Update costs - Beware, 01 Sep 2008
I'm satisfied with the product but not so satisfied at the £60 required to update the maps a year later.

Garmin Nuvi 250, 31 Aug 2008
Simple and easy to use: it does exactly what is says on the tin! It also offers great value for money. Scores 9/10 on my scale of satisfaction.

GARMIN NUVI 250 SAT NAV, 31 Aug 2008
REAL VALUE FOR MONEY. DOES WHAT IT SAYS ON THE TIN. EASY TO USE, AND ONCE YOU HAVE PLAYED ABOUT WITH IT,YOU CAN PROGRAM A ROUTE VIA AS MANY PLACES AS YOU LIKE THAT VARY OFF ANY A TO B JOURNEY BY PROGRAMMING A to B, B to C, C to D ETC. ONE CRITICISM - CANT GET THE MOUNTING DISC TO STICK TO THE DASHBOARD. WELL SATISFIED.

Brilliant for the money!, 26 Aug 2008
I've been considering getting a satnav for a while and probably like most people have been confused by the array of devices available and confused further by the various reviews given - some good, some bad. With a limited budget in mind and having read largely very good reviews I took the plunge with the Nuvi 250. Any doubts I had have completely gone - it's brilliant! It really is that easy and that good. Ok, so it doesn't have loads of features (you'll get those on more expensive machines) but if you simply want a satnav to tell you how to get to a destination that you've not been to before then it's perfect. I'm really impressed. The instruction manual is surprisingly basic, but it still tells you what you need to know to get started (most other features can be worked by trial and error). Satellites are acquired quickly (when you're outside), the route calculated quickly and then it's ready to go with clear instructions both on screen and spoken. If you go wrong either by mistake or because you know better than it (which you will from time to time) it very quickly recalculates the route.
We have used it several times over the last couple of months and it has saved a lot of time and stress over getting lost - it is a bit weird putting your faith in a small machine, but it has taken us on some amazing routes that you would never have thought of and arrived at the door exactly when it said you would. Totally recommended! Get the case too to protect it when it's not in use - it's only a few pounds more.

Probably not the best one out there.., 25 Aug 2008
Bought this unit last week, because it's cheaper than Tomtom (for similar model) and longer battery life. Somewhat dissapointed because the map seems to be out of date (some roads are not displayed, I took wrong turn several times, especially dead-end roads!). It has a pedestrian mode, which implies that you can take it for a walk and it'll show you direction. Well, not really! Accuracy is pretty low in this mode, I had to walk back and forth looking for a museum which according to it, is right in front of me (it turns out to be one block away!). Unfortunately I have not had experience with other GPS so can't really compare. Good that it shows me direction for driving, and for the price with european map, I guess I just have to be happy with it.

Update costs - Beware, 01 Sep 2008
I'm satisfied with the product but not so satisfied at the £60 required to update the maps a year later.

Garmin Nuvi 250, 31 Aug 2008
Simple and easy to use: it does exactly what is says on the tin! It also offers great value for money. Scores 9/10 on my scale of satisfaction.

GARMIN NUVI 250 SAT NAV, 31 Aug 2008
REAL VALUE FOR MONEY. DOES WHAT IT SAYS ON THE TIN. EASY TO USE, AND ONCE YOU HAVE PLAYED ABOUT WITH IT,YOU CAN PROGRAM A ROUTE VIA AS MANY PLACES AS YOU LIKE THAT VARY OFF ANY A TO B JOURNEY BY PROGRAMMING A to B, B to C, C to D ETC. ONE CRITICISM - CANT GET THE MOUNTING DISC TO STICK TO THE DASHBOARD. WELL SATISFIED.

Brilliant for the money!, 26 Aug 2008
I've been considering getting a satnav for a while and probably like most people have been confused by the array of devices available and confused further by the various reviews given - some good, some bad. With a limited budget in mind and having read largely very good reviews I took the plunge with the Nuvi 250. Any doubts I had have completely gone - it's brilliant! It really is that easy and that good. Ok, so it doesn't have loads of features (you'll get those on more expensive machines) but if you simply want a satnav to tell you how to get to a destination that you've not been to before then it's perfect. I'm really impressed. The instruction manual is surprisingly basic, but it still tells you what you need to know to get started (most other features can be worked by trial and error). Satellites are acquired quickly (when you're outside), the route calculated quickly and then it's ready to go with clear instructions both on screen and spoken. If you go wrong either by mistake or because you know better than it (which you will from time to time) it very quickly recalculates the route.
We have used it several times over the last couple of months and it has saved a lot of time and stress over getting lost - it is a bit weird putting your faith in a small machine, but it has taken us on some amazing routes that you would never have thought of and arrived at the door exactly when it said you would. Totally recommended! Get the case too to protect it when it's not in use - it's only a few pounds more.

Probably not the best one out there.., 25 Aug 2008
Bought this unit last week, because it's cheaper than Tomtom (for similar model) and longer battery life. Somewhat dissapointed because the map seems to be out of date (some roads are not displayed, I took wrong turn several times, especially dead-end roads!). It has a pedestrian mode, which implies that you can take it for a walk and it'll show you direction. Well, not really! Accuracy is pretty low in this mode, I had to walk back and forth looking for a museum which according to it, is right in front of me (it turns out to be one block away!). Unfortunately I have not had experience with other GPS so can't really compare. Good that it shows me direction for driving, and for the price with european map, I guess I just have to be happy with it.

Good Unit, Shame about the Company, 03 Sep 2008
Brilliant unit, does exactly what it says on the box, and so easily too! But, the LORD help you should you get a problem.
The Web site is a veritable maze unless you want to buy something. My first problem was when I purchased a year's subscription for speed camera updates - they would not install on my unit. Having (eventually) found the support page on the web site I asked for assistance to get my purchase installed - TomTom never answered!
Once the guarantee had expired, the unit suddenly started to reset, losing all my favourite locations and my home address! This usually happened as I switched the unit off, but sometimes happened in mid-journey!
TomTom this time responded to my plea for help and sent me a box to return my unit for repair. They opened an RMA for me on th web site which acts a bit like a bulletin board, creating a communication thread for me to talk to TomTom support. My unit was returned and TomTom (via the RMA) said they would repair it for £56. I paid, TomTom replaced the speaker and returned the unit to me. The fault, however, was not cured!
I advised TomTom (via the RMA)about this problem, and they said they were truly sorry and opened another RMA. Once the unit was returned TomTom said that the unit needed to be replaced at a cost of £116 (more than a new one!)
I resonded that I considered that the previous week's repair was not fit for purpose and asked for my £56 to be refunded.
TomTom responded by closing the RMA threads other than the payment link.
The web site contains no GB address or telephone number that I can find and the repair address is a third party.
I shall buy a Garmin!


Not worth all the hype, 11 Aug 2008
TomTom ONE v3 Great Britain
I bought my Son a Navman S30 which is excellent & was going to buy one for my self when Amazon had the Tom Tom V3 at only £75 so I of course went for that because after all they are reckoned to be the best arn't they !
Give me the Navman any day.

Don't get me wrong generally it is very efficent BUT for the following -
When you're approaching a junction where you need to turn left or right visually it gives you plenty of warning but sometimes the voice only pipes up and says "turn left" just as you're passing the turning ! Not good if you do not keep checking the visual display.
Whilst travelling on the M25 (for the first time) 4 times it went completely silent and did NOT warn me verbally which lane I should take = hence took a wrong road & 10 mile detour before it got me back to where I had left the M25.

In rural locations it will quite happily direct you up the most ridiculous 'lanes' that are only suitable for 4 wheel drive vehicles ! I had one pig of a trip where it took me up numerious lanes (some only 6 foot wide) and so steep I was down into 1st gear with no chance of turning round ! Grrr. Took nearly 1 hour to get to a large town that should have only been 8 miles and about 10 - 15 minutes drive from the A road I had been on.

They really ought to sort their mapping system out to warn you of such nigh on impossible to use roads, you certainly need to use caution if driving a truck / Motor home / or towing a caravan.

Re: the Speed Camera part - in a recent 650 mile long touring holiday it only warned of 1 Speeed trap ! ! ! So you still need to keep your eyes peeled for them dam Yellow Boxes :-)

All that apart it worked pretty well BUT I recommend you always preview a route BEFORE you go so that you can try and eliminate the odd problem like these, and you still carry a map / Atlas as backup. OR better still buy a Navman instead - all Sat Navs can suffer the problems I've mentioned but I reckon the Navman is better & is usually cheaper.





Easy to use, 11 Aug 2008
We used this for the first time yesterday - it was easy to use, even when we took a few wrong turns it put us on track. Has a selection of choices for voices and gives advance notice of direction with reminders. We got from A-B in no time. Very good for learner drivers and is so compact it fits into a small handbag. Only downside is that there is no carry case supplied with it which means you have to pay extra and also whilst not neccessary - the in house charger is not supplied so you can only charge and use in the car.

Poor. Poor. Poor., 31 Jul 2008
Such a disappointment. I bought this because it was a little more expensive than a similar Garmin model, and I assumed that if I wanted something a bit better, I would have to pay £20 more. Well, you live and learn. Tom Tom will tell you that you get to do all sorts of things with your GPS. And you can:

You can add voice packs to make your GPS sound like John Cleese... But you can't get a co-ordinate readout in British National Grid.

You can adjust your cursor so that your car looks like a red sports car on the display - but you can't tell the GPS to avoid built up areas at rush hour.

You can connect to your computer to update the maps - But you can't draw your route on an onscreen map and get the GPS to guide you along it.

You can set it to make a funny noise like a cow when ever you break the speed limit - but you can't save your route mileages to help with fuel returns at the end of the month.

You can even buy a sexy woman's voice for a few quid on the website. But you can't "trackback" a previous route, or expect the GPS to learn that you actually prefer a different route home than the one it always picks.

