Garmin GPS Receiver

The TomTom ONE 125 3.5-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with U.S. Maps is one of many new updated GPS units available this fall. It is compact and well designed. And for those with more extensive foreign language needs than the standard “English or Spanish” options included with most beginner units, the two dozen included screen languages and even more spoken languages will blow you away.

Perhaps the overall best feature is the “map-share” updates that allow users to alert when a route has been closed or changed due to construction. Instead of having to pay and wait for next years update, if you subscribe to this you get it for free! Additionally, the TomTom’s safety features are also head and shoulders above the competition. The included menu allows you be alerted with speed warnings, traffic cameras, and even directions to emergency services via the one touch “Help Me!” menu.

However, there are some basic features missing, including an SD memory card and text to speech directions. While I do not intend to outline all the features of competing products, I am going to compare this product where relevant to show users where they might need to consider other options. I personally have owned many Garmin models, one Magellan Maestro and a starter Navigon unit. There are even many more options on the market today, but I believe most users should be choosing from these four brands for a starter unit.

PROS:
+ Great compact starter GPS unit with convenient all-in-one form factor
+ The “map-share” updates are the killer app of the TomTom GPS line; bad routes are corrected by users like you, and you can get the updates with the application
+ Comes with a GPS, USB PC syncing cable, car power adapter and mounting disk
+ The included integrated mount is more convenient, though it mounts closer to the window than I would like
+ An updated map is provided free of charge if they come out within 30 days of purchase
+ Add-on applications and updates are not all free but still priced better than Garmin’s
+ AWESOME safety feature extras to alert for driving breaks, speed limits and thresholds
+ Also warns you by default to remove the unit when you reach your destination
+ Cool safety camera alerts give you audio and video of cameras on your route
+ “Help Me!” emergency menu directs you to emergency services with one click
+ Status bar preferences also allow extra features (compass, next street, etc.)
+ Many more included car symbols than Garmin or Magellin
+ Includes a pedestrian mode comparable to Garmin’s under “planning preferences”
+ Interface Includes icons to alert you when you are nearing POIs
+ Does seem to update route changes faster than other models
+ Gives you the option to automatically avoid delays with traffic updates (though receiver is sold separately and it’s not clear if and where one can be connected to this model)
+ The TomTom Home application makes it VERY EASY to update settings and download software extras
+ Still displays info even without a connection, unlike the Garmin models which sometimes *hide maps* till they find the signal again
+ While it is equally poor at acquiring signals as other models, it does seem to hold signals better than others
+ Incredible spoken and display language options give you almost 25 language options!!!

CONS:
- No SD memory card slot!!! That means internal memory is your absolute limit; new maps may replace old ones, and you will have to update for each new map with a computer when travelling, while with the Garmin you could simply bring all your maps on cards
- The power / USB connection port is recessed into the bottom of the unit; this may make it hard to use some standard USB cables to connect to your computer in a pinch
- The standard USB connection cable has a connector that is at a right angle, which keeps it out of the way but also makes it harder to remove
- Dashboard mount disk must be stuck with adhesive to your dash; Garmin friction mount is better, though they do sell alternative mounts that are comparable for the TomTom
- Need an additional attachment for traffic service (though not great in all areas)
- Must hold on/off button for a long time when turning on
- Did not come pre-charged, like my Garmin did
- Software interface is not as slick as others like the Garmin and the Navigon
- Neither the 2D nor the 3D views are as attractive as any of the other brands
- Not the least expensive starter unit on the market
- Does not include text to speech to give you spoken street names
- No included Bluetooth connectivity to pair with your smart phone for hands free operation
- Traffic receiver is sold separately and it’s not clear if and where one can be connected to this model
- Won’t alert you to missed turns and will automatically recalculate, which may not always be ideal
- Equally poor at acquiring signals as other models
- Without a signal, the screen gives you much less device information (such as battery life)

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

The product description notes this unit as “widescreen.” It is not really widescreen. This is the standard 3.5 inch size that all starter units come in. In fact, though the body seems slightly more narrow than the Garmin 200 series, the screen is exactly the same size. The Garmin simply has a larger border area around the screen. It’s adequate for me, but those with weak eyes often prefer the 4.3 inch widescreen models.

