TomTom fights falling satnav sales with iPad app
TomTom has released an app for Apple's iPad as sales of its flagship personal navigation devices (PNDs) continue to fall. The Dutch firm already has an app on iPhone but said the new version, to be released in Autumn this year, would also be optimised for iPads. "Now customers have one App for all iOS devices," Corinne Vigreux …
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Don't need no stinkin' SatNav. Good old dead trees map and a bit of forward planning works for me.
I was the same ...
until I stumbled upon the fact that a satnav will REROUTE YOU AUTOMATICALLY in the event of road closures, or intolerable traffic. Something impossible if you are driving and relying on maps.
Nowadays, for any non-local journey - even if I've done it several times - I put the satnav on, safe in the knowledge that if there's a road closure, or accident, I will be guided to my destination with no drama.
Invaluable a couple of months ago, when they M5 was completely shut both ways between 3 and 4 due to an accident (ai ambulance had to land), and I had to come off and use local roads.
TomTom UI pretty good. Hardware marginal. Updates Expensive. Upgrades Impossible.
They should focus on the software and bringing the cost of map updates down or they will lose all customers. Lack of support for Linux-based systems is a PITA.
Some years ago, I purchased TomTom Navigator for Palm Treo. The user interface was good. Quick to learn for basic use. It crashes the Treo most often when one really, really doesn't want to spend 2 minutes rebooting, etc. Map updates for that version haven't been available for quite a few years.
So while I was in Europe earlier this year, I bought a TomTom XXL to guide me through unfamiliar territory. It got me from Merseburg to Pilsen and then to Mindelheim. When trying to plan some further trips it kept crashing. I eventually figured out that it'd lost the ability to write to its internal flash memory as it couldn't even restore to factory settings without an "unable to write" error message.
The merchant (chain) was very helpful and I picked up a replacement in Sigmaringen, with a partial refund for a necessary "downgrade" to XL. The replacement unit worked flawlessly for the following weeks. The unit was passed to a worthy recipient as slightly-used, prior to my return to the Rule under Empress Gillard.
Time Running Out
TomTom really need to up their game or they will be in big trouble soon.
I don't think it'll be long before cars start appearing with a 5 inch Android based interface for the radio and other in car computer functions hardwired into the dash.
GoogleMaps already allows you to download a map area so you don't need a phone connection so it would be pretty easy to allow you to use maps downloaded on you PC ans stored on an SD card.
The same unit could also give you full access to the OBD fault codes and diagnostics on your car without needing to buy a specialised reader.
but
>The same unit could also give you full access to the OBD fault codes
Could, but won't. Vested interests run the car business.
On the Other Hand...
On the other hand, I have a really good satnav in my car. It's tied in with the audio system, and works very well. In fact, it beats TT hands down. So I said goodbye to my TomTom and just use that now. It gives better instructions, has a decent sized screen with clear directions, and doesn't block any windscreen at all. So I won't be buying a silly TT app for my iPad either. Not looking good for TT really is it?
Pointless title, which must contain letters and/or digits.
I bought the Tomtom iPhone app ages ago. I now use Copilot instead, for one reason and one reason only. With Tomtom, you can't easily plan an itinerary more complex than "go from A to C via B", and you can't save that at all. With Copilot, I can plan far more complex itineraries - eg go from A to D via B and C, then back via E - and I can save several of them in advance of my trip. Being able to plan such itineraries in advance is essential.
About the only thing Tomtom does better is that its speed camera warnings are far less annoying.
TomTom's Customer Support is poor
TomTom killed the APIs from TomTom v6 to TomTom v7 and didn't value their business customer base. Customer service is the worst I've seen.
They new when they went for the consumer market that if they charged £80 when their competitors were free or around £20, that no-one buy their software.
They saw it coming and didn't care.
There are good reasons why integration is now with CoPilot or Google Maps.
Their standalone units are still okay though.
Support is woeful
Every time you update the maps the favourites get trashed or the thing just doesnt work or freezes/reboots, is a widely known issue. Tomtom support answer? "delete mapsettings.cfg every time you update" well thats great not only does it reset many preferences it wipes any favourites you have stored.
I went Tomtom for the Live services and that is quite good but the support and update issue will mean I will be going elsewhere for my next device/software....
TomTom don't give a stuff about their customers #
You think?
When they started, support in Australia consisted of a Dutch-based fax number.
Reportedly, they DID actually answer your queries though, so that makes it all right then.
Then they had a local (Sydney) sales and service outlet.
Then that sales and service outlet became a sales outlet.
Then the friends who had TomToms (after I tried to tell them not to) said it was cheaper to replace the entire unit rather than upgrade the maps.
Today, I tell everyone to buy whatever the hell they like. They don't listen to me anyway.
Probably for the best...
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