I am constantly dismayed by the unintelligent way the unit tries to drag me onto motorways at peak time, or the way the "calculate alternative route" will only calculate a tiny variation into the route. Yes, it finds addresses, but it is SUCH an unintelligent piece of kit that the focus group they used to create it must have been a fishtank.

In traffic the graphic display lags so much you can easily find yourself taking wrong turns. I don't want funny voices. I just want the same functionality in this GPS as I have in my hand-held Garmin Etrex, and it's not even close.

I need to be able to look at an OS map and see where I am. I need a time-of-arrival that UPDATES with the speed I have been doing, rather than assuming, in the middle of a five mile tailback, that I can do 70mph at any given moment. I need a night time display that's not three times brighter than my speedo. I need a scroll feature that lets me plot a vague area on a map and say "avoid this area" or "go via this region", rather than me "Travel Via" functions demanding a house number.

Sigh.

Look. By all means, take it shopping. Use it to give the kids an answer to "are we there yet?" but shop around. Don't make the mistake I made and think that better is usually more expensive.

X Hits The Spot, 18 Jul 2008
Been meaning to get a "proper" satnav for ages as I only have one on my Nokia N95. I looked at many reviews on Amazon and although there were the usual mix of good and bad reviews and the usual review from people who obviously do not know what they're doing, I decided to plump for the tomtom one v3, although I bought the Explore version that comes with the carry case.

Some gadgets are complicated to use and some are easy to use, this tomtom is in a category all on it's own: easypeasylemonsqueezy.

I turned the unit on and got a GPS signal within 20 seconds - I was inside too - I followed the simple on screen instructions and was planning a trip to the local supermarket within seconds. It was brilliant!

The whole thing is very intuitive and I defy anyone not to be able to use this without reading one word of an instruction manual.

An absolute must buy!

Update costs - Beware, 01 Sep 2008
I'm satisfied with the product but not so satisfied at the £60 required to update the maps a year later.

Garmin Nuvi 250, 31 Aug 2008
Simple and easy to use: it does exactly what is says on the tin! It also offers great value for money. Scores 9/10 on my scale of satisfaction.

GARMIN NUVI 250 SAT NAV, 31 Aug 2008
REAL VALUE FOR MONEY. DOES WHAT IT SAYS ON THE TIN. EASY TO USE, AND ONCE YOU HAVE PLAYED ABOUT WITH IT,YOU CAN PROGRAM A ROUTE VIA AS MANY PLACES AS YOU LIKE THAT VARY OFF ANY A TO B JOURNEY BY PROGRAMMING A to B, B to C, C to D ETC. ONE CRITICISM - CANT GET THE MOUNTING DISC TO STICK TO THE DASHBOARD. WELL SATISFIED.

Brilliant for the money!, 26 Aug 2008
I've been considering getting a satnav for a while and probably like most people have been confused by the array of devices available and confused further by the various reviews given - some good, some bad. With a limited budget in mind and having read largely very good reviews I took the plunge with the Nuvi 250. Any doubts I had have completely gone - it's brilliant! It really is that easy and that good. Ok, so it doesn't have loads of features (you'll get those on more expensive machines) but if you simply want a satnav to tell you how to get to a destination that you've not been to before then it's perfect. I'm really impressed. The instruction manual is surprisingly basic, but it still tells you what you need to know to get started (most other features can be worked by trial and error). Satellites are acquired quickly (when you're outside), the route calculated quickly and then it's ready to go with clear instructions both on screen and spoken. If you go wrong either by mistake or because you know better than it (which you will from time to time) it very quickly recalculates the route.
We have used it several times over the last couple of months and it has saved a lot of time and stress over getting lost - it is a bit weird putting your faith in a small machine, but it has taken us on some amazing routes that you would never have thought of and arrived at the door exactly when it said you would. Totally recommended! Get the case too to protect it when it's not in use - it's only a few pounds more.

Probably not the best one out there.., 25 Aug 2008
Bought this unit last week, because it's cheaper than Tomtom (for similar model) and longer battery life. Somewhat dissapointed because the map seems to be out of date (some roads are not displayed, I took wrong turn several times, especially dead-end roads!). It has a pedestrian mode, which implies that you can take it for a walk and it'll show you direction. Well, not really! Accuracy is pretty low in this mode, I had to walk back and forth looking for a museum which according to it, is right in front of me (it turns out to be one block away!). Unfortunately I have not had experience with other GPS so can't really compare. Good that it shows me direction for driving, and for the price with european map, I guess I just have to be happy with it.

Good Unit, Shame about the Company, 03 Sep 2008
Brilliant unit, does exactly what it says on the box, and so easily too! But, the LORD help you should you get a problem.
The Web site is a veritable maze unless you want to buy something. My first problem was when I purchased a year's subscription for speed camera updates - they would not install on my unit. Having (eventually) found the support page on the web site I asked for assistance to get my purchase installed - TomTom never answered!
Once the guarantee had expired, the unit suddenly started to reset, losing all my favourite locations and my home address! This usually happened as I switched the unit off, but sometimes happened in mid-journey!
TomTom this time responded to my plea for help and sent me a box to return my unit for repair. They opened an RMA for me on th web site which acts a bit like a bulletin board, creating a communication thread for me to talk to TomTom support. My unit was returned and TomTom (via the RMA) said they would repair it for £56. I paid, TomTom replaced the speaker and returned the unit to me. The fault, however, was not cured!
I advised TomTom (via the RMA)about this problem, and they said they were truly sorry and opened another RMA. Once the unit was returned TomTom said that the unit needed to be replaced at a cost of £116 (more than a new one!)
I resonded that I considered that the previous week's repair was not fit for purpose and asked for my £56 to be refunded.
TomTom responded by closing the RMA threads other than the payment link.
The web site contains no GB address or telephone number that I can find and the repair address is a third party.
I shall buy a Garmin!


Not worth all the hype, 11 Aug 2008
TomTom ONE v3 Great Britain
I bought my Son a Navman S30 which is excellent & was going to buy one for my self when Amazon had the Tom Tom V3 at only £75 so I of course went for that because after all they are reckoned to be the best arn't they !
Give me the Navman any day.

Don't get me wrong generally it is very efficent BUT for the following -
When you're approaching a junction where you need to turn left or right visually it gives you plenty of warning but sometimes the voice only pipes up and says "turn left" just as you're passing the turning ! Not good if you do not keep checking the visual display.
Whilst travelling on the M25 (for the first time) 4 times it went completely silent and did NOT warn me verbally which lane I should take = hence took a wrong road & 10 mile detour before it got me back to where I had left the M25.

In rural locations it will quite happily direct you up the most ridiculous 'lanes' that are only suitable for 4 wheel drive vehicles ! I had one pig of a trip where it took me up numerious lanes (some only 6 foot wide) and so steep I was down into 1st gear with no chance of turning round ! Grrr. Took nearly 1 hour to get to a large town that should have only been 8 miles and about 10 - 15 minutes drive from the A road I had been on.

They really ought to sort their mapping system out to warn you of such nigh on impossible to use roads, you certainly need to use caution if driving a truck / Motor home / or towing a caravan.

Re: the Speed Camera part - in a recent 650 mile long touring holiday it only warned of 1 Speeed trap ! ! ! So you still need to keep your eyes peeled for them dam Yellow Boxes :-)

All that apart it worked pretty well BUT I recommend you always preview a route BEFORE you go so that you can try and eliminate the odd problem like these, and you still carry a map / Atlas as backup. OR better still buy a Navman instead - all Sat Navs can suffer the problems I've mentioned but I reckon the Navman is better & is usually cheaper.





Easy to use, 11 Aug 2008
We used this for the first time yesterday - it was easy to use, even when we took a few wrong turns it put us on track. Has a selection of choices for voices and gives advance notice of direction with reminders. We got from A-B in no time. Very good for learner drivers and is so compact it fits into a small handbag. Only downside is that there is no carry case supplied with it which means you have to pay extra and also whilst not neccessary - the in house charger is not supplied so you can only charge and use in the car.

Poor. Poor. Poor., 31 Jul 2008
Such a disappointment. I bought this because it was a little more expensive than a similar Garmin model, and I assumed that if I wanted something a bit better, I would have to pay £20 more. Well, you live and learn. Tom Tom will tell you that you get to do all sorts of things with your GPS. And you can:

You can add voice packs to make your GPS sound like John Cleese... But you can't get a co-ordinate readout in British National Grid.

You can adjust your cursor so that your car looks like a red sports car on the display - but you can't tell the GPS to avoid built up areas at rush hour.

You can connect to your computer to update the maps - But you can't draw your route on an onscreen map and get the GPS to guide you along it.

You can set it to make a funny noise like a cow when ever you break the speed limit - but you can't save your route mileages to help with fuel returns at the end of the month.

You can even buy a sexy woman's voice for a few quid on the website. But you can't "trackback" a previous route, or expect the GPS to learn that you actually prefer a different route home than the one it always picks.

I am constantly dismayed by the unintelligent way the unit tries to drag me onto motorways at peak time, or the way the "calculate alternative route" will only calculate a tiny variation into the route. Yes, it finds addresses, but it is SUCH an unintelligent piece of kit that the focus group they used to create it must have been a fishtank.

In traffic the graphic display lags so much you can easily find yourself taking wrong turns. I don't want funny voices. I just want the same functionality in this GPS as I have in my hand-held Garmin Etrex, and it's not even close.

I need to be able to look at an OS map and see where I am. I need a time-of-arrival that UPDATES with the speed I have been doing, rather than assuming, in the middle of a five mile tailback, that I can do 70mph at any given moment. I need a night time display that's not three times brighter than my speedo. I need a scroll feature that lets me plot a vague area on a map and say "avoid this area" or "go via this region", rather than me "Travel Via" functions demanding a house number.

Sigh.

Look. By all means, take it shopping. Use it to give the kids an answer to "are we there yet?" but shop around. Don't make the mistake I made and think that better is usually more expensive.

