TomTom ONE XL 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Maps of the U.S. and Canada Reviews

• THE TOMTOM ONE GOES WIDESCREEN...

  
  By A2RUUTTFJQ7CBH on 2007-05-15
  Welcome to TomTom's latest creation, the TomTom One XL. With the ongoing war between GPS manufacturers in full bloom it appears that TomTom has decided to counter against Garmin's latest GPS products. The Garmin Nuvi 200, 250, and 270 were released early this month and, from what I understand, are selling quite nicely. Never being one to take things lying down, TomTom announced their new One XL.
  
  Customers should be informed this product isn't exactly a "new" item from TomTom, it's more of a "modified" version of the previous released (and extremely popular) TomTom One. What I mean is besides the obvious fact that this is a widescreen unit, this product is identical to the TomTom One (New Edition) Versons 3 and 4 which were released earlier this year. The TomTom One XL is equipped with a 4.3 inch screen, (as opposed to the regular TomTom One's 3.5 inch) because of the added screen space the TomTom One XL is slightly heavier than it's little brother. It now weighs in at 7.4 ounces instead of 6.5.
  
  As far as the technical specifications...well, it's all still the same. You get the high sensitivity GPS chipset (which is the new GlobalLocate chipset found in recently released TomTom devices), the 32 MB of RAM space, the CPU runs at 266 MHz, a 2-hour internal lithium-ion battery, and 2.0 Bluetooth technology. The only real difference in the technical specs is the pixel count which is now a slightly higher 480x272 because of the wider screen.
  
  One thing I did notice was the missing 1GB SD card full of maps I'm used to seeing with TomTom products.. It appears all the info (maps, points of interest...etc) is now stored on a small flash-drive inside the unit. The TomTom One XL does, however, have an open SD card slot for future map updates and expansions.
  
  The unit itself is just as powerful and accurate as it's little brother. It has been reported that some test units have been preloaded with the Tele Atlas maps (version 665.1293)of The United States and Canada. However, TomTom has announced they will be preloading the One XL with Tele Atlas Maps version 675 making this the most accurate GPS on the market to date. This seems to be the subject of much debate, the clichéd' argument is that because Garmin is a North American based company their maps for The United States should be more accurate then the European based Tele Atlas maps which TomTom uses. I can tell you from personal experience (see my other reviews) that this is not so. I've found the latest maps from TomTom to be the most precise of any other GPS unit on the market today.
  
  The TomTom One XL carries a $399.99 price tag, $100.00 more than the regular TomTom One, which may leave some buyers wondering if $100.00 is worth that extra inch of screen space.
  
  
  

• TomTom vs. Magellan

  
  By A1YZHTWCVMZLP4 on 2007-07-02
  I had my choices narrowed down to the TomTom ONE XL and the Magellan Maestro 4040. It was a tough call but I choose the TomTom. In a nutshell, the TomTom is more designed to get you where you need to go and the Magellan is designed to tell you where you are and what's around you.
  
  The Magellan has more current maps and identifies the roads that appear on the screen. The TomTom has fairly current maps but only identifies the roads you are approaching and a few adjacent roads.
  
  TomTom has auto-zoom where the faster you travel, the map zooms out. The Magellan has the zoom feature but nothing automatic. I like the auto-zoom because when your traveling interstates speeds, it's nice to see out ahead of you.
  
  I think the TomTom has the better screen, by a slight edge. The colors/contrast seem to be more pleasant. On the TomTom you've got various map colorizations where the Magellan doesn't. There's one map scheme on TomTom where the roads are outlined in black. It helps distinguish them from the tan background.
  
  Tap the screen on the Magellan and you can scroll around the map. Tap it on the TomTom, you go to the menus. What I'd like to see is a menu button and if you tap on the screen, it tells you where your tapping (i.e. road name).
  
  Reception on TomTom and the Magellan was great and the screen refresh on the TomTom was slightly better than the Magellan. The Magellan seemed more choppy where the TomTom was smooth.
  
  Magellan can double as a speakerphone and the TomTom has the PLUS services.
  
  While I would like TomTom to allow you to show more road names, in the end, this didn't justify the price difference of the Magellan (about $100). I think if you combined these two devices, you'd come close to having a perfect GPS unit.
  
  As they stand, I think the TomTom has a slight edge mainly due to it's screen clarity, redraw/refresh rate, and auto zoom (the various voices you can choose from is a nice touch too).
  
  TomTom, if you're listening on the next map update, please allow us to see road names on any road that appears on the screen! A menu button would be nice too and as an alternative, allow us to tap/identify the roads.
  
  

• Great Product, Please Heed This Warning

  
  By A30UIZJMFL9PLT on 2007-06-02
  I love the utility and functionality of this product, everything is where it needs to be, without trying to do too much. It is compact, the screen is bright, the touchscreen is responsive.
  
  HOWEVER, I had one MAJOR problem with the TomTom One XL. I installed the "TomTom Home" software application and checked for software updates. The application told me that there was new software for the unit, so I downloaded and installed it (again, through their "Home" application). After doing so, I could not restart the unit back to its functional state. The screen displayed a red circle with a white X through it. Consecutive restarts and resets (using the reset button) did nothing. I had even made a backup using the app's tool, but could not restore using the backup.
  
  I called TomTom tech support (who were quite nice, very helpful, and practically no wait time) and was told that the product ships with newer software than the one downloaded through the "Home" application and that by applying this update I have corrupted the drive. They suggested I contact the seller and return the unit. I was also told that the product was supposed to be launched on June 15, 2007 and that the pre-release was likely the culprit. I understand that to mean "the hardware team released before the software team was ready".
  
  I tested on both Windows XP and Mac OS X.
  
  I'll be returning the unit, but will still place an order for a new one and will keep a close eye on reviews and message boards before I install any updates.
  
  (note, I am writing this on June 2, 2007, hopefully by the time you read this, the issue will be resolved by TomTom!)
  
  

• Cute.

  
  By A5XO8GKDHXVIN on 2007-06-20
  I've had Garmin 2610 for a couple of years which I bought refurbished for about the same price as a brand new One XL. 2610 (it can be found for a lot less than ONE XL) is a "reference" GPS for this review.
  
  ONE XL Pros:
  1. Lightning fast GPS lock
  2. 3D map
  3. Bluetooth (but no handsfree)
  4. Chatter kept to minimum and to the point.
  5. Very simple and intuitive interface
  6. Portable/2-hr power reserve
  7. Traffic info support
  
  ONE XL Cons:
  1. Low contrast display - very hard to see in direct sunlight
  2. Does not auto switch to night/day display mode based on time of day
  3. Does not adjust display brightness automatically
  4. Route calculation is not that fast
  5. Sometimes gives weird directions, for example left turn, followed by a u-turn instead of a legitimate right turn
  6. Tele-Maps are not as accurate as I've heard, at least in DC-Baltimore area.
  7. Can not plan a route on a PC and upload it to GPS.
  8. Can't confirm location of the POI in the Navigate To/POI screen. Must calculate the route before you can see if you selected the right POI.
  9. Does not turn itself on/off when you start/stop the car. Must operate the power button manually.
  10. Still no text-to-speech just like an old 2610.
  11. $100 extra for just a bigger display compared to non-XL might not worth it.
  
  I'll probably keep this TomTom considering the 15% restocking fee at Best Buy.
  
  

• Just what I was looking for!

