjoy a major market share in Europe.
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br /I shopped for a 2007 model to get at a deal price because I do not intend to use the latest-greatest features like text to speech or live traffic updates. I'm an occasional user with basic needs. As an older driver, the 4.3 in. screen and voice turn directions are basic requirements.
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br /I found the TomTom ONE XL to be easy to use, very intuitive and with a responsive touch screen. The directions were easy to follow. The map is easy to follow at a glance and the daytime and night time illumination are very good.
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br /I practiced using the device before my trip and downloaded the latest version of TomTom HOME, the PC based end-user support program.
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br /TomTom HOME encourages updates to the map for highway changes over time, a good idea. It also encouraged backing up a copy of the map to your PC hard drive, normally good idea for any system.
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br /Fifteen minutes before I planned to leave for my driving trip, I found that the map of the USA Canada had completely disappeared from the TomTom !!! The Only map available was Guam !!!
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br /Searching the library on the TomTom web support site produced no solution after 30 minutes of trying suggested fixes. Several attempts to restore the back-up copy made two nights before also failed. That was very surprising since I could clearly see the file folder on my PC.
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br /My follow-up call to the support center on the toll-free number lasted about two and a-half hours. The support person I spoke with was VERY CORDIAL and VERY SUPPORTIVE. She conveyed the sense that the problem would be solved and she was the only reason I remained on the phone through it all.
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br /About an hour into the call, I made up my mind that the device was useless for this, which that was THE reason I bought the thing. By this time, I printed a route on MapQuest and fully intended to demand a return and refund.
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br /The support person never gave up. We never figured out what caused the problem, but TomTom eventually created a file of the USA/Canada map for me to download through my account on the TomTom web site. That solved the problem. However, I left three hours late for my four hour trip. The delay meant making the drive in rush hour that extended the drive time by 45 minutes.
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br /Bottom line, high marks for a well made product with easy to use features and reliable turn by turn directions; mixed feelings about support; excellent when I got them on the phone, but needed a faster resolution of the problem.
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br /I would buy this product again, but would ask my friends about support issues they have had with other brands.

I had a lot of problems at startup and it took a lot of time with tech support to correct. now it works great.

We love the TomTom One XL. It doesn't have the verbal street names, but for the price it's great. Only annoying thing is that you can drive right past a Via Point without ever knowing it...TomTom doesn't highlight the Via Point or give audible indication that you are "arriving at Via Point" like my Garmin does.

I purchase one for a Christmas vacation last year and made "life good". My husband and I could find eveytbing is seconds of our location. I have now purchase one for our son for Christmas and I am sure he will enjoy.
br /The touch key is simple and easy to operate and the price is the best. I shopped and Amazon has the best price.

A little confusion on our part starting to use the TomTom XL One, figuring out how to get the right mix of details on the screen and what they mean while driving was a learning experience otherwise all good

This is the best product of it's kind on the market at any price, it's so easy to operate that the village idiot can use it. I would recommend it for everyone.

The device is nice in that it has several features, places of interest, plus the large screen at a great price. The one thing however, it sometimes doesn't use the shortest routes, even if you tell it to recalculate using different routes. It seemed to always want you to drive to the nearest highway, rather than taking side roads.

I read the negative reviews first before I decided to order the TomTom unit. Now that I have set it up and used it for one day I don't understand who and how the negatives were written.
br /I made one call to TomTom before purchasing.Waited about 10 minutes on hold after which all my questions were answered.
br /Made another call after receiving the unit. Again, about 10 minute wait which considering the time of year, wasn't excessive. Slight problem with CD which was an older version. The rep said that she would send me an e-mail which would contain the latest software. I received the e-mail about 5 to 10 minutes later.
br /I got the unit charged up last night and began setting it up this morning. Much to my surprise everything went smoothly as the unit with the correct software automatically set itself up. Five stars for TomTOm.
br /Ordered on the 5th received it on the 9th with free super shipping.
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I have TomTom 920 and bought this one for my husband. Took me for 4 years to talk him into using a GPS system, but he loves it. The reason I bought this one for him was this dose not come with many functions compare to mine. Too many functions could be very confusing for someone who dose not enjoy playing with electric toys like these (if you love doing, do not buy this, because there are so much limitation to what you can do compare to what I have). Now he uses it everyday and very happy about it. Researched everywhere but amazon has the best price.
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br / This is a very accurate and easy to use GPS. The price was very reasonable for anyone who doesn't like to spend a whole lot.
br / The wide screen is also a big plus because you can see it better.
br / We have checked prices elsewhere and this was the most reasonable from Amazon.
br / Georgia