X Hits The Spot, 18 Jul 2008
Been meaning to get a "proper" satnav for ages as I only have one on my Nokia N95. I looked at many reviews on Amazon and although there were the usual mix of good and bad reviews and the usual review from people who obviously do not know what they're doing, I decided to plump for the tomtom one v3, although I bought the Explore version that comes with the carry case.

Some gadgets are complicated to use and some are easy to use, this tomtom is in a category all on it's own: easypeasylemonsqueezy.

I turned the unit on and got a GPS signal within 20 seconds - I was inside too - I followed the simple on screen instructions and was planning a trip to the local supermarket within seconds. It was brilliant!

The whole thing is very intuitive and I defy anyone not to be able to use this without reading one word of an instruction manual.

An absolute must buy!

Glad I went for the 305 and not the 405, 28 Aug 2008
I've been using my Forerunner 305 for over 2 weeks now and I am very, very happy with it. Although I know it is sad, but this little device was one of my main motivations to get back into long distance running after a 5 year break.

Since Garmin has updated its GPS watch range choosing the latest model (Forerunner 405) would have been obvious, but I am glad I followed the advice of some reviews on here and elsewhere to go for the older and bigger 305 instead.

Why? Well, first of all I have a very nice everyday wristwatch and do not need a running watch that I can also wear at work or in the pub. Yes, the 305 is quite a biggie, but when I am out and about on a run then I don't really mind. After all: I'm out there to pound roads and not catwalks! With roughly 77g the watch is -despite its size- not too heavy and does not disturb me during my run.

The user interface (ie the way how to move and navigate through the screens and menus) is very well done and cleverly thought through. The accompanying software from Garmin is -well- sub-optimal. Thank god there now is a Mac version of it, but the overall functionality is nothing to write home about. As a Mac devotee, I am currently trialling a log software called Ascent (for Mac OS X), which seems to fit the bill for me. However you'll still require the Garmin software to upload your own workouts or courses, so you can't replace it 100%. But Ascent is much better in graphing your progress and displaying your route on Google Maps, for example.

What I love about the watch are the aggregated History screens. You can see your total weekly milage and average heart rate for a week. The 305 stores up to 1000 laps, which should enable me to store a whole marathon preparation training onto the watch - maybe even 2.

Another very good aspect is the fact that I can now see my current pace and heart rate on 1 screen, which really helps me to pace myself during a training run. I also love the Virtual Partner function, although I still haven't understood which time and pace the VP takes (the last run or an average of previous runs on the course?). The manual does not reveal any details on this.

Satellite aquisition is relatively fast. You basically need to be outside for a minute or 2 before you start your workout in order to get a satellite fix.

On the whole I can only recommend the 305. The 405 might be smaller and newer, but I've saved roughly £80-90 by purchasing a 305... that's a pair of new running shoes in my book!

Great for endurance riding, 17 Aug 2008
I use the 305 to train my horse for endurance riding competitions - the combined GPS and heart rate monitor work perfectly and are around 4 times cheaper than the equivalent Polar unit. The heart rate belt is easy to fix to my horse - I just attach it to the inside of the girth, wet my horses skin and then use vetwrap to secure it in place and I get 100% accurate heart rate readings. The fact that the unit reads the heart rate wirelessly and has a good reception range makes it ideal (and easy) to adapt to equine use. I can track avaerage speeds and distances which when you ride solo is a great plus as it can be difficult to judge your pace. The virtual trainer is great for competitions as I can set my speed/distance parameters and instantly know when I'm falling behind my target time for completion. A must for any endurance rider!!

Fitness training, 06 Aug 2008
This monitor provides great information for your training. You get heart rate data, how far you have run, what time, speed and more. It provides an easy way to create small and long term goals, ideal for fitness trainers like me. Signing up to MotionBased (available for free) can get you a Google map reading too, giving you an interactive map. I have not used all of the tools on the watch yet, but what I have used I am very satisfied with.

Fantastic, 11 Jul 2008
I used to do a fair amount of running up until about 10 years ago. In those days I used a Casio watch to record how long I was out for. I would then guess how far the run was or drive the route I had just ran to get some idea how far I had gone. I started running again in the last six months and I am very impressed by the Forerunner. It is not perfect, the distance climbed is more a guess rather than an accurate statement. I suspect the calories burned is also a little bit of a guide rather than a fact. However the distance travelled versus the time taken is very good, again not perfect, but far better than any guess I could come up with.

Yes it takes a little while to get the satellite signal before your start your run, but I tend to put it by the window, get changed and when I'm ready to go then it has got it's signal.

The more you run in areas with trees or tall buildings then I suspect the less accurate it is. I have done both and I find it more than acceptable.

I hate to go running without it and so it becomes another thing to remember to have with you.

I have never really got to grips with heart rate monitors so I think the 205 would have been as good for me.

The software that comes with the watch for the PC is not very good and I would recommend the free software called SportTracks.



Great motivation, 09 Jul 2008
Having used the Forerunner 305 to cheat myself back into running, I can only say what a great piece of kit it is. The pro/con that it doesn't work on OS-X (Mac) is simply not correct - I use it on one! The battery life allows me to do a week business trip without having to recharge, ad frankly, while the Garmin software is OK, programs, mostly share/freeware such as Sporttracks (PC) or Trailrunner (Mac) make using and analysing the data even better. I find the satellite acquisition a little slow when you're changing continents regularly, but stay in the same place and it's not a problem. Enjoy...

Update costs - Beware, 01 Sep 2008
I'm satisfied with the product but not so satisfied at the £60 required to update the maps a year later.

Garmin Nuvi 250, 31 Aug 2008
Simple and easy to use: it does exactly what is says on the tin! It also offers great value for money. Scores 9/10 on my scale of satisfaction.

GARMIN NUVI 250 SAT NAV, 31 Aug 2008
REAL VALUE FOR MONEY. DOES WHAT IT SAYS ON THE TIN. EASY TO USE, AND ONCE YOU HAVE PLAYED ABOUT WITH IT,YOU CAN PROGRAM A ROUTE VIA AS MANY PLACES AS YOU LIKE THAT VARY OFF ANY A TO B JOURNEY BY PROGRAMMING A to B, B to C, C to D ETC. ONE CRITICISM - CANT GET THE MOUNTING DISC TO STICK TO THE DASHBOARD. WELL SATISFIED.

Brilliant for the money!, 26 Aug 2008
I've been considering getting a satnav for a while and probably like most people have been confused by the array of devices available and confused further by the various reviews given - some good, some bad. With a limited budget in mind and having read largely very good reviews I took the plunge with the Nuvi 250. Any doubts I had have completely gone - it's brilliant! It really is that easy and that good. Ok, so it doesn't have loads of features (you'll get those on more expensive machines) but if you simply want a satnav to tell you how to get to a destination that you've not been to before then it's perfect. I'm really impressed. The instruction manual is surprisingly basic, but it still tells you what you need to know to get started (most other features can be worked by trial and error). Satellites are acquired quickly (when you're outside), the route calculated quickly and then it's ready to go with clear instructions both on screen and spoken. If you go wrong either by mistake or because you know better than it (which you will from time to time) it very quickly recalculates the route.
We have used it several times over the last couple of months and it has saved a lot of time and stress over getting lost - it is a bit weird putting your faith in a small machine, but it has taken us on some amazing routes that you would never have thought of and arrived at the door exactly when it said you would. Totally recommended! Get the case too to protect it when it's not in use - it's only a few pounds more.

Probably not the best one out there.., 25 Aug 2008
Bought this unit last week, because it's cheaper than Tomtom (for similar model) and longer battery life. Somewhat dissapointed because the map seems to be out of date (some roads are not displayed, I took wrong turn several times, especially dead-end roads!). It has a pedestrian mode, which implies that you can take it for a walk and it'll show you direction. Well, not really! Accuracy is pretty low in this mode, I had to walk back and forth looking for a museum which according to it, is right in front of me (it turns out to be one block away!). Unfortunately I have not had experience with other GPS so can't really compare. Good that it shows me direction for driving, and for the price with european map, I guess I just have to be happy with it.

Good Unit, Shame about the Company, 03 Sep 2008
Brilliant unit, does exactly what it says on the box, and so easily too! But, the LORD help you should you get a problem.
The Web site is a veritable maze unless you want to buy something. My first problem was when I purchased a year's subscription for speed camera updates - they would not install on my unit. Having (eventually) found the support page on the web site I asked for assistance to get my purchase installed - TomTom never answered!
Once the guarantee had expired, the unit suddenly started to reset, losing all my favourite locations and my home address! This usually happened as I switched the unit off, but sometimes happened in mid-journey!
TomTom this time responded to my plea for help and sent me a box to return my unit for repair. They opened an RMA for me on th web site which acts a bit like a bulletin board, creating a communication thread for me to talk to TomTom support. My unit was returned and TomTom (via the RMA) said they would repair it for £56. I paid, TomTom replaced the speaker and returned the unit to me. The fault, however, was not cured!
I advised TomTom (via the RMA)about this problem, and they said they were truly sorry and opened another RMA. Once the unit was returned TomTom said that the unit needed to be replaced at a cost of £116 (more than a new one!)
I resonded that I considered that the previous week's repair was not fit for purpose and asked for my £56 to be refunded.
TomTom responded by closing the RMA threads other than the payment link.
The web site contains no GB address or telephone number that I can find and the repair address is a third party.
I shall buy a Garmin!


Not worth all the hype, 11 Aug 2008
TomTom ONE v3 Great Britain
I bought my Son a Navman S30 which is excellent & was going to buy one for my self when Amazon had the Tom Tom V3 at only £75 so I of course went for that because after all they are reckoned to be the best arn't they !
Give me the Navman any day.