  
  By A3O82AI3BEFMP3 on 2007-05-21
  Having owned a Magellan 700 for a few years I knew exactly what I wanted from a GPS unit and what I didn't like about them. I did a lot of shopping before I bought the TomTom One XL, and to tell you the truth I almost missed out on it because I didn't even know it was out there. I was going to buy the Nuvi 680 just because it seemed to be the best on the market, but the price tag being $999 was hard to swallow. Then I found out about the One XL and it seemed like TomTom's answer to the Nuvi 680. The One XL has a really nice screen and the operation of it is amazing. It's a great mixture of sophistication and ease of use, what a great combo. The ONLY thing I know that it doesn't have compared to the Nuvi 680 is the Text to Speech feature. Meaning the One XL won't tell you over the speakers the spoken name of the street to turn on. But it still shows on the screen what the name is as well as speaking how far the turn is in distance units. The feature that I know the One XL has that the Nuvi 680 doesn't have is that the One XL will let you put in multiple destinations and it will give you a route to get to them all. So it was one or the other, but with the One XL being all that the Nuvi 680 is and only costing $399 I would say it was a pretty easy decision for me. I am really happy with this product and glad I went with it instead. I can take that extra $600 I saved in buying this GPS unit instead of the Nuvi 680 and buy me a nice carrying case (in response with last review.) Lastly something I found really neat about the TomTom products in general is that you can download (for a cost) different voices to speak to you. The ones I know of for sure are Mr. T's voice and John Clease. Before buying the One XL I called TomTom twice to get help on some of the features, I was super pleased with their customer support. It made me feel like they would be there to help if any problems arose. Overall it's a great product and I will be doing business with TomTom in the future.
  
  
• TomTom One XL
  By A1AOIRFI48Z2DZ on 2007-07-27
  A basic GPS that serves its purposes. I have a built-in GPS in my car and bought this one for my Honda mini-van. I also travel a lot for work, so naturally, I use it in rental cars for work as well.
  What I like: I like the 3D view and the way the unit present the information to me. The unit provides very good directions; once I get used to the way it directs, I think I am better informed (or directed) thjan my built-in unit. Nice wider screen than my previous HP GPS PDA is definitely a big improvement. The voice level is more than adequate.
  What I don't like or want to see improved: There is no adjustment to the brightness of the screen. Although visible, I can use a little brighter screen under bright sun. The power plug is underneath the unit - I prefer it on the side, because the unit is so sensitive, I do not really need to mount it on the wind shield, I like to have the option of leaning it against the instrument panel; with the power plug underneath, I could not let it sit behind the steering wheel and lean on the panel. I still have not found a way to delete the favorite from the database, and there is no where in the manual can tell me what is the SD slot is used for. I plug in a blank SD card, the unit would not boot up until I remove it. Fully charged, the unit would last about 2 hours with the internal battery can be improved as well.
  Overall impression: A decent GPS unit that is well worth the money. Since I lost my HP GPS PDA (with all my personal info!!!), I am staying away from multifunction gadgets, this is one is highly recommended.
  
  
• Happy to have it, but. . .
  By AFA5N338FES89 on 2007-05-23
  This is my first GPS unit and I bought the TomTom because it allows upgrades with a Mac computer so they say. First off, the unit works as described and is extremely easy to learn and use. In particular, I like the widescreen of the XL.
  In use, I have found it works very well, though one already with a knowledge of a given area can work travel faster than the route sometimes given by the device, of course. I tested it on a 3 hour drive, and the only real problem I had was when the unit seemed to go haywire, at the same location coming and going. Near as I can figure, the problem was not with the signal but with the map in its memory. The device thought I was driving out into the cornfields when all I was doing was contiuing on a long curve of the highway. Other than these 2 minutes on a 3 hour trip, everything was fine.
  Two current problems though: The current TomTom Home software works very poorly with the Mac. It does not seem to work well at all and has terrible reviews at VersionTracker where it can also be downloaded. Also, for some reason, TomTom Home will not accept the registration serial number of my unit, so for the time being, I cannot download to purchase additional maps. I sent an email with no response, and will try and call their number, but I am not hopeful there either. With all the units out there, I am always surprised when one talks to a real live person!
  I am happy I bought the unit but hope these last two matters can be remedied over time.
  
  
• TomTomOne - PoorPoor Zero
  By A2RW9Z1DL0ZXDW on 2007-10-02
  Out of the box, TomTom One booted up and turned on ok. I found the user interface extremely non-intuitive. The driving map showed few street names and there is no-text to voice(street names not read out). The screen itself was very bright and easy to look at. The little round cursor control seemed to be so sensitive to the touch that it moved around by itself.
  
  I did not buy this from Amazon, and when I got it at the store and keyed my home address for a routing, the first thing it tried to do is route me into an illegal turn. It also tried to get me over railroad tracks where there was no crossing. When I got home and unplugged my TomTom, the car battery charger plug was so HotHot I almost burned my hand.
  
  I figured I needed to get used to the product and would drive around with it for a week or so before deciding whether or not to keep it or try another product. Today, I plugged in and tried to turn it on.
  TomTom was DeadDead. Tried holding down the button, with power adapter
  plugged in, and no power.
  
  This is being returned ASAP. I read all the good reviews on this site
  and made my purchase. I must have had a dud. Am trying another product.
  
  
  
  
• Get to know each other
  By A2PMLF8YNV44B1 on 2007-10-23
  I bought my TomTom recently when I knew I'd have to deal with a city I don't usually go to, Cambridge, MA. Cambridge has all sorts of crazy streets and cow paths and one-ways and things. I avoid it as much as possible, but I had to go to a reception there. I bought the TomTom and tried it out on places I was already familiar with to get used to how it worked. Some things take a bit of getting used to. It may say "Right turn ahead" when you know there is only a fork in the road, but when you approach, it says "Bear right". It pretty much got me everywhere, not always by the way I'd have chosen, but it got me there. I haven't hooked up the traffic or weather things yet, so I can't comment on those, but it was fairly easy to use and got me where I needed to go with a minimum of muss & fuss. I consider that success!!
  
  With regard to the reviewer who got old software into his TomTom by accident, the FIRST thing I did was back-up the TomTom to my computer. I too had my unit freeze up, but because it was backed up, I was able to restore it from my computer. I owe a debt of gratitude to that reviewer or I'd probably have had a tantrum over that.
  
  I'd say buy this unit, but I hear a newer version, which announces street names, has come out. You might want to take a look at that one first as hearing the street names can be helpful. Then again, this one may be upgraded for that feature too, but I haven't heard anything about it yet.
  
  
  
  
  
• Good starter GPS
  By A3DR6YUQBPDD7I on 2007-09-01
  This is my first GPS unit and I wanted was something simple. I needed one quick, so I ordered the TomTom One XL, which was on sale at the time (from Dell, which charges a hefty restocking fee). I had experienced some buyer's remorse when I learned about the Mio c520's text-to-speech function, but after using the TomTom One XL on 6 road trips I think the TomTom One XL is a good choice if you want the latest large-screen GPS w/o all the bells and whistles, which suits me perfectly.
  
  GUI: The user interface is intuitive and though some people may complain about not having enough shortcuts to certain commands, I was able to memorize the menu structure so quickly that I can easily jump through the menus faster than I can memorize some of the shortcuts. I played around with the Mio c520 at Fry's for quite a while and didn't like the interface at all. To be fair, I wasn't able to road test it, but the 10 minutes I spent with it was a lot worse than the first 10 I spent on the TomTom One XL. Another reviewer on this site says that the Mio c220's interface is a lot better than the c520's, so maybe my conclusion was reasonable.
  
