I have never had satnav before and am getting very bewildered by the choices
available. From all the reviews I've read, it seems that TomTom would suit me
best, and I would also prefer a wide screen. I only need UK coverage and I
don't need breakdown assistance.

It seems that one of the XL models would fit the bill (I assume that XL means
wide screen). I've seen the recommendation above for the TT One v3,
currently at £80.49 from eBuyer. However, the only XL they have seems to be
the TT One XL Traffic edition, UK & Europe with TMC receiver at £179.99 -
over my budget (I suppose I would go up to £150 if pushed!).

Amazon do a TT One XL GB Classic at £104.99. This model however is not
listed on TomTom's own web site, nor on any other site I have looked at, so I
assume it is a "special" edition just for Amazon. The cheapest XL on the TT
site is the XL Regional Assist at £146.80.

Would the one listed on Amazon be a good one to buy? I'm not really worried
about speed camera location (is that what TMC stands for?) but news of
traffic jams would be useful. Presumably that is what "with Traffic" means?

Would really appreciate some guidance.


--
Sally in Shropshire, UK

Sally Thompson <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> I have never had satnav before and am getting very bewildered by the choices
> available. From all the reviews I've read, it seems that TomTom would suit me
> best, and I would also prefer a wide screen.

Because your TV has one?

Wide screen is the wrong aspect ratio for satnav. Sadly manufacturers
refuse to recognise this. The screen should be rotated to "portrait"
format since this works much better with route finding and display than
wide screen. However you can only get the display the right way round on
mostly obsolete PDA based navigation.

Anyway. Your money, your choice.

Sally Thompson wrote:
> I have never had satnav before and am getting very bewildered by the
> choices available. From all the reviews I've read, it seems that
> TomTom would suit me best, and I would also prefer a wide screen. I
> only need UK coverage and I don't need breakdown assistance.
>
> It seems that one of the XL models would fit the bill (I assume that
> XL means wide screen). I've seen the recommendation above for the TT
> One v3, currently at £80.49 from eBuyer. However, the only XL they
> have seems to be the TT One XL Traffic edition, UK & Europe with TMC
> receiver at £179.99 - over my budget (I suppose I would go up to £150
> if pushed!).
>
> Amazon do a TT One XL GB Classic at £104.99. This model however is
> not listed on TomTom's own web site, nor on any other site I have
> looked at, so I assume it is a "special" edition just for Amazon. The
> cheapest XL on the TT site is the XL Regional Assist at £146.80.
>
> Would the one listed on Amazon be a good one to buy? I'm not really
> worried about speed camera location (is that what TMC stands for?)
> but news of traffic jams would be useful. Presumably that is what
> "with Traffic" means?
>
> Would really appreciate some guidance.

Hi Sally, have a look at http://www.yourtomtom.com/ You'll have to register
to use their "Forum" section but it's a very helpful site. When you've
decided which model you want (I'm still using the original GO700 that I got
about 4 years ago, so I'm not the one who can give you answers on current
models), have a look here for the best prices
http://www.satnav-discounts.co.uk/to...-gb-series.htm

Pete

On Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:49:47 +0000, Steve Firth wrote
(in article <1ix1ab5.vjcx571rt81xbN%%steve%@malloc.co.uk>):

> Sally Thompson <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> I have never had satnav before and am getting very bewildered by the choices
>> available. From all the reviews I've read, it seems that TomTom would suit
>> me
>> best, and I would also prefer a wide screen.
>
> Because your TV has one?

No, I don't have a TV :-)

> Wide screen is the wrong aspect ratio for satnav. Sadly manufacturers
> refuse to recognise this. The screen should be rotated to "portrait"
> format since this works much better with route finding and display than
> wide screen. However you can only get the display the right way round on
> mostly obsolete PDA based navigation.

OK, good point. My reason for wanting a wide screen was that I had read in a
review somewhere that the text was bigger and therefore better for older
eyesight! Is this wrong? If it IS wrong, then presumably the TT One v3 on
eBuyer would suit me fine?

Supplementary question: it appears that you download map updates through your
computer. I have a Mac. Does the necessary software work on both PC and Mac
do you know? Or am I talking rubbish? :-)

--
Sally in Shropshire, UK

On Mon, 23 Mar 2009 14:08:49 +0000, Pete Zahut wrote
(in article <-(E-Mail Removed)>):

> Sally Thompson wrote:
>> I have never had satnav before and am getting very bewildered by the
>> choices available. From all the reviews I've read, it seems that
>> TomTom would suit me best, and I would also prefer a wide screen. I
>> only need UK coverage and I don't need breakdown assistance.
<snip>
>>
>> Would really appreciate some guidance.
>
> Hi Sally, have a look at http://www.yourtomtom.com/ You'll have to register
> to use their "Forum" section but it's a very helpful site. When you've
> decided which model you want (I'm still using the original GO700 that I got
> about 4 years ago, so I'm not the one who can give you answers on current
> models), have a look here for the best prices
> http://www.satnav-discounts.co.uk/to...-gb-series.htm

Thanks Pete, very useful links. Just too much choice ...