Don't get me wrong generally it is very efficent BUT for the following -
When you're approaching a junction where you need to turn left or right visually it gives you plenty of warning but sometimes the voice only pipes up and says "turn left" just as you're passing the turning ! Not good if you do not keep checking the visual display.
Whilst travelling on the M25 (for the first time) 4 times it went completely silent and did NOT warn me verbally which lane I should take = hence took a wrong road & 10 mile detour before it got me back to where I had left the M25.

In rural locations it will quite happily direct you up the most ridiculous 'lanes' that are only suitable for 4 wheel drive vehicles ! I had one pig of a trip where it took me up numerious lanes (some only 6 foot wide) and so steep I was down into 1st gear with no chance of turning round ! Grrr. Took nearly 1 hour to get to a large town that should have only been 8 miles and about 10 - 15 minutes drive from the A road I had been on.

They really ought to sort their mapping system out to warn you of such nigh on impossible to use roads, you certainly need to use caution if driving a truck / Motor home / or towing a caravan.

Re: the Speed Camera part - in a recent 650 mile long touring holiday it only warned of 1 Speeed trap ! ! ! So you still need to keep your eyes peeled for them dam Yellow Boxes :-)

All that apart it worked pretty well BUT I recommend you always preview a route BEFORE you go so that you can try and eliminate the odd problem like these, and you still carry a map / Atlas as backup. OR better still buy a Navman instead - all Sat Navs can suffer the problems I've mentioned but I reckon the Navman is better & is usually cheaper.





Easy to use, 11 Aug 2008
We used this for the first time yesterday - it was easy to use, even when we took a few wrong turns it put us on track. Has a selection of choices for voices and gives advance notice of direction with reminders. We got from A-B in no time. Very good for learner drivers and is so compact it fits into a small handbag. Only downside is that there is no carry case supplied with it which means you have to pay extra and also whilst not neccessary - the in house charger is not supplied so you can only charge and use in the car.

Poor. Poor. Poor., 31 Jul 2008
Such a disappointment. I bought this because it was a little more expensive than a similar Garmin model, and I assumed that if I wanted something a bit better, I would have to pay £20 more. Well, you live and learn. Tom Tom will tell you that you get to do all sorts of things with your GPS. And you can:

You can add voice packs to make your GPS sound like John Cleese... But you can't get a co-ordinate readout in British National Grid.

You can adjust your cursor so that your car looks like a red sports car on the display - but you can't tell the GPS to avoid built up areas at rush hour.

You can connect to your computer to update the maps - But you can't draw your route on an onscreen map and get the GPS to guide you along it.

You can set it to make a funny noise like a cow when ever you break the speed limit - but you can't save your route mileages to help with fuel returns at the end of the month.

You can even buy a sexy woman's voice for a few quid on the website. But you can't "trackback" a previous route, or expect the GPS to learn that you actually prefer a different route home than the one it always picks.

I am constantly dismayed by the unintelligent way the unit tries to drag me onto motorways at peak time, or the way the "calculate alternative route" will only calculate a tiny variation into the route. Yes, it finds addresses, but it is SUCH an unintelligent piece of kit that the focus group they used to create it must have been a fishtank.

In traffic the graphic display lags so much you can easily find yourself taking wrong turns. I don't want funny voices. I just want the same functionality in this GPS as I have in my hand-held Garmin Etrex, and it's not even close.

I need to be able to look at an OS map and see where I am. I need a time-of-arrival that UPDATES with the speed I have been doing, rather than assuming, in the middle of a five mile tailback, that I can do 70mph at any given moment. I need a night time display that's not three times brighter than my speedo. I need a scroll feature that lets me plot a vague area on a map and say "avoid this area" or "go via this region", rather than me "Travel Via" functions demanding a house number.

Sigh.

Look. By all means, take it shopping. Use it to give the kids an answer to "are we there yet?" but shop around. Don't make the mistake I made and think that better is usually more expensive.

X Hits The Spot, 18 Jul 2008
Been meaning to get a "proper" satnav for ages as I only have one on my Nokia N95. I looked at many reviews on Amazon and although there were the usual mix of good and bad reviews and the usual review from people who obviously do not know what they're doing, I decided to plump for the tomtom one v3, although I bought the Explore version that comes with the carry case.

Some gadgets are complicated to use and some are easy to use, this tomtom is in a category all on it's own: easypeasylemonsqueezy.

I turned the unit on and got a GPS signal within 20 seconds - I was inside too - I followed the simple on screen instructions and was planning a trip to the local supermarket within seconds. It was brilliant!

The whole thing is very intuitive and I defy anyone not to be able to use this without reading one word of an instruction manual.

An absolute must buy!

Glad I went for the 305 and not the 405, 28 Aug 2008
I've been using my Forerunner 305 for over 2 weeks now and I am very, very happy with it. Although I know it is sad, but this little device was one of my main motivations to get back into long distance running after a 5 year break.

Since Garmin has updated its GPS watch range choosing the latest model (Forerunner 405) would have been obvious, but I am glad I followed the advice of some reviews on here and elsewhere to go for the older and bigger 305 instead.

Why? Well, first of all I have a very nice everyday wristwatch and do not need a running watch that I can also wear at work or in the pub. Yes, the 305 is quite a biggie, but when I am out and about on a run then I don't really mind. After all: I'm out there to pound roads and not catwalks! With roughly 77g the watch is -despite its size- not too heavy and does not disturb me during my run.

The user interface (ie the way how to move and navigate through the screens and menus) is very well done and cleverly thought through. The accompanying software from Garmin is -well- sub-optimal. Thank god there now is a Mac version of it, but the overall functionality is nothing to write home about. As a Mac devotee, I am currently trialling a log software called Ascent (for Mac OS X), which seems to fit the bill for me. However you'll still require the Garmin software to upload your own workouts or courses, so you can't replace it 100%. But Ascent is much better in graphing your progress and displaying your route on Google Maps, for example.

What I love about the watch are the aggregated History screens. You can see your total weekly milage and average heart rate for a week. The 305 stores up to 1000 laps, which should enable me to store a whole marathon preparation training onto the watch - maybe even 2.

Another very good aspect is the fact that I can now see my current pace and heart rate on 1 screen, which really helps me to pace myself during a training run. I also love the Virtual Partner function, although I still haven't understood which time and pace the VP takes (the last run or an average of previous runs on the course?). The manual does not reveal any details on this.

Satellite aquisition is relatively fast. You basically need to be outside for a minute or 2 before you start your workout in order to get a satellite fix.

On the whole I can only recommend the 305. The 405 might be smaller and newer, but I've saved roughly £80-90 by purchasing a 305... that's a pair of new running shoes in my book!

Great for endurance riding, 17 Aug 2008
I use the 305 to train my horse for endurance riding competitions - the combined GPS and heart rate monitor work perfectly and are around 4 times cheaper than the equivalent Polar unit. The heart rate belt is easy to fix to my horse - I just attach it to the inside of the girth, wet my horses skin and then use vetwrap to secure it in place and I get 100% accurate heart rate readings. The fact that the unit reads the heart rate wirelessly and has a good reception range makes it ideal (and easy) to adapt to equine use. I can track avaerage speeds and distances which when you ride solo is a great plus as it can be difficult to judge your pace. The virtual trainer is great for competitions as I can set my speed/distance parameters and instantly know when I'm falling behind my target time for completion. A must for any endurance rider!!

Fitness training, 06 Aug 2008
This monitor provides great information for your training. You get heart rate data, how far you have run, what time, speed and more. It provides an easy way to create small and long term goals, ideal for fitness trainers like me. Signing up to MotionBased (available for free) can get you a Google map reading too, giving you an interactive map. I have not used all of the tools on the watch yet, but what I have used I am very satisfied with.

Fantastic, 11 Jul 2008
I used to do a fair amount of running up until about 10 years ago. In those days I used a Casio watch to record how long I was out for. I would then guess how far the run was or drive the route I had just ran to get some idea how far I had gone. I started running again in the last six months and I am very impressed by the Forerunner. It is not perfect, the distance climbed is more a guess rather than an accurate statement. I suspect the calories burned is also a little bit of a guide rather than a fact. However the distance travelled versus the time taken is very good, again not perfect, but far better than any guess I could come up with.

Yes it takes a little while to get the satellite signal before your start your run, but I tend to put it by the window, get changed and when I'm ready to go then it has got it's signal.

The more you run in areas with trees or tall buildings then I suspect the less accurate it is. I have done both and I find it more than acceptable.

I hate to go running without it and so it becomes another thing to remember to have with you.

I have never really got to grips with heart rate monitors so I think the 205 would have been as good for me.

The software that comes with the watch for the PC is not very good and I would recommend the free software called SportTracks.



Great motivation, 09 Jul 2008
Having used the Forerunner 305 to cheat myself back into running, I can only say what a great piece of kit it is. The pro/con that it doesn't work on OS-X (Mac) is simply not correct - I use it on one! The battery life allows me to do a week business trip without having to recharge, ad frankly, while the Garmin software is OK, programs, mostly share/freeware such as Sporttracks (PC) or Trailrunner (Mac) make using and analysing the data even better. I find the satellite acquisition a little slow when you're changing continents regularly, but stay in the same place and it's not a problem. Enjoy...

Absolutely Fantastic Sat Nav., 21 Aug 2008
This Tom Tom One V3 Europe Sat Nav is absolutely fantastic. Very easy to use. Clear instructions on how to set up and link to PC for updates. Bought this two weeks before going to France and it was so helpful - even my husband agreed!! I would highly recommend this.

Non-existent Customer Support, 12 Aug 2008
This review applies to ALL TomTom units. Just like to let others know that,although I find the actual TomTom units very good,if you ever get a problem with your TomTom,your on your own. Their so called "Customer Service" is abysmal. If you manage to get through to them on the 'phone they are downright rude and will blame you for everything,never TomTom,the support on their website where you send them messages is just as bad,you may as well not bother,as you'll never hear back from them. You have been warned!!

TomTom One v3 Euope - Great product, 27 Jul 2008
I wanted a simple and portable unit with none of the extras like bluetooth and mp3 capabilities so this was a perfect match.

