4. Mounting the TomTom ONE XL In the Car

Figure 11: Connecting the 12v Cigarette Lighter Adapter

TomTom's included 12v cigarette lighter power adapter has a long enough cable that locating a suitable 12v socket isn't an issue.

Figure 12: Connecting the USB Power Cable to the ONE XL

The ONE XL uses the USB connector for both power as well as connecting the unit to a PC via TomTom's HOME application. It would have been nice if the power cable connected to the windshield mount rather than the GPS directly, as mounting / unmounting the unit would be simpler.

Figure 13: TomTom ONE XL's Windshield Mount, Attached

TomTom's suction-cup style windshield mount is secured to the windshield by pressing it against the glass.

Figure 14: TomTom ONE XL's Windshield Mount, Side View

The connection isn't quite as solid as some other mounts (it fell off the glass once while I was driving), but it does an adequate job provided you press hard enough to secure it in place.

Figure 15: Connecting the ONE XL to the Windshield Mount

The biggest problem I had with TomTom's windshield mount is that the mount sits too close to the glass, making it impossible to slide the ONE XL on top of the mount without hitting the windshield glass. In order to mount the unit, you have to angle the bracket down, slide the ONE XL onto the mount, and then re-adjust the position back to the desired viewing angle. Correcting this design flaw should be a priority for TomTom (possibly by extending the the mount's neck so it clears the windshield adequately).

Figure 16: TomTom ONE XL, Mounted in the Car

The TomTom ONE XL looks good in the car. In very bright sunlight, the ONE XL created a silver reflection in the glass, but not enough that it's distracting while driving.

Figure 17: TomTom ONE XL Mounted in the Car, Side View

Side view of the ONE XL, mounted in the car.

Figure 18: TomTom ONE XL vs. Garmin nuvi 660

The TomTom ONE XL and Garmin nuvi 660/680 have the same size (4.3") LCD display, and both are handsome GPS devices that will look at home in almost any car.

5. Wait, no SiRF? Is that OK?

SiRF's high performance StarIII 20-channel indoor GPS receiver is extremely sensitive and able to maintain solid signal reception even when driving in GPS-challenging situations, such as behind tall buildings, under bridges, through canyons, etc. Most new GPS devices currently on the market are using SiRF.

The integration of SiRF's chipsets into the latest generation of in-car navigation systems has been a watershed event for GPS navigation. Prior to SiRF, line-of-sight to the sky was required to receive GPS signals, resulting in poor GPS performance (or no signal at all) in many cases. SiRF's chipset has ushered in a new era of GPS performance, affording fast signal acquisition and precise positioning that is solidly maintained while driving.

The TomTom ONE originally shipped using SiRF's StarIII receiver, but subsequently TomTom cut production costs by replacing the expensive SiRF receiver with Global Locate's Hammerhead receiver. The ONE XL also uses Hammerhead, so I was interested to see how the ONE XL's GPS signal performance would compare to SiRFs.

I tested performance by comparing a SiRF-equipped TomTom ONE with the Hammerhead-equipped ONE XL. Signal performance was nearly identical for both chips, although I did notice that SiRF's receiver had slightly faster initial acquisition times and re-acquisition times if signal was lost. On the other hand, Hammerhead seemed better at map tracking. On the whole I'd say SiRF's performance was slightly better, though not enough to sway your decision to buy a particular GPS or not.

6. Powering on the TomTom ONE XL for the First Time

Figure 19: First Use - Setting the Language

Press and hold the power button on the top of the TomTom ONE XL for 2 seconds to turn on the device.

The first time the ONE XL is powered on, you are prompted to answer a series of questions to complete the first-time use start-up wizard. First TomTom asks for the preferred language. Be default English UK is selected.

Figure 20: First Use - Confirming the Language Selection

After choosing a language from the list of available languages, the ONE XL asks you to confirm the choice.

Figure 21: First Use - Beginning the Start-up Wizard

One the language has been set, the ONE XL still needs to ask a few more questions before we're ready to navigate.