Mio MOOV 310 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigator Review

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(More customer reviews)True, I have only had this item for a little over a week, but am finding it to be very easy to learn and use. The only "down" side is that much of the time it initially takes what seems to be lengthy time (2-3 minutes) to find the satellites. Once it has locked on to the satellites it works very quickly. It configures routes quickly and accurately. I can use it in the house to set up routes, etc., with no problem. (It doesn't always note the exact house address as the locale from which I am working, but is usually within a door or two.)
On the road the speech is clear,and the map in motion is wonderful to watch as the car is moving. Occasionally Samantha will cut it pretty close before telling me to turn, but she has warned of the upcoming turn far enough in advance for me to deal with it. I do wish it would routinely warn which lane to stay in when coming to a "y", etc. At this point I have used it for trips to places I know. I will be taking a 12 hour trip to unknown areas, and will report back about how it works for me then.
Before buying I researched the Garvin and the TomTom. I ran across the Mio Moov accidentally and liked what I saw. I was a little leary because of the extremely limited number of reviews available, but it is a new model. I had settled on the TomTom XL S before I decided to take a chance on this "new, unknown" model. So far, I am very happy with my choice. It is a great value for the money with all that it offers. (Let's see what I say six months down the road!)
JUNE 1, 2008:
I have now had the product for just over a month and I still love it! It has worked beautifully on two lengthy trips to unknown areas and on several trips to known areas. My husband has tested it by repeatedly taking his own out-of-the-way route and has been amused by Samantha's persistence in rerouting us. He said they should make one that says, "Look, Dummy, I keep telling you where to go!" She kindly and quickly reconfigures and gets it right every time.
It still takes two to three minutes to find satellites when it has been "rebooted" or often when I fire it up while in the house....but that is not an issue. Once on and running, there is no delay in routing. I still find the advance warning of upcoming turns to be adequate, even on the occasions when Samantha doesn't actually say "turn" until we are nearly on the turn. Also, remember...the visual is constantly in front of me. I know by looking at the arrow on the upper left if I will be turning left or right LONG before the turn comes.
My 32 year old daughter is directionally challenged and used my Mio Moov 310 for an extended day trip out of state. She and my granddaughter were sold! My granddaughter couldn't believe when Samantha said to turn right, my daughter didn't have to ask "driver's side or passenger side?" The visual was right in front to complement the verbals. She does a great deal of traveling to out of the way places and uses map quest constantly. She is thrilled with this GPS, and we have now purchased one for her for a college graduation present. The only thing I REALLY DON'T LIKE is the fact that my battery does not last ever over 1 hour.
My sister just purchased a TomTom 720go for significantly more than my Mio. When reading the "improvements" of the TomTom 720go over the TomTOm XL, I was pleased to see that my Mio Moov 310 has many of the features that the TomTom 720go considers "improvements".
I still rate this as a four (4) star item, and would recommend it to anybody.

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Turn-by-turn Spoken Street Name Voice Guidance. Never miss a turn with 3D indicators andauto-zoom views. Clear voice guidance lets you hear the directions so you can focus on the road. Stylish Design that fits easily in a pocket or purse makes it easy to take the Moov 310 with you. 1 Year FREE Real-time Traffic Alerts. Receive real-time traffic alerts as they happen! It helps you to avoid unexpected accidents, road blocks and traffic jams, getting you to your destination safely! Preloaded U.S. Map of All 50 States and Puerto Rico. No PC download or SD card required. Moov 310 is ready to navigate straight out of the box. Preloaded with Over 3.5 Million Points of Interest. The Moov 310 makes it easy to find restaurants, gas stations, emergency assistance, hotels and more. No More Waiting for GPS Signal with InstantFixII. Get fast and accurate GPS signal reception every time. No extra fees and PC connection required. 4.3 Touchscreen Interface. The bright, anti-glare touchscreen makes it easy to type in your destination and easy to see while youre on the road SD / MMC Slot for easy additional map loading.