Well built so it will last on my trips around Europe, in the box there is a car charger, usb cable and cradle.. the only thing missing from the box was a case but the proper TomTom one is around £11 so this was not such a problem..

Few pointers.
- when you get the unit connect it straight to the PC, load the software (there is no CD this is on the device and should auto prompt when you connect first time) and sit back for about 2-3 hours whilst it updates pretty much everything on the device
- As there is no external memory (only the internal 1gb) do not expect to be able to download lots of voices, map type and other funky items.. in fact i suggest you keep the system as clean as possible to prevent any map upgrade issues in future. I found out of the box the device had 36mb left but after running all the updates this is now 70mb (go figure)
- the maps on the box are out of date, the file is over 800mb in size and you have 30 days to update once it is connected to the TomTom service online, after this no more free map updates.
- Remember to backup the system using the provided software before doing anything

Have loaded my favourites and used it in Switzerland and Italy so far with much succes... this is the same device that is normally provided by Avis when you rent a car but these are very out of date so this purchase will save me time and money


Yin & Yang, 23 Jul 2008
Here's the deal; I ordered a take-away pizza to be collected from my local Pizza Express. I opened the TomTom box ten minutes before I needed to leave to collect the pizza - I expected to have a look, maybe get it charging or something. The reality was, with a read through the quick guide, I had the TomTom fitted in my car and actually used it to go and collect my pizza 10 minutes later. Brilliantly designed to come out of the box and be used instantly. I was very impressed, and after using it a few times can recommend it as it does what is says on the tin (as long as your address or postcode is good). Excellent. That's the Yin.

The Yang is when you come to use the website or TomTom software. Do you remember in the 90's when websites were pretending to be good but in fact were so bad you wanted to claw your eyes out? Welcome to the TomTom website. Looks good until you actually want to do something. I have just spent two hours trying to backup my TT but the software keeps crashing. So I've tried to update the software but keep being directed to my 'details' page of the website. Ultimately unless I spend time dealing with web support I am doomed to use a great product until eventually the maps go too much out of date, wherein I will then have to hope the software has been improved enough to actually work. Horrible Horrible.

If you don't have a computer but want a sat nav, this is brilliant. If you have a computer, prepare to want to inflict harm to yourself or somebody else.

Excellent device, 30 Jun 2008
I bought the TomTom a week ago and used it immediately for 1000 miles or so to Brittany. Everything worked perfectly 'straight from the box'. If we did take a wrong turning, it was quickly picked up and we were re-routed. The only time it became rather confused was at a new shopping mall in France where there were no roads marked. We were impressed with the routing to hotels, which often involved complicated one-way streets. We were a little surprised that not all of the 'safety' cameras in the variable speed limit section of the M25 near Heathrow, were marked.

This USB 2.0 cable connects your iPhone or iPod directly or through a Dock to your computer's USB port for efficient syncing and charging or to the Apple USB Power Adapter for convenient charging from a wall outlet.

Update costs - Beware, 01 Sep 2008
I'm satisfied with the product but not so satisfied at the £60 required to update the maps a year later.

Garmin Nuvi 250, 31 Aug 2008
Simple and easy to use: it does exactly what is says on the tin! It also offers great value for money. Scores 9/10 on my scale of satisfaction.

GARMIN NUVI 250 SAT NAV, 31 Aug 2008
REAL VALUE FOR MONEY. DOES WHAT IT SAYS ON THE TIN. EASY TO USE, AND ONCE YOU HAVE PLAYED ABOUT WITH IT,YOU CAN PROGRAM A ROUTE VIA AS MANY PLACES AS YOU LIKE THAT VARY OFF ANY A TO B JOURNEY BY PROGRAMMING A to B, B to C, C to D ETC. ONE CRITICISM - CANT GET THE MOUNTING DISC TO STICK TO THE DASHBOARD. WELL SATISFIED.

Brilliant for the money!, 26 Aug 2008
I've been considering getting a satnav for a while and probably like most people have been confused by the array of devices available and confused further by the various reviews given - some good, some bad. With a limited budget in mind and having read largely very good reviews I took the plunge with the Nuvi 250. Any doubts I had have completely gone - it's brilliant! It really is that easy and that good. Ok, so it doesn't have loads of features (you'll get those on more expensive machines) but if you simply want a satnav to tell you how to get to a destination that you've not been to before then it's perfect. I'm really impressed. The instruction manual is surprisingly basic, but it still tells you what you need to know to get started (most other features can be worked by trial and error). Satellites are acquired quickly (when you're outside), the route calculated quickly and then it's ready to go with clear instructions both on screen and spoken. If you go wrong either by mistake or because you know better than it (which you will from time to time) it very quickly recalculates the route.
We have used it several times over the last couple of months and it has saved a lot of time and stress over getting lost - it is a bit weird putting your faith in a small machine, but it has taken us on some amazing routes that you would never have thought of and arrived at the door exactly when it said you would. Totally recommended! Get the case too to protect it when it's not in use - it's only a few pounds more.

Probably not the best one out there.., 25 Aug 2008
Bought this unit last week, because it's cheaper than Tomtom (for similar model) and longer battery life. Somewhat dissapointed because the map seems to be out of date (some roads are not displayed, I took wrong turn several times, especially dead-end roads!). It has a pedestrian mode, which implies that you can take it for a walk and it'll show you direction. Well, not really! Accuracy is pretty low in this mode, I had to walk back and forth looking for a museum which according to it, is right in front of me (it turns out to be one block away!). Unfortunately I have not had experience with other GPS so can't really compare. Good that it shows me direction for driving, and for the price with european map, I guess I just have to be happy with it.

Good Unit, Shame about the Company, 03 Sep 2008
Brilliant unit, does exactly what it says on the box, and so easily too! But, the LORD help you should you get a problem.
The Web site is a veritable maze unless you want to buy something. My first problem was when I purchased a year's subscription for speed camera updates - they would not install on my unit. Having (eventually) found the support page on the web site I asked for assistance to get my purchase installed - TomTom never answered!
Once the guarantee had expired, the unit suddenly started to reset, losing all my favourite locations and my home address! This usually happened as I switched the unit off, but sometimes happened in mid-journey!
TomTom this time responded to my plea for help and sent me a box to return my unit for repair. They opened an RMA for me on th web site which acts a bit like a bulletin board, creating a communication thread for me to talk to TomTom support. My unit was returned and TomTom (via the RMA) said they would repair it for £56. I paid, TomTom replaced the speaker and returned the unit to me. The fault, however, was not cured!
I advised TomTom (via the RMA)about this problem, and they said they were truly sorry and opened another RMA. Once the unit was returned TomTom said that the unit needed to be replaced at a cost of £116 (more than a new one!)
I resonded that I considered that the previous week's repair was not fit for purpose and asked for my £56 to be refunded.
TomTom responded by closing the RMA threads other than the payment link.
The web site contains no GB address or telephone number that I can find and the repair address is a third party.
I shall buy a Garmin!


Not worth all the hype, 11 Aug 2008
TomTom ONE v3 Great Britain
I bought my Son a Navman S30 which is excellent & was going to buy one for my self when Amazon had the Tom Tom V3 at only £75 so I of course went for that because after all they are reckoned to be the best arn't they !
Give me the Navman any day.

Don't get me wrong generally it is very efficent BUT for the following -
When you're approaching a junction where you need to turn left or right visually it gives you plenty of warning but sometimes the voice only pipes up and says "turn left" just as you're passing the turning ! Not good if you do not keep checking the visual display.
Whilst travelling on the M25 (for the first time) 4 times it went completely silent and did NOT warn me verbally which lane I should take = hence took a wrong road & 10 mile detour before it got me back to where I had left the M25.

In rural locations it will quite happily direct you up the most ridiculous 'lanes' that are only suitable for 4 wheel drive vehicles ! I had one pig of a trip where it took me up numerious lanes (some only 6 foot wide) and so steep I was down into 1st gear with no chance of turning round ! Grrr. Took nearly 1 hour to get to a large town that should have only been 8 miles and about 10 - 15 minutes drive from the A road I had been on.

They really ought to sort their mapping system out to warn you of such nigh on impossible to use roads, you certainly need to use caution if driving a truck / Motor home / or towing a caravan.

Re: the Speed Camera part - in a recent 650 mile long touring holiday it only warned of 1 Speeed trap ! ! ! So you still need to keep your eyes peeled for them dam Yellow Boxes :-)

All that apart it worked pretty well BUT I recommend you always preview a route BEFORE you go so that you can try and eliminate the odd problem like these, and you still carry a map / Atlas as backup. OR better still buy a Navman instead - all Sat Navs can suffer the problems I've mentioned but I reckon the Navman is better & is usually cheaper.





Easy to use, 11 Aug 2008
We used this for the first time yesterday - it was easy to use, even when we took a few wrong turns it put us on track. Has a selection of choices for voices and gives advance notice of direction with reminders. We got from A-B in no time. Very good for learner drivers and is so compact it fits into a small handbag. Only downside is that there is no carry case supplied with it which means you have to pay extra and also whilst not neccessary - the in house charger is not supplied so you can only charge and use in the car.

Poor. Poor. Poor., 31 Jul 2008
Such a disappointment. I bought this because it was a little more expensive than a similar Garmin model, and I assumed that if I wanted something a bit better, I would have to pay £20 more. Well, you live and learn. Tom Tom will tell you that you get to do all sorts of things with your GPS. And you can:

You can add voice packs to make your GPS sound like John Cleese... But you can't get a co-ordinate readout in British National Grid.

You can adjust your cursor so that your car looks like a red sports car on the display - but you can't tell the GPS to avoid built up areas at rush hour.

You can connect to your computer to update the maps - But you can't draw your route on an onscreen map and get the GPS to guide you along it.

You can set it to make a funny noise like a cow when ever you break the speed limit - but you can't save your route mileages to help with fuel returns at the end of the month.

