Reviewed: TomTom GO LIVE 1000

[AntonM]

I'm way behind with TT developments, still using an early version on a Palm TX which, as a credit to TT, still works pretty well, the main problem being out of date maps.

Trivial though this may seem, can one still use other voices? I've got really used to Joanna Lumley's dulcet tones and English pronunciation, and really don't like the standard TT-supplied "English female" voices. The voice is obviously one of the most frequently accessed parts of any satnav system, and thus significant part of one's perception of a pleasant-to-use system.

It's not a show-stopper, but it would be nice to know, when I do upgrade, what to expect.
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Anton

[Darren]

[Gee-Pee]

Excellent review. I have been using this device since it became available and I am delighted with it. The only thing I miss is being able to update/install PGPSW safety cams or indeed other POIs.

[stanjackos]

xtraseller thinks the Go Live 1000 is the best TomTom device so far. I say its the worst, in fact, its worse than the worst, its a disfunctional Foetus born prematurely!!!!

No memory expansion option, no third party POI support, no backup option, no map update option, no itinerary function, no Bluetooth line out function, no voice download option, no Fuel Prices option. Who`s he kidding.

Unfortunately there is something worse than the above - they actually want you to pay £250 for it!

So xtraseller, I think the reviewers have been insanely generous in awarding 6/10 and therefore in summation, my advice is get rid of it, have it put down, use it has a cristal ball and see if you can forsee any more madcap predictions. Cloud based storage, over the air map updates via a flaky GPRS infrastructure, I think the only thing that`s based in the clouds is you.

I know that you proudly list a vast number of navigational devices so here is a Top Tip, add a compass, some paper maps and a sundial to it, they will be more functional than your Go Live 1000 !!!!!!

[TED21]

I've used an XL live for 12 months, it's been back 4 times on top of numerous back-ups & changes to the software by TT on line so, my words are; Don't buy one.
The report seems to tell the truth about how the 1000 works and IF there is any backup for it.
TT have put an item on the market that is NOT finished. TT want sales before xmas seemingly with a product that might work for more than a month or two.
Oh how the public stand for unfinished products but, who cares? I doubt if TT do because IF they did, they would not release a product that is not totally complete.
Just a comment on TT help line, they are very helpful it's just a shame the product is ****

[Darren]

I've added a note to the opening post here. TomTom have now provided a roadmap for the restoration of the missing features via MyTomTom.

This is welcome news. In the spirit of fairness I have also posted the information and link at the start of my GO 1000 review so that buyers can have all the information they need.

If TomTom fulfill their promises then we will re-visit the review once the missing features are present and re-assess the review and our overall score.
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Darren Griffin

[bmwpc]

First I think the new cord system is horrible due to it's being a separate jack not a mini or standard USB. What about eveyone who had gone to the trouble, time and expense to hide the power cable in their car. Now they have to remove it each time just to update. A very poor decision and I am stunned this wasn't considered. WHY do they need a proprietary plug? Don't they realize there probably alrready is a copy availble from China.

The deletion of bluetooth is just another cost cutter that saves about $2 per unit.

TomTom, IMO, has now fallen behind Garmin with features. It appears that what they want to become is a 100% Nav unit only. well, that;s fine if you plan on charging less than $75 because there are several other ones out there at that price that will do nav just as well and almost all still have some of the features the "new" TomTom will lack. The old GO 800 and 900's ,IMO are still the best units they have ever made and clearly feature giant killers to this new unit. I bought a 540xxl to replace my 930 after I broke it. However, I bought it because I wanted the karger screen, didn't need Bluetooth, and had another small video player for the sun visor. I paid $109 with lifetimes from Amazon. However, even with the 540 with its limited built in unexpandable 4gb memory, I can still load/unload US or Europe maps, use as a portable music or video player when I'm using the Nav ratherin car, on bike or hiking.

I called TomTom before I bought the 540xxl and lamented that they didn't seem to be making anything new to keep up with Garmin. They responded that the 540 was and update along with the live models. When I said they offered little new to the 900's and limited the ability to modify, they abruptly told me that their INTENT was to make a system that couldn't be modded to keep it "puer." My laugh didn't go ver too well.

Even the "new" 2000 series breaks no real new ground.

I suspiciously believe that the prprietary plug and attempts to limit modding by limiting memory is TomToms using the Mac marketing model to keep their customers captured. The effect, Mac computers are now just a small portion of the PC market, the IPOD is just another music player with plenty of competition, the IPhone has has just now been passed by Android phone sales, and the IPad has been equaled, except in size , by Samsung and matched in size by some lesser brands. I think TomTom is making a big mistake and will die a slow death induced by Garmin and when some real money gets behind some of the 2nd tier manufacturers.



