Windows Phone Thoughts: Son of Road Trip - TomTom Navigator Bluetooth GPS reviewed

Fine Tuning Your Route
One of my standard test routes provided the perfect opportunity to test TomTom's "avoid roads" functionality. During one of my first tests of a Pocket PC navigation system, I had some significant problems when trying to tailor this lengthy route to my liking... in fact, I was never able to get even close to my preferred route. So I tried the same route with TomTom to see if it could do any better. This is a route from my home in a suburb of Milwaukee to Green Bay. Most navigation software packages calculate a route through downtown Milwaukee, while I prefer another route that uses different highways and avoids the downtown core. And not surprisingly, when left to its own devices, TomTom created a route through downtown. Not a problem, as long as alternatives are available. I chose to avoid the main eastbound interstate highway (I-94), and TomTom's new route did indeed avoid downtown. I had to "avoid" one more major highway to get closer to my preferred route, but the final route varied only slightly from the route I would have chosen myself, and I could have gotten it there exactly with a little more work.

As another test, I tried the configurable "avoid area" box on the map, and selected both of the highways that I had "avoided" earlier, along with a larger surrounding area. When I did that, TomTom gave me my preferred route in one step.

There is another solution to this issue available with Pharos Ostia and Destinator 3 that is lacking in this version of TomTom… the ability to set multiple waypoints on a route. You can specify a handful of waypoints along the route that you actually want, and they'll coax the navigation software in that direction. Multiple waypoints are very useful for trips that have multiple stops. TomTom Navigator 2, the version being reviewed and the most current version for the US, doesn't offer such waypoints. TomTom Navigator 3, the most current version in Europe, has added this feature. As I understand it, TomTom doesn't intend to offer TomTom Navigator 3 in the US, but will bring the versions into feature parity with TomTom Navigator 4, which will be available in all markets. The timeframe for this is unknown.

Conclusions
The hardware portion of the TomTom package is very impressive. The Bluetooth GPS receiver is the smallest that I've encountered, but its small size doesn't hamper its performance. Its GPS and Bluetooth sensitivity and connectivity are top notch, as is battery life. And the custom mount and other accessories included are impressive as well.

The TomTom software is nearly as impressive. The routes seem well planned for the most part, and the maps and instructions are very clear. The voice prompts are also clear and very informative. It's easily the most stable navigation software package that I've used. The "avoid roads" feature is easy to use and very effective. However, the lack of waypoints is a downside compared to the competition, and the generally well-designed interface suffers a bit from hard-to-find menus. These points aside, it's a very well designed product overall.

So, how about my earlier question regarding TomTom as compared to the competitors that I've reviewed? Let's just say that if I didn't already own navigation software that I like (Destinator 3), it would be a difficult choice between the two. However, I don't feel compelled to switch at this point. I'd give TomTom Navigator a nearly unqualified recommendation if it weren't for the lack of waypoints. When version 4 is released and the waypoints issue is addressed, I'll check it out and ask the same questions again. However, if waypoints aren't a key feature for you, then the current version of TomTom deserves strong consideration.