Though physically similar to Garmin's Nuvi 360, the TomTom One has more in common with the Averatec Voya 350: It's a no-frills navigation system that delivers solid performance for an affordable price ($499.95). Actually, it does have one frill -- Bluetooth -- but it doesn't leverage it like the Nuvi and Mio C710. Instead of linking to your phone for hands-free conversation, it merely taps the data connection to fetch traffic updates. That gives the One a slight advantage over the Bluetooth-less Voya, though that model costs nearly $150 less.
  TomTom One Click image to launch image gallery. |
Slim and pocketable, the 6.5-ounce One measures 3.8 x 3.2 x 1.0 inches. Its clip-on windshield mount employs a ball joint for easy positioning, though its short arm isn't ideal for cars with deep dashboards. Like the Nuvi 360, the One has just one physical control: a power button. The 3.5-inch touch screen serves as gateway to the interface.
Maps of North America come preloaded on the included 1GB SD card -- just slip it in the slot and you're ready to navigate. Well, almost ready: The One takes about 35 seconds to power up, far longer than the other receivers in the group. Fortunately, the GPS makes good use of its SiRFstarIII chipset, grabbing a satellite fix in under a minute.
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• Introduction • Averatec Voya 350 • Garmin Nuvi 360 • Mio C710 • TomTom One • Conclusion |
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I found the points-of-interest database a little complicated at first, if only because TomTom gives you so many ways to look up entries. There are five main options: near your current location, near your destination, near your home, in a specific city, or along your route. You can also tap Find to search by name, a definite plus. However, the restaurants aren't organized by cuisine, which can be a hassle if you're trying to find, say, the nearest Chinese place. In addition, when you're presented with the master POI category list, only two lines appear onscreen at a time; the rest of the screen is occupied by the keyboard.
Interesting Options
As noted previously, the One does have Bluetooth, but no speakerphone capability. What it can do is utilize your phone's wireless data connection (if it has one) to access TomTom PLUS services. These intriguing a-la-carte options include real-time traffic data, updated maps and POIs, and even new voices (including celebs like Burt Reynolds and Mr. T).
In my tests around town, the system performed well, though I missed hearing street names (the One lacks the Nuvi's text-to-speech capabilities). Its maps and POI database seemed current, and it always created logical routes to my chosen destinations. On the downside, a good one-fourth of the screen is consumed by non-map data, like time of arrival and distance to next turn. The other GPS receivers do a better job maximizing the viewable map area -- important when you're working with such a small screen.
Still, there's plenty of bang for the buck here; anyone seeking effective navigation on a budget would do well to consider this receiver.
TomTom One TomTom International BV www.tomtom.com Price: $499.95 Summary: The One delivers all the navigation acumen of TomTom's pricier GPS receivers, but in a more compact and affordable package. |