Addendum to the 3 line "responder." Thank you for confirmining every comparison I made without, obviously, that being your intention. I'm guessing you must be a Mac kool aid drinker also. In regards to your comments regarding the Samsung, perhaps you should speak from your own experience rather than accept what you purport to be bad reviews for the Samsung. Of course, those may have been from those who already have drank the kool aid and bought their IPads with the lousy ATT service, now justifying their genius decisions. If you don't think Mac is the ultimate proprietery company, why do you think adding Verizon was a national news story. Irregardless, I find you suggestion that the Samsung has had poor reviews, quite the contrary from what I have seen.....except of course from the Ipadders and their forums. I can't wait for the squeals of joy when thr "new" Maxi IPad is released with such innovations as built in usb, flash capability, and a memory card slot. And all the kool aid drinkers will rejoice and bow to the new born king!

[MaFt]

[Pocketgps]

Basically this is totally amateurish. How a company can release a product and not implement the service to support it is beyond me.

O'h I just bought a new car. Took it to the dealer for a service, the dealer said the makers have been bought out by TomTom, so there is no service at the moment. Get the drift. You would not stand for it.

[Guivre46]

Having read all the reports, my doubts about the 1000 are now offset by the HD traffic performing so well. What still holds me back is MyHome, in particular no update yet for the 1000 maps, which I think may indicate that there are deeper problems yet than the minor alterations to date have revealed.
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Mike R [aka Wyvern46]
Go 530T - unsupported
Go550 Live [not renewed]
Kia In-dash Tomtom

[Skippy]

to bmwpc raises an interesting comparison to the Apple products (though with a somewhat unnecessary swipe at Apple fanbois).

As for the mounting and cable system, how many different ones has TomTom done now? It would be nice if they could settle on standard one but look at the Apple model - proprietary connector but we will sell you an adaptor for 20 quid. Nice.

The main point for the new TT is the locking down of the unit which is an interesting move. It does sound to me like TomTom are trying to follow the Apple business model here. Firstly they remove the SDK then the support for custom POIs (and the custom POIs thing is much bigger than just the speed camera database offered here).

Now they hint at trusted developers being allowed to write apps for the TT which will be approved by TomTom and no doubt distributed through TT's online store where they will get to take a cut of the revenue. Well, were have we seen that business model before (iTunes App Store)!

Apple get away with it because their hardware is pretty damned good. By tightly controlling the applications than their devices can run they stop people doing things that would make their devices suck or work in ways that Jobs doesn't want them to.

Yes, there is a certain amount of drinking the Kool-Aid involved here and it's completely the antithesis to the open movement that TomTom seemed to be getting cosy with for some time.

Perhaps TT are seeing that a sat nav unit is fast becoming a commodity item with no real value anymore. The rise of smart phones and sat nav programs running open source maps is definitely going to attack TT's business mercilessly. A few years ago only a few people had smartphones, an very few had GPS capabilities. Now there are millions.

Sat Nav has been invented and the barriers to entry (a mapping licence) are dropping quickly so TT are looking to the future where their business growth is going to come from the upsell with add-on "live" features, like HD traffic, real time information feeds and such like.

Perhaps the closed model will work for TomTom, but they have to understand that they need a pretty damned slick operation if they are going down the route of a completely closed system like Apple does and that it took Apple 20 years of ups and downs to get the business model working right....
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Gone fishing!

[Darren]

[bmwpc]

Skippy, thanks for your well written post. I didn't mean to get to snarky with Apple users as the initial products are usually first rate (I own an IPod myself). Perhaps I speak to much as a truly amature modder and wish I could do a few things with some of the Apple products that are not "allowed" even by those more skilled than myself. I've alway preferred the TT's over others I've tried and hate to see them appear to be on a slippery slope to becoming so proprietory. I also think your reasons may be very good reasons for this type of a business model but I hope not. Good post!!

[Andy_P]

[matthewj]

Where has the urgency for a dock with removable cable come from? It's not something I've noticed on these forums. "I'd buy a TomTom if only it had a dock with removable cable so I can use the same cable on my computer"... Seems to me to be a penny pinching move only.

The Apple model is a good one to adopt if you want to be successful, but first off it is niche and aspirational, and second off you have to produce really great products pretty much all the time. TomTom developments are sucking at the moment, and not demonstrating the quality needed to be the Apple of the satnav world.

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