The description seems to indicate that this unit includes Bluetooth, which it doesn’t as far as I can tell. Bluetooth has become an almost standard feature for GPS unit. If I can find a way to pair my BT phone with it, I will update this. But this seems like a typo to me.

FEATURES VERSUS THE COMPETITION

Garmin has been feverishly updating their lineup, and the entry level unit that compares most closely with the TTO125 is the Garmin nüvi 205 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator. It is one of several updated models in the 200 series. Like this unit, it has a similar size and form factor.

The Navigon 2200T 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator includes the additional features of text-to-speech (for street names) and free traffic alerts. It’s also much slicker and has a 3D reality view that is best among all manufacturers. Similarly the Magellan Maestro 3250 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator adds a host of features, though the improved looks are still a notch below Navigon. It also includes maps of all of North America and Mexico standard. However, neither Magellan’s nor Navigon’s data updates are as good as TomTom’s. Still, given all the extras, they are both strong competitors as well.

Some of the higher-end 4.3 inch wide Garmin versions like the Garmin Nuvi 205W and Garmin Nuvi 255W offer more features and a bigger screen.

Learning where to go in the menu to change settings also seemed less intuitive than the Garmin. One thing I may have to wait a year to learn is whether they are going to spam me with *map update* sales pitches like the Garmin does.

Like all GPS units, this one also has the dreaded delay in finding satellites, particularly when indoors. However, once you do find a satellite this unit seems to hold the signal well. While satellite acquisition seems about the same on all my units, holding the signal was better on the TomTom.

CONCLUSION

This is a GPS unit that covers the basics very well and has many more software options than entry level models from the competition. Thanks to map-share and TomTom Home, the data seems to be updated better than units from Garmin, Navigon or Magellan. So if you need a starter GPS, this gives the Garmin a run for its money.

But the included features, even for base models, are not nearly equivalent to competing units. The look and feel is also not nearly as slick, though that should matter less than features and functions to most people.

But of course, value is a concern. For the price of Garmin’s maps, they have guaranteed I will probably never buy an update from them. With the TomTom, investing in extra apps or updates might actually be a little easier to swallow. But the prevailing prices for the Garmin units themselves, including the 205, 255, and 255W, make most of them a better value. The 205 sells for about 20% less than this model, and the wider screened 205W goes for around the same price. Even a few 600 and 700 series models are not too far off in price. And many models from Garmin, Navigon and Magellin also include Bluetooth connectivity and free traffic updates.

If you need the frequent updates and extra choices in languages, the TomTom One 125 wins hands down. Similarly, the safety features are really tops in this product category. Some may just want the TomTom because they prefer the simpler looking interface. But considering the greater number of features and lower costs of most comparable Garmins, many will opt for one of those models instead.

Enjoy.

With the acquisition of the TomTom One, I now have GPS navigation systems from all three major companies. The TomTom One stands up to both the Garmin Nuvi and the Magellan Maestro, although its pros and cons are quite different.

I like that you merely have to tap the screen anywhere to get the menu. This unit has a wealth of options, including several voices and languages for spoken directions and route types, including limited speed and bicycle routes. You can select from several different “cars” to show your location and different map colors. The available options are too numerous to list here, but they exceed both the Garmin nüvi 650 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator and the Magellan Maestro 3100 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator. But how does the TomTom navigate? The mapping software is much better than the Maestro and equal, maybe even slightly better, than the Garmin. However, its user interface isn’t always the best. For example, to cancel a route, you have to go to the second page of options. If you miss a turn, it doesn’t tell you (both Magellan and Garmin give a “recalculating” message), giving you a chance to turn around, and instead moves silently to the next version of the route.

