TomTom EASE: An Honest Car Navigation GPS Review
Introduction
The TomTom EASE is the newest entry level GPS unit in the TomTom family. TomTom have enhanced the cost effectiveness of the device by reducing prices and moving some earlier higher priced features into this unit that is positioned right next to the TomTom One. These articles talk about the TomTom One family devices:
The entry level menu has been simplified, thereby making it easy to use. The “EASE” in the model name TomTom EASE probably signifies this. Features like text to speech has been included in this unit. The routing technology also has been moved into the TomTom EASE. The complete package comes in at low prices; a white unit at $89, a red one at $109.06 and a black unit at $119.99 at Amazon. The following car navigation GPS review will take a closer look at the TomTom EASE, helping you decide if this GPS device is right for you and your navigational needs.
Interface & User Friendliness (4 out of 5)
Instead of cluttered options, the opening menu of the TomTom EASE has “find route” and “browse map” options only. From the plan route option a submenu of destination options comes up. This has specific address, your home address, searchable POI or recent destinations choices. The POI icons on the TomTom EASE can be overlaid on the map showing you the nearest fuel pump or an eating place. A row of smaller buttons help you select sound settings, change the color schemes depending on whether you are driving during the night or daytime, help button helps you find nearest street or current location, phone book and some emergency numbers. The Done button takes you to the live driving mode. In this mode, TomTom EASE has a zoom button to help you zoom in and out. A status display shows the direction, speed and destination related information. The display is 3.5 inch QVGA color touch screen. The interface alone earns the TomTom EASE a major plus in this car navigation GPS review.
Features (4 out of 5)
The text to speech is good on the TomTom EASE, audible easily. Street names, area names and turn by turn directions are spoken. Additionally, the routing technology used in higher priced models has also moved into the TomTom EASE. TomTom calls this technology the IQ routing. This routing methodology uses historical speed data to determine congestion on the route. This technology is able to provide drivers with accurate travel times. The database used has 1.3 trillion speed measurements worldwide, which are included in the device’s map, meaning the TomTom EASE calculates routes quite intelligently. The TomTom EASE is also able to use crowd sourcing of map data. If you found something different than the map you can request for a change. This is a feature you would not find easily in car navigation GPS units often. It utilizes the Map Share network for user generated route corrections. It helps keep the maps current, formal update may take long. The TomTom EASE comes preloaded with US maps sourced from Tele Maps, one of the highest quality map providers. These include some 6.5 million POI points.
The TomTom EASE has a 320 x 240 pixels and 64 k colors display and 2GB flash memory built in. The batteries give you 3 hours on a single charge. It is highly portable and can be carried easily in the pocket by the driver. For a good car navigation GPS review of features read Discover What Really Makes a Good Car GPS Unit. You may also be interested in reading TomTom vs. Nuvi: Which Should I Buy? for desirable features and comparisons.
Suggested Features for the TomTom EASE
Now that 4.3 inch size is more common the 3 inch display on the TomTom EASE is likely to cause some dissatisfaction. The device also does not have a plug-in card slot like microSD or otherwise. This can lead to some irritation as, if you need to update maps, you’ll have to sync with a PC through the mini USB provided with TomTom EASE. That forces you to get the unit back and forth to PC at home or office that you use to update maps.
Overall Rating (4 out of 5)
The TomTom EASE is good value for money for any user. For a price of about $100 you get truly nice features that make it useful for in-car navigation use.
