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

I am writing this review in the hope that it can save others some of the problems I had setting up this GPS navigator. There are many good features, set in 2535 TM WTE up in these comments, which I will not repeat. It does not mean I do not like or prefer a different device. My problem has been associated with the update function "MyTomTom" software. The original unit I purchased from Amazon.com and the subsequent replacement of the device both failed after connection and perform an update via MyTomTom on my home computer, as the instructions directed. (Not that it is part of the problem, but for reference, I use a Mac with Mac OS X version 10.6.7-). On both occasions, after the update finished, there was no longer available on 2535 maps and map updates are not yet available for this device on the network. I spoke to TomTom tech support who tried their best to solve the problem, but could only offer to replace the units. Today, with the second replacement unit, I contacted TomTom support before running an update to make sure I do this. Fortunately, told the tech support person to me that they have problems with updates MyTomTom with them and suggested that I do not complete an update before updating the software is fully functional. He mentioned that they had the same problem as I have described. I think that WTE 2535TM is a great device with many useful features, and hopefully will become more functional in the online software is fully developed. It is regrettable that there is at this point, but again, others have expressed their views in this regard. I would say that TomTom support people tried hard to solve the problems I had. I have concluded that they only became aware of the root of the problem recently.

On another note, I can not speak highly enough about the service and support, Amazon.com has given regarding this purchase. Their concern for these problems were real, and no doubt they went beyond the normal reaction to remedy them. This is partly why I write this review. I hope that not only will I save other customers Hassels I have treated, but to prevent discomfort and unnecessary back the part of the Amazon. In my opinion, Amazon excellent service.

TomTom XXL 540S 5-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator World Traveler Edition

This is my second TomTom product. I have TomTom on my Palm TX and has recently sold a Garmin Nuvi 780: E For them, the TomTom user interface similar. Screen-excellent to 5 inches and very bright. Almost all the info you may ask, is there on the bottom bar. Your speed will flash when more than 3 km / h over the limit. Simple touch screen and change the volume without changing screens. Excellent. The sound is pretty clear, much better than my Nuvi 780 th, it works well out of the box, but for some functions, you must go online to read the manual on the TomTom website. Touch screen works well, not too much pressure, but also not overly sensitive. Guidance is also excellent, especially driving a motor home in heavy traffic on the highway. Delivers a 2 miles before the next turn, so a big rig has plenty of time to move to the right lane. My Garmin gave only the next bend 7 / 10 of a mil before us. No big deal in a car, but enough to be a bit stressful, if no one in the passenger seat to help. Next turn is marked with a big arrow with the distance are also shown. 3D Freeway interchange card works well and makes it difficult to get wrong. The 740 connects to a Mac or PC, and works well to get the latest information, voices, etc. Navigation is good and is the only GPS I have found to get me home to make all the turns that I normally take. Garmin display is a bit more beautiful with excellent road resolution, but the XXL 740 street maps are quicker to read, and you do not take your eyes off the road so long in my opinion.

Cons: GPS is moderately difficult to take on and off the cradle. It is not a warm place so must be connected / disconnected every time. Garmin mount is much better with a positive, single action and run it to remove and replace is much faster. On the other hand, it is simple, small wire on the TomTom is not particularly intrusive, while the supplied cable for Garmin is very visible.

Almost, but not all costs when you go to TomTom's website to get the latest maps, etc. When your GPS arrives, you will need to download the current map within 30 days or pay for it. I learned the hard way. I installed the latest firmware, but did not get the latest maps. Garmin's support is a bit friendlier than the TomTom. The guy I talked to was not rude, but could have been a little warmer. All GPS devices is greatly reduced today, and it pays to just update the device every few years instead of paying almost the same for the new cards.

The bottom line is if you are a BMW, MBZ and Porsche type, you'll love it. It only has so much information on screen and you can go online to download on the road changes other users have found ... Free. On the other hand, if you drive a four door with the idiot light is a different brand to be your cup of tea.

Mexico and Europe, the map makes it almost impossible to beat the world's tourists / travelers in a rental car.

Want: the height of the screen and degrees to go with the compass.

Rating: 4.8 out of 5 Excellent. Love it!

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

This unit is fantastic! It offers so many features into a compact unit! The first thing you should focus on is the beautiful 5 "screen that appears when you turn on your device and see the beautiful TomTom logo on the car in the city, the screen is big enough where you can easily see everything you need on the screen but not too much when it gets in their way.

