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Tom Tom One
We all know that there is no such thing as the perfect-for-everyone GPS device, but TomTom’s One does come rather close. Firstly, it's one of the most compact dedicated GPS device you could ever slip into your coat pocket, being only 3.8 x 3.2 x 1 inches and just 6.5 ounces. Attached to your windshield, the 3.5-inch TFT touchscreen is just big enough, with the onscreen keyboard being a little too cramped for those with large fingers. However, both are just about adequate.
In fact, everything about the Tom Tom One works. In tests, the SiRFstarIII chipset provides excellent reception, and satellite acquisition times lasts only a few seconds. The integrated lithium-ion battery is rated for two hours of use and can charge from the included DC adapter or your own mini-USB cable.
The device connects via Bluetooth with a range of supported phones for TomTom’s optional services, such as traffic updates, and you can choose from dozens of languages for both the UI and spoken commands.
As in nearly all GPS devices, there are imperfections in the commands in off-freeway environments below the scale of about 100 yards, however, at such distances your eyes and brain should be able to help you more than map data can. You can’t plan an itinerary using TomTom’s PC software, you have to do it on the device itself. You add waypoints and multiple destinations, which are all saveable as separate routes in the flash memory, from a wealth of points of interests, addresses, and so on.
This can be a rather cumbersome task, since you have to go into the navigation area of the UI, then into Advanced Planning. In testing, sometimes it was necessary to backtrack to reorder waypoints.
In all other regards, the One is virtually flawless. The interface is impeccable and thorough, right down to displaying routes in 2D or 3D, text, flyby demo, and more. Map browsing and zooming are a easy and instructions are delivered clearly and with good timing relative to when you need to act on them. POI data is extensive and it can grow through online downloads.
This version of TomTom’s PC software doesn’t allow you to download pictures, MP3s, or Audible audiobooks. But if you can live without such bells and whistles, the One is a fairly priced, extremely friendly, and highly satisfying GPS navigator.
