TomTom One XL Portable GPS Review - Features
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The features in the TomTom One XL are very similar to the ones found in the TomTom One, with the exception of the RDS-TMC traffic receiver compatibility. The traffic receiver will warn you of traffic congestion or adverse weather conditions up ahead so that you may find an alternate route to your destination. This feature can be quite useful in larger cities where traffic is always a problem and avoiding it can save you from both traffic jams and road rage.
The traffic receiver does not come with the purchase of the XL which is easily connected to the bottom of the unit, making installation a breeze. In order to use the traffic receiver, you must also subscribe to TomTom Traffic service. I was not able to find an exact price of the traffic receiver as it is not yet available in the United States, but I did find an estimate of about $135 for the receiver. I have found that the traffic receiver comes in the box in some European countries. It is very disappointing that the American version of the XL does not come with this feature.
Some of the internal features of this GPS system are excellent and very user-friendly. This device has all of the options that you would expect from a
portable GPS system, including point of interest search, alternate route, fastest route, shortest route, and many more options. I especially like the POI options, which include POI near you, POI in city, POI near home, POI along route, and POI near destination. There is a large database of POI in this device including
restaurants, hotels, and gas stations. The XL will give the user a list of POI and show how far away each POI actually is. The XL adjusts routes extremely quickly when the user chooses to go to a restaurant or gas station, for example, along the way.
The screen displays all of the information you would need to know while driving to your destination. Along the bottom of the screen, you can find the distance remaining until you need to turn as well as the direction of the turn, the time remaining before you need to turn, the time remaining until you reach your destination, the road you are currently traveling on, and the actual time. The upper two-thirds of the LCD will show the actual map you are using for the trip. The map can be viewed in 2-D or 3-D.
The American version of the TomTom One XL comes fully equipped with maps for Canada and the entire United States. Other maps may be added via the SD card
slot for other countries if desired. The SD card slot may also be used to input videos and pictures into the XL. The user also has the option of changing the voice commands of the XL to 36 different languages as well as the option of choosing between 55 different voices with various accents built in to this device.
I mentioned earlier that a traffic receiver may be hooked up to the XL to get the latest traffic and weather reports. This device is also compatible with Bluetooth-enabled phones, which it can also use to get the traffic reports. This will require the TomTom Plus subscription service. This service will give the user traffic reports, weather information, and allow the user to download various custom voices as well as other custom options.
In the box of the American version of the XL, you will find the following items:
car charger
USB cable
windshield/dash mount
software CD
reference material/ 1-year limited warranty card
Overall, I found the features in the TomTom One XL to be on par with the competition. The user-friendly interface of this unit really separates it from the
competition. I like all of the customization which can be applied to each unit such as various voices and color schemes. The LCD display is large, colorful, and easy to see in most conditions. I think that almost anyone would find this device easy to figure out, and enjoy the bright and colorful display.
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