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Tomtom Navigator 2004 Car GPS Receiver Key FeaturesDesignationAutomobileForm FactorHandheldMap capabilitiesDownload maps T...

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I have owned the TomTom 2004 Navigation software for 1 month now; following is my humble assessment of it.

In my professional life, I am a management consultant (working in the software development industry), and in my personal life spend much time mountain biking and hiking. Needless to say that for both “occupations”, I spend a lot of time “going to places”

I purchased the software on eBay (NIB: new in box), paid 85$US for it plus 20$US for shipping…and waited impatiently for it to arrive 1 week after winning the bid.

Before buying TomTom, I downloaded demos for 2 other GPS navigation software, one of which was Mapopolis (and I cannot recall the name of the other one, that is how good it was!). I used Mapopolis in demo mode for3 months on several road trips, and will therefore use it as a comparison throughout this ePinion.

Incidentally, I use the TomTom and Mapopolis software on a Dell Axim 30 with the HP IPAQ Bluetooth GPS navigation receiver (I have written an ePinion on the GPS receiver, and invite you to read it so that you get a better picture of GPS navigation: http://www.epinions.com/content_180336430724)

Generally speaking, I have very mixed emotions about the TomTom 2004 Navigation software, kind of love-hate really; it looks awesome, has freakin’ amazing potential, yet it falls a little short of it and I think that its failure to meet its potential is what makes me hate it a little.

Here is my experience to date broken down into 7 sections!!

1. Installation time (from the box to functioning)

2. Initial “how do you…” time

3. Adaptation period (on going)

4. Ease of deployment

5. Livability

6. Loving

7. ;-( Not-loving

Here it goes:

1. Installation time (from the box to functioning):

•About 20 minutes!!! This is really really really long for me:

•First attempt to “autorun” the software from my computer’s CD drive to install it failed, I got this funky “incompatible architecture” message which I had never seen in my 15 year career in software development (BTW, I am running Windows XP on my PC).

•I figured it must be a fixable problem if I simply rebooted the computer, which I did, twice, and third time was the lucky one. So, this was a very big disappointment, I don’t expect expensive software like this to be so fragile. My computer is very stable, and very clean.

•When I finally got the computer software to interact with me, it took 30 seconds to download the software to my Dell PDA (now we is rollin’!!)

•Once the software was installed, I looked to install the voices (I installed both English and French), that took about 2 minutes.

•After that, I installed a couple of maps, that took several minutes each (about 4 minutes each I think)

•FYI: it took me 2 minutes to install Mapopolis with 4 different maps.

2. Initial “how do you…” time:

•Ok, I give props to TomTom for trying to protect the intellectual property of its software by having its consumers go through some hoops to get an activation code before being able to use the software, I work in the software industry and know how important that is. BUT!!! Damn, TomTom, you guys make it really difficult!! First, the user has to go to a registration website, enter the product code, then type in a device code generated by the PDA and then the website produces an activation code which you enter into the PDA…now, that should only take about 2 minutes in a normal world, took me 2 days!!!! Big hurdle: the product code was not available in my NIB, manufacturer-sealed box. TomTom identifies 5 different areas where the code can be placed in your box (in the self-help FAQ website), and my box included user information which identified 2 other areas where the code could be located! I was not able to locate mine! So, I contacted TomTom and they were awesome enough to help me get a new code. So, at this point, I have had the software for 2 days and 20 minutes and I have done nothing with it…I am slightly aggravated I’ll admit ;-))

•Ok, I finally got the silly codes straightened out, I am now able to open a map; yeah!!! The graphical user interface (GUI) of this thing is miles above that of Mapopolis.

•Finding your way into the menu is simple; the icons are big and are mostly “toggle” icons (you touch them to turn on/off a function)

•Intuitive and relatively ergonomic are the words I would use to describe the interface. “Relatively ergonomic” as opposed to fully in that I find the icons too big in the menus and they are spaced out over several screens through which you can only navigate moving forward. If you pass a screen with the icon you were looking for you have to cycle through all the screens again, this is a pain in the @$$ when driving.

3. Adaptation period (on going)

•Screen: The interface is extraordinarily clear versus others I have seen. It is well lit (and can be toggled to night brightness for night driving, this is really cool). As well, the screen orientation can be alternated between portrait and landscape, very useful as well. The 3d map effects are really cool as well as you feel more “in the map” and can better visualize your environment. Love it.

•Voice directions: Really good, loud, clear, crisp, easily repeated by tapping the screen. I am however very disappointed that the software does not “say” the street names in the directions. Mapopolis offers this feature, although it sounds like a robot is speaking underwater while clutching a suppository, at least it was available as a feature.

•Keyboard: What nimkompoop came up with the idea to put a 5¢ keyboard in a 150$ software!!??? Oh my god this thing is silly! I have known how to properly type on a QWERTY keyboard for over 20 years and now while driving I got to find my way through a sequential ABC keyboard…yuk TomTom!!! At least they should have offered the feature to toggle to a normal keyboard for those of us humans who have evolved!!! My brain is hardwired to find letters in a QWERTY configuration and now I have to change years of habit, while driving Not cute TomTom, not cute.