--
Sally in Shropshire, UK

Sally Thompson <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>
> OK, good point. My reason for wanting a wide screen was that I had read in a
> review somewhere that the text was bigger and therefore better for older
> eyesight! Is this wrong? If it IS wrong, then presumably the TT One v3 on
> eBuyer would suit me fine?

I think the only sensible advice there is to have a look. My experience
is that the text is the same size on both systems. Just less of it on
the 4:3 screens.

> Supplementary question: it appears that you download map updates through your
> computer. I have a Mac. Does the necessary software work on both PC and Mac
> do you know? Or am I talking rubbish? :-)

No, you're not talking rubbish. I don't use a TomTom, I have a Garmin
Nuvi, mostly because I also have a Mac and the Garmin support for the
Mac is very good. It save me having to run Windows under Parallels just
to update the software on my sat nav. Sadly I still need Windows because
my mobile phone maker supplies only Windows software.

I've no experience of Mac + TomTom. I had a look at the TomTom and
didn't get on with it. YMMV.

"Sally Thompson" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) al.net...

> OK, good point. My reason for wanting a wide screen was that I had
> read in a
> review somewhere that the text was bigger and therefore better for
> older
> eyesight! Is this wrong? If it IS wrong, then presumably the TT One
> v3 on
> eBuyer would suit me fine?
>
Considering that you shouldn't actually be reading the text on the
screen when driving and instead following voice prompts or looking at
the large picture showing the route, it's not an issue.

Go get the bog standard £80 Tomtom ONE V3. It'll do what you want at
little cost.

Regarding map updates, you have to pay for them on the whole apart from
user submitted ones. You download them using Tomtom HOME and there is
indeed a Mac OS X version

http://www.tomtom.com/services/service.php?id=16&tab=87

the requirements are:

Mac OSX 10.4 or higher
500 MHz G3 processor or better
256MB RAM


--
Conor

I only please one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow isn't
looking good either. - Scott Adams

On Mon, 23 Mar 2009 14:55:37 +0000, Steve Firth wrote
(in article <1ix1d9b.1qijuid1krh4egN%%steve%@malloc.co.uk>):

> Sally Thompson <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> OK, good point. My reason for wanting a wide screen was that I had read in a
>> review somewhere that the text was bigger and therefore better for older
>> eyesight! Is this wrong? If it IS wrong, then presumably the TT One v3 on
>> eBuyer would suit me fine?
>
> I think the only sensible advice there is to have a look. My experience
> is that the text is the same size on both systems. Just less of it on
> the 4:3 screens.

Will do.

>> Supplementary question: it appears that you download map updates through
>> your
>> computer. I have a Mac. Does the necessary software work on both PC and
>> Mac
>> do you know? Or am I talking rubbish? :-)
>
> No, you're not talking rubbish. I don't use a TomTom, I have a Garmin
> Nuvi, mostly because I also have a Mac and the Garmin support for the
> Mac is very good. It save me having to run Windows under Parallels just
> to update the software on my sat nav. Sadly I still need Windows because
> my mobile phone maker supplies only Windows software.
>
> I've no experience of Mac + TomTom. I had a look at the TomTom and
> didn't get on with it. YMMV.

I've managed to find the answer to this now on the TomTom web site: it is
compatible with Mac OS X (10.3 and 10.4 listed), as well as various Windows
versions.

Thanks for the help.

--
Sally in Shropshire, UK

On Mon, 23 Mar 2009 15:08:30 +0000, Conor wrote
(in article <(E-Mail Removed)>):

>
> "Sally Thompson" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed) al.net...
>
>> OK, good point. My reason for wanting a wide screen was that I had
>> read in a
>> review somewhere that the text was bigger and therefore better for
>> older
>> eyesight!
<snip>
>>
> Considering that you shouldn't actually be reading the text on the
> screen when driving and instead following voice prompts or looking at
> the large picture showing the route, it's not an issue.
>
> Go get the bog standard £80 Tomtom ONE V3. It'll do what you want at
> little cost.
>
> Regarding map updates, you have to pay for them on the whole apart from
> user submitted ones. You download them using Tomtom HOME and there is
> indeed a Mac OS X version
>
> http://www.tomtom.com/services/service.php?id=16&tab=87
>
> the requirements are:
>
> Mac OSX 10.4 or higher
> 500 MHz G3 processor or better
> 256MB RAM

Thanks for all the info. It's all been really useful.

--
Sally in Shropshire, UK

Sally Thompson wrote:
>
> Thanks Pete, very useful links. Just too much choice ...
>

a little less choice and less £££'s how about a Navigo 3.5 it comes with
Turbodog preinstalled, but you can put TomTom on it if you wish

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/146672...roduct_reviews

a friend has this unit and it locks onto satellites really quickly, all
software has it's quirks. You get used to them with use