  VOICES: Some other reviewers complained about the English speaking voice on the Mio, so it's great that the TomTom has a large number of good quality voices and languages to choose from. I didn't like the sound of the voice on the Mio C520 when I tried it out and I don't think I was successful in changing it.
  
  POI: I didn't have any problems with POIs for the places I've looked for, which were mostly gas stations, airports, and a few restaurants.
  
  ROUTING: Like many mapping systems (including Google and Yahoo!), you have to take their guidance with a grain of salt. I used the TomTom to get to a few places where I know the routes and the traffic patterns (e.g. cars and traffic signs) and the TomTom didn't always choose the most efficient one. To be fair, I'm not a computer running off algorithms so I just know better sometimes. Having said that, the purpose of these navigational systems are for places where I've never been to and it's been a great time saver. Oh, one nice feature I've noticed more recently is that the screen actually shows you which side of the street your destination is on (assuming you enter the street number or it's a listed POI). The little arrow turns to one side when you're close enough to the destination.
  
  BATTERY: The TomTom is rated for 2 hours of use and I'm glad I get about that b/c it bugged me that the Mio c520 is advertised to have twice that. However, I did read one user review (on another website) that claimed that their experience with the Mio c520's battery life was nowhere near the 4 hours that it's supposed to. So maybe it's a tie since electronic manufacturers typically rate battery life based on ideal usage.
  
  PORTABILITY: I typically transport the TomTom in my computer backpack. I don't have a case for it, but I haven't damaged any part of it yet. When I don't have my backpack, I keep it in my front pant pocket along with my wallet. Surprisingly, it doesn't make me any less comfortable.
  
  WISHLIST: Having experienced my first car nav device on half a dozen trips, I now know what I want for my next GPS unit once the prices are more reasonable: Text-to-speech, longer battery life (3+ hrs), voice command operation, and live traffic (assuming it's free). The TomTom One XL should last me until that happens.
  
  
• so good my wife requisitioned it
  By ANQGEJ0VH9F90 on 2007-06-01
  My wife loves the XL so much that she has no hesitation in recommending it as a replacement for the one she bought for me two weeks ago that is now mysteriously hers. The XL is a great no frills device ( I don't want an MP3 player and don't need yet another way of hands free dialing etc) which will get you from A to B (and points in between).
  
  The plus points: easy and intuitive to use out of the box; quick and accurate position fixing; clear and timely voice instructions; large bright screen.
  
  The not so great points: routing algorithm occasionally works out routes which, in parts, defy logic (clearly neither the shortest nor the quickest option); the shortest route option occasionally leads you down roads which can be challenging in non 4X4 vehicles (an option to avoid 'unnamed roads' might help); There is no case included; "TomTom Home" PC interface software is rough around the edges and quite buggy (I test software for a living).
  
  I think enough of the XL that we are going to buy another one and would certainly recommend it, but it has one or two things that prevent it from getting 5 stars in my opinion
  
  
  
• Good buy, overall
  By A396WTWZ2DDHHC on 2007-07-26
  Like some of the other reviews, I researched reviews of GPS devices for a while before I settled on the TomTom One XL. After a couple of road trips with the XL, I'm confident I made the right choice. A lot of the concerns others have stated never bothered me or were not noticed.
  Some thoughts:
  1. Simple interface that got me from point A to point B with no major problems--intuitive, I have not needed to refer to the manual.
  2. I found the rerouting to be quick and seamless when I made wrong turns or ignored the instructions as given
  3. Screen is bright and large--easy to see in daylight. Night colors were not distracting.
  4. Voice options are clear and easy to hear---even over radio, highway noise, and crazy kids in the back seat!
  5. Maps appear to be up to date and accurate. I read reviews blasting the maps/software used by the European GPS companies like Mio and TomTom. No problems for me so far.
  6. POIs could be better organized. Garmin organizes restaurants by cuisine, for example. Obviously, a minor quibble.
  7. The enclosed mount was a tad short, but the unit snapped securely in place and did not shake or fall. On my Honda CRV, there is a huge amount of space between the dash and the windscreen. I placed the suction cup above my inspection sticker. I can see the XL clearly, its in reach, but not distracting.
  
  
• Value, Easy to Use, Free Updates, Fast Location Finding...
  By AQK57DCTBAHVG on 2007-10-20
  This Review is for the Tom Tom One XL (larger wide-screen version of the Tom Tom One).
  
  I have had this product what I believe to be around a month. I wanted to wait so I could form a good idea of how I felt because my initial desire was to run back to Amazon and just put five stars and that would be that. However I do believe that I owe it to TomTom because of their great product to do a more in depth review.
  
  Out of the box the GPS (global positioning system) works flawlessly. There are no (zero) charges (monthly or otherwise) to use this item once purchased. Many people ask me this and so I put this first thing. TomTom does offer "Premium" services like Traffic alerts and such but you decide to sign up for these things yourself. To use the included maps and get point to point navigation you simply buy this GPS (TomTom One XL) and plug it into your cigarette lighter for power and off you go. Without the power cord (which IS included) the TomTom One XL will run for about 2hrs and then will require a recharge. I always use the plug-in so I do not know how close to 2hrs it will last.
  
  Functionality:
  The TomTom One XL is extremely easy to use. It has a "touch screen" and that is how you put in ALL information that you want to look up, search for, and/or find. You simply touch the screen and a menu comes up and you choose from what you want to do. If you are wanting to go to an address it asks CITY then STREET then HOUSE NUMBER in that order. A ON-SCREEN keyboard comes up and you type it in using the touch screen. It is VERY easy to do and very intuitive to learn. Those that are not computer literate and/or have problems with techno-babel or geeky things need not worry because a few hours of "tinkering" with this device and you will be able to use it like a pro. Setting up a "favorite" location is simple as hitting the screen (to bring up the menus) then hit ADD FAVORITE and then you can add it from a variety of ways (either by address, lat/long, your present GPS location (the way I normally do it), and other ways. Once you have done this you can NAME the favorite what you want to. I love this feature because even though I can look up restaurants, bars, nightclubs and such in the Points of Interest index (which is VERY full and VERY up2date) it is many times easier just to add a nice "new" place to favorites and put a name you will remember to it. Like you visit an out of town steak shop and want to go back some day you can name it "Nashville Steaks 12oz sirloin Milly ate." Just an example. The "favorite" names can be detailed and helpful. I don't know how many you get but I have put in quite a few already and I know the system's memory is no where near being used up.
  
  Why Buy:
  Value. Hands down the value you get with this system for each dollar spent (I paid around $300 bucks with free shipping, thank you Amazon.com for the great price you couldn't even advertise at the time) is many times over what you get value wise with systems that have more "known" names like Garmin and the like. Because something has these names means little when you look at what you end up with. Many times you get over-glorified techno-crappy overly complex systems that because a hassle to use and face it if it isn't easy to use you WON'T use it. With the TomTom One XL you are getting something so easy to use you will enjoy putting in directions, adding favorites, and do the many other things to "make the system your own." It has a very nice and easy to read large screen and the touch screen is extremely easy to use. I have the TomTom One XL with the larger wide-screen and I suggest this version to everyone...you will love the larger screen, trust me.
  
