New TT owner, lots of questions

[twistrman]

So i got a new TT One XL for christmas. I've been playing with it pretty much since i got it. I found your site a couple days ago and have read a lot of it already, but i still have some questions. hopefully you guys can help me out. i'm still kind of on the edge if i'm keeping it or not, which i don't even know if i could return it, so who knows.

1. i know there's a ton of posts on this, but does anyone know why the ETA is off by such a large amount. This is one of the most valuable parts of the TT for me and it's ridiculous. It says a trip i know takes 5.25 hours takes 6.75. So an hour and a half off. I drove between my inlaws and my parents house, it says it takes 35 minutes. But it really takes only between 10-15. So i started comparing trips on google maps, a lot were way off,and others were close... what the heck is up with this.

2. i'm still a little confused by the whole maps stuff. so as far as i know i have the latest maps, they are 710.??? (i don't have it with me for the exact number) but these are the USA and Canada maps, correct? And from what i can see there are also more detailed North American maps. How much more detailed are they. Do i want them that bad? How much are they (the TT website is no help, and the TT home program on the mac seems to be stupid as well). it just seems like they would have a good map os the us and use it, not 2 different versions, ship with one then want a good amount of money for the other..

so i think those are my 2 main concerns. i don't know if i want to keep it yet or get a garmin instead. i've used my dads streetpilot c340, and that thing always gets me there and the time seems to be right on. it doesn't seem like it's trying to take me wierd ways, or turn down a road, go 3 miles, do a u-turn and go right back, which makes no sense. i just like the tomtom, and it was a gift...

 

[46jimbo]

2. The North America map won't fit in the internal memory. You will have to purchase a 2 gb sd card to run it.

It appears that the street mapping is the same as USA_Canada. The difference is in details like bodies of water, etc. that appear on the map. And the POI file is larger.

So is it worth paying for at this stage? I doubt it. Wait a while until you think you need a new map. Then you might consider a change like this.

 

[fanchee]

Hi there. While I love my TomTom for many reasons, the ETA feature is not one of them. I have to admit that Garmin does a MUCH better job on ETA. So if that's the number one most important thing to you, perhaps you'd be better served with a Garmin. Personally, that drawback is outweighed by many other positive things about the TT. I much prefer my TomTom unit to my Garmin unit.

 

[twistrman]

Hi there. While I love my TomTom for many reasons, the ETA feature is not one of them. I have to admit that Garmin does a MUCH better job on ETA. So if that's the number one most important thing to you, perhaps you'd be better served with a Garmin. Personally, that drawback is outweighed by many other positive things about the TT. I much prefer my TomTom unit to my Garmin unit.

what are the things that you like about your tomtom better? it seems like no matter how much i read up on things like this, i'm still on the edge. i think the garmin nuvi 200 wide screen is comparable to the TT one XL and are basically the same price right now. i'm just always an indecisive person. i'm glad someone bought one for me because if it was up to me, i'd probably never pick one for sure.

for the time inaccuracy, does anyone know why this happens, why is it so off? i can live with it, it's just annoying. is there any hints are tomtom fixing this in the future. for people on other countries is it the same way or is it just the north american area. I just seems like they would realize that it is so wrong.

and i know i would have to get a 2bg card, that's not a problem, they're like $15. i guess i just don't really understand the point of 2 sets of maps for the same place, why not just do the detailed ones.

 

[Smokiewolf]

what are the things that you like about your tomtom better? it seems like no matter how much i read up on things like this, i'm still on the edge. i think the garmin nuvi 200 wide screen is comparable to the TT one XL and are basically the same price right now. i'm just always an indecisive person. i'm glad someone bought one for me because if it was up to me, i'd probably never pick one for sure.

for the time inaccuracy, does anyone know why this happens, why is it so off? i can live with it, it's just annoying. is there any hints are tomtom fixing this in the future. for people on other countries is it the same way or is it just the north american area. I just seems like they would realize that it is so wrong.

and i know i would have to get a 2bg card, that's not a problem, they're like $15. i guess i just don't really understand the point of 2 sets of maps for the same place, why not just do the detailed ones.

I think the main reason that ETAs are inaccurate is beacuse they have to assume that you'll actually follow the speed limit! I've never actually tried it, but that would be an interesting experiment!
I just bought the 710 usa and canada maps, and I'm waiting until there is a new version is released before I buy the SD card and get the NA maps.

 

[twistrman]

I think the main reason that ETAs are inaccurate is beacuse they have to assume that you'll actually follow the speed limit! I've never actually tried it, but that would be an interesting experiment!
I just bought the 710 usa and canada maps, and I'm waiting until there is a new version is released before I buy the SD card and get the NA maps.

i don't think it has much to do with the actual speed limit at all. i planned a route and then ran it as a demo, on roads where the speed limit is 55 it was driving around 41... sounds like it's being a little too careful there.

my wife took it with her yesterday, and the route i had planned out said it would take around 7 hours, and it took 5.25. I don't think she would have made it that much faster by speeding slightly she would have had to go like 100mph. i've made the same drive as well, and it's never taken over 5.5 hrs.

Or when it said it would take me 35 minutes to go 5 miles, when it's a 10 minute drive....

 

[tuckermans]

I must be lucky cause in New England, my ETA is only off by 15-20 minutes. I figured cause I was not going the speed limit. My question to all which I posted and got no real answer is all the streets I checked showed a speed limit of 60 MPH, will that throw the ETA way off, but like i said mine has only been 15-20 minutes off on long drivers, over 2 hrs.