Pros:

– Spoken directions in advance. For example, “Take left ahead, then in a half a mile, turn right.” The others only give you both turns if they will occur within a few seconds of each. You don’t have to remember both directions because it will still say “Turn left” when it’s time to make the route change. (Also see cons.)
– Reliable mapping software. It was the only one of the three to recognize that I wanted to take a certain road when I made a turn. The others tried to get me back to the predetermined route. Equivalent or better than the Garmin. Much better than the Magellan.
– Fold up stand that can stick to a windshield (if legal in your state) or to a mounted disk. When the stand is folded up against the body, it can be easily slipped into a purse or crowded glove box.
– Lots of options to personalize the unit.
– The set up is more compatible than the other two for removing this from your car and using it as a walking or biking GPS.
– No annoying “recalculating” messages when you decide on a different route. (See Cons.)

Cons
– The points-of-interest are woefully inadequate. If you want to find a specific store or restaurant, you may need the address.
– Satellite pick-up can be slow, about the speed of the Garmin, but not nearly as fast as the Magellan. If you are sitting in the driveway, this isn’t a problem; however, it can be if you’re already driving in an unfamiliar area.
– The directions-in-advance can be confusing. “Left turn ahead”‘ can mean that you take a left turn in two miles. It does not mean that you are almost at the turn.
– The unit must be manually turned on and off. Both Garmin and Magellan ask if you want to continue on battery power. The TomTom assumes that you do, thus draining the battery if you forget to turn it off.
– It does not tell you if you’ve missed a turn.

My ideal GPS unit would be to take the TomTom mapping, the Garmin user interface, and the Magellan satellite pick-up, but alas, customers will have to choose. Because all three do the job, I recommend identifying the options most important to you and then comparing prices.

– Debbie Lee Wesselmann

My brother got a TomTom special edition on Black Friday last year at Best Buy for $99, so I jumped on the ONE 125 model for $99 when it was offered on Amazon this year. Overall, there were several features that I liked about the product, but once I got acquainted with my TomTom, the shortcomings were too great to overlook. Here’s the rundown of my likes/dislikes:

LIKES:
*Innovative and compact mount

*Map corrections available through online community helps keep maps up-to-date for free.

*Arrangment of trip information at bottom of screen

*Easy-to-use menus

*Lots of user options to customize map colors, trip information, etc.

*Great price for A-to-B navigation

DISLIKES:
*No multi-point routing (itinerary planning). This feature was available in last year’s special edition for $99, but was removed from the ONE 125. This is a must-have for my motorcycle trips.

*Point-of-Interest database is lacking, especially compared to Garmin’s (My wife has an older Garmin model).

*Firmware apparently has not been updated to work with the “Send To” function from Google Maps as advertised. I tried confirming this with TomTom’s customer suppport, which leads to the next point.

*Poor customer support. After 10 days, I have given up trying to get a response from their on-line support. Don’t know good the phone support is, but you will not get a response within the 1-2 business days promised online.

If you are looking for a basic navigation system and don’t need customer support, this is a great unit. I decided to upgrade to a more feature-packed unit to address my dislikes above and add features such as a wider screen/text-to-speech. I considered the TomTom XL330S and the Garmin Nuvi 750, which I found for $199. After reading further reviews, I decided on the Garmin because of its superior POI database and consistently positive reviews.

I’ve had the 125 for about two weeks and really like it. Although this is the first GPS I have owned, I have had limited experience with units in rental cars (Hertz NeverLost). It was hard to decide which starter GPS brand to buy, but I decided on the TomTom from the good reviews and a very positive experience I had with the way it maps a few years back.

A fellow from England was in a training class with me about 4 years ago in the San Jose, CA area and he had a pocket PC with GPS software from TomTom. We were headed to a Sharks hockey game in two cars, with me riding with him. It sure seemed like the TomTom was taking us on a different route than I would have taken, but we arrived at least 15 minutes before the other car. That always stuck in my mind and ultimately swayed my decision to go with a TomTom. I’m sure a lot of the differences between brands are a personal preference like a Coke or Pepsi thing.

I got this a few days before we flew to FL so I gave it a good test running around KY. Some of the routes it chooses aren’t exactly like my “shortcuts”, but it never took me on an obviously wrong route and truth be told, some of my “shortcuts” probably aren’t as quick as the routes the TomTom plots. Depending on the route, if you go a different way, it will attempt to guide you back to the planned route or plot new directions according to the street you turned on. This recalculating happens pretty fast and I was pretty impressed with it. This little GPS had two hospitals I was looking for in small towns in its’ POI database and it plotted good routes to/from each of them.