  Additional (advanced) features:
  -You can add voices from the web of famous people, robots, cars, etc. Of course my absolute favorite is K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider series but I am completely biased by my love of that show when I was a kid. You can get (if you use google and search) free celebrity voices while at the same time TomTom does offer "premium" voices at their sight. These voices also come is MANY (and I do mean MANY) different languages. There is also differences in the "American English" and the "British English." One cool thing is the British call it a motorway and we call it an interstate.
  
  -You can change the color schemes, screen brightness (separate settings for day and night), type of voices (male/female and language), add an opening splash screen that says owner info (name, address, phone) and even lock that info in the system if you have a PC to attach it to over USB (probably for more advanced users and NOT needed to do unless you want the newest maps and/or other "online" features).
  
  -You can HELP update the map system. Say you drive into a new development and in the TomTom Mapping software a road is not named yet (Unnamed it normally says). YOU can goto "Map Corrections" under a menu and actually put that road's name in. Beyond this when/if you ever sign up for TomTom HOME (PC connection over USB FREE by the way) your corrections are shared with a main server and then ALL OF US who are using TomTom's around the country are helping to improve and update our maps and make them the best in the country. (And my goodness I have put in TONS of info with my job...)
  
  Any what do I do for a living?
  I'm a cab driver. Yep, you heard right. I drive all around the area I live/work in and use my TomTom One XL constantly. I am inserting data, correcting map errors (telling them about road changes, new roads, adding road names, etc.), looking up POI's(points of interest including bars, restaurants, nightclubs, hospitals, and more and more and more), correcting POI's (YES! you can do that too!), adding NEW POI's, adding favorites, looking up favorites, looking up "recent addresses," and perhaps giving this little GPS the workout of a lifetime. It is an exceptional piece of equipment and perhaps one of the best investments I have ever made.
  
  I give the TomTom One XL my highest recommendation and completely trust that anyone who buys it will love it just as much as I do. I researched many other systems and not a single one came close in this price range. And even those in higher price ranges with "additional" features seemed to add complexity to a system you DO NOT WANT TO BE COMPLEX. The last thing you want when you are trying to find a place is to accidentally start an audio-book and/or call your house. Such additions to GPS should be thought of carefully because many times you already own the Ipod and have a blue-tooth system with your phone. Therefore to have those "extra" and more complicating apps/features on a GPS is simply either redundant or superfluous.
  
  Buy with complete confidence as TomTom also has great customer support but don't take my word for it visit their web-site (google for it or www DOT tomtom DOT com) and see the quality they put into their online presence. They really care about quality and it shows in their maps that they use, in the frequent updates, in their product value, and in their online customer FAQs.
  
  Suggestions: Get some "free" voices to spice up the directions, KEEP that thin plastic screen cover that comes on the screen with the unit as long as you can, it offers great protection and you can STILL use the touch screen even with it on. When/if it ever falls off GET ANOTHER SCREEN PROTECTION plastic cover to give you a small "safety" net in case it gets bumped (I change cars plenty and it just happens with USE). I kept my plastic on and it is STILL on and still works great. And all the little scratches on it AREN'T on my GPS main screen which is great. Don't forget you can turn voices up or down in volume from the main screen (lower left side of screen tap once and the volume control comes up). Helps if you need to turn down to hear customer directions/radio and up if hard of hearing (like me).
  
  On Driving safer:
  You talk on your phone you will sooner or later have an accident. Four years is the average time it takes to have one. If you have driven and talked on your phone for four years and have not had one yet, you are 100% likely to have one soon...if that doesn't scare you what will?
  You increase your chances of dying at the wheel whenever you do ANYTHING but drive, even chatting with a passenger. Because you have a GPS in the car doesn't mean you should be using it while in motion. Red lights perhaps (even then risky) but NEVER while in motion. Make it a point never to do so and I promise you it is very tempting to try it. The TomTom One XL has great safety features built into it and you can allow the screen to shut off until you need a command if you would like it to, there are other safety features as well please be sure to read the manual and get acquainted with them. Only you can make sure you are using your GPS system to make you a safer, more alert, and less directionally challenged driver. DO NOT LET YOUR NEW GPS GET YOU KILLED. Teens are the worst ones. Make it a rule that they can NOT use their phone, use the GPS, or have more than 2 friends in the car at a time. 15,000 kids a year is too many. Parents, THINK about the feeling you'd have if an officer knocked at your door and take it upon yourself RIGHT NOW to lay down the law about how your child should drive and what is expected of them. And if they won't listen, take the keys until they will. Then you will get to watch them walk across the stage...instead of getting their degree posthumously. It is time everyone took better care of their on-road actions. One last thing: GPS systems DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS A SAFE ROUTE OR NOT. They take (most of the time) the "quickest" route. Many times that could be through gang areas of a city you are "new" to. DON'T let your GPS lead you into a bad situation.
  THINK. PLAN. KNOW. Be careful where to are going to and how you get there.
  
  Thanks for reading...safe driving!
  
  
• Promising but so far, USELESS
  By ASLAHC2UOJOEG on 2007-06-09
  Apparently, if you check for updates and actually UPDATE the ONE XL, you'll corrupt the OS due to the update being older than the shipped version. Red circle with a white X = DEAD. No reset, no downloads available to correct, no customer service on weekends, after normal business hours, no coherent on-line support.
  
  This is a very promising device. When I initiallly opened the box and turned it on, it found my location, I saved it as "HOME" and spent an hour or so entering other "FAVORITES" - typing in addresses and saving the sites for an upcoming trip. It seemed quite easy and the touch screen is acceptibly intuitive.
  
  TomTom Home software, as noted in comment 13, is buggy and cluncky and the backup option - which should have saved my bacon since I did back it up first while it was working, didn't fix the problem - it did back up the initial installation, but the device still will not work.
  
  I will give TomTom another chance if they ever respond (it's Sat morning, I received the device on Fri - so no support 'till Monday, apparently).
  
  If you don't need to do anything but take it out and begin your travels, the device works as advertised.
  
  But I'd be VERRRRY careful about updates or downloads - especially during non-business hours.
  
  very frustrating.
  
  
• Mixed feelings on TomTom one xl vs. garmin nuvi 250w
  By A2MYOS47IQVCMN on 2008-01-02
  Well, I've had a tomtom one xl and a garmin nuvi 250w for two weeks now and have tested both out in Canada and the US, both on streets I am very familiar with and in areas I've never been before. They both cost exactly the same when I bought them so that isn't a consideration in my evaluations. My feelings on both devices are mixed. A quick rundown of winning points for each is given and then I will go into more detail below. I still haven't decided which one I'm going to keep (I still have 10 days to return the one I don't want).
  
  Garmin Wins: Battery Life, Mapping System, Screen clarity in sunlight, Windshield Mount
  
  Tomtom Wins:
  Features, Voices, Satellite Acquisition
  
  Details on some of the above:
  
  Itinerary planning - Garmin only lets you program one waypoint, but Tomtom lets you save iteneraries. It's not a true route planning system where you can program several stops and it will tell you the best route taking them all into account, however it will let you program multiple stops so that after you reach one it will direct you to the next. With Garmin the only way to accomplish something similar would be to go to your first destination and then go into favourites and then click the next place you want to go. I like though how if I have some regular stops on a regular route, I can save that itenerary with a name and it will be saved until I delete it. Garmin has no option close to it. Even if you use the faves option I listed above, it won't save that route for future use so it would all have to be redone and you'd not only have to try to remember every stop, but you'd have to punch each in individually again, whereas tomtom will have it saved to go back to with a couple clicks. Plus you can add to a tomtom itenerary later so if you find a new fave stop you can add it in or delete parts of an itenerary you don't want in there anymore.
  