You can even buy a sexy woman's voice for a few quid on the website. But you can't "trackback" a previous route, or expect the GPS to learn that you actually prefer a different route home than the one it always picks.

I am constantly dismayed by the unintelligent way the unit tries to drag me onto motorways at peak time, or the way the "calculate alternative route" will only calculate a tiny variation into the route. Yes, it finds addresses, but it is SUCH an unintelligent piece of kit that the focus group they used to create it must have been a fishtank.

In traffic the graphic display lags so much you can easily find yourself taking wrong turns. I don't want funny voices. I just want the same functionality in this GPS as I have in my hand-held Garmin Etrex, and it's not even close.

I need to be able to look at an OS map and see where I am. I need a time-of-arrival that UPDATES with the speed I have been doing, rather than assuming, in the middle of a five mile tailback, that I can do 70mph at any given moment. I need a night time display that's not three times brighter than my speedo. I need a scroll feature that lets me plot a vague area on a map and say "avoid this area" or "go via this region", rather than me "Travel Via" functions demanding a house number.

Sigh.

Look. By all means, take it shopping. Use it to give the kids an answer to "are we there yet?" but shop around. Don't make the mistake I made and think that better is usually more expensive.

X Hits The Spot, 18 Jul 2008
Been meaning to get a "proper" satnav for ages as I only have one on my Nokia N95. I looked at many reviews on Amazon and although there were the usual mix of good and bad reviews and the usual review from people who obviously do not know what they're doing, I decided to plump for the tomtom one v3, although I bought the Explore version that comes with the carry case.

Some gadgets are complicated to use and some are easy to use, this tomtom is in a category all on it's own: easypeasylemonsqueezy.

I turned the unit on and got a GPS signal within 20 seconds - I was inside too - I followed the simple on screen instructions and was planning a trip to the local supermarket within seconds. It was brilliant!

The whole thing is very intuitive and I defy anyone not to be able to use this without reading one word of an instruction manual.

An absolute must buy!

Glad I went for the 305 and not the 405, 28 Aug 2008
I've been using my Forerunner 305 for over 2 weeks now and I am very, very happy with it. Although I know it is sad, but this little device was one of my main motivations to get back into long distance running after a 5 year break.

Since Garmin has updated its GPS watch range choosing the latest model (Forerunner 405) would have been obvious, but I am glad I followed the advice of some reviews on here and elsewhere to go for the older and bigger 305 instead.

Why? Well, first of all I have a very nice everyday wristwatch and do not need a running watch that I can also wear at work or in the pub. Yes, the 305 is quite a biggie, but when I am out and about on a run then I don't really mind. After all: I'm out there to pound roads and not catwalks! With roughly 77g the watch is -despite its size- not too heavy and does not disturb me during my run.

The user interface (ie the way how to move and navigate through the screens and menus) is very well done and cleverly thought through. The accompanying software from Garmin is -well- sub-optimal. Thank god there now is a Mac version of it, but the overall functionality is nothing to write home about. As a Mac devotee, I am currently trialling a log software called Ascent (for Mac OS X), which seems to fit the bill for me. However you'll still require the Garmin software to upload your own workouts or courses, so you can't replace it 100%. But Ascent is much better in graphing your progress and displaying your route on Google Maps, for example.

What I love about the watch are the aggregated History screens. You can see your total weekly milage and average heart rate for a week. The 305 stores up to 1000 laps, which should enable me to store a whole marathon preparation training onto the watch - maybe even 2.

Another very good aspect is the fact that I can now see my current pace and heart rate on 1 screen, which really helps me to pace myself during a training run. I also love the Virtual Partner function, although I still haven't understood which time and pace the VP takes (the last run or an average of previous runs on the course?). The manual does not reveal any details on this.

Satellite aquisition is relatively fast. You basically need to be outside for a minute or 2 before you start your workout in order to get a satellite fix.

On the whole I can only recommend the 305. The 405 might be smaller and newer, but I've saved roughly £80-90 by purchasing a 305... that's a pair of new running shoes in my book!

Great for endurance riding, 17 Aug 2008
I use the 305 to train my horse for endurance riding competitions - the combined GPS and heart rate monitor work perfectly and are around 4 times cheaper than the equivalent Polar unit. The heart rate belt is easy to fix to my horse - I just attach it to the inside of the girth, wet my horses skin and then use vetwrap to secure it in place and I get 100% accurate heart rate readings. The fact that the unit reads the heart rate wirelessly and has a good reception range makes it ideal (and easy) to adapt to equine use. I can track avaerage speeds and distances which when you ride solo is a great plus as it can be difficult to judge your pace. The virtual trainer is great for competitions as I can set my speed/distance parameters and instantly know when I'm falling behind my target time for completion. A must for any endurance rider!!

Fitness training, 06 Aug 2008
This monitor provides great information for your training. You get heart rate data, how far you have run, what time, speed and more. It provides an easy way to create small and long term goals, ideal for fitness trainers like me. Signing up to MotionBased (available for free) can get you a Google map reading too, giving you an interactive map. I have not used all of the tools on the watch yet, but what I have used I am very satisfied with.

Fantastic, 11 Jul 2008
I used to do a fair amount of running up until about 10 years ago. In those days I used a Casio watch to record how long I was out for. I would then guess how far the run was or drive the route I had just ran to get some idea how far I had gone. I started running again in the last six months and I am very impressed by the Forerunner. It is not perfect, the distance climbed is more a guess rather than an accurate statement. I suspect the calories burned is also a little bit of a guide rather than a fact. However the distance travelled versus the time taken is very good, again not perfect, but far better than any guess I could come up with.

Yes it takes a little while to get the satellite signal before your start your run, but I tend to put it by the window, get changed and when I'm ready to go then it has got it's signal.

The more you run in areas with trees or tall buildings then I suspect the less accurate it is. I have done both and I find it more than acceptable.

I hate to go running without it and so it becomes another thing to remember to have with you.

I have never really got to grips with heart rate monitors so I think the 205 would have been as good for me.

The software that comes with the watch for the PC is not very good and I would recommend the free software called SportTracks.



Great motivation, 09 Jul 2008
Having used the Forerunner 305 to cheat myself back into running, I can only say what a great piece of kit it is. The pro/con that it doesn't work on OS-X (Mac) is simply not correct - I use it on one! The battery life allows me to do a week business trip without having to recharge, ad frankly, while the Garmin software is OK, programs, mostly share/freeware such as Sporttracks (PC) or Trailrunner (Mac) make using and analysing the data even better. I find the satellite acquisition a little slow when you're changing continents regularly, but stay in the same place and it's not a problem. Enjoy...

Absolutely Fantastic Sat Nav., 21 Aug 2008
This Tom Tom One V3 Europe Sat Nav is absolutely fantastic. Very easy to use. Clear instructions on how to set up and link to PC for updates. Bought this two weeks before going to France and it was so helpful - even my husband agreed!! I would highly recommend this.

Non-existent Customer Support, 12 Aug 2008
This review applies to ALL TomTom units. Just like to let others know that,although I find the actual TomTom units very good,if you ever get a problem with your TomTom,your on your own. Their so called "Customer Service" is abysmal. If you manage to get through to them on the 'phone they are downright rude and will blame you for everything,never TomTom,the support on their website where you send them messages is just as bad,you may as well not bother,as you'll never hear back from them. You have been warned!!

TomTom One v3 Euope - Great product, 27 Jul 2008
I wanted a simple and portable unit with none of the extras like bluetooth and mp3 capabilities so this was a perfect match.

Well built so it will last on my trips around Europe, in the box there is a car charger, usb cable and cradle.. the only thing missing from the box was a case but the proper TomTom one is around £11 so this was not such a problem..

Few pointers.
- when you get the unit connect it straight to the PC, load the software (there is no CD this is on the device and should auto prompt when you connect first time) and sit back for about 2-3 hours whilst it updates pretty much everything on the device
- As there is no external memory (only the internal 1gb) do not expect to be able to download lots of voices, map type and other funky items.. in fact i suggest you keep the system as clean as possible to prevent any map upgrade issues in future. I found out of the box the device had 36mb left but after running all the updates this is now 70mb (go figure)
- the maps on the box are out of date, the file is over 800mb in size and you have 30 days to update once it is connected to the TomTom service online, after this no more free map updates.
- Remember to backup the system using the provided software before doing anything

Have loaded my favourites and used it in Switzerland and Italy so far with much succes... this is the same device that is normally provided by Avis when you rent a car but these are very out of date so this purchase will save me time and money


Yin & Yang, 23 Jul 2008
Here's the deal; I ordered a take-away pizza to be collected from my local Pizza Express. I opened the TomTom box ten minutes before I needed to leave to collect the pizza - I expected to have a look, maybe get it charging or something. The reality was, with a read through the quick guide, I had the TomTom fitted in my car and actually used it to go and collect my pizza 10 minutes later. Brilliantly designed to come out of the box and be used instantly. I was very impressed, and after using it a few times can recommend it as it does what is says on the tin (as long as your address or postcode is good). Excellent. That's the Yin.

The Yang is when you come to use the website or TomTom software. Do you remember in the 90's when websites were pretending to be good but in fact were so bad you wanted to claw your eyes out? Welcome to the TomTom website. Looks good until you actually want to do something. I have just spent two hours trying to backup my TT but the software keeps crashing. So I've tried to update the software but keep being directed to my 'details' page of the website. Ultimately unless I spend time dealing with web support I am doomed to use a great product until eventually the maps go too much out of date, wherein I will then have to hope the software has been improved enough to actually work. Horrible Horrible.

If you don't have a computer but want a sat nav, this is brilliant. If you have a computer, prepare to want to inflict harm to yourself or somebody else.

