Advice: how does TomTom One compare?

[JPA]

I apologize if this post isn't appropriate for this forum, but i am looking to buy a navigation system and am leaning towards a TomTom - ONE LE GPS (mainly because it is on sale for $150).

All I am looking for is a good, functional GPS system that will get me from point A to point B just by plugging in an address. I don't need any big frills. A couple people have told me to get a Garmin, but they are significantly more expensive. How do other GPS systems compare to the TomTom model I'm looking at? Or to put it another way, what would paying $200+ more for a different system get me that the TomTom doesn't have?

Any and all advice is appreciated. Thanks for your help.

 

[itguy05]

I'm not new to GPS - I've got a built in one in my car (03 Infiniti), have a handheld Garmin for hiking, and picked up a LE for the wife's car and when we travel. I know people with the Garmins as well. Truth is, you can't go wrong with either manufacturer. Both have their strong and weak points, but overall you can't beat either one.

What I would stay away from is the cheap, lesser known brands. The feeling I get is many companies buy a "reference" design based on Windows CE, get some off the shelf software with maps and call it a day. For me, I'm not going to support Bill Gates' expansion of Windows into everything (it belongs nowhere) so I won't even consider any device with Windows or MS technology in it.

Politics and computing aside, map data is the lifeblood of these things and updates are critical. I'd rather go with the #1, #2 (Tomtom and Garmin) or even #3 (Magellan although those units are WinCE based) rather than some no-name company that won't be around in a couple years. Also, you have to be concerned about OS upgrades, which seem to be coming from both Garmin and Tomtom at a good clip.

That being said, I've got one of the best units in my car (Nissan) and the Tomtom One LE is 98% on par with that unit. I have not updated it since '04 when the car was built, and the TT seems to have more POI's and a little better UI. The car's nav has more features and a better waypoint/itinerary system.

All in all, the TT One LE is a great basic GPS system - it will get you where you need to be, it has some great features, and at the price of $150 is a steal. I got ours on Black Friday and it was worth the wait at 4am!