  Voices - Garmin gives you a choice of different languages, but I have yet to find a way to get different voices on the Nuvi 250W. It gives me an American English voice and that is it. I have looked on their website and even hooked up my nuvi to the WebUpdater tool they have and it has no other voices avail. that I can find. The tomtom one xl has quite a few voices to choose from to begin with, plus you can download for free a bunch of fun voices off the internet. I currently have Yoda and Darth Vader taking turns giving my husband and I directions.
  
  Battery Life - Garmin easily wins in this regard with approx. 4-5 hr. batt. life, Tomtom only lasts a couple of hours.
  
  Garmin's screen is easier to see in bright sunlight and the windshield mount is more reliable.
  
  Size - both are small, but garmin is slimmer which is good if you want to put it in your pocket. Tomtom has a bit of a bulge in the back (not huge by any means but still not flat like the garmin. The bulge is handy if you want to stand it up in front of you though.
  
  Satellite acquisition - Garmin satellites can locate me inside my house, garmin I have to go outside to get a signal. Kind of a pain when you want to program a route and have to go out in the freezing cold on your porch or to sit in your car to wait for it to acquire a signal. I like the convenience with the tt one xl of being able to sit inside my house and put in a location and see the directions while still warm and cozy sitting on my couch. Then I can turn it off and when I go to my car the info is all set to go and I already have perused the directions to get an idea of the steps in my route. Also sometimes even outside the garmin takes a few minutes to acquire a satellite, whereas the tomtom always acquires a satellite within seconds.
  
  Detours - tomtom comes out on top again. Garmin lets you hit a detour button and gives you a new path to follow, but tomtom lets you choose how far you want to avoid something. So for example, if road "W" is the best one to follow to get to your destination, but there is construction for a couple blocks, you can choose to avoid that route for just that period where there is construction, and then get back on it. The garmin gives you a whole new route that may or may not get you back on the original road.
  
  Other misc. pros and cons - tomtom comes with a usb cable, garmin does not and considering how cheap they are and that it is necessary for charging if you want to charge from your computer, I think Garmin really cheaped out on that one -- tomtom lets you use a qwerty keyboard format, garmin does not -- tomtom lets you search by zipcode, the garmin makes you enter street name and number
  
  Navigation - both units get you from point a to point b in my experience thus far, though the majority of the time the garmin seems to take the most direct and logical route, whereas tomtom seems to lead you a bit astray to get to your destination. However there have been a couple times when the tt brought me to the doorstep of the place I was going when the garmin was a bit off. Overall though I do feel safer taking the garmin's directions. Tomtom apparently does have some kind of map downloading/sharing feature but I haven't checked it out yet. That may be a great feature and help if you can download maps from others who know the backroads better than a computer system ever could.
  
  So right now I am having a tough time deciding which one to keep because they both have their pros and cons. Both get you where you need to go for the most part, but I do feel the garmin navigates better, which is why you buy a gps right? However the tomtom picks up satellites quicker and more reliably thus far and that is important too when getting somewhere. The tomtom seems to come out leaps and bounds ahead of the garmin in options and features though and that is what is hanging me up on the decision. If my garmin had the features my tomtom has or my tomtom had the navigation system my garmin had the decision would be a no-brainer. Luckily I still have 10 days to decide which one to keep, but it's going to be a tough decision. I think either one would be a good choice though in the end, just different pros and cons to each.
  
  
• Don't be fooled by the other reviews - Like I Was!
  By A1UH7QGZWWCCRC on 2007-10-05
  If you want a basic simple road navigation device do not be fooled by the other reviews and do not buy a TOMTOM ONE or TOMTOM ONE XL. I chose to buy the TOMTOM ONE XL after reading the other reviews unfortunately they do not reveal two major flaws! First off - there is no way to control and lock the zoom in level while navigating. You can zoom out briefly but it will automatically zoom back in really close - it doesn't give me much advantage over what I see out my windshield. The second thing there is no way to make up to be north on the screen while navigating - it keeps rotating the map as you make turns (very irritating especially while driving in the mountains). I'm not sure how most people read maps, but I know I usually make north to be up.
  
  I contacted TOMTOM on both these issues. First via email and was told that the touch screen had a problem (concerning the zooming in issue) and it needed to be returned for repair. I exchanged it with the retailer due to it being defective and got another one. The second ended up doing the same thing. I then contacted TOMTOM via the phone and was told the zooming in issue was normal as well as well as the orientation of the maps while navigating and the only way to have north being up and control of your zoom in level is to put it in "browse map" mode - but you loose your navigation functions if you do so.
  
  I am very disappointed with this product and will probably give it away.
  
  
  
• ABSOLUTELY THE BEST!
  By A22JZ5S69SX1ZI on 2007-05-27
  I OWN SEVERAL GPS UNITS BOTH FOR MY CAR AND BOAT. I HAVE BOUGHT MOSTLY GARMINS INCLUDING THE LATEST GARMIN NUVI 660 BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT THIS TOMTOM UNIT IS SUPERIOR IN EVERY WAY. ALL THE INFORMATION IS RIGHT THERE ON THE NAV PAGE AND A DREAM TO USE. IT IS THE BEST PERIOD! BUY IT.
  
  
• One week with TT One XL
  By A2M3TCH5PD5M54 on 2007-07-09
  I am looking for a portable GPS for my coming trip to the East Coast and I decided to try this unit on my recent trip to the SF Bay Area. I am familiar with GPSs as I have one in my Acura (which is supposedly the best built-in available). Here are my observations:
  (1) The GPS reception is very good even I did not hang it on windshield.
  (2) It's obvious that this is a EU company (for example, they use the term "motorway" instead of freeway or highway).
  (3) I was confused when it informed me of "toll road" and chose the option not to use "toll road", it routed me around the Bay the long way. Later, I figured out that it was referring to the toll booths on some of the bridge crossings.
  (4) The routing instruction is not as good as my car GPS (for example, my car GPS would say "second exit on the left" instead of "exit in 800 yards" by TT unit).
  (5) The unit was not able to find "any" Starbucks anywhere (I tried in San Jose and Sacramento). In some instances, I was about half a block from one. I am not sure why that is when it found other nearby POIs.
  (6) It's not possible to find a destination by phone number (which is much easier than having to enter an address) and there is no phone number listed for POIs (this feature is available in my car).
  
  Overall, I found it to be acceptable compared to my car GPS. But, I am not sure I will keep the unit due to its inability to locate Starbucks as I don't know if this is an isolated case or symptoms of bigger search deficiencies. I am going to try either a Magellan next as I don't want to buy a Garmin due to their higher costs.
  
  Update (7/21/2007): I am trying out Magellan 4040 and I believe it is better than the TT for the following reasons:
  * Better driving instruction
  * Much better POIs (I have no problem locating anything so far) and it does display phone#
  * I especially like the AAA data (it even let you know if any of the POIs offer discount to AAA members).
  I will take this unit with me on my East Coast trip, but there is no doubt on my mind that this is better than the TT one unit and the extra cost (about $100) is worth it as this gives much better driving instruction and POIs (which are most important when you are at a new destination). I should reduce the TT rating to 3 stars, but there seems to be no way to do this.
  