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Navigon 2200T 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator Review

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(More customer reviews)So far I am REALLY happy with the Navigon 2200t. I kept going back and forth between the 2200t and the 7200t. Although the 4.2" widescreen on the 7200t is nice I didn't need the bluetooth capability since my car already has it.
The 3.5" screen on the 2200t is plenty large and easy to read and type on. It would be nice if it had a QWERTY keyboard onscreen but the keyboard is intelligent only displaying relevant keys. I had no problem typing my destinations error free.
One of the complaints I read about past Navigon units was slow performance for GPS acquision, routing, and the menu system. That issue has absolutely been resolved with the new Navigon line. The menus are quick and the GPS locks on almost instantly. The traffic features are nice to have especially here in Atlanta. The speaker is surprisingly loud and clear when speaking the directions.
The reality view is a really nice feature when navigating complicated highway junctions and was one of the reasons I went with Navigon. Although I just received the unit I am very pleased with the build quality, performance, and routing so far. Its really a great deal considering similiar features are hundreds of dollars more with TomTom and Garmin units.
My only complaint would be the directions included in the box are pretty poor (just a quick start guide). I had to get on the Navigon website to download the full instructions. Not a big deal though.
Overall I am very happy so far and highly recommend the Navigon 2200t.

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Both portable and stylish, NAVIGON 2200T delivers a superior navigation experience unlike any other with features that are both useful and exclusive. Route around traffic jams with Free Real-Time Traffic Updates, alerting you to traffic issues ahead and providing alternative routes all free for the life of your 2200T. Never miss your exit again with Reality View Pro which automatically displays photo-realistic images of virtually every highway intersection and exit complete with sign text and lane guidance. Plus, the 2200T includes a host of other features that make navigating the road ahead easier, such as Advanced Text-to-Speech Voice Guidance, Lane Assistant Pro, Multi-Destination Trip Planning and DirectHelp.

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Street Atlas USA 2011 Review

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(More customer reviews)I have been using Street Atlas 2008 for a while and decided that I needed the newer version as I use it everyday in running appointments around a very large area. With all the development over the last several years there are many neighborhoods that were not appearing in the 2008 version. The use of it is the same and happy overall with that...but a lot of the streets have NOT been updated so really it was a waste of money. I expected that since I bought this in the Fall of 2010 and it was the 2011 version that it would be fully updated with all the new streets but that is not the case.

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Microsoft Streets and Trips 2007 with GPS Locator Review

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(More customer reviews)This remains an outstanding trip planning and GPS program. But by far the greatest improvement is in the chipset hardware included. The new GPS locater is MUCH smaller than the previous versions and includes the SIRFstarIII chipset. Now your asking what the heck is that?! Well, it is the most sensitive and accurate chipset out there and it acquires the satellites nearly instantaneously and holds on for dear life under nearly all conditions. It is a VAST improvement over the old 360 locater MS used in the past versions. My only minor complaint: it might be TOO small. The old one was the ideal size. In so small a package the antenna is necessarily smaller with somewhat reduced sensitivity than otherwise might have been obtained. But not to worry! This little device works just fantastic.
The GPS functionality has not changed significantly and still does NOT include automatic rerouting once you get off route. For me this was a major disappointment. Nearly all of the "all in one" GPS devices (such as the Nuvi 360 & Nuvi 660) include this very useful feature. It would have been so easy for Microsoft to respond to the needs of their customers and add this feature that one wonders just why they heck they didn't do it! The voice and large visual prompts, which make using the program in an automobile MUCH MUCH easier, remain essentially unchanged from 2006. The little car cursor in the 2005 version has been replaced by a much more visible circle with a large arrow in it indicating direction.
Unfortunately, some of the map details are still not as good as were found in the 2004 version of this program. There are small dirt roads that were on the 2004 version that are not on the current version. I can't understand why MS would dumb down their product. Also, the street names seem to have been dumbed down as well. For example, Golden Eagle Ferry Road has been reduced to Ferry Road. There are innumerable examples of this dumbing down and simplifying which may reduce the size of the program but detracts from its overall usefullness.
Despite the dumbing down of the actual map data the program remains a superb mapping program with many updates since the 2004 and 2005 versions. New streets, restaurants and other points of interest are now incorporated. This program offers a truly affordable GPS guidance system for nearly all consumers without having to go to the expensive Garmin or Magellan systems. If you find yourself traveling to points unknown I cannot imagine a better more affordable solution for getting around than this product in conjunction with your notebook computer. Even if you have an "all in one" solution such as the Garmin Nuvi Streets and Trips can help you plan your trip and routs. I have both and they compliment one another very well.
A few comments about the Streets and Trips mapping software. I am familiar with the Delorme product and the Garmin product and Streets and Trips blows them both away - no contest. Instantaneous panning, zooming in and zooming out, outstanding routing software, and a plethora of other features makes Streets and Trips, by far, my favorite mapping software.
This years program does automatically load the drivers for the GPS locater device which the older versions tended to do sporadically. This is done, as should have been the case for the older versions, seamlessly and without any difficulty whatsoever.
I heartily recommend this product! The new SIRFstarIII chipset alone justifies the price of the upgrade. The updated mapping details and new points of interest are also useful. The ONLY quibble I have with this program, and it is not insignificant, is the failure to include automatic rerouting if you get off the indicated route. Also, remember you will need a DVD player to install this program which now comes on one DVD rather than two CDs as it did in the past.