Excellent device, 30 Jun 2008
I bought the TomTom a week ago and used it immediately for 1000 miles or so to Brittany. Everything worked perfectly 'straight from the box'. If we did take a wrong turning, it was quickly picked up and we were re-routed. The only time it became rather confused was at a new shopping mall in France where there were no roads marked. We were impressed with the routing to hotels, which often involved complicated one-way streets. We were a little surprised that not all of the 'safety' cameras in the variable speed limit section of the M25 near Heathrow, were marked.

*Not* Official., 27 Aug 2008
As the previous reviewer says, this product is not as pictured but the slightly bulkier one found around on ebay and other Amazon sellers. Because of the inaccurate advertising (the only reason I bought this one over the cheaper ones) I have given it one star.

It does however work like the official, but is not as neat and you have to push in the two sides of the ipod dock connector plug to release it.

No frills - does the job but not an Apple cable, 06 Aug 2007
I bought this when my original Apple cable stopped working. It works fine for what I need it for - i.e. connecting to I-tunes to synchronise my ipod. It is just a basic cable and I do not believe an official piece of kit but good value for money.

not an official apple product, 24 Jul 2007
while this ipod dock connector is clearly advertised as apple product it is not. personally I would buy one of the equivalent cables sold by other companies on amazon, they are cheaper and will do the same job as this one.

Does exactly what it says on the tin. , 19 Jun 2007
No real review needed here - its a USB 2.0 to iPod dock connector. Allows you to connect your iPod to your PC directly, without the need for a docking station. Once connected you can charge your iPod and upload tracks. The cable is great for carrying around in your bag and using as a charger - it is certainly smaller and lighter than the bulky mains AC adapter.

Update costs - Beware, 01 Sep 2008
I'm satisfied with the product but not so satisfied at the £60 required to update the maps a year later.

Garmin Nuvi 250, 31 Aug 2008
Simple and easy to use: it does exactly what is says on the tin! It also offers great value for money. Scores 9/10 on my scale of satisfaction.

GARMIN NUVI 250 SAT NAV, 31 Aug 2008
REAL VALUE FOR MONEY. DOES WHAT IT SAYS ON THE TIN. EASY TO USE, AND ONCE YOU HAVE PLAYED ABOUT WITH IT,YOU CAN PROGRAM A ROUTE VIA AS MANY PLACES AS YOU LIKE THAT VARY OFF ANY A TO B JOURNEY BY PROGRAMMING A to B, B to C, C to D ETC. ONE CRITICISM - CANT GET THE MOUNTING DISC TO STICK TO THE DASHBOARD. WELL SATISFIED.

Brilliant for the money!, 26 Aug 2008
I've been considering getting a satnav for a while and probably like most people have been confused by the array of devices available and confused further by the various reviews given - some good, some bad. With a limited budget in mind and having read largely very good reviews I took the plunge with the Nuvi 250. Any doubts I had have completely gone - it's brilliant! It really is that easy and that good. Ok, so it doesn't have loads of features (you'll get those on more expensive machines) but if you simply want a satnav to tell you how to get to a destination that you've not been to before then it's perfect. I'm really impressed. The instruction manual is surprisingly basic, but it still tells you what you need to know to get started (most other features can be worked by trial and error). Satellites are acquired quickly (when you're outside), the route calculated quickly and then it's ready to go with clear instructions both on screen and spoken. If you go wrong either by mistake or because you know better than it (which you will from time to time) it very quickly recalculates the route.
We have used it several times over the last couple of months and it has saved a lot of time and stress over getting lost - it is a bit weird putting your faith in a small machine, but it has taken us on some amazing routes that you would never have thought of and arrived at the door exactly when it said you would. Totally recommended! Get the case too to protect it when it's not in use - it's only a few pounds more.

Probably not the best one out there.., 25 Aug 2008
Bought this unit last week, because it's cheaper than Tomtom (for similar model) and longer battery life. Somewhat dissapointed because the map seems to be out of date (some roads are not displayed, I took wrong turn several times, especially dead-end roads!). It has a pedestrian mode, which implies that you can take it for a walk and it'll show you direction. Well, not really! Accuracy is pretty low in this mode, I had to walk back and forth looking for a museum which according to it, is right in front of me (it turns out to be one block away!). Unfortunately I have not had experience with other GPS so can't really compare. Good that it shows me direction for driving, and for the price with european map, I guess I just have to be happy with it.

Good Unit, Shame about the Company, 03 Sep 2008
Brilliant unit, does exactly what it says on the box, and so easily too! But, the LORD help you should you get a problem.
The Web site is a veritable maze unless you want to buy something. My first problem was when I purchased a year's subscription for speed camera updates - they would not install on my unit. Having (eventually) found the support page on the web site I asked for assistance to get my purchase installed - TomTom never answered!
Once the guarantee had expired, the unit suddenly started to reset, losing all my favourite locations and my home address! This usually happened as I switched the unit off, but sometimes happened in mid-journey!
TomTom this time responded to my plea for help and sent me a box to return my unit for repair. They opened an RMA for me on th web site which acts a bit like a bulletin board, creating a communication thread for me to talk to TomTom support. My unit was returned and TomTom (via the RMA) said they would repair it for £56. I paid, TomTom replaced the speaker and returned the unit to me. The fault, however, was not cured!
I advised TomTom (via the RMA)about this problem, and they said they were truly sorry and opened another RMA. Once the unit was returned TomTom said that the unit needed to be replaced at a cost of £116 (more than a new one!)
I resonded that I considered that the previous week's repair was not fit for purpose and asked for my £56 to be refunded.
TomTom responded by closing the RMA threads other than the payment link.
The web site contains no GB address or telephone number that I can find and the repair address is a third party.
I shall buy a Garmin!


Not worth all the hype, 11 Aug 2008
TomTom ONE v3 Great Britain
I bought my Son a Navman S30 which is excellent & was going to buy one for my self when Amazon had the Tom Tom V3 at only £75 so I of course went for that because after all they are reckoned to be the best arn't they !
Give me the Navman any day.

Don't get me wrong generally it is very efficent BUT for the following -
When you're approaching a junction where you need to turn left or right visually it gives you plenty of warning but sometimes the voice only pipes up and says "turn left" just as you're passing the turning ! Not good if you do not keep checking the visual display.
Whilst travelling on the M25 (for the first time) 4 times it went completely silent and did NOT warn me verbally which lane I should take = hence took a wrong road & 10 mile detour before it got me back to where I had left the M25.

In rural locations it will quite happily direct you up the most ridiculous 'lanes' that are only suitable for 4 wheel drive vehicles ! I had one pig of a trip where it took me up numerious lanes (some only 6 foot wide) and so steep I was down into 1st gear with no chance of turning round ! Grrr. Took nearly 1 hour to get to a large town that should have only been 8 miles and about 10 - 15 minutes drive from the A road I had been on.

They really ought to sort their mapping system out to warn you of such nigh on impossible to use roads, you certainly need to use caution if driving a truck / Motor home / or towing a caravan.

Re: the Speed Camera part - in a recent 650 mile long touring holiday it only warned of 1 Speeed trap ! ! ! So you still need to keep your eyes peeled for them dam Yellow Boxes :-)

All that apart it worked pretty well BUT I recommend you always preview a route BEFORE you go so that you can try and eliminate the odd problem like these, and you still carry a map / Atlas as backup. OR better still buy a Navman instead - all Sat Navs can suffer the problems I've mentioned but I reckon the Navman is better & is usually cheaper.





Easy to use, 11 Aug 2008
We used this for the first time yesterday - it was easy to use, even when we took a few wrong turns it put us on track. Has a selection of choices for voices and gives advance notice of direction with reminders. We got from A-B in no time. Very good for learner drivers and is so compact it fits into a small handbag. Only downside is that there is no carry case supplied with it which means you have to pay extra and also whilst not neccessary - the in house charger is not supplied so you can only charge and use in the car.

Poor. Poor. Poor., 31 Jul 2008
Such a disappointment. I bought this because it was a little more expensive than a similar Garmin model, and I assumed that if I wanted something a bit better, I would have to pay £20 more. Well, you live and learn. Tom Tom will tell you that you get to do all sorts of things with your GPS. And you can:

You can add voice packs to make your GPS sound like John Cleese... But you can't get a co-ordinate readout in British National Grid.

You can adjust your cursor so that your car looks like a red sports car on the display - but you can't tell the GPS to avoid built up areas at rush hour.

You can connect to your computer to update the maps - But you can't draw your route on an onscreen map and get the GPS to guide you along it.

You can set it to make a funny noise like a cow when ever you break the speed limit - but you can't save your route mileages to help with fuel returns at the end of the month.

You can even buy a sexy woman's voice for a few quid on the website. But you can't "trackback" a previous route, or expect the GPS to learn that you actually prefer a different route home than the one it always picks.

I am constantly dismayed by the unintelligent way the unit tries to drag me onto motorways at peak time, or the way the "calculate alternative route" will only calculate a tiny variation into the route. Yes, it finds addresses, but it is SUCH an unintelligent piece of kit that the focus group they used to create it must have been a fishtank.

In traffic the graphic display lags so much you can easily find yourself taking wrong turns. I don't want funny voices. I just want the same functionality in this GPS as I have in my hand-held Garmin Etrex, and it's not even close.

I need to be able to look at an OS map and see where I am. I need a time-of-arrival that UPDATES with the speed I have been doing, rather than assuming, in the middle of a five mile tailback, that I can do 70mph at any given moment. I need a night time display that's not three times brighter than my speedo. I need a scroll feature that lets me plot a vague area on a map and say "avoid this area" or "go via this region", rather than me "Travel Via" functions demanding a house number.

Sigh.

Look. By all means, take it shopping. Use it to give the kids an answer to "are we there yet?" but shop around. Don't make the mistake I made and think that better is usually more expensive.

X Hits The Spot, 18 Jul 2008
Been meaning to get a "proper" satnav for ages as I only have one on my Nokia N95. I looked at many reviews on Amazon and although there were the usual mix of good and bad reviews and the usual review from people who obviously do not know what they're doing, I decided to plump for the tomtom one v3, although I bought the Explore version that comes with the carry case.

