I have recently acquired the entry-level TOMTOM GPS navigational device, known as the TOMTOM Start. It currently retails for R1099 incl VAT and is available from HIFI CORPORATION and other fine stores.


PRODUCT OVERVIEW

The TomTom Start is designed to be easily affixed to the windshield with a provided rubber suction mount, which I have found to be very secure.
In the package you will find included:
- Quick Start Documentation
- Car Charger
- USB Cable
- GPS
- Windshield mount

Out of the box, the unit contains South African maps, which are more accurate and up-to-date than the competing Garmin maps. After a few initial setup steps, the unit is READY FOR USE. Note: you do not even need to set a home address, skipping the step the unit will fix to a GPS signal and display your current location, NO PROBLEM

The unit operates with a TOUCH SCREEN which is child's play to use. The software is so extremely intuitive there is no need to use or download a manual.

Generic screen shot shown

USING THE PRODUCT
I took the unit with me to a recent weekend getaway, to Cape Town. Without much ado it gave me the correct directions and perfectly accurate maps to various locations all over Cape Town, including a rather obscure and hard-to-find B&B in Bloubergstrand. Simply just typing in the address correctly was all that was required. Navigating around Cape Town, was made a perfect pleasure, unlike the previous time I was there, when I repeatedly got lost. The recent road works in Cape Town are already on the device, except for one on-ramp near Bosmansdam Road which we could not turn right into (seems to be recently changed). The unit then recalculated the route to work around it.

It also correctly alerted me to the location of various fixed speed cameras in Cape Town. Unfortunately the information for Gauteng is nondescript and this is possibly where Garmin is better. However due to the nature of the METRO POLICE in Gauteng, its to be expected. For absolute speed trap information I refer you to another proposed project I wish to work on in the near future.

The battery life is good, we have not yet drained the battery completely so an update will be forthcoming in that regard.

Pros
- It works well, even though its supposedly an entry-level GPS
- Works out the box, dead easy to use!
- Accurate and Reliable. Accurate enough to calibrate your vehicle's speedometer.
- Has handy features such as dimming of the display for night use
- The Windows- based software is an AIO (all-in-one) variety to allow easy firmware upgrades and customisation of the device
- Fully allows user map corrections via the software and sharing of same with other TomTom users.

Cons
- It can take a while (5 - 10mins) for it to connect to the GPS satellites, especially if you fly from JHB to CAPE TOWN and then switch it on.
- Struggles to work indoors and won't work at all if you have a metal roof.
- It does not have a facility to detect the vehicle's ignition being turned on or off, so you have to manually turn it on and off. Sometimes you could forget the unit on, as I have done.

Cautionary Notes:
This is from my own experience and knowledge.

This product contains a Li-Ion battery. For this reason I do NOT recommend you leave the unit attached to its cradle on the windscreen with the car parked in the sun. The battery could combust, destroying your vehicle.

Thanks for the great review and especially for the subsequent update (no pun intended...)

That is one thing I can say for the Garmin unit I used to own. Map updates downloaded were rock solid or alternatively you could go to any Cape Union Mart and buy a DVD for R10 containing all the latest mapsets. You would then just unlock the relevant map using the key you purchased.
In addition I also upgraded the firmware very frequently. (Garmin tends to push new hardware models into the market with feature incomplete or buggy firmware, so it's a bit of a necessity). Often it was beta level firmware and only once did I encounter issues with new firmware installed. Uninstalling and reloading the previous firmware was a cinch though.

Sorry to hear about the issues with TomTom customer support. Hopefully this is something they can improve on in the future and perhaps also look at distributing mapsets via DVD etc. in addition to the download option. The hardware and operation of the unit when running with a 'correct' mapset sounds good though and it's a product I would consider when buying a GPS again.


Indoor GPS locks are difficult even with top of the range units, so I wouldn't let that concern me overly.

Garmin also links your mapset to your unit but you can manually enter your unit ID and Key etc. which is combination is unique to your unit thus allowing you to install the same mapset on different devices as long as the ID/Key algorithm matches. You are also not forced to use an online installer, but can rather install it into their mapsource windows based product, unlock it there offline and then transfer the unlocked version to your device.