This unit's best feature (other than lifetime traffic and map) is voice recognition. I tried a couple of sentences (with different wording), and it worked every time. - If you have a command problem it comes with a command list, and you can see the commands in the device. There is an easy quick access button on the home page that activates voice recognition, for example, I said, "Navigate to the nearest hospital," and it was the nearest hospital / clinic and spoke of the time and distance it takes. You can also use simple commands such as Stop route to stop and clear roads!

The unit comes with the ability to connect to a mobile phone and make calls via Bluetooth and lets you use voice recognition to call is active! - But my car already has Bluetooth, so I do not plan to use this feature, but if your car does, so it's perfect, as many states move to hands-free calls only.

What makes this device stand out is the "Lifetime Traffic & Maps Edition" listed on the front of the box! When you open the box, you have a coupon for Lifetime Maps that you can use MyTomTom Web / software as if you had a GPS in the past, you know that the road is changing too frequently and cards are expensive. The power supply (non-standard USB, so no possibility to use other cables) have a receiver built into it to live traffic updates, which means you must have your TomTom connected to car power adapter to use this feature - no power.

The unit has a redesigned user interface that I like. It allows you to create "shortcuts" (like voice recognition, or garage and [you're limited to what you can add, but it's nice]) and has new graphics and alarms to help you stay safe and get to your destination quickly!

The device is simple to install and mount in your car, you can use its hold and turn the key, this device also has an easier to use, install, snap-button and is wider, which makes turning it easier if you have had previous TomTom units, you will notice that they have a very small, handy locking mechanism to the windshield.

After reading some other comments I wanted to explain some other features:

When I get into the car, it takes about 5 to 20 seconds to get a GPS signal, which is fine with me and seems to be normal (for me) ...

I think the key to access the voice recognition enough. It is on the driver's side, it is not good, but if you have placed a super large button on the screen, it would block the card.

GPS is not (as far as I know, there may be an option) have an automatic switch. But regardless, I drive a Ford and Ford's power supply is not switched off when the car is off, running the whole time. Because of this, I cut off and on myself, not the devices issue, but I want to let everyone know everything I know about the device.

As others have mentioned a second unit votes (not standard or computer) will not read street names. But this is in all units (TomTom devices).

I wanted to let you all know, just in case you have two TomTom units, this was my second TomTom, and my first TomTom (which I use in my other car) was registered to my email address, and when I uninstalled TomTom HOME (not used by this device, follow the instructions on the Lifetime Map in if MyTomTom) I registered my new TomTom (GO 2535TM) and asked if I would link to my account. I said yes, and activated password Lifetime card. But (I'm getting off topic) when I installed TomTom HOME to my old drive on another computer, I was told if I record my old drive to my TomTom account (same email as I am used to the new unit), the old is removed, and I may not be able to go back to my life Maps. To fix this I have created a new account with a new e-mail to TomTom, one for each device.

My only fault is the new MyTomTom software (this unit can not use TomTom HOME), the software installed in Windows (or Macintosh), but your browser to retrieve the object and change your device. I like the TomTom Home better, but maybe they will improve the site and make it better than TomTom Home! If you have trouble getting the website to connect to the device, you can look in the system tray or notification tray (near the clock in Windows) MyTomTom icon and check and see if it has detected the device. If not try switching if you still have problems try a different default browser (I used Google Chrome, and had no problems). Furthermore, I feel that the website has a few bugs (it is new, after all) if you just see an opportunity for account information, try clicking on another part of the area (Shop, support ...) and then check in MyTomTom drop-down menu, this sometimes (at least for me) had other options (such as Activate code) on the site.

If I find a problem with the device, I'll be sure to let you all know, but so far I love it! Like today, Navigate "to the nearest Publix) and it took my local Publix perfect - which I think is fantastic!

Overall this device makes everything you could want from a GPS, and with lifetime updates to the map you never have to worry about running out dated maps, I highly recommend this unit and expect to get many years of good life out of it!

UPDATE: I wanted to let everyone know that MyTomTom site works better. The website is now as short updates and patches and software updates. So if you have not signed up recently, you should update via MyTomTom. The update is quite large and takes a few hours (I have DSL) - FYI. Also the problem of the opportunities lost (in some form) seems to have stopped. I use Google Chrome and it works perfectly with the update process.

TomTom XXL 540TM World Traveler 5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator with Lifetime Traffic & Maps and World Maps

I bought TomTom XXL 540S a few weeks ago. This GPS is the big brother to the TomTom XL 340th This GPS is just bigger and brighter 5 "screen.