DO NOT update the software. TomTom still has not addressed the problem of using the 'home' software to update the GPS. If you do this, even if you made a back up, the GPS will be an expensive paperweight that flashes a big red X. (This is as of 8 November 07)

I have never owned a GPS before. I was amazed how accurate this item is. If you stop on a set of tracks, It will show you are stooped on the tracks. I can't believe they are so easy to use. It could have had a better manual for dirrections. But, common sense helps a lot. Just type in the address or street and it will take you there. If you decide not to follow the route planned. It will tell you right away. Very large screen to read. I would suggest this to anyone. I bought two of them. One for me & one for my Dad. UNBELIEVABLE

I have had this product for a month now and I love it. We have been taking more trips without the fear of getting lost. I really like the wide screen. I like the fact that no matter if you change course Tom Tom reroutes you automatically. I would not go anywhere without this great tool.

I purchased this product a couple of weeks ago and I am returning it.

THE GOOD: Excellent features, great UI and very user-friendly.

THE BAD: The map database is horrible.

I live in Silicon Valley. I live in a small town in the suburbs but the population is close to 90,000. I work in San Jose in the middle of a very busy but not too dense area full of big name businesses. TomTom doesn't know how to get to my house or my office. It instructs me to get off the freeway 2 exits too early to get to work. When I ignore that recommendation and take the exit that is very close to my office, it has me taking an extremely difficult route. It also thinks that my office is 250 yards east of where it actually is. Coming home, it has me getting off the right exit but has me making a right off the freeway instead of a left. This sends me a mile in the wrong direction and adds about 2 miles to my drive home. Luckily I know how to get to my home and office. :)

I'm finding a lot of directions to be really bad so far.

What's really bad is that it doesn't learn. I can take a faster route a hundred times and it won't make adjustments. It is possible to make changes to the map but you can only really add things like blocks in the road or let it know that you can only make a right on a street and not a left.

I downloaded an update and there has been no changes. Even San Francisco has a ton of errors and holes in its database.

In truth, I could stick with this device and eventually it will have better data. I remember the early days of Mapquest and Yahoo maps to be extremely inaccurate and now they are dead on 99% of the time. But TomTom has been around for a long time and their data should be a LOT more accurate than it is. If I want to make a customer appointment on time, it would be wise for me to look it up on Google maps first just in case TomTom is again wrong.

I don't have any other GPS experience so I don't have know what other systems do or don't do. This system is easy to use and the computer interface is good so updates and adding things is easy. Battery life is short so plan to plug it in and use up one of those important 12V plugs in your car. It doesn't show average speed on trip and it doesn't seem to have trip synopsis stats although I'm still figuring out some of the functionality. Basic use is quite simple and menus are clear. Price is definitely right!

I received a TomTom XL for Christmas. I love the size of the screen, and the easy out of the box setup. The navigation is simple to read and I like the turn by turn instructions.

Here's what I'd like see to improve the unit.
1. speaking of the street or highway you need to look for or turn to
2. support of my Apple iPhone, although the navigation has bluetooth, it won't connect to my iPhone
3. longer battery life, 2 hours isn't long enough

I like the unit, but if it cannot get traffic updates via bluetooth and my iPhone, I'll need to return it.

I bought this in the first week of its launch. I used this recently on my trip to Edison,NJ from Stamford,CT. It lost signal quite a few times in NY. ANd there were a few roads which it didn't have in its database. The worst part however is that it was asking me to make a left turn on an intersection where no turns were allowed, not only this it was insisting on making a U- turn on a bridge. It kept giving all the wrong directions in the last 2 miles that I had to turn it off. However I was able to make it on time.

