Will it be at NEC Bike show

[TazUk]

[Simmy]

Yeah for sure, i wonder how many returns Garmin have for their so called waterproof units not being

Hope TomTom get it right

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I went to the NEC on Sunday and asked loads of questions and played with the TomTom Rider lots. I'm not under any kind of NDA so here's all the information I have:

Price Confirmed:
£600

Chipset:
SIRF III the unit had a 5 SAT lock inside the NEC :D

Shipping:
Already shipping to suppliers. I was told the best place to get it from would be the online store or Halfords

General Impressions:
The unit itself felt very sturdy. The screen was very clear from all angles and I mean all angles.
All the usual TomTom 5 features along with postcode searches. We did a navigation to a full postcode and it had no trouble.
The unit sits onto the mount which was powered and had 4 small pins on the back which the unit detects when it sits in the mount and then reduces its functionality. This means that all features are only available when the unit is not in the mount. This is to stop you trying to pair your phone etc when your riding the bike.
There is an SD Card slot in the bottom of the unit to allow you to update your maps or put the Speed Camera DB in. The unit I played with already had TomTom's version of it in. Along with working POI warning etc.
The Bluetooth GPS module for the headset is about the size of a cigarette lighter. It has a standard 3.5mm socket on the bottom and thats how you connect the ear-piece. Its paired to the unit so you can add any headphone/ear-piece/***autocom unit*** you want :D
The review unit was still not sealed at the bottom where the external charger and SD card connect. This is one of the reasons for the delay with the units as they were still fully waterproofing them.
The unit itself was very fast in operation. I have an IPaq 2210 in an otterbox ram-mounted to the handlebar's of my motorcycle and it bested it for speed of use (menus/route calculation etc). Also the screen is bigger than my Ipaq (not by much though) and a lot clearer.
The unit feels robust and was told that it has been shock tested (no more info on this though).

Downsides
You'll need a separate mount for your car. I was told this is just plastic and is not powered.
There is no speaker so if you want to use it in the car you will need to use the bluetooth module and speaker. Not sure if you can use a standard bluetooth headset as the tomtom guy could not confirm.
Price, 600 sheets is a lot of money for a dressed up GO.

All in all a very nice unit. I already have a full sat nav solution for my bikes and I am very tempted to buy one. I'd love to try one for a week etc. before I make up my mind. I'll have to see what the other reviews are like.

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And here's one supplier with a stock date:

25th November

http://www.e-bowl.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_name=TomTom_Rider&products_id=4742

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