Then we flew to Orlando where I rented a car and when this little guy really came in handy. It took us from the airport to a hotel at Disney where my wife was staying for a conference. Then the next day it took us to Port Canaveral where we were leaving on a cruise. It also guided me from the port to Cape Canaveral where I dropped off the rental. One thing I like about this TomTom is it lets you know in plenty of time which direction you’ll be turning next so you can get in the correct lane.

The only problem I had in FL was when I first left the rental car garage. These little guys don’t really pick up a satellite signal indoors so it took a few minutes when I pulled out of the garage for it to find the satellites. That seems to be common with all GPS units and because mine was in a different state from where it was last used it probably had to search longer for the signals. There is a program you download and update weekly from TomTom called QuickGPSfix that is supposed to speed that process up, unfortunately I didn’t have that program installed yet.

This little GPS has answered four of my main concerns about a small entry level GPS:

1. The sound will be too hard to hear or understand while driving.
A: The volume is loud enough for me to hear when it isn’t even set at max volume.

2. The small screen will be hard to read and hard to see in sunlight.
A: Neither of those concerns about the display have been a problem at all.

3. Sure the GPS units all have good maps of the main cities, but what about small rural areas?
A: I haven’t found that to be a problem either.

4. The older units had an external antenna, will a GPS this small with a built in antenna be able to pick up signals in rural areas?
A: No problems yet picking up a signal unless I’m inside something like a parking garage. From my understanding it isn’t your geographical location that would cause a problem but tall buildings or mountains blocking the signals.

I have absolutely no regrets buying this for the Black Friday special of $100 and I already saved $16 by not having to rent a GPS in the rental car I had in FL.

Is this little GPS perfect, no, it does have some limitations but for an entry level GPS I’d say that is to be expected.

Not every POI is listed in the database, but there are sure a lot of them, I even found my favorite pizza joint in Reynoldsburg, OH listed (Massey’s Pizza). If where you want to go isn’t listed you can easily enter the address and even save it as a favorite.

As noted this model (like most in this price range) doesn’t have text-to speech, so instead of saying `turn left on Elm Street’, it just tells you to ‘turn left in so many yards’ and then to ‘turn left now’. You can set the preferences to show the name of the next street/route you’ll be turning on next at the bottom of the screen. I find that feature to be very helpful and perhaps more useful than hearing a computer generated street name get mispronounced.

I’m not sure if this is a problem or not, but there is no external slot for a memory card. I guess that would only be a problem if the next map update exceeded the available memory.

Here on Amazon they list a new feature called Send Addresses Directly from Google Maps or Mapquest. When I tried that with Mapquest the button was only valid for Garmin units and Google Maps wouldn’t send to my unit either. I think the problem with Google Maps is the computer software (TomTom Home) has not enabled the feature to operate the GPS from your computer. Since the 125 is a new model I’m not sure if that will ever be corrected or not, but it would be nice to send locations from a map program into your favorites.

Being an entry level GPS it looks like it will serve my needs well. It will also help me determine if any features on a more costly unit would be worth doing an upgrade. Maybe next Black Friday will be another great deal with even more features.

I haven’t really used the suction cup mount yet; I just keep in on the center console of whatever I am driving. Since I usually drive a mini-van where the windshield is a long reach I’ll look into a dash mount. I found this to be a very easy to use device and right after I opened the box I had it in the car plotting a route to a restaurant we were heading to that night.

If anyone is interested this only has the maps of the United States, but just for kicks I turned it on while we were at sea on the cruise. While it obviously couldn’t map where we were it did pick up satellite signals and listed our direction, speed, and location via Latitude and Longitude.

