Tom Tom Navigator 6 Software with Maps of the US and Canada (DVD) Electronics

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Average Buyer Rating: out of 5 stars

Sales Rank:

Binding: Electronics
Product Brand: TomTom
EAN: 0636926015004
Label: TomTom
Product Manufacturer: TomTom
Model: 1T90.080
Publisher: TomTom
Studio: TomTom

Piece facts:
Navigator 6 application software with complete maps of the US and Canada on DVD
Crystal clear 2D and 3D graphics with 65,000 colors and Nightview for optimized viewing
Features touch-screen menu, phone-function compatibility, real-time information (with Plus service), and 37 different spoken languages
Compatible with most popular brands and models of PDAs, including the Palm Treo
Requires a PDA with GPS functionality, and a PC or Mac for updates and synchronization

0ur opinion:

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NAV6 software only (maps of US and Canada on DVD)

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With the TomTom Navigator 6 Software with Maps of the US and Canada (DVD) you never need to be lost again, wherever you are, whatever you are doing. TomTom's Navigator 6 software is designed for people who already own a PDA with GPS functionality, or a PDA with Bluetooth and a separate Bluetooth GPS receiver. This package provides all the Navigator 6 software with maps of the complete US and Canada on a DVD, which once installed on your PDA will let you know not only where you are going, but exactly how best to get there.

The TomTom Navigator 6 software is not only effortless to install, but easy to use with a touch-screen user menu that gives you an intuitive navigation experience, and an inherent portability that lets you take it with you anywhere, whether in your car, on your bike, or on foot. The TomTom Navigator 6 software has complete maps of the United States, including Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico, as well as all the Canadian provinces. This software gives you the convenience of thousands of pre-installed Points of lnterest from restaurants to gas stations, allowing you to search by proximity to your current location, along your route, near a specific city and more, as well as letting you plan your route to fit your requirements, be they quickest, shortest, avoiding toll roads, or many others.

Navigator 6 not only guides you from door to door, but can navigate directly to contacts from your PDA address book, complete with stopovers and itinerary planning for routing to multiple destinations while adding stopping points. The user-friendly interface features a tip system for when you are just getting started, an optional compass display, and the ability to show a route demonstration so you can better know what things are going to look like in advance.

TomTom's Navigator 6 system provides you with crystal clear 2D or 3D graphics, in a brilliant 65,000 colors and 'Nightview' for optimized visibility. This navigation system includes realistic visual instructions that replicate road signs to make them easier to follow, and a pedestrian-centric map option that lets you view your position with a fixed position in 2D that can be zoomed in and out for better orientation when you are navigating on foot. Navigator 6 features friendly north-up navigation for easier orientation, automatic route recalculation if a user takes a wrong turn, and auto-scaling software so it will fit any PDA screen. Suitable for almost anybody, the user interface application comes with support for some 22 languages covering virtually all of Europe from Turkish to Flemish, Lithuanian to Catalan, while the spoken directions come in 37 different languages that include with the European languages such options as Chinese, Thai, Japanese and more.

Full of smart extras and additional options, the TomTom Navigator 6 system includes TomTom Home software to manage all the files on your device, get new updates on your PC or Mac in advance, and more, as well as supporting a wide range of TomTom Plus services and downloads. TomTom Plus lets you receive real-time, up-to-the-minute traffic information, with jam alerts and road condition warnings, as well as use instant messaging and more to keep in touch with a selected group of people, including tracking their location. TomTom Plus is an optional, cost-based service that can be accessed through Navigator 6 at any time.

Designed to be ultimately safe, Navigator 6 software provides for easy call handling for PDAs with calling functionality, with on-screen instructions that remain visible while making phone calls or receiving SMS messages, as well as the ability to dial a point of interest. The navigation system not only encourages you to get from A to B as safely as possible, but alerts you to when you are speeding, even if you are not in navigation mode. The TomTom Navigator 6 software is compatible with most popular brands and models of PDAs, including; Acer, Dell, Eten, Fujitsu Siemens, HP, lmate, 02, 0range, Palm Treo, Qtek, T-Mobile, and Nokia.

What's in the Box
Navigation 6 software on DVD with application and maps of the US and Canada, full user's manual, installation guide, quick-start guide, and product code card.

