TomTom Navigator 2 Bluetooth GPS

Setting up the TomTom was a little more problematic. While Bluetooth bonding was described adequately, setting up the serial link wasn't. Experience with the Socket helped me to guess that the TomTom needed to receive on Com port 8. This could easily have been avoided by the provision of adequate directions in the rather Spartan manual. I tested the TomTom's Navigator 2 software in Cornwall and found its routing perfectly acceptable. However, the points of interest database was focused on the southeast and missed out some southwest facilities.

Navigator has a novel 3D View, which makes the map look a lot more like the road you're likely to be seeing beyond your windscreen. However, the address search left a lot to be desired. Simple searches have only just been made available with a patch update, and even then finding certain minor locations was a trial. Searching could also be very slow and unresponsive.

If you know you'll be using the European maps, the Socket offers better value, as they're a free upgrade. If you're just travelling in the UK, the TomTom is cheaper. However, even though some of the problems I encountered with TomTom's Navigator have been fixed with the 2.22 update, it remains fiddly to find some destinations off the beaten track. For that reason, the Socket is the more dependable option, despite its greater cost for UK-only users.

Author: James Morris