TomTom GO 500 Automotive GPS Receiver

couldn't wait to get my hands on a good tom tom and now here it is in my hands :)

The Tom Tom Go 500 unit, it has a touch sensitive screen, an on/off button, a button to release it from the docking cradle and a memory card slot, very easy to release.

An SD card with pre installed maps of the UK region together with the main roads of the rest of Europe, but updating is pricey.

A suction mount cradle so you fix the device to the windscreen, again very good and easy to use.

A DC power lead, so you can power the unit from the cigarette lighter socket in your vehicle, most sat navs all have this cable, need it for really long journeys for battery life.

A carry case, take the tom tom in and out very easy with its case.

USB Cable to connect to your computer. dond have on here :/. need ask abiut this.

An AC adapter so you can charge the unit when not in your vehicle. not have this either :(

A quick start guide and an installation poster. same again !

You will find that when you take it out of the box there should be enough of a charge in the unit to switch it on power it up, insert the SD card, run outside and shout "By eck it knows where I am" . I know like most men the last thing we do is read the instructions. What you should do is connect the AC power cable and leave it on charge for hours on end.

Personally I suggest putting the mount together, get in your vehicle and find a suitable place to site the unit, I have my TT500 in the centre of the windscreen just above the dashboard, it's not restricting my vision and it can be adjusted easily. You will find that it will take a few hours of driving for you to become accustomed to it.

The first time you use it may take some time to work out where it is, lets face it, its been stuck in a box, how would you feel if it was you. After that it only takes a few seconds to power up. The TT500 starts by displaying the navigation view, this is a map view and it will appear grey, that is until it gets a fix on the satellites then the map is in full colour. The view is what is referred to as 3D, you are looking at the road ahead as if you where flying 20' above the road, your position is indicated by a blue arrow-head. Now comes the hard bit, driving, try not to stare at the screen as you will find that bends in the road and other traffic may impede your progress, this is normally referred to as "Being involved in a road traffic accident". OK we have now driven round the block, let's go somewhere. Touch the screen and up comes main menu 1 of 3, select Navigate to.., Now you have the option to type in the name of the town or city, select the town or city you are going to, you will then be given the street, again type to the street name, select the street and up comes House no type in house number, select "Done" You should now have a route summary, select done again and the map appears if by magic with the route highlighted now you are off and running.

You can also navigate to Points of Interest, the unit has locations of Bank Cash machines, Post Offices, Hotels, Car Parks and loads more, so if your in a town running low on fuel just go to points of interest and it will show you the nearest Garage. Better still you can create your own together with Favorite Locations.
Well that's the basics, really you should be reading the instructions and not relying on me to talk you through it, there are voice instruction you know haha . thank you for reading.

by, christian hughes

I drive around 30-40000 miles a year so I need to know where I'm going and this is just the job. The touchscreen means you can navigate with the touch of a finger and you can store frequently visited places so you don't have to type in a location every time. Watch the screen or listen to the spoken instructions on where to go, couldn't be easier ! You can even select different voices, but I guarantee you'll go back to Jane in the end!
For me a huge bonus is the hands-free mobile phone calling via bluetooth. The unit even takes a copy of all your mobile numbers out of your phone automatically so you can dial people directly from your tomtom without picking up your phone! A remote control is sold separately also.
Another bonus is that you can, via your PC, load all the speed camera locations, so you get a warning when approaching a one eyed bandit, which could save you the price of the tomtom in speeding fines. Similarly railway stations, shopping centres etc, also you can load in grouped items like Tesco sites, congestion charge zones or BP petrol stations plus hundreds of others. (Many free web-sites around)
On the down side these are top of burglar Bill's Christmas list so never leave it in the car if you can help it, they might even see the window bracket or the mark it leaves on the window and break-in just to check the car for you. (Been there, done that!)
A sound investment if you do a lot of driving or can't find your way out of a paper bag, plus this unit saves you the price of a hands-free car kit for your phone. I could never go back to using maps again now, Get one you won't regret it !

PLEASE SEE MY GUIDE ALSO !
Tom Tom, Sat - Nav, Widescreen Models 510, 710 and 910

GO 500 - Functionalities
22cm x 24cm x 8cm

Just plug in, switch on & GO
Simple touch-screen operation
Clear, accurate turn-by-turn voice instructions
Compact, portable design: Easy to take from car to car.
Crystal-clear 3D graphics
Built-in Bluetooth™ Connection
Door-to-door planning: Find your way to any address in your region/country
Optional Remote Control
View Route: Review and test the calculated route before you actually start driving.
Dynamic Status Bar: Improve readability by customizing status bar.
Tip Feature: Discover everything GO has to offer through useful onscreen tips.
Extensive Guided Tour: Pick up the features even quicker and get the maximum out of your TomTom GO.
EASY

Hands-Free Calling via Bluetooth™: connection with mobile phone.
Integrated GPS Antenna
Speaks more than 30 languages in over 50 voices
User Interface: Now including 18 languages
CONNECTED

Postcode Navigation: For simple and accurate selection of your destination (UK & NL only)
A choice of routes: Quickest, shortest or avoiding toll roads and congestion charge areas

SMART


Itinerary Planning: Plan your trip by defining multiple waypoints and destinations
Thousands of Points of Interest available
Phone Control Support: Directly call a point of interest through the GO
Compass Mode: Displays compass on screen to have even better orientation while driving
Car Speed Linked Volume: Volume of voice instructions will increase/decrease depending on speed of car
Anti-Glare Screen: Always an optimal view, even in direct sunlight
Ready for TomTom PLUS Services: Real time information on traffic congestions, weather conditions and extra downloads such as detailed city maps, additional voices, points of interest and much more.
USB 1.1

very easy to use sat nav this is my second one so that says it all.With the addition of bluetooth it also makes a great hands free phone. If you have the most up to date map you can also make corrections on the map and share with the whole TomTom communitity.

badpoints
not customizable, very little tech support up to now, no updates, poor mapping software not very accurate, voice prompts are unreliable, 3d navigation is confusing, no additional poi or voices, included poi's are poor in quality or quantity.

good points

Has some very good features including fast lock on, plays vids and mp3, clear voice, TMC facility,sturdy build with a good suction mount.

I suggest:

search forums, do your research, try and get it unlocked and install a decent software such as tomtom, manufactures reckon they will release a route 66 vesion but when is a wild guess