Testimonials

Average Buyer Rating: out of 5 stars

Buyer's feedback: 1 out of 5 stars

- * Disappointed ...
I found this software difficult to use and overall, a waste of money. I bought it to use on my HP iPAQ but after much effort I gave up on it. Having said that, it could be the user and not the software. Delivery was fast. :(

Buyer's feedback: 3 out of 5 stars

- Help for those who buy
This was the only product I could find that provides software and maps (only) for a GPS-enabled PDA/phone. I thus purchased it for my new HTC Touch Cruise PDA running Windows Mobile 6. I was suspicious finding both highly positive and negative reviews, but hoped things had improved since they were written. I was further encouraged when prompted to upgrade from version 1.03 to 1.5, but then the reality hit. Here is what you should know:

INSTALLATION--This remains a nightmare as reported. There is no step-by-step wizard and you are thrown into a program where you select the PDA operating system, the maps, and the voices. When I tried to install the program, a dialog box informed me automatic registration was not available and that I would need to manually register online. When I attempted that, the three 5-digit Product Code was recognized, but when they asked for a Device ID described as two 5-digit sequences from the PDA, I couldn't find one. I sought answers in the printed manual (very thin), the PDF manual (also anemic) and online TomTom Q&A files without success. After a full hour of searching the Internet, I in desperation disconnected and reconnected my PDA and now suddenly could install the maps. TomTom apparently found the hidden 128 bit "universally unique DeviceID," but would not memorize the product code that has to be entered each time you add another map.

There are many maps listed, but many of them overlap without specifying if they are standalone (they are) or combined into a single database when installed (they are not). Living in Colorado, I didn't know whether to install USA & Canada, Western US, UT-CO-AZ-NM, NV-WY-ID-UT-CO or all four. Unlike other products (like Garmin's MapSource), you do not see what states are included in area map selections (e.g., Western US did NOT include CO). I later concluded they provide multiple area combinations to minimize storage requirements on your PDA, but that is never stated.

Once finally installed, TomTom couldn't find a GPS signal. Since Google Maps automatically found the signal, I didn't expect needing to assign a COM port (I chose COM4) and serial bus speed (I chose the fastest). The installation guide was non-existent, and searching the PDF manual yielded no hits.

PROGRAM--Once installed, navigating the software is intuitive, and there are a number of customizable features. You have the ability to review your route, browse maps and display addresses by clicking on roads. I really like the ability to go to any address within my Outlook Contact Manager. Map detail is good, but I found missing road modifications three years out of date. Speed of calculation is excellent, and recalculation when going off track is remarkably fast. They have found a way to display much information on a small screen, and it is customizable. Auto zooming in and out around a turn point is smooth and excellent. Routing is sometimes serpentine and can take you through residential areas when only slightly longer arteries are preferable. There is a nice setting for auto, bicycling and walking speeds, although the calculated walking ETA is useless. The software doesn't report the side of street your destination will be found (like Garmin). There are too few POI's (points of interest) and their large font truncates most entries making searching a little difficult. The software also doesn't narrow down POI choices as you enter your search criteria. I finally wish this unit displayed available elevation information like some of the newer units.

SUMMARY--I have taken the time to write a review to help those who elect to buy this product. I have used many GPS devices (including TomTom), and while standalone units can be better at less cost, this is a credible tool to have on your PDA. It should not, however, take a fairly savvy PC user over two hours to muddle through the installation. I will keep and use this software because it does work and there is no alternative, but I hope TomTom is listening.

Buyer's feedback: 1 out of 5 stars

- * Does not work with Palm TX ...
Software on DVD does not support Palm TX. I have tried to upgrade from Navigator 5.0 to 6.0. I have find out on another forum, that for Palm TX Navigator 6.0 has to be preinstalled on the SD card.

Buyer's feedback: 1 out of 5 stars

- Not ready for prime time
I only wish I had read the reviews on Amazon before I purchased the TomTom Navigator 6 product last month.

Here are just some highlights of the problems I have had:

1. U.S. Maps are not current -- Roads in Orange County, California, more than three years old, are not on the maps.

2. The Company has a poor upgrade policy -- I bought the program with maps, expecting the maps to be reasonably current. Until you start using the maps there is no way of knowing whether they are current, as it is not disclosed on the software product. I discovered that after my purchase, the Company upgraded the maps. A customer service rep claims the new maps are two versions later than my version. Of course, you can buy the new maps and download them, but at a price nearly the price of the entire software product with maps.