  
  
• Driving Ms. Fiona
  By A1F6PIIZ0ZHHD6 on 2008-07-21
  As a former U.S. Army Ranger, I said that I would never buy a GPS. Then I got lost four times making a trip of about fifteen miles in an unfamiliar area. If someone had been selling a GPS on a corner for a thousand dollars, I would have purchased it then.
  
  I had bought TomTom Ones for my son-in-law and son-out-law, and they both loved the devices. When it came time to purchase my own GPS, because of my aged eyes, I opted for the XL, which I guess stands for Extra Large. The XL offered lots of customizing options, including route preferences, all of which were easily programmed. The first thing I did was to change the voice from the default voice to the sweet brogue of an Irish woman. She told me to get on the motorway rather than the freeway and that I was coming to a roundabout rather than a traffic circle. Her given name Kathy didn't sound very Irish, so I called her "Fiona". I also changed the cursor from a blue arrow to a little red sports car to make it more in keeping with my geezer mobile.
  
  Fiona shows me an oblique map of my route, and tells me when to make turns or change lanes. Of course the real test of a GPS is whether it gets you to where you want to go. I couldn't find many places around home to test Fiona, although when I couldn't find a COSCO on Long Island, I told her what I wanted and she led me to the door. On the other hand, she couldn't find a Starbucks.
  
  I decided that the ultimate test would be a 2000 mile road trip to the Gaspe Peninsula. I trusted Fiona enough that I didn't bring any maps. For the most part, she was reliable, except on a few occasions where the highway made a big arc around a small town, and then she led me across a chord through the center of town. On the other hand, when the highway would have led me all around the tip of Gaspe, she showed me a shortcut across the Peninsula that saved thirty miles. Occasionally, she seemed to lose a satellite and showed me driving through a field parallel to the highway, but she usually corrected herself within 30 seconds.
  
  Fiona can be programmed for a multi-stop trip, to a specific address, a town center or a point of interest.
  
  Her menus showed that she could be linked by blue-tooth to my mobile phone, presumably for traffic updates, but my phone told me it didn't support that service. I believe this service is not available in the US, but it would have been nice if the documentation had made that clear.
  
  Fiona's maps can be updated by computer, and while she came with U.S. and Canada maps, other maps are available. I wish that I had had Fiona when I rented a car in Japan that could only chide me in Japanese.
  
  Now I have 2 problems: my girlfriend is jealous of Fiona; and I have two women giving me instructions when I drive.
  
  
  
• Be warned. The POI and user interface really really suck :(
  By A1PPJ3R27PPA79 on 2007-07-16
  This is my second GPS. I had a Mio before, but my car was broken into. In all fairness, Tomtom One XL receives a much stronger signal than my old Mio (think it was a C310?). That being said, that is probably the only thing I like better about the TT One. This review will be a comparison between my old Mio unit and the TT One XL. In summary: DO NOT BUY THIS UNIT UNTIL THE USER INTERFACE AND POI ISSUES ARE CURED AND IMPROVED
  
  1. Maps: I decided to buy a Tomtom instead of getting another Mio because I was not really happy with the Mio maps for that it often instructed me to go down one way streets in the wrong direction (note: there has been a map update since then, and i cannot speak to the quality of the current map as of the date of this review). However, the Mio map was very good about showing street names. It seems to me that the TT One is always hesitant in giving me the street names for some reason. I believe it only shows you streets that are 2 blocks away in local traffic. This is really lame because you won't be able to get a good grasp of the roads and will not be able to provide detailed directions to others that are trying to get to the same place. i.e. you won't be able to tell your friend that the street to turn on is after so and so street in advance.
  
  I used the Tomtom One XL for the 2nd time yesterday and it already told me to take a road that did not exist. Also see below "6. Auto zoom"
  
  2. CPU speed: it takes the TT One XL a lot longer to calculate/recalculate routes than the Mio.
  
  3. Satellite signal: TT One has a much better signal than the Mio.
  
  4. POI: This is, in my opinion, TT One XL's biggest weakness. This is what I said about the POI function elsewhere on Amazon: I can't believe all these websites reviewing Tomtom One (and XL) failed to address this issue!!!! I bought my TT One XL last week, and do think that the POI is the biggest problem with the unit. There are several issues. 1. Input: the unit does not have a real-time auto complete like my other GPS (a Mio). 2. Results: there are soooo many useless POIs on the database that would simply obscure the POI's you actually need. For example, if I am looking for a store and does not want to search by category, the unit will give you POIs of parks, hospitals, pharmacies, etc. 3. Lacking the real important POIs: no grocery stores, no useful shops or stores. 4. Hidden info: I believe the unit has the address and the phone number to many of the POIs. However, this info is not easily accessible. On my Mio GPS, when you search for a store, it gives you the phone # and address on a business card-like screen and then asks you if you want to go there. This is extremely useful if you want to call to make sure the store is open or to make reservations.
  
  Additionally, the unit does not come with POI on retail stores. You will have to get a free download on a platform called TomTom Home. TT really really should have just included the retail stores on the unit. It was a serious pain to upload it to my TT One XL.
  
  Update: I looked up a Target store yesterday and it gave me a list of the stores. However, the unit only provided me with information on how far the store was from me and failed to include any information which would allow me to determine which particular Target branch was listed. This is really frustrating because, as most of us know, not all the Target stores are the same in quality and since TT One does not have the phone numbers listed I was unable to call the stores in advance to find out which one it is. (I don't think this would be as big of a problem for people with a better sense of direction than I do, but hey... that's why I need the GPS!!). Also... SOMEHOW THE UNIT WENT CRAZY AND KEPT ON RECALCULATING THE ROUTE when I hadn't even had the chance to start driving. Since I wasn't sure how many more times the unit was going to recalculate the route, I simply turned the unit off.
  
  5. User interface: I bought the TT One XL partially due to many people's review on its great user interface. However, I completely disagree with that assessment. Aside from the user interface associated with the POI, there lies a major problem in the main navigation screen. On the Mio, a user is able to drag the map on the navigation screen should he/she wishes to see more of the map. However, this is not possible on the TT One XL. This is a very important function because it allows a user to anticipate his/her route.
  
  6. Auto zoom: maybe it is just me, but the auto zoom function on the TT One XL tends to zoom in either too much or too little for me and is hardly ever "just right". This is very frustrating because there is little I can do to cure that issue.
  
  7. Support: I called the TT support this morning. The wait was very short, but their phone line sucked. I called from a landline and yet the signal was somehow breaking up and I had to repeat everything I said about 3 or 4 times. The support rep confirmed my concern with the POI. She said that there are currently no POI info available on grocery stores... she made a standard empty promise that it is a work in progress with no definitive deadline. She was obviously lying because she didn't even know that the unit had no grocery stores prior to my complaint.
  
  8. Instructions: the instructions that came with the TT One XL told me next to nothing about how to operate the unit beyond getting me from point A to point B.
  
  9. Hidden costs: While I was on the phone with the TT rep. She recommended that I BUY a newer version of the US map. I told her that I had just gotten my unit last week and should not have to pay extra for maps that had been developed since my unit was manufactured, but she still insisted on me having to. I told her that it was ridiculous and it just made me laugh.
  
