Introduction

Although the device has been available overseas for some time, the TomTom GO300 was introduced to Australia in early June 2005. Fortunately the Australian release incorporates the latest software version (5.1 - recently upgraded to V5.2) which by all accounts is a huge improvement over the previous version.

The TomTom GO 300 is a “stand alone unit” and as such it is in direct competition to other similar units like the Navman ICN635 and the Garmin Streetpilot c320. Units like the Navman PIN and The Mio168 are actually PDA’s with an attached GPS so they are little different, both in terms of form factor and usage. Everything you need to get navigating is in the box, The unit itself, a car charger, the mount, a mini USB cable (for connection to your computer), a woven cloth protective case, a cloth for cleaning the screen, a CD containing Maps and manuals, a quick start guide, a poster describing the mount assembly and lastly a product Code card.

The TomTom Go uses the Linux operating system and despite the seemingly low specifications for memory and CPU speed runs very very well. I have not experienced any lags or slow downs at all.

Note! This is not a full review and every option and preference is not detailed.

Installation

One of the good things about stand alone units is that there is no (or minimal) installation! Aside from assembling the car mount, inserting the SD Card and following a few on screen prompts, there is really nothing else to do other than read the manual – but who’s got time to do that with a snazzy new gadget to play with. In fact I set mine up in the shopping centre car park in less than 5 minutes. I haven’t actually looked at the manual at all. Every action Icon is rather self explanatory and access to preferences is straightforward – I find this is generally indicative of well thought out programs in general.

The supplied mount is also one the best I have seen. It is sturdy and strong and holds the unit quite steady unless the road is particularly bumpy. The TomTom clips and unclips into the mount very easily and quickly, so its removal from view when parked is easily accomplished – there are no wires to remove or undo.

Using the TomTom Go

The TomTom go connects to your power outlet via a typical cigarette lighter cord and turns itself on automatically as the power is switched on. It also turns itself off when there is no power. You can override this and the built-in Lithium battery will run the unit for 3 to 4 hours.

This is the easiest to use device of its kind I have experienced. Generally the screen displays easily understandable Icons with descriptive text so there is little doubt about what each one of those icons does. Even relative novices can manage a trip without any trouble.

The Go uses a touch screen with large icons that are very finger friendly and the progression through the screens is intuitive and predictable. Typically the navigation process is started by tapping the screen with your finger which brings up a window containing several icons. The first Icon being labeled Navigate to… Tapping that takes you to the next screen where several more icons allow you to select from Home, Favorite, Address, Recent, Point of interest and another icon for more options.

TomTom requires the city (or suburb) first, then the street and finally the number. Once this is entered the unit processes the data and provides a route on a map, including the distance to destination and estimated time. This information is displayed very quickly even a fairly complicated route takes less than three or four seconds to calculate.

If TomTom cannot find your street number it will prompt you with the closest number or intersection – it is not a perfect system and I believe this is due to the mapping provided by Sensis. Copilot has the same problem. On a couple of occasions the address I had did not agree with the address inside the TomTom database. In this case TomTom prompts you with a list of alternatives – so far I have been able to pick the right alternative every time, but I’m not sure how I would go in unfamiliar territory. Fortunately it is possible to check the Map and make an adjustment or see if you are in the correct general area.

TomTom includes Itineraries so that you can plan a journey which has stopovers and the like and this works rather well.

The Journey

Once you have selected your destination and the route is calculated, tapping the “Done” button displays a map with clear arrows and other data such distance to next turn, estimated time of arrival and a few other things. Some of these are user configurable but the default works fine. Compared to other programs I have used TomTom gives very clear verbal instructions using a real human voice. There are 37 odd voices to choose from but only six are in English and only one of those has an Australian accent, the others are in a surprising variety of other languages.

The default map display is 3D, however a 2D and a simplified version showing only the next turn “similar to Copilot5” are also provided if you prefer. You can choose from a variety of different maps colours including a few in night mode (basically subdued colours that do not glare as much in darkness). The screen is quite bright – certainly brighter than my XDA2 and it appears to have some sort of anti-glare coating. It does fade out in direct sunlight but is quite good inside the car. As I mentioned previously the voice directions are the best I have heard – where Copilot or Destinator will say (for example) turn left - TomTom will say turn left and then go straight on (or then turn right or whatever) I find that this prepares you better should you be required to change lanes soon after the turn. Roundabouts are given as “in 200 meters cross the roundabout second exit” or “in 200 meters turn right at the roundabout third exit” I find this a little clearer than the others. Large arrows are superimposed on the map over the street to further reinforce the direction you are required to go.