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Microsoft Streets & Trips 2007 with GPS Locator combines Streets & Trips 2007, the customizable trip planning software, with a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver. With advanced GPS features and voice-prompted directions, you'll always know exactly where your next turn is.

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TomTom VIA 1505T 5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator with Lifetime Traffic Review

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(More customer reviews)I just got my Tomtom VIA 1505TM yesterday, and having just got off the phone with the (easy to reach & very friendly & helpful) customer service here is what I wish I'd known before I bough this: it's still in Beta and isn't supported by a lot of Tomtom's infrastructure yet. For example, as of today (April 5th 2011) you aren't going to find it on most of the drop down menus on Tomtom's website or as an option on the phone menu when you call customer service. More seriously, it can't connect to Tomtom Home which is the software that allows you to do the fun things Tomtom offer like downloading voices or other doodads to your device. I was really looking forward to customizing my GPS with various voices and I'm sad I can't do that. I am assured that over the course of this year Tomtom will send updates to the VIA GPSes that will eventually allow them to join the party but for now there is very little support for this product. I think it's kind of weird to release a beta that has less functionality than the models it supersedes without clearly warning potential purchasers so I'm writing this review today. I also can't buy a carry case sized just to fit my VIA - which is a different shape to previous models because it attaches to my car using a different system. I'm told its a better system but since this is my first GPS I wouldn't know.
Hopefully by the end of the year (as I said, I'm writing this on April 5th 2011) this review will be obsolete but right now, if you purchase this GPS today, you will not be getting a fully supported device. I'm not happy at having been lured into Beta testing Tomtom's new product line, this is my first GPS and I paid $200 for it, I wanted a great experience right out of the box. As it is I'm just feeling a bit sad about the whole thing, and even the charming customer service hasn't made that go away.
The thing is, this is a really nice piece of engineering. It is super easy to set up and use. It works in a fundamentally different way to previous Tomtoms, and you can use it while it is plugged into your computer. A friend of mine has an earlier Tomtom and I know she gets frustrated at not being able to access her Tomtom while it is attached to her computer so that is a definite plus. I'm not complaining about the device itself, it is very cool. I'm told that this model is the future of Tomtom, and that in time it will do everything the other models do and more, but the fact is that it doesn't do that now, today, April 5th 2011.
So. Early adopters and devoted beta testers rejoice! This is definitely the Tomtom for you. Buy one and enjoy yourselves. But those of you who, like me, just want to get where you are going with a bit of fun along the way, and the least amount of hassle, might want to pick something else.

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TomTom GO 2535TM 5-Inch Portable Bluetooth GPS Navigator with Lifetime Traffic & Maps Review