  10. Mount: this is actually a pretty serious issue. I never really appreciated how great the Mio mount was until I used the TT mount. The TT mount is so flimsy that the GPS unit shakes like crazy on roads that are moderately bumpy. This is a frustrating problem because the only solution is to purchase a mount upgrade for $30-$35 (which sort of looks like the mount that comes with the Mio units). There are 2 other issues with the mount. First, the mount is very short, which means you either have to attach the GPS unit really high on your windshield as to block your view of the roads or keep it so low on the windshield that the unit will be really far from you (keep in mind that the windshields are slanted thus the lower you place the unit, the furhter it will be from you). Second, the suction cup is hard to remove by pulling the release tab if the mount is fully secured. On the Mio mount, there is a hard switch which increases and decreases the suction pressure which made installation and removal of the mount a breeze. Also the Mio mount has no flimsy parts and thus holds the unit very well.
  
  11. Hardware: In case you think the Tomtom one XL is as thin as it looks in the above picture throughout the unit, it is not. The unit is actually a lot thicker than I expected. Seriously, look at more pictures from different angles before you buy (which you really shouldn't be doing in the first place).
  
  
  As I am writing this, I realized that I should give it 2 star as opposed to my initial generous rating of 3 stars. As a matter of fact, I think I am going to return this unit today or tomorrow.
  
  Update: I am returning my Tomtom One XL today. I just got a Mio C520 and will probably write a review on that unit soon.
  
  Update: Knowing that everyone here is looking at multiple GPS units, I will leave a brief note about Mio C520. The Mio C520 has a much better user interface and POI than the TomTom One XL, but the positioning accuracy is very low and route recalculation speed is slower than my old Mio :( Wouldn't recommand the Mio C520 either.
  
  
  
• Poor support from TomTom
  By A325ZVU048W8Y6 on 2007-06-18
  Although the TomTom One XL does what it is supposed to, do not look for any technical support from TomTom. Their support agents are either completely unfamiliar with this product, or are extremely rude and condesending. In one call I can say that I have never been treated in such a rude and unprofessional manner. The printed instructions that come with it say next to nothing in different languages. My rating of this product is of my whole experience with it, and that includes the quality of the instructions and technical support both of which are appallingly poor. Think twice before buying this or any other TomTom product.Tom Tom ONE XL Portable Extra-wide Screen GPS Navigation System
  
  
• Better than the TomTom GO 910
  By A3CSEN99I43BH4 on 2007-08-22
  I owned the TomTom GO 910 before I purchased the TomTom ONE XL, and I much prefer the ONE XL. Here's why:
  1. The ONE XL is more portable, so it fits easily in pants pockets or a woman's purse. This is key because, unlike the chunky GO 910, you won't leave the unit in the car for thieves to smash your window and take it (even when the unit and all wires are out of sight in the glove compartment).
  2. The ONE XL sticks more easily to the car windshield because it's lighter. The GO 910 would droop or sometimes fall right off.
  3. The ONE XL doesn't have as much storage capacity for music, but I don't mind that. I'm still able to get about 3GB or MP3s on my ONE XL with a 4 GB SD card and the OpenTom MP3 player (free internet download), and 3GB of MP3s is plenty considering that it's difficult to do anything but shuffle playback on either TomTom.
  4. The ONE XL is more reliable than the GO 910. The GO 910 has a temperamental hard drive (vs. flash memory for the ONE XL), and it would occasionally go into a frozen, comatose state until I plugged it into my computer.
  5. I don't need photos on my GPS, and I actually need a break from photos. I already have them in my iPod, mobile phone, and laptop, wallet, photo frames, and digital photo frame. Enough already.
  6. The ONE XL is currently less expensive if you only need US maps, even when you include the price of a 4GB SD card (but if you need Europe and US maps, the GO 910 is cheaper).
  
  My only complaint is that, as far as I can tell, the ONE XL can't read from the SD card and from the internal memory at the same time - it's one or the other. So if you have an SD card, you have to set aside about 1GB for the system software and a map.
  
  
• Basic navigation only - POIs are useless!
  By A2OAPR6I2F1E56 on 2007-10-23
  This could be a nice product if it weren't for the lousy mapping information. The wide screen is nice, menu controls are O.K., audio instructions are clear. The point-of-interest information, however, is inaccurate to the point of being useless.
  
  Wanted to look for a Home Depot on my newly bought TOMTOM, nope: generic 'shopping centers' only, you can't look by chain name. Took it on a business trip, had it direct me to the nearest mall - no mall, only the offices of a 'mill' (no kidding). Had it send me to a gas station on the way back to the airport - no gas station, just a fork in the road. Next alternative (supposedly) 10 miles and a toll-road away (went off to find a gas station by sight with better success). Even the name of the street where we live has the wrong spelling ...
  
  Tested all of the above on my wife's Garmin: The mill is not a mall and the nearest (real) mall is indicated correctly. Same for the gas station at Denver airport - it is where it really is, not where the TOMTOM had it. My street is spelled correctly. And 'Home Depot' and 'Staples' come standard with the Nüvi. Grudgingly, I paid the $50 restocking fee and am proud owner of a Nüvi now ...
  
  If you just want to use the TOMTOM for basic navigation, you may be happy with it. If you're used to the flexibility of finding places without having to google them first then the TOMTOM will be a huge disappointment. It may have to do with the fact that it is not a US product (the European market is different, e.g. not many EU-wide retail chains). There are POI upgrades available on the web that supposedly correct some information, but if I have to spend money (and time) for that, I'd rather go with a product that has it right from the get-go.
  
  
  
  
  
