Tomtom's new device looks very much like its predecessors, but changes to its
innards have made it easier to use.
We looked at
two
of its big brothers earlier in 2007 – the
One XL and the
Go 720, but this one is
available for £125 online, meaning most drivers can afford one.
Like the more expensive Tomtom Go, it uses what's called Mapshare to ensure
that the maps are continually improved: every user can make corrections and
alterations to the maps using the touch sensitive screen, then when the Tomtom
One is plugged into a PC and connected to the internet, the changes are uploaded
for verification. At the same time, verified corrections made by other users can
be downloaded.
The
One
includes a socket for an
TMC
antenna - with one of these attached, live traffic information is available,
meaning you can plan routes to avoid jams and accidents. Even without this, it's
possible to tell the device about known roadblocks located up to three miles
ahead and it will find a way around them.
A power switch is the only physical control; everything else is done by
tapping the screen. There are never more than six icons displayed, so hitting
the right one isn't a problem, even for those with large fingers.
The main screen shows the route and details of the next turn, plus optional
information such as speed. Directions are spoken by pleasant-sounding, clear
voices that can be heard without difficulty.
For UK journeys, destinations can be entered as towns, postcodes, road
crossings or house addresses. In emergencies you can choose to be directed to
the nearest hospital or police station.
The pocket-sized One runs for two hours on its internal battery, which is
useful if you want to find your way around city streets on foot. In the car it
is powered and charged by plugging it into the cigarette lighter socket, and in
the home by connecting it to the
USB
port of a computer. Leads for both purposes are provided, but there's no mains
adapter, which could be awkward if you take it on holiday without a computer
close by.
Vista compatible: Yes
Computeractive
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