When I use it around stamford it always directs me to the wrong exit which has a lot of traffic and takes atleast 5mins more to reach home. So I guess it may not be good in planning the route elsewhere too. The inbuilt navigation in my friends honda civic is more accurate.

On the whole I like the big screen, but its rather dumb instructions sometimes piss me off.

[[ASIN:B000PCBVA6 TomTom ONE XL Portable Extra-wide Screen GPS Navigation System]Excellent navigational device. Would recommend to anyone traveling by car or foot. Prevents unecessary disagreements when trying to locate destination. Excellent resource for locating "points of interest". Would highly recommend it's purchase before next trip.!

MY FIRST GPS UNIT ,,,,BOUGHT ON FRIENDS ADVICE,,,,COULD NOT BE HAPPIER ,,,,UNIT IS FIRST RATE ,,,VERY USER FRIENDLY ,,,,THIS UNIT EVEN HAS 1 LANE DIRT COUNTY ROADS IDENTIFIED ,,,IF THERE ARE BETTER UNITS THAN THIS ONE ON THE MARKET ,,,I DONT KNOW WHY YOU WOULD NEED THEM ,,,,,THIS ONE IS A KEEPER ,,,,JB

The service was fast, just what i ordered . I am very happy with my purchase. Thank you for listing this item..
sportymel in idaho

THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST TOM TOM'S FOR THE MONEY AND VALUE. TO UPGRADE TO OTHER OPTIONS IS EASY. GREAT SCREEN. I MADE THE MISTAKE OF PLACING MY NAME IN THE OWNERS' LOG ON OPTION. NOW EVERY TIME I TURN THE TOM TOM ON I SEE MY NAME AND HAVE TO PRESS CONTINUE...UGH!

I had shopped around for GPS nav systems for a while before finally selecting the TomTom OneXL. I am so happy that I ended up with it!
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br /I travel a lot between several Universities in the SE U.S. and having the TomTom One XL has proven invaluable in helping me find the quicker routes to the places I need to get. The crystal clear screen and great interface make it really easy to use. I've never seen a GPS lock on to satellites so quickly.
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br /The only con to the TomTom OneXL that is short battery life (I get about 2.5 hrs). However, this is not that big of a deal since I can keep it plugged in while driving. Just make sure you don't forget to bring the power cord on long trips!
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br /Very very happy with it! I would recommend it to anyone who is looking into purchasing their first nav GPS!

Satisfactory in all the important ways - my only negative reaction came after the second time the suction cup on the windshield let go and the unit tumbled (undamaged) onto the dashboard. I was advised to moisten the cup WITH SALIVA (not tap water), which inelegant suggestion seems to have solved the problem.

Unit worked when opened. A few days later the program froze and could not be reset even with the reset button hidden by the SD slot. I bought it for a trip and did not have use of the unit for the trip because of the defect. I had to incur the extra expense of shipping the unit back to the factory. Tom Tom should have taken care of that. I will probably not buy from them again.

Three major problems:

1. It does not recognize the street I live on - instead directing me to the street next to ours!

2. It sometimes chooses narrow roads with deadends or private roads!

3. It does not stay on dashboard well, often falling after a few minutes, especially when roads are a bit bumpy.

NOT recommended. Maybe all of these GPS navigation systems are similar.

Tom Tom one xl is everything that I had expected it to be, the service was excellent and I have no complaints.

The unit is easy to view and performs wel. I had a problem in that the car charger could not bring the unit up to full charge and I contacted factory to find that the unit must be charged initially via the computer and that the car charger only charges it a small amount.
The unit kept routing me through NY city on a trip from NJ to Vermont and I didn't care to go this way but there was no way to change it's mind because this was the shortest if not the fastest route.
Also there was a time or two where it called for a turn where there was no street, but on the whole I am happy with the product.l

