Tom Tom has a New Connected GPS

 

TomTom has already delivered its LIVE services to an array of its higher-end personal navigation devices, but now the company is pushing the Google love onto less expensive siblings. Er, one less expensive sibling. The mid-range XL 340S LIVE has just been launched, complete with Google-powered Local Search, real-time traffic information, real-time fuel prices, local weather and the company's own IQ Routes, which gets you from one point to another via the most efficient route possible. Essentially, this is simply a 4.3-inch (320 x 240 resolution) XL 340S with connected services, and as with Garmin's latest, said services are being provided courtesy of AT&T. Unfortunately, the $299.99 asking price only includes three months of LIVE; after that, you'll be shelling out $9.95 per month and hating every minute of it.

9.95

Depending what you get that is not tooo bad.

spendy

seems spendy, to me

IQ routes

How does IQ route work ?
Thanks.

RE: IQ Routes

Simply put, like most GPSs, your TomTom keeps a track of where you have been, times, etc. TomTom asks users to volunteer to upload their "tracks" every time they log on to TomTom Home. [You just volunteer once, it is automatic after that unless you choose to stop.] TomTom then uses that information to determine traffic patterns based on time of day, day of the week, etc. That is then used to calculate the IQ Routes.

IQ Routes are a function of the TomTom GPSr and maps, it is not a service you pay for. Some of the low end TomTom GPSrs do not have IQ Routing. If that is a feature you want, and you are not getting a GO 3XX, 7XX or 9XX, you might want to carefully read the specs to see if it has IQ Routes.

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Shooter N32 39 W97 25 VIA 1535TM, Lexus built-in, TomTom Go

IQ Route

Shooter wrote:

Simply put, like most GPSs, your TomTom keeps a track of where you have been, times, etc. TomTom asks users to volunteer to upload their "tracks" every time they log on to TomTom Home. [You just volunteer once, it is automatic after that unless you choose to stop.] TomTom then uses that information to determine traffic patterns based on time of day, day of the week, etc. That is then used to calculate the IQ Routes.

IQ Routes are a function of the TomTom GPSr and maps, it is not a service you pay for. Some of the low end TomTom GPSrs do not have IQ Routing. If that is a feature you want, and you are not getting a GO 3XX, 7XX or 9XX, you might want to carefully read the specs to see if it has IQ Routes.

If you uploaded route information on any given day when there was an accident on that route causing delay......will IQ route smart enough to figure that out ???

RE IQ Routes

da_libran wrote:

If you uploaded route information on any given day when there was an accident on that route causing delay......will IQ route smart enough to figure that out ???

Yes, they take the average of many users over a period of time.

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Shooter N32 39 W97 25 VIA 1535TM, Lexus built-in, TomTom Go

phone

Something like that would be good if you could use it with a data capable phone to avoid the $10 per month. The original post is hard to figure out-is the 10 for the information provided, or just the access fee? If you could supply your own access it would be a killer deal. I think Google Maps will render this one a no starter.

Tomtom traffic

A cheap FM radio traffic receiver can be purchased for ~30 USD and comes with 1 year subscription.

Google Maps OK, but...

nrbovee wrote:

Something like that would be good if you could use it with a data capable phone to avoid the $10 per month. The original post is hard to figure out-is the 10 for the information provided, or just the access fee? If you could supply your own access it would be a killer deal. I think Google Maps will render this one a no starter.

Google Maps is a great tool, but not a substitute for an auto nav GPS. I used both on my last trip to Europe, and they both came in handy at different times.

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Shooter N32 39 W97 25 VIA 1535TM, Lexus built-in, TomTom Go

Took a hard look at XL 340s Live

I took a long hard look at the XL 340s Live vs the XL 340s. On Amazon the Live was about $40 more. Although I think connected services is the future, I just could not justify $10 per month for the service. So I went with the XL 335TM. The TM stands for lifetime traffic and map updates. The XL 335s is the same as the XL 340s except it does not have Mexico maps and it was $20 less.

The Go 1000 is coming with 1

The Go 1000 is coming with 1 year of free service then approximately $60 per year to maintain the service. I liked when I could get traffic through my cellular connection but they quickly shut down that service