• Review: tomtom One

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    tomtom One

    After a week of driving around lost, I bought a GPS. I did some research and decided on the tomtom One. This GPS is an entry-level model with basic features and a relatively low price. I chose the tomtom because it is small, got positive reviews, and was inexpensive (about $400). After two weeks of almost daily use I have some observations:

    Positive:

    • The user interface and menu system is excellent. In my opinion it is superior to the Garmin systems I have used (Nuvi & StreetPilot).
    • The maps are acceptable. I am waiting for a set of updated maps on DVD from tomtom. The maps were free*, except for $6 shipping. Future updates are about $50.
    • The unit is small and very thin. It easily fits in your pocket.
    • The suction cup mount works well. I initially had it mounted on the windscreen, but I though it was a little too conspicuous. I moved it to the center console, using the suction cup mount on the premium Honda wood grain painted plastic. It renders the storage bin unusable, so I may change the mounting position at some point.

    Negative:

    • The USB data connection transfer speed is painfully slow
    • The included software for OS X does not work. It hangs consistently and is useless.
    • The included software for Windows is pretty awful as well. While the Windows version actually runs, it is slow and has a poor user interface that violates just about every standard for a Windows application.
    • The USB charger must be connected separately from the in-car dock. A minor inconvenience that is one of the trade-offs on this entry-level model
    • While giving turn-by-turn voice instructions the tomtom One does not convert street names to speech, another feature only found on the more expensive models.

    tomtom dock

    Summary:
    The tomtom One is an acceptable in-car GPS. It compares favorably to other similarly priced units, but lacks some useful features. I would not hesitate to recommend this GPS, but only after disclosing the lack of a powered dock and absence of text-to-speech functionality.

  • Moved

    Well, we moved. We left Missouri on the morning of the first of January. Here is some of what we saw along the way…

    Windy Illinois

    Illinois in windy. As you can see, the Accord was fairly heavily loaded, plus there were three bikes on the carrier. It averaged 23-24 mpg, which isn’t all that bad when the payload and bikes are taken into consideration. The normal fuel economy (per tank) is usually between 19 and 28 mpg.

    3 leg dog in IL

    Dogs in Illinois have three legs.

    Since there were no other photos on my phone of any other states, it is safe to assume that there was nothing else of interest during our trip. The first night in Maryland we stayed here, a hotel room with three (of five) bikes and a dog:

    Hotel in Gaithersburg

    The house is still full of boxes (about 150), but at least the dog is mostly happy.

    Sheltese

    Happy dog. She is probably just happy to be out of her car kennel.

    The back yard

    The dog’s new yard; she doesn’t seem to mind the lack of grass.

    A view from the back yard

    The view from the backyard. The trail is easily accessible and has a few short loops.

    Boxes

    More work to do…

  • Random Photos

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    Split Window Bus and Bike

    My old ’61 bus and a bike Eric and I built from spare parts and a frame found in the trash. If I remember correctly, it had a mix of Deore LX and XT with a Manitou Mach 5 fork, the wheels that originally came with my StumpJumper M2, and Tioga Psycho K tires. The color is Rust-Oleum Stainless Steel. (2003)

    GTI 16v Snow

    The ’88 GTI 16v in the snow. Narrow 13″ snow tires are great… (2004)

    IS300

    An IS in KS. (2006)

    GTI 16v Autocross

    The same GTI 16v autocrossing. 14 Street Modified; this time with Kumho Ecsta V700s on Corrado Speedlines, after the big brake/five-lug conversion. (2004)

    Jetta Barn

    The Jetta VR6 in Iowa on the way to get the Subaru Vanagon. (2005)