I have an Allen Sports Navigator Mobile Phone Software and Bluetooth GPS Device that works through your cell phone, but my phone screen is very small. When I received the `Tom Tom ONE 125′, I was amazed at how easy it was to setup and use. I had once visited a friend 65 miles away and it took me almost two hours, due to not being familiar with the area. With the Tom Tom, I was there in one hour. Even when I took the wrong highway (on purpose), the Tom Tom recalculated my route with the same destination.

The Tom Tom is all touch/tap controlled on the screen. The driving view is in a nice perspective or plan view (2D) giving you plenty of warning both verbally (you can pick from eleven English voices and several other languages) and visually (large crisp screen). Some of the great features are its easy Tap to zoom in/out, showing you your current location, names of roads you are on and near, trip time, remaining distance and arrival time. The GPS signal strength is strong. Only once did it get lost through a tunnel and it recalculated itself within a minute.

To navigate an upcoming trip, just tap the intuitive screen and select “Navigate to…”. You can enter an address with a small keyboard (i.e., street, house number, town). You’re done.

Some cool features:

*Shows current time
*Navigate to any address
*Add any address or location (ATM, restaurant, gas station, etc.) to Favorites
*`Help Me’ feature that addresses `phone for help’, `drive to help’, `walk to help’, `where am I?’, `First Aid Guide’.

Change preferences allow you to:
*Use night colors
*Show your Points of Interest (POI) on a map and warns you when you are near one
*Guided Tours of Tom Tom
*Safety preferences (seven items you choose like, `warn not to leave device in car’, `warn when driving faster than speed limit’, `suggest driving breaks’, etc.
*Turn sound On or Off with a Volume control
*Display the status bar horizontally or vertically
*Can be set to specific units, clock, keyboard, car symbol, brightness, map colors, left-handed option, language (other than English) and more

The only thing I did not like was the fact that you can only update maps for FREE the first 30 days after purchase. However, this version of the Tom Tom is simply easy to use (I could learn to use the functions before I read the manual). The voice and map (a perfect 3.5 inch screen) are a solid reassurance that you are headed in the right direction. In fact, it guided me to my own driveway parking spot and my parking stall at work. I would recommend updating maps with its easy USB port every six months or so, like all other GPS devices (the `Allen Navigator GPS’ is the only self-updating GPS on the market). I highly suggest reading the manufacturer’s list of functions here on Amazon to get a FULL picture of what this great GPS device provides. This is only a snapshot, but I am very happy with this unit.

Caution: California does not allow windshield mounted devices for safety, and the adhesive mounting pad is a pain to get off. I’d suggest getting a weight mounted dashboard holder. Also, never try to use your Tom Tom while driving – pull over safely.

I love Amazon. Thankfully they have a very liberal return policy which will allow me to return my recently purchased TT One 125. The unit does not allow input of addresses with letters or dashes. Where I live, nearly all addresses have a dash (i.e., 67-9876) so this unit is useless. I checked some online forums and this is a known issue that TT will not resolve. Their tech support is terrible and unresponsive. And I have read that their maps are way outdated.

I like the unit for its size and price (<$[...] here at Amazon) but the inability to do something as basic as entering an address is an unfortunate deal breaker.

If you don’t now need, and will never need, to input a street address with a dash or letter, then by all means buy this unit. Otherwise, most other GPS units (as well as the Magellan and Garmin units I tried at my local Costco) allow full address input including dashes and letters.

Some have suggested that I input cross street information but if I knew that much about where I was headed, chances are I wouldn’t need a GPS unit to begin with!

Thanks Amazon for saving the day again!

I used my tom tom-one for a short 13 months when on it’s last ride, I touched the screen; heard and felt a little “zap” and the screen went blank and did not come back despite hitting the reset button. I called their service number and spoke with a very sympathetic woman who said she had never heard of this particular problem and then informed me that since I was one month outside of the warranty there was nothing she could do. They wouldn’t service it even if I wanted to pay for it. She did refer me to a manager who, via email, thanked me for being a loyal tom tom customer. That’s it!

I’m sure I’m better off with a different system. On many occasions when driving a route with which I was very familiar, tom tom would take me on a very bizarre route. Once, it thought I was on an access road when I was on a parkway and the voice kept telling me to turn left in 600 yards! If I wasn’t familiar with that road I would have caused a great deal of trouble if I had tried to turn.