•Menus: I think that the same nimkompoop engineer who designed the keyboard designed the menu navigation system: a simple “forward” arrow, no back arrow and really big icons that spread out the icons on several screens. Ok, I get the point of the large icons (while driving, thick fingers etc.), but not being able to navigate forward and backwards in a menu means you have to cycle back each time you fly by an icon. Not loving this while driving.

•”Nagivate to a destination”: Works great! I have absolutely nothing wrong to say about this feature, I am very happy that the software so quickly recalculates my route based on my location, and changes as I make mistakes by replanning the route in a matter of seconds. I am also very happy with the “alternative route planner” which allows me to force the software to use a different route than the first one it suggests.

4.Ease of deployment:

•The software boots really fast, I can be in the map in 2 seconds. It does take a seemingly long time though for TomTom to start interpreting the information coming in from the GPS receiver. Mapopolis was much more efficient at treating information to display location information.

•I can plan a new route in a minute or so; this should take 10 seconds but the infuriatingly stupid ABC keyboard slows me down each time.

5. Livability:

•Despite my gripes about some of its technical configurations, I actually like using this software, but only because I paid some hard cash for it and I think it looks pretty.

•I have gotten accustomed fairly quickly to changing my route, planning different stops etc. and am generally satisfied with the rapidity and fluidity of the voice directions.

6. Loving:

•The beautiful GUI.

•The map details.

•The ability to change the screen orientation (portrait / landscape)

•The voices (the French woman Katherine is awesome, if you speak French that is!).

•The on-screen arrows forwarning you of your changing directions.

7. Not-loving:

Five major gripes:

•The software provided keyboard literally sucks; it is a “linear” keyboard (A, B, C etc.), not a standard QWERTY keyboard, and cannot (as far as I can see) be transformed into a normal keyboard. There is absolutely no reason for such high-end software to use such a primitive mode of data entry. This is a major drawback when entering addresses.

•The navigation voice does not say the street names, only directions (left, right etc.). Software that is much less sophisticated does announce street names, although pronunciation is typically not great, it is a big shame this product does not offer it, and I am very disappointed about this.

•The menu icons are too big and are spaced out over too many screens which can only be navigated “moving forward” which means you have to cycle through all the screens when you miss a page. This is a real aggravation while driving and need to get to an icon quickly.

•When you have correctly made a direction change, more primitive software like Mapopolis makes a sound to notify you that you have made the correct turn, and inversely, when you f’ up, it makes a more negative sound. TomTom does neither, and I really wish they had thought of that option. Not having the audible warning means that you got to check on the screen each time to make sure you have made the right turn. A simple “ding” would have been nice to let you know you are on your way.

•The software does not allow you to load more than 1 map at a time, therefore does not allow you to navigate from one map to the other…WTF????!!!! This is silly! If I am traveling from one map to another I would have to select an intermediate point and then open another map to continue my route…not sharp dudes, not sharp at all!

At the end of the day, I like the features & functions of this software, however, I also really miss the features and functions of Mapopolis. I am torn between recommending this software and Mapopolis: Mapopolis is an “ugly” looking and sounding software, but works very well and is much less expensive. As well, Mapopolis offers the ability to “stitch up” maps; what I mean is that if you are traveling through different states or provinces, Mapopolis will allow you to load several maps in the same time and navigate from one map to the other, while TomTom does not allow for this. Bridging or stitching maps is pretty fundamental. Your call my friend; if you are looking for voice commands including street names, if you want to stitch up maps or if you cannot stand silly keyboard interfaces, then do not get TomTom Navigator 2004. If you are willing to compromise to get a beautiful GUI, loud and clear instructions and a few other cool trinkets, then this is a good software for you. Cheers!

Update August 15, 2005:

Alright, I know have over 20 road trips under my belt with Tom Tom Navigator, here are a few more thoughts/confirmations of previous thoughts:

• The keyboard is an act of violence against my QWERTY brain, I just can’t seem to get it together. I type about 80words/minute on a QWERTY keyboard and about 1word/minute on the linear ABC keyboard of Tom Tom. This has proven seriously aggravating while driving.

• Calculated routes are frequently of the “it will take you 50% longer than if you plan it yourself” variety; what I mean is that the calculated route is by no means the most efficient, and you should always use the function “calculate alternative route” to see how much longer / shorter the alternatives are. We have ended up missing 2 ferry boats and 3 appointments because we relied on the first planned route (planned by Tom Tom).

• I would say that for me the strongest gripe I have about this product is that it does not “say outloud” the street names. This is a major drawback as previously stated and with time is only proving to be a bigger and bigger annoyance, coupled with the fact that the software does not positively or negatively warn you in an audible fashion make it nearly useless in reality. My spouse & I now turn on Tom Tom for navigation however always have printed directions and maps to better guide us. So now, this has fallen from the rank of “primary guidance tool” to 3rd behind MS Streets & Maps (printed directions) and conventional maps.

The bugger in all this is that I still “like” the software in that when it works well it REALLY works well, however, my gripes about it make it less worthwhile than I previously ever so wanted it to be ;-( . If Tom Tom were to enhance the product in its next release to address my gripes (yes, listen to ME!) than its solid foundation with enhanced usability would make it an awesome product, until then, I feel compelled to reduce my personal SWAG rating to “average”.

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