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TomTom 130, 130s, 330, 330s: One and XL Redesigned, Stow-Away Mount

Today TomTom announces all new TomTom One and XL navigators. The software doesn't appear to be any different, but the exteriors have been streamlined even further, and the company introduced a new EasyPort mount that can stow-away in the back of the device itself, so you don't have to worry about leaving your mount in the car. TomTom also revamped the audio system, so that commands are "even more loud and clear at all times"—apparently previous versions sounded too garbled or weak, but not anymore.

When they come out in May, the baseline 3.5" TomTom One 130 will still list for $200, while a step-up with text to speech (in other words, reading of street names and highway numbers) is $250. The 4.3" widescreen TomTom XL has dropped in price, though: the 330 costs $250, and the 330S with text-to-speech is at $300. If you really just want to save money, the old TomTom One 3rd Edition currently lists for $170, while supplies last of course.

TomTom was in the news lately for having taken a beating in the first quarter of the year, profit down from $70.3 million to $12 million in year over year comparison. Keeping prices low certainly won't boost profits, though it might help to increase its flagging overall revenues. The real issue for us gadget fiends is that these minor updates, with no major change to the TomTom user interface in many years, makes the company look unable to conceive of radical new ideas as the GPS market gets crazier, and starts to include BlackBerrys and, dare I add, iPhones. I like TomTom well enough for getting from point A to point B, but I am not seeing any kind of long-term survival strategy here. [TomTom]

9:00 AM on Tue Apr 29 2008
By Wilson Rothman
4,523 views
6 comments

Comments

Pluton at 10:07 AM on 04/29/08
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Microsoft should buy em and combine sync with it.... But then it wouldn't be as much fun as teasing Yahoo.
SgtMac02 at 11:02 AM on 04/29/08
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I haven't researched this, so correct me if something like this already exists...

But someone should team up with Google and make a portable GPS system that ties into the GoogleEarth interface (or something similar to it) and gives you all of the information and view capabilities in a small portable device.
howdytex at 11:08 AM on 04/29/08
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I've got a TT1 that I picked up cheaply. It's good enough except I can't stand the Tele-Atlas maps. Not as accurate as the Navteq's, IMO.
drewheyman at 11:31 AM on 04/29/08
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@SgtMac02: the TomTom interface while connected to your computer more or less looks like/uses a Google Earth type interface. as you zoom in, it gets more regular-maplike.

But anyways, the capability is pretty close to being there I guess is what i'm trying to say.
frigg at 01:09 PM on 04/29/08
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Connectedness Index: 78
Brought to you by Acura TSX

GPS is ripe for revolutionary rather than incremental advancement. A Tom Tom with just a little better form factor is called... a Garmin Nuvi.

However, the idea of creating better mounts, and ones that disappear so they don't invite thieves to ransack your car (whether your actual GPS is in your car or not) is a great idea.

Car manufacturers should develop a standard mount, like ubiquitous cigarette lighter power adapters, that let you mount any 3rd party GPS and don't invite thieves to rifle through your dashboard.
scoopjones at 01:34 AM on 04/30/08
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Here's an idea - let the end user correct the build-in locations. I love my TomTom One, but the occasional errors in the database drive me crazy, from the wrong location for a Starbucks to telling me to turn right and go off a cliff! (Hwy 168 west of Bishop, Calif.) End users could plug it into their PCs later and send updates to TomTom, which would then share them with other users.