In today’s world of electronic gadgets one such gadget I find people talking about more or even saying they want is a portable GPS unit for their vehicle. Well prior to this I have never used a GPS unit before though I was able to see a Garmin in action when Robyn and I were in Minnesota this year.
I was curious as to how other vehicle GPS units perform and looked at the various GPS manufacturers out there in today’s market. One that came to mind was TomTom. It seems TomTom has released an updated version of the TomTom ONE series with the XL 330/330 S which has a smaller compact design and smaller mounting hardware.
TomTom
When I first saw TomTom being mentioned as a GPS device manufacturer it was a TV commercial. It intrigued me then and when people talk about GPS units now, TomTom’s name usually comes up. TomTom focuses on car navigation with combining high quality map data that is kept up to date with help from the large community of people who use TomTom products.
They also try and deliver quicker travel routes using historical speed data and real time traffic information services. Even though TomTom has not been in the market as long as Garmin they still have been around for over 15 years and stay competitive in today’s market of car navigation devices. With the acquisition of Tele Atlas I am sure they won’t be stuck behind the pack when releasing map updates either.
GPS – Never Getting Lost Again
I was excited to try out my first GPS device and when I received the TomTom XL-330 S my first impression of the device was that it looked good, small and hopefully seemed easy to use. The other feature of the TomTom Xl-330 S is that it came with what they called an EasyPort which greatly reduces the amount of hardware needed to mount it to a car surface.
- Maps of US and Canada
- EasyPort Mount
- Plug and Go Operation
- Spoken Instructions and Street Names
- 4.3″ Widescreen
- Preloaded Points of Interest (PoI)
- Stay Up To Date with TomTom’s Home Service
- TomTom Latest Map Guarantee
- Traffic Ready
- Daily Fuel Prices (optional service)
I am glad that this particular unit came with Canadian maps out of the box. I remember seeing other manufacturer GPS devices that made you purchase a model or two above to get it preloaded with Canadian maps.
EastPort Mount is pretty cool in itself. It attaches easily attaches to the back of the TomTom XL-330 S and mounts to the windshield with no troubles.
Though I do recommend you attaching the mount to the windshield and then attaching the TomTom unit to the mount. Just don’t push hard on the screen, use the frame as it can be a bit tough clipping in. This is easier because you can attach the EasyPort mount to the glass easier without the unit attached. The suction cup engages with a simple twist.
The Plug and Go operation is nice. I took the unit out of the box, mounted to the car and turned it on. Within a minute or two it acquired 12 satellite signals and knew exactly where I was. Was there any doubt? When you first turn it on you do need to set up the basics such as home location, time and default maps. You can also choose the voice for which it uses to speak upcoming streets. This is only when you first take it out of the box or have to do a hard-reset.
It seems that TomTom has redesigned their ONE series into a thinner and more compact version. The EasyPort mount (as mentioned above and pictured above) is compact and folds up against the back of the unit. This is good because it is thinner than previous models and fits better in a bag or even your pocket. When you turn it off they even show a picture of someone putting it into a hand bag, a reminder to take it with you.
The widescreen is really nice. I recommend if you can afford a widescreen version I would go that route. More visual information for you and also makes it easier to glance at while driving. Wider screens also allow for larger keyboards and in this case the onscreen keyboard is nice and big. I do not recommend using the onscreen keyboard while driving though.
The USB port at the bottom of the unit is tricky to connect to as it is a bit recessed. I would recommend plugging in the car adapter prior to mounting it on your dash or windshield. Once the TomTom XL-330 S is mounted to the EasyPort you can easily rotate it 360 degrees, you can also swivel the EasyPort mount though it can be a bit stiff. Just make sure, like when attaching it, you grasp the frame of the unit when positioning to your liking. One thing I did notice is that it does lack an option for an external antenna. External antenna would allow you to acquire a better GPS signal, hopefully in a more dense building area too.