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(More customer reviews)If TomTom wanted Beta-testers, they would have had no shortage of volunteers. If TomTom had delayed the release of this item until it was fully functional, they would have had a few disappointed pre-order customers but otherwise happy users. However, charging customers the current price for a buggy product which is clearly not ready for sale is unacceptable. Selling this product in its current form is false advertising. Plain and simple.
I'll start with the positive:
1. The windshield mount is very nice. The twist/click suction cup works great and the magnetic dock is super simple to use.
2. The screen is nice and big. The graphics display nicely and are clear and easy to understand in a glance.
3. It gives directions. That IS why you want a GPS system, after all, isn't it? ;)
4. Unlike some other reviewers, mine finds its signal extremely quickly. It is ready to go long before I am (having to connect it to the dock and power cord, start car, check mirrors, etc).
5. It seems to do everything quickly. It recalculates my route within a few feet if I choose not to take its suggested turns. Scrolling through menus is quick as the page refresh is very fast.
Sorry, that's all I've got for pros. So far, I Just. Don't. Like. It.
Here's why:
1. The browser-based interface is glitchy. Sometimes it connects to my device right away. Sometimes I have to plug and unplug it a few times to get it to show up. Sometimes it goes right to the overview page (which contains only paragraphs about all the fabulous features which TomTom will release eventually but don't actually work yet and a link to non-existent accessories), sometimes my only option is to change my email address and password. I have to close and reopen my browser until it offers the full list of choices.
2. Unavailable features:
a. TomTom claims the voices read street names. While it's technically true that the DEFAULT voice reads street names, it is the only one. Spoken address recognition is only available with this voice as well (per the manual). You better hope you like Samantha.
b. Add-on voices don't work. They don't actually tell you this until after you've paid for them and call to ask why you can't get them to download onto your device. Then they "helpfully" offer to "try to refund" your money. Which will take 7-10 business days.
c. Home software. One of the advertised features is the ability to manage your device from your desktop. Then you call TomTom support because the software can't see your device and they tell you "never mind. You can't do that." No estimate on when any of these features will become available.
3. As other reviewers have mentioned, the button for voice control is VERY tiny. Almost impossible to hit accurately while driving without taking your eyes off the road while you do it, which defeats the purpose of voice control. A double-tap of the screen or larger button would have been a much better choice.
4. Menus could be condensed and reorganized for ease of use. Some of the options don't seem to make sense where they are.5. Worst of all for me: Customer Support. TomTom thinks it's perfectly acceptable to advertise a product can do things it can't and charge people full price while they wait around for features that might work someday. I was told flat-out by a tech "TomTom releases a new device every 3 or 4 months. You can't expect all of the features to work on all of them before we release them." Yes. That's a direct quote. And yes TomTom, that's EXACTLY what I and the rest of your customers expect. If it doesn't work, don't take people's money for it. Period.
With business practices and products like this, I am appalled that TomTom is still in business. If you MUST buy a TomTom for some reason, you might want to consider a model that's been around awhile. Maybe they've gotten around to making it work by now.
Update 5/6/2011: After only owning this device a week and using it a handful of times, my unit died. I dropped it into the windshield mount and hit the power button while I buckled and backed out of the driveway and when by the end of my street (3 blocks) it was still on the start-up image, I was perplexed. I turned it off and back on with the same result. I left it on, thinking perhaps it was updating some database or something and would eventually move on, but when I arrived at my destination 20 minutes later, it was still displaying the startup image. A google search of reset instructions led me to hold the power button down for an extended period, which according to TomTom's service instructions, should have initiated a soft reset. Instead, it powered down completely and I have not been able to power it back on since. TomTom tech support confirms that there is clearly something wrong with this unit and have issued an RMA with a promise of a replacement unit. I will update my review after receiving the replacement to indicate how the RMA process went. Have I mentioned that I'm underwhelmed here?

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TomTom VIA 1505M 5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator with Lifetime Maps Review

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(More customer reviews)I just got my Tomtom VIA 1505TM yesterday, and having just got off the phone with the (easy to reach & very friendly & helpful) customer service here is what I wish I'd known before I bough this: it's still in Beta and isn't supported by a lot of Tomtom's infrastructure yet. For example, as of today (April 5th 2011) you aren't going to find it on most of the drop down menus on Tomtom's website or as an option on the phone menu when you call customer service. More seriously, it can't connect to Tomtom Home which is the software that allows you to do the fun things Tomtom offer like downloading voices or other doodads to your device. I was really looking forward to customizing my GPS with various voices and I'm sad I can't do that. I am assured that over the course of this year Tomtom will send updates to the VIA GPSes that will eventually allow them to join the party but for now there is very little support for this product. I think it's kind of weird to release a beta that has less functionality than the models it supersedes without clearly warning potential purchasers so I'm writing this review today. I also can't buy a carry case sized just to fit my VIA - which is a different shape to previous models because it attaches to my car using a different system. I'm told its a better system but since this is my first GPS I wouldn't know.
Hopefully by the end of the year (as I said, I'm writing this on April 5th 2011) this review will be obsolete but right now, if you purchase this GPS today, you will not be getting a fully supported device. I'm not happy at having been lured into Beta testing Tomtom's new product line, this is my first GPS and I paid $200 for it, I wanted a great experience right out of the box. As it is I'm just feeling a bit sad about the whole thing, and even the charming customer service hasn't made that go away.
The thing is, this is a really nice piece of engineering. It is super easy to set up and use. It works in a fundamentally different way to previous Tomtoms, and you can use it while it is plugged into your computer. A friend of mine has an earlier Tomtom and I know she gets frustrated at not being able to access her Tomtom while it is attached to her computer so that is a definite plus. I'm not complaining about the device itself, it is very cool. I'm told that this model is the future of Tomtom, and that in time it will do everything the other models do and more, but the fact is that it doesn't do that now, today, April 5th 2011.
So. Early adopters and devoted beta testers rejoice! This is definitely the Tomtom for you. Buy one and enjoy yourselves. But those of you who, like me, just want to get where you are going with a bit of fun along the way, and the least amount of hassle, might want to pick something else.

