The TomTom 550T 5-inch Portable GPS Navigator is a good basis for GPS navigation unit that may be recommended for those looking for a basic GPS with a bigger screen.
That said, I had some problems with this unit and TomTom that keeps me from giving five stars.
- Senator 550T TomTom XL Manual 5-inch Portable GPS Navigator sent in late spring 2010. When the unit arrived in late July had not yet online manual available for this model. There are many optional settings and even more if you have the traffic feature. The "User Guide" that comes with the unit does nothing to tell you how to turn and plan a simple route. TomTom''finally put a hand sometime in August, but appears to be only a link to the manual 350-XL (see below - it just says on the cover instead of XL XXL, as the cover for XL 340 which is a guide that describes a completely different user interface completely different).
- The installation of the software. The TomTom Home software is supposed to be installed automatically when you connect the device to your computer. This may or may not happen in Windows, but definitely not for Mac OSX. The software installer is unity (which appears as an external hard drive confusingly called "internal" on the desktop). I ran the installer has successfully installed a way to release the validity of TomTom HOME. When I installed the software used to take me to the TomTom website, which led me to the website of the UK rather than the U.S. site. This led to some confusion since the British version of GPS uses a different interface. I downloaded the manual was useless. Eventually, the software is updated and I found my way to the U.S. site. I would recommend that any user, Mac or Windows, download the latest version of TomTom HOME and install it before connecting the device to your computer.
- TomTom Support. Hit or miss. The first time I called was a simple question that I could have responded quickly to me if I had the manual. The support person, rather I do a factory reset of the unit, eliminating all that was installed at that point. After going through all this, I said the simple answer. Here's my version: street names can be read aloud only the voices of computing. Only two English language options. All other voices, paid or free, are a waste of time, storage space, or money. "
The second time I called (same day), was to ask about the missing manual. The support person was as perplexed as I was and had time to do some research and get a useful answer: the TomTom XL 550 and XL 350 shares of the same "two-button" interface (when you turn on you a screen with two big buttons in the center and five smaller at the bottom), the XL 350 manual told me everything I needed to know about the XL 550. I also sent an email with a link to the document.
- Precision annoying. Sometimes I went to my destination and parked in front of the store, while the 550 XL was still trying to convince me to go out and do some fifty feet or so after the parking garage entrance and left me caught in the middle block with my destiny hidden behind a parking structure. I suspect it is a slave to the numbers on the street. Shopping centers and malls are not just created in this way. If I'm in a lot of strip mall parking lot, tell me I have to get you started to get my business destination rather than guide me past five or six doors in the name of the nearest house number.
- The lack of common sense. On one trip, instead of having to use a single left turn pocket (shown on the map GPS) to become a parking lot, he wanted me to drive over a mile of my way around a industrial park so I could go another direction and turn right. He made a similar suggestion on another trip. In a third trip, the long road trip around the best option (although in this case he was trying to return to the streets to drive a few meters, even when I was in the parking lot next to the destination). This is another reason to use Google Maps and Street View before leaving home for a destination in another city with which you have no previous experience.
- Left Turn Ahead Phantom. On a road frequently used, there is a transition from a four-lane highway to a two-lane road. You do not really need to do anything to adjust the speed. However, when I travel from four lanes to two lanes of the party, begins to warn of a "left turn ahead." She never tells me to turn left, I simply say two or three times and then forget everything once you make the transition.
There are a couple of AA from other considerations that are more under the personal preferences or situations:
- Measurement. The TomTom 550T 5-inch portable GPS navigator is always a far shorter distances in yards instead of fractions of a mile. I'm used to miles and that's how most of the traffic signals are marked in California.
- Assembly. In my car, there's no way you can legally ride on the 550 XXL 5 inches by 5 inches smaller left windshield space allowed by California law. I tried the Arkon windshield that has an articulated arm. The Arkon suction cup fits into the legal field, but the 550 XL is too big to fit between the frame of the windshield and dashboard. There is no place on my dashboard, or big enough or flat enough to keep the TomTom mount, have the same problem with headlines such as bean bag.
- Traffic. My 550 came with lifetime traffic XXL. Unfortunately for me, the total coverage area of traffic begins about 20 miles from my house. If you are thinking of adding traffic for life, I suggest you go to the website and check TomTom (1) FM traffic signals available in your area, and (2) using the highways are usually included in the area where traffic flow is measured.
- Travel persistent. Travel is not automatically canceled after arriving at their destination. This is only a nuisance, I'm there, delete it now.
There are, however, a lot to like about the TomTom XL 550T 5-inch Portable GPS Navigator:
- Large, bright
- Easy Travel program. My basis for comparison is a seven-year-old factory-installed system cost (in time) more than ten times the price of the 550 XL. I think about the goal of achieving easier and simpler than the factory system.
- The street names aloud. This is probably the greatest innovation in my factory system. Although the factory system has a much larger screen, the names of nearby streets is often washed by the sun or too small to read with my glasses to drive.
- TomTom Home. The software works very well in Mac OSX. One of the features, I use my device is not available, but the rest seems to work and is quick and easy updates to add features, voices, icons, etc.
- "Security" warnings from the camera. I live near a city where a lot of cameras and red light runner I know most of them. XXL Warnings about 550 are fairly accurate. An out of Towner might avoid an unpleasant surprise in the mail, paying attention to the beeps and drive safely.
- Map corrections. One of the trips planned during testing of the XL 550 was a restaurant in the city news. The 550 XL has not recognized the name of the restaurant as a place of interest or address as a valid street number. He got me the next time I was there was able to send corrections to both the restaurant and the new building is located in (the land had been vague, the street number was not known until the building was completed).
In general, the pros outweigh the cons for a while, so even with the issues and considerations described above, still do what you have to do and is reasonably priced in a competitive market.
UPDATE: Since writing this review, both internal software and XL 550 TomTom Home software have been updated. There were minor changes in layout and design of the buttons and operate my function devices TomTom Home is working on Mac OSX.
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