I have very mixed feelings about the GPS. There are many things I think about it, but there are so many small details and features that are missing on that TomTom has either chosen not to work or decided to exclude. These little things missing drive me crazy sometimes, and I do not know if I can keep them or not. I may consider returning this GPS and have either a Garmin or Magellan instead. I do not know yet. I really hope TomTom begin to address some of these issues.

Some of my advantages versus disadvantages under which I hope will help others trying to decide on a GPS.

Advantages:

+ IQ Routes (TomTom uses historical trails speed data based on time of day and day of week, so it can give you the best possible route)
+ Big 5 "screen that is easy to see.
+ Very speakers. (Optional volume settings to assign volume to your car's speed if you want)
+ Satellite acquition is fast (less than 10 seconds for me). Shows usually about 9 satellites.
+ Card color may change.
+ Can change the color of the car icon in the 3D mode
+ Automatic day / night mode, change the brightness and color.
+ Ability to prepare a route with a departure and destination coordinates.

+ Displays the current street your on the bottom of the screen and the next street to turn in the upper right corner.

+ Advanced lane on the highway looks very nice. Shows an arrow with lane you need to be in, and sometimes shows a 3D character for your exit. It's nice and big, and it stays on screen long enough to be seen, so it is easy to see where to go.

+ The status bar can be adjusted to how you like it. It can be displayed either horizontally or vertically. Can display the remaining time, remaining distance, current time, arrival time, your speed and the speed limit, distance to your next trip, compass, ect.

+ TTS (text to speech) instructions are very useful in letting you know where to go, and also prepare yourself for your next trip also. For example, it will say something like, "After a qurter mil turn right." So when you get closer to the street, it will say "Turn right Main St. then second left"


Cons:

- POI (Points of Interest) maps the screen displays the POI name, street and cross street, phone, city and state. But there is no address! So you do not know address, or which side of the street the POI is on, unless you call well in advance and ask. All you get is a checkered flag in the middle of the street with TomTom said "you've reached your final destination." The Go model POI map screen has a "Details" button that shows the address, zip code, and food kitchens write, for example. Why TomTom decided to remove it on this model, I have no idea.

- No Auto Zoom enable / disable option (as Go-model). You can manually zoom in or out on the card, but about 5 seconds later Autozoom will kick in and take you back to what TomTom want you to see. Its very frustrating, because I like to zoom in and out sometimes, so I can see more map detail, but TomTom will not allow me to for longer than about 5 sec. When I turn on my gps zoom level that TomTom has taken, is so bad that most everyone on the street contours around me disappeared from the screen. All I see is a bunch of street names just float around the map with no streets shown.

- Do not tell, which side of the street your destination is on. (If you enter an address to a destination, but it shows a little arrow on the map pointing to the left or right side of the street as you approach your destination. Together with a small checkered flags on the side of the street your destination is on.)

- Change the screen is 6 pages deep and has only one button to go forward to the next page. There is no back button. So if you happen to say, went past the screen that you would like to be if you have to press the button 5 times just to get back to that page.

- No easy way to get into the Display as text resume lists the screen from the main screen.

- Scroll text route instructions, text and arrows to rotate the list is just way to small. Similarly, there are no auto scroll feature. To see the next page in the new upcoming turns you have to scroll down the list manually yourself.

- POI map screen in Night mode shows intersections text in black, which is very hard to see unless you get very close to the screen.

- 3D function during the day the cards light background is not consistent across the screen. There are visible lines across the screen where you can see the different brightness steps. Towards the bottom of the card its the easiest and then as you pan up on the screen will darken.

- Can not enter the street name until you enter the city. Its bad news if you know the street, but unsure of the city. You can find the street in a city near you or near the city you have written (if it was wrong).

- TTS (text to speech) in multi-word street names sometimes sound distorted.
- TTS pronounce certain words and streets pretty bad.
- Can not change the color of the car icon in the 2D mode.
- Can not find a kitchen type.
- No MicroSD memory card slot for expansion. The room is pretty tight, with only 2 GB of internal flash memory. After all the votes, except for computer voting Susan and remove most of the car symbols. I still only have 105 MB of free space left.
- Only supports USB 1.1 transfers. So when you install the card or carry back its very slow.


Other Info: GPS chipset on my GL2 was a BCM4750 (Global Locate 2), CPU speed 266 MHz. 64 MB of RAM.