By: Smith

Smith — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:25:10 +0000

Having used this device I can't see buying one over a Garmin or Magellan. In theory it has a great set of features. In reality the menu system seems very random. There seems to be no logic to Tomtom's menu layout. I dislike that you can't zoom out when looking at the moving map. Yes, you can zoom out to about city level but not far enough where you can tell where you are between two cities on the freeway. It also automatically zooms back in after a few seconds.
The point of interest database is large but works poorly. It doesn't search far from your target location. By target location I mean either current location, end destination, along route etc. When it gives you a list of potential matches it only says distance to the point, it doesn't indicate direction. Unlike the Garmin or Magellan, it doesn't guess what you mean very well. "Wal-mart" vs "Walmart", only one will find the store. Even worse, when searching for "Zaxby's" the unit had some locations spelled "Zaxbys" and others spelled "Zaxby's". The only way to know you would find the place is enter "Zaxby". Given the small search area and the naming issue above I found the POI system to be vastly inferior to those used by Garmin and Magellan. The soft keyboard has small buttons and no audible feedback when a key is pressed. The Magellan is particularly nice in this regard as the system says the letter or number you just pressed. It might seem a small thing but it makes typing easier because you can look for the next button rather than look back at the entry line to see what you are typing.
The map pan and zoom system is also very poorly done. Rather than letting you pan and zoom right from the main map, you must enter the second page of the menu system. The zoom slider is frustrating as it is very easy to move it farther than you wish. What is wrong with the +/- buttons used on the main map?!
The software does have a few good points. I like that I can customize the main screen. The unit boots up quickly (a flaw of the Garmin) and has no delays or software glitches.
While the software end of things was lacking, the hardware end is great. The unit is small and the window mount system is wonderful! The whole thing folds against the back of the GPS. This makes the unit and mount near pocket sized. If you move the unit from car to car the mount is far better than those used on other devices. If you leave the unit in one car at all times this advantage isn't worth as much.

Comments on: Tomtom One 130 GPS Review

By: Smith