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Knowledge Is Key
For Intelligent Decisions
Satellite Logic is a leading,
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TomTom ONE XL-S
Up to now if we look at the sales in the United States and even globally, Garmin had the lead in the GPS arena. But after taking a close look at the Tom-Tom One XL-S Portable GPS unit, the lead doesn't belong to Garmin anymore. It isn't a surprise considering this amazing unit's offers and features. The One XL-S offers the consumer ease of use, excellent performance, and all at a very affordable price. Its 4.3 viewing screen provides the user with better presentation and readability that similar models. You get all the navigation capabilities with brutally accurate directions and the same consistent user-friendly interface as well.
The ONE XL S features a 4.3” widescreen display with a resolution of 480x272. It connects to both a PC and Mac using USB. It includes 1GB of internal memory, and sports an SD slot that can be used if you want to download additional maps. It comprises a windshield mount as well as an adhesive disc for mounting on your car’s dashboard.
By default the ONE XL S includes maps of the US, Canada, Puerto Rico and Guam. You can download additional maps but it ain't free. Downloading maps and updates are done through the TomTom Home software, which runs on your computer. It lets you update the device, add new points of interest, download new voices and map colors and lots of other forms of content.
For navigation it supports text-to-speech, which allows the chosen voice to read street names instead of giving basic turn directions. It does not support voice commands but offers the standard ability to tap in addresses, plan itineraries, save favorites and establish a “home” address. It also features TomTom’s Map Share services, which lets you download updated maps from the TomTom community of users. You can also make changes to your own maps and upload them as well, if you want to be nice to other people around you.
ONE XL S has a very unique “Help me!” feature that can provide directions and assistance in the event of an emergency. It includes options to phone for help, drive or walk to get help. It also has first aid guides in case you need to provide medical assistance. Bluetooth communication is supported, but not for calling. It’s primarily for sending text messages to other XL owners, and for providing a conduit through which optional TomTom services can be uploaded to the device, such as weather and traffic data.
The unit includes a rechargeable 2-hour battery, a one year warranty and does not require any subscriptions for services out-of-the-box whatsoever. Power it up for the first time and you'll get an introductory setup routine that will ask how you want to view the time, preferred language, whether to show distance in miles or kilometers, and it will let you choose a navigation voice. There are five US English voices, four women and one male voice. When done chose the default map colors for both nighttime and daytime driving, and set your home address. The process ends with the option of taking a tour of the device, which is nice, letting you familiarize with it in a very brief period of time.
After the five-minute setup process completes, you’re free to begin navigating. The main screen lets you navigate to a destination (address, favorite, home, recent destination or point of interest), get “help’, add a favorite destination or change a wide array of preferences. A secondary screen lets you prepare routes and itineraries, correct maps and manage Bluetooth phones. A final third screen lets you access optional extras such as TomTom Plus services and TomTom traffic as well as view the guided tour of the device again.
Tapping in street names and addresses is easy thanks to the screen’s large buttons and bright display, and the detailed maps and text-to-speech feature make it very easy to see where you’re going and what you need to do. It also displays what you need to do next in the lower-left-hand corner. The interface TomTom provides is well-designed and easy to navigate. The unit is also very responsive and there’s virtually no lag whatsoever when switching between screens. It takes a few seconds to calculate the route but it happens so fast you will likely not even notice it. It’s also able to quickly re-calculate a route if you miss a turn.
The points of interest (POI) database is large and all-inclusive. TomTom also provides the functionality to edit the POI database, and it’s most useful for adding new categories, which you can then populate with your own destinations. Aside from basic navigation there’s not too much you can do with the ONE XL S. That's fine, after all it is a GPS unit designed for car navigation. But keep in mind that there is no music or movie player, no photo slideshows or any of the other add-on type of features we normally see.
When you’re not in your car you can attach the ONE XLS to your computer via the included USB cable and allow it to install the TomTom Home software. The software is very well-designed and has a lot of great features. Once you connect the device it will automatically look for updates to anything installed on the device, such as the Home software or new updates to maps if you choose to join the Map Share program. Aside from updates you can backup the device to your computer, see the items on the device, get updated maps and browse accessories.
The ONE XL S offers very solid navigational performance at a reasonable price point. It’s easy to configure and use, and most users would be able to be up and running in just a few minutes, which is great. The text-to-speech feature is very good and so is the Map Share, the free downloads and the free updates. All in all the XLS is better than the flagship GO 920 T just because it’s not as complicated, is still easy to use, and costs a lot less. We strongly recommend it.
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