• Can't live without it. A good no nonsense GPS system
  By A3NYY0MCW3F36 on 2007-07-02
  This is my first portable navigation device so I don't have any experience to compare this product with, but I have to say that I love it! We've been testing this for about a week now and it has always got us to our destination without any problems.
  The Tomtom One XL came charged right out of the box. The first thing I did was to take a quick look at the manual. I have to say that the manual could be much improved. It really only tells you the basics and does not go into much details. It took me the best part of 2 to 3 hours figuring out how to get the most of my Tomtom by basically playing around with it myself. Tomtom home (The user interface website) could be a little more user friendly too.
  Anyway, backing up the device was the first thing I did, then I set up my PIN to prevent others form using it.
  Now for the real test. I installed it in our car. The ball and joint on the windshield holder is stiff, but I am guessing that it was necessary to do this because of the weight of the One XL, to prevent it from drooping when the car is in motion. The Screen does not shake when the car was in motion. It was easy to install and you knwo when it's on correctly because you will hear a little pop sound. The suction pad stayed firm it has not fallen off once. It was easy to take off too.
  The screen size is perfect. We have a minivan and there is quite a bit of distance between driver and screen. The big screen came in real handy for when we needed to view it. It was also great for when we need to use the touch screen. No fat fingering problems. The screen was bright with many different color schemes to choose from, the information was informative, no clutter. Even the speed of the car on the screen was accurate to the mile. The User interface is also great. I have read from other comments that there are too many screens for the user to go through, but that didn't bother me. There is an option to view all options or minimize the options menu. Problem solved. You can choose from the type of keyboard QWERTY or alphabetical, to different voices (Anything from British to Chinese), auto volume based on drivers speed, auto zoom in/out map, night/day mode, you could flip the screen upside down and it has the ability to filter out/edit POI's.
  Now to the main reason for buying a GPS. How did it perform in getting us to our destination?
  It was never confused, it got us to our destination everytime. (We live in MA). There were times it would give us a different route to what we normally would take but I think this was because it was calculating the shortest route, not necessarily the most practical. In other words it may tell us to take a right turn into a side road to get to a "Road A" instead of us continuing on until the next block, then taking a right turn to get to "Road A". (Which was the easier route). We also noticed that one of the road names on the screen was incorrect even though the actual route highlighted on the screen was correct. And I'm pretty sure that stretch of road had not had it's name changed for years. Maybe in this instance, the lack of text to speech was a positive thing, as the voice direction with incorrect street name would have confused a driver.
  One feature I did like was when there were going to be quick turns in succession, the Tomtom would give the driver a heads up. "Take the right exit then keep left and turn left".
  The recalculation of an alternate route was fast, under 5 seconds for a 13 mile trip, and with me deliberatley taking the wrong route and going on roads I've never driven on before, it was quick to recalculate a new route. I found the accuracy of our location to be VERY accurate. It knew exactly where we were. I read about the problems that some users were having with the Tele Atlas maps, but those issues were with the previous Tomtom One models. The One XL comes with the latest 2007 maps already installed within the GPS. (No SD memory card required). And you can check your map version via Tomtom Home. I think the latest map version for the US is 675.
  Overall, this is a great GPS and would recommend it to anyone. I give it 4 stars and not 5 only because of the lack of text to speech. But, in the end it became a non factor because the voice directions were good enough and the street names and route are clearly labelled on the screen if you ever need it.
  9/10/07 Update: I've read some reviews referring to the amount of time it takes to acquire a signal. I had a similar problem. After some research I found that TomTom recommend that you open TomTom home and run the Quick GPS Fix. They recommend you do this once a week. In the beginning it was slow acquiring a signal, and to turn on the TomTom indoors it would never be able to get any signal. But as soon as I started running the Quick GPS fix from TomTom home it finds signals really quick after turning it on and also it has a pretty good signal strength when I am indoors too.
  Finally, after a couple of months use the GPS has made 1 mistake in terms of not getting us to the destination at first attempt. It took us to a dead end where the road stopped due to rail road tracks. The map thought that we should have been able to cross the tracks but in actuality we could not. We had to take a left then a right to cross the tracks. I sent the update to Teleatlas (The map provider to TomTom), for update and they said that they will notify me when the update is made in their database, which may take a few months.
  For the most part when we are travelling to a unfamilar area we have been comparing the route to GOOGLE maps. I have found that in many cases the directions differ a little but the time and distance is pretty much similar. Most of the differences seem to be which Exit to take on the highway. If we find that Google has a significantly better route because it is easier with less turns, we just overide the planned route that TomTom has and take the exit that Google has and let TomTom take us to the destination from there.
  
  
• Takes the worry out of going to an unfamiliar location
  By A17Q158U3GUJAN on 2007-07-14
  I bought the TomTom One XL in a Radio Shack store in a town where I was looking for a UPS pickup center and could not find it,even though I had map printouts and directions from Google. Since the unit was charged out of the box, I was able to use it right away in my car and got to the street in the industrial section of the town without any problems. Getting out of that frustration of having been lost was great!
  
  The next week, I used it during vacation when we drove from NY to North Carolina (700 miles), and it was great being able to check ahead to see where roadside restaurants and motels were, so that we could plan where to stop for the day. Once in NC, we were in two towns and the unit led us to the addresses we wanted to go to without fail.
  
  The recalculate feature is great, because sometimes I would go in a different direction than what the unit recommended. Within five seconds (or even less), the unit would show the new route.
  
  I found later from friends who had done comparison shopping that they bought Garmin because that unit announced the streets or exits that you are supposed to take, instead of just "turn right ahead" or "take this exit" as the TomTom One XL does. But I found that in a strange neighborhood, where I didn't know the names of the streets anyway, all I needed to know was where to turn. So this did not seem like a critical difference (and maybe TomTom will do a software update later to add this).
  
  
• waiting for valid gps signal......
  By A26YH7AFJ28D78 on 2007-08-04
  I tried 2 of these brand new out the box and both of them would not work. I was even in a nice open area. I even left the unit on while driving back to return it and it would not work. All you get is waiting for valid gps signal forever. I will not buy another gps system by this company ever.
  
  
• Go with garmin, if you live in North America
  By ARAX80LFKQ8TH on 2008-01-27
  I have a tomtom one XL and hand held garmin etrex cx.
  
  I am on a tight budget and $350 was a huge investment for me. I did a lot of research and comparisons on the unit and even subscribed to consumer reports to get their feedback before purchasing the tomtom one XL.
  
  The biggest problem with tomtom is that it's NOT a US company. So there focus is on EU countries. Good for them bad if you're in the States. US maps are wrong, not traffic warning option (only for EU), and biggest of all NO US TECH SUPPORT. Look at their webpages, "Contact us."
  
  We just moved to a new city and must mapquest many US retail stores as they can not be found in the tomtom unit. So what the point of a GPS if you still have to mapquest things? They can however be easily found in my Garmin. I would like to emphasize that the maps are very much NOT updated and many newer roads are not even listed, which is a real pain when you are in a new area.
  
  Summary: Go with Garmin who has US tech support, updates US maps, and many US retail store/restaurants built in.
  
  
• NOT Good
  By A2MAQKV1HIKDZ on 2007-10-10
  Three major problems:
  
  1. It does not recognize the street I live on - instead directing me to the street next to ours!
  
  2. It sometimes chooses narrow roads with deadends or private roads!
  
  3. It does not stay on dashboard well, often falling after a few minutes, especially when roads are a bit bumpy.
  
  NOT recommended. Maybe all of these GPS navigation systems are similar.
  
  
  
  
• Great unit but rip-offs by Tom Tom
  By A138BY5MRH4PSJ on 2007-05-19
  I am familiar with the Tom Tom One XL, and while it is one of the best GPS units out there today, I would not buy it. The reason is you would think that Tom Tom would at least provide a basic carrying case as part of the standard equipment that comes in the box. In my opinion, a carrying case is essential for a high-tech piece of equipment such as this, even if it is not a fancy case, and you should not be required to spend extra money if you want one.
  
  On top of spending hundreds of dollars for the GPS, they try to milk you even more by offering the case as an option you have to buy. What a rip off!
  
  Wake up Tom Tom and have a nice long talk with your marketing director!
  
  
• TOMTOM ONE XL
  By A1NLWHLP53ASB3 on 2007-06-07
  Works perfectly. Easy to use. Easy to see. Don't waste your money on a more expensive GPS system.
  
  

• GARMIN 010-10350-00 Automotive Mounting Bracket
• GARMIN 010-10448-00 US Topo 24K National Parks West Region CD
• Bracketron UFM-300-BX Nav-Pack Weighted GPS Dash Mount/Carrying Case
• TomTom XL/GO Leather Carrying Case
• SanDisk Ultra II 16GB/15MB SDHC Card

• Tomtom One Xl Carrycase with strap
• Tom Tom ONE XL Add'l Mount w/Car Charger
• Bracketron UFM-100BL Nav-Mat GPS Friction Dash Pad
• Case Logic GPSP-2 Professional GPS Case for 4.3-Inch Flatscreens
• TomTom ONE USB Battery Charger