Rerouting is quick – quicker than the other navigation programs I have used. Unlike those it does not notify you that it is recalculating and at first, I saw this as a negative, however in use it works well and I find I actually prefer it. TomTom just recalculates, redisplays and advises you if a turn is coming up, it is actually quite stress free.

As you approach your destination an announcement advising you of the distance to go is given as is an announcement when your destination has been reached.

Points of Interest (POI) notifications are implemented very well, a medium size icon flashes up in the top left of the screen indicating the type of PO, a user configurable tone is sounded, and the actual position is shown on the map. The flashing POI icon also shows the distance and counts down as it is approached.

Routing Quality

So far the routes that TomTom has provided have been excellent. It does not seem to favour main roads unduly and gives routes that I consider close to being optimum. Bear in mind that this is applicable to routes from the outer Western Suburbs to the lower North Shore in Sydney; other areas may provided different results. Depending upon how it is configured TomTom will either provided the fastest route, the shortest route or ask for your input before it calculates. The shortest route is indeed the shortest however it may not be the fastest. Before committing you are able to view the route and avoid roads or just press a icon and get it to calculate an alternative. This can be done several times and the distance along with TomTom’s estimated travel time compared to the previous versions. The route does change every time and it is quite interesting to look at the alternates proposed. If TomTom encounters a toll way on the route it pops a window asking you whether to proceed (and therefore use the Toll way) or not and so avoid the toll way.

Unique to TomTom is the “Demo” function. This will simulate the actual driving experience complete with turn direction and POI notification up to 4 time’s actual speed. It will demonstrate at 5 times the speed but voice prompts are not given.

This is probably good for short trips - useless for long trips. Imagine a 5 hour journey? It would take 1 hour to run through the trip – It has more gimmick appeal than usefulness – though I did find it a good way to demonstrate the unit to people who have no GPS experience. A great little selling tool for convincing spouses of it’s worth.

Map Quality

The actual map display in 3D is quite basic, but it does give you all the information you need, nothing is missing. In 2D mode, it is a little more detailed but no where near as detailed as Destinator3. In this regard TomTom is very similar to those programs which use the same Map Data, ie CoPilot and Navman and I venture to say the Garmin units as well.

But map quality is more than just pretty graphics, the maps should actually be correct. Unfortunately during my 2 week review I found several instances of errors. One of these errors has to do with the new Sydney Orbital and is actually a series of road closures which are not reflected in TomTom’s maps. Another is a route from Kings Park to Westmead Hospital where it tries to direct you though Redbank avenue which is also closed – but has been for some time. Deficiencies in the POI database have also become apparent. One of our members pointed out Wombyean Caves and I can add Jenolan caves and Wellington caves to that list. This kind of omission really knocks the points off for me, because it is half the reason people buy a GPS navigation system.

GPS receiver

The built in GPS receiver is a SiRF11e, this means that is adequate for general use. Tall buildings and trees will cause the signal to be lost for short periods. If this is a special requirement for you, it would be best to get the optional external antenna for mounting on your car roof- for me this is not an attractive solution – more wires!. As usual (with all the units I have ever seen) the access times claimed do not translate into reality. For example my car is garaged and I really couldn’t be bothered driving out and leaving it on for the 2 or so minutes it takes for the GPS to get a fix. So I just drive off. This means the GPS does not actually get a fix for about 4 minutes – to me this is no big deal, however in unfamiliar territory this could be a problem because you can travel a fair distance in that time – and it might be in the wrong direction. In that case it would be better to wait until a fix is achieved.

When the TomTom does not have a GPS fix the screen displays in grayscale rather than constantly warning you that it has not found a signal – which can get irritating especially first thing in the morning.

Conclusion

The TomTom Go 300 is the best implementation of a GPS system I have ever seen. Unfortunately it is let down somewhat by the quality of the maps and the omission of Points of Interest.

Setup, installation and use are a joy and for users that don’t wish to have the complications that can occur with a PDA setup it is a great solution. Even more advanced users will appreciate the easy access to functions and ease of use.

Speed and Red Light cameras are not yet implemented within the POI database and it is not clear to me when this will happen

The TomTom go is currently only available from Harvey Norman outlets

One of the problems reviewing the TomTom is the inability to get screens shots, this is because the device is self contained and getting it to display on a computer screen is not an option. Screen shots supplied with this preview are all taken from the TomTom main site   if you are interested in further information about this unit their site has excellent information with screenshots that demonstrate every possible screen and supply the full specifications for the unit.

I give the TomTom Go 300 7.5 out of 10