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TomTom VIA 1535T 5-Inch Portable Bluetooth GPS Navigator with Lifetime Traffic Review

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(More customer reviews)Update on 4/20/11:
I continued to have significant issues with the TomTom device, and with absolutely no help from TomTom, Amazon allowed me to exchange the product (which was very easy to do!). The replacement device works MUCH better -- I'm not experiencing the bugginess or lack of responsiveness I had with the previous device. I'm assuming my original had a defect with the touchscreen. I'm quite happy with the device itself, but I left the rating at 3/5 stars for 2 reasons:
1) My review of the MyTomTom software as of April 2011 and the false advertising (see below) stands.
2) TomTom Support does not seem ready to support the new product or software yet.
For those who care most about the GPS unit itself though, I'm very happy with it -- intuitive, responsive, beautiful interface, and more capable than previous TomToms. Once TomTom fixes their software and support, I'm sure a review could easily give it 5/5 stars.Original Review on 4/14/11:
I was excited to buy this product recently, and receive it on 4/12/11.
However, I have to warn everyone considering any of the newer TomTom VIA line to be cautious.
First, TomTom recently retired their old "TomTom Home" software for new "MyTomTom" software. Many of the features on this Amazon page and on TomTom's page are NOT available because the new software is incapable of supporting those features. This includes map sharing (sharing updates), QuickGPSFix, speed camera updates, voice purchases, backing up your device, etc. I confirmed this via email and via a phone call with TomTom Support. Online forums seem to suggest that it could be months or longer before the software provides this. The phone support rep said that perhaps some of the features would be offered in 30-60 days.
Secondly, the device I received has a sluggish interface most of the time, and the interface will freeze (especially if there's no GPS signal) the rest of the time. The routing functionality is very fast, but it's not useful if you can't actually interact with the device. I received a bit of a runaround from TomTom Support, and even sent them a video I recorded of the problems -- they had no suggestions and suggested I wait for the next application release to fix the bugs.
Finally, the TomTom support site and reps are not ready to support these new devices. Their online support site has articles which fail to even list the new VIA line and their phone support menu doesn't even include it. When using email support, the support rep kept sending me articles on other TomTom models.
Just to summarize, you won't receive the features advertised (this is confirmed), and my experience with the device was poor from the start. I can't express how disappointed I am -- this looked an excellent product, and the interface is beautiful... but unusable.


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TomTom VIA 1435TM 4.3-Inch Portable Bluetooth GPS Navigator with Lifetime Traffic & Maps Review

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(More customer reviews)This is the third TomTom I've owned, so I am familiar with their units going back for about 4 years. When I saw the announced Via units, I preordered a 1435TM, which arrived last week.
The good:
This is the most advanced TomTom I've owned in this price range. Screen is sharp and bright, the built-in mounting is very good, and the device is super thin. The free lifetime map updates are a big plus, as is the free traffic information. They build the traffic receiver into the charging cord, which seems to work well.
The information display is very clean while showing a lot of useful information. Calculation time for routes is fast, and the lane assist feature is helpful, although I have not been through a very complicated unknown interchange. The signs don't match what you see on the road, so you need to trust the lane designation.
The screen aspect rotates automatically depending on whether you mount it from above or below; which is very handy.
Voice recognition is very good, although this was not a big seller for me. The street name voice is noticibly robotic, but again, this was not a big selling point for me.
Little features like auto power-off when the charger power is stopped (IOW when you turn the car off) are helpful, but I would like it to take longer than 10 seconds, the only setting. The auto day/night color setting seems to work fine, but I cannot find anywhere where you can turn this setting on or off.
The not so good:
The touch screen is a tad less sensitive than I'd like. It's not a big problem, but can be annoying at times.
When entering an address, the unit is very laggy. This appears to be due to searching a huge database of city and street names, but it makes the address entry less fluid of a process than it could be. Type a letter or two, then wait for it to filter the available matches before it allows you to type in additional letters. Again, more of an annoyance than a true problem.
Overall I am very pleased with the purchase. It's not perfect, but it is a good value for the price in my opinion.

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