3. Traffic function -- If the traffic function worked, it could be better than Google's free traffic information, and worth the annual fee. Why? Because TomTom traffic is supposed to actually reroute you, not just tell you the location of traffic. The problems, however, abound:

(a) the server can be down an entire weekend (like last weekend) without advance notice, and all you receive is a server error message;

(b) it is a chore (almost impossible) to figure out how to purcahse traffic for the U.S. (and I wasted a few hours trying to figure it out), but here's the funky solution: to purchase U.S. traffic, you actually purchase traffic for Europe, and then tell TomTom's web site that your country is The Netherlands (of course, these instructions were obtainable only from customer service);

(c) the traffic system, although it will reroute you, does not make it easy to actually see where the traffic snarl is (unlike Google), as it only displays in a very small size reflecting traffic on the entire route.

4. Customer Service -- The Company apparently fails to give its customer service reps much flexibility. I learned in following up on a problem through the electornic customer service system that the customer service reps have routine written answers that may or may not fit your question or comment. I received the verbatim response twice to an email thread where I said different things.

5. Product quality -- The CD that I received only works some of the time in my Windows XP CD-Rom drive. I have not had this problem with other CD's.

I feel like I am a sophisticated computer and pda user, but this product has frustrated me. I'm going back to using Google maps. And no, I don't own stock in Google.

Hoping I'll make a better purchase decision next time.

Buyer's feedback: 4 out of 5 stars

- * Helpful addition to my HTC Tilt ...
I purchased this program to use on my HTC Tilt. It was easy to load onto the phone, but getting everything tweaked so that it would work on my phone well was a challenge. I tried it out on a long trip that I know well just to see how it would perform. At first it was really frustrating because the display would freeze up, although the program continued to run because the voice directions still came in at the right time. I finally figured out that I had to increase the cache size on my phone - then the program worked like a charm. I did notice that the maps were not completely current and I am a bit frustrated that I have to shell out more money to get updated maps right after buying the program.

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The Wi-Fi Year in Review for 2007, and What to Expect in 2008

The rise and fall of muni-Fi (and rise again): Clearly, the largest story involving Wi-Fi in 2007 was the at-first continued growth in cities awarding contracts with no money involved on their part to have service providers build Wi-Fi networks--and the subsequent failure of these networks to be built. Starting quietly in late 2006, the market shifted for metro-scale Wi-Fi. During 2007, providers decided that bearing the full cost of a city-wide network without city contracts wasn't financially sensible.

The full scope of the low uptake rates in cities that had large portions of the network built out also became clear: rather than 15 to 35 percent of residents subscribing, just a few percentage points would put a network in the top tier. Revenue is apparently also pretty minimal even in cities like Taipei, Taiwan, the network provider for which was predicting 250,000 subscribers by the end of 2006, and had just 30,000 regular users each month at last public report in early 2007.

MetroFi started to tell cities that without an advance service commitment at a minimum level -- an anchor tenancy -- the company couldn't proceed on networks. In 2007, MetroFi lost half a dozen bids or saw contracts canceled due to this change. Its work in Portland, Ore., the biggest network it was building, won't be extended beyond current limited dimensions until additional capital or a city commitment is obtained; the city has said it won't commit to service fees, however.

Meanwhile, EarthLink lost its CEO Garry Betty in January due to cancer. A strong backer of new initiatives to change EarthLink's core business, his death was certainly one of the causes in a quick re-evaluation of the municipal wireless division. New CEO Rolla Huff pulled EarthLink out of new deals, suspended existing ones, laid off hundreds of employees while gutting the metro Wi-Fi division, and appears poised to leave currently built or underway networks, including their flagship Philadelphia effort. They may sell the division, but it's hard to see much worth in it given the current state.

In a smaller bit of news, Kite Networks, formerly known by various names, was sold by parent MobilePro to Gobility with conditions that according to SEC filings by MobilePro weren't met. Kite was once high flying, in the company of EarthLink and MetroFi as one of the major U.S. Wi-Fi network builders. Now it's still in that company, with work on its Arizona networks apparently halted. A suitor has emerged in the form of a regional telecom that specializes in the Hispanophone market (double entendre intended), and which thinks it could boost Tempe subscriptions from the current several hundred to about 300 times that number. Hope springs eternal.

And while AT&T was able to launch a Riverside, Calif., network with MetroFi handling the installation and operation, it backed out of St. Louis, Mo., due to a utility pole problem, and the bidding in Chicago, too. The Metro Connect consortiums in Sacramento and Silcion Valley were unable to raise financing despite the apparent blue-chip participation by Cisco, IBM, and Intel.

County-wide Wi-Fi was also hit again and again by providers who pulled out--CenturyTel in Pierce County, Wash., for instance--or problems with technology or utility poles. In a few scattered areas, Wi-Fi across counties has been built out, but it's not an idea whose time has yet come.