Although I bought this at a good price, it definitely has its drawbacks. IF you choose to purchase this GPS, PLEASE, by all means, use the TomTom Home software (included with the GPS) to BACK-UP THE SOFTWARE ON YOUR GPS!! That was the 1st thing that I did. Secondly, I updated the Maps to the most current - good idea, right? Well, when I was done doing that, I suddenly ONLY had the default Guam map loaded. Although TomTom Home said that the US/Canada map was on the GPS, IT COULD NO LONGER BE ACCESSED ON THE GPS. This is where the Back-up came into play - I restored the GPS to its 1st settings, and suddenly the US and Canada existed again. Because of the fact I lost 2+ hours only to get back to where I started at when I opened the GPS, I'm wary of updating anything else on it. To me, that decreases its usability and integrity, hence my 1-star rating. Everything else on it seems to work fine, but that 1 LARGE drawback could've cost me the GPS and made it an expensive paperweight.

I bought the TOMTOM XL for my truck. I have used a navigation system before but my truck is older and did not have such a system. I wanted something portable that I could also use when traveling. This is great! It synched to the satellite in no time and I had logged in key addresses, hotels and airports in minutes. The larger screen is really nice.

Good unit for the price. On more than one occasion the unit could not find addresses so I used street intersection instead. Compared to the Nuvi 660, which I also use, it lacks text to speach and screen not as clear. Constant repetion of directions at every exit is very annoying.

I will still recommend it becuase it is $300 less than the above Nuvi 660.

I purchased this product about a week ago and when it came it was messed up from the start, the maps were all screwed up and it permenantly had me located in Guam! Im in Texas. I spent over two and a half hours on the phone with these people trying to get it working with no success. Finally they tell me it needs to be repaired and that I have to ship it to them AT MY OWN COST, and that it will take two weeks for them to repair it and return. Now I was ok with everything until they told me that if I wanted to have a working product it was my responsibility to pay to have it shipped to them to work on. I really feel that this is ridiculous, why should i be out even more money for them to fix a product that should have been working in the first place. If i had had the product for six months and then there was a problem then maybe I can see having to pay shipping, but this is fresh out of the box. Never been used once. What they should have done is send me a new unit and allowed me to send them back the old one instead of telling me that i could pay for shipping or just deal with a broken unit. Their customer service needs some serious reworking.

This is my first GPS system and I haven't run into any problems at all. I only plan to use my Tom Tom in my car so I have no need for a long battery life since I just keep it plugged in. I love the big screen, its the perfect size. It gets me where I need to go and around traffic jams and road closures so well. I am very happy with this unit and would recommend it to anyone!

LOVED THE TOM TOM. BOUGHT BOTH THE TOM TOM AND LG LN735. AND A SIDE BY SIDE COMPARISON THE LG KEPT GETTING ME LOST WHILE DRIVING THROUGH CITIES WHILE IT WORKS GREAT IN MORE RURAL AREAS WHERE ROADS DONT OVER LAP. THE TOM TOM LET YOU KNOW WHAT LANE YOU HAD TO BE IN WHILE THE LG DIDNT UNTIL YOU GOT OFF THE WRONG EXIT AND IT HAD TO RECALCULATE THE ROUTE. OVERALL TOM TOM GREAT PRICE AND GREAT FEATURES.

Excellent Product. Easy to use. "Plug and play" directly out of the box. Quick Shipment. Good Price.

I am a retired deputy sheriff. Smart deputies have a saying: "Don't ever turn your back on a prisoner." My agency uses TomTom for out of county prisoner transports. Being familiar with the operation and reliability of the devise, I purchased TomTom XL for my personal use. It has come through for me, even in the north Georgia mountains, and it always gets me back on track during trial runs when I deliberately take wrong turns in familiar territory. However, it will not take me to a friend's home, twenty-seven miles away. The maps are accurate, but it consistently tells me I have "arrived at my destination" at a totally different address, about a mile from my friend's home. When I am at my friend's home it will correctly show my location on the map, but it will not take me there from home. This is the only way it has ever failed me, but I don't trust it. I have brought this to the manufacturer's attention and received requests for additional information, but the problem hasn't been fixed. Don't turn your back on it!

