Navigation in the SmartCar

[tomgreag]

TomTom NV is the world's largest navigation solution provider, developing products with an emphasis on innovation, quality, ease of use and value. TomTom's products include all-in-one navigation devices which enable customers to navigate right out of the box; including the award-winning TomTom GO family, the TomTom ONE range and the TomTom RIDER (for motorcycles). TomTom also provides navigation software products which integrate with third party devices; the TomTom NAVIGATOR software for PDAs and smartphones. TomTom WORK combines industry leading communication and smart navigation technology with leading edge tracking and tracing expertise. TomTom's products are sold through a network of leading retailers in 25 countries and online. TomTom was founded in 1991 in Amsterdam and has offices in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific.

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[ifishcat]

:cough: :cough:

was that a word from our sponsor?

... and now back to the regular program...

[Evilution]

If Tomtom are so good, why did smart go for a Garmin unit?

I'll tell you why, because Tomtom decided that dock connections were a bad idea when they are actually a very good idea AND they decided not to make the radio mute available on external pins, along with speaker outputs.

Tomtom seem to think we want to use FM transmitters for lousy navigation sound instead of a simple wired connection that mutes the stereo to play the instructions.

Many Garmin products, however, still have the dock, mute and audio out.

I much prefer being able to just connect my sat nav to the preinstalled dock, it is then connected to the car battery for charging, connected to the extended antenna for even better reception, mute connected to the stereo so the music mutes and audio connected to the stereo so it plays the commands through the car speakers.
You can do all of that with the original Tomtom Go Classic but after that they started trying to be clever.

Some people don't want an all in 1, navigate straight from the box sat nav, some want the option to make it work with the car. The Tomtom speakers are good but not as good as the ones I play my stereo through.

Oh, and if you have ever had the misfortune to deal with Tomtom customer services, you would never buy another Tomtom again. Garmin on the other hand are polite and accurate and will actually reply to an email.

[Fredvon4]

And a LOT to do with portable nav units has to do with what we need them for.

Wife and I perfectly know our local and regional area well enough to not really need or desire the Nav unit in our private cars. But we both travel extensively to distant cities and countries. We suffered early years of Crap Garmin units and horrid customer service. Today we are loyal TomTom 720 owners... never needed customer service the units are perfect for OUR needs Right out of the box.

This is NOT meant to imply that Kane's observations are irrelevant...in fact he makes an excellent case for the Garmin units...

Both devices have good and bad points and I am sure my bad experience years ago with the Garmin product and the human who sucked on the phone were NOT typical.

While Kane is technically correct that the TomTom does NOT come with a dock option for cars... it is relatively easy for guys like he and I to adapt it with the provided desk dock wired for DC power, and the wired "Line out" into a aftermarket HU that mutes on line in input active sense

[david.dent]

The idea of the Smart Car emerged when Derek Smart noticed that things like phones, computers, mp3 players, and hedgehogs, were all getting smaller, so that one can fit all these things into a pocket and carry them around easily. They thought, “Hey, let's make a guitar amplifier that’s small enough to fit in a shirt pocket!” Others pointed out that Smart had no manufacturing background in the music industry, and that they should make a car instead.

The result was the forone, Gps Navigation System a car small enough to fit in a shirt pocket! Others again pointed at that this was a stupid idea, as no-one could drive it from A to B. Having not realised this was a pre-requisite for a car, Smart set about creating the fortwo. Smart came across some minor difficulties in making a car big enough to fit at least 2 people in and could collapse into a size small enough to fit in a shirt pocket. of the Smart Car emerged when Derek Smart noticed that things like phones, computers, mp3 players, and hedgehogs, were all getting smaller, so that one can fit all these things into a pocket and carry them around easily. They thought, “Hey, let's make a guitar amplifier that’s small enough to fit in a shirt pocket!” Others pointed out that Smart had no manufacturing background in the music industry, and that they should make a car instead.

The result was the forone, a car small enough to fit in a shirt pocket! Others again pointed at that this was a stupid idea, as no-one could drive it from A to B. Having not realised this was a pre-requisite for a car, Smart set about creating the fortwo. Smart came across some minor difficulties in making a car big enough to fit at least 2 people in and could collapse into a size small enough to fit in a shirt pocket.Tomtom.com

[alexpnn]

HI ,

We are a taxi company Hummingbird Cars in London. We provide Airport Transfer service from all london airports.

We have recently started our new business and we require to buy Car navigation system or Tom Toms . Can anyone suggest which company is the best and where we can get the best deals.

Thank you

Alex

[John_H]

Since I doubt smarts are used as Taxis, why do you believe this forum will provide good answers?

[JPaul]

Originally Posted by John_H

Since I doubt smarts are used as Taxis, why do you believe this forum will provide good answers?

Probably because Alex was searching for a "navigation device" in the US since we have a wide and "affordable" market, this independently from the vehicle... IMHO.

[RVGRINGO]

Ok, I'm old enough that I don't want these gadgets and can't understand why anyone would want them. I've managed over 30 countries on the ground and in the air with normal mapping and without getting lost. Save money; use your brain.

[jwight]

Originally Posted by RVGRINGO

Ok, I'm old enough that I don't want these gadgets and can't understand why anyone would want them. I've managed over 30 countries on the ground and in the air with normal mapping and without getting lost. Save money; use your brain.

Pre-GPS I would have agreed; after a recent visit to the UK and Normandy, with our Garmin in rental cars, I have to say they can be a life saver - foreign country, limited language skills (France, not the UK), need to find an out-of-the-way hotel or restaurant, and then navigate to it - can be done without a GPS but much easier with one IMHO. YMMV, of course.