So you have the TomTom XL-330 S mounted to your chosen location inside your vehicle, now what? You can set up a destination without much trouble. There are a few menus you have to navigate around when setting up a destination but the nice thing is you can set it as a favorite and choose it later without much hassle. After you have inputted your destination it will calculate your route fairly quickly. You can also choose how it should calculate its route buy: shortest distance, quickest time or arrive at no particular time.
I told the TomTom to take me from my place in Pitt Meadows BC to Robyn’s place in the West End of Vancouver. I also specified that I did not have to be there by any particular time. Clicking on the above image will show you a larger version but as you can see TomTom’s route was not as direct but I assume it has less traffic lights to go though. Then again my route downtown is not a typical main artery I guess either, well if you’re not a Vancouver resident I suppose.
A few times I had troubles picking up a decent signal when I was downtown Vancouver. The taller buildings will hamper with acquiring a GPS signal. Once it took over 30 minutes to acquire a GSP link and by then I only had 10 minutes left in that particular journey. Another time it was able to acquire a signal 3 blocks away. Perhaps an external antenna could help with this.
They do have a QuickFixGPS update on their website that will help keep track of GPS satellite locations to help aquire a quicker location fix. When I am out in Pitt Meadows (where there are no large steel and concrete buildings) I am able to pick up a good GPS signal within 2 minutes of powering up the TomTom XL-330 S.
I noticed when I was driving from Robyn’s place and set TomTom to route me home it kept trying to redirect me 2 streets over. I did not want to go that route and after I would miss the ‘Turn Left’ directions it kept giving it would then just recalculate and keep asking me to ‘Turn Left’ at each intersection I approached.
It would have been nice for it to realize I would not comply to its wishes and recalculate the route based on the road I was traveling on. Battery life is specified to be up to 3 hours of operation. I have not needed to try this part out as I plug in the unit with the car adapter every time I use it. A feature that might be fun to use would be the Traffic reporting but that is a separate option for this unit. It uses the FM broadcast and will help recalculate a route if there are traffic issues up ahead on your current route.
You install the TomTom Home software by plugging the TomTom into your computer and agreeing to install it. I thought it would install off of the TomTom itself but it actually goes to the TomTom website and downloads the software. TomTom’s Latest Map Guarantee means that within 30 days of your purchase if there is a newer map available to download you get to download it free. You do have to attach the TomTom to your computer via the supplied USB cable. You also need to install their Home software.
TomTom Home also allows you to download new voices, as well as PoI or Points of Interest that might be handy for you and your area. Their Map Share service allows you to connect with other TomTom users and download their corrections to maps in your area, or you can share your updates. Perhaps streets have changed, or a road is blocked, you can edit them and upload them to the community. With constant road upgrades or even road closures due to construction this could be very handy.
TomTom Home also will update the TomTom device with any firmware releases or any other software updates that might be needed. Though be warned that if you do have to download a new map like I did (there was an updated version of the Canadian map) it was over 200 MB and over a USB port it took quite the time to complete (download, transfer, install, reboot).
I have enjoyed using the TomTom XL-330 S GPS unit though I wish I could create some more fun car adventures and test the navigation and route calculation a bit better. I have entered in some known addresses and just followed the TomTom as it directed me which each time turned out pretty well. The compact design, which is not bulky, is great and with the EasyMount port it allows for less clutter on your vehicle’s dash.
It seems that the lower cost GPS units do not come with external antennas or a port to plug one in but that would be a nice option if you do a lot of city driving. Though if the buildings are quite high I am sure it might be a bit difficult to obtain a decent satellite signal.For being my first GPS unit I have quite enjoyed using the TomTom XL-330 S. Using it to find locations I might be unfamiliar with was great, though for the routes I did know I would have liked it to recalculate the route on the road I currently was driving on.
If you are looking for a widescreen vehicle GPS unit I would recommend looking at the TomTom XL-330. It would be great for road trips where you are not quite sure where you are going. If you are doing deliveries or driving around locations you are familar with, you probably know a better route than the TomTom, but if not it will find you the quickest or shortest route.