Out of the box, TomTom One booted up and turned on ok. I found the user interface extremely non-intuitive. The driving map showed few street names and there is no-text to voice(street names not read out). The screen itself was very bright and easy to look at. The little round cursor control seemed to be so sensitive to the touch that it moved around by itself.

I did not buy this from Amazon, and when I got it at the store and keyed my home address for a routing, the first thing it tried to do is route me into an illegal turn. It also tried to get me over railroad tracks where there was no crossing. When I got home and unplugged my TomTom, the car battery charger plug was so HotHot I almost burned my hand.

I figured I needed to get used to the product and would drive around with it for a week or so before deciding whether or not to keep it or try another product. Today, I plugged in and tried to turn it on.
TomTom was DeadDead. Tried holding down the button, with power adapter
plugged in, and no power.

This is being returned ASAP. I read all the good reviews on this site
and made my purchase. I must have had a dud. Am trying another product.

I bought this for my self for Christmas. The large screen is nice. Entering destination points is easy but it took me a few minutes to fiqure out how it wanted the data entered. (Street name first then then street number) It has a tremendous amount of menue options but the one thing I have not been able to find is a way to cancel navigation. That would be very helpful if you change your mind because it will keep trying to direct you to that destination.

We plunged right in when we saw the amazing Amazon "Deal-of the day" price last Tuesday for the TomTom One XL. We should have been more cautious. Try out was last night traveling a route we could drive blindfolded from NYC to Bergen County, NJ. Immediately it became apparent that the TomTom One XL does not include "text to voice," or "announce route / road names" capability. This means that TomTom will tell you (even in an elegant English accent) "turn right in 100 yds," or "next exit left," but it DOES NOT ANNOUNCE THE ROUTE NUMBER OR ROAD NAME where the user should make the turn. When driving a city grid, street and avenue names and numbers are never announced. On a Highway, route numbers and names are never announced. You will have to take your eyes off the road and scrutinize the on-screen map for this information. Imagine entering a complex interchange at highway speeds with numerous route choices in the same location and trying to figure out which one to take based only an the verbal instruction "turn left now." This unit is essentialy nothing more than a digital map reader. It does not provide accurate, real-time, audible route guidance and therefore, the user can easily get waylaid. Other than that, a well made electronic device. Look to newer, more expensive GPS models for this essential feature.
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This product is a lemon. The map couldn't find my place, which is located in the heart of Buckhead, Atlanta, the most central place in the city, cross of two major roads. Customer support recommended me upgrading the map, which I did, and it still did not find my place. I returned it and replaced with a $6 old-fashioned map.

I bought this Gps to travel with my family and was very helpful to get all adresses and site that we needed.TomTom ONE XL 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator

I recently moved to WI, way too many new roads and snow storms, so I treated myself with a GPS. The TomTom worked just great for a whole 2 weeks. Wow! Then it started acting funny: doesn't turn on when you press the power button, giving funny direction, doesn't sync with the PC, doesn't recognizes my blue-tooth cell, and worst of all: It lost its satellited connection .

After buying the premium coverage from Best Buy, they told me I can get a new one, but of course they didn't have any more of this model only cheaper things without streets names or new models, which are way more expansive.

All and all, apparently, after trying the Tom Tom and the Navigon (which didn't work to begin with) I learn that they all suck if you end up buying something cheaper than $600, best bet? Map Quest...

I liked the many easy features of the device. The Map representation is one of the best. The limitation for me however was the consistently complicated routes it produced for places I knew how to reach. I live in the North East so the use of highways is preferred and often produces simpler routes.

I read several reviews prior to my purchase about the inferior routing of the TomTom when compared with Magellan or Garmin but refused to accept it until I tried it myself. The reviews in my case were correct.

I ended up returning the TomTom and got the Magellan Maestro 4050 which produced consistently much better routing results and included many extras such as a Wall charger, AAA POI database, Bluetooth and much more for only $30 more.

Excellent product. It was a gift for my husband. He loves
it. It arrived in a timely manner and was exactly as advertised.

