New Top of the Line Model Ever?

[offthegrid]

Just looking for feedback. Opinions on whether TomTom will ever come out with a new Live model to replace the 2535M Live?

Plus with all the updates is th 2535M Live working any better than it was? The most recent reviews on Amazon are horrible.

 

[mvl]

I think sales will guide Tomtom. My assumption is that Tomtom makes far more money with iPhone app sales and accompanying HD traffic, than with LIVE PND sales in the USA. And when TT supports the Galaxy S3 by year-end, that will only exacerbate the issue.

If my assumption is true, we'll never see another LIVE PND in the USA.

 

[offthegrid]

You're right MVL and I've seen your posts about the traffic info coming really fast on the software version. I'm thinking Nexus 7 with a mifi.

You think the resolution issue will be resolved soon?

 

[canderson]

Personal opinion - they need to start over with the entire visual presentation for their smart phone software. ANY of the TomTom 4.3" PNDs are vastly easier to read in a similar screen size and don't even have the benefit of the higher resolution of a Galaxy Siii or Nexus or ...

 

[mvl]

Last I heard, Tomtom still says they're on track to deliver high-res Android by Christmas. They did caveat that they can't promise support for all high-res devices this round, they'll try to get as many as they can but did promise at least Galaxy S3 support.

canderson, I agree that there's lots of work left to do to get Android visual representation and features on par with their PNDs, but in my use case the speed/reliability of the HD traffic connection is worth all the other compromises.

 

[canderson]

The HD traffic is why I'm so fond of my to Live models. Oddly, we haven't been hurt in the Denver area on Live connections as has been the case in some regions, so I've had no real complaints that would cause me to depend upon my Galaxy Nexus for traffic (yet). We'll see what tune I start to sing when 2G service starts to disappear in earnest, though! If TT doesn't sort that problem out pronto, the phone option may be all that's left to many of us.

 

[offthegrid]

One more question. Is there a way to use Google search as opposed to TT Places with the software version?

Places would be fine if it gave phone numbers with the info. It doesn't online anyway.

 

[canderson]

Negative. Since Google and TomTom parted ways, it's no longer an option for search .. which is too bad, since most of us liked the Google version better.

 

[mvl]

Tt places gives phone numbers on the US Android app. I assume it is the same on USs PNDs.

 

[- et -]

Tt places gives phone numbers on the US Android app. I assume it is the same on USs PNDs.

I just tried it on my Go LIVE 1535, using Places to find restaurants near me.

It not only had the phone number available, but gave me the option to call using my paired phone, just by tapping the phone icon on the info page that popped up for a selected restaurant.

With best wishes,
- Tom -

 

[Andy_P]

Which would be great if TT Places actually FOUND anywhere useful....

 

[mvl]

Its different per country. In the USA tt places is powered by yellowbook, so listings are pretty good.

 

[Andy_P]

Any idea who "powers" it in the UK?

 

[canderson]

Based upon the quality of the results reported in the UK, Austin, I suspect.

 

[canderson]

Its different per country. In the USA tt places is powered by yellowbook, so listings are pretty good.

I'd have to disagree if only because the search engine itself is so poor. The N.A. "Local Search" engine is overly fussy about spelling, and is incapable of performing adequately on certain simple matches like "supermarket". I can't say that the yellowbook database is at fault, but the access to that database suffers badly from the search engine implementation. Pulling up "supermarket" on the yellowpages web site itself returns all of the relevant entries. Doing the same thing on my 1535 Live does not! So there's some sort of disconnect between my UI attempts, TomTom's server's translation of my attempt, and the yellowbook database.

 

[offthegrid]

Yellowbook is pretty good directly but it sounds as if its a custom version for TT. Giving phone numbers though is important. The web version looks like someone ran a towel through a wash with bleach. Just blah.

BTW Slashgear is reporting a new version of the Android software that fixes the resolution and ads some new features. Hopefully that covers the Nexus 7. I'm stoked.

http://www.slashgear.com/tomtom-updates-android-navigation-app-06259792/

 

[canderson]

When you do a 'Local Search' here in the U.S., the specific information you have requested (whatever it is you have typed on the screen) is sent back to TomTom. TomTom then has to turn that request into a query to the yellowbook database. How TomTom is forming that query to the yellowbook API is a mystery, but there's clearly a HUGE difference between that query and the one that yellowbook itself supplies on the web when you visit their site directly.

And yes, the high res version of the Andoird app was released, and at least on the higher res phones (e.g., Galaxy Siii and Galaxy Nexus), it's working. I don't have a tablet to play with, so can't say just how it looks on those yet, but you should find that it shows up as installable on your Nexus 7 now at the store.

 

[mvl]

Android app 1.1 came out. It is supposed to support Nexus 7, but there is a bug at the moment with Google Play configuration, and the app won't download to a Nexus 7 yet. Tomtom is looking into what is wrong and trying to fix it.

 

[offthegrid]

That makes sense I can see what you're saying now.

When you do a 'Local Search' here in the U.S., the specific information you have requested (whatever it is you have typed on the screen) is sent back to TomTom. TomTom then has to turn that request into a query to the yellowbook database. How TomTom is forming that query to the yellowbook API is a mystery, but there's clearly a HUGE difference between that query and the one that yellowbook itself supplies on the web when you visit their site directly.

And yes, the high res version of the Andoird app was released, and at least on the higher res phones (e.g., Galaxy Siii and Galaxy Nexus), it's working. I don't have a tablet to play with, so can't say just how it looks on those yet, but you should find that it shows up as installable on your Nexus 7 now at the store.

 

[offthegrid]

I bought an XL 340m Live till the Nexus thing is fixed. I've been away from TT for awhile (2 Garmins died within a year).

I forgot how good the traffic info is. Really amazing even on a slow device.