Some gadgets are complicated to use and some are easy to use, this tomtom is in a category all on it's own: easypeasylemonsqueezy.

I turned the unit on and got a GPS signal within 20 seconds - I was inside too - I followed the simple on screen instructions and was planning a trip to the local supermarket within seconds. It was brilliant!

The whole thing is very intuitive and I defy anyone not to be able to use this without reading one word of an instruction manual.

An absolute must buy!

Glad I went for the 305 and not the 405, 28 Aug 2008
I've been using my Forerunner 305 for over 2 weeks now and I am very, very happy with it. Although I know it is sad, but this little device was one of my main motivations to get back into long distance running after a 5 year break.

Since Garmin has updated its GPS watch range choosing the latest model (Forerunner 405) would have been obvious, but I am glad I followed the advice of some reviews on here and elsewhere to go for the older and bigger 305 instead.

Why? Well, first of all I have a very nice everyday wristwatch and do not need a running watch that I can also wear at work or in the pub. Yes, the 305 is quite a biggie, but when I am out and about on a run then I don't really mind. After all: I'm out there to pound roads and not catwalks! With roughly 77g the watch is -despite its size- not too heavy and does not disturb me during my run.

The user interface (ie the way how to move and navigate through the screens and menus) is very well done and cleverly thought through. The accompanying software from Garmin is -well- sub-optimal. Thank god there now is a Mac version of it, but the overall functionality is nothing to write home about. As a Mac devotee, I am currently trialling a log software called Ascent (for Mac OS X), which seems to fit the bill for me. However you'll still require the Garmin software to upload your own workouts or courses, so you can't replace it 100%. But Ascent is much better in graphing your progress and displaying your route on Google Maps, for example.

What I love about the watch are the aggregated History screens. You can see your total weekly milage and average heart rate for a week. The 305 stores up to 1000 laps, which should enable me to store a whole marathon preparation training onto the watch - maybe even 2.

Another very good aspect is the fact that I can now see my current pace and heart rate on 1 screen, which really helps me to pace myself during a training run. I also love the Virtual Partner function, although I still haven't understood which time and pace the VP takes (the last run or an average of previous runs on the course?). The manual does not reveal any details on this.

Satellite aquisition is relatively fast. You basically need to be outside for a minute or 2 before you start your workout in order to get a satellite fix.

On the whole I can only recommend the 305. The 405 might be smaller and newer, but I've saved roughly £80-90 by purchasing a 305... that's a pair of new running shoes in my book!

Great for endurance riding, 17 Aug 2008
I use the 305 to train my horse for endurance riding competitions - the combined GPS and heart rate monitor work perfectly and are around 4 times cheaper than the equivalent Polar unit. The heart rate belt is easy to fix to my horse - I just attach it to the inside of the girth, wet my horses skin and then use vetwrap to secure it in place and I get 100% accurate heart rate readings. The fact that the unit reads the heart rate wirelessly and has a good reception range makes it ideal (and easy) to adapt to equine use. I can track avaerage speeds and distances which when you ride solo is a great plus as it can be difficult to judge your pace. The virtual trainer is great for competitions as I can set my speed/distance parameters and instantly know when I'm falling behind my target time for completion. A must for any endurance rider!!

Fitness training, 06 Aug 2008
This monitor provides great information for your training. You get heart rate data, how far you have run, what time, speed and more. It provides an easy way to create small and long term goals, ideal for fitness trainers like me. Signing up to MotionBased (available for free) can get you a Google map reading too, giving you an interactive map. I have not used all of the tools on the watch yet, but what I have used I am very satisfied with.

Fantastic, 11 Jul 2008
I used to do a fair amount of running up until about 10 years ago. In those days I used a Casio watch to record how long I was out for. I would then guess how far the run was or drive the route I had just ran to get some idea how far I had gone. I started running again in the last six months and I am very impressed by the Forerunner. It is not perfect, the distance climbed is more a guess rather than an accurate statement. I suspect the calories burned is also a little bit of a guide rather than a fact. However the distance travelled versus the time taken is very good, again not perfect, but far better than any guess I could come up with.

Yes it takes a little while to get the satellite signal before your start your run, but I tend to put it by the window, get changed and when I'm ready to go then it has got it's signal.

The more you run in areas with trees or tall buildings then I suspect the less accurate it is. I have done both and I find it more than acceptable.

I hate to go running without it and so it becomes another thing to remember to have with you.

I have never really got to grips with heart rate monitors so I think the 205 would have been as good for me.

The software that comes with the watch for the PC is not very good and I would recommend the free software called SportTracks.



Great motivation, 09 Jul 2008
Having used the Forerunner 305 to cheat myself back into running, I can only say what a great piece of kit it is. The pro/con that it doesn't work on OS-X (Mac) is simply not correct - I use it on one! The battery life allows me to do a week business trip without having to recharge, ad frankly, while the Garmin software is OK, programs, mostly share/freeware such as Sporttracks (PC) or Trailrunner (Mac) make using and analysing the data even better. I find the satellite acquisition a little slow when you're changing continents regularly, but stay in the same place and it's not a problem. Enjoy...

Absolutely Fantastic Sat Nav., 21 Aug 2008
This Tom Tom One V3 Europe Sat Nav is absolutely fantastic. Very easy to use. Clear instructions on how to set up and link to PC for updates. Bought this two weeks before going to France and it was so helpful - even my husband agreed!! I would highly recommend this.

Non-existent Customer Support, 12 Aug 2008
This review applies to ALL TomTom units. Just like to let others know that,although I find the actual TomTom units very good,if you ever get a problem with your TomTom,your on your own. Their so called "Customer Service" is abysmal. If you manage to get through to them on the 'phone they are downright rude and will blame you for everything,never TomTom,the support on their website where you send them messages is just as bad,you may as well not bother,as you'll never hear back from them. You have been warned!!

TomTom One v3 Euope - Great product, 27 Jul 2008
I wanted a simple and portable unit with none of the extras like bluetooth and mp3 capabilities so this was a perfect match.

Well built so it will last on my trips around Europe, in the box there is a car charger, usb cable and cradle.. the only thing missing from the box was a case but the proper TomTom one is around £11 so this was not such a problem..

Few pointers.
- when you get the unit connect it straight to the PC, load the software (there is no CD this is on the device and should auto prompt when you connect first time) and sit back for about 2-3 hours whilst it updates pretty much everything on the device
- As there is no external memory (only the internal 1gb) do not expect to be able to download lots of voices, map type and other funky items.. in fact i suggest you keep the system as clean as possible to prevent any map upgrade issues in future. I found out of the box the device had 36mb left but after running all the updates this is now 70mb (go figure)
- the maps on the box are out of date, the file is over 800mb in size and you have 30 days to update once it is connected to the TomTom service online, after this no more free map updates.
- Remember to backup the system using the provided software before doing anything

Have loaded my favourites and used it in Switzerland and Italy so far with much succes... this is the same device that is normally provided by Avis when you rent a car but these are very out of date so this purchase will save me time and money


Yin & Yang, 23 Jul 2008
Here's the deal; I ordered a take-away pizza to be collected from my local Pizza Express. I opened the TomTom box ten minutes before I needed to leave to collect the pizza - I expected to have a look, maybe get it charging or something. The reality was, with a read through the quick guide, I had the TomTom fitted in my car and actually used it to go and collect my pizza 10 minutes later. Brilliantly designed to come out of the box and be used instantly. I was very impressed, and after using it a few times can recommend it as it does what is says on the tin (as long as your address or postcode is good). Excellent. That's the Yin.

The Yang is when you come to use the website or TomTom software. Do you remember in the 90's when websites were pretending to be good but in fact were so bad you wanted to claw your eyes out? Welcome to the TomTom website. Looks good until you actually want to do something. I have just spent two hours trying to backup my TT but the software keeps crashing. So I've tried to update the software but keep being directed to my 'details' page of the website. Ultimately unless I spend time dealing with web support I am doomed to use a great product until eventually the maps go too much out of date, wherein I will then have to hope the software has been improved enough to actually work. Horrible Horrible.

If you don't have a computer but want a sat nav, this is brilliant. If you have a computer, prepare to want to inflict harm to yourself or somebody else.

Excellent device, 30 Jun 2008
I bought the TomTom a week ago and used it immediately for 1000 miles or so to Brittany. Everything worked perfectly 'straight from the box'. If we did take a wrong turning, it was quickly picked up and we were re-routed. The only time it became rather confused was at a new shopping mall in France where there were no roads marked. We were impressed with the routing to hotels, which often involved complicated one-way streets. We were a little surprised that not all of the 'safety' cameras in the variable speed limit section of the M25 near Heathrow, were marked.

*Not* Official., 27 Aug 2008
As the previous reviewer says, this product is not as pictured but the slightly bulkier one found around on ebay and other Amazon sellers. Because of the inaccurate advertising (the only reason I bought this one over the cheaper ones) I have given it one star.

It does however work like the official, but is not as neat and you have to push in the two sides of the ipod dock connector plug to release it.

No frills - does the job but not an Apple cable, 06 Aug 2007
I bought this when my original Apple cable stopped working. It works fine for what I need it for - i.e. connecting to I-tunes to synchronise my ipod. It is just a basic cable and I do not believe an official piece of kit but good value for money.

not an official apple product, 24 Jul 2007
while this ipod dock connector is clearly advertised as apple product it is not. personally I would buy one of the equivalent cables sold by other companies on amazon, they are cheaper and will do the same job as this one.

Does exactly what it says on the tin. , 19 Jun 2007
No real review needed here - its a USB 2.0 to iPod dock connector. Allows you to connect your iPod to your PC directly, without the need for a docking station. Once connected you can charge your iPod and upload tracks. The cable is great for carrying around in your bag and using as a charger - it is certainly smaller and lighter than the bulky mains AC adapter.

Nice try - but flawed and needs some work...., 13 Aug 2008