I have been shopping for a GPS for my wife's Birthay. We do a great deal of traveling in unfamiliar places and we spend a fair amount of time looking for a decent 24 oz iced skinny latte. I typed in "coffee" from chino CA Staples gps display and found plenty of results but no Starbucks. Then I typed in "Starbucks" and got no results even though there are 3 within 10 blocks. I was going to buy the TomTom but decided to keep looking. I know first hand how loyal some coffee drinkers can be. I am sure this will not be a big consideration for most but it may be critical to some.

This TomTom One XL is my first vehicle GPS. It does not recognize the street we live on. So far, I have tried to use it to navigate to 2 different locations and the recommended routes made no sense at all. The last time I used it, the suggested route added 15 miles to what should be an 8 mile trip. We plan to return it after only 3 days.

TomTom XL lasted 9 months. As one number on the serial number had rubbed off and I didn't have my sales slip..... Tom Tom customer service disposed of me even though I had registered on line. DON'T BUY TOM TOM ANYTHING!!!
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I never buy used electronics because I was customer service when something goes wrong. I should start with the actual unit description and say that I do use the unit and am impressed with its functionality. Very fast routing, almost never loose connection to sats. Overall, pleased with the unit. Could not for the life of me connect it via bluetooth to my cell phone for traffic stuff.

My beef with Tomtom is after approximately two months of having it the power cord went out. Contacted Amazon who said contact tomtom, who said return it or provide with upc on box, proof of purchase, and some other things I don't remember and they would replace cord if I paid for shipping. That tweeked me off enough that I won't buy again from tomtom. I just went to radio shack and replaced cord for thirty-five bucks myself, but very difficult to contact tomtom and then to get no support, too many other good alternatives for other gps units with support in my book.

I now realize just how young this technology is. This was my first purchase of a GPS Nav device and I am not impressed. It doesn't recognize some logical routes to locations and the ETA is always grossly exaggerated. Key function utilization requires navigation through a number of menus. Also, the manipulation of the active screen for such things as panning both in general or for a planned route is not user friendly. It all boils down to: "you get what you paid for".

I tried 2 of these brand new out the box and both of them would not work. I was even in a nice open area. I even left the unit on while driving back to return it and it would not work. All you get is waiting for valid gps signal forever. I will not buy another gps system by this company ever.

I have purchsed a TomTom One XL recently. It is one of the worst electronics purchase I have ever made. The windshield mount from TomTom is a horrible product. Several years back I puchased GPS of some unknown brand. I used it continuously for two weeks and travelled around 3000 miles. The mount was rock-solid and never had any problem. With this suppossed to be brand name GPS, the mount along with the GPS unit fell off six time during a ride of half an hour. So beware of this product. Since there is no rating of less than one star, I am forced to give it. Otherwise I would have given it zero. Their support sucks. It is not 24/7. They are closed on Sundays, and open only certain hours on other days.

I just received my TomTom ONE XL today and in setting it up I have found that it will NOT connect via Bluetooth to my Apple iPhone. That's a big problem. Please TomTom get to the bottom of this issue and update the software so it will work for why I bought it.

If you want a basic simple road navigation device do not be fooled by the other reviews and do not buy a TOMTOM ONE or TOMTOM ONE XL. I chose to buy the TOMTOM ONE XL after reading the other reviews unfortunately they do not reveal two major flaws! First off - there is no way to control and lock the zoom in level while navigating. You can zoom out briefly but it will automatically zoom back in really close - it doesn't give me much advantage over what I see out my windshield. The second thing there is no way to make up to be north on the screen while navigating - it keeps rotating the map as you make turns (very irritating especially while driving in the mountains). I'm not sure how most people read maps, but I know I usually make north to be up.

I contacted TOMTOM on both these issues. First via email and was told that the touch screen had a problem (concerning the zooming in issue) and it needed to be returned for repair. I exchanged it with the retailer due to it being defective and got another one. The second ended up doing the same thing. I then contacted TOMTOM via the phone and was told the zooming in issue was normal as well as well as the orientation of the maps while navigating and the only way to have north being up and control of your zoom in level is to put it in "browse map" mode - but you loose your navigation functions if you do so.

I am very disappointed with this product and will probably give it away.

This was a gift so I do not know what it was like to use.