I cannot in any way recommend a tom tom.

I bought two units on sale for two employees to use in company vehicles on local trips around Los Angeles. Even here in one of the nation’s largest cities, the routes are not direct. From our office in the Santa Monica mountains it routed me a mile south, then a mile in the reverse direction back to an intersection I could have reached by simply heading half a mile north. Later, traveling north on Interstate 405, it had me exit the freeway and make three right turns on surface streets to get back on highway 90 West. Double checking with google maps, there is indeed a highway 90 West exit directly off 405 north about 1/4 mile after it had me exit. Now, maybe it’s somehow shorter to exit the freeway and get back on, but in LA traffic, it’s certainly not faster. I’ve never had these problems with a three-year-old Garmin unit I use for driving and flying.

The unit itself is nice enough with a clear screen, lightweight, and so on, but with such unreliable directions (both units we bought had the same problem), what’s the point?

I spent two painful weeks with a Garmin Nuvi, and gradually watched my Mio C320′s maps get more and more outdated, so I was overjoyed when I found this for $79 in Best Buy. There was a $200 version with a wider screen, but being a cheapskate I opted for the smaller model. And for once, I made a good technological decision!

Highlights, in order of excellence, are:
- The unit starts up and locks satellites in seconds – it’s really fast. I live in San Francisco where the fog is a natural enemy of GPS, but little TomTom seems unfazed.
- The screen-mounting device is so elegantly simple that I’m amazed not all GPS systems work the same way. I can mount it in 3 seconds flat and it never falls off.
- The screen layout is the most intuitive of any I’ve seen. The map is clear, it shows speed (and speed limits), current time and estimated time, and upcoming instructions. It’s also easily configurable to add traffic cameras and anything else you choose.
- Searching for points of interest is rapid and accurate. Enter SFO instead of “San Francisco Airport”, or “Trader Joe’s” and it finds matches in no time at all. And you can enter zip codes, city centers and intersections without getting frustrated.
- The menu navigation couldn’t be easier, and even though the configuration options are extremely detailed, they’re easy to find and change.
- Selecting alternative routes (if you hit traffic, etc) takes two clicks without having to reenter everything over again. It also confirms if toll roads and HOV lanes are acceptable.
- The voice is clearer and louder than other systems I’ve tried.
- It changes between day/nighttime colors automatically on schedule.

… and best of all…

The integration with TomTom’s online features is absolutely flawless. You can add map updates from the user database of changes, meaning that the system is completely up to date whenever you plug it into a computer. There’s also some free maps (such as traffic cameras) which you can download and install in seconds. This feature alone makes it worth $79, since there’s no waiting for manufacturer updates or paying for new maps.

Overall, I don’t see how this system could be any better, especially for the price. The user interface beats every other system hands down (reminiscent of when I started using Google Chrome instead of Internet Explorer). I now understand why TomTom has such a loyal user base – buy one today!

PS – I’m not sure what the complaints are around multiple destinations since I entered several en-route to Los Angeles and had no issues here.

PPS – The integrated GPS in the Chevy Tahoe is a model example of how *not* to build a GPS system, in case you’re interested.

I ordered two of these; one for my wife and one for myself. They arrived yesterday and I tried one. It seemed to work fine initially. After I used TomTom Home software to update the unit, however, it stopped working. The GPS would not come on or reset. It just cycled through three different screens over and over. Eventually, it got stuck on one screen and stayed there. I researched the problem on the Web and saw that others had the same or similar problems. I found instructions on how to fix the GPS from the TomTom web site and spent hours trying to get it to work, but the unit kept returning errors. Nothing would execute successfully. I tried backing-up the files and the unit wouldn’t perform a back-up either. I sent TomTom a request for help but I’m confident even if TomTom gets back to me with advice, the unit will not work. It is a DUD. I’m not sure if I’ll get another GPS. If I do, I can pretty much guarantee it won’t be a TomTom. My experience with this unit was too frustrating and disappointing. Both units are being sent back for a refund.