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I bought the TomTom One V4 Western Europe as an upgrade from running TomTom Navigator 5 on my PDA.

I am very happy with my purchase and would recommend the TomTom range.

It was very quick to get started (just a few minor problems with TomTom Home down for maintenance) and update the maps and software via the USB cable.

It acquires satellite lock incredibly quickly. My old system would take an age to get a lock, this device can get a lock in seconds even when I am in the house.

The software is very intuitive and easy to use. No need to read any instructions, it is all just obvious.

Some people expect sat-navs to give perfect directions but no sat-nav can replace local knowledge. So far I have been more than happy with the routes its suggested, and any route is better than no route when your lost!

I was worried that the screen would be too small (I considered the XL) but the screen is very clear and easy to see so all good. I do not use sat-nav often enough to justify the XL or GO range.

Basically it just works. I would recommend the TomTom range but used the product advisor on the TomTom website to make sure you get the model with the features you need!

I bought the TomTom One 22 Western Europe for my wife to use in her new car. She travels and lives in Italy and the UK, so the Western Europe edition was essential.

I have been using TomTom software for 5 years now, and the newest version on this product is excellent - very easy to use.

Overall, I am very pleased with the purchase - just one technical problem that I am technically able enough to resolve, but might have presented a significant problem to a non-technical person - see below.

Now, a feature list, and some pros and cons to help you decide whether you want to buy it.

Features I like:

- windscreen mount (integrated but detachable) is very effective (strong suction) AND attached to the TomTom. Just one small thing to carry around, and no tell-tale mount left in view of thieves in the car

- very loud clear instructions from the large speaker on the back of the device

- around 3.5 hours from a charge when new (should improve over time, as the battery "seasons")

- automatic day/night colour scheme switching using light sensor

- "Help Me" feature which lists emergency services, hospitals, roadside recovery etc. for your current GPS location

- TomTom software, which I think is the best and easiest to use of all the SatNav products on the market

Pros:

- small, lightweight, single unit

- TomTom Home software is very easy to use, and handles all software feature updates, backups, etc.

- very high visibility screen even in strong sunlight

- satellite location data ("ephemera") downloadable weekly from TomTom, speed GPS acquisition up to just 5-15 seconds, even indoors

- small and discrete enough to use as a handheld device when walking

- FAQs and support on the TomTom site enabled me (technically competent person) to diagnose and fix the software problem below in a few minutes

- good build quality

- touchscreen stays remarkably fingerprint and dirt free, with anti-glare coating

Cons:

- was very difficult (and scary, as we thought we'd break it) to detach the windscreen mount from the SatNav itself the first time (a doddle when we figured out how, though)

- supplied manual is practically useless (although a much more comprehensive one is available online via TomTom Home)

- no mains charger supplied (purchasable separately); USB and in-car leads only

- the first time I connected to TomTom Home a software update was available, which resulted in a flashing red cross on the screen and a completely unusable device. (I was able to fix this, by deleting all the system files, after backing up, but it wasn't a trivial task). A new software update was released almost immediately afterwards, so I think there might have been a software problem...

Tip:

- as soon as you buy a SatNav, back it up onto your computer before you use it!

Summary:

I would recommend this device, with the maps set you actually need above all the others, including the widescreen (XL) ones. You don't get any benefit from the extra width in my opinion, because you're not looking at them for long enough to see anything except the data at the bottom or the middle of the map!

My TomTom ONE v4 (Traffic Europe 22) worked straight out of the box - very intuitive, (anyway, it's easy to pop into a high street store and ask for a demo first). Once home it was simple to connect the tomtom to my PC, although it didn't immediately connect to TomTom Home - I had to go into My Computer and find the "install.exe" file on the device and start it off by clicking that.

Once connected to TomTom Home an updated European map set was immediately offered, which I downloaded. Note: this was an 850MB file and took some 3 hours on my PC with a 1Mbit broadband; BE SURE NOT TO DISCONNECT YOUR TOMTOM DURING THIS DOWNLOAD, and if you have a dodgy internet connection wait until it's stable. I had no problems at all, and then proceeded to install the new map set - this took over 40 minutes, and the same caveats as above apply. Then I backed it all up onto the PC (another 40 minutes) and, with a re-start of TomTom as instructed, all was well. So don't be put off by any scare stories - there must have been a bad bit of software month or two ago.

The TomTom is clear and pretty accurate, only lagging by a few yards as you get to junctions (i.e. it says 'turn in 100 yards' when you may have only about 50 to go), but you get plenty of notice. The safety camera warnings were also accurate and give enough notice if you happen to be going a tad too fast! And it's very quick at getting a GPS fix, finding a route and giving an alternate route if you overshoot or deliberately choose to ignore the suggested one.

I particularly like the ability to plan and then preview a route in advance from anywhere to anywhere else; with some satnavs you can only ask for a route starting from your current location. There are also powerful options to change the suggested route by either 'don't use' a particular section of the suggested route or by forcing the route to go via a place-name or even a particular spot on the map.

All in all it looks like a very good product and I'm very pleased with it so far.

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5.0 out of 5 stars You'll not find better at this price ....
This is a truly good SatNav, which I've owned and used in UK and France regularly since iv.09.
Don't be tempted with a similarly-priced Start² Europe as Start² lacks many... Read more

Published 7 months ago by grimboli

1.0 out of 5 stars Useless
This satnav has been a pain since I bought it. Today, it completely broke down.....
Never a TOMTOM again.

Published 8 months ago by A

5.0 out of 5 stars Great, I really believe it is the best for the price paid
TomTom ONE is great, practical and with the seamless Western Europe map you can plan a route from Valletta (Malta) to Inverness (Scotland) with no need of resetting. Read more

Published 10 months ago by Mark A. Theuma

5.0 out of 5 stars TomTom One v4 western europe
Absolutely excellent.Just updated from v3 to the v4,would highly recommend it to anyone, i would literally be lost without it! as i drive down to southern Spain every year. Read more

Published 20 months ago by K. Moralee

4.0 out of 5 stars Does what is says, well!
Works well.

Suction-cup windscreen mounts solidly to the windscreen. The TomTom does not mount and dismount quite so easily onto the mount, though :(. Read more

Published on 21 Dec 2009 by DEO

5.0 out of 5 stars What a life saver
Easy to set up and use even though there weren't any instructions. You have to connect with the TomTom website to download TomTom home as it doesn't come with any software, not... Read more

Published on 31 Oct 2009 by A. Griffiths

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent navigator
Within a few days of purchasing Tom Tom ONE v4, we went on a week's family holiday to Portugal & Spain, and the Tom Tom was superb. Read more

Published on 11 Oct 2009 by Mr. S. Tiwari

4.0 out of 5 stars Good little TomTom
I got the v1 TomTom when it first came out, and I fell in love straight away. Gave it to my partner, as they have a driving job. Read more

Published on 18 Sep 2009 by Mr. Philip Ulyatt

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Sat Nav.....worth the money....
We bought the TomTom for a holiday in France followed by use at home. It was reconditioned, which was a great idea as it was perfect (until I knocked it off a shelf on to the... Read more

Published on 8 Sep 2009 by E. Craddock

4.0 out of 5 stars Lovely TomTom
Nice design, but I am not always sent the route I request, ie I am send down dead end roads and try to update the mapping but get nowhere. Read more

Published on 1 Sep 2009 by Jayne

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