Muni-Fi isn't down for the count. While these high-profile networks in large cities and county-wide networks have mostly hit the skids, more modest networks with well-defined goals continue to be built with a focus on public safety and municipal uses in hundreds of small and medium-sized towns. Brookline, Mass., may be a good example, in which a public safety/public access network was built relatively quickly and with no reported problems.

And there's one big city success story: Minneapolis, Minn. While local provider US Internet wound up spending more than they'd intended, reports from the ground indicate that service works quite well, and subscriptions and interest are quite high. The company was able to respond almost instantly to the bridge collapse a few months ago by deploying additional mesh infrastructure to add network capacity in the area. And it says that it could reach positive cash flow in early 2008. One of their advantages? They secured a substantial commitment from the city for the services they built.

Other trends of the year gone by: Music and Wi-Fi are clearly more aligned, with the new Zune models and firmware from Microsoft allowing wireless sync (but not yet Wi-Fi purchases), and the introduction of both the Apple iPhone and iTunes touch, which allow music purchases over Wi-Fi but not synchronization. (While the MusicGremlin preceded both the Zune and iPhone/iPod options, it didn't seem to gain any market traction in 2007.)

Security continues to be a concern in 2007, although less of one as home users have clearly accepted WPA Personal, at long last, and networks are increasingly encrypted through better software from major hardware manufacturers. Wizards make encryption a no-brainer, when they work. Corporations stung by reports and by requirements from credit card issuers are also clearly protecting their networks better, although I'm sure we'll still see breaches at those firms that didn't cross every "t."

The 802.11n standard's emergence into an interim certified Wi-Fi state was also a significant milestone for faster wireless networking. Shipments of Draft 802.11n products in 2007 increased significantly, while prices dropped so much that it makes perfect sense to purchase a $50 to $80 Draft N router than a comparable G unit. Manufacturers made it clear as the year progressed that hardware sold today should generally be firmware upgradable to whatever the final, not much changed 802.11n standard is when approved in 2008.

Gadget-Fi continued on the rise, as an increasing array of devices included Wi-Fi as a connectivity option. Most notably, T-Mobile launched its HotSpot@Home service, the largest scale offering of converged cell/Wi-Fi calling. By year's end, they had four handsets for sale--two plain, a BlackBerry, and a clamshell--but subscriber numbers are unknown.

What's coming in 2008?

In-flight Internet (over Wi-Fi): 2008 is finally the year. It was supposed to be 2005. Or maybe 2002. But we should see a number of planes, mostly flying over the U.S., equipped with either in-flight Internet access or in-flight text messaging and text email. Connexion by Boeing's failure fortunately didn't discourage a half a dozen competitors who were in the R&D phase when Boeing wrote off its satellite-based Internet access venture.

AirCell, Row 44, OnAir, Aeromobile, Panasonic Avionics, and a T-Mobile consortium are among the announced or nearly announced firms with commitments or trials underway. AirCell and Row 44, focused on the U.S. market, plan to deliver Internet not voice to fuselages; OnAir and Aeromobile are working on mobile-based services, including voice, via existing cell phones and devices.

In 2008, American, Alaska, and Virgin America will launch trials over the U.S., and potentially move into production. OnAir should be expanding in Europe beyond the single French aircraft that's equipped in a trial now to RyanAir's fleet. And Aeromobile's Qantas trial could turn into real usage. There's likely action that will happen in Asia and the Middle East, too, that's not yet disclosed.

Other trends to watch

Wi-Fi in every smartphone with better integration. The iPhone was the leading edge, pun intended, offering 2.5G EDGE cell networking as part of the subscription price, along with seamless roaming to Wi-Fi networks. With RIM finally offering BlackBerry models with Wi-Fi, it's unlikely that any future smartphone model intended for serious users would lack the option.

Wi-Fi everywhere. Despite the setbacks in municipal Wi-Fi, wireless networks continue to expand, with better and better coverage found across larger areas and more locations. 2008 might be the year of hotspot saturation.

WiMax arrives. In 2008, we'll finally see production mobile WiMax in action in the U.S., and the questions about whether it works well enough and fast enough at the right price to beat current generation cell data networks, and make money for the disorganized Sprint Nextel will be answered. More certainly, Clearwire, with WiMax as its only option, will push aggressively to steal customers away from fixed, wired broadband, especially in markets with little competition.

Gadget-Fi a go-go. Wi-Fi will become an expected part of gaming consoles (already found in a few), cameras (found in crippled form in just a handful), regular cell phones (in dozens and dozens now), and music players (with more full functionality).

via Wi-Fi Networking News

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